JAYHAWK
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Basketball
Should Earl face punishment?
If the NCAA's allegations against Lousiana State are true, Lester Earl is just as guilty as the school, writes Mike Vaccaro of The Kansas City Star. SEE PAGE 3B
Yesterday's game - Kansas vs. Oklahoma State
KANSAS
12-3,4-2
UNRANKED
56
OKLA. STATE 11-5, 4-2 UNRANKED
WWW.JHAWKBBALL.COM
SECTION B, PAGE 1
51
THURSDAY, JANUARY 22.1998
Women extend home win streak
Robbins' late three-pointer preserves win for Jayhawks
Kansas guard Jennifer Jackson looks to set up the offense and slow the pace of the game. Jackson had three points and led the team with three steals. The next women's game is against Texas Tech on Saturday in Lubbock, Texas. Photo by Dan Elavsky/KANSAN
By Kevin C. Wilson Kansan sportswriter
Shandy Robbins drove a stake into the heart of the Oklahoma State Cowgirls last night in Allen Field House.
The guard's three-pointer with 31 seconds left in the game lifted the Kansas women's basketball team to a 56-51 victory, preserving the team's perfect home record this season.
Both teams had difficulty shooting the ball. Kansas shot 37 percent from the field, and Oklahoma State hit only 31 percent for the game after hitting a palty 27 percent in the second half.
Kansas women's coach Marian Washington said her players were frustrated by their woeful shooting.
"When we struggle shooting- wise, it seems to spread throughout the team," Washington said. "Since we weren't shooting the ball as well, we needed to get the ball inside ... and at least get ourselves on the line."
In the second half, the Jayhawks did just that. After hitting just two of four from the line in the first half, the Jayhawks connected on 11 of 14 free throws
after intermission.
Kansas also was successful in getting the ball down low to its post players late in the game, as Nakia Sanford scored eight of her 12 points in the second half.
"I think Nakia had a very fine game for us tonight, both scoring and on the boards," Washington said.
Sanford said that she usually was not looked at to score, but tonight was different.
"I'm not that much of an offensive player, but this game that came out of me," Sanford said.
Forward Lynn Pride struggled offensively with three of 14 shooting from the field and five turnovers but did have a strong night on defensive. Pride held Cowgirls forward Renee Roberts to one of 11 shooting.
"A great player finds a way to contribute," Washington said. "If it's not scoring, then they're going to help us on defense."
Guard Jennifer Crow led Oklahoma State with 14 points despite shooting four of 11 from the field.
The Jayhawks improved to 12-3 overall and 4-2 in the Big 12.
They will play the Lady Raiders on Saturday in Lubbock, Texas.
Reserve guard seals victory
By Erin Thompson
Kansan sportswriter
Shandy Robbins did not think, she just shot the ball.
Last night, Robbins led the Kansas women's basketball team to a 56-51 victory against Oklahoma State. The reserve guard secured the win for the Jayhawks when she hit a three-point shot with 34 seconds left to expand the lead from one to four points at 55-51.
After a missed shot by guard
"I'm usually thinking too much about my shooting," she said. "Tonight, I didn't think about it. I just squared up and shot."
Jennifer Jackson, Robbins grabbed the rebound, passed the ball to Lynn Pride, got it back and shot the three-pointer.
Kansas women's coach Marian Washington said Robbins gave the team a boost.
"We have different players at different times who step off the bench and give us that
spark," Washington said. "Tonight, it was Shandy. Her shot at the end was really key, absolutely key, to our win."
Robbins came off the bench to score 11 points in only 24 minutes. Guard Suzi Raymant, who had been averaging 15.1 points a game, had only nine points, and forward Lynn Pride, who had been averaging 16.4 points a game, had only eight points.
Robbins said, "When the others aren't making shots, someone has to step up."
Robbins was three for three on three-point shot attempts and made two key three-point shots during the last minute of the first half.
Before last night, she had been struggling with her three-point shooting, hitting just 27 percent from outside this season.
