University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, April 20, 1988
Sports
13
Kentucky coach has confidence in assistant
The Associated Press
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky basketball coach Eddie Sutton said yesterday that his confidence remained unshaken in the ability and integrity of assistant Diane Casey, who is under investigation for an alleged recruiting violation.
Sutton had made no public comment since the Daily News of Los Angeles reported Thursday that a idiotape Casey sent via Emery Worldwide air freight to the father of Agnes Chris Mills contained $1,000. Several Emery employees said they saw the cash when the package fell on the floor during handling.
In a statement released through OK's sports information office, Sutton said he waited until yesterday because I felt such serious allegations required long and careful deliberation on everyone's part, including mine."
Sutton said Casey "is one of the finest young persons I know. My confidence in his ability, and especially his integrity, remains unshaken."
"It is the interest of all concerned — the University of Kentucky, the basketball program and, most importantly, Coach Casey and his future career — that this matter be resolved as quickly as possible," button said.
Casey denies sending any money; the Mills deny getting any.
Charles Smrt, the NCAA's assistant director of enforcement, said Monday his organization was still investigating Kentucky.
Smrt, who has questioned Chris Mills and his father, Claud, said the NCAA's normal procedure was to perform an initial probe before determining whether formal allegations would be issued.
Verdugo decides to leave KU football program
Gary Mook/Special to the KANSAN
Freshman quarterback Kevin Verdugo, who started four of Kansas' 11 games last season, has decided to transfer next year.
Quarterback's option seals Donohoe's spot
by Keith Stroker
Kansan sportswriter
What looked like a two-quarter-back situation for the Kansas football team is down to one. Freshman Kevin Verdugo has decided to transfer to another school.
Verdugo, a 5-foot-3, 205 pounder from Pittsburg, recently told Kansas coach Glen Mason that the new offense was a complicated one that he did not feel comfortable with. Mason was reportedly going to grant Verdugo his release from the KU program.
"I'm glad that I was able to stick it out through spring drills." Verdugo said. "My decision had nothing to do with the new coaching staff or their methods. I just didn't feel that I fit in with the new offensive system."
Mason incorporated a new multiple offense into the Kansas game, which includes run and shoot formations, as well as the wishbone.
"I think Kevin was surprised with how well he did with the rollout offense. He has some good talent, more than he gives himself credit for. I wish he could have stuck around here a little longer, but he did what he thought best for himself." Warner said.
Quarterback coach Dave Warner has been monitoring the progress of Verdugo and sophomore Kelly Donato this spring, and he said both men had done well with the new system.
insease.
Verdugo had split time during spring drills with Donohoe as the No. 1 quarterback, staying at the top of the depth chart for most of the time.
Donohoe completed 14 of 22 passes for 287 yards, had no interceptions and rushed for 24 yards on six carries.
Warner said that after the game, Donohoe was made the starting quarterback.
Verdugo will finish out the semester at the University of Kansas before moving on to another school in the fall. He will talk to several other schools before making a definite decision.
"I have talked to the coaches at Colorado State, Tulsa, Mississippi State and Tennessee already," Verdug said. "I don't have any definite plans as yet, but I hope to make a decision by the middle of the summer."
Verdugo's departure will open the door for two freshman quarterbacks that Kansas signed in February.
Tim Hill, a 5-10, 160-pound high school senior from Columbus, Ohio, rushed for 1,152 yards on 134 carries and scored 13 rushing touchdowns at Franklin Heights High School. He runs the 40-yard dash in 4.3 seconds.
The other recruit, also from Columbus, is Ron Page at 6-2, 200 pounds. He led Beechcroft High School's offense, averaging over 300 yards a game, with 3,200 during his senior year. Page runs the 40 in 4.6.
Verdugo started in four of Kansas' 11 games last season as a freshman, passing for 482 yards, while completing 52 of 112 attempts. He threw for seven interceptions. He rushed for minus 25 yards on 39 carries, scoring three touchdowns.
Verdugo's best passing game came against Kansas State at Manhattan, when he completed 10 of 25 passes for 165 yards. His best rushing game was at home against Oklahoma, when he gained 17 yards on six carriers.
