8A
Friday, October 25.1974
University Dally Kansan
Basketball successes likely to continue
By JIM SHELDON Associate Sports Edito
Football has had its good years and bad, track and swimming have been pretty consistent, but let's face it, the University of Kansas is a basketball school.
There are few schools in the country that can match KU's long and rich basketball history. KU has won or shared in 35 league titles beginning in 1988 and won one national championship in 1952. KU has been coached by such men as the inventor of the game, James Naismith, and the late Phog Allen. From the look of things, it appears that
From the look of things, it appears that KU's winning tradition will be continued.
The 'Hawks are returning six of their seven leading scorers from last year's team, which finished 23-7, won the Big Eight title, the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship and finished fourth in the national championship tournament in Greensboro,
Ted Owens is beginning his 10th season as head coach with the pleasing prospect of having veterans returning at nearby every week. Rusty McClure, foot-11, and Rick Suttle, 6-foot-8, should give
the 'Hawks a strong one-two punch in the pivot.
At forward, last year's starters senior Roger Morningstar and sophomore Norman Cook are both back, as is veteran Tommie Smith. Sophomore Donnie Von Moore also
Senior guard Dale Greenele is the only returning starter in the backcourt, but four new recruits and holdover Reuben Shelton are also available.
WITH A VETERAN team returning, Owens said he could afford to work his younger players in gradually during the early practice sessions.
"We will start off our first practices with our fundamentals and it really won't matter that much whom we are playing," Owens said in a recent interview. "I believe that the younger players can demonstrate their ability in time."
There will be five newcomers out to prove themselves. Four of them are guards.
Junior college transfer Rick Bussard from Olney, Ill. Junior College (the same junior college that Morningstar attended for two years) will be one of the new backcount
men. He will be joined by three freshmen guards: Milt Gibson from Roswell, N.M., Mark Fletcher, a 4-butt 4- recruitment from Lakeview, and Clint Johnson from Leavenworth.
The only big man that KU recruited was 6-to-9 Ken Koenig, an all-star star from New York.
Aside from the new recruits, KU will be basically the same team it was last year, and it won't be a good fit for them.
MOST VISIBLE will be the new artificial surface on the floor of Allen Field House. The new Tartan court should make a significant difference in the duest level in the Field House, something that Owens said often made it difficult to breath during play. The new floor should also be a physical improvement on the old, sagging wooden floor.
"So far I like it," Knight said. "It feels good and it gives you a little better jumping ability, if for no other reason than there is at least one kid in your old court would give a little sometimes."
KU's only major personnel problem will be to replace graduated Tom Kivisto at the university.
decision yet and he would probably do some experimenting with different formations, the new players, and possibly work Morningstar at guard.
THE BIGGEST ADJUSTMENT will probably have to come from Greenelee, who co-captain of this year's squad along with Knight. Last year, Greenlee was used primarily as a scoring guard, while Kivisto was the team quarterback.
"Right now, the guard situation is wide open," Greenlee said. "All four of the recruits look good, but you really can't be sure until we're further into practice. I think we will have to handle the ball more this season—the ballhandling will be shared more."
One adjustment KU will make on occasion to handle the guard situation and take advantage of its size will be to use a double post of offense. In this offense, KU will be able to use two big men, two wingmen and a point man.
no, but center Ricket Stick did dip in this shot against UCA in
teammates Norm Cook (09) and Nick Greenboro (NK, 11)
teammates Norn Cook (09)
By Photographer CORKY TREWIN
the game and finished fourth in the national tournament, with six its players returning the Hawks are ready for another season.
Cross country is a lonely sport
By RICK GRABILL.
Sports Reporter
“It’s a treat, being a long-distance runner, out in the world by yourself with not a soul to make you bad-tempered or tell you what to do. . .”
This quote from Alan Sillister's book, "The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner," may be hotly disputed by the cross country running community. The long-distance running is anything but a treat.
For the University of Kansas cross country runner, competing in the autumn sport means running more than 100 miles sprinting up and down a course, sprinting up and down torturous Campane Hill and plodding along dusty country roads outside of Lawrence while Coach Bob Timmons follows along in his pickup truck, running for assistance with a lift to those who fall along the route.
The title of the book is certainly correct; the "Loneliness" of the long-distance runner. When you get up at sunrise to run four to five miles on the streets of Lawrence, you're about as lonely as you could ever hope to be. After classes, you slip on the gym shorts and running shoes for another practice session.
The cross country runner puts up with blisters, pulled muscles, taunts and honking
Every autumn, cross country wages a hopeless battle with football for spectator attention. While thousands fill the football stadium for the Saturday afternoon games, the cross country meet is usually attended by dozens of teams and the runners. In fact, cross country is one sport whose participants frequently outnumber its spectators.
horns from passing motoris and dogs napping at his feet. He takes the chance of knocked down and stamped by 200asted shoes of those sprinting for position.
So with the absence of the glory and recognition, what makes a guy go out for cross country? Why does he train for hundreds of grueling miles for a sport that offers little more than a small medal for his efforts?
