Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Friday
February 13, 1998
Section:
B
Page 1
The Olympics
Former Kansas guard Terry Brown has moved past his days as a Jayhawk sharpshooter. He is now an artist in Lawrence.
Canadian snowboarder Ross Rebagliati's status as a gold medal winner was restored.
SEE PAGE 6B
Olympic Games
Pro Football
The Dallas Cowboys hired Pittsburgh offensive coordinator Chan Gailey to be their new head coach.
SEE PAGE 5B
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Old rivalry, new strengths
LaFrentz, Dies will face off at forward
By Tommy Gallagher
tgallogher@kansan.com
Kansas sportwriter
Kansas State forward Manny Dies burned Kansas for 26 points and 11 rebounds in the teams' first meeting this season. This time around, the Jayhawks roster has one significant addition.
Forward Raef LaFrentz was not able to play against the Wildcats on Jan. 17 because of a broken right hand. So LaFrentz and Dies will take center stage when the rivals play at 3:05 p.m. tomorrow in Manhattan.
Kansas coach Roy Williams said Dies had vastly improved since arriving at K-State.
The Starting Lineup
"He's worked hard on his game during the three years he's been there, so now he's very confident," Williams said. "It's a great attribute to recognize your weaknesses and stay away from them, and to play to your strengths. That's what he's done, and he's been successful."
Kansas forward Lester Earl gets tied down while trying for a loose ball with Kansas State's Duan Davis (front) and Manny Dies (back). The Jayhawks look to inflict their second defeat of the season on Kansas State at 3:05 p.m. tomorrow in Manhattan. Photo by GR Gordon-Ross/KANSAN
"I haven't played against him this year, so how could I possibly talk about him?" LaFrentz said. "He had a great game when they came here, but then I was not a part of that game. I'll have to wait and find out how I compare."
LaFrentz has played against Dies before, but not this season. Dies has quietly assembled a tremendous season, one that could land him all-Big 12 Conference honors.
What a contrast from last season, when a columnist for K-State's student newspaper called Dies the worst player in the history of college basketball. Dies and some of his friends then retaliated by
knocking down the door of the student who had written the columns.
Those columns may have awakened Dies. And the Wildcats, who finished last in the Big 12 a year ago, also have had a revival.
K-State has won four of its last five games and is lobbying for an NCAA Tournament bid. With a win against Kansas, they probably would cement that berth if they finish strong.
The Wildcats played well in Allen Field House this season, as the Jayhawks tied the school's homecourt winning streak. Now that homecourt advantage will
belong to K-State, which has lost 14 consecutive games to the Jayhawks in Manhattan.
Williams said he acknowledged all streaks must come to an end sometime.
"There's no question in my mind that they believe they can win this game," Williams said. "We can, too. We probably shouldn't talk about this too much because they might have more reason to play well."
Kansas flushes Rush from recruiting list
By Tommy Gallagher
tgallagher@kansan.com
Kansan sportwriter
High school basketball prospect JaRon Rush made an oral commitment to play for Kansas in November, but coach Roy Williams said during a press conference yesterday Rush would never be a Javhawk.
"I've heard sometimes that it takes an act of God to change something," Williams said. "This is a lot stronger than that was."
Williams was making an indirect reference to a comment Rush made during his recruitment. At one point, Rush said it would take "an act of God" for him to not come to Kansas.
But on Tuesday night Rush, a 6-foot-7-inch forward from Pembroke Hill Academy in Kansas City, Mo., said he had some problems with Williams' tendency to substitute players often. Rush's playing time would have been cut even if forward Paul Pierce decided to return for his senior season.
"There are no promises made when you come here," Thomas said. "You must convince the coaches that you can outwork and play better than the next guy. You have to earn everything."
Though Williams does substitute frequently, marquee players remain on the court for a good portion of the game. Pierce, forward Raef LaFrentz and guard Ryan Robertson all played 34 minutes in the Jayhawks' 80-70 victory against Missouri on Sunday.
Guard Billy Thomas said no player received special treatment for being a highly recruited high school prospect.
Rush had attended "Late Night With Roy Williams" the past four seasons and often was spotted around Lawrence during the weekends. He said he always dreamed of becoming a Jayhawk like Tom and Jane Grant, Kansas alumni who paid for Rush to attend Pembroke Hill.
He committed to Kansas on Nov. 19
after his mother, Glenda, urged him to wait until April's late signing period to make an official decision. UCLA and the NBA now appear to be his top options.
Williams said the recruiting process, which he had once relished, now has turned sour.
"It if it wasn't for that part of it, I would work for minimum wage and be the happiest guy in the world," Williams said. "But because of that, there's not enough money to pay me to where you feel it's worth putting up with some of the stuff that's occurred recently."
Brandon Dean, a 6-foot point guard from Monroe, La., said his list of schools included Kansas, Cincinnati, Florida State, Arkansas and Louisiana State. Dean has led Ouchita Parish High School with 31 points and 10 assists a game.
“Up until the past couple years I have enjoyed recruiting,” Williams said. “But I don't enjoy it in 99.9 percent of the cases now. It's always been hard, and it's always been a little demeaning and distasteful.”
Williams: Said JaRon Rush would not play for Kansas
Dan Gadzuric, a 6-foot-11-inch center from Byfield Dummer (Mass.) Academy visited Kansas and UCLA, which are considered to be the front runners, and Kentucky. He averages 24 points, 16 rebounds and six blocked shots a game.
