Evening star., 1942-01-26
Illinois Mentor
Nurses Young
Team 10 Top
Foes Stocks Aided His
Team to Big Tally, Soys
West Texas Coach
Bv HAROLD CLAASSEN,
Associated Press Sports Writer.

Associated Press sports writer.
NEW YORK, Jan. 26.-While the
athlete students are busy with their
examinations again this week,
coaches will have time to reflect on
hints that sometimes it is incidents
far from the gym that mean a
victory.
West Texas State twice has
crushed foe by sending more than
100 points through the net in 40
minutes. The first time Eastern
New Mexico State was the victim.
Ill to % Saturday night the
Buffalo IN " Teachers felt the
sting, los to Al.
Coach Al Baggett of the enormous
Texans says it wasn't his tutoring
that brought the lopsided triumph
in the Southwest but rather the
mistake of a waiter who served the
Texans pre-game steak dinner to
the New MeXicans and the latters'
tea and toast to the worlds tallest
team The New Mexicans dined
half hour before the Texans.
But coaching pays the most divi-
dends in the long run. Doug Mills.
Illinois young court professor. has
nursed team with four Sophomores
in its lineup to the Big Ten lead
with six straight league wins.
Purdue Plays Minnesota.
The Illini are bookworms until
February 7 so Purdue, current run
nerup. entertains powerful Mime
sofa at Lafayette tonight in the cir
cults No. l game of the week. The
Boilermakers are at Ohio StAte and
Minnesota is at Michigan Saturday.
Duke and William and Mary con-
tinue to set the pace in the Southern
Conference with the Blue Devils
host to North Carolina State Satur-
day. Furman, also without league
loss, challenges South Carolina ip
its own gym Friday and goes to the
Citadel Saturday.
Oklahoma, second in the Big Six
now that both Kansas and Iowa
State have been defeated, will have
the famed Gerry Tucker back for
the remainder of the year after to-
nights brush with Iowa State.
Kansas is in its customary spot at
the head of the parade. but the
Cyclones first loss of the year to
Missouri Saturday tumbled them to
third place.
Washington State, last years Pa
ciflc Coast champion and national
collegiate runnerup, again is becom-
ing power along the Western slope.
Now in third place in the Northern
half, but only few decimal points
out of first, the Cougars are hosts
to Oregon State in pair of week
end contests. Second-place Oregon
plays at; Washington the same
nights.
Uclans and Cardinals Clash.
Virtually the only action in the
somnolent Southern half brings the
University of California at Los An
day and Saturday. Stanford is the
division leader.
Activity is resumed in the Mis-
souri, Valley circuit Saturday after
an 11-day lull. with Creighton, still
at the top of the standings, host to
Drake and ST. Louis at Oklahoma
A. & NJ.
Colorado downed Wyoming, de-
Tending Big Seven king, Saturday. So
TO So. and goes after its 10th consec-
utive win against the Denver Amer
ican Legion in a charity game
Wednesday There isn't single
game in the Southwest Conference.
where Arkansas and a surprising
Texas Christian five are tied for the
lead.
There's little of interest along the
Atlantic Coast except for the ap-
pearance of the West Texas Giants
against Long Island in Madison
Square Garden Wednesday night
Princeton makes its Eastern League
debut Saturday with Yale the guest
Cornell is the leader and defending
champion. Dartmouth is second.
West Texas is at Philadelphia
Saturday for a tussle with st
Joseph's, with Penn State and Tenn
pie meeting in the other half Of the
twin bill.
Tennessee is the only Southeast
ern Conference team left without 6
league blemish. but the experts are
not counting Kentucky out Of tht
race. The Vols entertain Marshal
in a non-conference affair Satur'
day, while Kentucky has oft-beater
Georgia as its opponent at Lexing'
ton the same night.