Basketball's Secret Service

Kentucky's unbeaten basketballers knew pretty much what to expect. Their scouts had flashed word that rival St. John's U. was vulnerable to one pet play--a screen pass from the right. Forewarned, Kentucky poured in screen passes, last week in Manhattan ran St. John's ragged, 73-59.

Basketball's secret service, more serviceable than ever this year, had become as much a part of the game as bucket plays and zone defenses. Distance was no protection. Wyoming scouted Long Island U.; Big Ten teams spied frantically on one another. Advance reports can mean as much as ten points in the score. Scouts found and filed such facts as these:

P: Arkansas seldom shot from the outside, could be braked by a tight guard in midcourt.

P: Toledo had a deadly two-handed overhand set-shot artist; diagnosis showed that rushing him as soon as he made an upward motion upset his timing by a split second--all that was necessary.

Some college coaches scout for themselves, but more trust the job to assistants or to game-wise alumni. The job: 1) to record each play and shot, elaborately charted with identifying letters (H for hook shots, S for set, P for push); 2) to uncover players' idiosyncrasies and ways to block hot basket-makers; 3) to cook up tricky defenses. Few ambitious coaches can afford not to scout.

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