SPORTS
University Daily Kansan/Wednesdav November 20.1991
11
Kansas still waiting for letters of intent
Three Big Eight schools report signings
ByJeffKobs
ByJeff Kobs
Kansan Sportswrite
At midnight tonight, college bass ketball's official early signing period will end, one week from when it began.
Assistant athletic director Richard Konzem said Kansas did not have to rely entirely on the mail.
"A signed fax is a permissible substitute," Konzem said. "If it was physically impossible for the letter to arrive in the mail, we could send a fax to the kid, have them sign it and then send it back. Then send that fax to the parents to sign. Then fax it back here."
As of last night, Kansas had not received national letters of intent from Chris Davis, a 6-foot-7 forward, or Darren Hancock, a 6-foot-4 forward. Both have verbally committed to Kansas.
The problem seems to be that both Davis and Hancock attend schools away from where their parents live. Because both the player and the parents must sign the letter, time to get them signed and mailed.
Hancock plays for Garden City Community College, but his parents live in Griffin, Ga. Davis plays for Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Va., and his parents live in Lakeland, Fla.
Konzem said the letter just had to be signed by the midnight deadline.
Kansas coach Roy Williams said on Saturday that he did not foresee any problems with the letters arriving.
Freshman adjusts to starting role
However, Williams also said a Federal Express delivery truck had broken down last week, delaying the arrival of the letter to Davis
It appears Kansas will not receive a letter of intent from John Wallace, a 6-8 forward from Rochester, N.Y.
Without the paperwork, Kansas cannot officially announce any signings.
Three Big Eight Conference schools have received signed letters of intent.
Recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons confirmed that Wallace had chosen Syracuse but would not sign until the spring.
Kansas has five scholarships available for the next two years with a maximum of three this year.
Colorado has received letters from four players: 6-0 guard Pete Hefty, 6-4 forward Rich Fradeen, 6-3 forward Michael Hule and 6-4 guard Kirk Williams.
Oklahan State has received letters from three players: 6-9 forward Kevin Miles, 6-8 guard Troy Owler and 6-7 forward Fred Burleigh.
Kansas State has received a letter from 6-9center Kevin Lewis
Missouri, Iowa State, Oklahoma and Nebraska had not received any letters as of last night.
A highly touted player from Dallas, freshman Angela Aycock is expected to bring versatility to the 1991-92 Lady Jawhays.
Before the basketball season began, Coach Marian Washington said the Lady Jayhawks needed big things from 5-foot-3 center Lisa Tate.
By David Mitchell
Kansan Sportswriter
One reason for the victory was the play of 6-2 freshman Angela Aycock
Tate is injured with a stress fracture in her left leg. However, Washington said she was encouraged that with Tate on the bench and guard Stacy Sheehan and guard Nassas still bounced the German National team in its season opener Thursday.
Aycko started the game and led the Hawks in scoring and rebounds with 24 points and 12 rebounds. Aycko said she hoped the first game did not raise expectations.
"I don't know what happened," she said. "I was on, and all my shots were good." Playing the best I can every game is hard. Can I score 26 points a game? No!
Aycook said her teammates had made her transition from high school to collegiate play a smooth one.
"The seniors will lead the way, but everyone has to contribute." she said. "The team doesn't expect me to score 26 points a game. They expect me to play as hard as I can, and that's the way it should be."
However, Washington said she planned to bring the freshman along slowly.
At Lincoln High School in Dallas, Aycock averaged 28 points and 14 rebounds a game in her senior season. Her efforts earned her second team tarade Magazine All-American honor. She was one of the 10 best recruits in the nation.
*Obviously, we have a young player who is going to make a lot of contributions.*
still will remain extremely careful with how we bring her along. I will not have her feel pressured to score 26 points a game."
The 6-2 freshman was a point guard in high school. But she has played off guard and small forward for Kansas. Washington said the loss of Tate might force Aycock to spend some time under the basket.
Aycock said her hardest adjustment had been the move away from the point guard position.
"We'll have to put her inside a little
place, Washington said. 'She can
play on that.'
"The hardest thing for me is moving without the ball," she said.
Ayckoe also has had to adjust to a more intense Kansas defense.
"My toes are moving all the time," she said. "In high school I didn't play much defense. It was a difficult transition for me."
Washington said Aycock was a complete player.
