Thursday, October 28, 1999
The University Daily Kansan
57
Section B·Page 3
Williams says play to decide starting lineup
Coach's picks will be based on performance
By Matt Tait sports@kansan.com
Kansas sportwriter
If you have an idea who the Jayhawks' starting five should be when the 1999-2000 Kansas basketball season opens Nov. 19 at home against Fairfield, you're one step ahead of men's coach Roy Williams.
As practices jump into full swing, Williams said that composing a starting lineup was the last thing on his mind.
"I haven't put together any combinations or anything like that yet, and I probably won't this week." Williams said. "I've changed the lineup every single day."
The reason Williams has this allowance is that this year's squad has a lot of depth. Despite having 14 players on the team who could start at many other schools, Williams said that he realized they could not be used all at once.
"You only play five at a time," Williams said. "If I could play 10 at a time, I'd be even more excited. Depth is something that really comes into play with injuries."
Depth became important recently as junior forward Luke Axtell broke a bone in his left hand and is expected to miss the next two weeks. Williams said that the injury depleted the depth for now, but that depth was still a strong point of the team.
"Not as much without Luke, for example, but I still think it's got to be a strength of this team," Williams said. "If I had
to pick two, I would say the depth is a strength for us and our size."
Size certainly is something the Jayhawks have an abundance of as they have seven players listed at 6-foot-8 or taller.
"I'm really, really pleased with how hard they've been working." Williams said. "They're not playing very intelligent right now. Our better teams have always been teams that played really hard and extremely smart. It remains to be seen if this group can do both."
As for the first couple of weeks of practice, Williams said that he was pleased with what he has seen, but that there were still some things that needed to be worked out.
Axtell, who has been limited to watching practice the last couple of days, said that practices were going well.
"I just try to pick up on what Coach Williams is teaching," Axtell said. "He hasn't added any new stuff yet — it's all been the same — but the new stuff is coming."
The new stuff he referred to came from Williams' desire to find a new style of offense this season. He said that with so many post players it had become his job to develop a way to get the ball to all of their big guys.
As for the lineup, Williams said that he hoped it was something that would be determined in practice by the players — not by him.
"Players determine who plays, not coaches," Williams said. "I want them to determine that."
The first chance to see Kansas' starting lineup will come Nov. 6 as the Jayhawks open preseason play at home against the California All-Stars.
Fambrough's heart on field with 'Hawks
Edited by Chris Hutchison
It was the best birthday present Don Fambrough could have received — even if it was four days late.
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
8v Mike Miller
Fambrough, a former Kansas football player and coach, relishes any Kansas victory against Missouri, and Saturday was no different. The 21-0 triumph left him in tears after the game, smiling and hugging Kansas coach Terry Allen and his players.
"Outside of my wife, nothing could be sweeter," he said.
It was a good day.
Though his disgust for the Tigers has its roots — a long story that began in 1946 — his devotion to Kansas football might be deeper. At 77, Fambrough has been retired for 12 years, yet he spends every day of the football season with the Jayhawks at practice, at games or watching them on television.
"I love football," he said. "Some people use their retirement to play golf. I go down to practice every day.
"A lot of people might just think I'm senile, but I can use my retirement any way I want to." Fambrough said. "That's the advantage of being old."
In the off season, he watches John Wayne movies — he always wins, Fambrough says with a grin — and waits for fall.
But he must have seen a little John Wayne in the Jayhawks last week, because he knew they were going to beat the Tigers.
"I went down there Tuesday, and Coach Allen was having them scrimmage," he said. "Well, they went at it, and I went home and told my wife that the fur was flying, and they were going to be ready for Saturday."
Coach Allen knew the importance of Saturday's game went beyond another Kansas win. He had college football Hall-of-Fame players Gale Sayers and John Hadl speak to the team before the game, and the 1968-69 Kansas team that played in the Orange
WHAT TO DO?
A player should be sweet against the team that most of the older Kansas fans and players despised — especially Fambrough.
