University Daily Kansan / Thursday, October 29, 1987
Sports
13
Ex-'Hawk Dreiling struggling to prove his worth in the NBA
By ANNE LUSCOMBE Associate sports editor
TOPEKA — Greg Dreling is making progress with the Indiana Pacers.
The former Kansas center moved from the second row of the Pacers bench to the front row, and then to the court when he started his streak. The Milwaukee Bucks-Pacers exhibition game at Landon Arena last night.
During the span of the seven minutes, 48 seconds that he played, Dreiling, the Pacer's back-up center to ex-Missouri player Steve Stipanovich, committed two fouls, and then former Kansas player Paul Mokeski and was charged with one turnover.
That was about it.
He got a second chance in the third quarter to play for three minutes, 24 seconds, but even less happened then. Dreiling faded to the back row of the bench to spend the rest of the game studying why Vince Livermore, with to rebounds and six points, is the Pacers' starting center.
Pacer coach Jack Ramsay was not pleased with the 98-96 Indiana victory. He was even less pleased with the performance of his back-up centers.
"I'm not satisfied at all with the position," Ramsay said. "The back-up班子 has to do a better job. If it ends up being (center) work, you have to again, then by Herb. But we have to give a big guy at center."
Dreiling has out illusions about pushing Williams out of the way, insuring the back-up center position all to himself.
"Herb's goma play no matter what," Drelling said. "They want me to come in and give them a witchcraft and Williams) a break."
However, Ramsay's expectations of Dreiling have yet to be fulfilled Still, he continues giving up on the new 7-foot-1. Dreiling is the tallest 7-foot-1. Dreiling is the tallest
player ever to play for the Pacers. He fits the bill of the big guy at center.
"I'm expecting him to defend, rebound and play within our offensive game. Somebody has to be back-up center." Ramsay said.
Despite some of Ramssay's misgivings about the former Jayhawk, Dreiling has seen mre play time this season than he did in last season's games. He averaged only a few minutes a game in the season, and also a little more than a quarter.
"It it as very difficult last year," Dreiling said of sitting on the bench. "This year I'm seeing 15 minutes a game, last year it was nothing at all. I think I've made a lot of improvements over last
year. But the past two games I have been stagnant."
Dreiling is aware of his short-comings and that the team is expecting more than he is giving right now. He also knows his role, at least in the near future, will be that of a back-up.
"Right now my role is to try to help Steve and Herb get a little rest and go in there and get rebounds and score when I can," said Dreiling, who was Indiana's 1986 second-draft pick. "When I'm in the game, the scorsers tend to be Wayman (Tisdale) and Ron (Anderson). Right now is an intense time for me. There is a fight for my job on the team. I need to play with aggression, and at times I'll still uptight. But I realize what my role is.
Stephen Wade/Special to the KANSAN
Above: Milwaukee Bucks center Jack Sikma is guarded by Vern Fleming, Indiana Pacers guard (10), and former Missouri basketball star Steve Stipanovich, right. The Bucks played the Pacers in an NBA exhibition match last night in Topeka's Landon Arena.
Right: Indiana Pacers center, Greg Dreiling, left, guards Milwaukee Bucks center Paul Mokeski. Both players are KU graduates.
Kansas' deep bench to play into Brown's brand of basketball
By DARRIN STINEMAN
Staff writer
The tradmarks of Larry Brown-coached basketball teams — man-to-man defenses, fast breaks and pressure defences — are all physically demanding aspects of the game that can leave a team lifeless when crunch time arrives at the end of a game.
But a strong bench, which Kansas appears to have this season, can ease the burden considerably. The Jayhawks appear to be a very deep team with five new players, who are rated as the fourth-best incoming class by Dick Vitale's Basketball magazine, and their ten returning players.
"It's imperative that you have good depth." Brown said. "I've never been afraid to play my bench. I really believe that we have legitimate players on our club who can step in and make a contribution."
Brown will need those players when the Kansas starters begin looking to the bench after a few fast breaks.
