SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, April 13, 1994
11
Pepperdine coach hired by Wildcats
Forfeits give Jayhawks advantage
The Associated Press
1. 2.3
MANHATTAN, Kan. — Kansas State has hired Pepperdine coach Tom Asbury as head basketball coach, Max Urick, athletic director, announced yesterday.
in six seasons at Pepperdine,
Asbury guided the Waves to a 125-59
record and three NCAA tournament
berths.
At Kansas State he succeeds Dana Altman, who resigned at the end of the season to take the coaching job at Creighton.
Urick said in a news release, "Tom Asbury was targeted from the very beginning of our search, and to me he has the whole package.
"In the numerous references we received from his coaching peers, there is no doubt that he is considered one of the premier coaches and recruiters in Division I basketball."
Another candidate, Ohio coach Larry Hunter, announced yesterday that he had signed a new five-year contract with that school. Tulsa coach Tubby Smith withdrew from consideration last week.
"We've had a great run at Pepperdine, and it is a little sad to leave." Asbury said in the university's statement. "But we're going to a place with a higher energy level and a place with a tremendous amount of tradition."
Asbury plans to be in Manhattan tomorrow for a news conference, scheduled for 10:30 a.m.
Pepperdine won 20 or more games four times under Asbury, and never fewer than 17 games. The Waves finished 19-11 this season, which they ended with an overtime loss to Michigan in the first round of the NCAA Midwest Regional.
Asbury said he was excited to be coming to K-State.
He promised an up-tempo Wildcats team, but one that won't be "wild and crazy."
Valerie Bontrager / KANSAN
Asbury, 48, was an assistant at Peperdine for nine seasons before becoming head coach.
Senior Kim Rogers gets ready to serve during practice while her coach, Chuck Merzbacher, looks on. Rogers, Mindy Weiner and Abby Woods play their final home matches today at 2:30 p.m.
'Cats no threat for tennis team
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Kansas coach Chuck Merzbacher explained.
Although the Kansas and Kansas State women's tennis teams don't play until 2:30 p.m. today, the Jayhawks already enjoy a 3-0 lead against the Wildcats.
With only four players, the Wildcats were forced to forfeit the No. 5 and 6 singles spots as well as their No. 3 doubles spot.
By Matt Siegel
Kansan sportswriter
"They only have four players," Merzbacher said. "Two of their girls have mononucleosis, one player is injured, and another quit the team. We won't have to use the lower courts."
As if things weren't stacked against the Wildcats already, the Jayhawks are 4-0 in Big Eight Conference play, 18-2 overall and ranked No.5 in the nation.
The match originally was scheduled for the courts behind Allen Field House, but because of inclement weather, it may be moved to the Alvamar Racquet Club.
Kansas junior Nora Koves, who has won 17 consecutive matches and is 27-2 overall, said the unusual circumstances surrounding the match had made it difficult for her to have a lot of enthusiasm.
"It's hard to get really pumped," Koves said. "I'm going to try to practice some new things that I usually don't get a chance to work on. I don't understand why they only have four players, but I'm just going to work on some things that I need to improve and use the match as a practice match."
Even the fact that it is the Kansas seniors' final home match has lost some of its luster, Koves said. Kim Rogers, Mindy Weiner and Abby Woods will finish their home playing careers.
"I don't think K-State is the best match for their last time," Koves said.
Senior singles
records
Player Season Career
Kim Rogers 26-19 69-46
Mindy Weiner 34-8 103-41
Abby Woods 25-9 80-52
Today is the Kansas women's tennis team's final home match of the season. The Jayhawks play Kansas State at 2:30 p.m. at the Allen Field House courts. If it rains, the matches will be held at the Alvamar Racquet Club.
"it's kind of weird. I don't think about this being their last time because we still have a lot of tennis left to plav."
One Jayhawk who won't see action against K-State is junior Rebecca Jensen. She has a sore left shoulder and is expected to return for the Oklahoma and Oklahoma State matches. She also sat out against Nebraska and Iowa State this weekend. Jensen and Koves are ranked No. 2 in the nation in doubles.
Merzbacher said that he was unsure about the lineup for today's match but that he wanted to make sure that the seniors had an opportunity to play.
"They have won a lot of matches for us," Merzbacher said. "Mindy Weiner is 34-8. Kim Rogers is 26-19, and Abby Woods is 25-9. We're going to miss them. They are going to be tough to replace."
