Tuesday, May 7, 1974
University Daily Kansan
9
KU Bounces from Cellar to Top of Big 8
By GERALD EWING
Kenan Sports Editor
Major improvements in the success of intercollegiate athletic teams usually take a long time, but in the case of the University of Kansas, it didn't take long at all. In fact, it took only one year for the football and basketball teams to climb from near the bottom back to the top of the Big Eight Conference.
The season of 1972-73 was a dismal one and one of the poorer ones in the recent history of football and basketball at KU. The football team finished sixth in the conference with a 5-6 record. The basketball team also finished sixth with an 8-18 record.
But if 1972-73 was one of the worst seasons, the season of 1973-74 had to be considered of the best. The football team finished a tie for second place with a 7-4-1.
That record was the best since the Orange Bowl year of 1989 and earned the team a bid to the Liberty Bowl. Although the Hawks did not win in this exact demonstration of aerial football.
Even though the football season was a great one, the basketball season was an ever bigger turnaround as the 'Hawks ended the season as the most-improved basketball team in the country. Record KKR was 6-14 with conference with win of 13-1, and on won to on win the NCAA Midwest Regional and finished fourth in the national finals.
The records of the two teams combined made KU the 16th most successful major football-basketball power this year. The combined records power Kansas State, with the likes of UCLA, Southern California, Notre Dame and North Carolina State ahead of them.
Reasons for this turnaround are hard to come by, but one of the reasons is that the success of a program depends on the talent of the players involved.
"I'm simply cold hard facts." The key to the quality of a program depends on the
baseball standings
American League
American League
East
| | W | L | Pct. | GB |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| New York | 12 | 11 | .571 | .69 |
| Detroit | 12 | 11 | .480 | .24 |
| Cleveland | 12 | 11 | .480 | .24 |
| Baltimore | 12 | 11 | .478 | .24 |
| Boston | 11 | 12 | .423 | 4 |
West
| | W | L | Pct. | GB |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| California | 11 | 11 | .377 | --- |
| Texas | 11 | 11 | .377 | --- |
| Chicago | 12 | 11 | .360 | 4 |
| Oakland | 12 | 11 | .380 | 4 |
| Minnesota | 12 | 11 | .477 | 3 |
Today's GAME
Detroit 5. Chicago 6.
New York 6. Texas 4.
Cleveland at California
Baltimore at Oakland
Baltimore is labeled
National League
East W L J Pet. GB
St. Louis 4 13 58
Philadelphia 10 13 500
Montreal 10 10 130
Chicago 10 13 499
New York 10 13 464
Pittsburgh 10 13 344
Los Angeles 18 19 9 .667
Houston 17 11 11 .54
Cincinnati 14 13 322
San Francisco 14 13 .319
Atlanta 13 13 .481
Jacksonville 13 16 .448
quality of material you have to work with." John Novotny, director of the Williams Scholarship Fund said last week. "There are hundreds of good coaches but only a few that can do the recruiting job that is needed."
San Diego 7; Philadelphia 6
San Los Angeles at Montreal, ppd, rain
San Francisco at New York, pdd, rain.
only games scheduled
According to Novotny and Athletic Director Clyde Walker, Fambrough and Owens are both good recruiters and good coaches.
"You don't really build a program overnight," Walker said. "Good programs take time for them to blossom. It took time for him (Fambrough) to recruit the type of athlete he wanted. He finally got the kind and numbers of players to get the job done."
Fambrough took over the head coaching job in 1971 and at the time it would take three years for KU to have a winning season and go to a bowl game. The past season was his third as head coach and his prediction came true.
"The last three years, we've worked real hard at recruiting," Fambrough said last week. "It's given us better talent and more experience than we have ever especially in the conference we play in."
KU signed only 28 high school seniors in 1968 and 37 in 1969, following the Orange Bowl season. In 1970, 35 seniors signed and since Fambridge took over in 1971, 40 signed in 1971, 37 in both 1972 and 1973 and 26 signed so far this year.
According to Novitoy, the players signed Farnsworth took over have been of a better quality.
"Fambrough in his first year had a very good recruiting year," Novotny said. The second year was better and last year was for the bin three years ago, it was empty.
Fambrough said for KU to be competitive with the likes of Oklahoma and Nebraska, 44 quality players were needed to push the starters for their jobs and for injuries.
"last year we had as many injuries as I've ever seen," Fambrigh said. "It was an unusual year and without the depth we could have been hard for us to win a game."
Novotny said when Fambrogg-inherited the regime it was at the lowest point in recent years.
