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Tuesday, January 31, 1978
University Daily Kansan
Mitchell, Woodard share spotlight
Double features are found at drive-in theaters, rock concert and most recently, live music events.
The co-stars are the Lady Jayhawks high-scoring Lynette Woodward, Wichita freshman, and Adrian Mitchell, Kansas City, Mo., junior.
And with the assistance of head coach Marian Washington, the roles they play for the Lady Jayhawks have become dominant ones.
“IT'S SO HARD to say how much they must to the squand.” Washington said. “A team is very fortunate to have one player who can be a leader when you have him it's really incredible.
"I've seen teams put three players on Woodard or Mitchell at different times. I can imagine our opposition trying to defense them with all five players."
Woodard and Mitchell account for more than half of the Lady Jawhaws' scoring and
Adrian Mitchell
rebounding. Woodard leads the team in both categories, averaging 24.9 points and 15.7 rebounds a game. Mitchell's totals are 20.8 points and 9.7 rebounds.
DESPIE THEIR individual achievement to the team, one has
"All I want to do is my best for that particular game," Woodard said. "If my best is two points then I am satisfied. If I want three points I feel like I played well, then I not happy."
An opposing coach, Larry Thye of Wichita State University, paid Woodard the supreme compliment shortly before she led an Army to a 83-57 victory over the Shockers.
"She's the best woman basketball player in the Midwest," he said. "If there is someone who is better, I haven't seen her vet."
Tyseal said he actively recruited Woodard, who lived 10 blocks from the WSU campus, but could not keep the former Wichita-North campus. America's selection from attending Kansas.
Washington also had words of praise for the 6.0 forward.
"I KNWE when I asked that she was one of the finest, if not the finest, player in the country," she said. "But I certainly did not want to do anything that would do the things she is doing now."
Woodard chose Kansas after being recruited by several national powers, including Wayland Baptist, Maryland and UCLA
Woodard said her interest in basketball started in a park across from her house. She met him at a local high school.
"It was no big thing," she said. "I never felt like I was better than anyone else. I just played because I liked to play basketball. I played it from the time I woke up in the morning until it got too dark to play in the night."
imitated them after the other players went home.
Mitchell, however, did not begin playing basketball until she was a teenager. She said there weren't many girls who could play basketball and were matched with the boys at a park near her house.
MITCHELL'S TALENT was good enough to earn her a spot on the Kansa City Dusters, an AAU team where she played for six years. Washington discovered her by accident.
"When I went to look at another player on that team, I saw a very quiet, slender girl working well around the basket," she said. "She encouraged her to come to school here."
Mitchell, who graduated from Central High School in Kansas City, Mo., did not play high school basketball because Central High School was located in the program until after she had graduated.
"I all want to do," she said, "I rebound a lot and play defense. I love to play defense."
Mitchell, who is the team captain, led the Lady Jayhawks in scoring last year with a 14.3 a game average. She also led the team in rebounds with 9.4 a game.
IN ADDITION to her play on the
bath room courts, we have new praises
for her leadership; ability off the cue.
"There are some people who are natural leaders," Washington said, "and Mitchell is one of them. The players look up to her for direction and she has accepted that role."
Teammate Woodard lauded Mitchell's dedication to basketball.
"Adrian knows what she wants and she
Lynette Woodard
goes out and gets it no matter what the team would say. "She's just a natural leopard" word.
WOODARD AND Mitchell have been mentioned for Kodak All America honors and Woodard, for participation in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. But neither player is looking far into the Kansas. Their immediate goal is to win the its first women's national championship.
"If we can keep the belief we have good talent and not get down on ourselves when we lose, we can make it to the national's," Mitchell said. "We go out on the floor with the attitude that we're going to blow the other team right off the floor."
Whatever the Lady Jayhawks' fortune, both players agree that their decision to play against them was correct.
It feels good to be playing at KU and to know I can compete on a college level."
Sure-fire shooting paces Koenigs
By GARY BEDORE
Sports Editor
He's not among the conference leaders in scoring or rebounding, but Ken Koemings and his team have the lead.
That's a big statement to make for a person who once regarded Koenigis a liability, rather than an asset to the KU basketball team.
It's true Koeneng's statistics always have been good. For the last two seasons, he's led the team in assists 156 times and percentages. He passed the 500 mark in career rebounds and the 800 mark in career points this year. Only twelve other players in the history of KU basketball can say the same.
To say things have changed would be an understatement. In a year of balanced scoring and team play, Koenigs is shining over all other KU players.
BUT DESPITE the stats, Koeniga never has been a truly dominant force on the court. He averaged four fouls a game the other day, and he played well on the bench after setting into four trouble.
He has hit an amazing 70.8 percent of his shots in the Bie Eiight and is averaging less
than four fouls a game. He has been matched against opposing teams to meet and meet his own goal.
This year, Koenigs held K-State state forward Curtis Riding to scoring totals of 26 points in the first half and compulsion considering last year Redding almost single-handedly beat Kansas three different times with two outbursts of 13 and one of 34 points against the Jawhavas.
EARLIER IN THE SEASON, Kenoigs held Kentucky's Rick Hobert to just eight points.
For the past two season, Koenigs has been voted honorable mention All Big Eight, but he said he was not concerned about winning the award.
"I don't worry about it." Koenigs said earlier this week. "We don't have a player on our team in league scoring statistics, so we play better than those kinds of awards. Good scoring."
statistics are nice, but I'm satisfied as long as we come out and win."
Kansas has had balanced scoring all season. The Jayhawks have seven players averaging seven or more points a game. Koenigs is averaging 12.1 points a game in Big Eight play and in recent games has had a perfect scoring percentage. Against Colorado he was seven-for-14 against Minnesota, but he was five-for-five against Iowa State. Sandwiched in between he was seven-for-14 against K-State.
