- Thursday, December 18 1930 -
Georgetown College - 19 (Head Coach: Chester Dillon)
Player | FG | FT | FTA | PF | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Don Cawthorne | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
Marion Corbin | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Carl Hatcher | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
Harry Lancaster (*) | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 11 |
Howard Carter | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
Frank Fuss | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Archie McKay | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
Earl Collins | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Totals | 7 | 5 | 10 | 10 | 19 |
Kentucky - 67 (Head Coach: Adolph Rupp) - [Final Rank ]
Player | FG | FT | FTA | PF | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Carey Spicer | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 |
Louis McGinnis | 7 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 17 |
Forest Sale | 9 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 19 |
Bill Trott | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Ellis Johnson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
George Yates | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 10 |
Jake Bronston | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
Charles Worthington | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
William Kleiser | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Cecil Bell | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Ercel Little | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Dick Richards | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Milton Cavana | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Bill Congleton | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Lawrence Crump | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Allan Lavin | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
George Skinner | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Totals | 30 | 7 | 14 | 8 | 67 |
Prior Game | | | Next Game |
Duke 32 - 37 | | | Marshall 42 - 26 |
Wildcats Conquer Tigers 67 to 19
Rupp's Crew Shows Promise in Initial Battle; Sale High
The University of Kentucky Wildcats gave their new basketball coach, Adolph Rupp, a good send-off last night in the U.K. gymnasium by trimming the Georgetown College Tigers, 67 to 19.
Coach Rupp, reintroducing the fast-break system of basketball to Kentucky fans, used 17 of the 19 men on his squad in the opening encounter. And the way the boys piled up points indicated marksmanship that will serve them in good stead when they face the eleven Southern Conference quintets on their schedule this season.
Georgetown, an inexperienced team, was over-matched, and except for the first two minutes, when it managed to hold the lead twice, the Tigers were never close to Kentucky.
Georgetown used a man-to-man defense, but the speed with which Kentucky broke for the goal often left the Dillon men behind, and easy short shots under the basket resulted. Then again, if Kentucky had no opportunity for a fast break, it employed blocks with such deception that Georgetown floundered in its effort to break them up.
Georgetown drew first blood when Hatcher, rangy center, heaved a one-arm shot into the basket. Seconds later, Sale, who started the game at center for Kentucky, evened the count with a short shot, but Georgetown forged back into the lead on a successful free throw by Carter, guard.
Little McGinnis, who distinguished himself defensively and offensively, then made the first two-point throw of the 17-point total he rung up, to put Kentucky into the lead, and from then on, Georgetown was distanced. With Spicer, McGinnis, Yates and Sale pounding the net, Kentucky was on top, 38 to 9, at the half. The Wildcats had one run of scoring that extended from 11 points to 26 before Georgetown tallied again.
Breaking up and down the floor with more speed than has been shown by any Wildcat five in recent years, and exchanging the ball on passes that sizzled through the air, the Blue-clad youngsters gave promise of an offensive machine that will give any foe on their schedule this season a trying evening.
On the defense, however, Kentucky did not show up any too well. Several times, Georgetown broke into the clear under the basket, and only inaccuracy in shooting prevented the Tigers from rolling up a more impressive score.
Harry Lancaster, captain and guard for the visitors, and the only experienced man on the squad, was the key man in Georgetown's game. He excelled on defense and led his team's scoring with 10 points, six of which were made on loop shots from far out on the floor.
Little McGinnis, reveling in a system of basketball that permits him to use his speed to its best advantage, followed the ball like a hawk and several times made goals that only his vigilance made possible.
George Yates broke into the game as a substitute for Sale at center and he had the edge of his predecessor on defense. Sale, who topped all scorers with 19 points, had more scoring opportunities and he cashed in on them. Most of his points, however, came after he had reentered the game as a forward.
The game with Georgetown was scheduled as a warming-up encounter for Kentucky, and it served its purpose. The Wildcats, however, were not tested sufficiently to justify any optimistic prediction about their season.
Game Writeup - by Brownie Leach Lexington Leader
Kentucky Defeats Georgetown 67-19
Game is Typical of Early Season Faulty Playing
Cats' New System Shows Possibilities of Great Scoring Power
In a typical opening basketball game, the University of Kentucky Wildcats Thursday night turned the Georgetown College Tigers back with a 67-to-19 defeat in the university gymnasium.
If the Wildcats failed to show anything else in their initial contest on the waxed hardwood they demonstrated that the fast-break system of play used by their new coach, Adolph Rupp, has potential scoring possibilities. On the few occasions that the Kentucky offense moved smoothly, the Cats kept the scorers working at a rapid pace and several times scored as many as six points in less time than it requires to tell about it.
Uses Reserves
The new Wildcat mentor, making his debut with an overwhelming victory, chose to give his reserves a trial and before the final whistle he had used 17 men. However, Coach Rupp used only one substitution before the half-way mark was reached, sending Yates in to replace Sale, who started at the jump position.
The Wildcats showed a tendency to revert to the cautious slow-break style they used for the three previous seasons under Coach Mauer. At the opening toss things worked perfectly and the Wildcats carried the ball toward the Tiger defense, but finding their path blocked, they immediately shifted back for a slower attack.
Georgetown intercepted the next pass and working down the floor, Lancaster passed to Hatcher, the Tigers' lengthy center, who dropped the ball through the hoops from the side to score first.