Victory by men's tennis team still leaves coach disappointed
Kansan sportswriter
Bv Tom Stinson
It was a victory. It was almost a skunk. But Kansas men's tennis coach Scott Perelman was disappointed.
Kansas, 14-7, lost only at the No. 4 position, but the Bears pushed the Jayhawks to three sets in four of the matches.
After a slow start, the Jayhawks defeated the Southwest Missouri State Bears 5-1 yesterday at the Robinson Tennis Center. No doubles matches were played because the team match was won by the competition and the Bears opted not to play the doubles matches.
The slow start disappointed Perelman.
"You've got to respect your opponents," Perelman said. "I was disappointed. You try to explain day after day how important it is to come out ready to play. Our guys weren't mentally or physically ready to play."
"There's no excuses. I won't accept any. A match is a match, and if you're going to be a great team,
you've got to come out every day ready to play."
Freshman Jeff Gross and senior Reggie Hodges won in two sets the No.5 and No.6 singles, respectively.
Freshman John Falbo at the No. 1 position and junior Jim Secrest at the No. 3 position each came back to win in three sets after losing the opening set. At the No. 2 position, sophomore Craig Wildey also won in three sets
Senior Larry Pascal lost in three sets at the No.4 position.
"With the exception of Pascal, the other guys came through." Perelman said. "But, I think there is a tendency to take this team lightly. When that happens, you're in the middle of a battle. This is the best Southwest Missouri State team I've seen in six years."
Falbo said the Jayhawks as a team needed to learn to compete from the start of every match. He was not pleased with his own match because he did not take control from the start.
supposed to. Toward the end, I just took over the match, but that should have happened in the beginning."
"I don't really care about winning or losing," said Falbo, who is ranked 93rd in the country in singles. "I just didn't do some of the things I was
have happened. One Jayhawk, Hodges, was simply glad to contribute in one of his final appearances at Kansas. The senior is generally Kansas' seventh man, but he played in the lineup yesterday when sophomore Chris Walker did not play.
the computer "When I get the opportunity to step in and play, I like to make a contribution," he said. "It was a good chance for me to get out. It was one of my last home matches."
"It was really special, especially to win and feel like I contributed," said the Compton, Calif., native.
Kansas' last matches of the season are this weekend at the Robinson Tennis Center. The Kansas men play Iowa State at 10 a.m. Saturday and Nebraska at 10 a.m. Sunday. The Kansas men lead the Big Eight Conference with a 4-0 record.
The Kansas women play Iowa State at 2 p.m. Saturday and Nebraska at 2 p.m. Sunday. The Kansas women are 3-2 in the Big Eight and 18-5 overall.
New women's coach transforming golf team's workouts and attitudes
Recently, Kansas women's golf coach Brad Demo put a bet on the practice session with his team.
By Elaine Sung
1 When Demo became the women's golf coach in January, more than a quarter of players joined her.
"They make me laugh all the time." Demo said. "One of the things I ask is that they leave the bad attitudes at home. We always have a good time, and at the same time, we always get the work done."
Kansan sportswriter
he lost, and when it came to payoff time, he good-natured bought one of his players a soda to pay off the debt.
venn
"I overall, they're just starting to jlearn." he said. "They have a new book with new philosophies. What I've stressed since day one is to be mentally tough. As a coach, you don't want to see the mistakes. Once you start to eliminate them, the scores will start coming down."
The attitudes have changed as well.
Kansas finished third in the Belltottitanial and fourth in the Illini
"Neither of the freshmen have played in a tournament. They still need a lot of work. They're putting in the time, and good things will start happening."
spring Break Classic this season.
The Jayhawks close out the season next week at the Big Eight championships, where they will face topranked Oklahoma State.
"Numbers this year have been a problem," he said. "It helps to have numbers, but at the same time, we want to have quality, not just quantity.
"Realistically, on paper, people would have us finish fifth," Demo said. "But I think we could surprise somebody."
The Jayhawks started the season with an overall stroke average of 327.5. That has come down to about 318.
and better. Some of the Big Eight teams have averages between 310 and 313. We need to get down to that. Actually, I'd like to see it go a little quicker."
Demo is partly at a disadvantage this season, with a young, small roster to work with.
