Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
The Kansas swim teams will compete in their annual intrasquad Crimson and Blue Meet at 7 p.m. today in Robinson.SEE PAGE 4B
Friday
October 10, 1997
Section:
B
Page 1
Pro Baseball
Cleveland defeated the Baltimore Orioles 5-4 last night, tying the pennant race at 1-1.
SEE PAGE 5B
Pro Basketball
Page 1
Michael Jordan reflects about his career at North Carolina playing for Dean Smith, who resigned yesterday.
SEE PAGE 3B
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'Hawks seek better road show
Running back Eric Vann fights for extra yards against two Missouri tacklers during his game September 13. The Jayhawks travel to Texas to tommorow for a match against Texas Tech in Lubbock, Tex. Photo by Geoff Krieger/KANSAN
Football team looks for first win in hostile stadium
By Kelly Cannon
kcannon@kansan.com
Kansas sportswriter
The Kansas football team will take its 4-1 act on the road again tomorrow, but with hopes for a different result this time.
The Jayhawks' only loss this season occurred on its first road trip — a 34-7 loss to Cincinnati on Sept. 20. The team will play Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas.
The Red Raiders are 2-2 this season but hold a 5-0 series advantage against Kansas. Texas Tech defeated the Jayhawks 30-17 in Lawrence last year. Kansas football coach Terry Allen said Tech would be a challenge.
"In some cases yes, they are the best offensive team we have faced to this point." he said.
The Red Raiders are led by quarterback Zebbie Lethridge. Lethridge ranks 43rd in the nation in passing efficiency, averaging 131.2 yards per game. He is ranked No. 24 in total offense with 247.8 yards per game operating coach Spike Dykes' offensive scheme.
"He's elusive back there," Allen said. "He looks like he's playing well. We're going to see big offensive lines throughout the conference, but it will be interesting to see what approach Spike and Tech take offensively."
Kansas ranks third in the nation in pass defense, allowing an average of 80.4 yards per game. The Jayhawks
also are 11th in total defense with 265.8 yards per game and 15th in scoring defense, allowing an average of 13.6 points per game. Allen said Kansas has been relying on its defense to win.
"Bend but don't break," Allen said of his defensive philosophy. "Don't give up the big play. We have to contain their offense. We have to keep them out of the high numbers."
Tech is the second Texas team Kansas has faced this season. The Jayhawks defeated Texas Christian 17-10 on Sept. 6. Tomorrow's matchup will be Kansas' third night game.
"It is something that we have to face," Allen said. "The players have gotten themselves into the position that they wanted to be in. They will go into the game with more confidence after the Oklahoma game, but at this stage, any win is a big win."
Before the Cincinnati game, Allen expressed concern about Kansas' traveling plans. Arrangements for the Texas Tech game aren't different, but the way the team will handle the road trip is. Allen said.
"After the Cincinnati game, our players called a players-only meeting," Allen said. "That usually happens when a team is 1-4, not 4-1. They decided to change up the routine, but nothing that has to do with time of departure. We are changing the things we do until the game Saturday."
The game will be a homecoming of sorts for 12 Texas natives on the roster. Inside linebacker Hanson Caston, who is from Houston, said he was looking forward to returning home.
"It's exciting to play at Texas," Caston said. "It's a chance to go home and show them what they're missing."
Kickoff is 6:30 p.m. at Jones Stadium, which has a capacity of 50,500.
Jayhawks shoot for Razorbacks aim to please potential recruits
By Harley V. Ratliff
by Harden V.
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas women's soccer program may be focused on the present, but it also has its eyes on the future.
The Jayhawks (3-9 overall, 1-6 in the Big 12 Conference) will try to give the program a boost by accomplishing two goals this weekend — posting a victory and impressing two prospective recruits.
The first order of business will be at 2 p.m. today when Kansas returns home to SuperTarget Field to play Arkansas (2-8 overall, 1-3 in the Southeastern Conference). The Jayhawks hope to avenge last year's 4-0 defeat to the Razorbacks in Fayetteville, Ark.
"This week of training has gone really well," he said. "The women have all put in a solid performance this week and the attitude has been really upbeat. The women believe they can win."
Junior co-captain Jackie Dowell said that she has been pleased with the play of her teammates in practice this week.
Kansas head coach Dan Magner said the team has tried to duplicate the week of practice it had before its last win, a 4-3 victory over Colorado on Sept. 28.
- - - - individual effort has been there, and we we've all had brighter spirits."
"We've come out extremely focused," Dowell said. "The
After dropping two important Big 12 conference games last weekend, morale was a concern. But Magner said that the winning attitude has been present all week.
"The attitude needs to be positive—that's where it all starts," Magner said.
Whether they win or lose, the Jayhawks will use this afternoon to try and build for the future. Two important recruits, Gina Forte and Allele Heyworth, will visit campus and the program. Both players will attend the Chicago Bulls-Seattle SuperSonics NBA exhibition game tomorrow night in Allen Field House.
