SPORTS
University Daily Kansan / Thursday, November 7, 1991
9
Eichloff sees highs and lows
The Associated Press
Being a kicker definitely has its advantages.
You go out to practice, do what you're supposed to do and then hang up until everyone gets back and your baby's friend — you miss it.
Kansas' Dan Eichloff knows this scenario well. He said that experiencing the extremes of his teammates' attitudes was an inherent part of being a specially plaver.
"they either love you or they hate you," he said. "Everyone thinks that if you're a kicker you don't have to do anything. But standing out there for two hours gets boring. There's no way you could kick that long every day. You'd kill yourself."
Eichloff, Ft. Lauderdale,
fla. sophomore, has made 13
of 17 field goals this season,
including four in the national.
Fight and fourth in the nation.
Eichloff is the only player listed among the top five in the nation in both categories.
His 43.7 yard punting averageranks fifth in the nation and second in the conference, behind Nebraska's Mike Stigge
As a freshman, he earned first team All-Big Eight honors as a punter with a 42.6 yard average. He was second team all-conference as a place kicker, converting 15 of 21 field goals.
"It was tough in the beginning because I didn't know any English," he said. "I had never even heard of football."
What makes his accomplishments even more impressive is that he didn't start playing football until his junior year of high school after his family moved to Florida from Berlin.
Eichloch's weightlifting instructor sahim playing soccer and asked whether he would be interested in playing junior varsity football. His answer was a firm no.
"I had played soccer all my life and just had no interest in football at all," he said. "But with two games left in the season, he came to me and said, 'You either play or you fail my class.'"
Kansas, Eichloh's only recruiting visit, took a chance on his inexperience that paid off immediately. He was the team's leading scorer last year, averaging 6.1 points a game.
Red 'Husker tide rolls in for game
By David Mitchell
Kansas Sportswriter
When the Nebraska football team takes to the road, its fans follow.
The Cornhuskers, 6-1-1, will travel to Lawrence to take on the Jayhawks Saturday at Memorial Stadium.
When Nebraska came to Lawrence last fall, the Jayhawk football team was greeted by a sea of red in its own stadium.
Nebrasa assistant ticket manager Cindy Bell said that Cornhusser fans had already purchased about 6,000 tickets during the time through the Nebrasa ticket office.
After the Cornshucks defeated the 'Hawks 41-9last year, Nebraska coach Tom Osborne blasted the Kansas fans.
"I can't remember a game in which the crowd was so quiet, "Obsorne told the Omaha World Herald after the game. "There were a lot of empty seats, and then people down there. There are more people on the hill than in the stadium."
Kansas sports marketing has used Osborne's comment this week in filers and advertisements in an effort to increase interest in this weekend's content
The Big Eight Conference schools allot 4,000 tickets for the fans of visit- ingtems
Bell said they were able to sell more than the usaa 1,400 tickets to Nebraska fans because Kansas games were seldom sold out.
"With other schools you can't get more than 4,000," Bell said. "We can reciprocate when Kansas comes here and give our ticket. We have to stick to 4,000."
Kansas' Memorial Stadium seats 50,250 Of the 11 games in the stadium's 70-year history that have drawn more than 50,000 fans, six have been against Nebraska. The last sellout at Memorial Stadium was in 1984, when Kansas played the Cornbushers.
Bell said the Nebraksa ticket office had about 401 tickets left. She also said the Nebraksa fans usually purchased tickets directly from the Kansas ticket office.
Jayhawk coach Glen Mason said he did not resent the Cornhusker fans' attendance.
"I've got a lot of respect for the Nebraska program," he said. "The following they show on the road is the best way to prepare for their Nebraska football team."
The Cornhuskers' Lawrence headquarters at the Holiday Inn Holdome, 208 McDonald Drive, has been booked up since June 15.
Monday Inn desk attendant Dave Wheaton said that the team had reserved 80 rooms and that boosters had reserved another 50.
"Nebraska has such a large followin
they always book early," Wheaton
said. "At least 70 percent of our rooms
are sold to Nebraska this weekend."
"We do have 40 rooms reserved by KU alumni, but there's going to be more red than blue."
Senior free safety Doug Terry said the crowd would not be a determining factor in the game.
"We're going to play well regardless of who shows up," he said.
However, Terry said a good Kansas turnout would mean a lot to the Hawks.
At 5-3, a victory would guarantee the Jayhawks their first winning season since 1981.
