SPORTS
University Daily Kansan/Thursday, October 31.1991
13
Haunting probation will end tonight
By Jeff Kobs
Kansan Sportswrite
After three years, the ghost of probation officially will leave Kansas tonight.
It was three years ago tonight that Coach Roy Williams heard the verdict against the Kansas City Chiefs.
The probation was leveled against Kansas after ex-Coach Larry Brown and his staff were found by the NCAA to have violated recruiting rules. The probation prohibited Kansas from defending its 1988 National Championship. The Jayhawks also were not allowed to pay for campus visits during 1989 and were forced to reduce the number of scholarship players from 13 to 12.
"I knew we would get something, but the severity of it was a huge shock," Williams said. "Nobody thought it was going to be anything like it was."
Williams said it was very frustrating at first.
"I found it out about 10 o'clock on Halloween night," he said. "I called the staff over here at the office and gave them the information. That was very emotional."
MEN'S BASKETBALL
"I had brought three of those guys from very good jobs, and here we were staring down the gun of a cannon."
Williams said that the next morning he told the team about the probation before making it public at a news conference.
"It was sort of gut-wrenching to look at those kids and see the look in their face, knowing they're not going to be able to go to the NCAA tournament," he said.
"Neither those kids nor anybody on our staff nor anybody in the department had anything to do with causing it. That was the most frustrating part, because it wasn't 'a fair'.
Williams said it took him about 12 hours to stop feeling sorry for himself and the team.
"I had to make my decision to put this behin me, because the kids were going to follow me," he said. "If they (were going to follow our lead), then let's try and lead them in the right way."
Mike Maddox, who was a sophomore when the probation was handed down, said it was a
"It's a year I might remember more than any other," he said. "We really pulled together. I think we all learned a lot from it.
difficult year.
"It was frustrating because we took the brunt of something someone else did. We were determined to show we had a good team."
The Jayhawks went 17-1 the first year, 30-5 the second year and 27-1 last year. Last season, Kansas scored the Big Eight Conference title and went on to play for the national championship.
However, the probation was initially detrimental to Kansas' recruiting efforts.
"We had three commitments at time and two of the kids changed their minds," Williamsa-
The one player who didn't give up on Kansas was Adonis Jordan, the only player Kansas
signed that year
"He's always going to be very special to me," Williams said. "It wasn't a very good time, but he had enough faith to stick with us and that was something I really appreciated."
Jordan said the decision wasn't a hard one.
"I don't have any regrets whatsoever."
50 can send the decision to wear a hat. "When they first got put on probation I was real close to going to Seton Hall, but once Coach Williams explained everything to me and my family I realized the probation wouldn't affect me," Jordan said. "I felt comfortable at all of the schools that recruited me, but I wanted to play for Coach Williams.
Williams said it wasn't until the second year that recruiting was hurt by the restriction on paid-camus visits.
This year's freshman class represents Williams' first recruiting effort without a head coach.
The class was ranked as the second-best in nation by national recruiting analyst Bob Gibb.
Kansas football hopes for repeat performance
For Williams, Halloween 1991 should be less scary than Halloween 1988 was.
Victory against Cowboys could boost bowl hopes
Expressing confidence that Kansas still may get a bowl bid, senior running back Tony Sands holds his 3-year-old son, Maxie, at a press conference.
By David Mitchell
Kansan Sportswriter
Kansas ended a 17-year drought against Oklahoma State in last season's meeting with the Cowboys.
The Jayhawks' 31-30 victory in Stillwater came after 14 losses and three ties.
The Jayhawks need another victory Saturday against the Cowboys, 0-6-1, to keep their hopes alive for a winning season and a bowl bid.
"I'd stick my neck out and say seven wins in the league we play in would be enough." Mason said.
Coach Glen Mason said at his weekly news conference that the team would have to win seven games, or three in the last four, to post a sequence.
4-3, the 'Hawks still must face conference powers Colorado and Nebraska, and also Missouri and Oklahoma State.
The team is not discouraged by its 41-3 loss to Oklahoma last weekend.
"We have lost our goals," senior tailback Tony Sacks said at the news conference. "We still want to go to a bowl game."
The all-time series with Oklahoma State could not be closer. The Big Eight Conference rivals are at 23-23-3. That includes a 10-10-2 mark in Stillwater, the site of Saturday's contest.
Junior offensive tackle Scott
Imwalle said last year's game had ended the ixn.
