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*/'-