Senior free safety Doug Terrv savs that Kansas will play well against Nebraska despite their following of fans
"It would be great to see the crowd give us the respect the basketball team has gotten over the years," he said.
"I know our record has not always shown it, but we work just as hard." Terry said.
The Kansas basketball team led the Big Eight in attendance and was ranked 11th nationally last season.
"Every Saturday we go out and play hard," he said. "We give it our all. As a senior, it would be the greatest thing to have a big crowd out there."
Mason declined to respond to Masone's comments, and desribe his decision.
"If you ask me whether I'd like to see the people on the hill or in the stairs, obviously I'd like to see them in the street, but I want to see a scenario I'd like to see is the situation
we had for Kansas State last year."
The Jayhawks' 1990 defeat of K-State was witnessed by 45,000 people in the stadium and another 10,000 on the hill. Mason refused to criticize the Kansas fans despite the fact that the Jayhawks have averaged about 35,000
"I don't worry about people that don't come," Mason said. "I worry about the ones who do. If they're going to pay their good money to watch us play we're going to put on the best show we can."
fans in three home games.
U.S. announces Davis Cup team; McEnroe not picked
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — The United States will defend its Davis Cup title against France with a team of Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Ken Flach and Robert Seguso.
U. S. Davis Cup captain Tom Gorman made the selections yesterday and decided to bypass John Mearno, who had lobbied for a spot on the team that will play at Lyon, France, from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1.
"It took the wind out of my sails but I'm a professional player," McEnroe said after a 6,3,4,6,3 defeat by German Alexander Mronz at an indoor tournament in Birmingham, England. "It would have been a nice way to keep my focus for another three or four weeks and get myself ready for Australia."
This will be the 12th time the United States and France meet in the Davis Cup. The last time was in 1989 when the
tralia. He has not won a final or challenge round since 1928 when they defended the United States in a 9-2 victory.
The United States won last year's final, 3-2, against Aus-
Agassi and Sampras play singles. The veteran doubles team of Flach and Seguso were picked instead of Scott Davis and David Pate. Davis and Pate were upset by Germany in their Davis Cup debut in September.
France and the United States last met in a final at Grenoble in 1982, with the U.S. team winning 4-1.
McEnroe, who has played and won more Davis Cup matches than any other U.S. player, was passed up in favor of Samprares, the 1900 U.S. open champion who will be making his Davis Cup debut. Samprares is ranked No. 7 in the
McEnroe, who has fallen to No. 28, lost last week at Paris in an early round on indoor carpet, the same surface that will be used for the Davis Cup final. Sampras is 15-3 on carpet this year.
The French team has not been announced, although sixth-ranked Guy Forget is expected to head the squad.
Basketball coach Roy Williams savs that the team is excited about playing an exhibition game set for Saturday.
Williams says injuries have slowed progress of men's basketball practices
Kansan Sportswrite
Bv.Jeff Kobs
The Kansas men's basketball team began practice Oct. 15 and now, four weeks later, Coach Roy Williams says have slowed the team's progress.
"I'm not far along as I would like," Williams said yesterday during a news conference. "But there are 298 people here." He is going to be going to say that today, too.
Adonis Jordan suffered a broken
Sophomore Patrick Richey and senior David Johanhaving both suffered from back problems, while freshman Greg Gurley has a ruptured tendon in the middle finger of his left hand.
Kansas will balance seven returning lettermen with five newcomers this season, and Williams said he was pleased with the rookies.
nose about two weeks ago and had surgery to straighten it.
He said that junior guard Rex Walters, who sat out last season because of
NCAA transfer rules, had progressed the fastest.
He said that Greg Ostertag, a 7-foot-2-inch freshman, had been the most pleasant surprise of the preseason.
"Hereally has picked up things very well." Williams said.
The other newcomers are Gurley, 6-8 forward Ben Davis and junior transfer Eric Paulew.
Kansas lands forward from Garden City
"All five of them have had good moments," Williams said.
BvJeff Kobs
Kansan Sportswriter
This year’s recruiting efforts are beginning to pay off for Kansas. The Jayhawks yesterday received their football commitment in as many weeks.
Darrin Hancock, a 6-foot-6-inch forward from Garden City Community College, announced yesterday at a meet should attend kappa le campus next year.
Chris Davis, a 6-foot-7-inch forward from Mouth of Wilson, Va., made an oral commitment to Kansas last week.
