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Page 14 University Daily Kansan, December 4, 1981
BOB GREENSPAN/Kansan Staff
Tony Guy tries to intercept Texas Southern's Alton Jefferson's pass in Wednesday night's game. The Jayhawks, who beat the Tigers, 67-45, will go for their third straight victory tomorrow when they host Michigan State.
Jayhawks hope to increase meager shooting percentage
By RON HAGGSTROM Associate Sports Editor
The Kansas Jayhawks will play their third straight home game tomorrow against Michigan State at 7:35 p.m. in Allen Field House.
KU will try to extend its winning streak to three games after narrow victories over Arizona State, 63-62, and Texas Southern. 67-45.
The reason KU has been struggling the last two games is its field goal percentage.
SINCE THEIR opening season loss to O.1 ranked North Carolina, 74-67, the Jayhawks have been struggling at home.
"I thought our strength would be shooting and it's been very poor in our last two games." Coach Ted Owens said of the shotguns, they just must not go down.
"It's hard to win games shooting 35 percent. But we've won two in a row. It seems like the case."
At home the Jayhawks have con-
trolls and a constant of their shots
hitting 7 of 12 attempts.
With the exception of center Kelly Knights, who has hit 15 of 27 shots, no other starter has hit on 50 percent of his shots.
FORWARD JEFF DISHMAN has gone 5 for 12 and his counterpart, co-captain David Magley, is 13 of 36.
At the guard position Lance Hill is 2 of 5 and KU's other co-captain, Tony Gau, a 53.7 percent shooter last year, is 8 of 27.
Besides the starters, the bench has also failed to fill up the net.
Tyke Peacock, who hit the short jump shot that beat Arizona State, has been the only reserve to hit a field goal. Peacock has gone 4 for 10.
The rest of the bench is 0 for 10 in the two games.
"When you can shoot 35 percent and win, you're doing a lot of things well," Owens said. "In spite of our narrow victory (over Texas Southern) on our home court, I was more pleased than the other night (again against Arizona State)."
THE DIFFERENCE in being 2-1 and perhaps 0-3 has been the turnovers. So far this season the Jayhawks have their opponents committed 39.
Michigan State brings the same kind of team to Allen Field House as the Jets. The Lakers and the Browns will
The Spartans return only two starters from their team that went 13-14 last year and have nine players on their team are either freshmen or sophomores.
Although the team is inexperienced, Michigan State Coach Jud Heathcote said before the season that by the end of the year his club could be nationally ranked or as good as teams in the top 20.
TOWER, a 6-foot-8 sophomore forward, averaged 5 points and 3.8 rebounds a game last year. So far this season he averaged 3.3 points and 5.6 rebounds.
Smith, a 6-2 senior guard who was a second team All-Big Ten selection last year, is averaging 15 points, 2.6 rebounds and 5 assists a game.
The returning players for the Spartans are Ben Tower and Kevin Smith.
Joining Smith in the backcourt is freshman sensation Sam Vincent. Vincent averaged more than 25 points and 12 assists a game his senior year in high school. During the Spartans first three games he averaged 14 points.
Tower will be joined in the front court by 6-6 junior Derek Perry. Perry has Michigan State so far this season, earning 21.8 points and 13.5 rebounds a game.
Heathcote's main concern has to be at center where the Spartans lost Jay Vincent (Sam's older brother), last year's scoring leader in the Big Ten conference.
VINCENTS replacement will be either Richard Mudd, 6-8, or Evari Perez, 6-8. Both players are sophomores averaging 2 points a game. Mudd is averaging 1.5 rebounds a game and Perez is averaging 2.6.
Women looking for fifth victory against Drake
Michigan State, 2-1, lost its only game when Mudd was hurt.
The Spartans have beaten Central Michigan, 89-70, and Detroit, 65-12, in overtime. Their loss came at the hands of Western Michigan, 83-70.
Kansas' and Michigan State's career record against each other is 1-1. The last time these two teams met was in 1979, when Michigan State clobbered the Jayhawks, 85-61. The Spartans went on to win the NCAA Tournament.
"They're an outstanding team," Owens said. "They have very quick guards."
"In order to have a successful year we will have to win the close games," Owens said.
Saturday's encounter will probably be another close game for the Jayhawks.
After four straight games on the road, the Kansas women's basketball team will return to the friendly confines of Allen Field House tomorrow to take on the Drake Bulldogs at 5:15 p.m. in the first doubleheader of the season.
The Jayhawks, 4-1, have their work cut out for them against Drake. The Buildings, 3-1, return all five starters from last year's 26-7 team, including 6-foot 3 center Lorri Bauman, who averaged 25.5 points a game last season. Other starters include 6-4 forward Jan Kreger, 5-10 forward Amy McDermitt, 5-10 guard Comil Newlin and 6-guard Kari Riek.
ALTHOUGH THE Bulldogs are a more experienced team than the Jayhawks, KU head coach Marian Washington said she felt her team had gained a lot of experience and confidence so far this season.
"We have a confident team defensive," Washington said. "We'll hit the floor against Drake thinking defense."
Although Washington said she was pleased with the team's progress on defense, they still have some work to do in defense, especially the running game.
The Jayawhacks have played very strong defense this year. Although they were beaten bad by Louisiana Tech, the nation's No. 1 team, they did hold their scoreleast twice for over five minutes. In last Wednesday's game against Wrighton, the Blue Jays only managed to get 33 points on 30 percent shooting.
"If we can get our running game, I think we can run on them," she
said. "We have the potential; it's just a matter of execution."
One person who hasn't been having trouble offensively is 6-0 forward Tracy Claxton, Claxton, who scored 18 points against Creighton Wednesday, is averaging 20.8 points and 17 rebounds a game.
