[en] The authors discuss angular-momentum distributions σ_l for the compound nucleus ¹⁶⁴Yb deduced from measurements of γ-ray multiplicity for all significant evaporation residues from fusion of ⁶⁴Ni and ¹⁰⁰Mo and ¹⁶O + ¹⁴⁸Sm. At the lowest bombarding energies the σ_l extend to higher l values than do predictions that include coupling of the principal inelastic channels, even if the coupling strengths are increased to match the experimental excitation function. Likewise, σ _l from an energy-dependent real potential fitted to the excitation function fails to reproduce the experimental σ _l distribution. No effects attributed to superdeformation were observed