| SEASON
SUMMARY:
Early Basket-Brawl.
Chester A. Smith, a guard, was the captain of the 1901-02
team. In January 1947 edition of
the Graduate magazine, he sought to shed some light on the early days of KU
basketball:
“I think it was in 1901 or 1902 that the Athletic
Association recognized basketball as a major sport and we were awarded
basketball ‘Ks”. [Editor’s note: Letterman are listed from as far back as
KU’s first season.]
Noting the present comments on the recent tough schedules,
reminds me of one trip the team (5 regulars and one substitute) made in 1902.
We played a different team, in different cities, in six successive days.
We looked and felt like the survivors of the Battle of the Bulge upon our
return to KU. The rules in those
days were not quite so rigid on what constituted a foul; hence the game was
plenty rough. Only
‘strangle-holds’, eye-gouging and a few other such minor practices were
barred and were cause for a foul whistle. Dear
old Dr. Naismith was our coach but did not accompany the team on trips.
The Athletic Association furnished us a basketball.
Individual players furnished their own uniforms, and a student manager
made the schedules and financed the trips by guarantees from the opponents.”
Chester A. Smith, e ’04, Kansas City, Mo.
Source: The Crimson & Blue
Handbook, pages10-11.
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