12 Sports Aces, January 1943 — page 39: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

BASKET LARCENY 37 the two forwards, looked for openings to break for the basket. By thus spreading the defense, Willie cracked through and ran the score up to forty points before the final gun. But he knew he was through even before he met Mike, steaming, at the sidelines. He knew it even before Mike bellowed it, “You’re fired, Phelan! Now get the hell out of here!” “Okay,” Willie said Para “Okay.” But inside him he felt all hollow and empty. He’d lost another job. And he was the support of his mother and dad. He’d soon have to think about earning eats instead of getting in there against the Jewelers just for satisfaction. Willie was low when he reported to the plant late the next morning for his severance pay. A well-groomed man came out of an office to meet him. The man wore a flower in his lapel and had a gen- ‘eral air of dignity. | “l’'m Sam Finney,” he announced, “I own this refinery—and so naturally I own the Oilers too.” ~ “Yes” said Willie, so lost in his own misery he hardly heard what was being said, “T want you to be coach of the Oilers,” Finney went on, blandly. “Mike is out as coach. I] talked to the boys and they say you know the game. We don’t pay much. But if you take over, I'll see what can be done about promoting you on the job. Maybe sometime we may even get some new players. But I won’t promise any- 32 . Willie felt as if the floor had just been yanked from under him. He didn’t know if the Oilers were worth a damn. But the day was coming when the Oilers would be in there against the Jewelers—and Bounce Bender. The kids were green— but maybe they were real material. It Was a chance..... “You’ve got yourself a coach,” Willie said. Willie ealled the boys together in the warehouse gym that night. “} want you to forget everything you know,” he said. “We’re gonna revamp our attack and defense. We’re gonna learn shooting fundamentals and ball-handling. There are eight basic passes. We’re gonna know and use ’em all, We’re gonna shine like no other team in the league. If any of you got any ideas, let’s hear ’em. The old days are grag--every man’s got 8 voice on this team.” Willie began stiff drills. He grounded them in timed passing and cutting. He patiently illustrated footwork—stop- turns, reverse-turns, and pivots. As a con- ditioner and for practice in handling short passes while on the move, he in- augurated use of the Wisconsin Criss- Cross drill. His man-to-man switching defense began to sparkle. . Meanwhile, Willie kept his eye on the ~ newspapers, watching the progress of the Jewelers. The Jewelers were still toppling opposition. Bounce Bender had yet to be stopped. There was a nice crowd on hand when the Oilers travelled to play the Rellins Furniture quintet the following Wednes- day at the Armory. This was a test, Willie knew. He’d know if the Oilers could ever make the grade. The Rollins outfit featured the shooting of lanky Sheldon Vorse, their pivot man, and it had put them second in the league stand- ing. But Willie soon found. the Oilers’ style of play was one requiring a lot of drill, and the Furniture hustlers were hot. The hustlers were out front 40-31 when the - final cartridge barked. Willie was sorely disappointed. But he was ready for the work that was ahead, He had to see it through, HEN the next day, Willie got some- thing more to worry about. He’d had his fingers on the pulse of some college openings. This was definitely Frederichs’ last year at State Teachers. Willie had put out a feeler for the post, and now he learned that Bounce was angling for it too! Willie was mournful. “As if I don’t al- ready have a reason for making soup and gravy out of his bunch!” he muttered. “When we play the Jewelers, State is al- most sure to have a scout in the stands. It won’t be only me they'll. be looking at —but my team. If we’re both phogey ...” CORMICLOOKS EO