Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-01-26
HAVE fine COACH
IN HOWARD CANN
Declared Greatest Player
in World in 1920-Wsits
G. U. February 7.
BY CHARLES CRUNCH,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

n VIEW YOhh.-lNe CITY -DFtu, I'LL
round athlete who was hailed
VI in 1920 as the greatest basket
/ bali player in the world" Is
steering the Violets Of New York Uni
versity toward shot at Olympic
and world-supremacy on the maple
courts.
Howard (Jake) Cam, pilot Of the
perennially powerful basket ball Vio-
let's, Is chary. as usual, about predic-
lions, but partisans of N. Y. U. figure
their courtsters will be among the
favorites in the collegiate elimination
events leading up to the Olympic try
out tournament here in April.
Nineteen consecutive triumphs stood
behind the Cann-coached Violets
when they laid off competition until
February S. taking their midseason
examination time "breather."
Headliners at Madison Square Gar
denis regular basket ball programs
played before capacity audiences, the
Violets this season have bowled over
such rivals as the University Of Cali
fornia, Dartmouth, Purdue, Princeton.
Fordham, Kentucky, Columbia and
North Carolina.
Impressive Record.
TN CANN'S regime as head coach,
dating back to the 1928 season.
N. Y. U. has won 1879 games and
lost 81.
The Violets went through the 1884
campaign undefeated. winning l6
straight games, and they were beaten
only once last season on 20-game
schedule. Their only conqueror in
1885 was Yale, which broke their long
string of victories with . 1929
triumph in overtime.
Cam. a quiet, taciturn though pop
ular faculty member, teaches the man.
to-man defense and combination
fast-breaking and delayed fast-break-
ing offense. His Violets are adept
with every kind of shot and are we'll
equipped to defend against any kind
of offense ordered by the opposition.
The Violets' headman Of basket ball
was one OF N. Y. US greatest all
around athletes in his undergraduate
days-basket ball forward and cap
tain, foot ball captain, tackle and kick
ing fullback; javelin and discus throw
err and shotputter, I. c. "A shotput
champion in 1920 and member Of the
United States Olympic team at Ant
werp In 1920.
National Champs in 20.
NEW YORK U. won the national
A. A. U. basket ball title in 1920
at Atlanta, with Cam producing 80
field goals and winning a newspaper
trophy designating him as the great
est basket ball player in the world"
Cam also won the title of "all-
America" forward for his play at
Atlanta.
Interrupting his quest for an engi-
neering degree. Cam left college in
1917 to join the Navy as a quarter
master. At the end of the World War
he was naval Newfoundland COL
lege student again. He was graduated
in 1920 with the engineering degree
and the hankering to return to Uni
versity Heights in coaching role.
He was assistant to Ed Thorp in the
1928 season at N. Y. U.
Named head coach of basket ball
in 1923. Cam eventually succeeded
his father, the late Frank H. Cam.
upon the latter's retirement as director
emeritus of the gymnasium. The
duties Cam took from his fathers
shoulders included those of the direc
tor of physical training. The elder
Cam served on the university staff
more than 81 years.
Foot Ball Coach. Too.
lake" Cam took over the foot
- ball coaching at N. Y. U. in 1882
and 1888, then was relieved by DR..
Marvin A. (MaD Stevens. the present
coach. who drove the foot ball Violets
through 1885 campaign marred only
by a climax defeat at the hands of old
rival Fordham In the annual Battle
OF the Bronx"
Ahead OF the Violets. in the second
half of the campaign beginning Feb
ruary S. lies tough opposition-St.
Johns, Georgetown, which will be met
in Washington February 7: Temple.
Rutgers, Notre Dame. Manhattan,
Fordham and City College of New
York.
The towering. capable Violet array,
headed by the lettered Capt. Willie
Rubenstein, Leonard Mailman, Milton
Schulman and Irwin (King Kong
Klein and Perry Geffen. pair of
converted foot ball tackles in the guard
roles, is composed of city boys from
the Bronx, Brooklyn, Yonkers-and