"Depth with good athletes enables you to play a faster game," Brown said. "I've liked to do that, and the kids like to do that, and I believe the fans like to see that. I think this team plays better than the game that teams in the past."
The Jayhawks' man-to-man defense also will require a strong bench contribution to be effective, Brown said.
A strong bench would also make it more feasible for Brown to install the pressing, trapping defenses characteristic of his teams.
"I want to do that, but right now we're way behind defensively," he said. "As we improve, we'll extend our further and further down the court."
Having quality bench players to rest starters, Brown said, was only one way that depth could help a team.
Manning, Missouri on top in Big Eight preseason poll
"The most important thing about depth is the competition in practice. That's where the great value of depth comes in." he said.
Brown said the only position he thought might be lacking in depth would be that of gard, the position vacated by two of Kansas' three lost lettermen, Cedric Hunter and Mark Turgleon. Under two highly-regarded junior college transfers, Brown should help in making up for those absences, Brown said he wasn't convinced that the problem was solved.
"The two most important qualities in a basketball player are physical ability and experience." he said. "I don't know about the experience."
KANSAS CITY, Mo — Kansas forward Danny Manning is the preseason pick as Big Eight Conference basketball player-of-the-year for the third year in a row, but sportswriters and broadcasters participating in the annual poll strongly favor Missouri to repeat as the champion.
The team also appears solid at center with the addition of highly-touted junior college transfer Marvin Branch and freshman Mike Masucci. Senior Sean Alvarado, the only return letterman at that position, had also shown improvement since last season, Brown said.
But at forward, both of those qualities seem to be abundant. Returning All-American Danny Manning will be supported by six lettermen at that position as well as freshman Mike Maddox.
The Associated Press
In five of the previous eight years, the poll has correctly predicted the champion. This time, a record 55 participants gave Missouri 36 firstplace votes for a total of 415 points out of a possible 440.
The top five in the category of the all-conference team were Manning—a unanimous choice — Chievous, Gharay, Harvey Grant of Oklahoma and Mitch Richmond of Kansas State.
Oklahan's Mookie Blaylock was the pre-season choice for newcomer of the year, with eight votes, to seven for Marvin Branch of Kansas.
in the category of player-of-the-year. Manning had 47 votes, to four for Missouri's Derrick Chieved and one for Iowa State's Jeff Grayer.
Nansas was next with 17 first-place votes and 396 points, while two voters
picked Oklahoma, giving the Sooners 331 points.
Bill of health clearing up for Jayhawk football team
By CRAIG ANDERSON
Staff writer
Kansas seems to have recovered a little bit from the rash of injuries that have hit the team the last two weeks, but that's not to say the Jayhawks still don't have some players who are hurting.
Junior tailback Darryl Terrell, who missed the last two games because of an ankle sprain, is running at about 95 percent capacity. Kansas football coach Bohole Vatesen said yesterday. Terrell rushed for 210
yards in five games before his injury.
"We'd really like to see him back in there (against Oklahoma) so we could get back some of our depth at running back," he said.
Senior offensive tackles Bob Pieper and Jim Davis have been hobbled by knee sprains off and on throughout the season. Davis missed last week's game against Iowa State in Oklahoma game. Junior second team take Bill Hundelt is listed as questionable because of a knee sprain.
"Jim Davis and Bob Pieper keep playing and practicing with bumps and bruises," "Valese said." "They've been battling injuries all year."
Nowhere has the Jayhawks' injury situation been more evident than at the defensive tackle position. Last week, Kansas' top four tackles were reported injured. Senior David White and junior Tim Adams didn't play against Iowa State. Senior Von Lacey and sophomore Mark Koncz saw little action. Neither recorded a tackle.
Valesente called Dinnel and Gordon the "Greyhound" unit of defense tackles because they lacked the size of the injured players but were faster. Dinnel is 6-foot 3, 220 pounds. Gordon is 6-foot 4, 230 pounds.
