Evening star., 1949-03-02
All Eight Teams Play
Tonight in Struggle
For Metro Crown
By GEORGE Huber

Oy SSOI9e I1uUeI
A display of high school basket
ball at it's best will be presented
tonight as the 17th annual Eve
ming Star metropolitan interscho-
lastic invitation basket ball tour
nament opens at University OF
Maryland's Ritchie Coliseum. The
eight best schoolboy teams from
Washington and vicinity, each a
champion or runner-up for the
championship in it's own league,
will show their top-grade brand
of play in the four-game bargain
program starting at pm.
First game will be between st.
Johns, tied for the Catholic
League title, and Washington-Lee,
runner-up for Northern Virginia
honors. Following in quick order
will be George Washington. North
ern Virginia champ and owner of
20-game undefeated string,
against Wilson, runner-up for the
District public high title; Con-
zaga, tied for the Catholic League
crown. against Blair, Montgomery
County titlist, and Central. the
District public high champion,
against Hyattsville, Prince Georges
County champion.
Winners of the four games will
play in Friday nights semlfinals
for places in Monday nights
championship game, which will
follow a consolation between Fri
days losers.
No Outstanding FavOrite.
There is class all through that
lineup and a favorite is not in
sight unless it be the undefeated
G. w. This was one year where
strength was distributed evenly
among all high school groups with
the result that this promises to
be the best Star tournament in
the 17-year history of the event.
Oddly enough The Star tourna-
ment has been a stumbling block
for some very good George Wash
ington teams in the past. The
Presidents had a really outstand-
ing team in 1914, for example,
but were nosed out by Eastern
/ in the final. In 1916 they were
upset by Wilson in a semifinal,
and last year another very good
G.. w. quint bowed to Central by
three points in a semifinal.
So it is not without precedent
that Wilson has hopes Of ending
the Presidents remarkable WIN
ming string tonight. The Presi-
dents have height in their favor
they'll be the tallest team in the
tourney with every starting player
feet or over-but Wilson can
match them with speed and bal
ance. Leo Speros usually is Will
sons leading scorer, but all of the
Tigers are counted on for a share
of the point-getting Wilson also
has a fair amount of height with
Jim Young one of its biggest and
also one of its best at snaring
rebounds.
Generals Shoot for Upset.
Also primed for an upset is the
Washington-Lee tie am going
against St. Johns in tonight's first
game. The JohnnieS defending
tournament champions, must be
listed as faVorites in this one. but
they are far from a shoo-in. The
Generals have been looking for
revenge ever since the JohnnieS
eliminated them in the first round
Of last years tourney. Both teams
have a fair amount of height. but
both also have little man as their
outstanding player. Bob Nc
Lindon is the little man at st.
Johns, a swell floor leader and a
magician with a basket ball. while
matching him is Washington-Lee's
Jim Utterback, 5-foot-6 dead
shot from outside.
There is little to choose between
the teams in the other two games.
Central probably has the out
standing player in high-scoring
Jimmy Pantos, but it will be up
against an especially good Prince
Georges County champion in
Hyattsville. The Hornets are big
boys all down the line, starting
with the 6-foot-4 Tree" Adams
and ending with sill Warren
Lytle.
The same goes for Gonzaga and
Blair. Gonzaga has beaten Blair
this season, but it was close, and
Blair's Johnny Linton has shown
in recent games that he's in hot
streak that could spell trouble for
the Eagles. Gonzaga has some
thing up its sleeve too, and its
figuring on either Jim Larkins
or Mike Nolan to match Linton S
shooting.
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