Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Thursday
January 21, 1999
Section:
B
Page 1
The NBA lockout officially ended yesterday. Teams will be allowed to begin signing players today.
College Basketball
SEE PAGE 5B
The previously unbeaten Auburn men's basketball team fell to Kentucky in Lexington.
SEE PAGE 4B
Pro Football
Ex-49er coach Bill Walsh will now be the team's general manager. Walsh, a Hall of Fame coach, signed a four year contract.
SEE PAGE 8B
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Hawks lose on road to unranked Buffs
Washington says that team needs to rely on bench
By Matt James
Kansan sportswriter
The journey through the Big 12 Conference has been a treacherous one for road teams this season, and the No. 23 Jayhawks found it especially rocky last night in Boulder.
The unranked Colorado Buffaloes defeated Kansas 76-65, giving Coach Marian Washington's team its first back-to-back losses of the season.
A deep Colorado bench paid huge dividends, as it dominated its depleted Kansas counterpart 32 to 6. Freshman guard Mandy Nightingale led the bench assault, scoring 12 points and pulling down 7 rebounds. Kansa' only bench points came on two Shandy Robbins three-pointers
"That was definitely the difference in the game," said a discouraged Washington. "They have a very deep bench, and we just ran out of gas."
The Jayhawks trailed by 10 points at the half but with the hot shooting of Lynn Pride, made a strong second half surge in the first seven minutes to take one
point lead. The valiant effort fell short as the Buffaloes proceeded to go on a 22-6 run down the stretch.
"Pride looked like she was gonna take over the game," said Colorado coach Ceal Barry. "You
know Kansas is gonna make a run."
Coach Washington, struggling to find the right starting combination, returned sophomore Jennifer Jackson to point guard. She joined Lynn Pride, Brooke Reves, Jaclyn
Raymant: Her knee injury hurt KU's three-point shooting
Johnson and Nakia Sanford as the third different starting lineup in as many games. Jackson scored 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting, while Pride added 18 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists to the losing effort.
Washington said the team had been relying on Pride and Jackson to do more than their share of the scoring this season.
"We just need some other people to do what they can do; nothing more, and nothing less," Washington said. "We need some people to step up from the
bench."
An early season knee injury to senior guard Suzi Raymant and the delayed return of 6-foot-4-inch sophomore Nikki White, who is recovering from off-season knee surgery, have hurt the Jayhawks' depth.
The injury to Raymant also robbed the Jayhawks' of their only consistent three-point shooter - she averaged 42 percent from the arc last season. The Jayhawks have only managed to shoot 28 percent in her absence, allowing smaller opponents such as Colorado to nullify Kansas' height with zone defense
Colorado shot a season-high 83 percent from the free throw line, hitting 19 of 23. Kansas made only 8 of 14 from the line.
Barry said the huge free-throw
disparity was hardly coincidental.
"We knew Lynn Pride would put up 20 shots," Barry said. "We talked about not fouling her, and keeping her off the line."
The Jayhawks' schedule doesn't get any easier, as they head home to face the 6th ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders at Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon. Texas Tech was one of four Big 12 teams to win at home last night, defeating 14th ranked Iowa State 71-47.
"We're going home to a big challenge," said Washington.
Lynn Pride takes the ball to the basket in an earlier game against Creighton. Pride scored 18 points in last night's loss to Colorado. Photo by Graham K. Johnson/KANSAN
Commentary
Loopholes make rules mean less
Sometimes we need to be reminded that there is nothing wrong with punishing someone for breaking the rules.
We must understand that by not punishing people for clear violations, we send the message that it is OK to break the rules
because there is a way out.
When the NCAA granted Lester Earl another year of eligibility, it sent a message that the rules are flexible and that athletes can knowingly break those rules without having to worry about suffering the consequences.
Earl's case is well documented.
Spencer Duncan
sports@kansan.com
After spending one
After spending one semester at Louisiana State, the forward bolted and transferred to Kansas. Subsequently, Earl made a deal with the NCAA.
It turned out that Earl, who later said he wanted to go to Kansas all along, accepted roughly $5,000 to play at LSU. His family also received legal and other aide.
These are blatant violations of NCAA rules. And while Earl admitted to the wrongdoings, he cut a deal: If he told what happened, he would get immunity.
Of course, Earl still had problems. NCAA transfer rules dictated he sit out one year, and LSU refused to let him out of his letter
See EARL on page 3A
Crimson girls ignore orders attend national competition
By Matt Tait
Kansan sportswriter
Every year the University of Kansas Crimson Girls plan on making an appearance at the National Competition in Florida. And every year until this one they did so without hassle.
This season marked the first year that the squad was discouraged from participating in the event. Bob Frederick, athletics director, said that during the department's budget meeting in February, they decided the athletic department would no longer allot money for national competitions, and the emphasis of the Crimson Girls would be primarily on cheering for teams at the University.
"They work very hard, and I respect and appreciate their hard work, but my emphasis is on the 20 teams that constitute our athletic department," Frederick said.
Crimson Girl Captain Lindsey Larson, Leawood senior, said that the money was not the issue. For the past several years, they have held fund-raisers, including poster sales and instructional clinics, to raise the nearly $6,000 needed to compete at the national competition. However, the issue was that the squad members wanted to be able to compete with the support of the department, and it was their understanding that they would not be allowed to.
