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University basketball will start informally tomorrow afternoon under the direction of Coach Edward Wachter Jr., when all candidates report at the Hemenway Gymnasium at 3 o'clock. Regular practice will commence early next week.
Freshmen had their first workout yesterday afternoon with Coach Wachter and a squad of 48 men reported. More candidates are needed for the Yearling outfit, especially men who have just finished football. Manager candidates for the 1924 five are to report this afternoon for the first time at 4 o'clock at the new Freshman Gymnasium. Details of the managerial competition will be explained to the men at this time.
Aims at Team Work
Wachter, former Williams coach, who is rated as the best center that ever played the indoor game, said yesterday to a CRIMSON representative that it was his aim to build up a five-man team this year, every member of which quintet shall be in action every moment of the game. He will not try to build a team around any one star performer, rather is the man nearest the basket to shoot for the basket. "Basketball has developed into a passing game now, and team work is the first essential to be learned." For the first week or two, only the fundamentals of the game are to be practiced and no team will be picked until every man has had a good chance to show his ability on the floor.
When speaking of the relation between football and basketball, Coach Wachter mentioned "Benny" Boynton, Williams sensational quarterback, who through his basketball training has come to be a leader in the forward passing game. The Purple captain gained his accuracy and agility through his work on the basketball court. That is one reason, Coach Wachter said, why he wants football men to go out for basketball, for not only would they aid in that sport, but would improve in their football work. At Princeton, Dickinson, Legendre and Opie, prominent linemen this fall, are first string basketball players.
Conservative About Entering League
When questioned on the advisability of Harvard's entering the Intercollegiate League Coach Wachter expressed himself as against the idea, for the present at least. "It will take several seasons to be able to build up a quintet that can really compete against such teams as Yale, Princeton and Dartmouth produce. If, however, the support of the undergraduates warrant it, those in back of the movement to revive basketball at the University will do everything in their power to put basketball where it belongs on an Intercollegiate basis. Nearly all the eastern colleges, large and small, have basketball teams and there is no reason why Harvard should be behind.
"I shall make no prediction about turning out a great team, because as yet I have not seen the University material," said Wachter, "and it takes years to build up a consistently winning combination. It is seldom that a man in college, unless a great star, can make the team before his Senior year."
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