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Tuesday, November 17, 1987 / University Daily Kansan
Sports
KU ranked No.7 by AP Syracuse gets poll's top billing
By a Kansan reporter
Kansas received three of 64 first place votes and was rated th country's seventh-best team by a nationwide poll of basketball writers and broadcasters, the Associated Press announced yesterday.
The Jayhawks return three starters, including consensus All-American Danny Manning, from the team that reached the final 16 in the NCAA tournament last season before being defeated by Georgetown. They were ranked 20th in the AP's final poll last year.
Missouri, which has been predicted by many to win the Big Eight Conference title again this season, was rated eighth in the poll. The Tigers received one first-place vote.
Syracuse, the team that was defeated in the final seconds of the finals of the NCAA tournament last season, is the top-rated team, receiving half of the 64 first-place votes. It was the first time the Oranges have ever been ranked first by an Associated Press poll.
Purdue was ranked second with six first-place votes, North Carolina third with three first-place votes, Pittsburgh fourth with five first-place votes, Kentucky fifth with six first-place votes; and Indiana, last year's national champions, was rated sixth, receiving six first-place votes.
The other top ten teams were Michigan, rated ninth with two first-place votes, and Wyoming, a team that has never been ranked in the top 20 by the AP, rated tenth.
The Top Twenty By Associated Press
1. Syracuse
2. Purdue
3. North Carolina
4. Pittsburgh
5. Kentucky
6. Indiana
7. Kansas
8. Missouri
9. Michigan
10. Wyoming
11. Iowa
12. Temple
13. Louisville
14. Florida
15. Duke
16. Georgetown
17. Arizona
18. Georgia Tech
19. Oklahoma
20. DePaul
Kansas forward Chris Piper applies pressure to Francesco Vescovi of the Italian National team. The Jayhawks were ranked seventh in the Associated Press preseason poll.
Ohio State sacks football coach Bruce
The Associated Press
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Earle Bruce, who had the best overall record of Big Ten coaches during his nine seasons, was fired yesterday as Ohio State football coach after three straight losses.
Athletic Director Rick Bay quit in protest after announcing the dismissal
Bay said Bruce's firing would be effective after Saturday's game at archival Michigan, the regular-season finale. He also said the Buckeyes would not accent a bowl bid even if they were offered
Ohio State is 5-4-1 following three straight losses by a combined 10 points.
"I guess they got a right to fire a guy," Bruce said as he left the university. "I think it's very poor timing, right before the Michigan game, the most important game on our schedule.
"It's unfair to do it now. They can do it any time, but not before the Michigan game."
At his weekly media luncheon earlier yesterday, Bruce, flanked by his wife, Jean, said he wouldn't quit.
"I am staying at Ohio State," he said. "I like my job. I'm going to prepare hard for Michigan." Ellen and Jill
summer so we can have a Big Ten championship next year."
Bruce, in the second year of a three-year contract, had drawn the ire of Buckeye fans below.
Bay said Ohio State President Edward Jennings told him Monday afternoon that he was "under pressure to make a coaching change and that we had to do that."
Bay, athletic director since July 1984, said he resigned because of "philosophical differences between his and the students."
Of Bruce, Bay said, "I think he's done a whale of a job. His record is among the very, very best in the world."
“It’s a shame. It’s a dark day for Ohio State.” Bay said. “I have loved being here. It’s a great institution. ... But now I have to look elsewhere, and I will do that.”
He said he told Bruce of the school's decision about 2:30 p.m. and Bruce met with the team a short time later.
In his nine seasons, Bruce compiled a record of 89-26-1, the best among Big Ten coaches; and his 56-17 record in the Big Ten was second only to the 59-15-1 of Michigan's Bo Schmeebeler.
Bruce's previous eight Ohio State teams played in bowls, winning five, but was 0-2 in Rose Bowls. His 1979 and 1984 teams won the Big Tentitle, and the 1981 and 1986 teams were co-champions of the conference.
In his career, which also includes one year at Tampa and six at Iowa State, Bruce is 126-60-1.
Jennings named James L. Jones, senior associate director of athletics, to replace Bay. Jennings said he would recommend Jones' name to the board of trustees.
Jennings said he would also recommend that the trustees fulfill the terms of Bruce's contract.
Bay described Bruce as "very disillusioned" by the firing.
"Coach Bruce has been a loyal Buckeye throughout his career." Jennings said. "We wish him well for the future."
"In some ways, I have to tell you that as far as the program is concerned, perhaps if it had to happen, it should happen now," Bay said. "I don't know if I even want to stay in this business right now."
NU replaces OU as nation's best
The Associated Press
Five days before their annual shootout, Nebraska replaced season-long leader Oklahoma as the No. 1 team in The Associated Press college football poll.
