SPORTS UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, January 21, 1994
9
Kansas looks for elusive success at Iowa State
By Gerry Fey
Kansan sportswriter
Road games are always tough in the Big Eight Conference, but the burial ground for conference foes may be in Ames, Iowa. The Jayhawks travel to those grounds and will face Iowa State at 3:10 p.m. on Saturday.
The No. 1 Kansas men's basketball team enters the game, which will be televised by the Raycom network, at 16-2 overall and 1-1 in the conference, while Iowa State is 9-4 overall. Since the 1991-92 season, the Cyclones are
12-4 in the conference at home. But the Cyclones have lost two home games this season and quickly have fallen to 0-3 in the conference.
In its first conference game Jan. 3, Iowa State lost to Nebraska 78-72, which ended a 22-game winning streak at home.
The Cyclones apparently enjoy playing the Jayhawks at home. In the past 12 meetings at Ames, Iowa State has a 9-3 record against Kansas. Despite the impressive record, Kansas coach Roy Williams said playing at Iowa State's Hilton Coliseum
did not bother him.
"To me, it's just another arena," he said. "It's the other team. They really enjoy playing at home. I've never tried to put too big of an emphasis on how much more difficult it is to play on the road for us."
initely a difficult place to play, but I think that we are capable of winning there."
Kansas senior forward Patrick Richey, who started his only game last season against Iowa State in Ames, said every game in the conference was difficult.
"We did win there my freshman year and we've lost a couple close games to them." Richey said. "I think it's def-
Williams said Iowa State's junior frontline of forward Julius Michalik, forward Fred Hoiberg and center Loren Meyer was tough. But Meyer broke his collarbone earlier this week when he was in a truck that collided with a freight train.
"You hate to see that happen," Williams said of the accident. "We're in for a tough game regardless. Hoiberg, it isn't possible for him to have a bigger fan than I am. He does so
many big things and little things to help them win. Michalik gives you the 6-10, 6-11 size as a perimeter player. Those three can score."
An injury also has affected the Jayhawks. Senior forward Richard Scott is listed as probable for the game after suffering a mild concussion against Kansas State Monday. Williams was not sure of Scott's status, but said he would hate to have a situation similar to Iowa State's with Meyer.
"Over a short term, you can make up for the loss of one player sometimes," he said. "Over a longer term, it's going
to be a problem. The other night in the K-State game, I think the kids played very hard with the absence of Richard Scott. But I don't want to be without Richard for three or four or five games."
Richey said the key to winning on the road was to answer a scoring run from the home team.
"We've got to stay together as a team," he said. "They're going to have their runs. The crowd's really going to get into it and get behind them. We just have to maintain our poise."
Victory against Sooners is a tall order
OU's height and ailing Hawks present challenge for women
By Matt Siegel
Kansan sportswriter
The biggest challenge that the No. 8 Kansas women's basketball team faces tonight hails not from Oklahoma but from within. Two Kansas players, senior center Lisa Tate and freshmen guard Tamecka Dixon, may not play in tonight's game at Allen Field House.
"I'm really concerned right now," Kansas coach Marian Washington said. "I'm not really sure what their status will be for the game."
Tate was admitted to Watkins Health Center yesterday for flu-like symptoms. Dixon has been out all week with what Washington said she thought was a ruptured cyst.
"We can't be getting down on ourselves or think what are we going to do," junior forward Alana Slatter said. "We're sad that anybody is injured, but we just have to ignore it."
The timing of Tate's illness and Dixon's injury couldn't have been worse. Oklahoma is second in the Big Eight Conference, and they are the only team besides Kansas that is undefeated in conference play. The Sooners are 3-0 in the conference.
"It's hurts us thoroughly," Washington said. "With either one of them possibly not being able to play, it hurts our depth. Even if Tamecka and Lisa play, they are certainly not going to be at full speed."
Speed may be the key to the game because both teams like an up-tempo style of play. Oklahoma leads the conference in scoring, averaging 84.9 points a game. Kansas is second in the conference, averaging 81.3. Washington said that in order for Kansas to be effective they need to keep turnovers to a minimum and contain Oklahoma's 6-foot-2 junior forward Angi Guffy and 6-3 junior center Mandy Wade. Washington said that she was worried about Oklahoma's height advantage.
"They have a front line of 6-5, 6-4, 6-2 and 6-4," Washington said. "They have tremendous size. They're probably one of, if not the tallest team in the
conference."
Oklahoma has used their height advantage to post the highest field goal percentage in the conference. Their confidence has been helped by the play of sophomore forward Etta Maytuby, who is leading the conference in field goal percentage and averaging 22.3 points a game. She was named Sports Illustrated's player-of-the week last week. Junior guard Sharee Mitchum is leading the conference in assists and Guffy is fifth on the Big Eight Active career scoring list. Wade is one of the top 10 rebounders in the conference, averaging 7.1 rebounds a game. These contributions have keyed a Sooner six-game winning streak.
"They're one of the top scoring teams in the conference, so we know that they obviously know how to take the ball to the hole or shoot it outside," Slatter said. "Wherever they are attacking from, they can do. We just have to buckle down and play tough."
Even though the team may not be at full strength there are some positives Kansas can focus on. The Jayhawks are on an eight-game winning streak, and lead the conference in field goal percentage defense. Also, three players are averaging double figures in scoring.
Kansas is undefeated at home and has a 13-1 overall record, which is the best 14-game start in school history. Despite the fact that Oklahoma is 10-3, all of its losses have come on the road. Kansas' last game against Colorado drew a record crowd of* 13,500. Last season the team averaged 1,042 fans at home.
