SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1994
SECTION B
COLORADO PREVIEW
Buffaloes' receiver is among best
By Matt Irwin
Kansan sportswrite
On a team with two offensive stars who have been mentioned as Heisman Trophy candidates, wide receiver Michael Westbrook may be the offensive standout with the best chance on the professional level.
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound senior is often considered as one of the three best players — along with quarterback Kordell Stewart and tailback Rashaan Salaam — at their positions in the country.
Kansas coach Glen Mason, whose team will try to stop all three when they play Colorado at 1 p.m. Saturday, said that Colorado's entire offense was very talented.
Michael Westbrook
"I don't know any team that has better skill players than they have," Mason said. "You watch the Heisman Trophy watch, and you see Kordell Stewart in there, and you see Salaam in there, and Westbrook was even mentioned in there at one time."
Jay Thornton / KANSAN
Rick Neuehisel, Colorado quarterbacks and wide receivers coach, won't compare the athletic abilities of Stewart and Westbrook, but he said they had distinct qualities.
Neuheisal, who has coached National Football League receiver Flipper Anderson and current UCLA wide receiver J.J. Stokes, said that Westbrook's physical attributes set him apart from other wide receivers.
"He jumps well," Neuheilsal said. "He has won slam dunk contests before. He has got great hands. I don't know if he has got any weaknesses. And, as a student of the game, he takes it very seriously."
"In another offensive system, he would probably have an 80,90 or 100 catch season." Neheulsa said.
Westbrook's27 receptions are second on the team behind tight end Christian Fauria, but that is only because of the offensive system, Neuheisal said.
Westbrook is first in both career receptions; 158,
and touchdown receptions, 19. Westbrook is also
second in career receiving yards at Colorado with
2,359.
Despite Westbrook's lower reception this season, he is leading the Big Eight Conference in receiving yards a game, averaging 71.43.
Westbrook has caught four touchdown passes this season, including the "Hail Mary" pass against Michigan.
Former NFL wide receiver John Jefferson, now director of administrative services at Kansas, said that Westbrook compares to current NFL receivers Alvin Harper, Sterling Sharpe or Michael Irwin because of his jumping ability and physical play.
"He's a guy who can physically dominate a defensive back," Jefferson said.
Whether or not Westbrook is an NFL-caliber receiver, Colorado offensive tackle Derek West said that Westbrook's leadership and work ethic was admirable.
Westbrook said that as a senior he had to be a leader on the field.
"He's a leader on and off the field," West said. "He's one of 15 seniors and one of the leaders. He leads vocally and by example."
"The most important thing to me is getting my job done, by blocking on a run or catching passes," he said.
Kansas sophomore guard Jerod Hase defends against former Kansas player Patrick Richey during the team's first official practice. The team tips off its season with an exhibition game tonight at 7:05.
Kansas basketball to play against former teammate
By Chesley Dohl
Kansan sportswriter
It was a team of Australian All-Stars that handed Kansas its first loss of the season last year, 92-83, after a Preseason NIT championship.
But tonight, the Jayhawks will get a chance to redeem themselves against another team of Australians.
Tonight's team of Aussie's, the Victorian McDonald's All-Star's, have a secret weapon on their side.
Eric Pauley, a former Kansas center who was a key element in the Jayhawks' 1993 drive to the Final Four, will face his alma mater tonight playing for the Australian All-Star team.
Although Kansas coach Roy Williams was happy to see Pauley playing basketball with a chance to make the overseas team next season, he said he hadn't ruled out the possibility of Pauley giving the All-Stars an edge over Kansas in tonight's exhibition.
"Probably the worst look at it is their cheating," Williams said, smiling. "He's going to know some of the plays, and so he's going to try to be there."
Before joining the All-Stars last week in Hawaii for two games, Pauley practiced with Kansas. Though the 6-foot-10 center might provide the All-Stars with an advantage, Williams said that Pauley would give Kansas a look at competition similar to that which will be seen later in the season.
Pauley, who has developed into a perimeter threat, led his team with a 29-point, eight-rebound performance in the All-Star's first game of the season. Pauley said that it would be good to play in Allen Field House again, but that it would be different playing on the opposite end of the court against his former coach, teammates and fans.
