SPORTS
University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, February 5, 1992
11
Tennis stars go to Minneapolis
Hamers, Jensen to play singles in tournament
Rebecca Jensen ranked No. 21 in the nation practices at Alvamar Golf and Country Club,4120 Clinton Parkway
Kansan sportswriter
By Lyle Niedens Kansan sportswriter
Kansas women's tennis players Eveline Hamers and Rebecca Jensen, who led the Jayhawks to a dual match victory against Brigham Young on Monday, are scheduled to leave today for the Rolex National Indoor tournament in Minneapolis.
Hamers and Jensen play No.1 and No.2 singles for the Jayhawks, respectively, and team together at No.1 doubles. They will each compete in singles matches in the tournament, which features the top singles players and doubles teams from around the country. The tournament will begin tomorrow and run through Sunday.
"I think both can have an impact in the draw," Center said. "It's a very elite field."
Both Hamers and Jensen will be guaranteed at least two matches in the tournament. Kansas women's tennis coach Michael Center said he expected both players to do well in the tournament.
Hamers, a senior and three-time All-America selection, received an automatic bid to the tournament on the basis of her No.4 national ranking last fall.
However, after posting a 10-4 record in individual competition in the fall, Hamers' ranking fell to 32 in the nation. She said that playing well in Minneapolis would prove that her ranking was misleading.
Center said that Hamers, who was runner-up in the consolation round of last year's Rolex tournament, definitely belonged in the tournament.
"It's a good tournament," she said. "It will help me see how ready I am for the NCAAs. It will be fun."
"She can play with anybody in the country," he said. "She can beat anyone on any given day."
Whereas Hamers is a veteran of the tournament, playing in the Rolex will
be a first for freshman Jensen, who is ranked No.21 in the country.
"I am very excited to go," said Jensen, who qualified for the tournament by winning the Rolex Qualifier in the fall.
Jensen's play has been improving all season. Center said.
Although they are ranked No. 7 in the nation as a doubles team, Hamers and Jensen are not scheduled to compete in the doubles portion of the tournament. The pair did not qualify as a team because of a loss in Fall 1991 to Utah's No. 1 doubles team, a regional opponent that Hamers-Jensen defeated in the season-opener Jan. 24.
"The key for Rebecca is that she has been playing with more and more confidence all the time," he said.
However, Hamers and Jensen are
the first alternate in doubles, and Center said there was a good chance that the Hamers-Jensen pairing would compete in doubles before the weekend was over.
Still, Hamers said the prospect of not playing doubles left her frustrated.
"You can think you regou-
bles team," she said, "but you can't
really say it until you prove it."
Football team expects signings today
By Jerry Schmidt
Kansan sportswriter
After months of hitting the recruiting trails, the Kansas football program will wait in anticipation today as high school seniors from California to Florida are expected to sign national letters of intent to play with the Jayhawks
Under NCAA regulations, it is the first day college football teams can officially extend scholarship offers.
One of the latest players to make a verbal commitment is Scott Whittaker, a 6-foot-7, 315 pound offensive lineman from Etiwanda High School in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
"He's really very agile and athletic." Eitwanda coach Larry Tisdale
said. "He was used as a pulling tackle and would lead our sweeps. He was able to do that because he is very mobile."
He said Whittacker picked Kansas instead of San Diego State, UNLV, Fresno State and Oklahoma. Tisdale said Whittaker had been Oklahoma's top pick in California.
Whittacker was not an all-league pick, but was a Top 50 prospect in California, Tisdale said. Though other players from Etiwanda may have earned more honors, Whittacker's size made him a popular draw to major colleges.
"He wasn't even our best player, but potentially he could be a great player," Tisdale said.
Whittacker's talents extend past the
trenches of the interior line. Tisdale said Whittacker also punted and played tight end on a few occasions.
Another player expected to sign with the Jayhawks today is Jim Moore of Garden City High School in Garden City. Moore is a 6-3, 225 pound tight end.
