Taller Than That

No one expected the game to be even close, but the University of Pennsylvania's null Palestra was sold out long before the University of Kansas basketball team showed up last week for what promised to be a light workout with St. Joseph's College. For Philadelphia fans it was enough that they would have a chance to see Wilt ("The Stilt") Chamberlain in action. The Negro star, all 7 ft. 2 in. of him, is their boy. This was their first chance, since he left Philadelphia's Overbrook High three years ago to see what The Stilt might have learned since Jayhawk recruiters outbid more than 100 schools and sent him to Lawrence, Kans. for some higher education on the court.

Wilt's home-town rooters were more than satisfied. The asparagus stalk they used to know has developed into an extraordinarily graceful giant. When his slow-starting teammates let St. Joseph's sneak into a first-half lead (26-23), Wilt took command, collected passes from all over the court, and showed his familiar skill at dunking scores. On defense, his long arms wove a screen in front of St. Joseph's basket. With time to regain their poise before the Wilt-worshiping crowd, Wilt's teammates turned to, added 35 points to Wilt's personal 31, and won the game, 66-54.

New Philosophy. During his early days at Kansas, The Stilt scored astronomically, but he proved to be stoppable. In the finals of the N.C.A.A. championship, North Carolina tied up Kansas by letting four men sag all over The Stilt, and won the game, 54-53-As demonstrated in the Palestra, the rest of the Kansas team is capable of practicing a new philosophy: each does his share of scoring, instead of feeding Wilt. So it is no longer good play for any club to collapse its defense on Wilt; the Jayhawkers have some outside shooters who are too dangerous to let loose. With Wilt to lead them, they are still unbeaten, may well be one of the best college teams in the country.

The Price Was Right. With a well coached team to help him, Wilt is happily proving that he is worth every penny of the expensive energy that was required to recruit him.* Even more improbable, life on the K.U. campus is proving every bit as pleasant as the recruiters promised. Business-administration major Chamberlain is having no trouble keeping up a B average; he is dean of pledges in Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, does a little disk-jockeying on a college radio station (KUOK), and still finds time to enjoy his own 50 albums of jazz and blues recordings. In the spring Wilt turns out for track, and though he is a little too casual about his form to suit Coach Bill Easton, he has already high-jumped 6 ft. 6 in., is expected to reach 6 ft. 8 in. with ease.

Basketball has been good to Wilton Chamberlain--so good that he can look down on his fellows from way upstairs with none of the awkward embarrassment that clogged his youth. Wilt shot up to his spectacular height between the ages of 13 and 16, but he always tried to trim himself down to the rest of the boys by insisting he was only 6 ft. n in. tall. Now he can even poke fun at his "little brother" Wilbert, who is only 6 ft. 5 in. "Nothing to him," says Wilt. When a stranger accosts him and says, "Wilt, can I ask you a question?", The Stilt proudly interrupts. "That's right," he says. "Over seven feet." His opponents insist he is three feet taller than that.

*Wealthy Kansas alumni are rumored to have put aside a trust fund worth upwards of $10,000 for Wilt's graduation present.

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