Tuesday, November 10. 1998
The University Daily Kansan
BIG
Section B·Page 3
Sooner men expect trip to tournament
Coach confident despite the loss of his top scorers
By Brandon Krisztal
Kansan sportswriter
The Oklahoma men's basketball team is looking to build on its success from last season with another 20-win season and trip to the NCAA Tournament.
Under head coach Kelvin Sampson, the Sooners have averaged 20.3 wins per season and have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in each of his four seasons. Oklahoma is returning three starters, but Samson said he was unsure how his team would respond
after graduating its two most productive players.
They lost shooting guard Corey Brewer who averaged 20.8 points per game, earned a spot on the first-team All-Big 12 and was named honorable mention All-America. Center Evan Wiley, who was second with 10.7 points a game, also graduated.
"I have a hard time getting a handle on this队," Sampson said. "I think we are pretty good. Losing Brewer, we don't have a dominant scorer waiting to take over. This team has really taken on a different personality; maybe because we don't have a guy we can look to, a guy we can draw up a play and run a certain play for."
bly the quickest player in the Big 12. Last year he averaged 7.1 points per game and led the team with 4 assists per game. Johnson also was a member of
The Sooners have some comfort with the return of point guard Michael Johnson, possi-
the big 12
All-Stars
team that
toured
Europe this
summer.
"I do know we're further along than we were at this time last year," Sampson said. "I
think that
Sampson: Says his team will be much improved.
is because we are returning a point guard. For the first time since I have been at Oklahoma, I'm not having to start over
with an entirely different point guard."
The two other retuning starters, forwards Ryan Humphrey and Eduardo Najera will be expected to pick up their scoring.
Humphrey, a high school AllAmerican, led the team in rebounding with 6.5 boards a game and was fourth in scoring with 9.2 points per game. Last season Humphrey was named first-team Academic All-Big 12, Honorable Mention All-Big 12 and was a member of the league's all-freshman team.
Najera started the first 20 games and came off the bench after he incurred a foot alliment. He was the team's third leading scorer with 10.5 points a game and the third leading rebounder grabbing 5.4 rebounds a game.
"I think we will play more as a team because we won't have to rely on just one main scorer," he said. "This will allow us to execute better than last year too."
The Sooners also return guard Eric Martin, the team's sixth man a year ago. He should join Johnson in the backcourt. Martin averaged 6.5 points off the bench.
Oklahoma also is hoping to get a lot of help in the middle from center Victor Avila. Avila, the preseason Newcomer-of-the-year, transferred to Oklahoma from Scottsdale (Ariz.) Community College. Last season he was a junior college All-American averaging 23.7 points, 15.3 rebounds and 2.8 blocks a game.
Oklahoma spirit rises with start of season
Women's team hopes player's return will boost basketball win record
By Sam Mellinger Kansas sportswriter
Kansan sportswriter
You would think that 41 losses during the last two seasons would kill optimism around the Oklahoma women's basketball team.
Think again.
coaching staff."
Unfazed by her team's struggles in her first two seasons in Norman, coach Sherri Coale said that many losses were because of her insistence on running an up-tempo style with a roster better suited for a half-court game.
"We haven't had the personnel to do what I wanted, so I decided to swallow hard and take some lumps early," Coale said. "But this year is different, this is the first time the team has been driven, that they've wanted it as bad as the
Much of the reason for the new attitude is the healthy return of Stacey Dales, who Coale calls the program's savior.
"We are automatically a better transition team because Stacey will be at point running it," Coale said.
Dales tore the anterior cruciate ligament in her knee less in the season opener last year. She was given a medical redshirt.
When Dales went down, she took the team's spirits with her.
"It was huge," Coale said. "When she's on the floor, everyone else's game raises a level. All of a sudden, the kids who were rising on Stacey's ability fell right back where they were."
And fell into an 8-19 record, just a three game improvement from 1996-97.
The Sooners have faith that this year will be different and that Dales will make it possible. Dales was voted co-captain of the team, an incredible honor for a freshman.
"I feel like I've earned it," Dales said.
"I'm honored. You don't expect to be voted captain as a freshman. I exude confidence on a daily basis."
Last year's leading scorer for Oklahoma and All-Big 12 selection Phylesha Whaley said Dales
Whaley said Dales could live up to the nype.
"She can do about anything," Whaley said. "She's blunt, and that's the best way to go about things, and I think that's why the team respects her so much."
Dales said her ability would help.
"I don't think I'm the only key to our success, but I think
my ability to make my teammates better will enable us to be successful," she said. Coale said Dales' ability not diminished after the injury. She also said she
actually was a better player than before her ACL gave out.
Dales return also means that opposing defenses will not be free to focus as much attention on stopping Whaley. Playing through double and sometimes even triple teams last season, Whaley still managed to lead the Sooners in points (20.2 per game), rebounds (8.1 per game) and field goal and free throw accuracy (47.5 and 78.9 percent, respectively). She broke the 30-point barrier six times last season, including four games against nationally-ranked teams.
Coale said Whaley would benefit from having Dales on the floor.
"Phyleysha has to have a strong year," Coale said. "She's got a better supporting cast and I think she's better. She's unique in that she's never satisfied."
With Dales back in the lineup and another year with Coale, Whaley is confident the team will do better than is expected.
"Definitely, but that's not that hard when you're picked 10th in the conference," she said.
Commentary Kansas City teams disappoint fans
Kansas City's professional sports franchise puzzles me. ■ The Royals' administration has no idea what it's doing to a franchise that was once the most respected ball club in the league. Just sell the team, and get it over with.
They have a legitimate buyer in Miles Prentice, lawyer from New York. He had enough money to purchase the team months ago, but the Royals' board of directors — David Glass, Mike Merman and General Manager Herk Robinson — said, "Oh, by the way, half of your bid must be local."
Strangely enough, someone failed to mention this when the bidding began.
What Glass, Herman and Robinson would like to see happen is for Prentice to fail to receive enough local money and for the team to stay
Hey Miles, I have a couple of dollars.
These men, who have no money invested in the team, would love to sit in luxury boxes for another season with nothing to lose.
Which brings me to some strange events that have occurred this off season.
The Royals announces that staff ace Kevin Applier is on the trading block. Then they revealed their plan to cut the
Tony
Pacheco
payroll to $20 million. In addition to these wonderful strategies to win back the fans, the ticket prices go up.
But that didn't bother me as much as the way the club treated longtime radio announcer Fred White. I've listened to White for more than 15 years, and I loved his commentary. He always supported the Royals no matter how bad they were.
White had been an announcer for the Royals for 25 years and was fired by a guy who has been around for six months. That's classy.
Three months ago when I was in Las Vegas, I bet on the Kansas City Chiefs to win the AFC and the Superbowl.
At that time, the Chiefs were just out of training camp. There was talk of a 16-0 season and shutting out half of the opponents because of the dominating defense.
What a difference three months make.
Now, the Chiefs have lost four in a row, including two at Arrowhead Stadium, where they once seemed invincible (not including playoffs).
I have tickets to Chiefs' home games against Arizona and Dallas. Both games could mean absolutely nothing when the teams play. But I'll go and cheer for my Chiefs no matter what the weather, just as I and a couple of other fans did for the Jayhawk seniors Saturday.
Thanks seniors for making my last football game as a student a memorable one.
As for the things I said about the Chiefs and Royals, I swear those of you who aren't sports fans will live longer than those of us who are.
Pacheco is an Olathe senior in English.
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