SPORTS
U N I V E R S I T Y D A I L Y K A N S A N
THURSDAY. JANUARY 12. 1995
Jayhawk freshmen flying high
SECTION B
Paul Kotz / KANSAN
Men's basketball gets real help from this year's newcomers
Kansas freshman forward LaFrentz Lafrentz attempts a jump shot during Monday's Missouri game. LaFrentz is leading the Jayhawks in scoring.
By Christoph Fuhrmans
Kansan sportswriter
Freshmen have a difficult time as it is adjusting to college without having to deal with 13,300 screaming people hoping they miss a shot.
C. R. McGrath
But freshmen guards Billy Thomas, C.B. McGrath and forward Raef LaFrentz survived that experience by beating No. 17 Missouri 102-89 Monday at the Hearnes Center in Columbia, Mo.
Not only do LaFrentz, Thomas and McGrath have to adjust to collegiate academics, but they also have to adjust to playing Division I basketball.
Kansas coach Roy Williams
said the increased level of play and emphasis on defense were some of the challenges freshmen faced.
"I think the intensity level and understanding that they've got to play a more total game is an unusual thing for them," Williams said.
Offense hasn't been much of a problem for LaFrentz, who is averaging 13.5 points and 7.4 rebounds through the first 12 games of the season. But Williams said that he was impressed with LaFrentz's improvement on defense.
LaFrentz said that he thought he had improved his LaFrentz and level of play on both ends of the court.
"I think he's gotten much better on the defensive end of the floor," Williams said. "He understands much more now the importance of it. He's putting in a great deal more effort, enthusiasm and attention to it than he did when we first started practice."
McGrath's effort and enthusiasm have impressed Williams as well, even though many Jayhawk fans
might get a little nervous when McGrath enters a game.
"I've been very pleased with C.B., and I I've said before that I thought he was better than most other people did," Williams said. "He's even surpassed what I hoped he would be able to do, and I hope he'll be able to keep surmising it too."
McGraham said adjusting to Division I intensity and versatile athletes has made him a better player.
"I've gotten tougher, quicker and more confident," he said. "Calvin and Jacque both teach me a lot and help me out."
Thomas' offense is not lacking any confidence. His three-point shooting, a team-leading 44.4 percent through the first 12 games, was a large reason why he was recruited by Kansas and has impressed Williams.
"Billy does have very good skills on the offensive end of the floor about putting the ball in the basket," Williams said. "I think that's something that's harder to teach than anything. He's got a touch, and he's got a scorer's mentality."
But to become a better scorer, Thomas needs to work on shot selection, Williams said. And to become a better overall player, Thomas needed to improve his defensive intensity, Williams said.
"It's my job to try to make him understand shot selection, and it's my job to make him understand how important the defensive end of the floor is," he said.
Thomas said practice was the place he worked on his defense, since Kansas' practices were more demanding than at his high school in Shreveport, La.
"In high school practice we just kind of laid back, and they weren't as hard as they are here," he said. "Practices, I think, a little harder than the games. Because in the games you have the fans, so they get you pumped up. In practice you don't have the fans."
Kansas freshman guard Billy Thomas blocks a shot during a game against Missouri.
Paul Kotz / KANSAN
Newcomers' numbers
Here are this season's averages for the Kansas men's basketball team's three fresh men;
Men's tennis nabs experienced player
| | pts. | rbs. | asst. | mins. |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Raef LaFrentz | 13.5 | 7.4 | .9 | 23.5 |
| Billy Thomas | 6 | 2.6 | .7 | 14 |
| C.B. McGrath | .75 | 1 | 1 | 7.3 |
Freshman challenges teammates in practice
By Robert Mocyddlowsky Kansan sportswriter
Enrique Arbaro is probably the worst pool player on the Kansas men's tennis team.
"He made one good shot and then went into this big victory dance," said teammate Victor Fimbars. "He's not that good."
Yesterday was the freshman's 20th birthday, and his teammates took him out for a little fun and some billiards. Abaro quickly learned that the tennis team takes its pool playing very seriously.
Fortunately for the Jayhawks, the freshman from Monterey, Mexico, does play a mean game of tennis.
