Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Maryland men's basketball player Steve Francis declared himself eligible for the NBA draft yesterday.
SEE PAGE 7A
Kansas Track
The track teams get ready for two meets in two days beginning with today's Emporia State Invitation.
Thursday
April 1, 1999
Section:
A
Page 10
SEE PAGE 8A
College Basketball
Page 10
Former Rhode Island and UCLA men's basketball coach Jim Harrick was hired by Georgia yesterday.
SEE PAGE 7A
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Quarterback Zac Wegner runs through some passing drills during the first day of spring practice. Wegner was cleared to play yesterday by doctors after having three concussions in the past year. Photo by Dan Elvasky/KANSAN
'Hawks begin drills with ups, downs
By Michael T. Rigg
sports@kansan.com
Kansas sportswriter
Yesterday was a day of both good news and bad news for the Kansas football team, as the Jayhawks opened spring practice for the 1999 season.
On the positive side, quarterback Zac Wegner was cleared by his doctors just hours before the start of practice to play his senior season of football. Tests Wegner underwent on Monday to determine the effects of having three concussions showed he had improved significantly since taking the same tests in January, Wegner said.
After hearing the results, Wegner took the field with his teammates and went through throwing drills.
"It's definitely exciting to be back." he said.
The decision to come back was not easy for Wegner, knowing the risk he faces. He is still considering using a foam "bubble" attachment for his helmet that would help prevent future injuries, he said.
If he falls victim to one more concussion, Wegner's career is finished.
"If I get knocked out one more time, I'm not even going to try and come back," he said.
Wegner consulted with his family, but in the end, the decision to come back was completely his.
“[The concussion] has
been a hot topic of conversation in my household for the past couple of months," Wegner said. "On one side, my family doesn't want me to get hurt again, but on the other, they want to keep on watching me play football. But they left the final call up to me."
Allen knows first hand what Wegner is going through, having suffered multiple concussions in his lifetime.
"Surely there is still quite a risk out there for him," Coach Terry Allen said. "It was made pretty clear by the doctors today that with head injuries, they're not simply something like when you're cured, you're cured."
While Allen worried about Wegner's safety yesterday, Wegner focused on preparing for the upcoming season. He hasn't played in a game since October and admittedly needs some work.
"Every time you come back, there's going to be some rust." Wegner said.
The bad news for the Jayhawks yesterday was the absence of junior-college transfer Ryan Brock.
Allen and the rest of his staff are still waiting for Brock, a defensive end, to report to practice. As of yesterday, he had not returned to campus from spring break. He has reportedly struggled with homesickness.
Brock transferred to Kansas this semester from San Bernardino Community
"If I get knocked out one more time, I'm not even going to try and come back."
Zac Wegner Kansas quarterback
College in order to participate in spring drills. He went home to Riverside, Calif., the week before spring break, and now his return to the team is in question.
"He was going to come back, but now he doesn't know," said Allen. "He's homesick."
Brock called the football office on Tuesday morning and said he was leaving Riverside, but he was not at the airport when his roommate to pick him up, Allen said.
Brock, who was expected to compete for playing time at right defensive end, was one of Kansas's most promising junior college recruits, Allen said.
Brock said through Allen that he would give no comment on the matter.
"I'm obviously very disappointed abut Ryan, but the good news of today definitely outweighs the bad," Allen said.
The Jayhawks hit the field again today for day two of practice.
—Edited by Kelli Raybern
Replacement for Doherty announced
Kansas men's basketball head coach Roy Williams named Joe Holladay as the replacement for assistant coach Matt Doherty yesterday. Doherty left to become Notre Dame's head coach.
Holladay, who has worked as a restricted assistant basketball coach at Kansas the past six seasons, was named the full-time assistant coach. In the new position, Holladay will take over Doherty's off-campus recruiting duties and assist in the day-to-day operations of the men's basketball program. Holladay has been directly involved with the academic progress of Jayhawk players and the preseason conditioning and strength program.
Holladay's former role will be filled by Ben Miller. Miller, who obtained his Ph.D. in sports psychology from Kansas in 1995, has worked as video coordinator and equipment manager in the Jayhawk basketball office the last four years.
Williams said the two coaches had performed well in their previous responsibilities and that he was confident they would do a good job in their new positions.
"We are extremely pleased that we have the caliber people that we can move into these two positions immediately." Williams said. "The continuity that we have should make it easy for our program to maintain the standards we are accustomed to."
Kansan staff reports
Missouri beats Jayhawks 12-8
By Matt Tait
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas baseball team was defeated yesterday by the Missouri Tigers 12-8. Although the 'Hawks' 19th loss was a disappointment, it was not a total loss.
"I'm pleased with what we're doing," coach Bobby Randall said. "We're working at it. This is just one game we lost and aside from our pitching the rest wasn't too bad."
Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, the pitching was bad.
The 'Hawks sent six pitchers to the mound, and except for a few good batters or a good
inning here and there, none of them were effective.