"Angie's not a one-dimensional player," Washington said. "She's totally involved in the game. She crashes the boards hard."
Washington said she was eager to see what Tate and Aycock could accomplish on the court together.
She also said Tate's latest X-ray had given her some hope.
"There's an indication that some healing has taken place," Washington said. "She's still feeling some pain."
Tate shot free throws and jogged yesterday in practice, but the junior center's return is still uncertain.
"We could then see what we're really capable of," Washington said. "Lisa contributes whether she has the ball in her hands or, and not, there's not going to be a lot of teams with a 6-2 perimeter player."
Exchanging fire
although the lacrosse season was over for the fall, the two wanted to take advantage of yesterday's moderate weather.
Bryan Barr, Wichita junior, tosses a lacrosse ball to Bill Gault at the recreational fields near Robinson Center. Barr said that
Baltimore's Ripken wins AL MVP award
Shortstop beats out Detroit's Fielder by 32 points
The Associated Press
The Orioles shortstop hit .323 with 34 hammers and 114 RBI at Baltimore hit 67-95 and finished sixth in the seven-team AL East. He received 15 first-place votes, eight seconds, four thirds and one seventh for 318 points in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
BALTIMORE - Cal Ripken won his second American League MVP award yesterday, becoming the first player in the league to capture the trophy as a member of a losing team.
Cecil Fielder of the Detroit Tigers, who led the majors with 133 RBI and tied for the major-league lead in homers with 44, was second with 286 points. Fielder, the run-up last year to Oakland's Hickey Henderson, got nine first-round votes, 12 seconds, six thirds and one seventh.
Ripken said that he appreciated the award but it could not make up for the fact that he had endured it.
"I don't think it can replace not having a winning season, because when you're an athlete in a team sport, the only thing that really matters is winning," he said. "Having gone through winning, I can stand up here and say there's nothing like it. Not to downplay being awarded the MVP, I can say in comparison, there is no comparison."
Fielder did play for a winning team. The Tigers were in contention until the final weeks of the season. But he once again came up short in the balloting.
"They told me last year I had to play on a contender," Fielder said. "Now, Cal Ripken plays on a sixth place team, and they tell me he's an attacker with a shame. It is a shame the way things go down in the league. I've been MVP. I'm not saying he didn't have that kind of season, but he played with a sixth-place team.
"It's a joke as far as I'm concerned. The way things were done this year, I'm just done with it.
if anybody put together two years like I did,
they'd be MVP. So it just a bunch of garbage.
Frank Thomas of the Chicago White Sox was third with 181 points, Jose Canseco of the Athletics was fourth with 145 points, and Joe Carter of the Toronto Blue Jays was fifth with 136 points.
Ripken chose not to try to understand the voting process
"It is unfair for me to get involved in the specifies of the voting and the interpretation of the MVP," he said. "My job is to go out and do the best I can. Then, after your job is over, it's out of control whether you win the award or second. But now that I've won it, I'm very happy about it."
Ripken was AL Rookie of the Year in 1882 and MVP in 1983, when the Orioles won the World Series. This time, he did it with a team that was out of contention by early May.
He became only the third player in baseball history to capture the award as part of a losing team. Ernie Banks did it in 1958 and 1959 with the Boston Ducks, also on the Cubs, won the award in 1967.
Ripken established career highs in a average, home runs and RBI and the all-Star MVP after hitting a game-winning homer. One day after, he had won the All-Star run contest.
Ripken addressed the media at the Orioles' new stadium, which is to open next April. But the focus of the occasion was 1981, and Ripken said his MVP award was a fitting ending to a dream year.
"I was storybook-type season," he said. "I seemed that when I was out in the field, I could do no wrong. Very rarely do you have that feeling as soon as you can experience that again, but I don't know."
His 1991 postseason awards include player of the year honors from The Associated Press and the Sporting News.
SPORTS BRIEFS
NCAA says no-go to Wildcats
The rule stipulates that a team must have six victories against Division I schools. K-State, 6-4, will have just five victories against the top-division Big Ten and State this weekend. But seven victories would be the team's most since 1934.
The NCAA has rejected Kansas State's request for a waiver of a rule that will bar the Wildcats from a bowl game at the conclusion of what could be its best season in more than a half-century.
