Tusculum College - Tusculana Yearbook (Greenville, TN)

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To write anything demeaning or negative about the Pioneer Basketball Squad seems totally out of place at this time, a fact that holds special weight, as the editor is a prototype New York City sports fan, ready to jump on any team doing poorly for any reason. The editor has, in due time, come to understand the fragile bal- ance of the scantily financed intercollegiate sports programme at TC. Our luck hasn't been any too good, either, as evidenced by this following anecdote. During the 'I971-72 hoop season, lack Russell's Pioneers hit the floor at the home court of Middle Tennessee State University and did quite admirably against M.T.S.U., a perrinneal powerhouse in the Ohio Valley Conference. C-ratified by his team's prerformance, Russell de- cided that Austin Peay . . . the 0.V.C. doormat in basketball for longer than anyone cares to remember . . . would be a fair contest for the 72-73 Pioneers, a decidedly stronger team than the one that played so well against M.T.S.U. So the arrangements were made during the off season, TC would take on the Governors at Austin Peay, a chance to become giant killers was thrust into Tusculum's hands. But then, as fate and bad-luck-for-our-guys would have it, two things happened: Peay got a new coach who brought along a whole load of junior college tal- ent with him, and the NCAA, bless their hearts, allowed the major colleges the grace of having their freshman recruits play on the varsity squad. And who ever thought that Peay, the doormat supreme, would man- age to recruit Brooklyn's baddest guard and, ultim- ately, one of the top scorers nationwide - Fly Williams? Not the editor. Not you. Not lack Russell. Not even the producers of all those horrid Walt Disney type sports movies. Whether or not you followed the Pioneers last winter, the editor doubts that, upon reading this, you can't figure out who won the game. But, on the bright side, at least two milestones were passed during the 72-73 season: senior Paul Minton scored his 1500th point late in the season and was elected to the all-V.S.A.C. team for his fourth year - not an easy accomplishment, considering that TC was in the V.S.A.C. East cellar for three of those four seasons. And that's the other milestone. We got out of the conference basement. Oh, granted, fifth out of sixth isn't exactly finishing in the money, but it's progress. Furthermore, Coach Russell informs the editor that Austin Peay will not be on Tusculum's 1973-74 sched- ule, nor M.T.S.U., nor Armstrong State, nor the Uni- versity of North Carolina at Charlotte. The competition, he says, will be a bit more in keeping with a school the size and budget of TC. The editor can hardly wait. Kneeling: B. Houser, S Surgent W Stokley L Bible T Heffernan. Standing: Coach Russell L Rader S Scott D Monroe, B. Sobas, M. Zebrewski C Collins P Minton D. Roberts, T. Turner, S. Augustine 72

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