BESIDES CLAXTON, Washington said she planned on starting 5-10 guard Angie Snider, 5-9 forward Angie Taylor, 5-9 guard Robin Smith and 5-7 forward Rose Peeples. Shyra Holden should also see action. The 6-1 center, who didn't want to participate in some tests she had to take, will suit up tomorrow, according to Washington.
Drake Head Coach Carole Baumgartner said that although she did have five veteran starters, the Bulldogs still aren't playing up to their potential.
"When all the starters are back, everyone expects us to look like we did last year," Baumgarten said. "We've still got a lot of rough edges yet."
Baugarnet, who has an impressive 142-83 coaching record at Drake, said the key to beating the Jayhawks would be to play strong defense.
“Kansas has always been a good and quick basketball team.” Baumgarten said. “We’re just going to have to play sufer defense and slow them down.”
This will be the ninth meeting between the two schools. The Jayhawks have a 5-3 lead in the series, winning the last game 77-61 in Des Moines.
JAYHAWK NOTES: The Jayhawks moved on another nite in the national ratings this week, up from 11th to 11th.
Hockey
Basketball
NATIONAL YOUTH RESULTS
National Youth Resuscitation
Washington 14, New York
Washington 109,
San Diego 114,
San Diego 114.
Football WESTERN STREET'S RESULT National Football League Houston 11, Cleveland 17
YESTERDAY'S RESULTS
National Hockey League
Boston 6, Buffalo 1
Minnesota 2, Chicago 0
Philadelphia 6, Calgary 1
Challenge Ladder Tournament
Women's Division Champion
Nora Flack
Division Champion
Scott Jarvus
Raquetball
Valentine finds niche in NBA
By RON HAGGSTROM
Associate Sports Editor
"THERE are no zone defenses and there's the 24-second clock. A team has to move the ball to survive."
"The transition wasn't that great because it's quick-paced," Valentine said. "I think my talents are more related to the NBA, instead of zone defenses."
Most college players have trouble making the adjustment to the NBA. But not Darnell Valentine.
The former Kansas guard got to show off his talents Wednesday night when he returned to the Kansas City Trail Blazers met the Kings.
The No.1 draft choice of Portland and the 16th pick overall, Valentine hit his first four shots of the game and, before finishing the evening, hit seven of 12 from the field and five of six from the free throw line.
Portland's general manager, Stu Inman, pointed to Valentine's lack of shooting ability when he signed his five-year contract with the Trail Blazers, but he said he could still be a major factor in his rookie season.
It took Valentine $2\frac{1}{2}$ minutes to get his first basket of the evening. Jim Paxson gave him a fast break and Valentine went in for a table.
Valentine responded, scoring a career-high 19 points and also added six assists, five steals and three rebounds on the Trail Blazers to a 112-107 victory.
"His only weakness is with his offense," Trail Blazers Coach Jack Ramsay said. "But that is better than expected."
"PEOPLE AT times have doubted my shooting ability," Valentine said. "Everybody's got an opinion. I just try to do as well as I can."
On the year, Valentine has connected on 47 percent of his shots, 59 of 126, and 80 percent of his free throws. 53 of 66
The 5-foot-1 guard has become more of a factor since he entered the starting lineup against San Antonio and Oklahoma City, and Delvin Rosey suffered a knee injury.
Since entering the starting lineup he has scored 105 points for a 15-point average, which has raised his season average to 10.7.
Valentine also has dished out 69 assists, which is more than four a game and has made 38 steals, an injury, and was scored by, 28 coming in his last seven games.
"I think it's instinctive," Valentine said of his ability to come up with steals.
"ONCE A GAME he comes with a big steal. And he did it again tonight," Ramsay said, referring to the Kansas City game.
The steal Ramsay was referring to carry with just over two minutes remaining and Portland up by one, 101-100. Valentine stole the bail from Kings forward Cliff Robinson and then hit another Portland rookie, Peter Verhoeven, with a pass that resulted in a 3-oft play.
"He's got excellent speed and he's one of the quickest guards in the league," Ramsey said. "He's as good as there is on defense."
Valentine also stole the ball from guard Phil Foley in the third quarter and went in for an uncontested pitch, which gave Portland a 68-44 lead.
HOWEVER, when Ransey gets healthy the Trail Blazers will have a decision to make on whether to start him or Valentine.
"Whe Kelvin gets healthy we'll make a decision," Ramsay said.
"The best thing I'm giving him is support," Ransey said. "I help him with things I went through.
make a decision," Ramsay said. "It's not so much who starts, but how you do it." The student attribute and a force," Valentine said. "You can't rely on one man."
"We have a good thing going here. We complement each other really well."
With all that behind him you'd think the last thing he'd need is confidence-building.
at KU he became the second leader scorer in the school's history, was a member of the 1980 U.S. Olympic team, was named all-conference four seasons and drew All America mention all four years.
DURING VALENTINE'S career
"Coach Ramsay has given me a lot of confidence," Valentine said. "This early in my career that's important."
"I feel fortunate to be in the NBA and very fortunate to be with this club."
Portland center Mychal Thompson summed up Valentine this way.
"Everybody expected him to do well," Thompson said. "But it's not so much his talent as his character. He never gives up. If I had to rate his character on a scale of 10, it would be 25.
"A lot of teams messed up when they didn't pick him earlier."
MURRAY KNOX/Kansan
Former Kansas guard Darnell Valentine looks for an open teammate in Wednesday's game against Kansas City. Valentine, now playing for Portland, had a career-high 19 points in the Trail Blazers 112-107 victory over the Kings.
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