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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 10, 1969)
Page 4 College Station, Texas Wednesday, September 10, 1969 THE BATTALION - Aggie Cage Crew Hopes To Repeat For the 1969-70 Texas Aggie basketball squad, 1968 in terms of excitement will be hard to top. The ‘Cardiac Corps’ of Coach Shelby Metcalf not only won six one-point decisions and two over time tilts but they won the con ference championship with a 12-2 record and advanced to the Mid west Regionals in Manhattan, Kansas. Although the playoffs in Man hattan were a disappointment, they served their purpose well in molding the 1969-70 Aggies. The sophomores who were so cool un der pressure last season are back this year and will lead the Aggie attack. Steve Niles, a 7-0 junior cen ter, will be starting for the sec ond year in Maroon and White and at times last year showed signs of greatness. He will be joined this season by Chuck Smith, another junior who per formed best when the going got rough. The 6-4 postman is a de fensive stalwart and could break into the starting lineup along with 6-8 soph Rick Duplantis. Another junior who could crack the starting five will be 6-2 sharpshooter Bill Cooksey. He could handle one of the guard slots for the Aggies and pair with Hill Jr. College transfer Pat Kavanaugh, a 6-1 guard with a fine shot and a lot of speed. Mike Heitmann, a defensive demon and a fine shooter will man one of the forward slots. The 6-4 Heitmann had the best single scoring night for the Ag gies last season with a 36-point spree against SMU. Fighting it out for the other forward slot will be sophomore Jeff Watkins, All-SWC as a fish last year and the highest scoring freshman in the conference. He will battle sophomores Frank Farnsworth, Robert Threadgill and Skip Carleton for the job. Other possible starters could come from the seniors on the squad, guards Bill Brown and Oliver Biggers, both 6-1 and good shooters from outside. Looking ahead to the 1969-70 schedule, the Aggies will meet comparatively weak competition in Northwestern State (La.) and Midwestern College (Wichita Falls) until they play in the Houston Classic, Dec. 12-13. They then clash with Colorado State and travel to El Paso for the Sun Bowl Tournament and over the Christmas holidays they play in the Poinsettia Classic in Green ville, S. C. The 1969 freshman signees were among the best of any signed in the Southwest Confer ence. Two Houston Memorial high school stars who inked were 6-4 Wayne Howard and 5-10 Bill O’Brien. Others signed were 6-7 Jeff Overhouse of Clear Creek, 6-5 Bryan Mezger of Marble Falls, 6-3 Bob Gobin of Perryton, and 6-6 Ron Eeten of San Jose, 111. Gone are the All-SWC per formers Ronnie Peret and Billy Bob Barnett along with floor general Sonny Benefield. But with the accent on youth, Met calf will have a lot of material to work with when drills open in the fall. RETURNING STARTER Mike Heitmann is a returning - starter for the Aggies as they hope to repeat as SWC champions. The 6-4 forward had the best single conference scoring night last year with 36 points against SMU. SENIOR LEADER Bill Brown, a top reserve last year at guard will bid for a starting job when fall drills open. The 6-1 ball-handler is a fine defensive man and brings a lot of speed to the hardwood. The 1968 season may be hard to top in terms of excitement but if last year’s sophomore perform ances were any indication, then hold on to your hat and pack plenty of smelling salts when you see the 1969 - 70 Aggie basket- bailers. DEADLY SHOOTER Junior Bill Cooksey, a 6-2 guard who was a top sub last season, has a deadly outside shot and will make a strong bid for a starting berth in the fall. CARROLL’S CORNER SERVING STEAKS. SHAKE & SPECIALITY CARROLL INTRODUCES THE BIG BURGER — 14 LB. OF MEAT, LETTUCE, TOMATOES, ETC. w*/'-