"Darrinis a great player and a great person," Garden City assistant coach Ken Davison said. "He is very unselfish. He doesn't worry about scoring. He just loves to play the game."
Hancock chose Kansas over Kentucky and Georgia.
Recruiting analyst Bob Gibbons said that Hancock would fit in well at Kansas.
"There's no question about it. It's just what Kansas needs," Gibbons said. "It will be another great recruiting year for Kansas."
Davison said that although Hancock had committed to Kansas, he wasn't sure if he would sign during the early signing period, which runs from Nov. 7.
"He might wait until spring," he said. "Darrin made his decision and he's a person of his word."
Davison said that Hancock was probably a big reason that Garden City had been ranked No. 2 in presseason junior college basketball polls.
Hancock averaged more than 18 points and 10 rebounds a game last season.
Umpire testifies about being shot
The Associated Press
Palermo returned to Dallas, where underwent rehabilitation earlier, to testify in the aggravated robbery trial of Army Pvt. Kevin Bivins, one of four suspects in the July 7 attack.
DALLAS — American League umpire Palermo detailed for jurors in dramatic and emotional testimony yesterday how he was aiding two waitresses who were attacked by purse-snatchers.
"One of them reached and pulled something out, and I holtered ... and then — pow, pow, pow, pow,pow, "Paternal said. He struck the witness stand to mimic the sound of bullets. "Five shots rang out."
Palermo was eating dinner at Campisi's Egyptian Restaurant after umpiring a Texas Rangers game when waitresses outside the establishment were attacked. Palermo, former Southern Methodist football player Terence Mann and restaurant employees ran to help them. Both Mann and Palermo were shot.
Mann, 27, was shot in the neck, arm and abdomen. Palermo, 41.
was shot in the back, and the bullet damaged his spinal cord, forcing Palermo to rely on leg braces and canes to walk.
Bivins faces a sentence of up to life in prison and a $10,000 fine on the aggregated robbery charge.
The prosecutor did not ask Palermo to identify Bivins as his attacker. Assistant District Attorney Neil Pask, the chief prosecutor in the case, was in court yesterday and unavailable for comment.
However, Vernon Myers, 20,
another defendant in the case, told
the jury on Tuesday that Bivins
would be charged with shot someone
at the melee.
Bivins said in a statement given to police upon his arrest that he shot someone but only after someone shot at him.
Palermo recently returned to his Overland Park home, after mouths of rehabilitation in Dallas.
"My life is living hell," Palermo said. "Ordinary words we all do as human beings ... I no longer take for granted; to go the bathroom, to brush your teeth, to take a shower."
SPORTS BRIEFS
Kansas volleyball wins
The Kansas volleyball team turned up the heat on a cold night in Manhattan, whipping the Kansas State Wildcats three games to one.
Kansas won the first game 18-4 and then cruised to a victory in the second game 15-4 before the Wildcats came alive.
K-State won the third game 16-14, butitwas the Wildcats' final gasp.
Kansas won the deciding fourth game 15-5.
The victories put the Jayhawks at 22-5 fortheyear and 5-5 in the Big Eight Conference.
Soviet game still possible
Officials of the Meeting for Peace Foundation are hoping to get permission to use Allen Field House, officials of the group said yesterday.
The group is trying to pay off a $75,000 debt incurred when 300 Soviet citizens were brought to Kansas for an event in October 1990.
Organizers of a benefit basketball game between a Soviet team and former University of Kansas players are looking for a place to play Sunday.
Three lawsuits have been filed against the group by its creditors.
The Soviets and KU teams played
Tuesday night in Salina. Organizers said about 500 people attended, but it was not known how much money was raised.
Former Kansas players in the Salina game were Bud Stallworth, Pierre Russell, Delivy Lewis, George Yarnevich, Nino Samuel and Jeff Dishman.
Former'Hawks meet in NBA
BOSTON—Former Kansas players Kevin Pritchard and Mark Randall faced each other last night when their NBA teams played for the first time this season.
Pritchard scored 10 for the Boston Celtics and Randall scored 2 for the Chicago Bulls in the Bulls' 132-113 romp last night.
Pritchard was four for four from the field and two for two from the free-throw line.
Randall was one for one from the field.
Michael Jordan scored 44 points for Chicago in a shooting spree from inside and outside and corner to corner.
—From AP and Staff reports