"I've not had a good shooting season so far, so I've been real down on myself," Robbins said. "Tonight, I was just shooting."
WOMENS' BOX SCORES
Kansas 56, Oklahoma State 51
Oklahoma State (11-5. 4-2)
Roberts 1-11 2-1 2, Edwards 4-13 0-9,
Magnness 2-7 2-2 6, Jackson 2-5 2-4
Crow 4-13 3-1 54, Boyd 3-7 0-18, Gregg 2-4
0-4. Totals 18-58 9-14 51.
Kansas (12-3,4-2)
Pride 3-14 2-2 8. Johnson 3-6 2-2 8. San
Halftime — Oklahoma State 27
Kansas 3-5. Three-Point goals — Oklahoma State 6-16 (Crow 3-7, Boyd 2-3,
Edwards 1-5, Jackson 0-1), Kansas 5-8 (Robbins 3-3, Raymont 1-3, Pruitt 1-1)
Assists— Oklahoma State 10 (Roberts, Jackson, Boyd, Gregg 2), Kansas 11 (Pride 6).
ford 4-8 4-7 12, Raymont 3-9 2-2 9, Jackson
son 0-4 3-14, Pruitt 1-1 0-0 3, Scott 0-1 0-0
, Robbins 4-6 0-1 11, White 1-2 0-0 2.
Totals 19-51 13-18 56.
Rebounds — Oklahoma State 40 (Edwards 10). Kansas 38 (Sanford 8).
Fouled out—none.
Technical foul—none.
Attendance—1,100.
Attendance—1.100.
Forward Lynn Pride drives past an Oklahoma State player and shoots, Prince, who had eight points and two blocks, helped the Jayhawks beat the Cowboys 56-51 last night at Allen Field House. Photo by Dan Elvarsky/KANSAN
Earl's recruitment at LSU still under scrutiny
NCAA directs inquiry toward former coaches
By Tommy Gallagher
tgallagher@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The NCAA's key witness in the investigation behind Louisiana State's recruitment of Lester Earl appears to have been Earl himself.
Bob Frederick, Kansas director of athletics, said during his weekly radio talk show Tuesday night that Earl and Kansas cooperated with the NCAA during its investigation of the LSU basketball program.
"Lester was granted limited immunity (for his) cooperation with the NCAA." Frederick said. "He cooperated with the Fredrick. The University of Kansas cooperated with the NCAA. And Lester's eligibility at Kansas will never be in question."
Earl, a native of Baton Rouge, La., and Kansas coach Roy Williams declined to
Many of the allegations are directed toward former LSU assistant Johnny Jones, now the associate head coach at the University of Memphis. Jones received a copy of the official inquiry from the NCAA on Tuesday. The inquiry addressed Earl's recruitment when Jones coached at LSU from fall 1995 to December 1996.
comment.
Jones allegedly paid Earl $6,600 during the time that he was a senior at Glen Oaks High School and a freshman at LSU.
The Crawford Law Firm in Des Moines, Iowa, which represents Jones, denied Tuesday that Jones was involved in any
Some of the money allegedly went toward car and insurance payments.
Earl: Granted limited immunity for his cooperation
improper actions at LSU
Iowa lawyer Jerry Crawford said he was skeptical of Earl's version of the story.
"Earl told the NCAA that Coach Jones gave him $500 per month to make his truck and insurance payments in August, September, October and November of 1996," Crawford said. "This is pretty amusing considering that Earl did not make all of those payments and the truck was repossessed in December."
The Baton Rouge Advocate reported yesterday that Jones also arranged a meeting between former recruit Earl and Redfield Brvan, a local physician.
Bryan's lawyer, Gordon Pugh, said in a written statement that Bryan admitted giving Earl between $2,800 and $4,000.
Bryan said he gave Earl about $2,000 at that meeting and offered additional cash payments if he agreed to attend LSU. After Earl signed a letter-of-intent with LSU, Bryan provided him with cash on at least four other occasions, according to Pugh.