The Tigers exploded for 12 runs on 14 hits, including a six-run sixth inning that proved to be the difference in the game.
With a run in both the first and second as well as a two-run homer in the third, the Tigers quickly jumped out to a 4-1 lead.
The Jayhawks battled back, however, and by the end of the fifth had cut the lead to one run at 4-3.
The sixth proved to be a black and gold inning as Missouri pounded out five hits and scored six runs.
Freshman pitcher Dan Olson throws to senior first baseman Chad King as Missouri's Nick Wilfond scrambles to get back on base. Kansas lost to the Tigers 12-8 yesterday. Photo by Graham K. Johnson/KANSAN
Reports say that Stewart could leave Tigers
several TV stations reported yesterday that Stewart and his lawyer spent the day negotiating a buyout of the final two years of his contract with Missouri athletic director Mike Alden.
Yesterday, amid media reports that Stewart may retire after 32 years with the university, athletics officials scheduled today's 10:30 a.m. news conference.
The Associated Press
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Reports that Missouri basketball coach Norm Stewart is retiring could be verified today at a morning news conference at the Hermes Center.
See PITCHING on page 8A
"I'm not having an comments. You need to talk to Mike Alden." Stewart said last night
When asked by KMIZ-TV's Chris Gervino, Stewart only said that an announcement would probably be made today.
as he left his office.
as he left his once. Reached at home later in the evening by the
Stewart's attorney, Steve Owen, also had no comment.
reached at former
Associated Press, Stew-
wart again referred
reporters to Alden.
Missouri is coming off its most successful season since a 20-9 record in 1994-95. Missouri was 20-9 this season, finishing in a three-way tie for second in the Big 12 Conference. Missouri lost to New Mexico in the first round of the
Stewart: Reports say he may be discussing contract buyout
NCAA Tournament's West Regional.
Next season may be even better. Most of
Still, there were some problems. Guard Keyon Dooling was unhappy with limited playing time midway through the season, though that seemed to be resolved as his minutes increased.
the starters will return, though standout Albert White is considering skipping his senior year if drafted by an NBA team.
Television reports in St. Louis and Columbia yesterday said some players had reportedly threatened to transfer if Stewart returns next season.
word that Stewart might step down, however,
caught manly Missouri fans by surprise.
"I don't really think anybody expected this," said Bob Epple, who was at Harpo's sports bar in Columbia. "Norm has made basketball at Missouri what it is today. We weren't a powerful force in basketball and now we are."
Commentary
Connecticut win inspires underdog in all of us
Minutes before the tip-off of Monday's National Championship game between Duke and Connecticut, my roommate Dom and I discussed a recurring theme that has plagued our sports watching careers.
Our teams never win. Never
Maybe it's because we have a tendency to root for the underdog. Maybe it's because we're cursed. Maybe, just maybe, it's because we root for Oklahoma.
Doesn't matter the sport or the level of competition, when it comes to the big game, the team we have pledged our undying support for always comes up short. And, in the process, our collective hearts break.
So, with that in mind, I had come to the inevitable conclusion that Duke
sports@kansan.com
Harley Ratliff
would win. How could they not? Not only was I rooting for UConn, but I hate Duke with a vengeance. And when you combine those two facts, it could only mean one thing: Duke was destined to be this year's National Champion.
That is why I will love the University
Speaking of the Huskies:
OK, it's time for the NBA to end their cute little experiment in Canada. It was fun while it lasted, but until the David Stern closes shop in Toronto and Vancouver, players such as Vince Carter, Mike Bibby and Shareef Abdul-Rahim will linger in obscurity. Not to mention dreadfully ugly uniforms.
of Connecticut for as long as I am alive. Not because I'm a big Huskies fan, but because they proved that maybe there's a little justice in the world...maybe.
But when it finally did, it was great to see the mighty Duke Blue Devils vanquished.
Monday night's championship was one of the best played championship basketball games I have ever seen. The level of competition was unreal. Like fellow Kansan columnist Mike Harrity said, it was a game you never wanted to see end.
How about those Chicago Bulls! (If you think hard enough, you can always find plenty of good material)
The only thing the Royals have going for them is the fact that they play in the same division as the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox
I think I'm already starting to go through college basketball withdrawn.
Good Question.
While playing basketball at Robinson yesterday, I was asked what I would be writing about now that basketball season was finished.
With the Kansas City Royals' torrid start in the preseason, you start to get the feeling that maybe things will be a bit sunnier this summer at Kauffman Stadium than they have in previous years — but I doubt it.
■ Anyone who caught the McDonald's All-American game had to come away impressed by the play of future Jayhawk Nick Collison.
Although he started slow and looked a bit on the scrawny side, Collison was impressive. Now, granted, everyone looks like a baller in high school all-star games, but Collison appeared athletic, polished, a star in the making. He should make Jayhawk fans very happy for the next four years.
Rattif is a Norman, Okla., senior in journalism.
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