Sports
University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, October 31, 1990
11
Receiver's performance improves
Licursi works on self-confidence after strong game against K-State
By Rob Wheat
Kansan sportswriter.
The words of wide receiver coach John Jefferson flashed through Rob Licuier's mind as he heard his number called in the huddle:
Rob Licursi, Strongsville, Ohio, sophomore, catches a pass.
"Envision your success, and you will make the big play."
He had already made two receptions in the first half for 49 yards, but those were unplanned plays, and he was now the main target. The team needed eight yards; they were on their 47 yard line.
Football
As Licius sprinted to the Kansas 15-yard line and spun around, he tipped the ball with his fingers and ran off to his body for a gain of 32 yards.
Licurius was Kansas' leading receiver Saturday against Kansas State after gaining 116 yards on four catches.
Licursi said he felt more confident going into the game because of his work with the coaches the week before.
Kansas coach Glen Mason said he was glad Liciursi did so well, especially now that receiver Jim New might be out for the season. New injured his shoulder against Miami and may require surgery.
"All through the week both coach Mason and Jefferson kept telling me to envision myself being successful." Leliursi said. "I think about it when Chip (Hilleary) calls a play in the play" try to see myself making the play.
Licursi, who had gained 90 yards on six receptions before playing the Wildcats, said he couldn't wait to call his parents right after the game.
Licursi said he wasn't especially nervous before or during the game, but like the rest of the Kansas receivers, he hadn't been bounced on his left arm for good luck.
"I call them after every game," Luciuri said "That's really a big thing for me, because in high school we went to basketball the side-nerves, he got so into it."
Licursi set or tied 11 records while
at Strongsville High School in
Strongsville, Ohio, including most
passes caught in a game (9); most
touchdowns in a game (4); most
yards gained in a game, season,
career, and longest punt return (95).
Mason first heard of Licursi from Green Bay Packers coach Lindy Infante, then an assistant with the Cleveland Brown, while the two were watching him play at Strongsville.
Mason, then coach at Kent State University, tried to convince Licuris to play there, but Licuri said he wanted to go to a larger school.
After being recruited by Indiana and K-State, Licurius came to Kansas when he found out that Mason would coneb here.
Jefferson said that he had seen flashes of Liceurs' potential and that all Liceurs needed was self-confidence.
"We rotate the two around on different series, and it will continue to be that way because they make each other better." Jefferson said. "You really have to create that kind of composition, so I really have two starters."
"Robert stayed here this summer to get in shape, and I think we're finally seeing the results of that." Jefferson said. "Hopefully with what he did last game, his confidence will carry into the rest of the season."
Gay said that he and Lecursli helped each other relax before the game by quizzing each other on the different hand signals used and by joking
Jefferson said that the competition between Lcursi and Matt Gay would make them both better receivers.
Gay said that like most of the receivers, Liciursi was extremely low-key and relaxed during the game.
Licursi said that he felt comfortble on the field during the game.
"I get butterflies before a game, but I settle down right after the first play," Lecius said."The only time I really hear the crowd is after I make a catch, because I'm concentrating so hard."
Jayhawaker Towers, said he remembered only one time when LCursi lost his cool.
Gay, who is Licursi's neighbor at
Rob will call over to my room to tell me to turn it down within a few minutes. "Gay said." "Sometimes I use it, but usually just for a few minutes."
"Sometimes I turn my stereo up real loud, just because I know that
Torborg voted AL manager of the year
ners.
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Jeff Torborg, who transformed the Chicago White Sox into baseball's biggest surprise team of the season, yesterday was named American League manager of the year.
Torborg took the youngest club in the majors and helped guide it to the best turnaround in the big leagues. The White Sox, picked to finish far back in the AL West after finishing last at 69-92 in 1989, improved to 94-68 and challenged Oakland through the final month.