Moore picked Kansas instead of Wisconsin and Southern California.
Garden City coach Dave Meadows said Moore was an excellent athlete with speed. He said Moore runs the 40-yard dash in 4.7 seconds.
Meadows said a factor in Moore selecting Kansas was its medical program. He said Moore wanted to be a doctor.
"Everything about KU just fits
right " Meadows said.
According to the Tampa Tribune, Andre Carter, a 5-11, 155 pound receiver from Chamberlain High School in Tampa, Fla., Charles Davis, a 6-10, 185 pound quarterback and defensive back from Vocational High School also in Tampa, and Mark Sanders a 6-20, 220 pound running back from Pinellas Park High School in St. Petersburg, Fla., are expected to sign with Kansas.
Accordingi d to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Dorian Brew, a 5-11, 180 pound defensive back from Florrissant, Mo., will also sign with Kansas.
The Kansas coaching staff is prohibited by the NCAA to comment on recruits until they have officially signed with the school.
Jayhawks' defense expects challenge
By Cody Holt
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas women's basketball team's nation-leading defense will face what could be its toughest challenge of the season tonight as Oklahoma brings its high-scoring offense to Allen Field House for the teams' 7:30 matchup.
Kansas, 16-3 and 5-1 in the Big Eight Conference, allows its opponents an average of 53.2 points a game while averaging 71.5 points a game, the third best offense in the conference. Oklahoma's offense, averaging 86.4 points a game, leads the conference.
Kansas coach Marian Washington said the loss of players this year to injuries could hurt the Jayhaws against a team like Oklahoma.
"The challenge we have is our lack of depth." Washington said. "As much as we'd like to pressure them with our man to man defense, we may have to go to a zone if we get into any foul trouble."
Oklahoma, 12-6 and 3-3 in conference play, is led by senior guard Carin Sithes who averages 15.5 points a game. Sithes was the conference's fourth leading scorer one year ago, averaging 18.5 points a game. She took 476 shots last year, more than any other player in the conference.
Washington said Stites' ability to shoot the ball was definitely a concern for Kansas' defense.
"She's the kind of player that has an incredible eye," Washington said. "She can shoot the ball as well as anybody in the conference."
The Jayhawks have beaten the Sooners in the teams' last four meetings and nine of the last 10 dating back to Feb. 1, 1986. Kansas has not lost to Oklahoma at the field house since a 78-77 loss Feb. 24, 1985.
The Jayhawks recently captured sole possession of first place in the conference on the strength of a 3-0 road swing during which they defeated Nebraska and Oklahoma State, both of which held a share of first place before Kansas defeated them.
Aycock earns honor Kansan staff report
Kansas freshman guard/forward Angela Yacock earned Big Eight Conference Player-of the Week honors after scoring 34 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in a pair of road victories for the No. 17 Jayhawks last week.
In the Jayhawks' 82-52 victory against intrastriit rival Kansas State on Sunday, the 6-foot-2 native of Dallas, Texas, connected on 11-of-18 field goal attempts as she led all scorers with a career-high 22 points. She also collected five rebounds, handed out two assists, added four steals and committed just one turnover.
In 34minutes of playing time, Aycock did not commute a foul in holding senior guard Mary Jo Miller, K-State's leading scorer, to just 11 points, which was 11 short of what Miller had been averaging in league action.
Aycock made 6-of-13 shots from the field en route to 12 points as Kansas defeated defending league champion Oklahoma State, 64-60, on the Cowgirls' floor home last Wednesday. Aycock pulled down a team-high eight rebounds, while adding two assists and two steals.
Kansas is ranked No. 17 this week in The Associated Press Top 25. The Jayhawks were also ranked No. 17 during the week of Dec. 30, 1991, after starting the season 8-0.
Washington said that it was nice to be in the polls but that the team could not afford to stop and enjoy the recognition.
"I's great to be in, but I'm trying to keep the (Jayhawks) focused on what we're trying to do," she said. "We're just trying to focus on playing basketball and winning a few more games."