"The major change we'll be making from the beginning this year is that, while we will still be going with the single post, we will work more with the double post," Owens said. "Last year, we didn't use it until late. In fact, we hadn't worked on it at all until we were finally able to time out in the Notre Dame game five times a season. But we'll work with it earlier this year, because we're already at home with the single post."
Certainly not for the glory of it, for one does not associate cross country with glory and fame. The cross country runner does not receive the recognition of the football and basketball player, he remains as obscure as the 20,000 other faces on campus.
And the cross country runner may ask himself, "For what?"
"Tom, for a sense of accomplishment," says Tom Koppes, who has consistently written books about his life.
"The coach told us last year if Rick and I both are playing to our capabilities, then we'd both be in at the same time," Knight said.
Barrie Williams, another of KU's top distance man, has much the same attitude as Kopps, in that cross country gives him a "feeling of achievement." Williams said she was the first sport introduced to him as a youngster, and he has liked it ever since.
"Almost any athlete is out trying to be the best at what he's doing," said Koppes, "and cross country has been my way of doing that."
"If a football team loses a game," Koppes said, "there are over 40 guys to share the blame. In cross country, it's all up to you how well you do in a race."
With both Knight and Suttle in the line-up at the same time KU should have a size advantage on almost every team it faces this year. But the use of the double post will depend upon the situation, according to Greenlee.
runners on the Jayhawk squad this season. Kopes, who "stumbled into" cross-town matches, is one of high school basketball team, said he doesn't mind the lack of attention he receives as a starter.
WHEN KU is in the double past this year, it will probably mean that both Suttle and Knight, who alternated most of last year, will be in the game at the same time.
Kopps said he liked running because it was more of an individual sport than football. "I love running."
But despite an occasional new wrinkle, KU should be basically the same type of team it was last year. And with a year's experience, KU figures to be picked as the Big Eight favorite and highly rated in preseason polls.
"We had to use it at times last year for size and rebounding. It depends on the team you're playing, their size, the rebounding and foul trouble," he said.
Williams said he enjoyed running cross-country, even though it didn't lend itself to being a very exciting spectator sport or to getting much recognition.
Barring any major catastrophies, KU is capable of returning to the national tournament which will be in San Diego this season. The number one obstacle could be overconfidence.
So the cross country runner continues to trod the long distances in the fields and alone on the back roads, alone, content with what he has been instruction he from doing what he does.
"I think we have a really healthy attitude," Owens said, in "that we gained a lot of confidence last year. But we played in the national team, and we've improved we'll be faced with more close matches."
"Two things can happen when you're highly rated. You can become overconfident or it can help you develop pride. I advise you to be careful about people that we will be realistic," he said.
OWENS SAID the ratings could have a negative effect on a team, but KU would enter the season with a good psychological attitude.
ones. And if we are to compete nationally, we must improve."
One memory that may keep KU from getting overconfident will be the 'Hawks' two losses at last year's national championship tournament in Greenbore.
"For myself, personally, and at least in my mind, there is something which sticks out very clearly and that is the two losses in the game," she said. "It is an incentive to better herself."
"So far, the team has a really good at-
KU swimmers hoping to win ninth Big 8 title
The University of Kansas swim team is practicing hard and preparing to defend its Big Eight championship, which it has won for the last eight years.
Only one meet, the Big Eight Relays in Ames, Iowa, is scheduled for the fall meeting. The meet will be Dec 6 and 7. The swim meets get into high gear in the spring semester.
Coach Dick Reamon lost only two seniors from last year's team, copcaptains Keith Richey and Phil Kidd, and a strong group of returning lettermen should make the Jayhawks contenders for the league championship once again.
tude. No one is overlooking the Big Eight.
How can you?"
It would appear that there is little chance that KU will be looking past its regular schedule to San Diego. According to Owens, the Hawks will not enable the 'Hawks to look, head.
"I think it is a good one," he said, "in that there are enough strong teams to find out a lot about ourselves. But also we have some things we can play a lot of people against."
Schedule
Nov. 30—Northeast Missouri State
Dec. 2—Augusta (S.D.)
Dec. 4—Indiana
Dec. 7—Iowa
Dec. 9—at Nobre Dame
Dec. 12—Jayhawk Classic (Kansas, Fordham, Washington and Temple)
Dec. 14—Jayhawk Classic
Dec. 23—at Kentucky
Dec. 26—at Big Eight Tournament (Kansas-Oklahoma State)
Dec. 28—at Big Eight Tournament
Dec. 30—at Big Eight Tournament
Jan. 7—at St. Louis
Jan. 11—Missouri
Jan. 15—at Iowa State
Jan. 18-Oklahoma State
Jan. 22-Colorado
Jan. 24-Kansas State
Jan. 29-Nebraska
Feb. 1—at Oklahoma
Feb. 5—Iowa State
Feb. 8—at Oklahoma State
Feb. 12—at Missouri
Feb. 15-Kansas State
Feb. 22-Colorado
Feb. 26—at Nebraska
March 1—Oklahoma
Ice