BASEBALL In the wake of umpire John McSherry's death, baseball officials give umpire Eric Gregg time to get in shape. Page 3.
SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, APRIL 9. 1996
SECTION B
Pro money beckons NCAA best
Call it the rite of spring, but this year will see even more underclassmen rush for the NBA draft. Last year the top five picks were comprised of four sophomores and a high school senior. This year it looks like the juniors will top everybody's list.
With that said, it seems the situation with college and high school players entering the NBA draft early has grown out of control. Think about it. Jacque Vaughn, Marcus Camby, Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan, Ray Allen, and on and on, are all faced with a decision to stay in college and not get paid a cent, or make millions in the
millions in the pros.
And with every problem there is blame to be assigned.
Many feel it's the players themselves who are at fault. After all, it is they who throw loyalty out of the window when they see NBDA dollar signs.
KANSAS BASEBALL
Others think that money-hungry agents are polluting the svs.
tem. True, once agents find out that these players want to enter the draft, they grab them quicker than a Voice sign on the Sigma Kappa house.
ASSOCIATE
SPORTS
EDITOR
But players' greed and NBA agents — corrupt as they may be — aren't the reason this has become an epidemic.
For the root of the problem start from the top — the NCAA.
Put simply, the NCAA is the most backwardly-run organization in athletics. It is unwilling to give college players a remotely fair shake. What other organization on earth makes millions every year but neglects to pay those who helped make the money?
I'm not talking about forking over millions to players. Just give them some kind of financial incentive. After all, the more they step on the court, the more they are subjected to the threat of a career-ending injury.
As it stands, the NCAA doesn't even seem to recognize that they can do something to help the situation. But until the NCAA reforms its policies on big-time basketball players, the Kevin Garnetts and Kobe Bryants (a Pennsylvania high school star considering go pro) will continue to grow greater and greater in number.
As sad as it may seem, an education, free rent, books and food are taking a backseat to lifelong financial security found in the pros.
Here's a look at some college underclassmen goldmines and what I expect their future plans will be.
Ray Allen (junior, Connecticut) — This talented player has nothing left to prove on the college level. A Final Four appearance would be nice, but with backcourt mate Doron Sheffer gone, a Final Four next year is out of the picture.
Marcus Camby (junior, Massachusetts) — The national player of the year will look nice in a Philadelphia 76ers jersey. He's gone.
Erick Dampier (junior, Mississippi State) - If you listen closely, you'll hear the fat lady warming up — his days at Mississippi State are over.
Tim Duncan (junior, Wake Forest) — Duncan tooyed with the notion of entering the draft after last season. There will be no toying this year—he's going pro.
Allen Iverson (sophomore, Georgetown) — None of John Thompson's players have ever left college early to play in the pros. Don't look for Iverson to be the first.
Jacque Vanghn (junior, Kansas)
— It would be a waste to enter the draft now after he's worked his tail off in the classroom for three years to earn All-Academic marks.
Assuming God is a Jayhawk fan, Jacque will be back on Mount Oread again next year.
Keith Van Horn (juniur, Utah) — Although this All-American looks ready to enter the draft, I think he'll stick around one more year.
Note: Samuel Chi of the San Francisco Examiner contributed infor-
Jayhawks prepare for Shockers
Baseball team tries to bounce back from Cowboy pounding
Kansas freshman catcher Mike Dean checks his swing on a low, inside pitch. After being swept by Oklahoma State last weekend, Kansas will take on No. 3 Wichita State tonight at 7 at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium.
By Dan Gelston
Kansan sportswriter
The forecast for Kansas tonight against No. 3 Wichita State is as grim as the miserable weather that has encompassed Hoglund-Maupin Stadium this year.
The Jayhawks were swept by No. 16 Oklahoma State last weekend, the first time Kansas has been swept all year.
That included a 21-1 drubbing on Sunday that made Kansas' record 16-16 overall and 6-10 in the Big Eight Conference.
