University Daily Kansan / Wednesday. October 26. 1989
Sports
13
Extra court time as freshman strengthens Nelson this season
By Ken Winford Kansan sportswriter
When LaTanya Nelson joined the Kansas women's basketball team as a freshman last year, plans were for her to spend the season on the bench as a redshirt.
However, plains changed 13 games into the season when starting forward Jackie Martin tore an Achilles injury during a game against Colorado.
Suddenly, Nelson, who had adjusted herself to the idea of spending the season watching from the back, was asked to step in and contribute.
"Coming in and playing last year made me grow up a little faster," Nelson said. "I was amazed at just practicing to actually play in the games."
Nelson, a Landover, Md. native, was a street and Smith magazine all-American as a senior at Frank W. Ballon High School. She played in seven games last year for the Her season. Her season rebounds two times played in a loss at Oklahoma State, and she scored two points against Iowa State.
LaTanya Nelson
"I'm not really happy with my
contributions last year." Nelson said.
"Most players always think that they have done more, and I feel that way. All I can do is give 120 percent each time I'm on the court."
Although the 5-foot-11 Nelson won't be one of the bigger forwards in the Big Eight Conference, Kansas Coach
Marian Washington said Nelson might be one of the most explosive.
"LaTanya is like a Jackie Martin in terms of her ability to explode on the floor." Washington said. "For her size, I can't imagine anyone matching up against her. She is a very strong athlete."
Washington said it took Nelson time to adjust to Kansas' system.
"One of the big reasons we wanted to redshirt her last year was because she came out of a high school where there wasn't much teaching done," she said. "She has a natural nose for the game, but trying to work into the system was frustrating for her."
"This year we have already seen a lot more confidence and disciplined play from her. Right now, she has to work on her maturity level, and I think that will come."
Even though Nelson said her size was a disadvantage at times, she said she liked playing under the basket.
"I like rebounds most because it gives me a chance to get the team the ball," Nelson said. "Being aggressive and rebounding comes more easily for me, but I'll shoot, pass or do whatever else Coach Washington
wants me to do to help this team."
Nelson said she adopted an aggresive style when she learned how to play the game.
"I started playing basketball when I was seven," she said. "Even then, I hated to lose. I guess that's just part of my competitive nature."
Kansas assistant coach Julia Yeaer said Nelson had the potential to be one of the most productive Jayhawks this season.
"LaTanya is probably the strongest player on the team right now," Yeater said. "Her strengths are her aggressiveness and confidence. As young as we are, that will be important for us this year.
Nelson said the Jayhawks would be a tough team to contend with this season.
"Everyone is adjusting to the system well," she said. "The whole team is competitive and eager to learn. We'll be pretty this year, and I can guarantee that we will never give up, no matter what happens."
Oakland's La Russa wins award
A's manager hailed best in AL again
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Tony La Russa, a clubhouse lawyer who guided the Oakland Athletics to a club-record 104 victories and the American League pennant, was named AL Manager of the Year yesterday by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
It was the second time La Russa won the award. He also was honored in 1883, when he led the Chicago White Sox to the AL West title.
La Rusa, 44, edged Boston manager Joe Morgan by 14 points in balloting by a committee made up of
two writers from each AL city. L la Russa received 103 points, compared with 89 for Morgan and 37 for Sparky Anderson of the Detroit Tigers.
La Rusa got 15 first-place votes, six more than Morgan, who took over the struggling Red Sox at midseason and led the club to the AL East title. The only other managers receiving first-place votes were Anderson, with three, and Milwaukee's Tom Trebelson with one.
Each first-place vote was worth five points. Second-place votes were worth three points each, and third-place votes counted as one point.
The Athletics improved by 23 victories in 1988 and won the division by 13 games over the defending World Series champion Minnesota Twins. They were heavily favored to win the Series, but were upset in five games by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Oakland finished first in the league in pitching with a 3.43 earned run
average, second in home runs with 156 and third in defense. The Athletics won a franchise-record 14 straight games in April and May and set an attendance record, drawing 2,287,335 fans to the Oakland Coliseum.
La Russa has a 752-683 record in 10 seasons as a major league manager. He is the fifth lawyer-manager in baseball history, joining Monte Ward, Huggie Jemings, Miller Huggins and Branch Rickey.
Like other successful managers, La Russia was a mediocre player. He had a career batting average of .199 and was an infielder in the major leagues.
A native of Tampa, Fla., La Russa made his major league debut at age 18 with the Kansas City A's in 1963. He played with Oakland and finished his career with the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Cubs.
His managerial career began in
1978 when he took over the White Sox' Class A team in Knoxville, Teen. The team went 53-25, earning La Russa a promotion to Chicago's coaching staff.
colching Sam.
He was named manager of the White Sox' Class AAA team in Iowa in 1979 and took over the Chicago job in August. The White Sox finished fifth that year.
The White Sox were tied for first at the All-Star break in 1984 before plummeting to fifth. La Russa was fired after the team finished third in 1985 and started the next season 26-38.
