The Week

Southwest Conference favorite Texas kicked off its season with a 95-84 defeat of Mississippi. Sophs Lynn Howden and Eric Groscurth combined to drop the Rebs with 43 points, and the Longhorns came back two nights later to hook Alabama 90-63.

Only Wilt Chamberlain had a better opening game as a Kansas sophomore than Bud Stallworth, who scored 27 against Marshall in the Jayhawks' 96-80 victory. Stallworth, from Hartselle, Ala., was discovered right on the KU campus by former Jayhawk star Jo Jo White, who noticed him playing a pickup game while Stallworth was at Kansas to participate in a music camp.

Four sophomores from Louisville's unbeaten freshman team of a year ago started in the Cardinals' opener, but their inexperience hardly bothered Coach John Dromo's team. The one senior, Mike Grosso, topped the scoring in the 99-63 win over Cal Riverside with 17 points, while three of the newcomers—Henry Bacon (16), Larry Carter (14) and Jim Price (13)—trailed close behind.

Colorado notched three wins to go with its loss to USC (page 55). The Buffaloes trampled Air Force 81-58, Cal Irvine 80-65 and Cal Santa Barbara 73-70. Drake won twice, 106-80 over Wisconsin State and 86-62 over strong Iowa State, and Bradley picked up three victories. The Braves, who were hit hard by graduation and figured to eat humble pie this season, shot off to a fast start by knocking over Texas at Arlington 107-67, Minnesota-Duluth 114-81 and Northern Michigan 98-76.

1. LOUISVILLE (1-0)
2. COLORADO (3-1)

WEST

They have real roadrunners in New Mexico, not just the automakers' or the cartoonists' kind, but the genuine Geococcyx californianus. So for sophomore Guard Milton Horne to earn the nickname Roadrunner from New Mexico State fans, he had to be quick. He certainly was last week when he stepped in for the Aggies' injured senior playmaker, Charley Criss, and set a school record for assists (9) as State won 93-58 over Oklahoma Christian. Three days later Horne was streaking again in the Aggies' 108-76 victory against Wichita State, breaking his short-lived mark by four assists. In that game forward Jeff Smith took advantage of the shooting room the Shockers left him as they collapsed on Sam Lacey and Jimmy Collins to score 32 points. Then Baylor found out what happens when Lacey and Collins are given maneuvering room. They combined for 45 points in the Aggies' 102-83 win over the Bears.

Defending champion UCLA had an easy time (90-65) with Arizona, but ran into trouble at Minnesota. The Bruins needed Sidney Wicks' tip-in at the buzzer to force the game into overtime and then a 27-foot jump shot, with 44 seconds remaining in the extra period, by sophomore Henry Bibby to win 72-71.

Stanford visited Utah to help the Redskins dedicate their new 15,000-seat Wigwam and were scalped by the officials while losing 96-94. Utah had 15 fewer field goals than the visitors but ended up ahead 44-12 at the foul line, including 23 free throws by Guard Mike Newlin. That was too much even for the Salt Lake City press. "I never saw a team homered as unhandsomely as Stanford," wrote one observer. "The game did little to discredit Utah's high position in the homer poll," said another.

Back at the Wigwam five nights later the Redskins took a trim themselves from archrival Utah State. Playing before the largest basketball crowd in state history, the Aggies, led by Marv Roberts' 27 points and a defense that held Utah without a field goal for the last 8:24 of the game, won 90-72.