SPORTS
The University Daily KANSAN
March 6.1984 Page 12
Jim McCrossen/KANSAN
Calvin Thompson, always a devastating shooter, has become a complete player under coach Larry Brown during the Big Eight Conference season. Thompson and the Jayhawks will take on Oklahoma State tonight at Allen Field House.
'Pony' hits stride in Big Eight season
Calvin Thompson owns that smile. He is always the first one out on the court for pre-game warmups. Just one look at that smile and the "Pony" loves to play for the Jawhacks.
That toothy grin always radiates with the effervescent quality of a youngster visiting Baskin-Robbins for the first time. Instead of 31 years old, Ms. Robbins is generated by thousands of screening people.
"It's great," Thompson said about playing at KU. "My brother wanted me to come home with him Saturday after the game, but I wanted to stay here and go out because the fans here are so great. Like they say, there's no place like home."
BUT, AS THOMPSON will tell you, he has never had any problem on the offensive end of the court.
Thompson has certainly found a room playing guard for Larry Brown this season. The sophomore has matured into one of KU's more consistent players, scoring in double figures the
"Coach made me realize that there is more to the game than just shooting." Thompson said. "I've always been a shooter and I probably always will be. Coach told me that I have to help my teammates out and that he saw other qualities."
The transition was not an easy one for someone who was used to shooting whenever he got the urge.
"At first I was hesitant because I didn't know when to shoot and when to pass, and really what to do," he said. "Finally, coach just told me to go out and play."
Thompson has been shooting less and scoring more, while fitting into Brown's team concept. He shot 58.5 percent in Big Eight Conference games, fourth-in-the-league in the league at 90.2 percent in accuracy at 90.2 percent. He has a current string of 31 consecutive free throws, a KU record.
"I ALWAYS KNEW he could play." Brown
said, "he was just more of him adjusting to the
system."
Brown said that last week was an excellent example of Thompson's attitude towards im-
"What really made me happy was that I came down on Calvin hard after the Colorado game." Brown said. "I was pretty tough on the whole game, but I had a lot of problems so was unselfish, and that shows he is trying."
Thompson has not only tried, he has succeeded. But, he says, he is not the only one who
JEFF CRAVENS
Sports Editor
has learned how to play within Larry Brown's system.
"Couch has been on us so much that right now, there aren't a whole lot of bad shots being taken," he said. "My shots have been good shots. Like the last game, most of my shots were
AGAINST OKLAHOMA STATE, Thompson hit five-of-six shots including three alley-oop dunks. He also had four assists and four blocked shots. He said that he was fooling around one day in practice and Brown saw him working on the alley-oop play and decided to use it.
"I used to dunk all of the time in high school," said the Wyandotte High School product. "I'm just trying to take the high percentage shots."
ALTHOUGH HE HAS been scoring well, Thompson has improved in other areas.
"I feel I am becoming more of a complete placer." Thompson said. "He wants us (the
guards) to help out on the boards, and lately I've been getting three or four rebounds a game.
Since the beginning of the conference season, the Jayhawks have jellied, something the team doesn't.
"We talked a lot about what kind of team we wanted to have and we figured that when we started playing like that, everything would fall into place." Thompson said. "No one had much
KU came into January trying to recoup from the loss of forward Kerry Boagni and point guard Cedric Hunter, but Thompson said the team was prepared to deal with Boagni's departure.
"It IT WAS SORT of the same as when coach Owens was fired," he said. "We had grown close to him. We had to go on. It was just like I told the team last year, we couldn't fall apart and start fighting and talking about transferring. We had been expected to fall apart, because everyone expected us to fall apart."
Brown said that Thompson was still developing as a player.
“It’s such a learning process as he tries to work on different things,” Brown said. “He’s a great leaper and will continue to improve as he loses weight. He’s still not physically mature
While Thompson's game has changed, his nickname hasn't. He has been known as "Pony" since his days in elementary school.
ISU, OU lead selections for all-Big 8 teams Jayhawks' Henry selected for first team Knight, Thompson left out
"MY FATHER'S NAME was Horace, but the kids thought it was horse, so they started calling me Pony," he said. "It caught on up here and I got it wrong." When they met, and the fans have startled chanting it.
Like a young foal, Thompson struggled to get up on his feet with Brown. Many of the things he was doing were foreign to him, but he struggled along, slowly feeling his way through needles and bumps. Now he is showing off his all-around abilities. The Pony has become a thoroughbred.
By United Press International
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Center Wayman Tisdale, who carried his country to a gold medal at the Pan American Games last summer and the Oklahoma Sooners to a conference championship this winter, was the winner of the Big Eight International's 1984 All-Big Eight Conference basketball team.
Tisdale was joined on the first team by 6-11 Nebraska center Dave Hoppen. 6-5 Iowa State forward Barry Stevens, 6-4 Kansas swingman Carl Henry and 6-3 Colorado guard Jay Humphries. Hoppen is a sophomore. Stevens is a junior. Senior seniors and all are first-time All-Big Eight selections.
