The Waterbury Democrat., 1935-04-08
Lack Of Long's Influence Helped Louisiana Cagers
BY HARRY GRAYsoN


 In his zeal to attack the New Deal and indirectly build him. self up as presidential candidate for the next campaign, Senator Huey Long, the Kingfish and I'm perial Potentate of the Sovereign State of Louisiana, has neglected the athletic activities of Louisiana State University.
 Maybe that's why the Tigers basketball squad is one of the most powerful in the United States today.
 Probably you recall Huey's aitercation with Coach Biff Jones over the running of the L. s. u. football team last fall, and how the Tigers, after q successful year under Riff, ran into Tartars at Tu- lane and Tennessee and dropped q couple of games. Jones lost his job for telling Huey that he, Riff, was the boss.
 Apparently Coach Harry Raben- horst, basketball mentor. hasn't been laboring under the handicap of Longs second guessing. So the Tigers crashed through tough SOIlGICuSS so@itShdiN of 12 games to win every one. Against Mississippi State, pow erful team, Rabenhorst's boys ran up totla of 67 points.
 l.. $. Us team takes q trip east next month to participate in the American Legion court tour nament at Atlantic City. April 20. The snug north Atlantic seaboard, ..,GI. lx., f.,f versity's high-powered quintet this season, is due to see team in action that would give the Vio- let a swell run for its money. Wade's & Wonder
 The Tigers team is built around Malcolm "Sparky" Wade. sensa tional diminutive guard. and Nathan Buddy" Blair, a star for ward.
 unit, the squad is particu- lariy proficient in offense and is rated remarkable for it's clever ex- ecution of the pivot play, and its fast passing and cutting.
 Wade is an unusual player. He tips the scales at only 147 pounds full of bananas and cream, and yet, even though playing a guard position where big bruisers arc the accepted timber, he is big scoring threat. In the 1933-34 season he rang up 197 points to win the individual scoring cham pionship.
 Coach A. r. Rupp, noted mentor of Kentucky's wonder team, made the following remark about the mites prowess last season:
 Louisiana State University, led by the diminutive 'Sparky' Wave, was the colorful team of ths year. Spectators came hun dreds of miles to see this lad per form. Weighing but 135 pounds, fast as streak, and using sen sational jump shot, he clowns through the game.'
 This year Wade is more color ful than ever, and pretty good bet to make the All-America squad. His ballhandling, passing, and dribbling, and knack of look ing one way and passing the oth- CT, hs made him d marked man. COlOrfuI Crowd PIcaser
 Heralded in high school as a wonder player, the mite made Alonzo Stagg's All-America high school team when he performed for Jena, La.
 Harry Costello, who does some ballyhooing of l.. $. U. athletics, sues some unusual-or are they usual--superlatives in describing Wade.
 "In action" says Harry. Wade is dynamic. He not only Is clever, agil, and proficient. but plucky and aggressive as well. At times his aggressiveness reaches the proportions of pugnacity, which seems to endear him to crowds. He has Tt on the bas- ketball court and. like all cham pions, has that vital spark that puts him over.
 '"As rule, observers in ath- letics make selections for all-star teams on eye-impression rather than after reviewing the records. The vast majority of observers in Louisiana pick Wade as their se- lection as soon as they see him in action-he is that valuable TO hsi team"
 ] In justice to the rest of the team. Harry doesn't neglect 10 mention there are four others playing for the Tigers. Three Of them rave performed with Wade, since their sophomore years. They are Bliar. forward: Jack Harris.l forward; and Ben Journeay. guard.