Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Royals catcher Mike McFarlane was traded to Oakland for Shane Mack and a player to be named, the team announced yesterday.
NCAA Lawsuit
SEE PAGE 2B
Kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams is the first witness in a suit against the NCAA.
Thursday
April 9, 1998
Section:
B
Page 1
SEE PAGE 6B
Orioles get hot
Page 1
The Baltimore Orioles have not lost a game since dropping their opener to Kansas City.
SEE PAGE 3B
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Horton hero John Crider seals intent
By Tommy Gallagher
tgallagher@kansan.com
Kansas townsurveyor
HORTON — Yesterday was John Crider Day in Horton.
Crider, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard from Horton High School, officially signed a letter of intent to play basketball at Kansas next season. More than 300 people showed their support for Crider by attending the press conference.
Crider, described as a tireless worker by most Horton residents, said he would continue to prepare to play at the Division I A level next season.
"I began training harder since I committed to Kansas because I know I need to get better," Crider said. "I've always thought that a person can be as good as he can be if he worked hard enough. And I've dreamed about becoming a Jayhawk ever since 1988. Now that work finally paid off."
Janice Crider said she and her husband, Dave, never had to motivate their son.
John Crider
6-foot-4
shooting guard
Hometown:
Horton
Pointspergame:
31.3
Rebounds:
11.1
"I've
dreamed
about
becoming
a Jayhawk
ever since
1988."
"The pride that I have is too big for me to show or say," she said. "I admire John for all the work he has done because we never had to push him one day. He's always been out on the
basketball court, always looking to work out."
But despite the lofty numbers, Janice Crider said the small-town roots made it difficult for John to attract the attention of most major colleges.
Crider averaged a state high 31.3 points per game this season, while adding 11.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.7 steals for the Chargers. He won the 1998 Kansas Mr. Basketball award this week and also earned firstteam all-state honors. He had received scholarship offers from Kansas State and Oklahoma.
"This day doesn't compare with anything else that happened before," she said. "These things don't come around here all the time. To even get him noticed by Kansas and a lot of schools was hard."
Janice Crider, an avid Kansas fan and basketball fan, said she first took John to see the Jayhawks play in Allen Field House when he was only 5 years old. Thirteen years later, the family will attend every home game to see John play, she said.
Dave Crider said his son represented the dreams of basketball fans across the state.
"Because this is a small town, John is more of a celebrity here," he said. "He's a good kid and would be an excellent role model for anyone who wants to do what he did — live his dream."
The blanket also included a message from the class: See John jump. See John run. See John play at KU.
The event began when the town's kindergarten class offered Crider a blanket as a gift.
Dan Dercher, senior left tackle, lines up on offense during practice at Anschutz Sports Pavilion. Last season, Dercher played defensive tackle but hopes to impact the offensive line this season with his size and quickness. Photo by: Sean Haley/KANSAN
One side of the blanket was crimson, red and yellow and featured the Jayhawk logo. The other side was white, plastered with colored hand prints of the entire class and some of the school's staff members.
Horton city officials then declared yesterday John Crider Day in honor of their hometown hero. Afterward, Crider signed the letter-of-intent, which officially made him a Jaiyawk.
After the papers were signed and dated, he flashed a wide grin and hugged his mother.
"I couldn't believe that," Crider said. "It's a big honor, and it shows how much they appreciated me through the years. I love this town to death. Without them, I never could have made it this far."
Crider finally realized his dream yesterday. But John Crider Day?
Offense offers obstacles
Offensive role intrigues former defensive tackle
By Kevin C. Wilson
Kansan sportswriter
The offensive line is a position on the football team that often is overlooked and under appreciated. It frequently is assumed that these behemoths are stupid lugs who do nothing more than plow into whoever happens to be in front of them.
Senior offensive tackle Dan Dercher beets to differ.
"Defense is a blast. It's easy because you just go hit the player with the ball," Dercher said. "Offense is for a smarter person. There is so much more you need to know."
Dercher had spent his career at the University of Kansas as a defensive tackle before being switched to the offensive side of the ball in the middle of last season. He started the final five games of the 1997 season at the left tackle spot and has gained an appreciation for the positions' demands.
"It blew my mind all the stuff I needed to know," he said. "It's like taking a test everyday, block this guy, go to that guy, open this hole. Offense is definitely a challenge."
Dercher said playing on the offensive had its rewards.
"It's fun when you're out there moving the ball down the ball," Dercher said. "When we score a touchdown on offense, it's like getting a sack on defense."
Last season however, the Jayhawks' offense struggled to get into the end zone and finished last in the country in total offense.
With Dercher manning the left tackle position in the final four games of the season, the Jayhawks averaged nearly 360 yards of total offense, compared with less than 200 vards in the first seven games.
Kansas coach Tony Allen said that last season the offensive line struggled, but this year, with all of the competition at that position, he was expecting improvement.
"With Dan moving over to offense and getting the year of experience, I think it will be a good strong area for us," Allen said. "Dan is a kid who could be an outstanding offensive lineman, but he needs to get a little bit stronger."
Dercher said he was doing just that, and he credits a new weight-training program with helping him bulk up to 285 pounds, compared with his 265 pounds at the beginning of last season. Dercher said he hoped to get up to 295 pounds by the end of the summer and wanted to increasing his quickness and power.
"We've done a great job with the weight program." Dercher said. "We're focusing on the quickness and size that you need for football, those 10-yard spurs of energy."
"We're trying to learn all of the plays and
"Defense is a blast. It's easy because you just go hit the player with the ball. Offense is for a smarter person. There is so much more you need to know."