The 6-foot-9 sophomore Tisdale was a unanimous choice for the second straight season and, if he doesn't turn pro prematurely, is in line to join Darnell Valentine of Kansas as the only players in Big Eight history to earn all-league honors four consecutive years.
NAMED TO THE second team were Oklahoma State forwards Joe Atkinson and Raymond Creshman, Oklahoma's freshman guard Tim
McCalister, Kansas State center Eddie Elder and Colorado forward Alex Stirrins.
Those given honorable mention distinction were Greg Cavender, Malcolm Thomas, Missouri; Stan Cloudy, Nebraska; Ron Harris, Jeff Hornacek, Iowa State; and Jan Pannell, Oklahoma.
"I remember guys like Walt Blailey, Jerry Lucas and Terry Dischinger," Iowa State coach Johnny Orr said. "I thought those guys were really good. But they are second-rate players. We were all great players in their day, but Tisdale is unreal. He's as good a player as I've seen."
Tisdale led the Big Eight in both scoring and rebounding for the second consecutive year, averaging 26.6 points and 9.8 rebounds for the 27-3 Sooners. He set a Big Eight record with 61 points in a December game against Abilene Christian and topped 30 points on all other occasions.
HOPPEN AND TISDAE were the only two Big Eight players to score in double figures in every game this season. Hoppen was third in the league in scoring with an average of 20 points a game, posting career highs
of 28 points against Kansas and 14 rebounds against Augusta.
Stevens was second in the Big Eight in scoring with an average of 22.6 points per game, helping Iowa State post its first winning season (16-11) in six years. He had games of 37 points against Arizona, 34 points against Vanderbilt and 11 rebounds against Kansas.
"Jay could be the first guard to go in the NBA draft," Brown said.
Henry led the league-runeruper Jayhawks in scoring, with an average of 16.5 points a game. He had 25 points in games against Iowa State and Oklahoma State. 23 points in games against Houston, Nebraska and Kansas State, and on four occasions rebounded in double figures.
Humphries ranked ninth in the Big Eight in scoring with an average of 15.4 points a game, three in assists with 157 and first in steals with 98.
"Had not Wayman Tisdale been in the league, Carl Henry would be player of the year in our opinion." Kansas coach Larry Brown said. "He's hit the big shots for us, he's hit the ball the most he's shooting a high percentage from the field. He's done everything we've asked."
By GREG DAMMAN Sports Writer
The opening round of the Big Eight Conference Post-Season Basketball Tournament begins tonight with the Kansas Jayhawks meeting the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Allen Field House for the second time in four days.
The game will be part of a televised doubleheader, which will include the Oklahoma - Missouri match. The Oklahoma State game at 9:10 p.m. Oklahoma State game at 9:10 p.m.
The Jayhawks defeated the Cowboys 91-70 Saturday and will be trying for the same result tonight.
"There's no reason we shouldn't be ready," Kansas coach Larry Brown said. "But they are a heck of a team and have two great players."
THE TWO GREAT players Brown is talking about are forwards Joe Atkinson and Raymond Crenshaw. Atkinson and Crenshaw yesterday were named second-team All-Big Eight by United Press International. During the conference season, Atkinson averaged 17.4 points a game and Crenshaw averaged 17.2 points a game.
"I think we'll be more ready than we were Saturday." Kansas forward Kelly Knight said. "It's the seniors' last game in Allen Field House."
as far as the All-Big Eight team is concerned, KU forward Carl Henry was named to the first team as ex-goalie. The goalie also added to be gain honorable mention.
"I knew I was going to make it," Henry said. "So it doesn't really faze me."
Calvin Thompson, who has averaged 12.9 points a game during the conference season, with a field goal shooting percentage of 38.6 percent and a field goal percentage of 90.2 percent, tops in the league, also was not mentioned.
"Those are the breaks," Thompson said. "But I'm not worried about not making it. I'm worried about Kelly being left out."
KNIGHT SAID, "I didn't really expect to make it. But when the last place team has a guy on the second team it tells you something about who's picking the team."
Senior Brian Martin said, "They just overlooked Kelly. He had a good wear."
Brown upset with sales for tonight's OSU game
By the Kansan Staff
Although KU coach Larry Brown is happy that the Kansas Jayhawks earned a home court advantage for tonight's open round of the Big Eight Conference tournament, he is not pleased about the low ticket sales.
Ticket manager Terry Johnson said yesterday that only 4,000 tickets had been sold for the game against Oklahoma State. Less than half, he said, were student tickets. He said he had final tests to reach about 6,000.
"I'm crushed," Brown said yesterday. "The crowd has been such a factor all season. We get the home court advantage and then we don't have anyone there."
KU has had a history of not drawing well in the first round of tournament play. However, officials at Oklahoma and Iowa State are expecting a sellout, and Nebraska had 3,000 tickets left going into yesterday's sales.
Solari moved up as Gottfried rearranges staff for'84 season
"I'm hopeful," he said. "We've still got time. But it's frustrating. Even the Oklahoma State players commented on the crowd, the crowd has the crowd on the same Saturday."
Johnson attributed the weak sales to the game's late starting time of 9:10 p.m. and to the fact that the Jayhawks are OSU for the second time in four days.
