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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 16, 1964)
Pag-e 6 THE BATTALION College Station, Texas Thursday, January 16, 1964 FROM THE Sideii ines By JIM BUTLER From the depths of the form charts to the rarified atmosphere of Southwest Conference leadership comes the Cinderella team sporting Maroon and White uniforms and the poise of pro veterans. Sweeping up soot far below the aura of big sisters Tex as and Rice dressed in the spangles of pre-season predictions, A&M opened the season with a surprise win over a strong University of Houston squad. But the Aggies were playing at home and that fact wiped away any momentary fears held by conference observers. Shelby Metcalf’s squad then journeyed to the frigid north to suffer losses to Utah and Utah State by a total of 50 points. Those two teams have since lost only four of 25 games. And Utah holds a win over 5th ranked Cincinnati. Eight games later, the Cadets boasted a 7-4 record and 2-0 league slate. Decked out in question marks that had shrunk from huge to barely visible, the Aggies made their appearance at the annual brawl . . . er . . . ball in Austin. The slipper fit; the Ags won and set out in quest of a more valuable prize—the conference crown. The mythical benefactor in this folksy fable is a man well-quali fied to bear the comparison. Head Coach Metcalf wears a pixy type smile and waves a magic wand like a master virtuoso. Metcalf played under ex-Aggie cage coach Bob Rogers at East Texas State and led his team to three straight appearances in the national tournament, winning the title in 1955. The little East Texas town of Cayuga gave Metcalf his first tu toring opportunity and Shelby re sponded with a 33-10 record. Following a stint in the army in which his service teams won the Germany district title twice, Metcalf came to Aggieland as Fish basketball coach. Metcalf took the frosh to a 41-19 record. In five years he won the SWC crown once and tied for the honor twice. In the spring of 1963, Rogers stepped down as head coach and Metcalf moved up. He was be queathed a team that had gradu ated the top three rebounders and the four top scorers with the ex ception of Bennie Lenox. Granted, Lenox would make a good nucleus for any ball club, but without boys to get the rebounds and help out on cold nights, Ben nie would be about as potent as a Hollywood spectacular with an all-male cast. Metcalf took his top Fish play ers from last season, two junior college transfers, five lettermen and the fabulous Lenox and start ed waving his wand. With his infectious personality and easy manner, Metcalf gave the team confidence and taught them teamwork, an important factor that was often lacking under the Rogers’ regime. SHELBY METCALF That’s why no one close to the personable East Texan was sur prised when the Aggies beat Texas in Gregory Gym for the first time since 1959 and only the fifth time in Austin since 1923. Metcalf truly has the winning touch. If Shelby had been present at Cinderella’s ball, the clock would have stopped at 11:59. CRIB SHOTS . . . alternate cage captain Bill Robinette is a Dis tinguished Student majoring in physics . . . Bennie Lenox, a busi ness major, moves his office to the golf course in the off season, shoots in the 70s. Lenox is also open to pro basketball offers . . . five Aggie cagers follow another coach away from the hardwood court. The married men are Len ox, Paul Timmins, John Beasley, Bill Gasway and Cecil Ferguson. A lack of flailing arms and a stopped clock seem to have a jinx on sophomore center Tim Timmer man this season. He has hit on only three of 12 free throw at tempts for a .250 percentage, far below his accuracy in the heat of battle—14-18 for .778. “I hit free throws all the time in practice and I’m not nervous at the line in a game,” Timmerman says. Met calf’s solution: “We’re gonna make Tim jump up in the air on his free throws.” 