SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday, December 1, 1992
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'Hawks to clash with Georgia in opener
Kansas to retire Manning's jersey
By David Dorsey
Kansan soortwriter
The results of three weeks of preseason practices, including 121-54 and 113-48 thrashings of exhibition teams, culminate at 6:30 tonight in Allen Field House when the No. 3 Kansas men's basketball team tips off the regular season against the Georgia Bulldogs.
The Buldogs finished 15-14 last season while the Jayhawks were 27-5.
A capacity crowd is expected, and fans at home can watch the game on ESPN. Dick Vitale and Brad Nessler will call the game.
Danny Manning, Kansas' all-time leading scorer and the NBA's No. 1 draft pick in 1988, will return to the field house and have his jersey retired during a halftime ceremony. Manning is the starting power forward for the Los Angeles Clippers and has a four day break in his playing schedule. Manning led the Jayhawks to the 1988 NCAA Championship.
The Bulldogs also open their season tonight, and Kansas coach Roy Williams expressed his respect for Georgia coach Hugh Durham, who has a 251-176 overall record during 14 years at Georgia. Williams' record is 103-30 in four years at Kansas.
"Coach Durham is a heck of a coach," Williams said. "He's got a very athletic group. It is going to be a different bunch that we're looking at."
from what we've seen in these two exhibition games."
Durham said that preparing to play Kansas was a challenge.
"The thing that worries me the most about that ranking is I think they're right," he said. "When you have experienced talent, and you blend it with outstanding coaching along with tradition, what you've got is the toughest opener I've had since I've been coached."
Source: Kansas Basketball media Guide
Seven-foot sophomore center Charles Claxton, who is considered to be the heir to current NBA center Shaquille O'Neal as the top center in the Southeastern Conference, leads the Bulldogs in the middle. Against LSU last season, Claxton held O'Neal to five points below his season average as the Bulldogs defeated the Tigers 64-62.
Tonight also could mark the debut of Georgia junior guard Cleveland Jackson, who is questionable with a hamstring injury. Jackson, who averaged 25.9 points a game last season at Butler County Community College in El Dorado, played against Kansas junior forward Darrin Hancock last season when Hancock played Garden City Community College.
Hancock, who is from Griffen, Ga., said that he and Jackson knew each other well.
"Cleveland and I dare friends," Han-cock said. "We had some battles last year, but I can't remember who outscored who."
Sophomore guard Sean Pearson also will make his Kansas regular season debut tomorrow, as could sophomore Calvin Rayford, who was benched for last Friday's exhibition game for disciplinary reasons. Pearson hit his first three-point attempt Friday for his only points of the game.
Because sophomore forward Ben Davis quit the Kansas team two
weeks ago, 6-8, 190-pound junior Patrick Richek, who played guard most of last season, will likely move up front this season. Richek had ankle surgery three weeks ago and said he was close to being 100 percent. He scored nine points and had three rebounds in Fridav's game.
Aside from senior guards Rex Walters and Adonis Jordan, Williams did not indicate he would start during tonight's game. Williams used two different starting lineups in the two exhibition games.
quickness to get around those guys, plus I can step out and shoot pretty well."
"Obviously I don't have the weight that those guys have down there," she said.
AP Top 25 teams
The 25 men's basketball poll was released yesterday. Kansas was ranked 3 after holding the No. 2 spot in the two previous
rank team record points last year
1. Michigan (19) 0-0 1,526 1
2. Indiana (14) 4-0 1,524 4
3. Kansas (19) 0-0 1,523 2
4. Duke (13) 0-0 1,504 3
5. Kentucky 0-0 1,365 5
6. Seton Hall 3-1 1,233 6
7. North Carolina 0-0 1,216 8
8. Memphis St. 0-0 1,193 9
9. Arizona 0-0 1,074 10
10. Iowa 0-0 861 11
11. Florida St. 2-2 752 7
12. Louisville 0-0 737 12
13. Georgia Tech 0-0 703 14
14. Georgetown 0-0 693 13
15. Oklahoma 0-0 656 15
16. UCLA 3-1 600 21
17. Syracuse 0-0 458 17
18. Michigan St. 0-0 417 18
19. Massachusetts 0-0 331 20
20. Tulane 1-1 299 19
21. New Mexico St. 3-0 291 —
22. Cincinnati 0-0 276 23
23. UNLV. 0-0 264 22
24. Purdue 1-0 257 —
25. Connecticut 0-1 211 16
Others receiving votes: Nebraksa 201, Iowa State 169, Texas 120, BYU 4, Illinois 68, California 63, Florida 57, Utah 53, N. C. Charlotte 42, Georgia 36, Evansville 34, Auburn 32, Boston College 31, Ohio St. 29, Wake Forest 22, Oregon St. 29, Arkansas 17, George Washington 22, Tennessee 14, Mississippi St. 6, Missouri 6, Marquette 5, SW Louisiana 5, Rice 3, Oklahoma St. 2, Pepperdine 2, West Virginia 2, Princeton 1, Xavier, Ohio 1.
