European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 13, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse The stars and stripes Page 21 Lions strength is in numbers not in height by Uon Delac staff writer att Casburg Germany a a Howard Clark just wishes 9?8th we entry in the Usab a basketball championships that he had at least nine wind up with they re All and they Alj players who May starting jobs Small he said shoot so Clark Calls depth the biggest advantage and rebounding the biggest problem for his Lions who open the Usa eur double round Robin basketball Champion ship schedule saturday at Berun. Thirteen players were selected for the team from the company level 24th div championship tournament a few weeks ago. Additional tryouts later boosted the roster to 18, but Clark said he had to Cut her Down to 12" be fore Usa eur Competition be gins. As his probable starters Clar named 6-foot-5 Murdock Wil Liams 6-4 James Kuhlmann Dan King 6-1 Deacon Garner and 5-9 Jack Basic plan is to use Wil Liams at a Low Post position near Jet european courts mmm"""11 limit cagers by Don Saue staff writer bad Kruez Nach Germany Cas european basketball courts Are showing signs of be wining the latest farm system or 00 make tumbles an impressionable experience. No Viii ground for Colleg Egers with ambitions of playing or pay in the United states if you re sceptical just listen to Len Carlson a player of Rosaco of Antwerp in his spare time reel off a list of America College stars who currently play in the four division 48-Teamsports club league in Belgium. In All there Are close to 30in Belgium alone to say nothing of Italy which pays even Moreau creatively and Spain. Almost All of the top teams in Belgium have at least one american and Many have two the Legal limit of foreign players permitted under present belgian basketball association rules. What lures the yank cagers to Europe instead of an immediate try for . Pro basketball Well Money is not the least of the estimates that the american player in Belgium makes from ?4,000-$9,000 per season. But he emphasizes that players do not get paid for play i ing basketball but for a Job offered As part of the sport club package though in Many cases he does not know the firm for which he is working. This protects his Amateur standing. In Italy the picture is eve better where players make from $6,000 to $14-15,000 per amount in both countries depends on the player s ability and reputation. Enjoy social life strangely enough Many of the players enjoy the social life Andice adult lion of the fans As much As they do the Money itself claims the 8th div athletic consultant. Attendance at belgian Basket Ball games can vary from 300 to 5,000 fans with some of the better teams drawing an average of 2,000-3,000 per game. Seats sell for $1.50 and $1, no Small piece of change by european stand Ards. But playing basketball in Europe is no bed of roses. It s physically brutal Carl son says simply. We play with a rubber Ball often on concretes doors and in ice cold gym a Ultimo " it. R to �. F a a a is As for the gym temperature one example perhaps extreme should suffice. The Home gym of pit Emburg one of Belgium s first division teams is an open vegetable mar Ket enclosed by a roof. Water is strange to yank cagers is local interpretation of rules. A Fumble often consists of shifting the bal from one hand to the other and can result in loss of the the other hand players often get away with one or More extra Steps without being called for travelling. This is particularly advantageous for a eager built More like a fullback charging through a pack of players to throw in a whole key to successful performance in european Basket Ball is adaptation to the strange conditions and Rule interpretations Carlson sums up. The game is so different that believe a mediocre College player might come to european become a sensation whereas a College All America might have difficulty getting into double a Case in Point to play. The 5-foot-ll, 198-pounder"plained. The Bounce in a rubber Billmi vary greatly depending on whether the air inside it is War Concrete floors tend to Len Carlson. Plays in Belgium sprinkled on the floor at the out set and if it does not freeze within a Given period of time the game goes on As scheduled. I be played in sweatpants sweatshirt under my game Jersey mittens and a Wool Stock ing Cap Carlson reminisces. Some of the belgians play unjust a regular uniform they have become accustomed to american standards euro Pean basketball is very very rough. Players foul a lot a Man with the Ball is fair game an from the dribbler s standpoint an offensive foul is virtually unheard s beneficial to foul since the Only time a player is usually awarded a shot is if he s fouled in the act of shooting Carlso explains. Otherwise a team Only get the Ball out of Points out that he averaged 18 Points per Gam Over a 21-contest season yet had Only 25 of 29 free throw attempts hardly up to american stand phase of the game taking a Case in Point former8th div eager Rudy Lamare of Indiana state now playing forget Belgium averages Only about eight Points a game de spite an outstanding College rec Ord and a 33-Point average i division play which helped earn him most valuable player in the championship tournament. He s of slender build and jus can t take the physical Pound ing Well Carlson conditions Are showing signs of improvement the Stock Blond says. There Are More gyms being built and players Are getting better. There Are Only two gymnasiums wit wooden floors in Belgium today. Those american players who can survive adjust and be successful find they have a tremendous springboard towards american pro basketball Carl son feels. Two former army Cager who Are doing Well by themselves Are Sam Jenkins one of usar eur s top scorers when he played for the 24th div and 6 7former vastly improved and who in his opinion will have a Good shot at a pro Cage career in the states within one or two years. More aggressive playing Here makes a player much More