Optimism grows for next year
Freshman team reveals secret to success
By DON BAKER
Kansan Sports Writer
Kansas' freshman basketball team has been the subject of much optimistic conversation during the current season, particularly because of its tall, talented front line composed of Mike Bossard, Randy Canfield and Leonard Gray. All three have shown good potential with sporadic moments of greatness to compliment their high scoring and rebounding averages.
However, it is a fourth member of this talented yearling team that has repeatedly delighted KU fans
Practice makes perfect
Mark Williams, 5-11 guard for the Jayhawk frosh, believes in hard practice and works out from five to six hours a day, even in the off-season.
Royal bats show power
FORT MYERS, Fla. (UPI)—Ed Kirkpatrick and Dennis Paepk drove in two runs apiece to lead the Dunlops to a 6-2 victory over the Schultzes in a Kansas City Royals' intersquad game Wednesday filled with extra base hits.
Doubles by Fred Rico, just back after three days on the sidelines because of tonsilitis, and Kirk-patrick broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning. Paepke followed with a two-run homer, his second extra base hit.
Kirkpatrick was 3-for-4 and had a sacrifice fly. Luis Alcaraz and Paepeh had two hits apiece for the winners.
Bob Oliver hit his second home run in as many days and Chuck Harrison collected a pinch run as the Royals ran their home rn total to seven in the last three squad games.
Lou Piniella had two of the seven hits allowed by the Schultses, Roger Nelson, Paul Splittorff and Ken Wright.
Wright, a rookie drafted from Boston, allowed three singles in three scorring innings and now has allowed just one run in eight innings. Nelson and Splittorrff each allowed two hits and one run.
Centerfielder Amos Otis remained hospitalized for a third day for further examination, Thursday, to determine if he has a kidney stone, but doctors said they hope he will be back in uniform on Saturday.
with his deadly shooting, deft passing and ball handling and overall play.
Mark Williams, a 5-11 sandy-haired playmaker averaging 20 points a game, takes his basketball seriously. A normal practice day in Allen Field House will find Williams working out for nearly six hours.
Assistant coach Sam Miranda said, "Since I have been here we have never had anyone who works as hard as Mark does. The kid has a great attitude."
Williams' attitude is reflected in his analysis of next year's potential.
"I'm looking forward to next year," he said. "I think everyone is expecting us to win (the Big Eight conference) and I think we will."
Mar. 5
1970 KANSAN 9
Williams is used to playing with a winner. He graduated from South High School in Denver where during his senior year the school won the Class 3-A (classification for the largest Colorado high schools) state basketball title. Williams averaged 25 points a game on that team and the college recruiters naturally took notice.
Williams said he decided to attend Kansas because of its reputation.
"I thought I'd learn more if I came to KU," he said, "and also I wanted the chance to play on the best team."
However, it should be noted that KU must, ironically, thank Colorado assistant coach Chuck Gardner for Williams signing with the Jayhawks. Had it not been for him it is likely KU would have overlooked Williams.
As Williams explained it the Jayhawks and freshman coach Gale Catlett were in Boulder where KU was preparing for a Saturday afternoon clash with Colorado. On the Friday evening before Gardner invited Catlett to go to Denver with him to scout
the South High School guard.
Catlett accepted the invitation and was so delighted with what he saw that following the game he went to the dressing room to invite Williams to KU for a weekend visit. Williams accepted and soon afterwards signed with the Jayhawks.
The blow must have been particularly hard for Gardner to take because Colorado was among Williams' top three choices before deciding on KU. Colorado State was the third school.
There has been talk that both Williams and Canfield will be red-shirted next year. This possibility was first aired in a Lawrence Daily Journal-World column written by sports writer Chuck Woodling.
"I would be disappointed if this
did happen," Williams said. "I feel I can make the team and contribute as well."
The Wildcat yearlings defeated KU earlier in Manhattan in a game that resulted in both Jayhawk assistants, Miranda and Catlett, openly criticizing the officiating.
Williams agreed the officiating was poor but refused to blame the loss to it.
"We just didn't play well," he said. "I can't really blame the officiating."
Williams said he thought the freshmen have a good chance to defeat K-State.
"I'm looking forward to playing them again," he said. "Personally I think Missouri has a better team and we came back in the second half to beat them so I think we
can take K-State."
The game marks the season's end but it won't be the end of work for Williams. He said that he will continue to work out daily until the end of the spring semester.
One thing is for sure. Basketball will take up much of Williams' time between this Sunday and next October 15 when KU starts practice for the 1970-71 season.
Williams believes that hard daily practice is vital to being a good basketball player as is evidenced by the 400 to 500 free throws he shoots daily just to perfect this one aspect of his game. And its this kind of attitude that helps make Williams a vital cog in future KU basketball.
Bron, in three years at Ruskin, rushed for 2-150 yards and averaged 8.1 yards a scamper. In his senior year he scored 14 touchdowns.
Former KU athlete dies
Carl Janis, a member of the 1966-67 KU freshman basketball team, was killed Monday in an automobile accident in Virginia.
Janis was a 6-4 guard who teamed in the backcourt with current Jayhawk guard Chester Lawrence.
Rodgers said with the addition of Bron, the Jayhawks had signed 22 hopefuls for next season.
Jamis, a Chicago native, left KU after his freshman year and joined the Marine Corps. He had returned from Viet Nam prior to the accident.
Football list to 22
Kansas coach Pepper Rodgers announced late Wednesday the signing of Rocky Bron, a 178-pound running back from Kansas City Ruskin, to a Big Eight Conference football letter-of-intent