As a result of the injuries, Kansas started redshirt freshmen Mike Dinnel and David Gordon against the Cyclones. Dinnel had six tackles, including one for a five-yard loss. Gordon made seven tackles. Both made their first collegiate starts against Iowa State.
D. A. Brune, institutional receptionist at the Kansas State Penitentiary, checks in members of the KU women's volleyball team. The team played an exhibition game for the inmates last night.
Exhibition captivating for volleyball team
Staff writer
Scott Carpenter/KANSAN
Bv ROBERT WHITMAN
LANSING — If anyone had second thoughts, no one was openly expressing them yesterday as the Kansas women's volleyball team entered the visitors' lobby at the Kansas State Penitentiary.
The team split into two six-slayer squads and played an exhibition match in the medium-security section of the prison. The audience as: a male population who cared to wander over to the gymnasium and watch.
Even in the medium-security part of facility, built about two and a half years ago, there were inmates who had committed crimes as serious as first-degree murder, said Tracy Jones, activity therapist for the prison and organizer of the event.
"There are 688 (inmates) tonight. It changes daily." she said.
It Changes Face, she said. Kansas coach Frank Albitz had already divided the teams, six in white numbered jerseys with Kansas printed across the front and six in blue.
But instead of bun-huggers, the tight-fitting, brief-like bottoms the team usually wears, it wore its blue, knee-length, looser-fitting warm-up pants. This part of the team's attire was requested by Jones.
"We don't want them to show too much flesh." she said.
That may have been on the minds of the 21-members of the Jayhawk party, which consisted of Albiz, the players and eight managers and trainers who accompanied the team. Assistant coach Phil Ledbether was the only male member of the group.
"Frankie, are they going to frisk us?" outside hitter Kristi Conway asked as the team waited in the hallway. They were in by two guards at the front desk.
Was the group nervous? Perhaps.
No one was frisked, but the players left their sweatshirts, sweatpants, watches and other minor valuables in the lobby's lockers. The players also changed into their game shoes and, for those that used them, ankle
braces.
After their left hands were stamped with an ink that showed only under ultra-violet light, the group began the trek to the gym.
After walking down a corridor in the administrative section of the facility, they came to a heavily-barred wall, half of which slid aside as a door. Everyone entered the vestibule, which was watched over by a guard behind thick, impervious-looking glass.
"Over there is the maximum-security part of the facility," said D.L. Jesmore, captain in charge of medium security.
No one turned around to look at the older part of the penitentiary guarded by the same type of barred wall they had just come through. Instead, they walked out another door, down a flight of stairs and onto a sidewalk into the middle of the recreation yard.
"They look like volleyball players," said one inmate as the team entered the gym.
"Rock Chalk Jayhawk," came a voice from the cell block. All eyes, even the guards," were on the team.
Inside the gym, which was as new as the rest of the facility, one volleyball net had been set up wide-wise on the basketball court. There were bleachers four rows deep, where the players sat 250 inmates sat during the match.
There were less than a dozen inmates along the sidewalk traveled by the team, but several dozen were alone. The other two were in the cell block, about 300 feet away.
But as the first game progressed, inmates started filing out.
"Their curiosity is satisfied. They have something else to do," Jones said. "A lot of these guys have been long time. Long time's a big deal to them."
"One guy said, 'Come on Tammy,
see them, win some money for me.' "
outside hitter Tammy Hill said.
by the end of the three-games, about 100 inmates remained. There were bets riding on the outcome. The stakes ranged from pushups to cigarettes to money.
The inmates didn't cheer much until the third game. The squads had split the first two games.
they can eat the guards — the P.O. police." Jones said. "They didn't want to yell at first because they didn't know how to deal with them, so saw everyone was really relaxed."
After the Blue team disposed of the White team 15-12 in the third game, the inmates filed out past the players.
"I think we were all nervous, but intrigued," said Hill, a native of Eastham. "I thought because I by her here and I never thought I'd be in her playing volleyball."