University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, August 24, 1977
3
KU basketball snares five
The Kansas Jayhawks have signed five high school and junior college basketball prospects to national scholarship agreements.
Darnell Valentine, an All-American guard from Wichita, topped the list. Kansas also signed Willmore Fowler, John Crawford, Jay Hurtt and Douglas "Booty" Neal.
Fowler, a 6-2 guard from Palmetto High School in Palmetto, Fla., comes to KU with an impressive list of credentials. Despite playing at a small school, Fowler made his share of All-American teams including the McDonald's Parade and Marche de West Point. Weeds also named him to the nation's top 100 by the Newspaper Enterprise Association.
**FOWLER STARTED** all four years at Palmetto, averaging 12.4 points as a freshman, 18.1 as a sophomore, 22.0 as a junior and 26.0 last year. He finished his career as 3.8 per cent shot hunter from the free throw line. 80.0 per cent markman from the free throw line.
Fowler averaged 11.5 rebounds during his career and became known for his high scoring ability.
CRAWFORD IS a 6-8 forward out of Northeast High School in Kansas City, Mt.
In addition to his All-American honors, Fowler was all-conference, all-county, all-area and all-state and was named the top player on the Sun Coast, Florida's west
Attention skips Hill; he focuses on recruits
Bob Hili, the newest member of the University of Kansas basketball coaching staff hasn't received the instant attention that assistant coach Lafayette Norwood received on his arrival last spring, but he isn't ongoing entirely unnoticed.
At least KU head coach Ted Owens has noticed him.
Hill, who for the past two seasons was an assistant coach at the University of Pittsburgh, was named to a similar position at KU in June.
And Owens, aware of Hill's talents in recruiting, didn't waste any time in putting him to work. Both men were on the West Coast to do some early recruiting for the 1978 season.
NEITHER WAS available for comment, but in a telephone interview earlier this summer Hill said, "I'm not very familiar with the personnel at KU or with the players, but understand they have good players forward and tradition here. I am looking forward to the challenge."
Hill's contacts in the East should be helpful in luring pre players to Ku. But Hill said that acquiring Eastern players give Ku instant success in basketball.
"I don't think Eastern players are better than Midwestern players," he said. "I think they are better."
"SINCE MORE players in the East come from the cities, most of the players play city-style ball, a different style of basketball from what you might find in Kansas."
Hill was a three-year letterman in both basketball and baseball at Bowling Green, from which he graduated in 1971. He signed a professional baseball contract with the San Diego Padres as a pitcher and a third baseman but soon gave up baseball to return to Bowling Green to earn a master's degree.
"The Padres wanted me as a pitcher, but the team had much of a future as a pitcher," he said.
WHILE EARNING his master's degree, Hill served as a graduate assistant coach during the 1971-72 season. The following year he joined the Bowling Green staff full-time.
His senior year was marked by a number of awards after he led Northeast 's to its first intercolateral League championship since the early 1980's.
In 1975, Hill joined Tim Grunner's staff at Pittsburgh to lead the Panthers' recruiting program and was credited with recruiting one of the finest groups in the University of Pittsburgh.
Hill, 28, was born in Columbus, Ohio. At Worthington High School he was a two sport standout and was named all-league in basketball and all-district in baseball.
Crawford was the league's most valuable player for two straight years and was voted the prestigious DiRanna Award. He also earned the title of World Champion and a Kansas City Star all-metro player.
Described by KU coach Ted Owens as a big, mobile man with a great shooting range, Crawford shot 55.8 per cent from the ground and upped that to 61.3 per last winter.
Coupled with his fine shooting, Crawford averaged 12.4 rebounds a game as a junior forward.
HURT IS a 6-7 forward from Allegany Community College in Cumberland, Md. A two-time all-regional performer in junior college, Hurt has a reputation as a quick, active forward with a better than average shooting touch. He never shuts his cent from the field at Allegany, hitting 60.2 last year and 62 per cent as a freshman.
As a freshman, Hurt scored 20.8 points per game and had an 11.2 rebounding mean. Last year, Hurt scored at a 16.4 point clip and pulled in 10.1 rebounds. He earned allieague and most valuable player honors both years in junior college.
The Ostrerville, Mass., native also had an outstanding precare career at Barsturable High School in Hynnis, Mass. He was an all-league selection three straight years and was all-state as a senior. He also was an all-conference football player.
NEAL IS a 6-5 swingman from Oxon High School in Oxon, Md. One of the top scorers in metropolitan Washington, D.C., Neal ended his senior year with a 28.6 scoring average that lead Prince Georges County, which encompasses much of Washington's eastern suburban area. He averaged 12 rebounds last year.
Neal, a member of the third team all-metro choice in the District of Columbia, also was chosen as an all-county player and as a starter in the Washington all-star team, which defeated the touring Russian junior team this spring.
Neal also was named one of the top 10 local "unusong heroes" by a Washington television station. In the preliminary all-star game to McDonald's Capitol Classic, he plays basketball and was voted the most valuable player in the Potomac Christmas Tournament.
Photo by DAVE WILLIAMS/Wichita Eagle and Beacon
Low profile
Darrell Valentine dribbles past an opponent in a prep contest last season in Wichita. The 6-1 guard from Wichita Heights High School averaged 26.1 points per game and was named to several
American teams his senior year. KU fans are boping Valentine will leave a trail of Big Eight opponents behind in his inaugural season.
"MINI JAYHAWK DAY"
afternoon, Sept. 4, the day before Labor Day, to see the Kansas City Royals play the Milwaukee Brewers.
All KU Faculty and Staff members are invited to join their fellow Jayhawks at Royals Stadium Sunday
For more information, contact the Kansas Alumni Association at 864-4760.
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