Big Alex Groza, Kentucky's great center scored 602 points this season.
"EXPERT" TRIES AGAIN:
Boldly Picks Kentucky All the Way in NCAA
By LOUIS EFFRAT, New York Times
As one of the numerous so-called "experts" who was wrong and how!in his predictions on the twelfth annual national Invitation Tournament, the writer begs your indulgence while he takes another stab. Having named Adolph Rupp's Kentucky Wildcats as the winner of the Invitation, your agent wants to take advantage of this opportunity to boost his batting average to .500.
With this in mind and undaunted by the events of recent daysand nightsI boldly predict that Kentucky will finish first in the Eastern Regionals of the N. C. A. A.; that Kentucky then will proceed to Seattle and mop up there; that the poor showing the Wildcats made in the first round of the NIT will quickly be forgottenor at least forgivenand that Kentucky will be given recognition as the top collegiate quintet in the nation.
Right or wrong, these are my sentiments and just as you are entitled to your opinion, I am to mine.
"Game of Year" Just Didn't Come Off
Of course, I was completely wrong last week but my only regret is that I won't be able to see Kentucky and St. Louis cross paths again. That was the one game I wanted to see. That thousands of others also wanted to see the "Game of the Year" goes without saying.
Be that as it may, tonight we are privileged to see Kentucky in action in one of its few remaining games. Next season, the Wildcats will be virtually unrecognizable, because Alex Groza, Ralph Beard, Wah Wah Jones and Cliff Barker will be lost via graduation.
This means the breaking-up of one of the greatest college basketball teams of all-time. If the clock could be turned back and we could bring back the fabulous Passaic Wonder Five, we'd like to match them against the current Kentuckians, a 4-year aggregation that has won the fancy and admiration of basketball followers everywhere.
Adolph Rupp
Recently, Red Auerbach, who coaches the Washington Capitols of the BAA, authored the statement that no college team, including Kentucky, would score 55 points against any team in the professional BAA. Here, again, there is no sense in arguing, because you'd never be able to prove it. But no one can stop you from dreaming and, with due respect to Brother Auerbach, he was talking through his hat. It is my opinion that Kentucky would not be humiliated by any team in the BAA, extend some of them and beat four or five.
I suppose we should begin to feel sorry for Coach Rupp, who has been head-man at Lexington for the past nineteen years. Players like Groza, Beard, Jones and Barker do not bob up every season. Unbeaten on their home court, where they have annexed 76 straight these lads have brought glory to their school, their coach and themselves. Now they are about to go the way of all graduates.
What will Rupp do about replacing them? Let's not fret about that. You can depend on the master coming up with fresh material that will enable Kentucky to remain on top or close to it. If we are to believe rival and possibly resentfulof Rupp's successcoaches, Uncle Adolph already has lined-up sensational talent to carry on. We'll see.
KENTUCKY'S TOP SCORERS
GAMES        POINTS AVERAGE
ALEX GROZA 30
RALPH BEARD 30
WALLACE JONES 28
CLIFF BARKER 30
DALE BARNSTABLE 30
602 342 287 205 195
20.1 11.4 10.3 6.8 6.5
JIM LINE
RALPH BEARD    WALLACE JONES
4