EVANSVILLE PRESS FEB. 1954

Wadesville didn’t win the Evansville sectional in 1954. Unfortunately, they never won a sectional in the history of the school. This was not uncommon for many of the small rural schools throughout Indiana playing during the single-class decades. But these comments aren’t about class basketball. My interest in this article by, Dick Anderson from 1954. is the last paragraph, where “Fan” Louis Knollman shares his thoughts on the changes in the game of basketball he observed.
Read that last paragraph again. He says the game has changed a lot since he first began to get interested. Can you say the same thing? I am sure we all, regardless of our ages, can say we have experienced changes in the game, but I think Mr. Knollman may have seen more drastic revisions!
Here is a recap of the changes from Bob Seggerson of the Lima News:
“In 1932, a midcourt line was established and teams had ten seconds to advance the ball past that line. Previous to the ruling, teams could use the entire court to stall the ball resulting in very low scoring games. In this era, a jump ball was used after every score, giving teams with a tall player or exceptional leaper a tremendous advantage. The jump ball was such a strategic part of the game that coaches spent hours devising plays and strategies to use in jump ball situations. In 1936, the jump ball rule changed and was used only to start each quarter. Fifty years later, the alternate possession arrow at the scorer’s table would all but eliminate the jump ball from basketball.
In the 1940’s, players were allowed unlimited substitutions for the first time and players were permitted five fouls before being disqualified. In 1949, one of the more interesting rule changes in basketball history occurred. Coaches were finally given permission to coach during time outs. Up until that year, coaches were only allowed to talk with their players before and after the game and at half time. I can only imagine the lengths some coaches went to in order to circumvent the rule. My first thought was that a squad’s Captain must have played a vital role for teams up until the rule was altered.
In 1951, the free throw lane was widened from 6 feet to 12 feet. The previous dimensions of the free throw area looked like a keyhole which became a popular term in basketball.”
I love Mr. Knollman’s assessment of the game in 1954. The game is faster and he likes it, but then he immediately states he liked the old style. The key is he likes it because it is BASKETBALL.
The game will evolve through the years. Coaches, players, and fans will react and adjust. As long as it’s BASKETBALL, my hope is we will like it too!