Thursday, March 5, 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section B·Page 5
Texas faces season finale
Longhorns must win Big 12 title to continue play
The Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas — Texas coach Tom Penders read a Sports Illustrated article last week that said Tennessee women's basketball coach Pat Summitt sometimes locked players out of the locker room if they did not perform well.
"If I did that with our young players, they would leave," said Penders, who has suffered his second losing season (12-16, 6-10 Big 12) in 10 years at Texas.
"We're going through a tough time that will pay off next year," he said. "If I go bananas and throw them out of practice and get so upset with them that we lose them mentally, then it's totally unproductive."
It has been a struggle for Penders this season. He missed the first two games after having a defibrillator and pacemaker implanted in his chest to monitor an enlarged heart. The team was plagued with knee and shoulder injuries suffered by the team's leading scoreer Kris Clack (18 points per game) and
back and hamstring injuries suffered by freshman three-point ace Luke Axtell, who averaged 14 points per game
And of the five players who received the most playing time this season, one was a sophomore, Gabe Muoneke, and three were freshmen — Chris Mihm, Bernard Smith and Axell.
Penders has taken teams to postseason tournaments 15 of the past 17 years, including an appearance in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament last year.
But his Longhorns will need to win the Big 12 tournament beginning with a first-round game against Texas Tech today to reach the postseason this year.
"We're a young basketball team." Penders said. "I'm not trying to make excuses for them. But I feel extremely optimistic about our future."
Penders is quick to point out that eight teams that reached the round of 16 in the NCAA tournament last year had records that were worse or the same as Texas' record.
The team appeared to hit a low point after Mihm, a 7-foot freshman from Austin Westlake, and his father questioned Penders about why Mihm played less than 30 seconds in the final 13:25 of an 81-74 loss at home to Oklahoma on Feb. 8.
Penders said it was because
Mihm had four fouls. Rumors began that Mihm was considering transferring. But after the discussion with Penders, the freshman center began getting the ball more and making the most of it, averaging 16 points and 11 rebounds in the final six games of the season.
Mihm, who set a school record for blocks in a season (81), squashed talk that he might leave and is one of the top candidates to lead the team next season.
"If there's a better freshman big man in the country, I want to know." Penders said.
Mihm defended the team, which lost six games after holding a double-digit lead and suffered the worst home loss under Penders, a 102-72 defeat by Kansas on Jan. 10.
Penders, who last suffered a losing season in 1993 (11-17), says his own health is improving.
"My heart has strengthened, and I feel good," said the 52-year-old coach. "I just signed a new six-year contract last year, and the only way I don't get paid is if I quit. And I don't plan on quitting."
Neither cart nor game rusty
The Associated Press
AUSTIN, Texas - Casey Martin rediscovered his lost golf game.
The disabled golfer, who has not played much because of his lawsuit against the PGA Tour, showed yesterday in a Pro-Am for the Greater Austin Open why he is a threat to leave the Nike Tour and join the bigtime.
Despite high winds on the Jack Nicklaus-designed Hills of Lakeway course, Martin drove well, hit beautiful knock-down iron shots and chipped and putted solidly.
Worried about his "rusty" game,
Martin was 1-under-par for 15 holes
— but that was all he played.
course because it had exceeded the round's time limit.
Martin, playing in his first event since a federal magistrate ruled Feb. 11 he could use a cart because of a damaged left leg, said: "I've already teed my ball up. Can't we play this hole?"
Tournament official Bob Hyde said no, so Martin signed autographs for his playing partners and spectators.
"I'm very optimistic about my play now," Martin said. "I only hit one bad drive today."
Martin's sudden fame has brought a cascade of endorsements and appearances on national television.
"I imagine the love affair will last as long as I play well," said Martin, who won the first Nike event of the
year, then missed the cut in the second one.
"It will fade quickly if I don't play good," he said. "It all depends now on the scores I shoot."
When play starts today, Martin can use his cart, with certain restrictions.
PGA Tour official Jim Duncan said Martin cannot have a roof on his cart or be protected from the elements.
"He can carry anything in the cart that you normally would on the golf course like a towel or a water battle," Duncan said.
Martin can drive on the fairway until such a point where the elements come into play.
"If it rains, he would have to stay on the cart path." Duncan said.
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