Sports
University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, March 7, 1989
9
Jayhawks ready for home field
by Mike Considine Kansan sportswriter
After two tough road trips, the Kansas baseball team is ready for its home opener. The Jayhawks, who have had four home games canceled because of bad weather, are fighting back today against Missouri Southern.
Junior college transfer Lance Leitner is looking forward to playing his first game at Hogland-Maupin Stadium.
"We've been living on the road and eating in hotel restaurants," said Leitner, who starts at shorts and takes a taxi to go it going in front of a home crowd. "
Coach Dave Bingham said the i-4 Jayhawks needed to play some games before leaving this weekend for their spring trip to Hawaii. Today's game is a doubleheader. Tomorrow, Kansas will play a single game at 2 p.m. against Washburn.
"Historically, Missouri Southern has been tough on Kansas," Bingham said. "They're just not as aggressive. Being the Division will not be an easy task."
Although not as tough as Kansas' first two oppents, Arkansas and Oral Roberts University, Bingham said Missouri Southern, 2-4. was a good NCAA Division II club.
Bingham made some changes after Friday's doubleheader split with Oral Roberts. Last year's shortstop Pete Simmerson, who had two hits against Oral Roberts, will start at second base in the first game. Second baseman Steve Dowling will move to left field.
The team's top hitters, Jeff Mentel (.500 average) and Dan Bennghoff (.444), also have new positions. Mentel will move from left field to right, sending Benninghoff to designated hitter.
two to designate.
Two of Kansas best players from last year have been slumping.
Second-team all-conference centerfielder Pat Karlin is batting 100. First baseman Tom Buchanan, who received all-conference honorable mention, is hitting .167.
He said the Jayhawks were more competitive than last year's 25-34 squad.
Toughness heads Pritchard's list of assests
"They have worked hard and learned well the lessons of last year," Bingham said.
"Karlin and Buchanan have got to start playing better," Bingham said. You'd never come here, you would be going to come along and do quite well.
Junior's consistency puts him among the Big Eight's elite
by Mike Considine
Kansan sportswriter
In the Kansas-Duke game Feb. 18, CBS-TV commentator Billy Packer told a national viewing audience that Jayhawk guard Kevin Pritchard didn't get enough credit.
"Certainly, Kansas wouldn't have won the (1988 NCAA) title without his steady and consistent play." Packer said. "He's not a real flair. He probably the reason you don't hear his name as much as others."
Kansas coach Roy Williams said he thought the national recognition would come with Kansas's success.
"I know a lot of people think he is a heck of a player and he is having a heck of a year for us." Williams said. "You understand how good he really is."
Senior guard Scooter Barry said Pritchard's effort made him a better plover.
"When he steps on the floor, he means business," Barry said. "It seems like he likes to have fun by working hard. He likes to create the other things that happen when you need hard, like fast breaks and ducks."
"He gives all-out effort all the time," Williams said. "If he makes a mistake, its not a mistake of not trivial."
good he really is.
Pritchard's toughness was his most outstanding characteristic, Williams said.
bunks
"Off the court, he is a lot more relaxed. I think it's good that he can change that around."
Pritchard said he has thrived as a player in Williams first year.
"Couch Williams is great for me," he said. "I'm the kind of person who doesn't have as much confidence as I do, but he gives me a lot of confidence."
Last season, Pritchard went through a month-long shooting slump. He made just 39 of 117 shots. For the season, his field-goal percentage was 48.6 and his free-throw percentage was 31.5. This year, Pritchard is making 51.7 percent from the field and 43.2 from beyond the three-point line.
Last year, Pritchard averaged 10.6 points a game. This year, his scoring average is up to 14.8
person into a better position.
Brown converted Pritchard to point guard last year, but the junior
"We had an up and down relationship," Pritchard said. "It was tough, but I think he made me a better person and a better player."
Pritchard said that playing under former coach Larry Brown was difficult for him.
guard said the role was not comfortable until this year.
"It forced me to work on things I hadn't worked on before," he said. "I had to learn to think the game. You have to know what offense to use, what defense is working and like that." He also likes to me up as he looks over at him and he'll flash a sign and that will take a lot of pressure off."
pressure
Nebraska guard Eric Johnson said
Pritchard had a better all-around
game this season.
gained this season.
"He does a lot more on the court this year," Johnson said. "He has taken over running the team and gets guys into their roles. He has a lot more poise."
more point guard learning to think like a point guard was the toughest transition. Pritchard said he had received a lot of help from Brown, Williams and assistant coach Mark Turggeon. All are former point guards.
Pritchard, who was named to the All-Big Eight Conference defensive team this year, said Barry had helped him with his defense.
helped him with it.
"Whenever we're really trying to pick up the pressure and cover the passing lane to create steals for each other," Barry said. "It seems he's always there to come up with the ball. I'd like to think that we feed off each other's energy."
once each of them Kansas senior Milt Newton said he had seen Pritchard grow from an unsure freshman into a leader.
