Basketball Team Unveils Mixed Offense

The varsity basketball team unveiled a new offense last night in a scrimmage with the University of Connecticut. Using snatches of the Drake shuffle and Pete Newell's California attack, coach Floyd Wilson's five looked surprisingly good for so early in the season, nearly matching the Huskies in points during regulation time.

Actually, nobody present at the I.A.B. last night was prepared to explain the Drake shuffle and Newell's variation, but there was a difference. Basically, the plan puts one man close to the basket, just outside the foul line, and stations one player on each sideline and two in the backcourt. But there is great flexibility, and players exchange positions quickly and often.

Many Screen Plays

Wilson's new offense used a lot of screen plays--even an occasional two-man pick--and one of its chief aims seemed to be to draw the defense over to one side of the court and then pass back for an easy basket.

The coach's brainstorm is in many ways an ingenious one, since it requires a small amount of mobility from what is essentially a slow-footed squad, and since it makes maximum use of the team's strong corps of front-court men.

Joe Deering, at 6 ft., was the only real guard on last night's starting five. Two of the others--Bob Bowditch (6 ft., 1 in.) and Tom Tangeman (6 ft., 3 in.), a junior who did not play last year--alternated impressively from back to front court. Bill Danner and Gary Borchard, both 6 ft., 4 in., performed effectively underneath; Borchard led all scorers in the first 40 minutes with 13 points.

Second Team

The second team, blessed with two guards in sophomores Fred Keating (6 ft., 1 in.) and Fred Easter, a 5 ft., 10 in. surprise, showed slightly lees flexibility. But former Yardlings Denny Lynch, a 6 ft., 5 in, performer who can play guard or forward, and Pete Kelley, a rugged 6 ft., 3 in. re-bounder, gave signs of exceptional promise, tallying 19 points between them.

In general, the Crimson did well to stay close to the Huskies, since the varsity has had only two weeks of practice, while UConn has had a month. Bowditch and Deering, despite contributing to the team total of 30 lost balls, put on some bursts of fine ball-hawking and passing, and the newcomers and sophomores demonstrated encouraging ability and poise.