Evening star., 1950-03-12
American Squad Kansas City for Opening Of Nab Tourney
Pepperdine College
First Foe Of Eagles
Tomorrow Morninq
SpeeioI Dispatch 10 The Stor

Speeio Dispoteh 10 The Stor
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Mar. IL
American University's lucky IL"
basketball squad arrived here late
today to put final touches to
tune-up for the National Associa-
ton of Intercollegiate Basketball
tournament opening Monday.
They were greeted on arrival
with the news that they are paired
in the first round against Pep
perdine College of Los Angeles.
one of the eight seeded teams in
the 32-team tourney. The two
teams meet at~10:30 pm. (9:30
Eastern Standard Time) Monday.
Defending Champion HamlineI
u. of st. Paul, MINI. and West
minister College of New Whining
ton, Pa, head the list of eight
seeded quints. Others seeded for
the six-day tournament are:
Murray (KyD State, Brooklyn
College, Eastern Illinois State, In
diana State of Terre Haute and
East Texas State.
Knows Little of Opponents.
There was a note of confidence
in Coach Staff Cassel's voice as
he talked of his A. U. team. al
though he knows no more about
Pepperdine than he does OF any
of the teams in this event. The
party adopted the lucky IL" tag
line after counting noses at the
Washington Airport but it was
necessary to include that of Jack
Woods. manager of the schools
student center. Jackie Neer, half
pint dribbling star whose last
minute work helped American de-
feat Loyola College Of Baltimore,
55-54. for the Mason-Dixon Con-
ference crown a week ago, was
the only absentee. He was left
home to recover from an attack
of Virus x.
The Eagles may be the only
zone-defense team in the field of
80 scheduled to begin a weeks
elimination grind Monday, al
though Cassell said he understood
at least one other zone team
would be in the tournament. A
former coach at Morningside
Gowa) College, where his team
won nine straight games before he
entered naval service, Cassell is
familiar with the Midwestern
style of basketball and doesn't ex-
pect to be caught mapping on tao
tics.
Play More Rugged Game.
I've told the boys they play a
more rugged game out here" he
said, with blocking permitted
and plenty of rough stuff under
the backboards. 1t will be new
to them but at least they'll ex-
pect it. On the other hand. we
expect to surprise and possibly
battle our opponents with our zone
defense. I think the zone will be
in our favor"
The coach said it was his OBJ
servation that Mid Western teams
as rule don't score consistently
at long range and that any OPP
ponent as a consequence would
be at disadvantage if the zone
clicked. Cassell added that he
thought his teams overall height
would compare favorably with any
in the tournament, although the
Eagles might play against many
taller individuals.
With no-scouting rule in ef-
feet, the tournament took on some
semblance of blindman's bogey
with teams from all over the
country entered. Both fans and
officials anticipate week of hard,
fast play, with more than a few
surprises.
The American U. squad, which
scrimmaged an all-high school
squad Friday night, expected to
Timber up today but Cassell said
1t would be nothing strenuous. The
coach said the players decided
everything about the trip, whether
to accept the invitation and how
to travel. He said the party would
remain here only as long as it
is in the tournament because of
the teams desire to get back to it's
studies as soon as possible.
The group is staying at the
Phillips Hotel. Players on the trip
are Leroy Ishman and Bob Lamon,
who were picked on the first
Mason-Dixon all tournament team,
Ronnie Garsha, who was elected
on the second. Ralph Benson, Jim
Kranking, Ed Moffatt, Art Mo-
rales, Jim Morris and Sherwood
(The Greatest) Webster.
The field was completed earlier
today when the District / wash
ington) committee named College
of Puget Sound, of Tacoma, as
its second entry. Central Wash
ington College of Education, FL
lensburg, had already been certi-
fed
College Of Puget Sound got in
after the executive committee,
headed by Al Duer, withdrew it's
invitation to the University of
Nevada. The withdrawal followed
q squabble between Duer and
Nevada officials that arose out of
reports that a Las Vegas gambler
was helping finance the teams
trip to Kansas City.
Art prnee Tone A IIfe