6
Tuesday, January 30, 1979
University Daily Kansan
Photo by CHRIS TODD
"Bia Mo"
Ku's Paul Mokesi, the second tallest player in the league, is enjoying a comeback of sorts after a miserable start in conference play. He here passes off for one of his four assists in the Kansas-Nebraska game in Lincoln Saturday, which KU lost 66-46. Mokesi collected a career-and-high game 23 points and the "hawks defensive effort with three steals. One reason for Mokesi's improved performance, he says, is a good attitude. Mokesi was a candidate for Big Eight Player of the Week selection, but lost out to Colorado Emmett Lewis, whose Golden Buffaloes won two games while Ku split two, "I think that's the first time I was ever even considered." Mokesi said.
'Mo's' attitude helps in comeback
Paul Mokeski has a good attitude.
He's not bothered that Colorado's Emmett Lewis got Big Eight Player of the Week honors yesterday. He just said that Lewis is right with a good shot and deserved the honor.
Lewis played for a winning team last week, certainly a factor in his selection, when the Buffaloes beat Missouri, 82&48, and Lewis scored 21 and 10 points, respectively.
Mokesi played for a 1-1 team last week, diminishing his chances for the player award. KU beat Iowa State here, 80/71, and Mokesi scored a team-high 17 points and a game-high 15 rebounds, one more than Dean Ulthoff, the Cyclones' best rebounder.
Then Mokeski scored a game- and career-high 23 points in KU's last-second, overtime loss to Nebraska in Lincoln, 66-44. Mikeski paced KU with three steals, four
John P.
Tharp
SHORTS and LONGS
Moksiki's back-to-back excellence came after four below-performance in league play during which he scored only 34 points in four games. This fact, he said, bothered him. It also bothered KU伞, some of the top players in game introductions against the Cyclones.
assists and a blocked shot before he fouled out.
But Mokesi still has a good attitude. He said he didn't hear the jeers, but expected
"I realize I must start playing up to my potential to help both myself and the team."
Injuries hamper Owolabi jumper looks to success
ByGENEMYERS
Sports Writer
He has accomplished everything, and yet he has accomplish nothing. That is the paradox that frustrates freshman triple play. He has always been very day that he remains on the inured list.
Owolabi, Track and Field News '178 male prep athlete of the-year, has a list of his favorite high school jumps. As the frustration of nagging injuries continues to build, the 8-10-pound jumper from the 2013 season is a little comfort in his past performances.
"Everyone is going by my high school credentials," he said, "but I want to prove myself in college. I have to start a whole new list in college."
In KU's intrasquad meet Dec. 9, Owolabi began making his new list, eclipsing teammate Jay Reardon's freshman record on his first collegiate jump. His 50-14½ lap surpassed Reardon's 2-year-old mark of 48 at Michigan in 1976 and made it 53-48%. by Danny Snyer in 1976
But after the intrasquad meet, the injuries began.
Owolabi and six of his teammates traveled to the East Tennessee State Invitational Relays Jan. 12-13 but his efforts there only left him with a badly bruised heel injury and a sore leg have kept him out of KU's first two official indoor meets.
Last year Owolabi, who is traditionally a slow starter, began his track campaign in a similar fashion, but he came back and finished with a flair.
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"It was a really big surprise being prep athlete-of-the-year because I got off to a late start," he said. "Everyone else was making all the noise early in the year. I just happened to peak when everyone else was kind of quieting down."
His peak performances came in July while on a European tour with the United States Junior National Team. During the two-day, U.S-USSR junior dual in Donetsk, he recorded a national junior record with a 53% triple jump. He followed that effort with another win in the West-Germany-Great Britain junior triangular.
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he said after the Iowa State game. "I haven't been doing that. When you have a basketball player and don't up to potential, the boos come."
"Experience across the seas really helps," he said, "especially when you go against the Russians. They have many of the best skills, and competing against them was the ultimate."
Against the Cornhuskers, Mokeki was booed again, this time by the NU fans. But Jayhawk fans probably were cheering in front of their televisions for Mokeki's awesome performance, the second player for the second tallest player in the league.
Also on the European tour, which included stops in the Soviet Union, West Germany and Austria, he was joined by Jeff Buckingham, who also has shattered the freshman record in his event. Buckingham, too, was a candidate for prep at the University and Field News' eleventh choice for that honor.
"I feel I'm 'coming along'," he said at least from the offensive point of view of the game.
