Whiz Kids, Grown Up

Three times in one practice session last week, deadeye Andy Prillip, one of Illinois' famed Whiz Kids, dribbled down the floor and then passed up an easy shot at the basket. Instead he tossed the ball to Whiz Kid Jack Smiley. Phillip explained, with a grin, "Smiley's wife and little boy are up in the balcony."

Since the war interrupted their basketball in 1943, the Whiz Kids of the University of Illinois had stopped being kids. The four who returned to school wore battle stars and three were married. Phillip, who had broken five conference records in 1943, had been a Marine lieutenant at Iwo Jima. Smiley fought in the Battle of the Bulge; 6 ft. 3 in. Guard Gene Vance had been a lieutenant in the ETO; Forward Ken Menke had been an artilleryman. The four were almost as spry as ever, and had to be, with the likes of Substitute Dwight Eddleman around (he scored a breathtaking 969 points as a senior at Centralia, Ill. High).

Against Pittsburgh last week the Whiz Kid guards--hefty Gene Vance and Papa Jack Smiley--bossed the backboards. Before they were replaced by substitutes, Andy Phillip hit for eight points and skinny Ken Menke got ten more. Down went Pittsburgh, 58-31, to become victim No. 3. Illinois was out to become the Big Nine's best again, but would have to get past Iowa and Wisconsin to make it.

Less Height, More Fight. By last week, with about 800 U.S. college teams warming up, it was clear that the quality of play was already far above last year's. More attention was being paid to defense, less to pell-mell pace and the hurried ball-slinging that passed for finesse during wartime. The day of the seven-foot goons seemed to be passing. The brightest basketeers were players of medium height (in basketball lingo: 6 ft. 3 in.) and high skill.

Notre Dame, upset by Wisconsin after a high-scoring start, was touting a San Francisco sharpshooter named Kevin O'Shea, said to be the best West Coast prospect since Stanford's great Hank Lui-setti. U.C.L.A.'s Davage Minor was being talked about as the best Negro player in basketball history.

If any college team gets through the winter undefeated, dopesters agreed, it might be Kentucky, which has about everything that Illinois has--except a back-breaking schedule. George Feigenbaum, top scorer among New York City's 40 high school teams last year, turned out, found he could do no better than Kentucky's fourth team, packed up and left.

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