Basketball's Week

THE SOUTH

1. VANDERBILT (5-0)
2. NORTH CAROLINA (4-1)
3. TENNESSEE (3-0)

One thing you cannot do against North Carolina is relax. Kentucky had a 62-59 lead midway in the second half when, suddenly, the Tar Heels exploded. With 6'11" Rusty Clark and Larry Miller playing tough inside (together, they had 42 points), Carolina outscored the startled Wildcats 22-8 in the next six minutes. Kentucky's Adolph Rupp tried everything, even a 1-2-2 zone for a while, but the Tar Heels broke through for easy layups and went on to win 84-77. "No one is supposed to drive the middle on a zone," said Rupp, "but they did it." Four nights later Princeton had North Carolina 47-45 with only eight minutes to play. Then big Chris Thomforde got into foul trouble and, to protect him, the Tigers moved from man-to-man to zone. Carolina retaliated with a pressure defense, and Charlie Scott led the Tar Heels on an 18-2 spree. Miller scored 23 points, Scott 17, and North Carolina won 71-63. "I think we can play them man-to-man seven days a week," said Princeton's Pete Carril. "But we had to go to a zone. We have no bench."

While SEC favorite Vanderbilt was edging Davidson 81-79 and Duke 76-75 (page 18), defending champion Tennessee practiced its good defense in the Volunteer Classic. The Vols smothered Illinois 66-42 and then gave Tulsa—which had beaten Army 55-53 in the last second—its first defeat, 56-48. "I don't know when we've had a better defense," said Coach Ray Mears, and that could be bad news for Vandy.

A strange thing happened to Virginia Tech in the Virginia-VPI Invitational at Charlottesville. Yale upset the struggling Gobblers 90-77. But co-host Virginia beat NYU 90-83. Two Big Ten invaders also won. Indiana outran North Carolina State 101-97, while Purdue, with Rick Mount getting 26, buried Tulane 107-92.

THE EAST

1. ST. JOHN'S (5-1)
2. PRINCETON (5-1)
3. BOSTON COLLEGE (3-1)

Boston College's Bob Cousy knew something was very wrong when St. John's led his Eagles 48-41 at half time. What he did not know, however, was that things were going to get worse, even after big Terry Driscoll, who muscled in 46 points, put BC ahead 81-79 with 15 seconds to go. Carmine Calzonetti tied the score with a jump shot, and John Warren, who scored 20 points, hit two free throws with 20 seconds left in overtime, to win for the persevering Redmen 91-90. "Beautiful," raved St. John's Lou Carnesecca. "We were gorgeous."

Duquesne set out to stop Billy Butler, unbeaten St. Bonaventure's leading scorer, and the Dukes did—he got seven points—but 6'11" Bob Lanier murdered them. Lanier made 18 of 22 shots, scored 39 points and Duquesne suffered its first loss 96-74.

The best way to stop Niagara's Calvin Murphy, figured La Salle Coach Jim Harding, was to let Roland Taylor, his quickest defender, dog him all over the Palestra. Despite this, Murphy, who had scored 41 in a 94-86 loss to Bowling Green earlier in the week, piled up 52 more, to lead the Purple Eagles to a 100-83 victory. "He's unbelievable," was Taylor's expert opinion.