"We were not asking for money, we just wanted the support and ability to go compete," Larson said.
For a while the squad was in limbo, basically running themselves. A new coordinator, Kelly Potter, was hired in November. She heard the girls talking about going and approached the athletic department. At that point Janelle Martin, associate director of athletics, told the squad they could not go.
During the February budget meeting, Elaine Brady, spirit squad coordinator, talked with Frederick and the department and settled on the fact that the squad would not go to national competitions. Shortly after that meeting she resigned.
Enter the hassle.
However, the Crimson Girls already had paid the cost of plane tickets, costumes and registration fees, and were determined to compete.
"We all talked, and we didn't know what to do. We had spent so much money, and we felt we had no other choice but to go." Shannon Novak, Shawnee sophomore said.
Members of the Crimson Girls dance square cheer during a women's basketball game. The Crimson Girls competed in a national dance team competition during winter break.
Photo by Graham K. Johnson/KANSAN
"When you know something is right, you gotta stand up for it," Aimee Martinez, Lawrence sophomore said. "That's why we went."
The squad decided unanimously to travel to Orlando Jan. 6-10 for the competition. The squad made it to the finals.
Larson said that it was not the squad's goal to defy defy the department.
Both parties are willing to work together to resolve the situation.
"Right now we're just trying to figure out different paths to take so the squad survives," Larson said.
"It was just a matter of miscommunication, and the situation became adversarial," Frederick said. "We've been working, and we want to get this resolved soon, so we can move on."
As of now, the Athletics department has not contacted the squad, but Frederick does not foresee any repercussions for their actions.
Player suspended for punches
Gabe Muoneke hit Kansas players three times during game
Although no fouls were called on Munoneke for any of the altercations and neither Barnes nor the officials saw any of the incidents during the game, his behavior did not elude ESPN cameras.
inch, 250p o u n d M uoneke punched Kansas forward N i c k Bradford in the stomach during the opening minu tes. After exit.
Replays revealed that the 6
Texas forward Gabe Muonek has been suspended for one game by Longhorn men's basketball coach Rick Barnes because of his unsportsmanlike behavior in Monday night's 76-67 loss to No. 19 Kansas.
By Kovin C. Wilson
Kansan sportswriter
Muoneke: Was sus pended for one game by coach
"That dude is strong," Bradford said. "He got me a good shot in the stomach. Hopefully in the future the refs will catch that."
Apparently they didn't catch it soon enough.
ing the game to catch his breath. Bradford proceeded to reenact the blow to assistant coach Matt Doherty.
In the second half, Muonekebelted Kansas forward T.J.Pugh in the stomach while hewas chasing down a rebound.Later in the game,Muonekeb again struck Pugh, this time in
This is not the first time that Muoneke has been reprimanded for striking an opponent. Barnes forced his forward to write a letter of apology to Wisconsin guard Hennsny Aurianal after Muoneke punched him in the stomach during a 65-62 loss on Dec. 15.
the face, as the Jayhawk forward blocked him out under the basket.
"I hate what he's done, but I know Gabe's a wonderful person. He can still be aggressive and play as hard as he can play, but he can't cross the line."
"Maybe at some times it crossed the line," Pugh said. "Both teams were playing hard. It was physical, but we expected that. There were no hard feelings."
But there are repercussions.
After the game, Muoneke was the first Longhorn player that Kansas coach Roy Williams approached.
"After reviewing the tape, I saw some actions by Gabe that were unsportsmanlike," Barnes said. "If I had known it happened during the game, I'd have taken him out."
"I told him 'You really tick me off, but you're a heckuva player,'" Williams said. "I'm sure I don't see everything, I'm sure Rick doesn't see everything, but the first one didn't look good."
Muoneke apologized Tuesday for his most recent transgressions.
The suspension not only robs Barnes of his leading scorer but leaves Texas with only six scholarship players for Saturday's home game against No. 23 Oklahoma State.
"At the time, we laid down ground rules as to what action would be taken if this happened again." Barnes said.
"I'd like to apologize to the University of Kansas, its players and coaching staff for my
actions in last night's game," said Muonekke during a press conference on Tuesday. "I'd also like to apologize to the Big 12 Conference and the University of Texas.
"I think it's an on-the-court problem that if it's not taken care of, it could spill over," Muoneke said. "I haven't done anything to make anybody proud. I think some think I'm a thug, some hate me, some think I'm funny. I don't think anybody thinks of me as a basketball player right now."
Big 12 commissioner Kevin Weiberg said that he was satisfied with the suspension and that no further punishment would be needed.
"I am embarrassed and ashamed of what I have done. My behavior was inexcusable and totally inappropriate, and I want to fix it. I will seek any and all help to help allow me to overcome this."
Muonekne said that he was going to begin attending counseling today to deal with his problem.
"The one-game suspension is an appropriate penalty." Weiberg said. "We appreciate coach Rick Barnes and the university's prompt action in this matter and the public apology issued by Gabe Mumkee."
Williams responded to Muoneke's suspension on his weekly talk show Tuesday night.
"There were some things on the tape that didn't necessarily need to have happen in a college basketball game. I'm sure Rick saw the same things and made that decision to suspend him."