Evening star., 1951-02-05
Kentueky's Amazing
Record Reminiscent
0fGroza-Jones-Bear
BY the Asseeioted Press


NEW YORK, Feb. 5.-That
Kentucky leads the collegiate
basketball parade today with
three-fourths Of the season gone
comes as no surprise. But the
way the Wildcats have been claw
ing away lately-why, It's simply
amazing. They seem almost in
vincible.
Actually. only two missed foul
shots stand between Kentucky
and an undefeated record. The
Wildcats have won 18 games while
losing only once, a 43-42 setback
to st. Louis in the Sugar Bowl
tourney. And that defeat might
have been averted if Walt Hirsch,
captain, had connected on one or
two of his free throws in the final
seconds.
Kentucky. nevertheless, is en-
5oying one of it's finest seasons in
history. The Wildcats have
vise-like grip on the Southeastern
Conference race Q0-0 and are
rated No. / in the weekly Asso-
ciated Press poll. Some even are
comparing these 1851 Blue Grass
hotshots with the great Groza-
Jones-Beard combination of few
years ago.
While that still has to be proven,
one thing may be said for this
seasons Wildcat team: it has tre-
mendous potential. perhaps more
than anybode realizes.
ROmp in Conference.
It's conceded competition in the
Southeastern circuit hardly is
awesome. In fact, it's compara-
lively weak. But the way Ken
tucky has been rolling through
the SEC is quite amazing.
Last week Kentucky played four
league games, and none even re-
sembled a mild struggle. In order,
the Wildcats demolished Tulane,
104-68; Louisiana State, 81-59;
Mississippi State. 5000, and, last
Saturday, Mississippi, $3.50. None
of the four games was played on
kentucky's floor. Mississippi was
host to the Wildcats on neutral
court at Owensboro. KY.
Kentucky also has whipped
some formidable teams outside
the league. Among it's victims are
Kansas, st. Johns of Brooklyn,
Syracuse, De Paul and Notre
Dame. The Wildcats take it easy
this week with only one game,
Georgia Tech Saturday at Lex
ington.
Meanwhile, Oklahoma A. and
NJ. the No. 2 team nationally,
faces busy schedule after week
layoff. After playing at Kansas
tonight, the Aggies Thursday play
host to Oklahoma, the only team
to trip them this year. Oklahoma
A. and M. has the same record
as Kentucky, 1871. The Aggies
play Drake Saturday at Still
water.
While Kentucky's stock zoomed
to seasonal high last week, Long
Island U. and North Carolina
State suffered shocking setbacks.
LIU Takes Another Beating.
Fourth-ranked LIU concluded a
disartrous road trip by losing to
st. Louis, 62-57, Saturday. Long
Island dropped four of its five
road games. losing to Arizona
Monday and Kansas State We'd
nesday.
North Carolina State, No. 8, lost
to Louisville. 1910. Wednesday,
then dropped its first Southern
Conference game after 10 straight
victories, to William and Mary,
1878.
With midyear examinations over
interest is focused on the confer
ence races. It's been decided win
ners of the 10 major conference
automatically qualify for the
NCAA playoffs. So here's how the
various loops shape up at the mo-
ment. Ieague records in paren-
thesis:
Ivy League: Columbia go !
and Cornell (4-D.
Western Conference: Indiana
(6-0), Illinois (5-D and Wiscon-
sin GID.
Southern Conference: North
Carolina State Q0-D and Glenn
son gid.
Southeastern Conference: Ken