Teams start courting Tartabull
Tartabull declared his free agency last month from the Kansas City Royals, with whom he has played five seasons. Hehit .316 with 31 homers and 100 RBI this year. It was his best season in the majors.
The San Diego Padres and California Angels have entered negotiations with free agent Danny Tartabull, an agent for the outfielder said.
Brian Cohen, who along with Dennis Gilbert represents Tartabull, continues to represent the teams were among the first, along with the Royals, to enter negotiations
with him. Cohen said other American League teams also had expressed interest, but he declined to identify them.
Tartarbut and Gilbert have said that they were seeking a multiyear packer for the team, the Royals paid the Tartarbut about $2.75 million last season.
Chiefs running back robbed
Kansas City Chiefs running back Harvey Williams was robbed at gunpoint by three men who stole his 1991 No. 2 jersey. (AP) Bowl Bowr and about $800 in cash
"They put a gun in my face," Williams said. "One of them said, 'I want your money.' My life passed before my eyes. They gave everything."
The robbery happened at 1 a.m.
Monday morning on the city's east
side, police said. The automobile was
recovered Monday afternoon.
Police said 24-year-old John Sneed of Kansas City was arrested anduged yesterday in Jackson County Circuit Court in connection with the robbery.
From staff and wire reports
KC coach to travel to Manhattan, but Cleveland will be on his mind
The Associated Press
*Marty Schottenheimer, doting father, is running into a battle of a conflict this weekend with Marty Schottenheimer,*
*a graduate of the University of Virginia.*
He wants desperately to see son Brian quarterback Blue Valley on Saturday in the Kansas 5A high school championship game.
The most important game of young Brian's life kicks off at 11 a.m. in Manhattan, Kan., about 140 miles west of Kansas City. But another football team Schottheimer is involved with, the Kansas City Chiefs, are scheduled to fly to Cleveland Saturday for a must-win game against the Browns.
isn't a coach's place with his team? Isn't a father's place with his son, especially when the boy's having the biggest impact?
Despite a hectic schedule, Schottenheimer hasn't missed a single one of Brian's games all year. But in November, he lost 20 loss to Denver on Sunday that dropped them five games behind him and gave extra sensitive to any criticism anybody might have.
"The only thing important to us this week, for this organization and for me personally, is beating Cleveland," Schottenheimer said yesterday. "And I'm not the one involved in anything that will take away from that."
He took a deep breath and continued.
"That having been said, there's another matter very
important and very dear to me, and that*s obviously the game in Manhattan. And as long as it doesn't compromise what this organization is trying to do with respect to beating Cleveland, I'll do whatever I can to see it.
"We discussed taking the whole team to Manhattan and then flying out of there," he joked.
But apparently another solution has been found. A friend will pilot Schottenheimer in a private plane to Manhattan, then try to get him back to Kansas City for a 3:30 p.m. departure of the Chiefs' team plane.
"Weather permitting, I'll be there to see Brian," Schottenheimer said. "I think most people know how much my family means to me."
"I'd never seen a game like that, particularly a high school game," said Marty Schottenheimer, who played in a state championship basketball game as a high schooler.
"To this day it's still the greatest thrill I've ever had in my life. It was like the movie 'Hoosiers.' It was just unbelievable."
The younger Schottenheimer treated his father to one of the most exciting games he' s never seen last week in the semifinals against Topeka Highland Park. Blue Valley was trailing 26-0 after three quarters, but won 28-26 when Brian scored on a quarterback sneak with five seconds remaining. Blue Valley will meet Liberal for the championship.
Terry Brown cut from team
Kansanstaffreport
The Wichita Outlaws of the Global Basketball Association cut former Kansas guard Terry Brown yesterday.
Brown survived the team's first cut Monday but was released yesterday morning as the Outlaws cut their roster to the 10-man limit.
"He didn't show much in the last couple practices or in last night's acrylic image," she said. "I wasn't sure."
Shore said Brown returned to Kansas City yesterday afternoon.
The Outlaws kept guards Robert Spellman of Idaho, Melvoin Foster of DePaul and Sidney L. Wheeler of New York.
"I think he's going to take a couple of days and decide what he wants to do." Shore said. "We may put him on injured reserve."
Brown set a Big Eight Conference record with 111 three-pointers last season. The Jayhawk guard earned secondteam All-Big Eight honors from UPI.
The team also cut former Kansas State forward Reggie Britt.