Evening star., 1941-12-27
Sizzling Record
MdkesHoosier
FiVeFavorite
CoIonioIs Are Hoping
To Rally After Two
Losses in q Row

George Washington's basket ball
team again will mingle with the elite
tonight at Riverside Stadium, this
time hoping TO impress at the ex-
pense Of the crack Indiana Hoosiers,
recognized as the Astors of the
bounce-a shoot sWanky set.
The game will start at 8:45 o'clock
following a preliminary involving
Treasury Department and Federal
Bureau Of Investigation in Dis
trict Recreation League game
at 7::30.
Beaten successfully by Oklahoma
A. and M. and Oklahoma u, a
brace Of the Nations better teams,
the Colonials will be facing a club
that last night dealt Pittsburgh a
504l trimming d.. previously wall
loping Wabash. U. C. l.. and Ne
braska. The Hoosiers' onis defeat
was administered by Great les
Naval Training Station, composed
entirely Of former collegiate stars.
while G. Ws only triumph in three
games was over Wake Forest.
Indiana Has Flashy Record.
Branch McCracken, Indiana's
youthful coach, again has assembled
from the hotbed of basket ball a
team that is calculated TO preserve
his enviable record In three previ-
GUS seasons McCracken's clubs have
compiled identical records of IT
wins and three defeats against major
opposition.
The Colonials can't afford TO re-
lax. They were tipped to focus their
defense on Capt. Andy thinner, a
6-foot 5-inch specimen; Bob Denton,
6-foot 2-inch center, and Forward
John Logan. but against Pitt last
night it was Forward Ralph Hamil-
ton and Guard Irwin Swanson who
piled up the points. Hamilton con-
nected for 16 points, while Swanson
contributed 10.
In preparing for what may be
their strongest foe of the season. the
Colonials haven't been loafing.
Coach Bill Reinhart has been labor
ing overtime to smooth the rough
spots noted in G. W.'s last two
games, even to the extent of drill
ing the team three hours on Christ
mas Day.
Both Teams Free Shooters.
National collegiate champion in
1910 and runner-up in the Big Ten
race last season. Indiana rules a
slight favorite to deal the Colonials
a third straight whipping 1t should
be a fast, exciting engagement, with
both outfits featuring the fast
break, rapid passing, and operating
on the theory that it's quite all right
to fire a steady stream of leather at
the basket.
Indiana isn't likely to crack under
pressure. The Hoosiers seem TO
thrive when the going is tough. in
TACT. for seven times last night their
game with Pitt was tied, but in
the final three minutes Indiana
limited the Panthers to a point
while scoring 10.
Tom KeeSey, high scorer of the
Oklahoma U. game for the CO.
lonlalS with Is points, may break
into the G. w. starting lineup. He
4 IS no defensive star, but Coach
Reinhart may be willing to ganbls
that his offensive performance will
offset that deficiency. Certain
starters for the Colonials are Matt
Zunic. Bobby Gilham and Ed Gus
tafson, with the others to be chosen
from Keesey, Joe Gallagher and
Roy Mcneil.
Almost an All -HOOsier Scrap.
Indiana virtually is a certainty
to employ nine or 10 players about
equally. Coach McCracken alter
mates his players to keep the
Hoosiers' attack rolling at full speed
for the full 40 minutes.
Since all members of the Indiana
squad are natives and five Geores
Washington players are from the
Hoosier State, the elements of a
heated all-Indiana battle are pres
ent. G. w. dipped into Indiana
to obtain Gilham. Bob jackson, Jim
| Myers, Jim Rausch and Jim Barnett.
Zunic is the Colonials' most con-
slstent scorer, of course, having
poured 38 points through the hoop
| In three games.