"It was not the most exciting game in the world," he said of the Jawahreskis it bore.
BROWN SAID he had still not given up on having a big crowd tonight.
KU freshman outfieldier John Hart accepts the congratulations of Jayhawk teammates Chuck Christensen, Joe Heeney and Bill Yellon after hitting his second grand slam of the inning in the second game of a double-header. Hart helped lead the Jayhawks to 7-4 and 17-3 victories over Missouri Western yesterday at Quigley Field.
Robert B. Waddill/KANSAN
KU football coach Mike Gottfried yesterday announced several realignments in his coaching staff for the 1984 foulth season.
By the Kansan Staff
1000-foot state.
Mike Solart, offensive line coach last year, will take on additional responsibilities as offensive coordinator. Mike Sheppard, offensive coordinator and quarterback coach last year, resigned in December to become head coach at Long Beach State.
Sheppard's duties as quarterback coach will be handled by Mike Dickens, who was the receivers coach last
"The good thing about having a defensive backfield coach change to receivers coach is that we will get a different team trained with the attired said. Would be a big help."
catch last season, will take over Dickens' job.
LINEBACKER COACH Mike Monos will move to defensive tackle coach and defensive coordinator Ron Zook will responsibilities as linebacker coach.
Last week, Gottfried announced that Vince Hoch had been hired as assistant head coach and defensive secondary coach.
Hart leads KU in two-game sweep
Sports Writer
By PHIL ELLENBECKER
Freshman outfielder John Hart continued his torrid hitting while leading the Kansas baseball team to a double-header sweep of Missouri Western yesterday afternoon at Quigley Field.
Hart, wart who went for eight in KU's season opening double-heater on Friday, went six for eight yesterday, including two grand slam home runs in
the second inning of the second game.
He now has three homers for the year.
KU scored 14 runs in that innning on the way to a 17-3 rout of the Missouri team. The game was called after five innings because of the 10-run rule.
Right-hander Kevin Kroeker went the distance to pick up the victory. He allowed four hits and two earned runs, struck out four batters and walked four.
Other Jayhawk batters who feasted on the Western pitching in the second game were center fielder Bill Yelton, who went three for four with a homer
and three runs batted in, and catcher Rob Thomson, who went three for four on third base.
with a wristband. Mike Ingram and third baseman Chuck Christenson added two hits apiece in the 14-hit attack.
Chris Ackley.
KU, 3-1, finishes its homestead today with a double-header against William Jewell, starting at 1 p.m.
Hart rapped three singles and drove in two runs as KU won the first game 7-4. Startling pitcher Duke Lohr picked up with relief help from Chris Ackley.
By United Press International
QB signs pact for four years, $40 million
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — The Los Angeles Express of the United States Football League, offering "the market price, not overpaying," yesterday signed All-America quarterback Steve Young to a four-year contract considered the richest pact in the history of professional sports.
Financial terms were not disclosed at a news conference, but reports have indicated that the Brigham Young quarterback's pact is worth up to $40 million, including deferred payments and charitable donations.
"You have to pay market value. Express owner Bill Olderburg said, "We must offer America and the exercised that choice. It is a market price, not overpaying."
THE CONTRACT reportedly pays Young about $2 million for each of the next four years. It also includes money for a 20-year scholarship fund at BYU and for Mormon missionary work. Young is a great-great-grandson of Brigham Young, the Mormon church patriarch.
"It it was a tough decision, but I followed my heart," Young said. "I'm excited about this day. I'm looking forward to like nothing else in my life. This is not a lifetime decision. It's tough to have foresight at 22."
Young, who set more than a dozen NCAA records at BYU and was runnerup in the Heisman Trophy balloting behind Nebraska before the SEC playoff SLF after rejecting an offer from the National Football League's Cincinnati Bengals.
Insisting he wasn't spending long hours counting the zeros on the contract, Young said he did have some personal plans for the lump sum.
YOUNG, WHO WILL start workouts with the Express this week, is not expected to play Sunday when the team visits the Oakland Invaders. Former UCLA quarterback Tom Ramsey started the club's first two games, and rookie Frank Seurer of Kansas is also on the roster.
"I hope to fix up my car and take my girlfriend out to dinner, which I haven't done for four years, except for Me-Donalds," he said.
Agent Leigh Steinberg, whom Young described as "my friend, not my attorney," said he negotiated with club president Don Klosterman.
"It was not a decision made because of money." Steinberg said. "Steve is giving a significant amount to Brigham Young University and he's matching dollars with the Express to go to Los Angeles charities."
When asked whether the contract was the richest in history, Steinberg replied, "Is the IRS out there somewhere? I hate to characterize contracts, but I've not seen anything comparable to it."
KLOSTERMAN SAID he hadn't either.
"In my judgment, it's the highest in history," he said.
The USFL's New Jersey Generals signed 1928 Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker to an $8 million pact a year ago. In recent years, Moses Malone of the AMA's Big Ten team won the IAA worth $13.2 million and Dave Winfield of the New York Yankees inked a 10-year pact worth $15 million.