PC Monday, August 17. 1998
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 5
Chenowith travels with All-Stars
By Brandon Krisztal
Kansan sportswriter
DALLAS — While most Kansas students were eagerly awaiting the end of summer and returning to school, sophomore center Eric Chenowith was packing his bags and heading to Europe for 10 days. Chenowith represented Kansas on the inaugural Big 12 All-Star tour of Europe. The All-Stars finished the tour 4-2.
Kansas men's basketball player Eric Chenowith participated in the 10-day Big 12 All-Star tour. The team played six teams in Europe and ended the trip with a 4-2 record. Kansas file photo
The team was coached by Texas Tech chass james Dickey.
Before the trip, Chenowith said that he was excited about going to Europe for the first time.
"It's a great opportunity," Chenowith said. "Most people don't ever get to go to Europe, and I'm getting to go and play basketball."
The All-Star team included one member from every Big 12 school, except for Texas A&M, which is on its own team tour overseas.
The point-guard duties were split between Oklahoma senior Michael Johnson and Texas Tech junior Rayford Young. The wing positions were anchored by three seniors: Oklahoma State's Adrian Peterson, Colorado's Kenny Price and Missouri's Jeff Hafer.
Forwards Jamie Kendrick, a junior from Baylor, Martin Ranick, an Iowa State sophomore, and Kansas State senior Shawn Rhodes shared time both in the post and on the perimeter. Joining Chenwith down low was fellow sophomore Chris Mihm from Texas and Nebraska senior Venson Hamilton.
"We have a good blend of talent," Dickey said. "It's really an honor to coach such a good bunch of young men."
Before the tour, Dickey said he was looking forward to coaching the All-Stars.
Heading into the tour, Dickey said that he was a little uncertain about the talent level of the European teams and how the teams would look.
"A lot of the teams we play will
Tour results
Big 12 Conference All-Star Basketball Tour
Aug. 7 vs. Stevenage Rebels (Stevanage, England) 116-72
Aug. 8 vs. Manchester Giants (Stevanage, England) 113-82
Aug. 9 vs. London Leapards (London, England) 111-66
Aug. 11 vs. Sunair Basketball Club (Oostende, Belgium) 96-79
Aug. 12 vs. Rhondorf Dragons (Rhondorf, Germany) 77-75
Aug. 13 vs. Telekom Basketball Club (Bonn, Germany) 78-71
Big 12 score
look unorthodox," Dickey said. "But the bottom line is they can put the ball in the hole. We've got to be ready for that and pull together as a team."
The Big 12 All-Stars opened the tour Aug. 7 with a 44-point victory, 116-72, against the Stevenage (England) Rebels. Chenwish led the All-Stars with 17 points and the Rebels' lone American player, Dwayne Martin, led all scorers with a high of 24 points.
The All-Stars dominated the boards, out rebounding the Rebels 83-27 and were led by Mihm's 14 points.
The team's second game Aug. 8 resembled the first contest as the All-Stars made the Manchester Giants look diminutive, winning 113-82. Rancik led all scorers with 19 points. Peterson had 18 points, and Chenowith added 15 points. Kendrick and Hamilton each notched a double-double in points and rebounds.
The team's third and final game in England was Aug. 9 against the Greater London Leopards. The All-Stars started slow but improved to 3-0 with a 111-66 win.
Raniek came off the bench to lead the Big 12 All-Stars with 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Chenowith, after starting the first two games, came off the bench to add six points to the All-Stars cause.
Hamilton led the All-Stars with 10 rebounds.
The team lost Aug. 11 to the Sunair Basketball Club in Belgium 96-79, which dropped it to 3-1 on the tour.
John Jerome led all scorers with 19 points. Price led the All-Stars with 15 points and Chenowith scored four points before fouling out early in the second half.
The team's woes continued Aug.
12 in Germany, as it fell just a basket
short to the Rhondorf Dragons
77-75.
Fatigue may have been a factor in the team's second loss, after the
Former Tulsa player Gary Collier led all scorers with 34 points, while Peterson scored 13 points to lead the All-Stars.
Hamilton led the All-Stars in rebounding with 10 and Chenowith, who was reinserted into the starting lineup, scored three points in the loss to the Dragons.
The Big 12 All-Stars ended the six-game tour Aug. 13, with a 78-71 victory in Bonn, Germany, against Telekom Bonn.
NBA move is on hold for 2 former Jayhawks
Despite top spots LaFrentz, Pierce await lockout end
By Molinda Weaver Kansan sportswriter
Kansan sportswriter
On National Basketball Association draft night June 24, shock waves riped through
pled through Lawrence.
Paul Pierce, who left the University of Kansas after his junior season to join the NBA, was not drafted until the 10th overall pick.
LaFrentz: Says he is excited about playing for Denver.
With Pierce and Raef LaFrentz both entering the draft many predicted Kansas would have two top five picks. LaFrentz did not disappoint. The Denver Nuggets selected him with the third overall pick.
“DENVER is where he really wanted to go,” said Kansas coach Roy Williams.
“It’s seldom that you get to choose where you want to go, but RaeF basically got to do just that.”
Although LaFrentz missed nine games with a broken hand early in the season, he was named a first team All-American and the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year by The Associated Press. He finished second in school history behind Danny Manning in scoring with 2,066 points and rebounding with 1,106.
Pierce, also a first-team All-American, was picked 10th by the Boston Celtics, a team he said he thought had
"I'm extremely excited to be drafted by the Denver Nuggets," LaFrentz said. "It will be great to stay in Big 12 territory. I'm just excited to be in the NBA."
plavoff potential in the near future.
Pierce, who led the Jayhawks in scoring last season with 20.5 points a game, was slated second in many mock drafts behind Mike Bibby, a guard from Arizona.
However, when the Los Angeles Clippers used the first pick to select Michael Olowokandi, a center from University of the Pacific, which left Bibby to be taken by the Vancouver
"It was a little disappointing, but that's the way things go in the draft," Pierce said.
Grizzlies and Pierce to wait for a team that could use him in its system.
The two rookies face another problem now. Not long after the draft players
Pierce: Says he was 'a little disappointed' about 10th pick.
and owners in the NBA reached a stalemate in their contract discussions and the owners imposed a lockout on the players, which meant teams could not negotiate with, sign, or trade players.
That left Pierce and LaFrentz with no contract and no idea how long they would be out of work.
"This lockout is hindering to all the players, particularly the rookies and free agents," said Ellen LaFrentz, Raef LaFrentz's mother. "It keeps them from blending and becoming part of a family."
She said that LaFrentz was able to have contact with the Nuggets until July 1. He met the trainer, a few of his new teammates and most of the people in the front office.
LaFrentz continued to live in Lawrence and work out daily in the University areas, but he was looking for a home in Denver.
"We hope the NBA will look at what happened to baseball and be bright enough to get on with the negotiations." Ellen LeFrentz said.
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