The Cornhuskers were idle last weekend. Their game with Colorado was switched to Nov. 28 for television but jumped over the arch-rival, injury-riddled Sooners, who struggled offensively for the third time in the last four games.
Nebraska, 9-0, received 32 of 60 first-place votes and 1,164 of a possible 1,200 points from a nationwide panel of sports writers and sportscasters. Oklahoma, which improved its record to 10-0 by holding off Missouri 17-13, received 20 first-place votes and 1,128 points.
The remaining eight first-place votes went to Miami of Florida, which is No. 3 for the eighth week in a row. The Hurricanes, 8-0, defeated Virginia Tech 27-13 and received 1,101 points.
Neither Nebraska Coach Tom
Bosorne nor Oklahoma's Barry Surr
zer was overly concerned by the switch, which spoiled Oklahoma's bid to become the first team ever to be ranked No. 1 from the preseason through the postbowl poll.
"It doesn't really matter much one way or the other," Osborne said. "Akasha and Oklahoma are going to play, and it will be settled on Saturday."
"My feeling is that we're probably as deserving as anybody. We're really playing well and we played some good teams early — UCLA, Arizona State, South Carolina, Oklahoma State. But until we play (Oklahoma), it's kind of a moot point."
Switzer said he "didn't expect to be (No. 1) after the way we played. I wouldn't vote for us, either, the way we've been playing the last couple of weeks. We're not scoring with the opportunities we have."
However, Switzerland sent a warning Nebraska's way.
"We played them up there (Lincoln) in 1984 when they were No. 1 and we beat them (17-7)." he said. Oklahoma was No. 6 going into that game.
Sports Briefs
Donohoe's strong arm with OSU earns him a start in season finale
Sophomore quarterback Kelly Donhoe, who led Kansas to three second-half scores last weekend, will start Saturday in the Jayhawks season finale against Missouri. Coach Bob Valesente said yesterday.
Donohoe, who started the second half Saturday against Oklahoma State in place of freshman Kevin
Verdugo, had 13 competitions in 24 attempts for 170 yards and one touchdown. Kansas lost the game 49-17.
Verdugo completed six of 11 passes for 50 yards, and threw two interceptions.
Valesente has rotated the two quarterbacks since Kansas' fourth game of the season.
Rugby team advances to Western regional
The Kansas Rugby Club varsity team defeated Kansas State 9-6 last weekend to win the Heart of America Conference title. The Jayhawk's varsity hadn't beaten the Wildcats since 1980.
By winning the conference title, Kansas will play in the Western region championships next March. The winner of the Western region will play in the national rugby final four.
Senior Paul King said it would be
"Usually our season ended when we lost to K-State," he said. "It was really depressing, because the games were usually close. Now we have something to shoot for over the winter. We're going to have to work on keeping in shape."
nice to be playing competitive rugby in the spring, instead of getting new players acquainted to the Kansas system and practicing among themselves.
KU swim teams lose dual meets to LSU
The Kansas men's and women's swimming team lost Saturday to Louisiana State in dual meets at Baton Rouge, La.
The men's team lost to the No. 11 ranked Tigers 67-45, and the women's team lost to the No. 10 ranked Tigers 80-33.
Glenn Trammel won two individual events, the 202-yard individual and 202-yard backstroke, for the Jayhawks. The other individual winners were Chuck Jones in the 1,000-yard backstroke and Andrew Billings in the 100-yard freestyle.
The women's team won two
individual events. Barbara Ann Smith won the 1,000-yard freestyle, and Sue Spry won the 50-yard freestyle.
The women's 400-yard freestyle relay team of Smith, Marcia Otis, Blanca Castillo and Kelly Seavall defeated the Tigers in a time of 3:40.76.
The next meet for both the men's and women's teams will be at 12:30 p.m. Saturday against Arkansas in Fayetteville. The Razorback men's team is ranked No. 15 in the latest College Swimming Coaches association poll.
Men's golf team is in 7th place in tourney
The Kansas men's golf team stands seventh out of 15 teams through two rounds of the Second Annual Sun 'N Fun Intercollegiate tournament in Miami, Fla.
Tampa and Columbus lead the tournament with totals of 603 after 36 holes. Central Florida is third with 604, followed by Boca Raton with 607. Texas Christian with 610, Houston with 612 and Kansas with 614. The rest of the field, in order of their places in the standings, are Bowling Green State, Jacksonville
le, Florida International, Stetson, Huntington, Barry, Toledo and Cleveland State.
Junior Rudy Zupetz is the low man for Kansas, recording rounds of 78 and 74 for a total of 152. Other Kansas players include sophomore Clay Devers, 74-79 — 153; junior Jon Brunning, 75-79 — 154; senior Brian McGreey, 75-80 — 155; and freshman Steve Shade, 86-174
The final round of the tournament, which started Sunday, will be completed today.