Not only did Owolabi shine on the three-week European tour, but his other credits included a performance.
re captured New York state indoor titles in the long and triple jumps, the Golden West Invitational triple jump crown, the International Prep Invitational triple jump championship and the Junior AAU triple jump title.
KU's team is beginning to believe Mokesi is a threat, the Canoga Park, Calif., native said. Still, he still to stop talking about himself and start talkting about his team.
"I liked proving myself early in the
IK," I said. "They had "they (the NU
team) knew it was a threat."
As for matching those accomplishments on a collegiate level, Owolabi has his doubts, but his preseason goals would make him a world class tumper.
"By not doing the job myself, it was like the team need me and I wasn't perplexed."
The world record in the triple jump was set by Brazil's Joao de Oliveira in 1975 at 85-84. Non Livers from San Jose State, won 2016 U.S. Outdoor Championship with a leap of 85-34%.
"If I play well," he said, "the team plays well. if they (KU)队 know you I'm going to be good."
But Mokeski no longer is upset with himself. He said the two slump-breaking games were the two most important in his career and he's fired up for his momentum to last.
"My goals were to jump 53 feet in doors and 54 to 55 feet outdoors," he said. "It's going to be tough, but I can't really say if I want to do it." And I can afford to look far ahead.
With that advice, Mokeski said he's not going to worry about fouls any more but instead about point production and asser-
tiveness, to make teams fear the 7-001-1.
"I've got a little more confidence in my shot, which I need. I need." I'm going more inside—just staying around the basket more. "I'll stick to it instead of waiting for them to be created."
"If you work hard," he said, "good things will come."
Besides situations, Mokesi still is creating a better attitude. He fouled out in the last two games, which was only a reflection of his defensive efforts. He said in earlier games the specter of five fouls bothered him, but not any more.
'I talked to the coaches (after the nebraska game) and they told me to go as far as possible.
KU renews rivalry
Sports Editor
By NANCY DRESSLER
"We haven't beat them there since I've been coaching." Washington said Sunday.
Marian Washington would like very much to do something tonight she has never done KU women's basketball coach: beat Kansas State in Manhattan.
The Jayhawks will go into the game with their 11-game winning streak and 19th national ranking. The game will be the second game for KU. Kansas is a playable league.
If KU wins, it will be undefeated for the month of January. And win is what Kansas
KU's starting lineup includes Kathy Patterson and Shyra Holden, who have never played against the cross-state rival Wildcats.
'THE MOST IMPORTANT thing is that we win this one, because it's the conference. It would really press the pressure on Kansas State and Wichita State.' Washington said.
But it also includes Lynette Woodard, Adrian Mitchell and Cheryl Burrett, all of whom have played against K-State and know the intensity of the game.
"We're looking forward to K-State",
Washington said. "We've got some fresh
men who don't know about the rivacy. And we've got some seniors who have had a part in changing the assumption that K-State will be the victorious team."
KU split its games last season with Katerina, not of KU's victories came at UCLA.
KU and K-State have had a common opponent this season in the University of Minnesota. Kansas has beaten the Golden Gophers, including a 79-73 victory in the State College game.
K-State is 1-1 against them and lost to Minnesota in the Classic 68-66.
THE WILDCATS are led by junior LeAnn Wilcox, who was averaging about 16 points a game going into last weekend's Classic. Wilcox was chosen to the Big Eight all-tournament team after scoring 54 points in K-State's three tournament games.
Lynette Woodward continues to lead KU's scoring effort. She is averaging 31 points per game, according to the numbers.
She gets scoring help from Elaine Feeney and Gaily Williams, who also are averaging
Adrian Mitchell is the team's second-leader scorer with near 17-point average. She also averages about nine rebounds a game.
NFC downs AFC in Pro Bowl
The Cowboys' quarterback, who said going into the contest that he was set on finishing the National Football League's best game, ran 41 yards and a string of five consecutive passes in the
LOS ANGELES (AP)—Roger Staubach completed nine of 15 passes for 125 yards, including the winning touchdown on a 19-yard toss to Dallas teammate Tony Hill in a 3-0 victory. The Conference downed the American Conference 13-7 in last night's F.I.O. Bowl.
third quarter after throwing just once in the first period.
His performance outshone that of Terry Bradshaw, the hero of Pittsburgh's Super bowl triumph over the Cowboys and the Cleveland Browns, who batted hit on eight of 17 passes for 54 yards.
The NFC scored first, that tally coming earlier in the period on a 2-yard burst by Philadelphia's Abbey Alfond. Montgomery is ahead of New Orleans, Staußach's backup.
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