Only Oakland and Pittsburgh had better records than the White Sox. Chicago also was the only team to win 8-5 against going 8-5 against the pennant win-
Torborg got 23 of 28 first-place votes and finished with 128 points. Oakland's Tony La Russa got four first-place votes and had 72 points and Boston's Joe Morgan got the first place vote and was third with 28.
Torberg was the only manager to be named on every ballot. Two members of the Baseball Writers Association of America from each AL city voted.
Eight of the 14 AL managers received votes. Detroit the Sparky Anderson was fourth with 12, followed by Toronto's Cito Gaston (6) and Seattle's Jim Lefebvre and California's Dug Rager with one each.
The National League manager of the year will be announced today.
Torborg is the second White Sox manager to win the honor. La Russa got it with Chicago in 1983, the first year the award was given.
Torborg juggled a young pitching staff, bringing up Scott Radinsky from Class A and Wayne Edwards from Class AA. He also relied heavily on catcher Carlton Fisk and reliever Mike Tebow to major league record with 52 saves.
The White Sox stuck close to the Athletics from the start and, a day before the All-Star break, were seven percentage points ahead of Oakland.
After the All-Star break, the Athletics began to break away. The White Sox managed to pull within five
Torborg, 49 next month, was hired by the White Sox after they went 71-90 under Jimmie Frogel in 1983. In his first season, Torborg's team stumped two games.
games on Aug. 26, but wound up nine games behind.
Torborg managed Cleveland for parts of the 1977-79 season, going 157-201 with the Indians. He was a coach for the New York Yankees for 10 years and spent 1988 as their bulpen coach.
Torborg was a catcher in the majors for 10 years, mostly with Los Angeles. He caught no-hitters by Sandy Kunack, Nolan Ryan and Bill McGraw of the major league mark of four no-hitters caught by Ray Schalk.
No.4 Nebraska downs Jayhawks
Kansan snortswriter
Bv Chris Oster
The Kansas volleyball team lost to the fourth-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskens last night in a four-game match in Lincoln, Neb.
Despite having barely more than half as many kills as Nebraska (84-47), Kansas was able to stay close to the Cornhuskers. The Jayhawks won the second game of a doubleheader, and with the Cornhuskers at 14-14 in the third game before falling 16-14.
Volleyball
Kansas lost the first and fourth games of the match, each at 15-9.
Nebraska's victory was keyed by All-American setter Val Novak, who had 77 assists and 13 digs.
games of the match, each at 15-9.
Junior Kris Kleinschmidt led the Jayhawks' attack with 12 kills and 15 digs, in both in the
Junior Julie Woodruff led Kansas with 41 assists. She also had 11 dives.
Kansas, at 14-11 overall and 4-1
in the Big Eight Conference,
remains fourth in the conference.
Nebraska maintained its top spot
with a record of 7-0 and 20-2
overall.
While the Jayhawks were close to turning the match in the second and third games, they were still outfit in those frames. Nebraska won and 29 kids in those games. Kansas was credited with seven and 14.
With four conference games remaining, Kansas must stay in the top four to make the Big Eight's postseason tournament. But the team would like them in the tourney for the first time since Kansas' fourth-place finish in 1987, it also would likely pit them in the first round against the powerful Cornushuskers, who over the Jayhawks this season.
Holyfield awaits Foreman contest
The Associated Press
Verbal iabs.
NEW YORK - While she awaits time and place for a more serious confrontation, Evander Hollyfield is some early jabs at George Foreman.
The usually dour Hollyfield said yesterday that he was eager to face Foreman—all 250 or more pounds of him. So eager, in fact, that he made jokes about Foreman's prodigious appetite.
"Everybody talks about his weight, but George makes a joke about it and says he's go off to eat some more Baskin-Robbies ice cream." Hollyfield said. "You push him, it's like pushing a franchise."
Holyfield, in New York to pick up the IBF championship belt, was disturbed about criticism he had heard Douglas's performance in the title fight.
Dealing with a franchised-sized opponent would be nothing new for Hollyfield, who knocked out 246-foot Douglas and won the championship.
