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The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, March 4, 1998
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Injured players may have to skip Big 12 tourney
Kansan sportswriter
With the Big 12 Conference Tournament starting tomorrow at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo., coaches from the region have expressed concern about missing players because of injury or suspension.
By Tommy Gallagher
tgallagher@kansan.com
Heading the list is Kansas State coach Tom Asbury, who has not said whether forward Manny Dies will play in the tournament.
Manhattan police arrested Dies Feb. 22 for suspicion of possessing marijuana, drug paraphernalia, transporting an open container of alcohol and obstruction of the legal process. He was released on $1,500 bond, and some of the charges have been dropped.
Asbury wouldn't say whether Dies would play in the tournament, in which the Wildcats may need an impressive showing to earn an NCAA Tournament berth.
"I'm not going to talk about that," Asbury said.
Clack, who averaged 17.6 points, led the Longhorns in scoring, assists, steals and minutes played during the regular season. The Longhorns will play Texas Tech on Thursday in the first round.
@ACCR 1997
Texas, 12-16, probably will be without second team AllBig 12 guard Kris Clack for the tournament because he suffered a dislocated right shoulder in practice Sunday.
"I've got a tee time Friday at noon," Penders said, half-jokingly. "There's a lot of great players in the Big 12, and he's certainly one of the better ones. He does so much for us that it's hard to imagine what it would be like playing without him. For us to lose him would be like Texas Tech without Cory Carr, or Oklahoma without Corey Brewer," he said.
Texas coach Tom Penders said that because of Clack's injury, he had lost some hope about the Longhorns' chances in the Big 12 Tournament.
Texas guard Luke Axell has a back injury and is listed as probable for the tournament, but guard DeJuan Vazquez has a severe arm bruise and is listed as questionable.
Oklahoma State, the Big 12 South champions, have some concern about guard Desmond Mason, who sprained an ankle in practice Thursday. Mason reg aggravated that injury in the first half of the game against Kansas on Sunday. He played just 16 minutes and finished with four points, two rebounds and two assists.
Oklahoma coach Eddie Sutton said that Mason should be ready when the Cowboys play either Texas or Texas Tech on Friday.
"Mason was kneeed by T.J. Pugh in first half, and that aggravated his leg," Sutton said. "But we checked it with our doctors, and they said to keep him out of practice for a day or two and he would be able to play by Friday."
Texas Tech hoping for a little luck in KC
The Associated Press
LUBBOCK, Texas — Coming off the most miserable home game in school history, the slumping Texas Tech Red Raiders admit they have much to prove this week at the Big 12 Conference tournament.
"We can't go out feeling sorry that it's been a disappointing season," center Johnny Phillips said. "We need to try to make amends as far as right now."
The Red Raiders (13,13,6,9) flew to Kansas City yesterday to revisit the Big 12 tournament, where their string of bad luck began this time last year.
In the first round Thursday night, Tech plays fellow regular-season disappointment (Tesla) 12-16, 6-10), which swept the season series.
"We are going to go up there with an optimistic attitude and the attitude of 'Who knows?' "guard Stan Bonewitz said. "Maybe we could sneak a couple here and there and end up in the finals and ... you never know."
It was during a second-round Big 12 tournament game last that Tech learned two players were academically ineligible. The school removed itself from NCAA Tournament consideration a day later.
Center Tony Battie dealt the next blow by taking his superstar skills to the NBA instead of returning for his senior season. That left senior guard Cory Carr, the Big 12's leading scorer for the second straight season, to lead a small, youthful lineup.
It's been a stunning downturn for the Tech program — from a Sweet 16 team two years ago to a squad that probably won't win 17 games for the first time since coach James Dickey's first season in 1900
Hobbled by a sore right ankle, even Carr couldn't stop Oklahoma from beating Tech 89-56 last Saturday in the Raiders' home finale. It was Tech's worst loss ever at Lubbock Municipal Coliseum.
"It's that elusive word: chemistry," Dickey said.
"We are going to try to mix up some potion between now and Thursday night to get it going."
"We'll be better with a healthy Cory Carr," Dickey said.
Since blowing out lowly Texas A&M 102-75 on Feb. 7, Tech has been outscored by an average of 85-75 in its last six games, losing five of them.
Two of the losses were in overtime to Colorado and Oklahoma State. Those losses seemed to weaken them as they allowed the Sooners to score the game's last 14 points, including three breakaway dunks.
"I hope that we can find some emotion going into Kansas City, some enthusiasm for the Big 12 tournament," Dickey said. "The question that many of you have asked, I've asked myself: What's it going to take?"