The Razorbacks play with intensity for the entire 90 minutes. Magner said
"It's been frustrating, but the scoring will come in time," Magner said. "Whether it's Katie Lents or Jackie Dowell, we need players to sten up."
"Arkansas is extremely disciplined in their style of play." he said. "We can't be down."
Magner said that Arkansas' one weakness could be its goalkeeping — something that could help the Jayhawks overcome their inability to put shots on goal.
"We want to take advantage of the wonderful fans that we have at this campus." Marner said.
Junior midfielder Erin Hon dribbles the ball towards the goal as Jackie Horton, sophomore defender, attempts to get in her way at practice yesterday. The Joyhawks hold the Arkansas Rasorbacks at 2 p.m. today. Photo by E.B. Howell/KANSAN
Smith's decision no reason for KU to 'freak out,' sing the blues
Stop the madness.
Just because North Carolina's Dean Smith, Roy Williams' coach, mentor and boss for 10 years, resigned yesterday is no reason for basketball fans on this campus to freak out. Judging by reactions Wednesday night to the first report about a forthcoming major announcement and
to the announcement yesterday, people are doing just that.
doing just that. "He's going. Byebye."
"Let's start a pool."
"He's not going. No way."
Hold those bets which are illegal, by the way.
No coach in his or her right mind would leave a team a week before practice starts, and no athletic direc-
Kristie Blasi
kblasi@kansan.com
or would expect a positive answer to such a question.
My crystal ball is not any clearer than yours, but we know that the answer right now is: Not right now.
But the question for Kansas faithful since Williams' popularity reached its apex has been this: Will Roy return to coach at his alma mater?
Oh, another answer is: Bill Guthridge. And I daresay that Guthridge, who was Smith's assistant for 31 years, knows the North Carolina system better than anyone except for the inventor who won 879 games — the most in college basketball history.
Smith's retirement provides him an opportunity to participate in the celebration of 100 years of Kansas basketball history Feb. 7 at his alma mater.
North Carolina plays at Georgia Tech that Sunday, and the coach who dedicated 36 years to the program would have been on the sideline instead of being honored at halftime of the Kansas-Missouri game.
The 66-year-old legend played at Kansas on Phog Allen's 1952 NCAA championship team and the 1953 runner-up队. The championship he won as a player complements the two he won coaching the Tar Heels in 1982 and 1993.
What's frightening about his legacy is that 1998 might have been his third coaching championship. Smith left the North Carolina cupboard full of talent, including All-America forward Antawn Jamison. The Tar Heels are picked No. 1 in several publications and are expected to contend for the national championship with, among others, Kansas.
This is Williams'tenth season in charge of the Jayhawks. Next season, his Kansas tenure will be longer than his stint as a North Carolina assistant coach.
It is unknown whether fans will do the math and listen to his loyalty statements or continue to speculate about his departure and wonder about his never saying never about coaching the Tar Heels.
In the meantime, enjoy the season.
The official "Late Night with Roy Williams" season kickoff is a week from today, and the stage still will be set at Allen Field House.
Hopefully everyone's nerves will be calmed when Williams is seen watching a team play wearing a shade of blue that's not Carolina.
Blasi is the "Kansan" sports editor and a Cauley senior in journalism.
Forget Pamplona: Allen Field House to run Da Bulls tomorrow
Michael Jordan, arguably one of the greatest basketball players ever, will play at Allen Field House tomorrow when the Chicago Bulls tip-off against the Seattle Supersonics at 7:05 p.m.
The exhibition game will be the second in as many days for the teams, which play tonight at the United Center in Chicago.
By Tommy Gallagher
tgallagher@kansan.com
Associate sports editor
Kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams said he had a contact in Chicago
who helped make the game possible.
"I knew a player from the Bulls from my
days at North Carolina," Williams said. "He talked to some people in his organization, and in time, we talked to them. The Bulls don't need to play this game here, but we are very thankful that they are."
Williams was an assistant at North Carolina when the Tar Heels won the national championship in 1982. Kansas assistant
coach Matt Doherty started on that team, along with Jordan and Seattle center Sam Perkins.
But the Bulls, winners of the NBA championship five of the past seven seasons, will not come to
Allen Field House with their team intact.
Forward Scottie Pippen had foot surgery
The Supersonics traded star forward Shawn Kemp to Cleveland in a three-way deal that sent All-Star forward Vin Baker to Seattle.
and will miss the next two to three months. While forward Dennis Rodman agreed to terms with Chicago, he has not signed a contract. The sides reportedly have quarreled about incentives that may or may not be included in the contract.
Regardless, the Supersonics still have Gary Payton, most noted for his defense.
The Supersonics will come to Lawrence looking for a sense of team chemistry and evaluating new player personnel.
NBA in Lawrence
Where: Allen Field House
When: 7:05 p.m. tomorrow
TV: Locally on WDAF-TV (Ch. 4)
Tickets for the game sold out in a little more than 24 hours. About 1,200 people formed a line in front of Allen Field House at 8 a.m. the day tickets went on sale.
Tickets originally ranged in price from $20 to $50. Some scalpers are reportedly selling tickets for as much as $20 per ticket this week.
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