Listening to this play-by-play of Hollyfield's knockout was a group that promoter Dan Duva called the United Nations of boxing.
In the room were representatives of rival casinos and cable networks, all angling to cover Holyfield's first defense of the title.
"Look," Duva said, "the 'Casar's over there, Trump over there. HBO and Showtime are standing next to each other."
Lou Duva, the promoter's father who works in Holyfield's corner, pointed out that representatives from
the Mirage Hotel and Casino were not in attendance.
The Mirage, site of the title fight last Thursday night in Las Vegas, had cast its lot with Douglas, expecting him to dispatch Holford and move on to a mega-bucks rematch with ex-champ Mike Tyson. However, that plan was upset by Holfy-der's third-round knockout.
Now Tyson will have to wait until Holyfield makes his first defense against Foreman.
"We'll have the details set within a week." Dan Duvau said. "It will be either Caesar's or Trump in March or April."
"That story is wrong," he said.
Duva denied a USA Today report that the fight was set for Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas on April 19.
A Foreman-Holyfield fight could create legal problems, though. Promoter Don King circulated a letter at the Douglas fight, which said the team would not be the WBA, WBC and IBF — had all designated Tyson as the next challenger.
Duva said a Foreman fight made boxing business sense.
"No one is trying to duck Tyson," the promoter said. "This is a better fight now and then the winner can fight Tyson."
Holyfield called the knockout of Douglas "a sweet victory. It was a long time coming — 19 years in a virtue. I was rewarded sweetly.
"There's more to a boxer than size. There's heart and desire. Those are things you can't see or judge."
Hall of Fame nominees named
Two of the 12 nominees have said they want no part of it
The Associated Press
SPRINGFIELD. Mass. — Bobby Knight and Larry O'Brien, the former NBA commissioner who died last month, were among 12 candidates nominated yesterday for election to the basketball Hall of Fame, even though they had said they wanted no part of it.
"The guts of it is that history should be reported in its true form." Kurland said. "Both these guys are deserving of being recognized under the standards of the Basketball Hall of Fame. I don't know how they are going to come out in the voting by the honors committee, but they are certainly deserving to be nominated. You can't deny history."
Hall of Fame president Bob Kurland said the trustees decided that "if an individual is worthy of nomination to this prestigious honor that person's name and qualifications will be awarded to the 24-member honors committee.
O'Brien, who died on Sept. 27,
withdrew his name from consideration
last year in protest of the hall's
secret elections.
To be elected to the hall, nominees must receive 18 votes from the honors committee in its balloting next spring. Enshrinement ceremonies are scheduled for May 13 in this city, where the game began nearly 100 years ago.
Knight, the Indiana coach, asked that he not be considered for renomination after he failed to be elected in 1987. At the time, he called it a slip in
Knight said through a spokesper
son that he was unaware he was being nominated again and would have no comment.
In addition to Knight, Jack Hartman, the winningest coach in Kansas State history, and Jack Ramsay, one of the most successful coaches in NBA history, were nominated a second time.
Renominated as players were Nate Archibald, Dave Cowens, Bob Laner, John Kerr, Calvin Murphy and Erik Schroeder's Amateur Mhlette Union star.
“
— Larry O'Brien former NBA commissioner who died last month
I have no quarrel with the Hall of Fame and would consider election a high honor, but I'm a guy who believes in the Democratic process.
The names were announced at halftime of the NBA's Hall of Fame exhibition game between Detroit and Houston.
The late Larry Fleisher, who founded the NBA players association in 1962, was the only new name on the list. In addition to O'Brien, the late Carol Eckman, who organized the Women's League women in 1969, was also nominated.
"
O'Brien, whose long political
career included being an adviser to President Kennedy and national Democratic Party chairman, said before his death that he had tried unsuccessfully to make the election process more two terms as Hall of Fame president
Kurland said Hall of Fame trustees decided to make some changes in the Hall of Fame voting at their meetings yesterday, but the names of the honors committee and its vote will remain secret.
