Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-03-24
Harris Beamng Over Weak-H++ng Oues Classy Catching
kentucky Given Edge
Over Illinois Tonight;
Aqqies Face kansans
BY the Associated Press

BY the Associated Press
Kentucky and Illinois, rated
two of the best teams in the
country, clash tonight for the
Eastern NCAA basketball cham
pionship in a game that promises
thrills galore.
Kentucky, rated No. ! in the
final Associated Press poll. is
favored to win by six points, but
the champions of the Big Ten
were conceding nothing.
A crowd of more than $4,000
is expected to pack Madison
Square Garden for the final New
York collegiate double header Of
the season. North Carolina State
and st. Johns of Brooklyn meet
in the first game at 7:45 pm.
to determine third place in the
Eastern Examinations.
(The Garden program will be
shown on televiSion over WTTG
starting at $3.50 PM
Aggies at Play Kansas State.
Meanwhile, at Kansas City.
Oklahoma A. and M. and Kansas
State will battle for the Western
title and the right to meet the
Eastern winner for the National
crown at Minneapolis on Tues
day. The Aggies and Kansas
State reached the Western final
last night by beating Washing
ton and Brigham Young, 81 to 81
and 81 to 81, respectively.
The majority of coaches who
watched Kentucky and Illinois
both explode in the closing min
utes to rout st. Johns and North
Carolina State in Thursdays East
ern semif1nals favor Kentucky.
But Adolph Rupp, the Kentucky
coach. is bit cautious. Frankly.
I'm worried" he said. We'll have
to play lot better than we did
against st. Johns. Illinois looks
mighty good and my boys are
tired"
Both Even on Paper.
On paper. both teams shape up
pretty even, although Kentucky
has an edge in height with 7-foot
Bill Spivey topping the list. How
ever, Illinois Bob Peterson, 6:08,
may euualiZe Spiyey's rebound
work.
Both teams have demonstrated
they can come from behind, do
not get flustered under pressure.
and can explode at anytime.
Two years ago Kentucky drub-
bed Illinois, 76-47, in the NCAA.
And we haven't forgotten that"
the Illini rooters cry.
Brigham Young, which won the
National Invitation at New York
last week, and Washington will
meet for consolation honors at
Kansas City tonight. The runner-
up here also makes the trip to
Minneapolis to face the Eastern
runnerup.
Tonight's clash will be the first
meeting of the Oklahoma Aggies,
Missouri Valley Conference cham
pions, and Kansas State, the Big
Seven titlist. since the 1918
season.
Aggies Second Nationally.
In the final Associated Press
poll this year Oklahoma A. and M.
finished second. two places ahead
of Kansas State.
! Kansas State beat the Okla
Romans. 50-43, in the final of the
December 1940 Big Seven tour
nament and took the Henry
Hank Iba coached team, 1884.
in the Fifth District Western
playoffs the following March.
| Both semifinal victors were
pretty much in control last night,
although the Aggies had to stretch
in beating tall Washington team
that never gave an inch in either
courage or determination.
| A. and M, ahead 1928 at the
half, appeared to be coasting in
when the Pacific Coast representa-
tives charged to within one point
of a tie, 50-49, with little more
than five minutes remaining. Then
came some slick scoring by Don
johnson, who got II for the eve
ming.
Kansas State, with all of its
starters scoring in the first four
minutes, just as they did in the
Wildcats f1rst-round else VIC
tory over Arizona, was in front,
1921. at the half and never gave
up the lead after the intermissiion.
although Brigham Young succeed
led in closing the gap a couple Of
Times