Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Texas Tech begins to understand what life will be like now that it has self imposed sanctions. See page 3B.
Pro Baseball
The New York Yankees invade neighboring Shea Stadium.
Thursday
April 16, 1998
Section:
B
Page 1
SEE PAGE 8B
Pro Football
The Dallas Cowboys begin to formulate their plans for the NFL draft on Saturday.
SEE PAGE 4B
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Commentary
NFL draft picks resemble hunt for good date
Smiling from ear to ear, I chowed down on a sandwich from Gates Barbecue last Sunday.
Gates "Classic" sauce sent my body into euphoric coma while I pondered a theory about the upcoming NFL draft and relationships.
After missing my mouth and poking my cheek with a straw, I realized the NFL Draft and dating involved the same principles.
Most students find the draft, which will take place Saturday, as exciting as watching the grass grow and would rather gossip about who is seeing whom.
However, what students don't realize is that they conduct their own drafts when looking for a significant other.
Adam Herschman
sports@kansan.com
When teams checks out a player's qualities, it is trying to match the player's characteristics with its own criteria. The same is true of a relationship. We're looking for someone who fits our standards.
The first thing teams glance at when reading a scouting report is the player's personal attributes: Height, weight, 40-yard-dash time, bench-press reps, etc. Following the attributes is a history of his college career and a character analysis.
For those of us in the market, we'll check out those walking down Jayhawk Boulevard.
After spotting someone who is our type, we'll scan his or her physical characteristics such as height, weight, build, hair length, hair color, eye color, eyebrows, fingers, etc.
If his or her physique makes him or her a candidate, then it's important to learn about his or her previous dating history and character from available sources.
As the draft gets closer, teams scout foot ball players at combines and workouts.
The combine is when the top players are tested in a setting where all NFL teams are represented.
A Greek function is similar to the combine. Sororities and fraternities get together so their members can mingle with other organization's members. Also, the individual workout would be the equivalent of a one-on-one date — a chance to learn if this person is what you're looking for.
After gathering this information about the field of eligible players, a team then makes a decision.
On the day of the draft, professional teams consider one of two options — either selecting the best available player or selecting the top player who will fill a need.
in the social scene, the same thing occurs. Some people look for the best player available others look to fill needs..
Unfortunately, similar to the draft, the best player available often is already taken. That hurts. So what do you do?
There are few options; either draft to fill a need or trade down for more picks.
The truth is the only thing I accomplished was eating an awesome sandwich with a delicious, quasi-mind-altering sauce.
After blotting the barbecue sauce on my face, I felt I had accomplished something with my NEL draft relationship theory.
Herschman is an Minnetonka, Minn., senior in journalism.
Its NFL Draft Time!
Adam Herschman creates his own fantasy draft before the real thing happens this weekend
By Tommy Gallagher
tgallagher @kansan.com
Guard making visit to Lawrence
The late-signing period may come to a close for the Kansas men's basketball team this week with one more spring signing.
Kansan sportswriter
Marlon London, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from St. Joseph's High School in Chicago, will visit Kansas today and tomorrow. His coach, Geno Pingatore, said that if London enjoyed the visit he would sign
with the Jayhawks while he was in Lawrence.
See page 4B
"I wouldn't say it's a done deal, but I'm 95 percent sure he will wind up at Kansas," Pingotore said. "He just
wanted to check out the campus and make sure that Kansas was the right place for him."
London averaged 17.5 points, six rebounds and four assists for St. Joseph's last season. Teammates Mark Treadwell (Indiana) and Rob Walls (Penn State) signed letters-of-intent elsewhere.
Despite being the team's top performer, London is not ranked among the top 500 prospects as listed by recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons. One reason he his not listed could be that London did not play at any summer camps last year.
"If the recruiting analysts have never seen Marlon play, then how could they rate him?" Pingatore asked. "Sure, not playing summer camps hurt him. No one knew him because he did not play in front of Bob Gibbons and everyone else."
Pingatore, who was featured in the movie Hoop Dreams, said the Jayhawks actively had recruited London since late January.
The only matter left for London, who is on spring break, is to take care of is his ACT score.
To date, his best score is a 16, one point shy of the required 17 to be NCAA eligible. He retook the ACT on April 4, and both coach and player are confident that London scored high enough.
London was expected to arrive on campus this morning. He will attend the Kansas men's basketball team banquet at 6:30 tonight in Allen Field House.
Pingatone said London possessed a wealth of athleticism and scoring ability but needed to work on his defensive game.
"All-round, he's a solid player who
"I wouldn't say it's a done deal, but I'm 95 percent sure he will wind up at Kansas."
Geno Pingatore
St. Joseph's High School basketball coach
can play either guard or small forward," Pingatore said. "But if there was a weakness in his game, it would be on defense. Defense is about intensity, and he could improve there."
Should London sign, the Jayhawks would have one scholarship left. That scholarship was used by former walk-on guard Terry Nooner last season.
Kansas may use the scholarship to sign another recruit or give it to Nooner again next year.
The signing of London would give the Jayhawk seven guards on the roster.
Can't catch me!
Kansas running back Mick Bowley carries the ball with Ben Coleman, defensive end, trailing closely behind. The football team held a scrimmage during yesterday's practice. Photo by Lizz Weber / KANSAN
By John Blakely Wilson
Kansan sportswriter
Shockers' comeback devastates Jayhawks
ished off a 7-6 Shocker comeback victory last night at Tyler Field-Eck Stadium.
WICHTIA — Wichita State left fielder Casey Davis pounded a game-winning single up the middle off Kansas pitcher Pete Smart and fin-
Kansas pitcher
Chris Williams relieved starter Marc Corson in the second inning and kept the Jayhawks ahead of ninth-ranked Wichita State going into the bottom of the ninth inning, but four Shocker hits off of Williams and Smart sealed Kansas' fate.
Williams dropped to 22, allowing six runs to a team averaging more than 12 runs a game.
"That kid fought his heart out," said Kansas coach Bobby Randall said. "I put him back out to start the ninth because I could see in his eyes how badly he wanted to win that game — it was a championship effort."
Williams threw with confidence, working out of three bases-loaded jams with minimal damage.
"We all did some good things tonight that we can build on even though we lost," Williams said. "We went right at them and were close to beating a great team."
Wichita State was led by Shawnee Mission South graduate Pat Magness, who slammed out four hits while driving in two runs. Lawrence High school graduate Kevin Hooper also had two hits for the Shockers.
A poor Wichita State defense allowed Kansas a 51 lead after four innings. The Shockers committed four errors and allowed three unearned runs.
"We played sloppy all over the field tonight," said Gene Stevenson, Wichita State head coach. "Kansas played their hearts out, and we almost gave them the game."
Randall said he was proud of the way his team had performed but also said the team really had wanted to win the game.
WICHITA STATE 7 KANSAS 6
**WP** J. Troutman 1-0, LP C, Williams 2-2
**KU:** Mark Corson, Chris Williams (2), Peter Smart (9), and Josh Dimmick. **WSU:** Brandon Sloan, Greg Baur (5), Jeremy Trautman (9), and Brian Preston. **2B-Levins** (2), C. Davis (8), P. Magnness (12), Z. Sorenson (16). **3B-K Hooper** (2).
CORRECTION
In a photograph on the front of yesterday's sports section, the Kansas incorrectly identified a Kansas softball player as Shannon Stanwix. The player pictured was Katie Malone.
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