As a junior amateur player in Mexico,
Abaro won national titles at every level of play. He has attended the prestigious John Newcombe Tennis Academy, played in all of the Grand Slam events and was an alternate on the Mexican Davis Cup team. In 1992 he won the junior doubles championship at the French Open.
"I began playing tennis when I was six years old, and I was competing when I was nine," Abaroa said. "Now I'm on a team that is as good as any."
Abaroa is a valuable addition to the team, said Kansas men's tennis coach Michael Center.
"Enrique is a challenge for everybody in practice," Center said. "His experience will be a big plus too."
After his impressive amateur career, Abaroa spent time on the professional tour and was ranked No. 280 in the Sony World Doubles Rankings. As a singles player, he was ranked as high as No. 550. He posted an
impressive win over Thomas Lindquist of Sweden, now ranked No. 50.
"I was on the professional tour for two years," Abaroa said. "After my first year, my coach stopped traveling with me, and I had to play alone. That was very hard. I think everyone always needs coaching."
At the time, Abaroa was playing doubles with former Kansas tennis player Rafael Rengal at a tournament in Mexico. Rengal suggested that Abaroa contact Center, who had recruited Abaroa previously.
"I had told Coach Center that I'd wanted to play professionally, but now I wasn't so sure," Abaro said. "He came to visit, and we talked about Kansas."
After considering offers from the University of Southern California and Texas Christian, Abaroa committed to Kansas.
"I really like the guys on the team, and I've known a lot of them since we were kids," Abarao said. "It was also more of a team atmosphere. USC and TCU have really good teams, but we are just as good as they are."
Because of Abaroa's professional experience, he has had to be very careful with his eligibility.
Center said the addition of Abaroa to the team would help the program in more ways than one.
In order to meet NCAA requirements, Abaroa must sit out the first two matches of the season. He will be eligible to compete on Jan. 28.
"I can't wait to play," Abaroa said. "Coach Center has been great, we've worked on my game, and now I just really want to play."
Off of the court, Abaroa is a confessed television addict. His favorite program is ESPN's Sportcenter, though he thinks that the sports news program ought to show more tennis.
As far as his pool game is concerned, however. Abara has a long way to go.
"I'll work on it," he said.
Matt Flickner / KANSAI
Kansas freshman Enrique Abaro returns a shot during a men's tennis team practice.
Washington secures 400th win
By Jenni Carlson Kansan sportswriter
On the surface, it appeared to be an insignificant one-point win against a
nonconference
foe.
But Kansas women's basketball coach Marian Washington likely always will remember the 99-98 victory over Houston on Jan. 2. The win marked the
Marian Washington
400th in Washington's 22-year career at Kansas and put her in the top 30 of active Division I coaches.
"It's something she really, really deserved," said sophomore forward Shelly Canada. "It's been long awaited, so we really wanted to give it to her."
Before the game, the Jayhawks also had to deal with a change in their practice schedule. They were sent to another gymnasium because Houston's practice overlapped with Kansas scheduled time. The temperature in the alternate gym was cold enough that Washington did not want
The victory did not fall into Kansas' lap. The game against Houston was the team's third in five days. Canada said the team was drained by the previous games and the travel.
"Our minds were saying, 'Let's do this,' but our legs were saying, 'No,' junior forward Kesha Heda led said.
the team to practice there, which only added fuel to the fire.
"We knew we wanted to beat them after what they put us through," Ledet said.
Kansas was slow in the first half, and the Cougars kept the score close. The Jayhawks built a lead early in the second half before Houston made another run.
"It was a back and forth game for awhile," Ledet said. "We just knew in our hearts though, we were going to win."
It wasn't until sophomore guard Angie Halbleib hit two free throws with 14 seconds remaining that the win was secured. Ledet didn't doubt Halbleib's accuracy from the free throw line even under pressure.
Nonetheless, even the coolest of players might have cracked under the pressure of getting their coach's 400th win.
"Ihope they didn't feel any pressure from me because I wasn't even really that conscious of it," Washington admitted. "I just didn't think about it until someone would say, 'What about 400?'"
