The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1942-02-06

| spanked Illinois in six straight BIZ
Ten victories and non-conferenct
triumphs over Marquette, Butler
Notre Dame, Detroit and Harvard.
Only Chanute Field, led by ALL
America Bill Hapac, an Illinois
alumnus, defeated them = by foul
points in their second game
All-state high-school stars ir
1910, they are rated by critics as
one of the best quartets OF sopho-
mores ever to step on a conference
floor.
| They are a coach's dream in
duplicate. Smiley and Vance are
| Is, Menke and Phillip, 49, Menke
is 6-2, the Others one-half inch
taller. Their weights are within
seven pounds of each other
They are admirably proportion
ed for Big Ten ball, Big and
rangy but not clumsy Good arms
which means clever ball-handling
Good legs, which means speed
sufficient for them to use a fast
break.
PHILLIP ILLINPS TOP
SCORER WITH IS POINTS
Doug Mills, the young Illinois
athletic director and basketball
coach, not only started four sop
homores successfully, but youngsters
Menke, Smiley, Philip and Vance
were far enuogh along to blend imag-
ination and resourcefulness into
their play.
They use fast break or set shots
They have good eyes. Mills en-
ploys flexible type of offense
which gives them an opportunity
to use initiative and ingenuity.
In six games, Philip leads in
scoring with rs points. Menke is
next with So, Vance has 43 and
Smiley, "a.
Mills calls Phillip natural
leader and playmaker. He rates
him as the best prep payer he has
seen in eight years. Two years ago,
he paced Granite City to the state
championship, led the tournament
in scoring
Phillip is one of those gifted
athletes who can relax and con-
serve energy for sudden bursts of
speed. A good feeder and long
shot, an expert ball-handler, he
hit for 16 points against Minnesota,
IA in the Wisconsin game.
Along with his compani ion
guard, Vance, Phillip pops away
from the field but may drive in Oc-
casionally.,
Vance is great defensive man
with offensive ability as well. He
dumped in six field goals against
Michigan.
Assistant coach Wallie Roettger
claims Menke has the greatest as
sortment of shots under the bas-
ket he has ever seen. Menke may
hit from the field, but his forte is
sheer drive. He is a good rebound
man.
Smiley is less of scoring
threat but fine bal1-handler and
defensive player.
The fifth starter is senior Vic
WukoVits at center, who gives the
team balance and experience. He
superseded last seasons regular,
Art Mathisen, siX-foot five-inch
junior.
FIFTH ALL-STATER AND
CAPTAIN ARE ON BENCH
Mills can field an all-soph team
if he chooses. A fifth all-state high
school star, Ed Parker, is another
first-year man.
Inundated by this flood of young
talent, old Bill Hooking (he's 20),
the Illini captain, has been relegat-
ed to the bench.
Assisting Mills and Roettger is
Cleveland's new manager, Lou
Boudreau, a former Illinois bas-
ketball great. Lou is getting lot
Of pleasure starting the year with
winner.
The victory motif at Illinois has
taken hold. Along with Mills
young basketball team, Vic Hey
Tiger has perhaps the finest col
legiate hockey aggregation in the
country.
Roetger is expected to produce
a first class baseball team.
Illinois athletes are finally COM
ing home to roost. They have
been going out of the state in more
recent years.
Perhaps this is the first out
growth of Bob zuppke's paintive
and neglected cry to alumni for SO
many years: Get me material, and |
III give you a winner"