“It’s nice to come back,” Pauley said. “I’d much rather be playing for KU still, but unfortunately, that’s not possible. I don’t like to come back and be the enemy. I wish it wasn’t like that.”
Williams said the starting five on the court at tip-off tonight was still a mystery.
"We haven't had the same lineup on blues or reds any day," he said. "We really haven't even started thinking about putting any five people together yet."
Exhibit to show sports history
By Jenni Carlson Kansan sportswriter
With a flick of a switch, light floods the windowless Allen Field House room.
From one corner comes the brass-tinted glimmer of trophies won long ago. Heaped in a pile sit yellow uniforms once worn by the men's basketball team. In a stack of pictures, a smiling face glows — another Jayhawk victory.
These pieces of Kansas' athletic history sit unseen in a field house closet. Most people don't even know they exist.
That may change by next summer.
Athletic Department officials are planning a new display area for Kansas' athletic memorabilia. The exhibit would show off the achievements of Jayhawks, past and present.
"A display of some kind that recognizes the excellence of KU athletes
would be so much appreciated by our fans and alumnus," said Bernie Kish, director of ticket sales and operations. "We've had a lot of requests from people to do this."
A new athletic exhibit would be filled by items from the closet and would likely replace the trophy case in the east lobby of the
Bornie Kish
KU director of ticket sales and operations
field house, said Darren Cook, facilities director for the department.
The athletic department purchased three 12-feet by 2-feet windows from the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. A stained glass window was built for each member inducted into the Hall of Fame. When a new facility for the Hall of Fame was constructed several years ago, the old windows were offered up for sale. The family of Forrest C. "Phog" Allen, Kansas coaching great, alerted Kish about the sale, and Kansas wem after its alumni.
exhibit and choosing the Kansas memorabilia to display. The department has its own historical pieces, including game balls, pictures and trophies, stored away.
The windows Kansas purchased
Richard Konzem, assistant athletic director, said the national championship trophies won by teams of the past were scattered throughout the field house. The men's basketball trophy from the 1991 Final Four sits in Konzem's office. The track and field office maintains its own display of national championship trophies, and there are many other pieces in the field house closet.
"Right now, you walk into Allen Field House, and the lobby has got the same old trophy case that we've had forever," he said.
Plans for the project are centered on the east lobby of the field house for several reasons. The lobby, added to the east side of the indoor track, provides ample space. Also, the display would be visible to the crowds that attend men's and women's basketball games. Cook said.
Currently, the only two obstacles standing in the project's way are the field house renovation and a lack of funding.
The renovation should be completed by tonight when the Kansas men's basketball team plays an exhibition match against the Victorian All-Stars from Australia The renovation was mandated to meet the state fire codes. Cook said.
When the field house work is complete, the timetable for a Kansas athletic display depends largely on monetary donations.
"The biggest challenge is the finances," Kish said. "To be able to do it tastefully, you need to have money."
Once the department finds donors, it will be a matter of building the
depict three of Kansas' basketball legends: Allen, Paul Endacott and Arthur C. "Dutch" Lonborg. However, Springfield College bought James Naismith's window as soon as the Hall of Fame said they were selling it.
a fourth window honors Bill Johnson, a former center on the men's basketball team.
Kishth thinks that all it will take to add to the memorabilia collection is a public call for mementos, something he is not yet ready to make.
Eventually, he will seek anything tied to Jayhawk athletics, including letter jackets, football equipment, programs, and letters written from athletes to their families.
"I think once we would announce that we were going to do this, you would have an unbelievable response of people wanting to donate items to the display," he said.
Kishand Scott McMichael, assistant athletic director with the Williams Fund, believe a display likely would be finished in two to three years.
The timing of the display may ride on the Jayhawks' post-season play this year, Kish said. If several teams can extend their seasons and earn some extra revenue for the department, construction will progress at a quicker pace.
Then the department will start cleaning out its closets, and Jayhawk fans will be able to relive some of the great moments in Kansas sports history.
Volleyball team starts strong, but fades fast
By Chesley Dohl
Kansan sportswriter
The underdog almost prevailed last night — at least in the first game.
The Kansas volleyball team took advantage of early Nebraska Cornhushner errors, tying Nebraska 13-13 in the first game of the match. But Nebraska —backed by 3,070 Cornhushner fans in The Coliseum — soon came back, winning the game 15-13.