Despite the pitfalls of recruiting high school prospects, Williams kept a positive attitude toward his profession.
The Jayhawks have begun recruiting the class of 1999. Indianapolis point guard Jason Gardner made an unofficial visit to Kansas last semester.
Jayhawks have date with Iowa State on Valentine's Day
By Kevin C. Wilson Kansas sportswriter
The Big 12 Conference schedule offers no reprieve for the Kansas women's basketball team.
The Cyclones arrive three days after the Nebraska Cornhuskers defeated the Jayhawks 84-69.
The Jayhawks play host the 23rd-ranked Iowa State Cyclones at 7 p.m. on Valentine's Day.
Coach Marian Washington said the second-half, physical play by the Cornhuskers crossed the line of sportsmanship.
"It was the most negative reaction we've ever gotten down there," Washington said. "The holding, grabbing, taunting — there's no place for that."
"They are a strong team, and they've played well in the Big 12," Scott said. "They're good down low because they can shoot the three so well, so we are going to have to pick up the defense and make it tough on them."
Senior forward Koya Scott said the Cyclones, ranked second in the Big 12, would challenge the Javhawks.
Kansas, 15-6 overall and 7-4 in the Big 12, will try to protect its 8-0 record at Allen Field House.
The Cyclones, 20-4 overall and 9-2 in the Big 12, have made 186 three-point shots this season. The Jayhawks only have attempted 213, making 77.
"Iowa State is the most challenging team we will face," Washington said. "All five of their players can hit the three-point shot which creates problems in the spacing of the floor and opens up the inside for them."
Iowa State has four players averaging in double-digits. Guard Stacy Freese leads the team in scoring (15.3 points a game) and assists (6.1 a game). Center Jayme Olson leads the team in rebounding (8.7 rebounds
Kansas forward Jackyn Johnson puts up a shot over Kansas State's Angie Finkes. The Kansas women play Iowa State at 7 p.m. tomorrow in Allen Field House. Photo by Geoff Krieger/KANSAN
a game), and chips in 14.8 points per game.
Forward Janel Grimm scores 13.3 points a game and forward Megan Taylor scores 12.8 points a game.
Washington said she thought the Cyclones would play a tight, 2-3 zone defense to shut down the Jayhawks' inside play.
Center Nakia Sanford is optimistic about the Jayhawks chances of knocking off the Cyclones.
"They are going to pack it on in us and give us the outside shot," Washington said. "We're working in practice to get the ball to the right people in the right places."
"They are a very good team." Sanford said. "But if we play the kind of game we've been showing in practice, we can win."
Commentary JaRon can't be the star in Williams' blockbuster
Roy Williams isn't exactly a Hollywood kind of guy.
You can tell by his engaging personality, his humility and his down-home North Carolina accent.
So combine recruiting with Hollywood, and you've got a frustrated coach — one who is struggling to pitch a team-oriented style of play to a bunch of young recruits who want to be movie stars.
Williams isn't big on the recruiting game, either. He calls it "demeaning" and "distasteful."
Yesterday, Williams made a statement by announcing he no longer was interested in
JaRon Rush, the prima donna Kansas City,Mo.,prep star whom Kansas has been courting since before he could walk.
It seems as though Rush, who at one time said only an "act of God" could change his mind about coming to Kansas, has some problems with Williams' substituting policies.
Eric Weslander sports@kansan.com
"I think that KU
doesn't really run the system that I really want to be a part of," Rush said in a radio interview earlier this week. "Basically, I'll have to go there and fit in."
In other words, Rush realized if he had come to Kansas, he would have had to share the spotlight. He knew Williams would not have put him in a starring role on the team just because of his marquee-player status.
Apparently, if he doesn't go straight to the NBA, Rush now is headed to UCLA like Baron Davis before him. How fitting: two movie stars together in sunny California.
Davis, if you recall, is the prima donna point guard who also considered coming to Kansas. Last spring, on the day he announced where he was going to play, he arrived at a press conference in a shiny limousine. He made his decision by holding up a UCLA hat and a Kansas hat, then tossing the Kansas hat over his shoulder.
After that performance, one thing was clear: Baron Davis didn't belong at Kansas. After this week's events, one more thing is clear: Neither does JAron Rush.
They both belong in Hollywood.
You see, in Roy Williams' movie, all of the actors play equal parts, no matter how famous they are. There are no promises of personal glory, only promises of playing for a good team and for a coach who genuinely cares about his players.
So good riddance, JaRon. Your one- or two-year stint at UCLA, followed by a glamorous NBA career, will not make up for the sense of team unity you would have enjoyed at Kansas.
Things like this should remind Kansas fans why they admire Roy Williams so much. He will not compromise himself or his style of coaching, and if it means missing out on a few talented but selfish players, so be it.
This also should remind us why we admire the basketball players who do come to Kansas. All of them have turned down the chance to be movie stars and instead have chosen to be team players.
In other news:
■ Word has it that former Missouri point guard Jason Sutherland has been working out with the Kansas City Chiefs. Sutherland averaged 9.6 tackles per game on the court while at Mizzuo, so this should come as no surprise to anyone.
Quote of the week goes to Kansas for -
ward Lester Earl, on his favorite snack
'food:' "I can go through two boxes of 12 oat-
meal pies in an hour."
Those svelte basketball players. They can eat anything they want, and they don't get fat.
It makes me sick.
Westland is a Louisville, Ky., junior in journalism.