6 Aggies Not At Peak Yet 9 Metcalf Says Of Cagers Coach Shelby Metcalf, taking a realistic view at the situation, sees a rough road ahead for his Aggie basketballers. At the midterm break, and half way through the 24-game season, the Aggies sport an 8-4 overall record and a 3-0 SWC mark. “I’m very pleased with the team’s progress,” Metcalf declared, “but I still don’t believe we’ve hit our peak yet.” METCALF SAID he felt the Ag gies’ early success in SWC play came about because the foes “took us too lightly.” “It won’t be that way the rest of the season. Everyone will be pointing at us. We’re on top and, naturally, we’re the team to beat now.” BEFORE THE SEASON began Metcalf claimed that the Aggies’ Bennie Lenox was a bonafide All- America candidate. He feels more strongly about it now. “Bennie gets better every game. He hasn’t hit a peak yet, despite that 53- point outburst against Wyoming in the All-College tournament.” As to the 2-point production Lenox had against Utah State in the sea- Foldberg Gives Varsity Letters Head Football Coach Hank Fold berg has announced that 32 mem bers of the varsity football squad earned letters during the 1963 sea son. The seniors are Ronnie Carpen ter, end from Marshall; James Craig, tackle from Jasper; George Hargett, halfback from Linden; Jim Keller, quarterback from Ter rell; Ray Kubala, center from West; Jim Linnstaedter, quarter back from Brenham; Travis Rea gan, halfback from Wichita Falls and Jerry Rogers, fullback from Corpus Christi. The juniors are Yancy Bounds, guard, Carthage; John Brotherton, end, Mineola; James Drennan, end. Hooks; Budgie Ford, halfback, Taylor; Ray Gene Hinze, tackle, Waco; Dan Mcllhany, quarterback, Pasadena; Ken McLean, fullback, Stinnett; Tommy Meeks, halfback, Bryan; Ronney Moore, guard, Brownwood; Andy Overton, end, Palestine; Mike Pitman, halfback, Dallas; Melvin Simmons, guard, Odessa; Mike Swan, guard, Ath ens; Billy Uzzell, halfback, Eagle Lake; Waylon Ward, tackle, Mt. Pleasant and Jim Willenborg, half back, Clifton. The sophomores are Jerry Kach- tik, fullback, Rio Hondo; Charles LaGrange, quart er back, Rio Grande City; Bobby Lee, kicking specialist, San Antonio; Tom Mur- rah, guard, San Antonio; John Nilson, guard, El Campo; Bill Ward, tackle, Austin; Joe Well born, center, Tomball and Ricky Whatley, end, Port Lavaca. 20To discount M Off Our Regular Prices TO: A&M STUDENTS—STAFF—EMPLOYEES The Finest In . . . * Laundering * Cleaning To Obtain Discount You Must Present This Card With Your Clothing and/ or Linens. ... SAVE ... If You Do Not Have a Card Either Of Our 3 Locations Will Issue One on Demand. SAVE 20% THE NEW . . . LOCATION COLLEGE HILLS LAUNDRY AND CLEANERS • 0 2 FOSTER • V I S -4 I 12 SERVICE WITH A DISCOUNT. < This card sntitlss ths bsarsr to a 20% discount off our regular prices for ser vices rendered on a CASH AND CARRY basis. EXPIRES ON OR BEFORE AT DONOR'S OPTION SIGNATURE AUTHORIZED BY College LAUNDRY-CLEANING-LINEN RENTALS Main Plant 902 Foster, East North Gate Waldrop Building South Gate 326 Jersey St son’s second game, Metcalf says “All good athletes have a bad game once in a while. I believe Ted Williams once went 0-for-5, didn’t he?” THE AGGIES TODAY are more than just a one-man ball club and Lenox would be the first to admit it. Metcalf, in summarizing his club’s early success, says junior Paul Timmins and senior Bill Rob inette are “playing the best bas ketball of their collegiate careers.” . . . “our two junior college trans fers—Bill Gasway and Ken Nor man—have fit in nicely and now seem to have been around here as long as the seniors” . . . “our three sophomores — John Beasley, Tim Timmerman and Dick Stringfel- low—are making great progress.” THE AGGIES matured during the All-College tournament in Ok lahoma City where they won third place. They beat Washington, lost to Wichita and then beat Wyom ing. “We went up there with a group of boys and returned with a squad of men,” Metcalf says. Despite the youth and inexperi ence on the squad, the Aggies have shown a lot of poise and character throughout the season. They passed the sternest test of ’em all at Austin when they beat Texas, 65-60, before a packed house, most ly Texas partisans. 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