From there on, it was all Nebraska. The Cornhushers played solid volleyball in the next two games defeating Kansas. 15-7, 15-4.
But No. 1-ranked Nebraska defeated Kansas in three games in Lincoln, Neb.
"It was a difficult situation going up there," Schoenweil said. "But our team handled it very well. We improved on important areas such as blocking."
It was a long bus ride to Lincoln, Kansas coach Karen Schonewise said. But she was pleased with the Javahawk's team effort.
Although Kansas put together a fine blocking performance against the Cornhuskers, combining for two solo blocks and six block assists, the Nebraska hitting game overpowered the Jayhawks.
Three Kansas outside hitters, freshman Leslie Purkeypile, junior Jenny Larson and sophomore Katie Walsh, each turned in 1 kills against Nebraska.
All-American junior outside hitter Allison Weston led the Cornhuskers with 20 kills and a .366 hitting percentage. She also added four blocks and four digs.
Shonewise said Kansas combined and held together as a team, despite the huge Nebraska crowd and the Jahwacks' competition.
The main difference in the game was consistency, Schonewise said.
"It was a great team effort Everybody played well," she said. "I was satisfied."
While Kanss dropped to 2-7 in the conference, the top-ranked Nebraska Comhusers extended their undefended record to 24-0.
Runners running out of time
Last chance to make the NCAA championships is this weekend
By Kent Hohlfeld Kansan sportswriter
The meet will play a large part in deciding who goes to the NCAA Championships Nov. 21 in Fayetteville, Ark. The top two teams from each of the nation's eight district meets automatically advance to the championships. The third-place teams are considered for the three men's at-large team bids.
This weekend is the beginning of what amounts to the playoffs for the Kansas men's cross country team.
The team will compete in the NCAA District V Championships this weekend in Springfield, Mo.
At-large bids are determined by the teams records against ranked teams that have qualified for the meet. Kansas has missed key opportunities to do that during the season.
"To get an at-large bid, we really needed to do better at the Penn State and Arkansas meets," said Steve Guymon, assistant coach. "We really need to get one of those ton two spots."
No one knows the situation better than Kansas' top two runners. Senior team captains Michael Cox and David Johnston are the only two current runners that have experience at the NCAA championships. The team's last appearance in the national meet was in 1991 when the Kansas finished 15th.
Throughout the season, four Big Eight Conference teams have been ranked in the top 25. Iowa State and Oklahoma State are both ranked in the nation's top 10. Iowa State and Oklahoma State are also the two teams ranked above Kansas in the District V poll.
"We really don't let the Big Eight meet affect us," Cox said. "In the past we haven't done well in the Big Eight but have run well in the districts."
Kansas, which was ranked No. 25, dropped out of the poll after finishing fourth at the Big Eight Championship meet two weeks ago in Manhattan.
"My freshman year, Mike and I were the only team members that didn't have the experience of going to nationals," Johnston said. "This year Mike and I are the only two that know what it's like to go to nationals."
The team has qualified for the NCAA meet in three of the last five years despite finishing no higher than third in any of those years.
Guymon said that he was at a loss to explain the apparent discrepancies in the team's performances.
"It seems to happen every year," Guymon said. "I've studied the training methods, but I haven't been able to snot anything we need to change."
The Jayhawks have had two weeks to get ready for this weekend's meet. Cox, who suffered from the flu during the conference meet, is expected to be healthy this weekend. Johnston said that fact would help the team.
"We feel like we're ready," Johnston said. "We just have to go out and get the job done."
READER OPINION
Who is No.1 in college basketball?
The Kansan will publish a basketball preview section to tip off the men's and women's seasons. The section will run in the Nov. 17 paper.
The sports staff is asking readers to write letters 100 to 150 words long predicting the outcome of the college basketball season.
Readers should predict what team will win the NCAA championship. They also can pick the teams they consider overrated or dark horses.
Letters must be submitted no later than 5 p.m. today with the author's name and phone number included. If that information is left off, the Kansas will not accept the submitted letter.
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Letters should be turned in to the Kansan newsroom, Room 111 Staffer-Flint Hall. A box for entered letters will be provided in the newsroom.
Any questions concerning reader's letters should be directed to Brian James, sports editor, or Gerry Fey, associate sports editor, at the Kansas, 864-4810.
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