WIRE
Men's and women's Top 25 AP polls, Page 2B.
WIRE
Rumors about Montana's retirement. Page 3B.
SPORTS VERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1995
SECTION B
Is Haase dirty? Ask Stewart
Norm Stewart is either a comical genius or an ignorant critic, I can't tell which.
And the Missouri basketball coach's comments after Saturday's 88-69 game did nothing to clear up my confusion.
Kansas sophomore Jerod Haase scored a career-high 26 points,
standing and like a pinball, and helped then No. 1 Kansas defeat then No. 14 Missouri at Allen Field House.
SPORTS EDITOR
After the game,
most people from
both teams
describing the
gritty guard used
words like
"inspired,"
"intense" and
"tough." The most
negative comment from Haase supporters was "reckless," which came from Kansas coach Roy Williams.
But not Norm. Stewart seemed to liken Haase's performance to dirtiness rather than intensity.
"Haase had a good ball game," Stewart said. He's a guy that plays intensely all the time. "He ought to stop all of the shenanigans. I mean, we had guys doing that at the first of the season, falling down and trying to pull people on top of you. That's nonsense. He ought to quit that. It takes away from his game. I'm not coaching him, but he's a good player."
Before Stewart began his coaching career, he was a graduate of Missouri and was captain of Missouri's basketball team his junior and senior year. Funny, but who remember Stewart as a player still night compare Haase's playing style to the Titers' coach of 28 years.
Now, I'm not a Haase lover, which about half of this campus seems to be. Against Oklahoma on Feb. 20, did anyone find it a bit peculiar when Sooners' guard John Ontjes was found laying on top of Haase in the first half after Haase missed a three-pointer, when the replay clearly showed that Haase had pulled him down?
At the same time, I'm not a Haase hater. He is one of the most competitive players I've ever seen play the college game. Those kind of players will do everything possible to get their team a victory, except play dirty or try to intentionally hurt an opposing player.
That's the difference. And before Stewart starts criticizing other Big Eight Conference players, he should look at his own team.
Missouri guard Jason Sutherland has crossed the line between intensity and dirty play way too many times this season. He has thrown needless elbows at the opposition, undercut players attempting layups and generally just picked fights.
He is not nearly as talented as Haase and sometimes lets his emotions get the best of him like he did Saturday when he threw an elbow at Kansas sophomore guard Jacque Vaughn.
Either way, the game of college basketball must accept the good, the bad and the ugly players — Haase, Stewart and Sutherland.
Sean R. Crosier/ KANSAN
Kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams looks on as Kansas sophomore guard Jardin Haase works on a defensive pass drill during practice.
By Christoph Fuhrmans
Kansan sportswriter
Remaining in the Top 10 is tougher than fans think
The No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks will play the No. 18 Oklahoma State Cowboys Sunday in Allen Field House for the Big Eight Conference title.
Most Jayhawk fans expect Kansas to defeat Oklahoma State and win the conference championship for the fourth time in seven years.
Kansas has had more than 80 basketball practices this season to attain its 21-4 record and a national ranking.
But many people don't realize how much the Jayhawks work to achieve their success.
After defeating Missouri 88-69 Saturday, the Jayhawks seemed loose and confider during their hour and one-half practice yesterday.
The team didn't practice Sunday and won't practice today, but from
MEN'S BASKETBALL
tomorrow to Saturday the team will have intense practices.
As the players warmed up, the basketball managers and assistant coaches practiced shooting baskets.
Around 4 p.m. the players filtered onto the court and began stretching and jumping rope to warm up for practice.
Assistant coach Matt Doherty kept making shot after shot behind the three-point line, at one point going 10-for-11 with the ball barely hitting the rim.
At the other end of the court, manager Stacy Feldman, Buffalo Grove, Ill., junior and sports psychologist Ben Miller played one-on-one against each other.
After warming up the players, managers and coaches all met at halfcourt and listened to Kansas coach Roy Williams discuss the agenda.
Williams told the players to have a good practice but use the day to rest their bodies.
The players had an enthusiastic
Sean R. Crosier / KANSAN
practice that was filled with claps, yells, screams and the occasional whoop from junior forward Sean Pearson or sophomore guard Jacue Vaughn.
The practice consisted of repetitive offensive and defensive drills.
Kansas head coach Roy Williams speaks to his team during practice yesterday. The Jayhawks prepared for Sunday's game against Oklahoma State.
After several drills, the players split up and shot free throws at the two baskets on the court and the six baskets surrounding the court on either side.
The team split into two groups after the halfcourt meeting at the beginning of practice.
The Kansas big men, senior center Greg Ostertag, sophomore forwards Scot Pollard and B.J. Williams, freshman forward Raef LaFrentz and junior forward Joel Branstrom, worked on post moves on the south end of the court.
The rest of the team worked on jump shots and layups.
After another halfcourt meeting and a water break, the team began a full court three-man passing drill.
"Six in a row, everybody talk." Williams veiled as the drill began.
Each group had to make six layups in a row before the next group could begin, which wasn't a problem until junior guard T.J. Whatley missed once and senior Scott Novosel missed twice.
The other players yelled encouragement as the group made six in a row to end the drill.
After a couple more drills, the players began to leave until it was just the assistant coaches and managers shooting baskets again.
END OF THE LINE:
Sunday's game against the Cowboys will finish the Jayhawks' season, and a Kansas victory could lead the team to its fourth Big Eight title in seven years.
