Section B·Page 6
The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, November 3, 1999
Danny Manning's ring from the 1988 national championship team is displayed. In addition to winning the ring, Manning also was voted MVP of the Final Four that year. Contributed photo.
Danny Manning hugs teammate Archie Marshall after winning the 1988 national championship. Manning scored 31 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in Kansas' 83-79 win against Oklahoma in the final. Contributed photo.
Manning stats still top charts
Continued from page 1B
With 2,561 points, he is Kansas's all-time leader (8th in NCAA history) and owner of the school's two-highest single-season totals.
He's also Kansas' all-time leader in rebounds (1,187) and field goals (1,216), second in free throws (509) and steals (270), and third in blocked shots (200).
He was the 1988 consensus player of the year, a two-time consensus All-American, three-time Big 8 Conference Player of the Year and the No. 1 pick overall in the 1988 NBA draft.
And that's just the beginning. Manning's career statistics can be found near the top of almost every Kansas, many Big 8, and some national charts.
"He has this magnetic charisma that everyone enjoyed," said Jeff Johnson, who played with Manning at Lawrence High and two years at Kansas. "It was a thrill to play with him, but I don't think any of us — in high school or at KU — were in awe of him because he's so down to earth."
Said Monte Johnson, Jeff's dad and Kansas' athletics director during Manning's recruitment and first three collegiate seasons: "He's one of the most polite, thoughtful people I've met in athletics. He's been a friend ever since he arrived here. He was raised by parents who required him to be more than just an athlete."
When Manning decided to finish his career at Kansas, it wasn't for a national championship. With Oklahoma powering the conference, the Jayhawks weren't even considered the best team in the Big 8.
Manning talked more about his education than basketball when he made his decision.
"That really surprised no one who knew Danny," Monte Johnson said. "He wanted to show that he could get his degree. He didn't come here just to play basketball, and he accomplished a lot of things that guys who go pro early usually don't do."
manning also has used his degree in communications through his partnership at Sport-2-Sport, a multi-purpose recreational center at 5200 Clinton Parkway. He provided some financial backing for the center's construction, and he regularly holds his
"Danny has a real spot for young kids, and what he feels they need to be involved in to stay on that narrow and focused path," said Roger Morningstar, Sport2-Sport president. "He does a lot of things for a lot of people that he doesn't want publicized."
annual summer basketball camp at the building. He also has set up a recreational league for selected area talent.
In many ways, Manning is the opposite of the professional athlete stereotype. By all accounts, he is a loving husband and father. He doesn't publicly complain about playing time or his scoring average. He didn't complain after tearing an ACL his rookie season with the Los Angeles Clippers and doesn't publicly wonder how good he might have been if healthy.
He even turned down a lucrative free agent offer from the Atlanta Hawks in 1995 to play with the Phoenix Suns for substantially less money, citing comfort with the organization and a better chance to win.
"My family will be fine," he said at the time. "It's not like we're going to have to worry where our next meal's coming from."
Manning then suffered a season-ending knee injury, but still, no complaints.
"That's just how he is," Junean said. "He cares more about the team than he does individual performance, and that's sincere."
Nobody appreciated that attitude more than Manning's coaches.
"He could have acted like a superstar, not listened to coaches and just played for himself," Juneau said. "But he didn't. If anything, he was too unselfish at times. There were times that I — and I know coach (Larry) Brown felt the same way — just wanted him to be more assertive and selfish. But being the superstar was not in his character, he just wanted to fit in."
Brown said during Manning's career at Kansas, "It's not an equal opportunity sport when you're that talented."
Manning eventually did become more assertive. He averaged 24.8 points in 1987-88 and his 653 field goal attempts were just seven behind Clyde Lovellette's school record. Those are fitting numbers for someone Johnny Orr, who coached Iowa State
Danny Manning accepts a trophy for winning the 1988 National Player of the Year award. Manning was also a two-time consensus All-American and a three-time Big 8 Conference player of the year. Contributed photo.
during Manning's Kansas career, said was the greatest player he'd ever coached against."
"They took off during that NCAA run when Danny really decided to take charge," Juneau said. "Everyone knew he was a very special player, and when he really asserted himself, that's when that team took off."
Manning averaged more than 27 points per game in Kansas's six NCAA tournament victories in 1988.
"He just did whatever they needed whenever they needed it," Monte Johnson said. "And that really defined who he was, he was the best athlete and the best player on the floor every time they played. People will remember that about him because of the way he took that team and led it. That's what people will remember, but there's so much more to him off the basketball court that's just as wonderful."
Sophomores to lead Colorado
By Melinda Weaver sports@kansan.com Kansas sportwriters
Kansan sportswriter
In fact, the Buffaloes have only one upperclassman on the team, junior center Kami Carmann.
While other Big 12 Conference teams will rely on seasoned seniors to lead their teams, the Colorado women will rely on a class of sophomores to lead it to the NCAA tournament.
