Evening star., 1933-12-14
CARDS NOT At PEAK
FOR FIRST BIG TILT
Mack's Son With Invaders.
sS Versatile Leader Lost in
Bill Roper.
BY HI. C. BYRD.

~ATHOLIC UNIV ERSITY'S
basket ball team, despite
~ its high-scoring victory
over Maryland State Nor
NAL School Tuesday, is likely to
find itself at a disadvantage to-
night in its first real test Of the
year against Duke.
The Brooklanders have had three Of
their five regular basketers out for
practice only since the foot ball sea-
son closed, while Duke has in its line
up no grid players and has been work.
ing out as team for six weeks. In
the matter of teamwork and accurate
shooting under fire that is an advan-
tage that cannot be discounted.
Catholic U. whipped the life out Of
Maryland State Normal, but tonight
will be against a far different kind Of
combination. If C. U. wins, it should
: give itself one long complimentary
pat on the shoulder in recognition Of
an unexpected achievement.
The local school will place on the
floor team made up largely of veter-
ans but without the mainstay Of last
season-Bus Sheery. However, 1t will
take the floor against five that proved
itself year ago and the year before
that, a team OF rangy, experienced
basket ball players.
Comics Son a Giant. 81
LAT CENTER on the Duke five is
n Connie Mack, jr., son Of the IA
nf Afhlet1fS
Young Mack stands feet S inches,
and Bernie Lieb, former Eastern High
boy now playing center for c. u, Is
going to have his hands fulEperhaps
his feet full, would be better-to out
jump him. Two other members Of
Duke are the Thompson brothers, for
mer Western High boys. One of them
played center last year, but has been
shifted to forward. The other Thomp-
son is guard.
Forrest Cotton, Catholic U. coach, in
talking about tonight's game, says he
expects his team to be up against it,
but that it Is good enough defensively
to put up a great battle.
Duke, in q warm-up game in Rich
mond. Va, last night, defeated the
Rotary Club of that city, "a to e, the
Blue Devils not being extended.
Roper Inspirational Leader.
TN THE passing of Bill Roper, foot
ball has lost one of its most dynamic
personalities and one of the fairest
men who has been identified with the
coaching profession. Not only was
Roper dynamic and possessed of an ag-
gressive personality, but he had what
few men Of that type ever show-kindly
consideration and liberation for others.
xryi11iy,y fn rive nic hoSt
advice at all times to younger coaches,
ready to extend aid whenever it was
asked. It is doubtful If any foot ball
coach ever possessed more friends or
was more highly esteemed generally.
No higher type man has taught the
lessons of the gridiron.
Bill Roper was not great technical
coach. He was not profound IN his
development of tactics, but in his abil-
ity to inspire young men, In his capac-
dty for leaving with them valuable les
sons to be carried into later life, it is
doubtful If he has ever had an equal,
and certainly not superior. No man
ever played foot ball under Bill Roper
who was not benefited throughout
life by his contact with his coach, and
from no other coach have foot ball
players ever got a finer example OF
loyalty, unselfish service. and adherence
to high ideals. Above all, Roper was
man, q man from whom everybody who
knew him got something Of value to
carry on and apply in his own life.
Had Remarkable Energy.
DEFORE his death Roper had been
Ill for seven or eight weeks with
an infection that he could not
throw off. His passing. though, was
hardly expected, as only two weeks
ago, in reply to a brief letter Of ,en-
couragement sent to him by the writer.
Mrs. Roper replied that, while he had
been dangerously i'll. the doctor felt
that he was beginning to show i'm
provement.
Roper led an active life-so active
that most people who knew him mar
Of it. All the time he was coaching
{ foot ball at Princeton and making a
/, daily trip to that university he was
living in Philadelphia and playing an
active part in Philadelphia politics.
And an active part in Philadelphia pol
itics is enough of strain in itself,
without consideration for the strain
of directing big university foot ball
squad. And in addition to these
activities, Roper conducted big busi-
ness, and for years was its active head.
IlOW IlQCll XlClNO CAiCkSy AsoPCA
lost in his manifold activities one can
never know If he had set little
slower pace it might be that he would
have had enough reserve to fight OF
the infection that devastated his sys-
tenn to go on for many more useful
and purposeful years.
Biff Jones Popular Here.
n ESIDES the interest from George
n Washington viewpoint, the Louisi-
ana State University eleven will
have attached to it a considerable local
feeling when it comes here next Fall
for its game with the Colonials.
Louisiana State is coached by Capt.
Lawrence Jones, known more faniliarly
In the Capital as "Biff" Jones.
The Louisiana State coach played
guard for Central High School. then
guard for Army and, later. coached
some Of Army's most successful elevens
He has here host of friends who
are interested in everything he does
In local interest 1t is doubtful If George
Washington could have scheduled q
better game.
Co1Yrt Ror,r1ts