"He always had the ability to play in the Big Eight, but his freshman year he was unaware of whether or not he could play. "Now he knows what he can do."
Williams said giving Pritchard more responsibility was a natural progression.
Newton said that although Prichard seemed to have leadership ability, he has learned when the team needs him to take control.
"He has done a great job of running the club, taking good shots and being aggressive when necessary." Williams said.
and his first starring
With his senior season ahead of
him, Pritchard said he had one goal
in mind.
"When certain people are not in the game, we depend on him to score more." Newton said. "When I'm in the game and Mark Randall's not in the game, he's more of a primary player as a point guard but as a shooter."
Pritchard is ranked on three Kana-
priatha all-time lists. He is fifth in steals
with 134; seventh in assists with 316;
and 13th in scoring with 1,712 points.
"The one big thing is I want to win
Junior guard Kevin Pritchard leads Kansas in steals (46), is second in assists (134) and is third in scoring average (14.8 points a game). He is pictured in a game last month against Oklahoma.
the national championship," he said.
"Maybe that's selfish, but I had that feeling once and I want to have it again."
major with a 3.46 grade point average and was named to the Big Eight all-academic team each of the past two years. He said he was considering attending law school after college
Pritchard is a communications
I want to leave an NBA open, he said. "If I can't play, I want to have something to fall back on. The basketball will stop bouncing some day."
Experience and strong mental attitude are course for KU's golf All-American
by Laurie Whitten
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas men's golf coach Ross Randall admits that senior John
Randall admits
Sinovic doesn't
take practices as
reason for his
teammates.
But after watching Sinovice earn All-Big Eight, All-District Five and All-Listen last season. Ran
Sinovic
dall is not complaining.
"John's strongest point is his men altitude." Randall said of Sinovic, a Prairie Village native. "He doesn't practice as hard as some of the other guys, but he knows he doesn't have to.
"He's older, more experienced and ready to accept pressure. He's able to think his way around the course."
Sinovic, who transferred to Kansas from Southern Methodist in 1966, had
a 74.8 stroke average this fall. He first finished at the Kansas Invitational, was runner-up at the 1988 Kansas Amateur tournament and was the first Kansas golfer ever to compete in the John Hancock-Sun Bowl College All-American Golf Classic, where he finished 21st.
Classic.
S sincie had he decided to transfer to Kansas because he wasn't comfortable with the coaching he received at SMU. He said that he needed the freedom to play as he was accustomed and that Randall provided that flexibility.
"At SMU, there were outside factors trying to change me, but in my opinion, they weren't trying to help me." Sinovic said. "I've played golf since I was 8 years old, and I know my game. At that time I knew it better than the people who were bent on changing me.
"Coach Randall gave me the flexibility to pursue my game the way I wanted to. If I had trouble, I could go to him for help. Otherwise, I was on
Simovic, a political science major,
said he also grew tired of missing
classes while playing tournaments
for SMU. At SMU, he missed 35 days
of school; at Kansas this spring, he
would miss eight.
"By the time I left, I was sick and tired of playing golf. Sinowaised that 'The weather was rainy' from the beginning of September until the end of May."
my own."
"I didn't like missing so much school for tournaments. I felt like I wasn't really a student. I felt like I was going to miss me. I've only missed one basketball game so far."
Because he had to be redshirted until the 1988 spring season because of the NCAA transfer rule, Sinovic said his play last spring was sometimes erratic. He said that it wasn't until the Big Eight Conference Championship in May that he played his best rounds of golf.
spring season on a good note," he said. "But then I kind of bounced around; I'd have a good tournament, then a bad tournament, and so on.
"After being off for a year, I spent that spring trying to figure out my game. It wasn't until the Big Eight season, I thought I was playing my best."
During the second round of the conference championship, which was held at the Golf Club of Oklahoma in Broken Arrow, Sinovic shot a 5 under-par 67. At the time, it was a course record.
Sinovic said much was expected of him as a returning All-Big Eight and All-American this spring. He said he would like to repeat last year's successes but first had to lower his stroke average.
"When you're labeled an All-American, it stays there in the back of your mind," he said. "I always pay attention to the better players, and I guess I'm considered to be in that category."
"I played really well at a tournament in Florida, and that started my
KU GOL RESULTS? Kansas freshman golfer Shelly Triplett shot a oneunder-par 72 yesterday and is tied for the lead after the first round of the Utah Dixie Golf Class at St. George Golf Club in St. George, Utah. Triplett is tied with Meliza Goble of California State at Long Beach.
**prgmnr Young leads the 17-tournament with a 302. Cal-State Long Beach is second with a 304 and Kansas is in third place with a score
Kansas freshman Laura Myers is five shots off the pace at 77, while junior Donna Lowen is six shots back at 78.
The tournament is the Kansas women's golf team's first competition of the spring season.