Razorbacks select Ford as head coach
The Associated Press
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Danny Ford, who led Clemson to a national championship in 1981 and left eight seasons later following a dispute with school officials, yesterday was chosen to revive the Arkansas football program.
He is the Razorbacks' third head coach in three months.
Al Witte, the school's NCAA faculty representative and chairman of the selection committee, announces the decision at a news conference.
"I understand the word 'pride', and I understand what it takes to win and what kind of people." Ford said.
Athletic director Frank Broyles said, "We are getting a coach equal to any in the United States."
Jack Crowe was fired after the Razorbacks lost their season opener to The Citadel, and Joe Kines, the defensive coordinator, was elevated to interim head coach. Kines was told Saturday that the school wanted an experienced coach.
Crove was 9-15, and the Razorbacks were 3-6-1 under Kines, who will serve as defensive coordinator under Ford.
"If you want to call him co-head coach, so be it," Ford said. "That's good, and that's deserving."
Ford said he met with Kines Sunday and told him that he would walk away from the job if Kines refused to give his blessing.
Ford said his first priority was to get a staff together, and the second priority was to recruit the best players in the country. He
"I don't want anybody to read it in the newspaper," Ford said. "I know some things I'm going to do. I know some coaches I would like to talk to."
Ford, 44, has been victorious as a head coach. His Clemson teams were 96-29-4 in 11 years and compiled a 6-2 record in bowl games. His 1081 team earned the national championship by beating the Washington Huskies at the time, the youngest coach to be named national coach of the year.
Reds' owner denies remarks; groups call for her dismissal
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Amid calls for her ouster, Cincinnati Reds' owner Marge Schott yesterday denied racist remarks attributed to her by a former baseball employee.
National Association for the Advancement Color People executive director Benjamin Hooks said Schott should withdraw from the Reds' operations, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson scheduled a rally against Schott during the winter meetings next week at Louisville, Ky. The Rev. Al Sharpton held a news conference outside the commissioner's office and called on players to boycott Riverfront Stadium while Schott owns the Reds.
The sport's ruling executive council scheduled a special meeting today on the escalating controversy. Hank Aaron said the council should kick Schott out of baseball, and civil rights leaders echoed the call of baseball's home-run leader.
"My actions as president and CEO of the Reds are an open book," Schott said in a four-paragraph statement. "They believe any charges of discrimination. I have nothing to hide."
Sharon Jones, a former employee of the Oakland Athletic, said last week that Schott said, "I'd rather have a trained monkey working for me than a nigger." Jones said she believed the alleged remark was made in 1988
"Whenever the alleged conversation took place, I did not make the comments Ms. Jones has attributed to me." Schott said. "I would not make such comments. They are nonsense in more ways than the bigotry they represent. For example, Ms. Jones reportedly alleges I made certain remarks about a Black male working in the Reds' mail room. In fact, the only employee we have had in the Reds' mail room since I have been president and CEO has been a woman. I do not remember anyone making those comments during the conference call, nor do my secretary or other owners I have spoken with."
prior to a conference call held by commissioner Peter Ueberroth.
The controversy surrounding Schott began three weeks ago when depositions were made public in which she was accused of calling for redesign Dave Parker and Eric Davis "million-dollar niggers" and talking about "money-grubbing Jews." Schott denied those remarks but acknowledged occasionally using the word "nigger." She also said she kept a swastika arm band at home, saying it was a gift.
The allegations by Jones further inflamed the situation.
"She should be benched," Jones said yesterday. "That's pretty much their decision, whether it's a suspension, or community service or something else."
Kansas aims for repeat against Minnesota
Women's team opens regular season tonight
By David Bartkoski Kansan sportswriter
The No. 16 Kansas women's basketball team opens its season tonight on the road against the Minnesota Golden Gophers, a team the Jayhawks defeated 95-42 last year in Lawrence.