Apparently the Jayhawks' accomplishments don't impress fellow Division I coaches. Although they have won eight consecutive games and won twice last weekend, they dropped from No 8. to No.9 in the nation according to the USA Today's Coaches' Poll.
Valerie Bontrager / KANSAN
major forward Alana Slatter shoots a basket against freshman forward Jennifer Trapp yesterday during practice. The Jayhawks will battle Oklahoma for No. 1 in Big Fight Conference tonight in Allen Field House.
"I learned a long time ago that you can't depend on polls because they're very political," Washington said. "I think the fact that we won two ball games and dropped in the polls is a prime example."
Men's tennis opens tonight
Heather Lofflin / KANSAK
Seth Korey, Scottsdale, Ariz., junior, returns the ball during the men's tennis team practice at the Alvamar RacquetClub. The Jayhawks play Tusla at 6:30 p.m. today and face Illinois tomorrow at Alvamar. Kansas is led by Reid Slattery, a sophomore who is ranked No. 22 in the nation in singles.
By Matt Siegel
Kansan sportswriter
Kansan sportswriter
On most teams, starting three sophomores, two freshmen and a junior might lead one to think the team is in a rebuilding phase.
But that is not the case with the Kansas men's tennis team.
The team will be trying to build off what was considered a surprisingly successful fall season. Kansas finished with a 16-8 dual match record and placed third at the Big Eight Conference championships. The Jayhawks won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Rolex Invitational and the Region V Championships. The Jayhawks' impressive fall season earned them a No. 33 ranking.
"It's hard to beat us at any spot," Kansas coach Michael Center said. "We don't give anything away."
All this on a team void of any senior leadership.
"In a way we have a handful of leaders," said sophomore Reid Slattery. "A lot of us played last season against top players. We may be young, but we're not inexperienced."
Slattery, who is ranked No. 22 in the nation, is one of five returning sophomores who compiled winning singles records as freshmen. One of those sophomores, J.P. Vissepo, said that this season may be a breakthrough year for the team.
"There will be times that we will be down," said Vissepo, who competed at the No. 4 spot in singles for the jayhawks. "The key thing is that we're always going forward, always moving ahead toward that next step. We know that all of the hard work we've
done is going to show up down the line."
"Our final goal is to compete in the NCAA Tournament in South Bend, Indiana this May," Center said. "If we progress I think we're capable of making a dent at the NCAA Tournament. I think this team is capable of competing with any team in the country."
Center said that because of the team's work ethic he wasn't that concerned about its inexperience. He said he hoped its competitive nature would make up for whatever mistakes might occur.
"It's a different sport in a lot of ways," Center said. "You're kind of a lone ranger out there with no one to pass the ball to. Mentally you always have to be prepared to not have any letdowns."
Center said that he tried to help the team stay prepared mentally by stressing intensity, focusing and visualizing successful situations.
as for conference play, Center said that he expected the team to finish as one of the top four teams when conference play begins in April.
The men's tennis team opens match play at 6:30 p.m. today against Tulsa and tomorrow against Illinois at the Alvamar Racquet Club.Kansas will be tested by a non-conference schedule that includes highly touted teams such as Arkansas and Pepperdine.
Fornow, the team hopes this season will be as successful as last fall.
"I had a good feeling about the fall season," Vissepo said. "Actually, I was expecting the team to do well. Everybody just stepped it up a notch. Now we're excited about the spring season."
Back-up quarterback leaves Kansas football
By Andrew Gilman
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas back-up quarterback Fred Thomas, who lost his starting job to Asheli Preston after four games this season, has decided not to return to the Kansas football team next season.
Thomas, a fourth-year junior, would have been a senior with one year of eligibility remaining.
"Fred's a great young man," offensive coordinator Golden Ruel said. "Things didn't quite work out. He's set his priorities towards his education and that's fine. We wish him the best."
Thomas appeared in eight games, passed for 427 yards and a touchdown, and completed 42.7 percent of his 89 attempts, including a 75-yard pass to Dwayne Chandler against Western Carolina on Sept. 4, 1993. He also rushed for 55 yards and a touchdown.
Thomas, who plans to graduate in December 1996 with a business degree, said he had no difficulties with the team or the coaches.
" (My decision ) was stricly based on grades," he said. "I had no problems at all with the team, no problems."
Thomas would have been competing with Preston for the starting quarterback position next fall.
"I expected him to challenge for the position," Ruel said. "The QB is a vital position and you'd like to see as many people as possible be there for the team. Anytime someone chooses to not come back, he feels that he's not in a position to challenge."
Ruel said he was not surprised by Thomas's decision.
"It was not shocking," he said. "But we always hate to see anybody leave."
Ruel had only good things to say about Thomas.
"He's a great representative for our University," Ruel said.
Kansas coach Glen Mason was out of town recruiting and unavailable for comment.
Pippen arrested for gun possession
The Associated Press
CHICAGO — After a lackluster performance on the basketball court, Chicago Bulls forward Scottie Pippen's night got worse.
He was arrested shortly after midnight when a police officer checking out his illegally parked car noticed a gun in plain sight.
Pippen had been in a restaurant and had come outside while police were around his car.
Although he had a license for the loaded semi-automatic weapon, police said it did not entitle him to carry it in public.
Pippen was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, a misdemeanor, according to watch commander Walter Logan.
That meant fingerprinting and 45 minutes behind bars before his release on a $100 cash bond.