But just when it seemed it couldn't get any worse, Kansas has to get ready for a two-game series with the Shockers and their 21-4 record. The first game is at 7 tonight at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium.
"This has definitely been the toughest part of our schedule," Kansas shortstop Joe DeMarco said. "If we can hit the ball and pitch well we should be able to win."
Kansas has recent history on its side. The Jayhawks won two of three games against then-No. 18 Texas in February and just two weeks ago defeated then-No. 7 Arkansas at home.
The ability to play better baseball against top 20 teams encourages the Jayhawks.
"It is a bit of a confidence builder for us because we proved we can beat quality teams like Arkansas," DeMarco said. "We've got to play up to our capabilities, because when we do, we're tough to beat."
Kansas baseball coach Bobby Randall said the Jayhawks had to put the Oklahoma State series behind them.
"They just romped us. We just couldn't get it done," he said. "Sunday, we were fatigued. We were tired and just couldn't get the energy to play.
"But it was the first time that's happened this year, and it won't be a problem tomorrow."
Wichita State coach Gene Stephenson said the Shockers won't overlook the Jayhawks.
"I don't have to tell this team anything as far as getting them ready to play," he said.
"We've been beaten by some pretty average teams so far, so we'll be ready."
Stephenson said home field advantage might be pivotal.
"OSU comes to Lawrence and they're beaten twice, then they go to Stillwater and
Kansas is swept," he said. "It might come down to whoever gets that last at bat."
However, the Shockers are 11-2 on the road.
The scheduled starting pitchers for tonight's game are both coming back from injuries. Kansas senior Clay Baird (4-3, 7.32 earned run average) has a nagging groin injury and didn't make the trip to Stillwater. He lasted just a third of an inning in his last start.
Shocker pitcher Ben Thomas (6-0, 1-9)
ERA) spent yesterday at the doctor's office
tending to an unspecified injury.
The two teams are fairly even offensively. The Shockers have outpit the Jayhawks. 320 to.313, but Kansas has scored more runs. 258-225, and hit more home runs. 26-21.
The discrepancy comes with the pitching staffs. Kansas sports a team ERA of 8.07, while Wichita State's is 3.00. The Jayhawks have just one pitcher with an ERA under five — sophomore closer Casey Barrett at 1.89.
DeMarco knows this series is big.
"It's a very important series for us," he said. "It's going to be a big test. We'll see if we can bounce back."
Injury brings softball player back to infield
Cut to the shortstop's leg sent senior Katie Morgan into a replacement role
By Jenni Carlson Kansan sportswriter
Katie Morgan moved from shortstop to left field last season.
She has practiced at shortstop this season, but the senior on the Kansas softball team isn't trying to win the infield spot back. In fact, Morgan has become fond of the outfield.
"The stress is a little bit less in the outfield," Morgan said. "I remember being there and the stress of so many situations. You're thinking all the time, and you can get mentally exhausted."
In case Morgan had missed the stress, she got a full dose of it on Saturday. It became a necessity for her to play shortstop when the regular starter, sophomore Michelle Hubler, went down with an injury in Lincoln, Neb.
During the fifth inning in the second game of a doubleheader, a Nebraska base runner attempted to steal second base. Hubler cut across the bag, trying to catch the throw, and
got cleated in her left shin.
"She just got taken out by one of their players." Kansas softball assistant coach Kim Newborn. "They thought it was broken, but it's not."
The game was delayed 30 minutes while medical personnel attended to Hubler, who had never been that severely injured on a stolen base attempt. She was transported to a Lincoln hospital, where she got four stitches.
"Had a fun time there," Hubler quipped. "I don't think it effected the team at all. The team had great confidence in Katie."
Katie Morgan
Morgan upheld that confidence, diving in the hole to force an out at second base and making a stop up the middle.
Michelle Hubler
"I like to dive for balls," Morgan said. "I just knew it was time for me to step up and
play shortstop. It's not that I wanted to outdo Michelle — I just wanted to play up to her ability.