Women's basketball probable starters
Game time: 7:30 tonight in Allen Field House.
The game will be broadcast on KJKH 9.0 FM
Kansas 13-2 (6-3, 1) Position Year Height PPG RPG
32 Danielle Shareef F Sr. 5-10 8.0 5.4
10 Jo Do Witherspoon G Jr. 5-7 2.7 1.3
13 Kay Kay Hart G Sr. 5-7 9.7 3.7
23 Terrilyn Johnson F Fr. 5-11 7.2 9.3
30 Anuela Avcock F Fr. 6-2 10.4 4.4
Oklahoma 12-6 (3-5)
22 Angie Alexander G Sr. 5-8 10.2 3.9
23 Carin Stites G Sr. 5-8 15.5 2.3
24 Kelli Epps F Sr. 5-11 9.1 4.4
44 Angi Guffy F Fr. 6-2 14.4 6.0
45 Mandy Wade F Fr. 6-3 9.9 7.2
arce: Kansas Sports Network
Almee Brainard, Daily Kansan
Lowe is a Junior National qualifier in five or six different events and hopes to make the 1992 Olympic Trials held in Indianapolis.
SPORTS BRIEFS
Kansas swimming head coach Gary Kempf announced yesterday the signing of Ryan Lowe to national letter of intent to swim at the University of Kansas. Lowe, from Greshan, Ore., competes in the butterfly and the distance freestyle.
Swimmers signs letter
"He is one of the top men that we wanted," Kempf said. "I feel he is a cornerstone to which we can continue to build a strong foundation."
JV beats Hesson 73-52
The junior varsity's next game is at home tomorrow against Benedictine College. Tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m.
The Kansas Junior Varsity improved their record to 13-1 last night with a victory against Hesson Junior College, 73-52.
The Jayhawks led the entire game and streaked out to a 40-27 halftime lead.
Others, including the university president Jon Wefald, are urging patience. They note K-State coaches historically get off to slow start. Altman was left with virtually no players when Lon Kruger abandoned the program for Florida.
Sophomore forward Blake Wiechbrodt led Kansas in scoring with 25 points while junior center Donnie Braun pulled down12rebounds.
K-State embarrassments endanger Altman's job
Some are saying let Altman be the first and not only because of consistent losses on the court. Attendance is down dramatically at a place that once enjoyed routine sellouts, a place already burdened with the Big Eight Conference's heaviest athletic debt and needing every dollar it can generate.
The Associated Press
MANHATTAN — Kansas State never has fired a basketball coach, and Dana Altman, taking heat in just his second year, does not want to be a pioneer.
Not only are the Wildcats (11-7, 1-4) losing, they're being embarrassed. No. 21 Oklahoma came in last month and became the first team in K-State's history to score 100 points at Manhattan. There was also a 41-point loss at Lamar and a wretched 38-point televised drubbing at Oklahoma State, in which the Wildcats managed just 11 points the entire first half.
All this is coming off K-State's first lastplace finish. Last year, Altman's first after serving as a valued assistant and No. 1 recruiter on Kruger's staff, the Wildcats finished at the bottom of the Big Eight for the first time since the conference was formed in 1958-59. Before then, K-State had won or tied for the Big Eight crown 20 times but never occupied last place.
This year the team is in danger of a dismal repeat. A victory against Colorado at home Saturday got the Wildcats their first conference triumph and kept the Buffs winless. But that 65-6 victory was tempered by a half-empty Bramlage Coliseum and the fact the Wildcats shot less than 40 percent and committed 21 turnovers.
Altman, 33, gave an honest answer when asked how many Big Eight victories such a performance could expect to bring.
"I would say it would be hard to win very many at all," he said.
Monday night's 22-point loss at No. 3 ranked Kansas more than gave the Jayhawks a 50-game lead in their 85-year series with the Wildcats.
It's enough to make a K-Stater's blood boil. It also enough to keep K-
Statersaway.