aggressive. I thin kit s added two years to my basketball life it s been a great experience Carlson readily admits. I think it s an excellent idea for the pro leagues to farm players out in Europe for a year or in insists that his play with Opaco has never interfere with his official duties. The fact that games Are played on Satur Day and sunday permit him to by or drive to them and return for monday duties in the Divi Hopes to have a Chance to help his team in belgian cup play which begins about april 1, but that All depends on his schedule in the upcoming usar eur basketball there is a conflict hell give up americans come to Europe to play basketball Butin the future the european teams May turn the tables an be recruiting from the . Pro basketball and facilities Are rapidly improving. I five years Belgium will be Able seriously to recruit and take pros away from the National and american basketball associations Len says. He Baske Kuhlmann at thelig Post around the free throw inking and Garner at win spots flanked behind Kuhl Annand Anderson in the backcourt As the play making Point re just trying to learn a pattern offence a said the coach we re not going to fast break much until we get into Clark explained that the Tea had been together for just five Days of practice so far and that the players were still in less than the desired physical we get into shape Well Start playing a Little faster he Anderson Williams 3rd div Pivot Man Vic who Carlson rates As Bisig near Aba Point title. A Yolk a Daveu a of Detroit is fairly certain nil a my who National Basket association s scoring Chain on statistics released by Thell a i tuesday showed. A an average of 27.3 Points Ujj Kami ring is Well ahead of us in Baylor of los pm we has a 25-9 no it a non let Chamberlain is i if a ass��1eil of winning theuk Oul percentage title. His present percentage is .5s4.oscar Robertson is comfortably ahead in the free throw percentage race with an .867 Mark. Lena Wilkens of St. Bengals atlatl mule Mort Cincinnati a the Cincinnati bengals of the american football league have signed Dave Middendorf a 230 Pound offensive guard from Washington state to a contract. Chamberlain Are tied in the As but for the present they Sti need the outside players. By the Belgium association concerned that the country is no developing enough of its own players is thinking of reducing the current limit of two foreign players. Partial list among those playing in Belgium now Are Ray Kosanke o Stanford Leon Clark of Wyoming Sammy Bustion of Colo Rado Ollie Johnson of san Francisco Al Dillard of american University Ken Washington of Cla and Hank Lussier of West Virginia to name just a the Competition is very keen very even. To illustrate Carlson recalls a recent tour taken by Jim Mcgreggor Anda Gulf All Star aggregation including some of the Best Ameri can collegians. _ on successive nights the All stars lost by nine Points to Rac ing Michelne one of Belgium Stop teams lost by seven to a Prague team lost by six Points to Carlson s Opaco Only a fifth place team in his league an lost by one to the last place team in the belgian first division. Rockefeller oks Bill to Aid open tourney Albany . A a Bill designed to ensure a smooth run Ning National open Golf tournament in 1968 has been signed by gov Nelson measure exempts professional Golf tournaments from state Law that prohibits professional sports activities from be ginning before 1 05 . On Sun of the tournament scheduled to be held june 13-16at the Oak Hill country club near Rochester had expressed con Cern that the tournament s final til i a i v � n 1.11.1. Lists column each having 8.21 round to be played on sunday per game. The Aba regular " season ends net leaders g Fig it pts. 73 77s -�3l ? 76 Tiki us Lyyii 75 7.il i Al 173 --1.0 2x9 i vol 3 0 i i Ici 2j.a 7j i i -107 17su 2x9 Tiu 607 k a 1744 2iu my 44 16j.4 21.0 i i to i i ill it 21 6 jul Iol Jolt might not be completed if golfer were made to Start after l 0i . Hulley signs with Houston Ike Ston a the Houston oilers have announced that tighten Bill Halley of Laverne col lege has become the first Oiler sigue draft. From the 1968 College said because we Haven t got the height to play slow Down Williams the tallest Man on the club will naturally be our big Hope on the boards said Lark. He s also got a Nice Hook shoots real Well in close an plays fairly Good Clark rates Kuhlmann As probably the strongest Man on the team. He s got a Nice touch a Beautiful King a member of the team at the International tournament at shape Belgium was to return to Augsburg tues Day for his first workout wit the Lions. I Haven t seen much of him said Clark but i understand he s a real Good shooter plays Good defense and is a fireball handler. He should be a real says that Garner Al though just 6-1, should be a big help on the boards. He jumps real Well for his height and he a smallest lion Anderson the smallest of the probable starters at just 5-9, is a natural for the play making role. His Job will be to initiate the lion offensive patterns from his Point position. H2 is another one rated by his coach As Good others in line for starting assignments Clark said Are 6-0 James Motley 5-9 Charles Avant,6-1 Wesley Coleman and 6-3 Dave the Competition in the is eur tourney Clark said it looks like it s Gonna be Tough. I Don t think there la be a Patsy in the was t going to make any out on a limb predictions about How his Lions were going to make out except that the other clubs after a game with the 24tn div will know they be been com z volleyball set for Frankfurt Frankfurt special the com z company level volleyball championships will be staged into 3811 Hansa Alleo gymnasium Here april 5-7 with taunts District serving As of the com 7. Districts and seventh army training Cen Ter is authorized to enter i it squad consisting of 1 a i ers plus a coach and a Nur Agit. Double elimination meets on the District level will determine the entries for the championship tournament Here. The Kilter also will feature double Elinn Nutow 1 Competition
