Sport: Basketball’s Secret Service

Kentucky’s unbeaten basketballers knew pretty much what to expect. Their scouts had flashed word that rival St. John’s U. was vulnerable to one pet play—a screen pass from the right. Forewarned, Kentucky poured in screen passes, last week in Manhattan ran St. John’s ragged, 73-59.

Basketball’s secret service, more serviceable than ever this year, had become as much a part of the game as bucket plays and zone defenses. Distance was no protection. Wyoming scouted Long Island U.; Big Ten teams spied frantically on one another. Advance reports can mean as much as ten points in the score. Scouts found and filed such facts as these:

¶ Arkansas seldom shot from the outside, could be braked by a tight guard in midcourt.

¶ Toledo had a deadly two-handed overhand set-shot artist; diagnosis showed that rushing him as soon as he made an upward motion upset his timing by a split second—all that was necessary.

Some college coaches scout for themselves, but more trust the job to assistants or to game-wise alumni. The job: 1) to record each play and shot, elaborately charted with identifying letters (H for hook shots, S for set, P for push); 2) to uncover players’ idiosyncrasies and ways to block hot basket-makers; 3) to cook up tricky defenses. Few ambitious coaches can afford not to scout.