Ahearn Fieldhouse almost always was filled to its 11,220-capacity during its heyday in the '60s and '70s when a K-State ticket was just about the toughest ticket in the Big Eight.
But already wice this season, fewer than 6,000 fans have shown up at Bramlage, which opened amid great expectations in 1989. Bramlage seats 13,500, and attendance this year is averaging about 7,800.
But Wefald is not giving up hope.
"I don't care if you're in politics or communications or coaching, I believe you've got to give people a chance, and Dana is in only his second year," Wefald said. "I think most K-Staters are willing to give people a chance to show what they can do. That's an attitude I share."
Future Kansas alumni, please don't act your age at games
In a few short months, University of Kansas seniors will join the ranks of a group of people we Kansas students have ridiculed and openly shunned for years. No, I do not mean the unemployed, I'm speaking of the Kansas alumni.
There are just five home basketball games remaining for graduating seniors to enjoy as students. I advise them to take a good look around as they stand in the midst of Allen Field House's student section. Take note of what it is like to be a real fan. Try to remember how a real fan acts. For in time, you will become one of THEM.
Unfortunately, it seems many of our esteemed alumni ticket-holders are too busy hanging out at the country club to get the full Jayhawk basketball experience.
David Mitchell Staff columnist
The list of nonsensical actions the alumni make, or fail to make, during home games is too long to attack in great detail. But for the benefit of the graduating seniors, I have devised these simple guidelines for them to use upon their return as alumni next season.
**Arrive early.** As an alumnus, or alumna, you will no longer have to camp out for good seats, but by show-
up ing right before tip-off, alumni often miss out on women's and junior varsity basketball games. It is probable that many of the alums had never heard of Lane Czaplinski before this season.
**Stay late.** Just once I'd like to see the old folks watch an entire game. However, if the "Hawks have any kind of a lead, the alumni begin filing out with about 5 minutes left to play. This is an insult to players like Czapiakls who see limited action. All the Jayhawks deserve our support, not just the starters.
Don't be afraid to act silly. Most alumni do not participate in even the most honored field house traditions. Of course, I don't expect them to throw a senior citizen into the air during the 'Hey!' cheer, but they could at least
hold up newspapers during the opening introductions. With more crowd participation, the alumni could help make the field house an even more intimidating venue for visiting teams.
I've also noticed that the alumni have not seen fit to do to the new "O" cheer. This season, students have taken liking to freshmancenter Greg Ostertag. Every time the big mandoes something well the students make an "O" by circling their arms above their heads and then chanting, "O." The alumni seem to think this is silly. Do it anyway.
During Coach Roy Williams' first
Know when to stand. Students stand whenever the game clock is running. This allows for the stumping of feet and shows the team our level of interest and dedication. Alumni stand during halftime, which I suppose
■ Never give up. This is the mark of a true Kansas basketball fan. During the Jayhawks' loss to Louisville, alumni poured out of the field house like rats from a sinking ship. Most of the students stuck it out. And as is tradition, the 'Hawks received a standing ovation from the students as they left the court, despite the final score.
shows their fascination with the Crimson Girls.
It takes the most phenomenal of plays, perhaps an alley-op so slam dunk, to get the alumni off their butts. This is unfair to the vertically-challenged players like Adonis Jordan who seldom, if ever, dunk. Every exceptional play is worth a response, not just slams. This is not the NBA.
season at Kansas, the Jayhawks lost a tough overtime game to Oklahoma at home. After that game, the team received a standing ovation as it left the court. Williams remarked later that this kind of dedication meant a lot to the team. It is the kind the team deserves.
I don't mean to imply that earning a degree from Kansas is not a great achievement, because indeed it is. Being a Kansas graduate has its advantages, and having a degree from the University might open some doors out in the real world.
But while it might be advantageous to be a Kansas graduate, you don't always have to act like one.
**David Mitchell is a DeSoto senior majoring in journalism.**