"IVE ALWAYS been a good shooter," Koenigs said. "I've had good coaching and we worked on it a lot. Sometimes you get in trouble, but sometimes we work to inject my shots carefully and have good rhythm."
Koenigs also credits coaching for reducing his foul totals this season.
"I'd like to give our coaches a lot of credit. In the past I've gone up too fast, too quick. They've gotten me to slow down, to take time to read the defenses."
"The year we have done a better job of getting people in and out of the game," he said. "When you are tired, you have a tendency to make dumb fouls. In the past, I've tried to hug the other player a bit and nicked up fouls."
KOENIGS' VALUE to KU cannot be measured in Big Eight awards. He is cocaptain this year, and head coach Ted Owens said Koenigs is a true leader
Staff Photo by GEORGE MILLENER
Finger roll
Kansas forward Koehnes exhibits the soft touch on his shot that has enabled him to lead the Big Eight conference in shooting percentage. After seven conference games, he made 10 of 23 shots.
Kahn has placed an informal $400,000 ceiling on the price any team could pay another club for an item. The club is skirt that limit when Cincinnati included minor league slugger Dave Revering in the Blue deal, which was announced at baseball's winter meetings in October.
Kuhn decides Blue trade off; urges new deal
The decision, announced by his office after Kuhn had left for Boston, was precipitated by the $1.75 million that the team received for its production. Finley for Blue, a 3-time 20-game winner.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Baseball Commissioner Bowen Kueh rejected the trade of Vida Blau to the Cincinnati Reds Monday, but urged the two clubs to restructure the team.
Within minutes of the announcement of the trade, Kuhn informed both clubs that he was withholding approval pending his examination of the transaction.
But, when that could not be worked out,
the commissioner stopped the deal, then
suggested that the two clubs renegotiate
and reaffirm their agreement in a
period that runs from Feb. 15 to March 15.
Finley and Reds President Boh Howsw spent two days testifying at hearings called by the commissioner earlier this month. There was an attempt at a compromise that would have sent other Reds players to the office to introduce the cash involved in the transaction.
In Cincinnati, the Reds said they would have no comment until they could study the IL.
"He's an excellent leader." Owens said.
The reason he can lead is he gives his best
examples.
It marked the second time that Kuhn has refused to allow Finley to move Blue to New York. The commissioner blocked the sale of Blue to the New York Yankees for $1 million and also disallowed sales for $1 million each of their three and relief pitcher Rolie Fingers to Boston.
In Oakland, Blue's attorney, Richard Ganser, has have no comment until he gets the decision.
Koenigs said he and the other seniors on
team have gladly accepted leadership
rolemen.
"I think our senior class knows what it takes to win," he said. "We've struggled through some hard times and we also know that we are stronger than we ever were as great leadership. We all work together."
KOENIGS WAS part of the 1974-75 Jayhawk team that made it to the NCAA playoff before losing to Notre Dame in a subreinal game.
"But the team today is better. Quickness is so big a part. The 1974 team won the Big Eight and lost to Notre Dame in the playoffs. This team has yet to prove itself."
"That team was awesome. With Rick Suttle, Dainny Knight, Donny (Von Moore), Dale Greenie and Roger Morningstar we had great size."
Koenigs, who recently was accepted into the KU School of Medicine, said he tried to use his brains to his advantage on the court.
"I've always respected players like Alan Adams (former Big-Eight center from the University of Oklahoma). He showed little emotion on the court. If you get mad, you might make a dumb foul. I've found out this is true for me. I'm usually a better player in the second half when we all calm down some."
If Koenigs continues his fine shooting, maybe the Big Eight conference will be good to him and vote him to the All Conference team.
Koenigas has been a consistent performer for KU. About his career he said, "Kansas is the best team in the nation."
AP ranks KU eighth
Despite a 62-85 loss to Nebraska, the Kansas Jayhawks jailed removal No. 8 in the Associated Press press of college basketball teams this week.
The Jayhawks, 16-3, collected 284 points, which placed them behind Michigan State, which collected 560 points.
The AP pollsters kept Kentucky, 14-1, as its No. 1-ranked team. The Wildcats were defeated by Alabama's Crimson Tide. 78-62 earlier in the week.
Arkansas 'Razorbacks, 19-4, defeated Baylor 56-45 in overtime, then beat SMU 72-45 and Texas Tech 54-49 to move up from fourth a week ago to 9, with 278 points.
Marquette, 15-2, lost to Loyola of Chicago 68-64 after beating Xavier of Ohio 68-62 and fell from second to third with 664 points.
Notre Dame took fourth in the poll with 649 points, UCLA fifth with 582 points and North Carolina sixth with 562 points.
The Top 20 teams in the Associated Press college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, season records and total points. Points based on 20.18.14.17.13.08.24.6.4.3.1.
Kentucky (36) 14-1 928
Massachusetts (1) 15-1 789
Maryland (1) 15-2 694
Marquette (7) 16-1 649
Nova Dame (2) 16-2 649
NC State (1) 17-1 602
North Carolina (1) 16-3 692
Michigan State (4) 16-3 606
Missouri 16-3 604
Lehigh Valley 13-3 124
New Mexico 13-3 124
Virginia 14-2 188
Tennessee 14-2 188
Texas 13-2 199
Uskuptonown 13-2 118
Florida State 12-2 118
Providence 10-2 105
West Virginia 10-2 9.7
Syracuse 14-3 89
Illinois 14-3 86
San Francisco 14-3 86
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