Sports
Friday, March 21, 1986
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University Daily Kansan
'Hawks, Spartans set to settle dispute
Kellogg will start for Kansas tonight
By Matt Tidwell
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The time for talking is over.
Tonight at 9:10, the Kansas Jayhawks won't have to field any more questions about Michigan State's scowling Scott Skiles or whether it's unfair for them to play in Kemper Arena.
After the media coverage that has blanketed the team during its week of preparation, the Jayhawks finally can face up their shoes and begin the game that represents the last leg of the season. They will be a journey to the Final Four.
"We're happy to be here," Kansas head coach Larry Brown said yesterday, before putting his team through
Michigan State (23-7)
Men's Basketball
Midwest regional semifinal
9:10 tonight
at Kansas City, Mo.
at Kansas City, Mo
a practice at Kemper. "Our team has played well up to now. We're excited that two Big Eight teams (KU and Iowa State) are part of the final 16 and we're anxious to play."
Kansas will have the services of senior forward Ron Kellogg, who was hold out of practice all week with a strained left foot. Brown said Kellogg probably would start tonight.
"He will start," Brown said. "It's his last year, and we want to give him the opportunity to start."
But standing in the Jayhawks' way are the Spartans, a team that showed belief in itself by knocking off Big Elephant. There is little doubt that believers out of others in the process.
This will be the first meeting of the season between the Spartans and Jayhawks, but Michigan State often has been compared with a team Kansas has had loads of trouble with — Iowa State.
"That's a big compliment when you compare them with Iowa State. They both have such good team quickness, Kansas center Greg Upshaw. "It just goes to show you that there's no cakewalk to the Final Four."
Kansas and the Spartans are different teams in most categories except one — team field goal percentage. Both squads shoot above 50 percent. Michigan State finished No. 2 in the country in that category, shooting 38 percent. While Kansas is right behind at 55.9.
"The they play so well together," Kansas guard Mark Turgeon said. "They've got a lot of guys who can hurt you."
The Spartans may have many weapons, but there's no question their N. 1 scoring threat is Skiles. The Spartans don't have any skilful and knocked out Georgetown with 24.
"They do such a great job of getting him the ball," Brown said. "I think what we have to do is cut his percentage down because I don't expect us to shut him down."
"He's a great player because he makes the guys around him better. That's why Michigan State has gone there. And they complement each other so well."
Spartan head coach Jud Heathcole also had his team at Kemper yesterday. He said his team would go with the same game that brought it this far.
"We live and die with the running game and the jump shot," Heathcote said.
Even though the Spartans are six point underdogs, Heathcote said the team was peaking now and wasn't intimidated by the Jayhawks.
"A lot of people didn't think we would get this far," Heathcote said. "We recognize that KU is the No. 2 team in the country, but we feel we'll be ready for Kansas. We're going to try and make an up-tempo game."
Probable Starters
Michigan State
F 23 Vernon Carr (6-8)
F 35 Larry Polec (6-8)
C 40 Baryl Fordham (6-8)
G 13 Darlyl Johnson (6-2)
G 4 Scott Skills (6-1)
Kansas
F 25 Danny Manning (6-11)
F 44 Ron Kellogg (6-5)
C 30 Greg Drilling (7-1)
G 35 Calvin Thompson (6-6)
G 22 Cedric Hurd (6-0)
Kansas forward Ron Kellogg, who has missed most of practice this week with a strained arch, will start tonight for the Jayhawks against the Michigan State Spartans in a Midwest Regional semifinal game at Kansas City. Mo. The game will start at about 9:10 p.m. after the first semifinal game between Iowa State and North Carolina State.
NCAA tickets can be found for top dollar
By Frank Ybarra
Staff writer
Ticket fever is an expensive bug to get.
There are officially no tickets for sale to the NCAA Midwest Regional in Kansas City, Mo., tonight and Sunday, but a check of the local want ads shows that some people are willing to part with tickets — if the price is right.
Nearly 20 classified ads in a yesterday's Kansas City Times advertised tickets for the tournament. The Kansan had at least one ad in a yesterday's paper and the Lawrence Daily Journal-World had at least two.
Some of the sellers quoted prices ranging from $65 to $175 for upper level seats to the three games. The original price was $32.
All of the sellers contacted had at least two tickets left by yesterday afternoon, and one seller had six tickets.
Some fans, however, still are trying to get tickets through more conventional means.
Pat Kirk, Omaha, Neb., freshman and a clerk in the ticket office, said the office got about six calls an hour yesterday for tickets. But, he said, the number of calls to the office had decreased as the week went on.
Some of the callers were upset when they found out no tickets were left, Kirk said, and others simply begged.