The seniors showed their mettle Sunday against Nebraska. The Jayhawks compensated for Jensen's absence by sliding Woods and Rogers into the No. 1 doubles spot. Woods and Rogers are ranked No. 11 in the nation and gained a 6-2, 6-4 victory. The Jayhawks defeated the Cornhuskers 7-2.
The Wildcats enter the match with a 4-14 record and on paper don't appear to pose much of a threat. But Merzbacher said the Jayhawks would have to show up prepared to play.
"We are in the driver seat," Merzbacher said. "But we don't want to fall asleep at the wheel."
KU lacrosse club sticking it to opponents
Veteran player helps team improve morale, record
By Dan Lara Special to the Kansan
After a 3-year absence, Beaty has returned, helping lead last year's 2-6 club to a 3-1 record this season.
Kansas lacrosse player Mike Beaty graduated in 1990 with a reputation as a top defenseman.
Kansas lacrosse defenseman Mike Beaty roams the field during a game against Missouri.
Beaty helped lead the club to an 11-1 victory Saturday against Missouri.
"The other teams hate him," senior Carl Schwarz said. "He makes the best guys look silly."
During Saturday's game against Missouri, Beaty showed just how silly the other guys could look.
Each time Missouri ventured into Kansas territory, Beaty was there, pressuring the Tigers or causing their shots to fly harmlessly out-of-bounds.
His play helped the Jayhawks take over on offense and get the 11-1 victory.
"His knowledge of the game is superior," Schwarz said. "He can take the ball away from anyone."
Junior Matt Thiesing, the club president who also plays defense, agreed.
Valerie Bontrager / KANSAN
"He is a very intense player." Thesing said.
"Hustlaid with eloquent grace, mouth biting glare."
Beaty first picked up a lacrosse stick use
summer before coming to Kansas in 1986. Beaty spent most of that summer and the next year learning the rules of lacrosse and improving his skills with the stick.
"It's the greatest game in the world," Beaty said. "Lacrosse is physical. Short of hockey, it's the only game in the world where you have to learn a true skill before you can get on the field."
Dan Grossman, who founded the Kansas lacrosse club with Beaty, Cory Powell, Bruce Cameron and Mark Glassman, said that Beaty had been important to the club.
"Mike picked up the sport very quickly," Grossman said. "Mike was involved with the team from the beginning."
The group of players started the club "for the love of the game," Grossman said.
Kansas' first lacrosse club had 15 players.
"He was a scorer," Grossman said. "He plowed offense really well."
"After that first year, it just grew and grew," Beaty said. "By the time I left, we had 70 guys on the roster. We almost got to the point where we had enough players for two teams."
On the field, Grossman said, Beaty earned respect for his knowledge of the game and his ability to play all the positions — attack, midfield, defense and goalie.
Beaty and the other founding members helped coach the younger players and started an annual end-of-the-year banquet to recognize players' accomplishments. They also moot opponents at a local bar after matches for a few drinks and to rehash memories.
Schwarz said Beaty was one of the best
"I've kind of grown accustomed to playing defense," Beaty said. "But it really doesn't matter to me. I'll play either one."
Beaty became president of the club his senior year and took responsibility for coaching the club and handling its mounds of paperwork. In the beginning, Grossman didn't think that he could handle the position.
"I was worried at first," Grossman said. "Mike has got a bad temper. But he had the commitment. He was very patient. He dealt with things that I wouldn't have had the patience for."
After Beaty graduated in 1909, the club had some rocky times that included losing seasons and bad leadership, Schwarz said.
"We tore the hell out of it," Schwarz said. "We didn't have permission to be on their field."
The club hit bottom last season, getting in trouble for playing two matches at a city park in the rain. Schwarz said.
The University fined the club $500 and ordered it to perform community service and clean the park once a month for a year, he said.
The future of the club was in question when classes started in August. Some players quit the team.
But unknown to many, Beaty returned last fall to earn a third degree, and some players looked to him to help get the team back together.
"We had a team meeting before the winter break," Schwarz said. "We talked about the
team we wanted to have."
The club decided to spread the administrative and coaching responsibilities among several people, he said.
Schwarz said that Beaty made a good coach
"Mike leads by example," Schwarz said.
"We showed us that lacrosse can be fun. We started to get back the players we had lost."
Although Beaty serves as team captain and coach, he is uncomfortable with the title of team leader.
"I'm sure there are some guys on the team that look at me as a leader," Beaty said. "I'm not comfortable with it because I don't have as much time as I would like to put into the team."
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