Bowl was being honored at halftime.
"I don't know what Missouri did to him in the past, but it must've been pretty bad," fullback Tyrus Fontenot said. "He was really emotional about this game."
When Fambrough was enticed to come to Kansas in 1946 by Kansas legend Ray Evans — Fambrough is a Texan by birth but a Kansan by heart
— he said it was one of the best declisions he ever made. It also marked the beginning of his disgust for Missouri.
Former Kansas football player and coach Don Fambrough speaks with wide receiver Michael Chandler before practice. At 77, Fambrough still spends every day of football season at practice, at games or watching the "Hawks television. Photo by Jay Sheperd/KANSAN
Because of World War II, the NCAA granted freshmen eligibility to play another year, which gave Fambrough an opportunity to play.
Kansas was 7-2 going into the final game of the season, but as Fambrough tells it, Missouri complained to the NCAA and the freshmen eligibility was stripped. The Kansas chancellor
at the time, Deane W. Malott, wanted Kansas to leave the Big Seven Conference rather than let Missouri win the game.
"Well, the five of us, we went to the chancellor and told him that we'd sit out the game." Fambrough said. "We didn't want Kansas to drop out of the conference."
From there, Fambrough has learned to despise the Tigers. It doesn't help that Missouri fans have felt Kansas players, fans and band members with bottles.
"They're real easy to dislike that way," he said. Fambrough played when football players played both offense and defense, and most of the players were about six foot, 200 pounds.
"Now you've got these huge 300-pounders," he said. "But I'm not sure they could go both ways."
Fambrough, a two-time All-Conference guard, also
played middle linebacker and kicked for Kansas.
"I had to practice extra points after practice when everybody left," he said. "My range was about ten yards, but that's because I was too tired to kick."
He later would coach at Kansas from 1971 to 1974 and from '79 to '82, guiding the Jayhawks to the 1973 Liberty Bowl and the 1981 Hall of Fame Bowl. He was named the Big 8 Conference coach of the year in $^{11}$
He said he hoped Allen would let him remain close to the teams because he enjoyed being around the players.
"That's something a lot of young coaches would resent." Fambrough said. "I'm very fortunate that he makes me feel like I'm part of the team."
Regardless of what coach is here, Fambrough's heart always will be the same place — on the football field with the Hawks.
Edited by Kelly Clasen
Parker's return strengthens Chiefs offensive line
The Associated Press
And that's why tackle Glenn Parker's return is so important to a Kansas City Chiefs offensive line that has been shuffling its left side because of injuries.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Big and tough offensive citymen like their actions to speak louder than their words — especially on the field.
games, respectively.
people that you can't do with other people. We've won together; we've lost together. We've celebrated together; we've cried together."
"It's very important," center Tim Grunhard said. "I've played with these guys a lot of years. "There are so many unspoken things you can do with these
Parker has missed two games at left tackle with an elbow injury. Left guard Dave Szott also has missed time.
Injuries to the line this year come after Szott went down for the entire season last year and other injuries forced the Chiefs to shuttle players in and out, and guard Will Shields.
Grunnhard and guard Will Shields have been the only real stability, having started 102 and 101 consecutive
"It's important to be together just in the way we can communicate and get things done," Parker said. "It helps our confidence. If everybody is not on the same page, running backs start getting smashed up, beat up, and they get upset."
The line comes together just in time to face one of the best run defenses in the league: San Diego. The Chargers are allowing just 2.9 yards per carry and have not given up a 100-yard game to a rusher in 25 games.
"We know if we're going to do something this year it starts with us." Chargers linebacker Junior Seau said. "We limit the average per carry. We'll allow you three yards, two yards and three yards, but it's still fourth down. We're not going to let you have big spurs and run through us. If you're going to run 40 times, you're going to get 100 yards, but it's yards per carry that are going to be down."
The Chargers won the first game between the two AFC West rivals in San Diego.
CORBIS/Dean Conger
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