Kansas will not sell any more tickets to the regional games, according to Richard Konzem, assistant athletic director in charge of the Williams Fund.
Joyce Marmon, a worker in the box office at Kemper Arena, said her office had received about 12 calls an hour, even though the switchboard operator told callers the games were sold out.
One student, Dennis Dobson,
Topeka special student, found a creative way to buy tickets. He
purchased tickets through North Carolina State.
He said a friend who was an alumnus of North Carolina State was able to get the tickets for him.
KU, MSU offer opposing styles
Sports writer
Rv Matt Tidwell
The Kansas Jayhawks and Michigan State Spartans are two contrasting teams with different coaching philosophies.
The Spartans have been successful by relying almost entirely on a small, three-guard line that to score to love off its running game.
Analysis
The Jayhawks score often on the fast break and count on a strong inside attack. If Kansas has its inside and outside games working tonight, it could have an advantage in the game.
Following is a look at how the two teams match up by position;
two teams match up by position.
Spartan Guards — This is a Michigan State strength. The
Spartans start three guards: Vernon Carr (6-foot-8, 3.8 points on ball), Danny Driskel (5-foot-9, 4.2 points, and Scott Skiles) is the country's second leading scorer.
**Jayhawk Guards** — Calvin Thompson and Cedric Hunter Both are vital to the success of the Jayhawk offensive plans but Hunter is the quarterback. He runs the all-important fast break and dishes off more assists than any Jayhawk. Hunter is playing well, and Thompson's biggest strength, his outside shooting, has improved in the tournament after a dry spell
late in the regular season.
*Spartan Forward/Center
- Michigan State has just two players that operate in the middle and along the baseline, Larry Polec, (6.8, 10.5) and Barry Fordham (6-3, 2.3).
Jayhawk Center — Greg Dreling has been bothered by fatigue lately but says he feels much stronger now. Drilling's presence inside is vital to Kansas His rebounding and scoring performance has been very steady when he can stay in the game.
Jayhawk Forwards — An assertive Danny Manning and healthy Ron Kolkogge would pair up match-up advantage for Kansas.
Louisville holds off Tar Heels
United Press International
HOUSTON — Billy Thompson and Herbert Crook made the plays that blunted a North Carolina comeback last night and pushed the Louisville Cardinals into the NCAA tournament's West Regional finals with a 94.79 victory over the Tar Heels.
In a battle of college basketball titans, the 'Far Isels came back from a 12-point deficit midway through the second half and took the lead with 4:31 to play.
But Thompson started the Cardinals on an eight-point run that gave Louisville control, and Crook ensured the victory with six consecutive free throws.
Thompson scored 24 points and Crook had 20. nine points over his
West Regional
season average.
Louisville needs only a win Saturday afternoon over Auburn to reach the title.
After the teams played to a 43-43 first-half standoff, the Cardinals went on a 16-4 spurt featuring a highlight film play involving guard Milt Wagner and Jeff Hall.
Louisville had a 69-57 lead going in to the last 10 minutes, but the Tar Heels put together a 14-2 streak of their own to tie the game, and with 1:31 remaining, North Carolina tied with Miami in the throwouts that put his team in front.
throws, Thompson scored on a layup and Milt Wagner hit two more free throws to give the Cardinals an 81-75 advantage with 1:58 to go.
Thompson then tied the game for Louisville. Pervis Ellison hit two free
North Carolina, forced to foul in hopes of catching up, put Crook on the line three straight times down the court.
Auburn 70, UNLV 63
HOUSTON — Chuck Person overcame a first-half shooting slump last night, rallying Auburn from a 14-point deficit to a 70-63 victory over Nevada-Las Vegas in the semifinals of the NCAA West Regional.
Auburn, seeded eighth in the West, moved within one victory of reaching the Final Four for the first time in its school history.
Endless tennis season reaching peak
Rv. James Larson
Sports writer
When classes began last fall, the Kansas tennis teams had just finished their first week of practice. Now, as the school year winds down, the teams are winding up.
The players are beginning to ride an emotional current that they hope will carry them through the training and into the NCAA Tournament.
Perman said only 5-7 matches were scheduled in the fall because was when he tried to get his team into shape and find out who would play. The other 28-30 matches are packed into the spring.
But practice won't stop after the tournament season, head coach Scott Perelman said yesterday. In fact, practice never stops, he said.
"In most sports, you at least find a break because there's a specific season," he said. "In tennis the season never ends."
Perelman said the players continued to play tennis, lift weights and run during their summer breaks. Many players spend the summer competing in the amateur tennis circuit, he said.
David Owens, Leawood junior, returns a volley during varsity practice. The team practiced yesterday on the courts behind Allen Field House.
