New Britain herald., 1930-03-01

(By NEA Servicc)
 Indianapolis, Ind, March l. - March as q calendar unit contains a varied significance to the world at large, but to people of the Hoosicr state it means only one thing-that period of the year when basketball is crowned king--croWnod with as many of it's subjects as possible view ing the ceremony at the state capital and thousands of others of all ages back home bcsieging newspaper offices, fumbling radio dials or qucrying each other as 10 the prog ress of their favoritcs.
 It's T great month to Indiana. It's a month when some 7S5 high schools, numbering their cnrollmcnts from dozens to thousands, go through the three weeks of travail that sec the fruition of dreams and rivalry reaching the stage of ani- mostly, incidental to the final sclcc- ton of the states best
 Hoosicrs no sooner relax from the strain of watching their favoritcs survive or go down in defeat in the sectional or preliminary tourna- mcnts, than they arc keyed for the regional tourney which reduce the field to 1G teams, the cream of In diana net talent, who battle it ont through two days of hcartbrcak and victory in the Butler university field house here.
 In gate interest, the annual event is second only to the annual 800 mile motor classic to HooSiCr sport lovers. Butler univcrsity's new net center will accommodate approNi- matcly 14,000 fans, and it is jam med from the starting whistle Of the opening game until the new titlist has been crowned. Approximately l3,S4G fans paid S4o,03S at s, q throw to witness the spectacle in 1929.
 With the season games counting naught in the title chase, some mentors have resortcd to withhold ing their full strength in contests during the allotted 20 game season scheduled. This became evident carly in the current campaign In early contests, when strong teams ripped quintcts of the same rating. all appeared on the level. But when these same teams, with reserves sprinkled in the lineup, bowed to weaker foes, then it became appar- ent that all was not kosher in Dem mark.
 Columbus, q little town of 10000 in the southern part of the state, and Washington, in the same section of the state and boastinG approXi- matcly the same population, appear outstanding favoritcs on the strength of their season records. Each has been defeated once.
 Martinsvilc and Frankfort. per- cnnial tayoritCS and contcndrrs. have had as many ups and downs us an elevator boy in q busy hotel. The former, under Glen Curtis, who has supplied the Big Ten with such stars at Dutch Schnaitcr and Johnny Wooden of Purdue and Bob Lock hart of Northwestern, again must be considered contonders Of the top class. In the language Of thr Hoosiers, they arc a Tournament toam,' drilled and pointed for the supreme tests. Frankfurt. ;hc dc fending champion, is placed in thp same category. Coach Everett Case of the latter team has sent such stars as Robert Spradling and Plunkctt of Iowa, Ashley of Chicago. Boots. Cummings and George SpradIing of Purdue, 10 tho Western Conference. He also may be remembered as an important witness early in the in vestigation which eventually resulted in the ousting of Iowa from the Bis Ten.
 Horace Mann of Gary. Munctn. Arsenal Technical of Indianapolis. Anderson and Logansport arc other popular favoritcs.
 Marion where Bob Chapman. cap- tain of the current Michigan quiu- tct, and "Strctch' Murphy. AL America center and co-cdptain Of Purdue, did their carly cayortiug. has only memories. The Giant town has not produced 4 real threat since the two aforementioned tall boy- formed the nucleus for titlc-win- ming team in 1926.