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Show Basketball, 1915-16Need the record of Utah's basketball team of 1915-16 be chronicled in order to preserve the memory of their unequalled performance? National distinction is altogether too rare a thing- to be forgotten within the span of a few years. The story of Utah's team in Chicago will live as long as Utah spirit is preserved. The winning of the national A. A. U. championship and incidentally the beautiful Chicago Herald trophy is undoubtedly the greatest athletic victory ever achieved by a western, college. Why a team which during- the early season failed to elicit the confidence of its own supporters, should within a few weeks triumph over every other team in the country may always be a mystery. But just Why that same team scored such abrilliant success in Chicago is very well explained by one of the sporting critics of a Chicago daily. "Superior Condition of the Mormons, a better systematic attack, a more thorough working knowledge of the finer points of the pastime; a coach, Nelson H. Norgren, who just oozes with that something which makes the pupil go the limit for the master, and last but not least, that combination, relay method of working the large round leather under the hoop," that is why Utah won.But we must not scorn the base degrees by which we ascended. The games at home were likewise thrilling. Utah accomplished the almost impossible feat of defeating the Brigham Young University on the latter's home floor. Both of the A. C, games "were hard fought, and Utah will not forget for some time that close call on the night of February 14th, when she nosed out the Aggies by only four points. The coming of the Olympics gave Utah the first insight into her real strength. Defeating the national champions by twenty points could not be the work of an ordinary team. Flushed with victory, and the anticipation of greater victories, the students of the University within a few days raised sufficient funds to send the state champions to Chicago in quest of the national championship.May the glorious achievement of Utah's team become an honored tradition, but may that tradition be perpetuated, not as is folk-lore, but by an annual duplication of the performance begun in March of 1916.The National Basketball Championship GamesCOLUMBIAN A. C...........) iTto^fCENTRAL INDEPENDENTS. \ Utah U. (bye)BRANDEIS, OMAHA........) Brandeis.......(. 72 to 25 ENGLEWOOD C............ ) Olympic C.(bye)ILLINOIS A. C............. ) Illinois A" C- • • •L 7.7 to 6OSAGE, IOWA..............^ Hamlin M. (bye)OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA. . . ) Oakland.......aFIRST REGIMENT..........( 34 to n jRIPON COLLEGE...........) Ripon College. |GRAND JUNCTION, IOWA.. \ 4§ to' 25 JUtah........34 to 18Olympic Club. 52 to 40 JIllinois A. C.Utah.36 to 3549 to 26Illinois A. C. 41 to 21Utah28 to 27Oakland. . . . 36 to 19Page one hundred twenty-eight |