Golfers struggle through first tournament
The Kansas men's golf team traveled to Tampa, Fla. for the Ron Smith/ University of South Florida International and returned with a nineteenth place finish.
By Jenni Carlson Kansan sportswriter
Kit Grove needed few words to describe the weekend performance of the Kansas men's golf team.
MEN'S GOLF
Grove and his teammates competed in their first tournament of the spring, the Ron Smith/University of South Florida Invitational in Tampa, Fla.
"We just played like garbage basically," the sophomore golfer said. "Everybody was disappointed, including Coach Randall."
hawks struggled with their play on and around the greens.
The Jayhawks shot a three-day total of 952 and placed 19th out of 20 teams. South Alabama won the team competition with a score of 890.
"I'm really, really glad this was the first tournament of the year," said Rose Randall. "Kansas men."
"I'm really,
really glad this is
the first
tournament of the year."
The golfers did not have the feel or confidence in that area of the course after their winter layoff, said Grove, who tied for 73rd place with a 238.
Ross Randall Kansas men's golf coach
Competing for the first time since October, the Jay-
Even though the team struggled, they did not give up, Randall said. "Sometimes that's kind of a mixed blessing," he said. "The harder you try and struggle with it, the worse it can be."
golf coach. "They didn't play as well as they should have."
Senior Tom Sims, who led the team with a 232 total and tied for 41st, agreed with Randall.
But when the putts did not fall, he pressured himself to make putts and lost confidence.
Kansas' putting difficulties was also due to the grass
on the course.
The tournament site, the University of South Florida Golf Course, has Bermuda grass instead of bent grass, which is the variety Kansas practices on at Alvamar Golf Club.
"The greens aren't quite as fast, and they're harder to read," Grove said.
Sophomore Vance Holtzman and junior Jason Seeman shot scores of 240 and 242 respectively.
Limited tournament travel experience also figured into the Jayhawks disappointing performance.
Three of the team members were traveling to their first or second NCAA Division I tournament.
Junior Chad Roesler had a three-day total of 246 and rounded out Kansas' scoring.
It's really a learning experience for them, Sims said.
However, Grove said he considered the weekend a learning experience for everyone on the team.
In future tournaments, he hopes to avoid mental mistakes and the accompanying high scores.
Finding any other positive aspects from the tournament was difficult, Randall said.
"And that's the truth," he said. "They know they need to get to work."
Baseball team ready to work on the basics
After playing nine road games to open the 1995 season, Kansas baseball players are longing for home, but one road game remains before they get that chance.
"We hope we can get some things covered," he said. "Our game is continuing to progress every day. We know through nine games where our problem areas are."
The Jayhawks face Southwest Missouri State at 2:30 this afternoon at Meador Park in Springfield. Mo.
Kansan staff report
Kansas coach Dave Bingham will use the contest to work on basic skills that need to be improved.
After defeating Sam Houston State University 3-2 in 13 innings
Bingham said the team played well Sunday despite the loss, and was extremely pleased with Kansas' job in the win over the Bearkats in the opening game.
last Friday to snap a four-game losing streak, the Jayhawks lost to No. 16 Rice University on Saturday and Southwest Texas State University on Sunday.
Today's game will be only the second of the season for Southwest Missouri State. The Bears handily defeated Missouri Baptist College last Saturday, 20-8.
Neither team has decided on a starting pitcher for the game. Bingham said he plans to use several players in two or three inning sets.
Kansas track star out rest of season
"This will be another test for our bulpen," he said.
Kloster is facing a second surgery for injured calves hopeful for next season
By Robert Moczydlowsky
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas junior All-American distance runner Kristi Kloster has been diagnosed with muscle compartment syndrome, a disorder that will require her to undergo surgery on her calves.
The surgery will cause her to miss the rest of the 1995 track season.
"This is the second time that this has happened to me," Kloster said. "The first time I had surgery on the anterior side of my calves. Now the syndrome is on the other side."
The syndrome affects Kloster's calf muscles, contracting them uncontrollably without release.
ing blood, numbing her lower legs and feet.
She hasn't competed since Feb. 4, when she traveled to the Meyo Invitational in South Bend, Ind.
"My calves really started to bother me at Notre Dame, Kloster said. 'Another problem is the nerve damage from my first surgery. My original doctor damaged my calf nerves and that has really caused some problems. My new doctor says that he can fix the damage to my nerves during the surgery, and that should make my recovery time quicker."
It also affects her muscle endurance, and she has suffered from chronic leg fatigue.
The required surgical procedure involves cutting into the muscle fibers to release the excessively tightened compartments, Kloster said. When the surgery is completed, she will be confined to bed for a week and forced to walk using crutches for a month.
"That first month is horrible," she said. "I basically can't do anything."
"It will be another three months before I'm back to running."
Kansas coach Gary Schwartz said that the medical outlook for Kloster's return was favorable.
A
"Right now, the doctor is optimistic," Schwartz said. "I just want to know if he'll be as optimistic after the surgery as he is right now."
"She has eligibility remaining for the indoor and outdoor seasons next year, and I'd love to have her back."
Kloster is the Kansas record-holder in five track events: the indoor 800-meters, the outdoor 800-m,
the 1,000-m, the Anschutz Pavilion 1,000-m and the distance medley relay.
She set the current indoor 800-m record of 2 minutes, 49.68 seconds at the Jan. 28 Kansas-Kansas State-Missouri triangular meet in Columbia, Mo.
"I have confidence in this new doctor," Kloster said. "Hopefully I'll be back. I'm not ready to quit yet."