"This may be our greatest year ever," Novtay said. "We are finally establishing some continuity in the program. "There have been 31 football coaches at KU and UTEP, but we haven't done the program. "We've finally got a sincere coach and not one that does somesaults."
Recruiting was also the key to the success of the basketball season.
years but not the best. He said he and Coach Ted Owens didn't work any harder at coaching this year but simply had better talent and had a better attitude than in a previous year.
Assistant Coach Sam Cham SUI said that last year was one of KU's better recruiting
"We had some better players than the people we had last year." Miranda said. "We had a little more experience this year and we were able to attitude plus we had the two new players."
The two new players Miranda referred to were forwards Roger Morningstar and Norm Cook. Cook ended the season as the holder and Morningstar was the leading scorer.
there is greater interest in the University now than ever before," Billotta said. "It's difficult to attribute it all to the athletic department, some of which some credit has to go to Archie Dykes."
"The big thing in basketball was bringing in the forwards Cook and Morningstar," Walker said. "They made the turnaround much easier and there was also a change time."
Regardless of the talent, luck did play a part in the success of the two teams. In football, the best example was the final game of the season against Missouri. In that game, David Jaynes hit Emmet Edwards on a pass from pass with less than a minute remaining.
In basketball, there were numerous examples of luck—the best being the Oklahoma State game at Allen Field House. In that game, Tommy Smith hit a jump shot from the top of the key at the buzzer to give KU the win.
"You have to be lucky to be successful," Walker said. "There's a really fine division line between winning and losing. Our whole season had that little something extra that made it a lot better."
Muranda said luck wasn't that much of a factor and a team makes its own breaks. He said most fans and even himself thought the Oklahoma State won, but the Tigers had on to win it.
The success of the two teams has already had repercussions in the areas of alumnum support and finances and Walker believes KU is on the winning track for
"If the success this year is any indication of the caliber of our program, we should be successful for years to come," Walker said. "Actually, we made it with young teams this year and that is encouraging for all of us for next year."
"Winning is the name of the game and if you don't win, people don't support you. The athletic department depends on gatekeeping that is why winning is so important."
Novotny said this year's success had already impacted impact on contributions to leadership.
"So far, there isn't any question. Since the first of the year, we've seen over $20,000 in
Bucks Seek Playoffs Lead
MILWAUKEE (AP)—The Milwaukee Bucks, confident that their new four-forward offense can again neutralize the Boston Celtics' pressure defense, will shoot for a 3-2 lead in their National Basketball Association championship series tonight.
The Bucks started 6-foot-7 reserve forward Mickey Daway at guard in place of Ron Williams in Boston Sunday. Davis scored 15 points and, more importantly, made the Celtics ease pressure on playmaker Oscar Robertson. The Bucks won 97-89, squaring the best-of-seven series at two victories apiece.
would be played here.
Milwaukee regained the home court advantage in the process because two of the top four players at UCLA had played here.
The fifth game will be nationally televised at 8:30 p.m. Lawrence time tonight, with the winner moving into position to clinch the series at Boston Friday night.
"The victory was something we had to have," Bucks reserve guard Jon MGlocklin said of Sunday's game. "Not only did we win back the home court advantage, but we showed them we could adjust."
A seventh game, if needed, would be played here Sunday.
Teaming Davis with the 6-5 Robertson in the backcourt gave the Bucks a height advantage over Celtic guards Don Chaney, 6-5, and Jo Jo White, 6-3.
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new money," he said. "If we don't go over $400,000, which is a real possibility, it doesn't mean that our people don't like the program but because of some real economic problems."
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The Council, policy-making body of the NCAA, adopted a resultant endorsing bills by Sens. John V. Tunney, D-Calf, and C. Pearson, R-Kan., at its spring meeting.
Phone 843-1211
KANSAS UNION/900 MASS.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Two bills which would affect participation by the United States in amateur athletics have passed both houses of the National Collegiate Athletic Association.
NCAA Council Votes Changes
The Tunney bill would establish a presidential commission to recommend specific proposals for legislation to reform the U.S. Olympic Committee.
THE MALLS/HILLCREST
The Pearson bill would create a U.S. Amateur Sports Board which would estimate the number of associations could be issued federalcharities as international franchise holders in their respective sports. It would also establish an amateur sports participation and facilities.
Vince Billotta, assistant director of the Alumni Association, said the success has resulted in increased activity and support by alumni from all across the country.
the Pearson bill has been cleared by the Senate Commerce Committee and is ready for the Senate floor. The Tunney measure has been voted out of the Foreign Relations Committee and is ready to be taken to the floor for a vote.
"I'd certainly say we have evidence that
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