Dercher said spring practice was a good
Allen said he was looking forward to having Dercher on the offensive line for his
spots so we can be a full step ahead this fall." Dercher said.
Dan Dercher Senior offensive tackle
entire senior season.
"He has a great amount of potential to have an outstanding final year," Allen said.
Women's tennis husks Nebraska
Kansan staff report
The closest battle came in the No. 2 singles. Kris Lell lost the first set 63 to Lisa Hart. Sleff fought back to win the second set 7-5 and finished the match 6-4 in the third set.
The Jayhawks defeated the Cornhuskers 9-0 to remain undefeated in the Big 12 Conference.
The Jayhawks competed without their top singles player, Kylie Hunt, for the second-straight match. She is out with an inflamed lung but is expected to return this weekend.
The Kansas women's tennis team made a clean sweep of the Nebraska Cornhuskers last night in Lincoln, Neb.
In Hunt's place, Christie Sim continued to compete in the No.1 spot. In the first match Hunt missed, Sim defeated Oklahoma's Raluca Gheoreg on Sunday.
Yesterday, Sim won again in the top spot. After a tough start, she defeated Nebraska's Sandra Noetel 7-5.2-6.4.
Kansas senior Maria Abatjoglou made
her season debut in doubles last night. She teamed up with Sell in No. 3 doubles to blitz Nebraska's Gina Pelazini and Kelli Clark 8-0.
Freshmen Christine Sues and Monica Sekulov continued their impressive play. In No. 3 singles, Sues defeated Nebraska's Jennifer Thoste 6-2, 6-4. Sekulov destroyed
Sell:Won a close battle in singles against Huskers
Danica Hardy in the No. 5 singles match 6.3.6.0.
The win yesterday was the ninth straight for the Jayhawks, and it was the seventh time this season that they swept singles matches.
The Jayhawks improved to 15-2 overall and 7-0 in the Big 12. The team's only losses are to Duke and Brigham Young.
both of whom are ranked in the top five.
After defeating Pepperdine and Southern California during spring break, the Jayhawks had expected to break the top 10 in the rankings released on Monday. But the Jayhawks only climbed two spots to No. 13.
Abatjoglu: Made season debut in doubles yesterday
After defeating
Oklahoma on Sunday, the Javahicks were guaranteed a conference record above 500. The largest challenge remaining for the Javahacks should be Texas on April 19.
The Jayhawks have only Texas teams remaining on the schedule. They are scheduled to play Baylor on Friday and Texas Tech on Saturday at Robinson Center.
Commentary
Golf glossary eases confusion before Masters
I'm sorry to share with you the following tragic news:
The idea for this column surfaced while watching Wheel of Fortune.
My epiphany came with Sajak's hypnotizing voice in the background. Contestants struggled to think of which consonant to use after the big ones — R, S, T, N, and L — were gone, not to mention this was not a seasoned group of wheel spinners either (bankrupts galore).
Sajak was getting restless. Vanna was tired of leaning against the letters.
I don't mean to brag,
but I am a high school
graduate, despite what
my mom says.
Adam
After solving the puzzle, I realized that it would helpful to create a
Adam
Herschman
sports@kaansan.com
Anyway, a lot of questions such as, "Hey Adam. What's the difference between Fuzzy Zoeller and a fuzzy navel?"
glossary with some of the more obscure golf terms. I've found that these terms, make for great chit chat with people at the bus stop, especially with the Masters around the corner. Often, they don't respond, but that's not important.
Well, Fuzzy Zoeller is a pro golfer who made a racist remark at last year's Masters, and a fuzzy navel is a cocktail with orange juice, peach snappens and vodka. However, both leave a sour taste in your mouth.
Another question, "Hey Adam, what's a mulligan?"
To explain this one, think back to little league practice. What happened when you whiffed on a pitch while the catcher was talking? That's right, you asked for a do-over; little leaguers love the do-over.
It's tough not to love the do-over.
A mulligan occurs when players take a doover and do not count their last shot. Professionals are not allowed to take mulligans — the term describes an amateur only option.
Here are some other golf terms for your enjoyment:
You the man: A symbol of affection, a term yelled by every fan under 30 in the gallery at anyone who tees off.
- Noonan: A term you won't here at the Masters. A word heard a lot on the public course used to distract your opponent.
Nnooooon!
■ Birdie: A term used to describe scoring that means one under par. It is good to get a birdie, unlike receiving the finger.
Dogleg: It describes the shape of a hole that resembles a dog's leg (dogleg left or dogleg right), even though many holes look more like a chicken leg.
Bunker: Another word used to describe a sand trap. No relation to Archie Bunker or Nunzio Bunker — my make-believe friend.
■ Sandy: Refers to chipping out of the bunker and making the next shot. Has nothing to do with Sandy Duncan from The Hogan Family.
Clubhouse: The building that usually has a golf shop, locker room and restaurant where golfers retreat after the round is finished. Don't get this confused with the clubhouse used in the old Honeycomb commercial, which was more like a tree house.
Caddy: This is not short for Cadillac on the golf course. It's the person who hauls the clubs. Many golfers do own Cadillacs.
Hopefully, this glossary has provided a better understanding of the game and for watching the Masters, which begins today.
By the way, because of all of the phone calls and fan mail I've still been getting about sweatpants, I feel the need to answer a question I'm anticipating on getting from this column.
"Adam do you miss the segment on Wheel of Fortune where the winning contestants purchased goods like the ceramic Dalmatian from the revolving display?"
(Tears in my eyes) I don't like talk about it because the pain still lurks inside, but yes, I do miss it. Not a show goes by where I don't think about that ceramic Dalmatian or that stainless steel flware.
Hershman is a Minnetonka, Minn. senior in journalism.