Despite a rigorous fall practice schedule followed by a heavy spring playing schedule, there have been no reports of fatigue or monotony from the players, Perelman said.
"I'm so pumped for the Big Eight it's scary," she said. "Everyone is really excited about it, and I know when it gets closer we'll be ecstatic."
Christine Parr, the 3 player on the women's team, said the long season had not diminished her enthusiasm toward tennis in the least.
Pereman said, "It's almost time for the Big Eight Tournament, and that is what the players will be remembered for. A lot of your success is judged by how you do in the Big Eight. This is what we've worked hard preparing for."
If the demanding schedule causes the players to fall behind in school, there is help available. Support Educational Services is a campus organization that supplies tutors for these athletes.
Parr said, "I did it for math classes and things like that when I had no idea what was going on. It works out really well."
"I've talked to all of them at different times about personal problems or family problems," he said. "I think all of them at some time come to a crisis point when they need someone to listen."
But if tutors don't solve players' problems, Perelman said he was willing to meet with athletes.
In addition to the long season, the tennis players must adjust practice to the weather. Sometimes they meet indoors at 5 a.m. in Alavarmar Racquet Club, sometimes they meet outdoors at 2 p.m. at the Allen Field House courts.
David Cook, a KU athletic psychologist, also is available for support if Perelman can't answer an athlete's questions.
"What I do is help athletes who want to reach a potential but can't because of concentration," he said. "We talk about what they are doing, what they do, before a serve or how they can control their emotions better."
Larry Pascal, a member of the men's team, said moving from an
outdoor court to an indoor court required an adjustment.
"Both of these courts are fast," he said. "The indoor is even faster because there are no elements to slow down, would slow down the play a little."
"As for the times we practice, that gets difficult. It's just something you have to work in your cycle. It does kind of upset
your daily pattern, but we're lucky to have those courts at all."
Playing tennis and doing homework doesn't leave much time for socializing.
Parr said she wasn't sure how long it had been since she'd spent a night out on the town. But she said she was sure of one thing — pretty soon there was going to be a big party.
LSU surprises Tech; Kentucky advances
United Press International
ATLANTA — Don Redden scored 27 points and Derrick Taylor added 23 last night to lead Lousiana State to another upset in a 70-64 win over sixth-ranked Georgia Tech in the NCAA Southeast Regional Tournament.
The unranked Tigers (25-11) will play fourth-ranked Kentucky (32-3) in the regional finals tomorrow afternoon.
LSU is seeded only 11th in the region, but had upset wins over Purdue and Memphis State in its first two NCAA games at Baton Rouge, La. The Tigers were led by more than the final six-point margin.
Redden scored 14 points and Taylor 13 points during the second half. The lead seasawed several times before the Tigers took the lead, starting with an outside shot by Redden with 3:28 to play.
Tech, seeded No. 2 behind Kentucky and favored because of the home court advantage, got 20 points from guard Mark Price and 14 points from forward Tom Hammonds. But 7-foot center John Salley was not the one on the boards he had been pected to be and scored only 11 points.
Kentucky 68, Alabama 63
Likewise, LSU got less than expected from sophomore all-SEC forward John Williams, who had only five points and seven rebounds.
ATLANTA — All-America Kenny Walker scored 22 points and helped
Tech, winding up 27-7, and LSU waged a close first-half battle until Taylor hit the final two baskets of the period to give the Tigers a 36-30 halftime lead.
control the flow of the game last night, leading the No. 4 Kentucky Wildcats to a 68-63 victory over No. 19 Alabama in the semifinals of the NCAA Southeast Regional.
Southwest Regional
Kentucky (32-3) meets the winner of last night's second game between sixth-ranked and No. 2 seed Georgia Tech (7-6) and Louisiana State (24-11) Sunday afternoon in the regional finals.
It was the fourth time this season that the Wildcats, who won both the regular-season race and the Southeastern Conference tournament, beat the Crimson Tide, who finished at 24-9.
The Wildcats, depending mainly on the inside strength provided by Walker, a 6-foot-8 senior forward, and Winston Bennett, a 6-7 junior forward who scored 14 points, led by as many as 10 points, with the final margin as close as Alabama ever got in the closing 13 minutes.
Kentucky, which led 32-28 at halftime, and Alabama both played in streaks during the first half. Alabama built a 23-20 lead by outsourcing the Wildcats 8-0 in a 2:12 span midway through the half, and Kentucky then forged a 32-23 lead by running off 12 straight points in 4:25.
1.
Walker, held to just four points in the first 13 minutes, hit three field goals on little turnaround jumps during the Wildcats' 12-0 run.
The Tide, led by guard Terry Coners, who had 20 points, and forward Buck Johnson, who had 16, scored the last five points of the first half.