"I have no quarrel with the Hall of Fame and would consider election a high honor, but I'm a guy who doesn't appreciate democratic process," O'Brien had said.
Since Russell was enshrined in absentia, 16 Black players, including Elvin Hayes, Earl Monroe and Dave Bing, who were installed this May, and two coaches, John McLendon and Gregory Smith, who were inducted. The New York Renaissance, the most famous of the early Black teams, was installed in 1963
"That will never change," he said. O'Brien and Knight have been the only nominees who tried to withdraw their names. But they are not the first to express their dissatisfaction. The team's player to be elected to the Hall of Fame refused to come to his 1974 induction to protest the lack of Blacks.
Currently there are 169 men, three women and four teams enshrined in the hall. Last year, when none of the nominees got the needed votes on the first ballot, trustees called for a second vote over the objections of president Bob Cousy, who quit in protest.
Sports briefs
Four KU tennis players play in Rolex Qualifier
Four members of the Kansas women's team team left yesterday to compete in the Rolex Indoor Qualifier in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Juniores Renee Raychaudhuri and Laura Hagemann and freshmen Chris Bowers and Abyb Woods will play in both the singles and doubles flights. Raychaudhuri and Hagemann will play in the singles and doubles be paired up for the doubles matches.
Coach Michael Center said that except for Kansas All-American Evelyn Lamer, who would compete in a national tournament on Nov. 15, all of the top players in the region would be attending the tournament that starts today and ends Saturday. Center said it would be a good opportunity to see how Kansas stacked up against the other schools in the region.
Terry Brown scores 21 in squad scrimmage
Guard Terry Brown scored 21 points in an intrasquad Kansas basketball scrimmage last night in Lee's Summit, Mo., pacing the Red squad to a 63-54 victory against the Blue.
Forward Patrick Richey, a 1990 Lee's Summit High School graduate, added 15 points for the winning squad. Guard Adonis Jordan scored 13, and forward Mark Randall added 10.
Guard Doug Elstun and forward Alonzo Jamison led the Blue squad with 14 points apiece.
Three injured Jayhawks did not participate in the scrimmage.
Kansas will play another scrimmage in Dodge City on Sunday.
KU Rugby Club whips K-State, Wichita State
The KU Rugby Club defeated the Kansas State Rugby Club 15-9 in a heart of America Conference match Saturday at K-State.
Greg Jarvis scored two tries and a penalty kick in leading Kansas' club side.
The club side also defeated Wichita State 52-4 on Sunday. Jarvis again led Kansas, scoring four tries and six conversions.
The Heart of America Conference is divided into two divisions: varsity teams and club teams. Varsity teams consist of students, and club teams are comprised of members of the community.
From Kansan staff reports
The conference champion will qualify for the Western Club Side Rugby Championship Tournament in the spring.
The club side will play host to the Kansas City Blues in Kansas' final home match of the season at 1 p.m. at Icklen Complex, 32rd and Iowa streets.
The Blues, tied with Kansas for first in the conference with one loss each, defeated Kansas 18-6 when teams met Oct. 21 in the final of the Heart of America Rugby Tournament. The tournament included teams that were not in the conference.
National College Sportswriters Football Poll
1. Virginia (20)
2. Nebraska (3)
3. Notre Dame
4. Auburn
5. Houston
6. Illinois
7. Washington (1)
8. Miami
9. Colorado
10. Brigham Young
11. Tennessee
12. Florida State
13. Texas
14. Florida
15. Iowa
16. Georgia Tech
17. Mississippi
18. Wyoming
19. Clemson
20. Southern Cal
Writers from the following schools participated in the poll: Texas, Kentucky, Miami (Fi.) San Diego State, Colorado, Clemson, Notre Dame, Illinois Syracuse, North Carolina State Florida State, Purdue, Brown California, Utah, Southern Methodist, Penn State, Indiana Auburn, Kansas, Ball State West Virginia.
KANSAN