La Russa joined the Athletics on July 7, 1986, managing the team to a 45-34 record that season and 81-81 in another game. She played on a contract running through 1989.
La Ruska graduated from Florida State University's School of Law in 1978 and passed the bar exam in December 1979.
OSU coach praises Tiger's quarterback Redshirt freshman to start Saturday for MU against Nebraska
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY. Mo. — If Oklahoma State coach Pat Jones were to vote for quarterback at Missouri, he would cast it in favor of Corey Welch.
Of all Missouri's quarterbacks, it was Walch who made the greatest impression on Jones during last season. Missouri/Oklahoma State game.
"Welch, to me, probably has the most ability of the group." Jones said of the redshirt freshman. "The one who scared me the most was Welch."
Missouri coach WooDidenhofer later indicated during the Big Eight Conference's weekly teleconference that he was thinking like Jones.
With regular John Stollenwerck injured, Widenhofer had to choose
W.
We've set realistic improvement goals each week by each position. On a nightly basis, I've encouraged them.'
Stan Parrish K-State football coach
between Welch and another redshirt freshman with good credentials, Brad Fitzmaurice.
Nebraska will be a big favorite over the Tigers, in keeping with the tenor of the weekend all over the Big Eight. Iowa State will be at Colorado
"Corey Welch will start," Widenhofer said.
in a game many might rate as a possibly competitive contest. But winess Kansas is at Oklahoma and winess Kansas State must play host to Oklahoma State.
Oklahoma State will complete the third and final leg of KState's painful Oklahoma-Nebraska-Oklahoma State march.
"We've set realistic improvement goals each week by each position," said Wildcat coach Stan Parrish. "On a nightly basis, I've encouraged them."
The Iowa State Cyclones, despite Coach Jim Walden's constant harping about the team's lack of talent and numbers, will take a 4-3 record to Colorado, not to mention a three-game winning streak.
players' "Hell no." Walden said. "I know the carrier of my team. We've beaten the teams that we had a chance against. No, I'm not misjudging them. I’m proud of them. We should be 16-18 point underdogs to Colorado. If they (Colorado) play hard, we can’t possibly win. If they don’t make mistakes, we can’t win. It’s as simple as that."
Did Walden underestimate his players?
"A lot of people are involved in that, going back to Bob Devaney and his staff," coach Tom Osborne said. The hardest thing is to get something turned around, which Devaney did. Since that time, we had a lot of coaches and players who figured in Fan support here, and tradition, has been a big part of it, too."
Gary Mook/ Special to the KANSAN
Roy Williams, men's basketball coach, observes practice yesterday afternoon. The Kansas basketball program is awaiting the NCAA Infractions Committee ruling on alleged recruiting violations.
Kansas still waiting for NCAA decision
By Jeff Euston
By Jeff Luster
Kansan sportswrite
The Kansas University Athletic Corporation moved to executive session yesterday to discuss the contract and the Kansas basketball program.
Kansas will have a 20-minute closed-door session, Kansas Athletic Director Bob Frederick said, "We don't know anything from the NCAA committee of infractions yet. We are anxiously awaiting a decision from them. We know only that the committee of infractions is waiting in Kansas with an agreement of institutions. So we are hopeful that we will have a decision wrapped up within the next week or so."
New York. Frederick said that receiving a decision soon would help basketball recruiting.
"Recruiting has gone very well, under the circumstances," he said. "The response we've gotten has been good. Receiving the report from the NCAA early next week should help."
...oner business, the board:
■ heard a committee report from board member David Ambler on corporate sponsorship.
Ambler said the committee would recommend that board members concerning corporate sponsorship of Kansas athletics. An NCAA committee is considering a similar proposal on a national basis, Friedrick said.
helped 12 selected football players and two selected basketball players with study skills this semester.
heard a report from Frederick on a pilot program that had
"We've seen some exciting results already." Frederick said of the program, which might be expanded in the future.
heard Frederick's report that Kansas had signed an agreement with Creative Sports Marketing for the television broadcasts of seven additional Jayhawk basketball games.
"This agreement means that all but three, or four basketball games will be televised this season," he said.
■ learned that the Lawrence City Commission declared the week of Oct. 31-Nov. 5 "Jayhawk Pride Week" in preparation for the Kansas-Kansas State football game day November, Nov. 5.
- discussed the appointment of a subcommittee to study other football programs in order to develop a plan for the board to improve the Kansas football program.
"We're sinking," board member Mike Holland said of the football program. "I think part of the blame rests right here with the board. We're not doing something right."
The subcommittee members, who will be appointed later by board chairman Tom Mulinazzi, will study football programs that have been successful and offer suggestions as to what can be done at Kansas.
Sports Briefs
JAYHAWKS PREPARE FOR OUS
JAWHAYS PREPARE FOR UO
Inside linebacker Tony Barker,
who suffered a broken collar will not travel with the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday to Oklahoma, Coach Glen Mason said yesterday.