In last year's game, five Jayhawks scored in double figures, and all 12 Kansas players scored at least two points. Kansas finished its season as Big Eight Champions, compiled a 25-6 record and earned a berth in the College Basketball Tournament.
Kansas coach Marian Washington said that she expected a more competitive game this year because of the beating the Jayhawks gave the Gophers last year.
"They'll be more prepared to play Kausas this year," she said.
Minnesota returns nine letter-winners from last year's 8-10 squad, which tied for ninth in the Big Ten
Junior center Carol Ann Shudick averaged 20.3 points and seven rebounds a game for the Gophers
Washington said that the Jayhawks would have to contain Shuddlick and give a strong defensive effort.
Senior guard Stacy Truitt, who scored a team-high 15 points against Minnesota last y-year, said that defense was the key to the Jayhawks' lopsided victory.
"We made the game easier than I expected because of the intense defense we carried throughout the first half." she said.
Aycock said that Minnesota would be ready to play the dayhawks, especially because of Kansas' national
Trutt scored 21 points in Kansas 82-78 exhibition victory against the Czechoslovakian team Cassovia Kosice. Sophomore forward Angela Aycock led the team with 15 assists and 12 rebounds against the Czechoslovakian team.
Junior center Lisa Tate will play in her first regular-season game since Jan. 9. She developed fractures in both tibias last season and was forced to miss all but five games.
Tate, who received a medical redshirt last year because of her injury, said her performance against Minnesota would be an indicator of her physical condition.
"I'm looking forward to the challenge," she said.
"That will be my first step to see where I am physical."
"We'll have to go in focused," she said. "I expect a tough game."
Lisa Tate, junior center, drives in for a score against Czechoslovakia's Cassiova Kosice. Tate and her Jay hawkt teammates put their No. 16 ranking on the line against Minnesota at 7 tonight in Minneapolis.
Jets' Byrd could face possibility of paralysis
The Associated Press
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — A week ago, Dennis Bydr spoke of the relief of walking into his home after the New York Jets' worst performance of the year and be greeted by his 2-year-old daughter Ashin.
Today, Byrd lies in a hospital bed,
faced with the possibility he might
never walk into that house — or any-
where else — again.
Byrd suffered a broken bone in his neck in a collision with teammate Scott Mersereau in the third quarter of Sunday's 23-7 loss to Kansas City. He was taken from the field on a golf cart after carefully being lifted from the turf on a stretcher.
"In layman's terms, it's a broken
neck,"team spokesman FrankRamos said after the game. "He has some paralysis in the lower body."
On Nov. 17, 1991, tackle Mike Utley of the Detroit Lions fell on his head while blocking. Utley uttered the sixth vertebra in his neck and is paralyzed from the waist down.
It's too soon to say whether Byrd's injury will result in the same debilitation.
"That's a teammate going down."
nibbacker Mc Lewis said. "Every time he gets out, I'm happy."
As an ambulance took Byrd to Lenox Hill Hospital, the strenkplayer asked attendants: "Is this what Utley felt? Is this what it feels like to be paralyzed?"
Several teammates visited Byrd at
the hospital Sunday night and prayed with him and his wife, Angela, who learned three weeks ago that she is pregnant with the couple's second child. "I'm not worried about football anymore," Byrd told them. "I want to hold my girls again."
The collision came on the second play of the third quarter.
Byrd underwent eight hours of tests overnight. His wife told Mian Blanchard, wife of kicker Cary Blanchard, that at one point Byrd moved his right toe.
Mersereau and Byrd charged Chiefs quarterback Dave Krieg, who willed. But the two Jets ran directly into each other. Byrd's helmet appeared to smack into Mersereau's chest and shoulder.
"I was coming from the outside on a stunt, and I went to grab Krieg. Merseranne said, "As I stepped up, the next thing I know, I was hit in the sterum. At first I didn't even know who hit me.
"The hit was hard enough to bend me over backward. When I found out it was Dennis — well, my thoughts, my heart and my prayers went out to him."
Byrd, 26 and in his fourth NFL season, was sidedel for a month earlier this year with a shoulder problem. He had been the Jets' best defensive lineman for the past two seasons.
The Jets were not sure when they would have an updated prognosis. A team spokesman said it could take as much as 48 hours.