The Catholic times. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1951-current, 1961-03-24
of TIMES
Let's Raise
The Baskets
BY LOU FABRO
Times Sports Editor

IF the basket is not raised, preferably by two
feet, no later than five years from now, | believe to-
days booming interest in basketball will sink in a mire
of boredom"
This gloomy warning was issued by Pete Newell,
athletic director at the University of California, who
ranks as one of the leading authorities on the game
of basketball.
BEFORE ASSUMING HIS PRESENT position last
fall, Newell was one of the nations leading college
coaches. He coached the us. Olympic basketball team,
featuring Jerry Lucas, Terry Dischinger, Walt Bellamy,
Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, etc, to the 1860 world
championship.
In 1859, he guided California to the NCAA
championship and led the Golden Bears to the 1860
finals where they lost to Ohio State. Newell, who was
named basketball coach Of the year" In 1860, also
guided San Francisco to the National Invitation Tour
nament crown in 1949. Besides the above two schools,
Newell coached Michigan State for four years during
which time he raised the Spartans from a door mat role
to a contender in the Big Ten.
With such a background, and because he is so
highly regarded in cage circles, NeWells comments
are worth serious consideration, In advocating a r.
foot high basket, moreover, Newell develops a pretty
convincing argument to support his proposal.
WRITING IN a RECENT ISSUE March IA of
Look magazine, Newell declared that skill is becoming
overshadoWed by the tall man, who, merely because
Of his size, needs a minimum of skill as compared to
the "Short" player described today as a man under
6.2.
This shouldn't be, declares Newell, who played
his college basketball at Loyola University of Los
Angeles Jesuit. Basketball, he emphasizes, "Was con-
ceived as a game of balanced skills and remained so
for so years after 1897, the year DR.. James NaiSmith
invented the game.
Scoring resulted mainly from teamwork. A shot
usually was set up by passing, ~dribbling, cutting, feed
ing and screening" Newell noted. This in turn,
forced a variety of defensive skills."
WHILE THESE SKILLS REMAI important to-
day, they are losing out to the tall man, who, by
reaching above the rim, dunks or stuffs the ball
down into the basket or taps it in on a rebound.
"These tapins and %dunkerS," notes Newell, ire
FyItr0 HffIa hncjIoC ~ Vat fhnr an ,yo~iL A.
same two points as the two-handed SET shot, the Jump
shot, the hook shot or the drivein which call for
maneuverability, coordination and craftsmanship"
It's all too apparent that the tall man is dominat-
ing the cage game more and more. Louisville, the
team Ohio State squeaked past in the NCAA tourney
last Friday, had a starting five which listed players
at 6-8, 65, Gil, 81, and 81. The Bucks too are tall.
There's Lucas at 6-8, John Havicek at 6-5, Larry Sieg-
fried and Richie Hoyt at Cd, and Mel NOVEL; at 81.
RULES MAKERS HAVE NOTICED the trend and
have done a few things about it. They eliminated the
center Jump after each basket, Widened the foul lane
to II feet, and wrote a rule limiting an offensive
ever, aren't enough.
Newell thinks a 12-foot basket will do the trick.
He points out that although a tall player will retain
ms advantage because OF height, a 12foot basket will
result in a higher rebound angle-the ball would 60
farther away from the basket when it rebounds off the
blackboard or rim.
This, in turn, would spread the players more and
eliminate what one Columbus TV announcer likes to
N"A cav AaAllA IVA III udSheL. III duulLlUn, Il
shorter player would have a better chance of defend
ing off the boards because of the higher, deeper re-
bound.
scRIMmAcE GAME, using the raised baskets,
was played at California with the results described
above. After getting the range on the higher baskets,
moreover, players scored with their customary pace.
Newell points out that the raised-basket idea
isn't new. In fact, coaches were talking about it when
he was playing for ST. Agnes High in Los Angeles 81
years ago.
We pointed out in this column a year ago that,
while todays cage game is soaring in popularity, some
thing should be done ito prevent the game from being
an exclusive activity for the tall boys" The raised
basket was one of several ideas we discussed.
IT'S APPARENT THAT a change is overdue be-
cause cheap" baskets are becoming the rule rather
than the exception. More important, however, is that
short players are finding it ever more difficult in max.
ing a team. Oh, there are plenty of short players
around but they make the grade because of exceptional
skill.
Rule changes are slow in coming but il has
been 70 years since Dr.. Naismith nailed up those peach
baskets at 10 feet.