The Cowboys led 13-1 at halftime, but the Jayhawks came back in the second half. Trailing 30-23 in the final period, the Jayhawks took their final
It took a last-minute effort by Kansas to end the winless streak.
drive 77 yards. On fourth down, quarterback Chile Hippie completed a three-yard touchdown pass to receiver Rob Licurcis with 1:20 left to play.
After each team used a timeout, Hillary hit flanker Kenny Drayton at the goal line on a two-point conversion play.
Kansas trailed 30-29.
players," Mason said. "It was an excit ing game."
The excitement was not quite over. The Cowboys quickly moved the ball into Kansas territory. With 9 seconds left, Oklahoma State's Cary Blanchard attempted a 51-yard field goal, which missed wide right.
Imwalle said this year's Kansas team hoped to do to Colorado and Nebraska what it did to Oklahoma
"It was an emotional win for our
"I think by beating Nebraska and Colorado this year, years on we'll take them as any other team," he said.
SIDELINES
A victory over Tulsa early this season and last week's loss to Oklahoma leave Kansas with a 1-1 mark against teams from Oklahoma.
NBA season to open with stars missing
Oh yes — Michael Jordan is playing on injured knees.
The Associated Press
Magic Johnson will not be there because of a virus, Bernard King and Kevin McHale are missing because of injury, and two of the top three draft picks, Kenny Anderson and Billy Owens, remain holdouts.
But like Jordan, the NBA will play hurt, beginning the 1991-92 season on schedule tomorrow night with 14 games involving all but three teams: New Jersey, Miami and Atlanta. They will open Saturday.
Yesterday, No.1 draft pick Larry Johnson of University of Nevada Los Vegas signed a six-year, $20 million deal with the Charlotte Hornets.
Magic Johnson will probably miss the Los Angeles Lakers' first two games, at Houston tomorrow and Dallas on Saturday.
"Magic is suffering from dehydration and fatigue caused by an influenza virus." Lakers representative John Gretzky he definitely won't practice week 13.
The 34-year-old King, who underwent arthroscopic surgery Sept. 6 to repair torn cartilage in his right knee, is recovering more slowly than expected. Although he has been lifting weights and starting a start running on it, and there is no timetable for his return to the Washington Bullets.
Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics have a healthy Larry Bird, who also signed a contract extension, and a signed contract. The rest of the Celtics' news was bad.
McHale, recovering from foot surgery, remained out of the lineup and so did point guard Brian Shaw, who has a hamstring and other injuries. Then Dee Brown, Shaw's replacement, tore cartilage in his left knee practicing Tuesday and underwent arthroscopic surgery.
It is an unfavorable setback, "coach
Chris Ford said of the injury to Brown,
the league's slam-dunk champion.
"Tree is an integral part of this team."
Jordan's problem is less serious. He will attempt to lead the Chicago Bulls to another NBA title.
He is troubled by tendinitis and may need postseason surgery, although he has been assured the problem will not affect his play this season. An operation, however, might keep him off the U.S. Olympic team.
As for rookies, Johnson's agreement with Charlotte ended one holdout, but Anderson, the second overall pick, was still at odds with the New Jersey Nets, and Owens, No. 3, had no contract with the Sacramento Kings.
Four top 10 picks also remained unsigned: Doug Smith of Dallas, No. 6; Luce Longley of Minnesota, No. 7; Tom Hearn of Wisconsin, No. 8; and Brian Williams of Orlando, No. 10.
Rovals retain four coaches, hire two
Chicago begins defense of its title tomorrow night at home against Philadelphia.
The Associated Press
The team also announced that Lynn Jones, Adrian Garrett, Glenn Ezell and Guy Hansen, all current coaching staff members, were offered contracts for next season.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Lee May and Bruce Kison will join the 1992 coaching staff of the Kansas City Royals, the team said yesterday.
May will be the Royals' bench coach and work with first basemen, Manager Hal McRae said.
May was the hitting coach for the
cnnis Ellsworth, Wichita junior (hitting), Charlotte Payne, Ozawie junior, and Benjamin Ng, junior from England, play at Robinson Center.
club from 1984 to 1986, after playing for the Royals the last two years of his career, in 1981 and 1982.
Kison will become bullpen coach. Kison spent the last five years with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
He pitched 15 years in the major leagues, with the Pirates, California Angels and Boston Red Sox.
Jones will remain a first base coach, Coach a third base and hitting coach, and Ezell a bullpen coaching.
