Evening star., 1950-02-10
NichoIs-0tten
.TradePuzzIinq
.ToCaps' Fans
Center Just Acquired
Older Than Jack, Has
Lower Score Average
By Bill Fuchs

Dt Dill fuChS
Jack Nichols, who had the dou-
BILE distinction of being the young
est active player with the Caps
and the top individual scorer. now
is the property of the Tri-City
Blackhawks, and observers were
wondering today why it happened
Not that the Caps didn't get a
good man in return in Don Often
7-foot center, voted the most val
liable player in the old National
Basketball League last season.
Often will make his debut here
tomorrow night when the Caps
face the Anderson Packers at
Uline Arena. The Caps will need
all the help they can get, for last
nights 71-59 trouncing by the
Lakers at Minneapolis was the
fifth in a row for Player-Coach
Bob Feerick's foundering crew.
The deal, which also brought
the Caps cash bundle of $4,000,
was the biggest in the short his
tory of the National Basketball
Association.
Nichols Much Younger.
But where does it leave the
Caps? Often had 12-point per-
game average compared to the
14-point average of the 6-foot-7 Z
Nichols and at % is four to five
years older than Nichols. Often
will be on his way over the hill
by the time Nichols is at his peak.
The cash may have had some
bearing on the swap, but there
also is the possibility of personal
friction between Nichols and
Feerick. The coach was out of
town with the club and could not
be reached for comment. Bob
Foster. general manager of Uline
and one of the engineers of the
deal, said he could not comment
on that situation.
eve had to do something" he
said. To-day is the deadline
on trades and we've been losing
games. I think we've made an
improvement. I believe Often is
a steadier ball player"
The trade will add attraction to
the game next Wednesday night
between Tri-City and Washington
at Uline. That game already had
stirred up interest, for coaching
Tri-City is Red Auerbach, former
Caps mentor. The night also has
been set aside as Bones McKin-
ney" night in honor Of the North
Carolinian, one Of the original
members of the first Caps team
four seasons ago.
Fourth Year for Often.
Often is in his fourth year of
pro basketball. He joined the
Blackhawks of the old NBL in
1947 after graduating from Bowl
ing Green College in Ohio. where
he was an All-America choice. He
led the league in scoring last year
with a 14-point. aver age per game.
Nichols was one of the most
popular members of the Wash
ington team. His speciality was
his one-handed push-shot. A
soft spoken, easy going man.
Nichols aspires to the medical pro-
fesSion. Ee already has finished
his pre-med schooling.
The Caps had a hard time land
ing Jack in the first place. The
five-time all-West Coast choice
was playing amateur ball on the
Pacific Coast and turned down
several tempting offers by the
Caps. He finally relented under
pressure by Feerick, then captain
of the. team. and played his first
game with the Caps January
of last season.
The. LakerS have owned the
Caps this season, ts king the en-.
tire six-game series. A crowd o1
6,511 last night watched the two
teams drag through the first half
which ended with Washington
trailing, 27-25.
The Lakers poured it on in the
second half. Although falling be-
hind, Feerick didn't substitute un-
til midway In the final period
after the Lakers had built up q
58-45 lead. George Mikan anc
Vern Mikkelsen led Minneapolis
with is points each, while Feerick
topped the Caps with Is and Nc
Kinney had IL.