"I needed that game to prove to myself that I could do that. I'm glad that I did it, but I'm glad I get to go back to left field."
Even though Morgan filled in at shortstop on Sunday, Hubler's injury didn't keep completely out of the game. She was the designated hitter and went 2-for-3, scoring a run and drawing two walks.
She will be back at shortstop today as Kansas faces Big 12 Conference foe Iowa State. The doubleheader will start at 3 p.m. at Jayhawk Field.
At 13-10 overall and 4-3 in the conference, the Cyclones swept three games from Texas Tech this weekend and fell 9-7 to Nebraska, which took two of three this weekend from the Jayhawks.
Hubler said she expected Iowa State to be a scrappy team, but Kansas showed some scrap of its own during the weekend, especially in the Jayhawks' 15-11 loss during Saturday's second game. After Nebraska hit a grand slam in the first inning, Kansas got four runs of its own in the bottom of the inning.
"We got down by a bunch again, and we came back within one," Hubler said. "We never gave up. We were constantly fighting."
Not giving the Cyclones a fighting chance will make a pair of Jayhawk victories more likely today, Morgan said.
"If you stay with them, it makes them more motivated," she said. "If we do our job and play great 'D,' we can put them away."
Big Eight softball action for April 9-13
for April 9-13
Tuesday, April 9
Iowa State at Kansas (dh). 3 p.m.
Oklahoma State at Wichita St. (dh), 5 p.m.
Wednesday, April 10.
Baylor at Sam Houston State (dh), 5 p.m.
SW Texas State at Texas A&M (dh), 5 p.m.
SW Missouri State at Kansas, 3 p.m.
Missouri at Southern Illinois (dh). 4 p.m.
UT Arlington at Texas (dh), 4 p.m.
Thursday, April 11
iowa State at Iowa (dh), 3 p.m.
UMKC at Nebraska (dh), 4 p.m.
Saturday. April 13
Baylor/Texas at Baylor Tournament Oklahoma State at Iowa State (dh), 1 p.m.
Kansas at Texas Tech (dh), 1 p.m.
Nebraska at Texas A&M (dh), 1 p.m.
Oklahoma at Missouri (dh), 1 p.m.
Rowing team finds frustration in the loss to Iowa
Strong winds forced Jayhawks to race on a shorter course
The Iowa women's rowing team may have only one more year of experience than Kansas, but it showed at the Iowa Cup regatta on Sunday.
Kansan staff report
The Jayhawks, still in their first season as a varsity sport, were unable to win any of the races in their meet with the Hawkeyes, who are in their second year of varsity competition.
Kansas was defeated in the four events it ran. They finished second in the varsity four, varsity eight, junior varsity eight and novice eight.
Senior rower Allison Adams
Allison Adams
said the Jayhawks weren't pleased with the way the team competed against the Hawkeyes.
"We're a little frustrated with how we rowed with Iowa," Adams said.
"They're a strong team,but we
would have liked to won a couple of those races."
Adams said one factor that may have hindered Kansas against Iowa were the high winds that forced the teams to race on a shorter course.
"The shorter races were probably a disadvantage for us," Adams said. "We have pretty good endurance, and I think that's why the longer races might have helped us."
Kansas fared better the previous day in its meet with Drake.
The Jayhawks won the varsity four and novice eight races, and finished second in the varsity eight and novice four events.
While Adams said part of the weekend was a disappointment, the
"We need to work much more on our technique using our legs."
Allison Adams
Kansasseniorrower
meets showed Kansas what they need to work on for the rest of the season.
"We need to work much more on our technique — using our legs,"
Adams said.
"We don't need to concentrate so much on being smooth, and we need to be more powerful."
The Jayhawks will spend the rest of the week preparing for the Great Plains Rowing Championships this weekend in Topeka.
"We know we have a lot of work to do," Adams said.
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"The competition next weekend is going to be really tough."
Inside: Early season injuries are damaging to baseball teams, see Page 6.