The Jayhawks will play 18 holes today and 18 more tomorrow to complete the 54-hole tournament.
ARIZONA RANKED FIRST: Arizona became the third team this season to hold the No. 1 spot for two consecutive weeks in the Associated Press college basketball poll. The Wildcats were an overwhelming choice as the top team yesterday after a week that saw three of the top five teams lose a
The Wildcats, 24.3, received 61 first place votes of the 66 cast by the nationwide panel of sportwriters broadcasters along with 1,318 points.
Oklaheim, this week with four first-place votes and 1,236 points, held the No. 1 spot for the two most valuable Arizona start its modest streak.
The Sooners, fourth last week,
were followed by Georgetown, which
dropped one spot after losing its
regular season finale 82-68 in over
Syracuse, 25-6, which lost to Boston College before beating Georgetown, moved up one place from last week with 1.013 points, 11 more than Indiana, 24-6.
Duke, 22-6, went from ninth to seventh after handing out the third-top-five defeat last week, an 88-86 victory at North Carolina. The Blue Devils had 965 points and were followed in the Top Ten by Michigan, North Carolina and Missouri.
time at Syracuse. The Hoyas, 23-4,
received the last first place vote and
1,104 points, 39 more than Illinois, 25-
4, which jumped from eighth to
fourth with its last second 79-67 victory
over Indiana on Sunday.
Michigan, the 23-6, had 64 points, 63 more than the Tar Heels, 24-7, while Missouri had 740 after splitting two games last week to fall to 24-7.
BLAYLOCK AWAITS DEGISION:
The University of Oklahoma still is reviewing an incident that led to the arrest of basketball star Mookie Blaylock, and won't make any decisions before the investigation is completed, an athletic department spokesman said yesterday.
Atlantic director Donnie Duncan had said a decision might be made yesterday about Blaylock, who was the subject of a complaint of public intoxication.
But Mike Prusinski, a spokesman for the basketball team, said Coach Billy Tubbs was on a recruiting visit to Chicago yesterday and school offices were closed because of a weekend snowstorm.
Norman police said they arrested Blaylock, 21, outside a convenience store storing an argument between Blaylock and a female companion.
Griffith-Joyner named 1988 Sullivan winner as top amateur athlete
The Associated Press
Griffith-Joyner, 29, of Los Angeles, joins her sister-in-law,Jackie Joyner-Williams, of Hollywood winners. Joyner-Kersee was the 1986 winner.
INDIANAPOLIS — Florence Griffith-Joyner, who set two world records and won three Olympic gold medals, yesterday was named the nation's Award winner in 1988 as the nation's top amateur athlete.
The 99th recipient of the award, which an athlete can receive only once, is the 35th trainee and the 22nd Californian to win the award.
"Every award means a lot, but this award is the most prestigious. It's like the Oscar of acting to me. It's the highest award you can achieve for your accomplishment," said Griffith-Joyner, who received her award in the same city where she set her first world record in the Olympic trials last year.
"Just to be nominated is rewarding because there's such a strong field. All the 10 finalists were chosen from a lot of other great athletes."
athletes.
Griffith-Joyner, who announced her retirement from competition last month to cash in on the many financial opportunities that have rewarded her way since the Olympics, was named The Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year. She also was recognized as the Sportswoman of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee and received the Jesse Owens International Trophy from the International Track and Field Federation.
The other finalists were:
The other finalists were:
■ Greg Barton, Newport Beach,
Calif., who became the first
American to win an Olympic gold
in kayaking by placing first in the 1,000-meter race and also teamed with Norman Bellingham to finish first in the kayak doubles. 1,000
■ Brian Boitano, Sunnyville,
Calif., who won the men's world
figure skating championship, an
Olympic gold medal, and a national title in 1988.
Janet Evans, Placentia, Calif. The youngest finalist for the second consecutive year and winner of three gold medals in swimming at Seoul while lowering her word record in the 400-meter reckless to 17.5.
Bonnie Blair, Champaign, Ill., who set a world record in winning the 500-meter speed skating competition at the Winter Olympics and also set American records in the 1,000 and 1,500-meter events.
Roy Jones, Pensacola, Fla., the most member of the U.S. boxing team at 19, who lost a controversial 3-2 decision to South Korea's Si-Hun in the championship light-middleweight Olympic bout but was selected the tournament's outstanding boxer by the International Amateur Boxing Association.
Charles "Karch" Kiraly, San Diego, Calif., the captain of the U.S. men's volleyball team, who was a Sullivan finalist for fourth time after leading his team its second consecutive Olympic gold
Katrina McClain, Charlestown,
S.C., who led the U.S. women's
team to an Olympic gold in basket
ball, has more than 17
points and 10 rebounds.
- John Smith, Del City, Okla,
who lost only one match in his
collegiate season at Oklahoma
State en route to an NCAA wrestling title and outpointed Soviet Stephan Sakrissan for the Olympic gold at 136.5 pounds.