After the 1989-98 season, point guard Nikki Weddle, center Melody Johnson, forward Nikki Swagger and forward Chaquita Dilworth transferred to other universities.
"The thing that is unique about us as compared to the other teams in the Big 12 is our youth," Coach Ceal Barry said. "We look at it as a positive. The lack of experience won't hurt us. I think we should improve at a pretty good rate."
Last season, Colorado finished with a 15-14 record, 7-9 in the Big 12, but missed an NCAA tournament bid.
Barry said she hoped to improve this season, but quickness would be the biggest problem facing the team.
"We aren't as quick laterally," Barry said. "We are fast up and down the floor, just not laterally. And our lack of experience could be considered a weakness."
The Buffaloes will build from a sophomore class that includes Linda Lappe, (10.7 points per game last season), Britt Hartshorn (8.7 ppg), Mandy Nightengale (6.8 ppg) and Jenny Loulier (7.0 ppg).
They also added four newcomers, including two inside forces, 6-foot-2 Sabrina Scott and 6-foot-4 Virgine Depinep.
"We have a very good balance," Barry said. "We
COLORADO WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Last year: 15-14 overall, 7-9 Big 12
coach: Geal Barry, 16th season.
Key players returning: Sophomore forward Linda Lappe, sophomore guards Jenny Roulier and Mandy Nightengale and junior center Kami Carmann Key players who left: Junior point guard Nikki Weddle, junior center Melody Johnson, junior forwards Nikki Swagger and Chaquita Dilworth Outlook: Colorado has a very young but balanced team that should compete well this season. Although the team may not finish as high in the Big 12 as it hopes or make a tournament berth, it could be a team that surprises opponents.
are a good shooting team and can score from a lot of different spots on the floor. Our focus is good, and we have very few distractions. We have six players who have been in the lineup for one year." Carmann said that she did not think the lack of
Carmann said that she did not think the lack of experience would cause too much of a problem.
"The team is very balanced, and that has carried over into the leadership role." Carmann said. "We are showing a maturity beyond our years and have very balanced leadership throughout the team."
"We are not out of the mix," Barry said. "Last season, we didn't step up in the last five minutes of the game when we could have won. We showed last year that we could step up and agree with everyone."
Barry said she believed that this team could compete well in the Big 12.
Edited by Jamie Knodel
Buffs may not be easy competition
By Matt Tait sports@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
Then along came local player Chauncey Billups and new coach Ricardo Patton, and in just two years that tandem took the Buffs from the basement to the NCAA tournament in 1997 and a first-round win against perennial power Indiana.
In years past, opponents looked at a bout with Colorado as a glamorized scrimmage. Try as they might, the Buffaloes just couldn't win. And what's more, they didn't have much talent.
"I think in the past teams looked at Colorado as if it was an easy win," Patton said. "And I don't think that's the perception anymore."
Patton, now in his fourth full season as Colorado's coach, said that one of the main reasons his team was now able to compete with teams such as Kansas and Texas is because of Colorado's guard play.
"I think guard play is huge," he said. "If you have solid guard play, you can compete even with those teams that have great inside games. Obviously there are terrific players in the conference, but I'll take my chances with those two guards (senior Jaquay Walls and sophomore Jose Winston) against other teams in the conference."
Walls returns as Colorado's leading scorer from last year. In 33 games he averaged 11.7 points and connected on 31 percent of his three-point shots. He heated up during Big 12 Conference play as his scoring average increased to 15.8 points per game in the Buffalooes last 13 games. His stats helped earn him honorable mention All-Big 12 honors.
While much of the burden of replacing scoring threat Kenny Price will fall on Walls, senior forward Will Smith said that he thought the entire
COLORADO MEN'S BASKETBALL
Last year: 18-15 overall,7-9 in Big 12 play; lost in the second round of the NIT to Colorado State.
Key players returning: Senior guard Jaquay Walls (11.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, and 4 assists per game), senior forward Will Smith (7.6 rpg, 4.0 rpg) and junior forward Jamahl Mosley (10.1 ppg, 6.7 rpg)
Key players lost: Guard Kenny Price (14.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg) Outlook: The Buffalooes were picked to finish 10th last season and found themselves tied for seventh at the end of the year. The team's core of 8 returning players that saw significant playing time will have to pick up the slock to replace Kenny Price's instant offense, but, if they do, a Big 12 crown and an NCAA tournament berth could be a realistic goal.
roster was ready to step up their play.
"We're a close-knit group, and we have so many players that can play so many positions — this is probably the best team I've been on at Colorado," said Smith, who played with Billups.
Colorado returns 66 percent of its scoring, nearly 80 percent of its rebounding and three starters from last year. Smith, one of only two seniors on the squad, returns as the team's most experienced leader, but he said that anyone on the team had the capability of being a leader on or off the court.
Walls said that this team had the talent to be good, but that it was just a matter of staying focused, positive and doing it.
"Anybody can compete," Walls said. "We want to win, and we want to get to the NCAA tournament, and I think we have a shot."
- Edited by Allan Davis
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