Fans greet Atlanta Braves with ticker tape, tomahawks
The Associated Press
ATLANTA — The magic of the 1991 Atlanta Braves lived on for a few more hours as we drove to 750,000 fans wel-loved by many with a two-hour ticke tanger parade.
The crowd that jammed into the 12-block route of Tuesday's parade was estimated at more than 750,000. Atlanta city hall representative Lyn May. The parade featured 16 marching bands, floats with giant tomahawks and baseball motif, and a baseball-bat drill team.
Fans swarmed the parade, breaking through police lines to touch their heroes.
It didn't seem to matter that the Braves lost the last game of the 1991 World Series
"I thought I had seen a lot of dramatic baseball during the past two weeks,"
"Forget the trophy. You won a place in our hearts,"read one sign.
"Justice has been served. Somebody had to lose." read another on a plain on screen.
Braves manager Bobby Cox told fans later at a reception at the Fulton County Government Center.
Downtown was awash with the team's colors of red, white and blue as fans jammed the 12-block parade route under an October blue sky, waving red tomahawks and tossing 100 miles of recyclable white ticker tape.
"But I have never seen anything more dramatic than what'shappening in Atlanta today with the parade and all. We want to say thanks to the greatest baseball fans. Nobody deserves more than these fans."
"We feel good. We feel happy. It's
Justice said. "Everybody's
behind us."
They swung their arms in the tomahawk chop and sang the Indian-like chant that became the fans' mantra for the game. Playoff playoffs and the World Series.
"It was great, super," said second baseman Mark Lemke. "I've never seen anything like it."
Kansas intramural volleyball
Co-Recreation A
Co-Recreation A
G Spots 3-0
Sit Down and Shut Up 2-0
Just For Fun 2-0
RUREDY4US 2-0
Party Poopers 2-0
White House 2-0
QRSTUV 2-0
Hard Spikes & Smooth Bumps 2-0
SWAT 2-0
The Longnecks 2-0
VBA II 2-0
The following are the undefeated teams in Kansas' recreation intramural volleyball leagues. Games are played at Robinson Center six days a week.
Co-Recreation B
ASC II
Bastard Children
Sis Boom Bah
Women's Greek
Mphia Delta Phi
Beth Phi
Gapan Alpha Theta
Phi
Women's Residence Halls
Women's Open
Needs Practice 2-0
Rec Stubs 2-0
Kappa Delta 2-0
Spikefest 2-0
Longhops 2-0
Men's Residence Halls
Big Dogs 2-0
Templin No. 1 2-0
Just Do It 2-0
Men's Open
Stephenson Slammers 2-0
Johnny Scum 2-0
Men's Greek
Men's Greek
Sigma Alpha Epsilon No. 1
3-0
Beta Theta Pi No. 1
2-0
2-0 PiKappa Alpha No. 1
2-0
PiKappa Alpha No. 2
2-0
Triangle No. 1
2-0
Theta Chi No. 1
2-0
Kappa Sigma No. 1
2-0
Delta Chi No. 1
2-0
Delta Upsilon No. 1
2-0
Alpha Tau Omega
2-0
SPORTS BRIEF'S
Kelly named manager of year
Tom Kelly, whose Minnesota Twins became the only club in baseball history to go from last place one year to World Series winners the next, yesterday was named American League Manager of the Year.
Kelly received 27 of a possible 28
Kelly guided the Twins to a seven-game victory over the Atlanta Braves for his second World Series title in five seasons. The Twins also won the championship in 1987, Kelly's first season.
Hawkins nominated to Hall
first-place votes in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America and finished with 138 points.
Detroit manager Sparky Anderson,
who received the other first-place
win, was second with on points, and
Toronto a City Gator was third with 12.
been involved with gamblers. Now he's knocking at the door of basketball's most elite club.
Hawkins was among a group of eight players and six coaches nominated Monday for the Basketball Hall of Fame. One contributor, Grady Lewis, who developed a basketball shoe for Converse, also was nominated.
"Connie Hawkins was the premier schoolyard player and, given what he was able to accomplish in his brief career in the NBA, he was arguably one of the best in the history of the game," said Joe O'Brien, executive
Steelers' Worley suspended
director of the Hall of Fame. "He deserves the recognition."
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers running back Tim Worley, who has not played this season because of injuries and off-field problems, was suspended yesterday for six games for violating the NFL's drug policy.
1
Worley was suspended under the NFL's revised drug policy that went into effect July 15.