"I think we felt a little pressure, but just because we wanted it so badly for her," Canada said. "We wanted it to be a big win so she would remember it, but the way it ended up going, she'll remember it anyway."
Yumi Chikamori / KANBAN
The team was thinking about it, though. Canada said the team figured out which game would be Washington's first attempt at 400 and talked about it before and during the game at Houston.
Women's AP Top 25
rank team record pts. pr
1. Tenn. (32) 13-0 80 1
2. UConn 10-0 757 2
3. Louis, Tech 12-1 735 3
4. UNC 12-1 735 4
5. Stanford 11-1 675 5
6. Colorado 12-2 614 7
7. Texas Tech 13-2 582 9
8. Georgia 11-0 556 11
9. Virginia 10-2 510 11
10. Vanderbilt 13-4 506 6
11. Alabama 11-2 498 10
12. Penn St. 9-3 440 8
13. W. Kent 11-0 438 13
14. Kansas 12-2 382 17
15. Washington 11-4 341 14
16. Geo. Wash. 9-1 326 18
17. Mississippi 12-1 298 15
18. Florida 12-1 242 16
19. Seton Hall 12-2 184 20
20. Southern Cal 12-2 117 21
21. Oregon St. 9-2 92 —
22. Purdue 9-2 96 —
23. South Miss. 9-2 84 22
24. Wisconsin 11-2 81 —
25. Texas &M 11-2 57 25
The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press' women's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses,
Others receiving votes: Indiana 55, Duke 53, Fla. International 45, DePaul 39, Arkansas 32, Minnesota 29, Oklahoma St. 18, Drake 13, Clemson 12, Ohio St. 8, Old Dominion 5, Iowa 3, Arkansas St. 2, N.C. Charlotte 2, Maine 1, New Mexico St. 1, Utah 1.
Source: The Associated Press KANBAN
Swimmer calls sport a hobby
Kansas senior Mark Bontrager practices at Robinson Natoratior. Bon traiger is goin for his fourth All-American honor in his college career.
Bontrager tries to join elite company this year
By Tom Erickson Kansan sportswriter
It may seem a bit strange for a three-time NCAA All-American to say that swimming is just a hobby.
But that is exactly how Kansas senior Marc Bontrager feels about both his final year and quest for a fourth award.
He would become the first men's swimmer in school history to do so and only the ninth athlete at Kansas to achieve such a level of greatness.
Other four-time Jayhawk All-Americans are Tammy Thomas, Jenny Wagstaff and Barb Pranger from women's swimming; men's basketball player, Charlie Black; women's hoop star, Lynette Woodard; Clifford Wiley and Pat Manson for men's track and women's tennis player Eveline Hamers.
Bontrager said he just hopes to swim well and let the rest fall into place.
"There's a purpose to what he is doing, and he's training better."
Kansas swimming coach Gary Kempf said Bontrager is on the right track so far this season.
"I think I know can I do it. I'm concentrating more on time," he said. "I want to go fast and in being fast I will get the All-American."
Kempf said.
His sister was a member of the Kansas women's team last year but moved to Oregon after getting engaged and now swims at Oregon State, Bontrager said.
Born in Lawrence, Bontrager moved to Minnesota at an early age and later went to Naperville, Ill.
But it was academics and family influence that brought him to Kansas after being recruited by Illinois, Iowa and Texas.
Getting an opportunity to swim for the United States in the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta is the
"I tried soccer and football, but I just seemed to have a knack for swimming." he said.
Bontrager said he began swimming at about age eight or nine but also tried several different sports before settling on aquatics.
next goal for Bontrager, who will graduate in May with a degree in business.
He plans to apply to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., and spend the rest of the year practicing there.
But being accepted at the training center does not guarantee a trip to Atlanta.
"At the Olympic trials, you have to be in the top two to compete and the top six for relays," he said. "It's not easy at all, but definitely something I want to shoot for."
Kempf had nothing but praise for
Bontrager's ability in the pool.
"I've always pictured him as being one of the greatest ones around." Kempt said. "He is as talented as any athlete he ever seen."