"Redfield Bryan acknowledges that
Lester Earl came to his office on several occasions and expressed the dire need o his family for financial assistance and that he did on these occasions give Lester Ear money," Pugh said.
The NCAA said that Jones and Bryan, with the encouragement of former LSU coach Dale Brown, helped Earl's sister, LaWanda, and Earl's mother, Carol Earl Sanders, obtain jobs. Earl's mother said Tuesday that the Earl family did receive improper benefits from the LSU program.
But Earl's testimony for the NCAA ultimately may have saved his basketball eligibility.
"The more difficult issue for us typically is how to prove whether there are such violations or not," Berst said. "More often, when we are investigating particular institutions, we seek information from student athletes and transfers without jeopardizing their eligibility."
Steve Berst, the NCAA director of enforcement, said the NCAA tried to protect student-athletes.
Fans must weigh Earl's conduct, not cheer blindly
Lester Earl is a sleazy, corrupt moneygrubber who has tarnished Kansas' basketball reputation by allegedly accepting payment from Louisiana State.
Or, is he a confused kid — baffled by the NCAA's many rules and regulations, torn by the conflict between hometown pressures and his own desires — who is trying to do the right thine?
Or, is he above all a Kansas men's basketball player, someone who deserves our admiration and respect simply because he is a Jayhawk?
The view you take directly is related to where you live, where you go to school and where your allegiances lie.
Eric Weslander sports@kansan.com
In other words, if you are a Kansas State or
Missouri fan, you are pretty happy right about now. Imagine, a faint blemish on the Kansas program. Kansas is the bully of the Big 12 Conference, yet a bully that is seen across the country as respectable, morally upright and straightforward.
But one of the pristine program's star players is smack dab in the middle of a serious NCAA scandal. That is a fact.
I know, I know. It is LSU that is being investigated, not Kansas. Kansas acted in good faith through out Earl's recruitment and ensuing transfer. The program has done nothing wrong.
Isn't that what we want in college athletics: to have something we can use against our rival teams?
Kansas State's Manny Dies down the door of a student journalist. Former Nebraska running back Lawrence Phillips forcefully assisted his girlfriend down a flight of stairs.
Well, here you go Kansas State and Mizzo fouz. Here is your fodder.
If you are a Kansas fan, the matter becomes a little more difficult. Earl is cleared of any wrongdoing according to NCAA standards, but what about moral standards?
And think about it this way: If Earl had transferred to, say, Kansas State instead of Kansas, what would we be saying about him right now? We probably would be calling him a crook.
While you are sitting on your rumps in late March, you can watch Kansas advance in the NCAA tournament and whine about how the only reason we do well is that we have a scandal-ridden program. Enjoy the NIT.
As a rule, Kansas basketball fans do not want to admit that their favorite players can do anything wrong. Jason Sutherland was a "dirty" player; Jerod Haase was a "scrapy" player. Any Missouri fan would say exactly the opposite.
First, no 18-year-old high school student can be expected to know all of the ins and outs of the NCAA's recruiting regulations. Then again, a player should realize something is wrong if someone hands him a wad of bills.
So, can we justify Earl's alleged acceptance of the money and favors without being blinded by our school loyalty?
Second, Earl has complied fully with the NCAA's requests for information about his recruitment.
We sure as hell can try.
Does that excuse his alleged acceptance of money in the first place? Of course not. His compliance with the NCAA only ensures that he will not be touched by the LSU investigation.
The justifications seem to fall flat when you think about it.
But, we will never understand the kind of pressures, confusion and inner turmil that Earl experienced during his high school years and his one ill-fated semester at LSU.
"It was like everything was on me," he said. "I had to do this, and I had to do that, and I can't do it... I couldn't carry the whole program by myself."
Everyone around him wanted him to stay in Louisiana and be a basketball messiah. He wanted to leave.
He gave into their pressures and look what has happened.
No wonder there was such a hassle when Earl tried to officially leave LSU last spring. No wonder he's glad to be at Kansas.
Westland is an Louisville, Ky., junior in journalism.