The Washington times., 1924-12-17
COACH HAS
PATIENCE
Of JOB
! JOhn D. o'ReiIIy, Of George
town, Waits for Material
to Develop
BY ROSS L. CONKLIN.

ny NOG0 LIE NOINAAAlNs
John D. O'Reilly, major domo
Of the Georgetown University, has
more patience than coy spinster.
John D. coaches basketball, track
and baseball at the Hilltop. Hencs
the need for the ability to play
q waiting game.
They hand the canny conditioner
3 galaxy of raw material and tell
him to make it resemble some.
thing. There are no ands or butts
permitted and the Hilltop tactician
usually is able to develop q
worthy team.
Basketball at Georgetown has a
lsrge following among the students,
Possibly larger than football. And
the material is no whit more plenti.
xul or potential than the grid sport.
But GEORGETOWN always has a quint
that gives more than it takes.
The Blue and Gray has plenty of
time Tor preparing for, its first EN-
counter. There viii be no games
until after the holidays, and
O'Rstlly has much time to develop
9 combination Of merit. Every day
ne has that big gym loaded to the
gills with basketeers.
Al Brogan d captain Of the
team. Brogan has been regular
guard so long ne has become m
institution. While he il not 4
towering giant. Brogan Is big
enough TO hold his own with the
heaviest Of opponents, and he
Plays floor game OF much
Brogar's little running mate in
the other guard position Is, lust
now, Richie Ryan. O'ReiIly saws
ne has in that pair Of guards two
men who win make forward move
faster than an express to register
basket. Ryan was a sub last
year.
Finley, d newcomer, is lean and
long and lanky. He is being used
IN center because of his ability to
touch off the ball and In basketball
q jumping center Is essential If any
OF the plays are to be run off with
success.
Sweeney, last year sub, ana
Noak, a modest youth with legs
and chest like Hercules, are the
chaps whose duty it is to ring up
the counters. In scrimmasre
game against the second string
men they ran the play along
smoothly and scored many baskets.
Because of the high caliber OF
the substitutes O'Reilly is not yet
certain Of his varsity team. He
has many men with whom he is
experimenting and any one of them
may step into the shoes Of a
regular on a moments notice.
Hap Farley, who was thrown out
Of the game last wear when an
emergency operation placed him
hors de combat, and Pete, Gitlis,
Yale basketball star of two years
ago, are the leading contenders for
varsity places among the subs.
Gitlis was a meInl,er of Yale's
collegiate championship team, but
he is not showing the form here
that carried him TO such heights
at New Haven. He is not a good
scorer. but he Is the type Of guard
who does not permit his opponent
20 do much scoring either.
McInerney and B;rthright were
subs last year. With the training
obtained then and the graduation of
several of the first-string men they
were almost certain of berths until
newcomers outclassed them. Herlihy
and Vuckmanic are the last two
who are being considered on the
sfirst-string squad.
Because of the faculty ruling
barring basketball on any nights
but Friday and Saturday the Hill.
top schedule is anything but i'm
posing. No games were scheduled
before Christmas because TO develop
a team by that time would be
forcing" the boys. The season
ends on Washington's Birthday, the
day when the big Blue and Gray
indoor meet is staged.
There are no stars on the George.
town team. O'Reilly sees to that.
Every man is supposed to be cog
in a highly trained machine. Stars
have the shine taken from them
and then they are permitted to
play. Just five good men, care
fully conditioned and well coached
in the fundamentals of the game.
Georgetown is light, but fast.
Hardly a man on the squad will tip
the beams at 100 pounds and when
heavier. opponents are met they are
usually run ragged The Hilltop
pers have much promise and
O'Reilly says they will be good.