Sale tied the count when the Cats used Rupp's blocking out-of-bounds play, incidentally the best executed formation of the Wildcats during the game. Carter, with a free throw, put Georgetown back into the lead, but this was soon lost when McGinnis slipped through a crip and the Cats were ahead from this point on.
Lead 38 to 13 At Half
At the halfway mark, Kentucky led 38 to 13 and Coach Rupp opened the second period with Bronston and Worthington at guards and Sale replacing McGinnis at a forward. Capt. Spicer and Yates filled the other two assignments.
Sale cut down his offensive performance, which made him high point man, by inferior defensive work and napping several times on the offense. Capt. Spicer and McGinnis lead the Wildcats in both departments of the game, showing the value of their former varsity experience.
Capt. Lancaster, one of the who veterans who are members of the Bengal club, was the chief power in the visiting lineup and incidentally was high point man of the team, scoring more than half the Tigers' points. Most of his shots were made from behind the foul circle.
The Wildcats showed need for extensive work before the game with Marshall here Dec. 27. Making only seven out of 14 free throws a the basket, the Cats revealed a weakness in this department. However, Coach Rupp believes the Kentuckians have learned much from their initial tilt and it gave him a definite line on his clubs' weaknesses.
Kentucky will not play again until the Marshall game, but practice will continue daily, with the exception of Christmas Day.
Game Preview- Lexington Leader (December 18, 1930)
WILDCAT FIVE AND COACH RUPP TO MAKE DEBUT TONIGHT
Georgetown to Furnish Other Half of Game
Fast-Break System Will be Given Once-Over by Kentucky Fans
Coach Adolph Rupp, proponent of the fast-break system, and his first University of Kentucky basketball team will make their debut at 8 o'clock tonight in the basketball building. Georgetown College will offer its Tigers as opponents for the Wildcats in the initial game.
Kentucky is favorite in tonight's game and is not expected to have great difficulty in turning back the Bengals, who were weakened by graduation losses last June. However, the visitors can be depended upon to furnish a scrappy outfit and neither Coach Rupp nor his squad has taken tonight's opponent in a light way.
Much interest has been manifest by fans in the new style of play that is to be employed by the Blue and White squad this season. The fast-break and guard offense is a radical departure from the slow-breaking offense used by the Kentuckians under the coaching of Johnny Mauer.
Coach Rupp indicated that his starting line-up tonight would be as follows: Capt. Spicer and Little McGinnis at forwards; Sale a center, and Johnson and Trott at guards.
This combination includes only two men who were regulars on the Wildcat varsity last season. They are Spicer and McGinnis, Sale and Johnson are second year men, while Trott was a member of the last season's squad.
Johnson, all-America net star while in the Ashland high school, will be watched with interest by the fans.
George Yates, Jake Bronston and Worthington are certain to see much action before the opener is over. And Coach Rupp plans to use as many of his reserves as the game will permit.
Tonight's engagement is the last for the Cats before the Christmas holidays during which they will meet Marshall College here on Dec. 27 in a game for charity. The squad will resume its workouts Friday and continue throughout the season with only one day free for Christmas.
Book Excerpt - Adolph Rupp As I Knew Him (1979) by Harry Lancaster
I have never believed that our fates are predetermined. Yet as I looked back on that night in December, forty-nine years ago, I still get an eerie feeling about it. I was to start my first game as a college basketball player. Adolph Frederick Rupp was to coach his first college team. On December 18, 1930 we were to see each other for the first time at Alumni Gym in Lexington, but it was the beginning of an association that was to continue through a major part of both our lives.
Rupp had taken over the head coaching job at the University of Kentucky and I was the captain and starting sophomore guard on the Georgetown College basketball team. It was the beginning of the new season as our teams faced each other that night. It was the first of only three times we were ever on opposite sides.
Adolph had been chosen the new Kentucky coach earlier that year after a successful coaching career at Freeport High School in Illinois. Adolph was virtually unknown before his first season at Kentucky. I had played against most of his players in high school and most of the information I got about Rupp was from them. During the summer, the captain of Rupp's first Kentucky team, Carey Spicer, told me that the new coach was going to install a new fast break type of basketball. We were all impressed that he had played on the national championship team at Kansas in 1923, and had played for the top coach of that day, Dr. Phog Allen.
On the afternoon of December 18, 1930, our Georgetown team boarded two cars for the trip to Lexington. Our Coach, Chester Dillon, had the strangest superstition I've ever seen. "Dizzy", as we called him behind his back, thought if you saw a tobacco hogshead it would bring good luck. We drove over to one of those tobacco warehouses over near the U.K. campus and watched them unload those oversized barrels packed with tobacco. It didn't bring us much luck.
In Alumni Gym that night Rupp was impeccably dressed and looked very confident as he brought his team on the floor to meet Georgetown. I was to learn later he had been very nervous in the dressing room, but once he got on the floor he appeared to be totally in charge. I suppose I got his attention when I scored the first field goal of the game. That was the only time we had the lead. Rupp's boys ran up and down the floor like no team I had ever seen and drubbed us 67 to 19 that night. Forest "Aggie" Sale, who was later to make All American, scored as many points as our entire team. Years later, Adolph was to tell me several times that Aggie might have been the best player he ever coached.
We opened the season against Kentucky my next two years at Georgetown and we lost both of those, too.
Official scorebook page from game