Wide receiver Willie Vaughn,
however, is sufficiently recovered
from a hip injury suffered against
the Chargers and played on Saturday,
games said.
The Jayhawks tried to get in tune with the beginning of daylight-saving time, which begins next week, by beginning their practice a half-hour early yesterday, and will continue to use the earlier schedule. MANHATTAN
Barker played sparingly against Iowa State last weekend and did not practice with the rest of the team yesterday.
VOLLEYBALL IN MANHATTAN:
The Kansas volleyball team today travels to Manhattan to play the Kansas State Wildcats at 7:30 p.m.
The Jayhawks and the Wildcats are ranked sixth and seventh, respectively, in the Big Eight Conference Kansas. Kansas scored 17 overall. Karson has a 1-5 conference record and is 12-10 overall.
and is 12 to 17. Despite their record, Kansas coach Frankie Albitz said she
"We still have a chance if we play like we did against Colorado," Albiz said of Kansas "16-14, 15-8 and 17-15 defeat of the Buffalos." "They are one of the top teams in the conference. If we can stay with K-State and maybe beat Missouri at home, we could finish fourth. That's not out of our reach."
.believed the Jayhawks had a chance to finish in the upper division of the Big Eight.
COLORADO END HONORED:
Colorado's Kanavis McGhee, who had 23 tackles at defensive end against Oklahoma in last weekend's 17-14 loss, was named Big Eight Conference defensive player of the week. McGhee, who has 125 solo tackles, won in a split vote over Oklahoma noseguard Curtice Williams.
Ryan, who was 12-11 with a 3.52
earned run average for Houston
last season, struck out 228 in 220
innings for a career total of 4,775.
RYAN A FREE AGENT: Nolan Ryan, baseball's all-time strikeout leader, was one of nine players to file for free agency yesterday, bringing the total to 14 since the period for filenamed last Friday.
Drug allegations taint S.C. football interim a.d.: changes to be made
Other pitchers to file yesterday were Mike Moore of Seattle and Ted Power of Kansas City.
The Associated Press
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Interim athletic director King Dixon said yesterday he expected some changes to be made within the South Carolina athletic department in the wake of allegations by a former football player that he and some other players used steroids and other drugs.
In an interview in his office early Monday night, Dixon also said there was a "discipline" problem within the whole athletic department. But he said any changes would have to wait until after a preliminary investigation is finished by the State Law Enforcement Division.
But Dixon wouldn't say whether the changes would be in the area of policy or personnel, although he actinnowed Coach Joe Morrison's performance would be evaluated at the end of the season.
SLEED is looking into charges made by ex-South Carolina player Tommy Chaikin in an article in Sports Illustrated. Chaikin, who played for the Gamecocks from 1983 to 1987, said he took steroids for three years, that about half the 1986 football team did likewise and that players used other
Former player's charges raise questions about football team
drugs, such as cocaine and LSD.
"If we need to take some action, we're going to do it," said Dixon, who was named interim athletic director earlier this month. "It would appear we need to do something."
we been to — don't know," Dixon said. "But I bet we know the result of this preliminary inquiry — and I bet as we continue to look into things — some action's going to need to be taken. I mean if everything was peachy keen, I don't think that article in Sports Illustrated have had been written."
would have been 24.
Dixon said he didn't want to hear fans or others telling him everything is OK and "never mind those things."
"It's a systematic problem within
privacy and thought."
"Something's got to give," Dixon said. "I mean it when I say, I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired of situations developing at the University of South Carolina. It's a lack of values and directions and consistency and thought."
"Joe Morrison has a five-year contract. What else can I say? Those things will have to be sorted out," he said. "Yeah, he'll be scrutinized, evaluated like other head coaches here."
Dixon also was asked about the image Morrison projects, given not only his laid-back coaching style but a widely publicized extra-marital paternity suit last year.
patently want that Joe's personal life is his personal life. His style of leadership is his style of leadership." Dixon said.
our whole organization in the athletic department, I think; or I can't figure out why our image has been stained if that's not it. So, I feel a mandate to look into this thing and to turn that image around."
Dixon would not say whether he felt Morrison's job was in jeopardy, but he did say Morrison's performance — on and off the field — would be evaluated at the end of the season.
"The negative publicity that comes out of those types of things bothers the heck out of what. We are able to do with that, and how we're able to wrestle with that, we're going to have to see."
"At the end of the season, interm or permanent, I'm going to sit down with the head coach, and I will go over the results of the football season from a technical aspect, called win and loss.
"Then I will go into the other aspects of the performance of that team, on and off the field, and try to determine ways in which we can do a better job in the future."
Dixon has been interim athletic director — the fourth man this year to occupy the head job in the athletic department — since Oct. 3, when he was named to replace Dick Bestwick, who resigned after only six months on the job, citing unspecified health problems. Bestwick replaced Johnny Gregory, who is acting athletic director after Bob Marcum, former Kansas athletic director, was fired in early March when a task force criticized the school's drug-testing program.