"I've been pleased, but you're never satisfied," Demo said. "There's always room for improvement. One of the goals is to get better
The first big change this year was in the practice routine. Whereas previous coach Kent Weiser had used a less stringent practice format, Demo has a bulletin board with a weekly schedule that outlines exactly what drills the team will do when.
Demo, a KU graduate, is in his first year as the coach of the women's team. He also was an assistant coach for both the men's and women's golf teams from 1983 to 1986.
"We practice every day." he said,
"But it's not the quantity time but the quality time. On Friday, we have what's called 'in and out.' It has to be good quality time, and I'll let them off early. But if it's a bad practice, we'll have a 6:30 Saturday morning practice. They know it, but we have not had one yet."
John Murcek of Emporia State makes it safely to first as Kansas first baseman Tom Buchanan waits for the throw.
For senior co-captain Sue Pekar, the change has been a much-needed one for both herself and the team.
Baseball team ends losing streak with victory over Emporia State
Phil Carvalho/special to the KANSAN
By David Boyce
Associate sports editor
All the signs that the Kansas baseball team would drop its 11st straight game were present against Emporia State last night at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium. But it didn't happen.
With two outs in the bottom of the 10th and the score tied 12-12, right fielder Jeff Mentel dropped a single into right field for the game winning hit. The victory gives Kansas a 17-23 record.
The victory didn't come easily for the Jayhawks.
With the Jayhawks trailing 11-8 with one out in the ninth, first baseman Jeff Spencer hit a line-drive home run that just cleared the left-field fence.
"I knew I hit it hard enough, but I didn't know if it was high enough," Spencer said. "When I was circling the bases, I was thinking it was about time that I came through in a clutch situation. This hit feels pretty damn good."
Kansas had a chance to win the game in the ninth but could not get a key two-out hit. In the 11th, Emporia State scored, breaking the tie and putting the pressure back on KU.
A single by second baseman Steve Dowling tied the score, and Mentel's hit won the game. Kansas coach Dave Bingham said that he could not have been happier and that even though the victory came against his former team, it didn't have any special meaning.
"It it didn't matter who it was against," Bingham said. "We needed a win tonight. The losing streak has really been affecting the team."
Bingham was concerned again last night that the Jayhawks were following the same losing pattern.
"We came out strong in the opening innings, but those middle innings have been killing us," Bingham said.
answered with a run in the bottom of the first. After four innings, Emporia State led 6-4. But it was the Jayhawks' defensive showing in the top of the seventh that had Bingham worried: Kansas committed two errors that allowed four runs.
Emporia State opened the game scoring two runs, but Kansas
"We played ourselves into a four-run inning, and the guys were talking to themselves," Bingham said.
But the Jayhawks overcame those errors by scoring four runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Craig Stoppel picked up his first victory of the season, pitching three innings and giving up two runs.
"Tonight, Stoppel had as good stuff as he has had all season," Bingham said.
The Jayhawks will try to avenge last week's 21-7 loss to Wichita State tomorrow when they face the Shockers in Wichita.
KANSAS 12, EMPO'RIA S TAI 12,4
Emporia State 13,121 4003 1211 4003 12-13 11 41
EUF. Stuores, Patterton (6), Hole (7), Poe (9)
Romero (o) and Eary, Fornell (8), McKee, Lud-
macy (8), McGinnness (7), Stopper (8),
Menter, Boeschen (5), W-Stoppel (1-2)
Menter, Boeschen (5), W-Stoppel (1-2)
Dowling (2), Patlin, SB-ESU, Pearson, HRS-KU
Menter, Spencer. 3B-ESU, Pearson, HRS-KU
Sports Briefs
GOLF TEAM WINS: The Kansas men's golf team took first place yesterday in the Wichita State Shocker Classic at Willowbend Golf Club in Wichita.
The Jayhawks divided into the Blue team and the Crimson team. The Kansas Blue team won with a score of 878. Kansas State took second place with 898, and Wichita State's gold team took third with 912. Kansas' Crimson team finished eighth with 948.
Kansas junior Rudy Zupetz took first-place individual honors and led the blue team with a score of 217. Junior John Sinovic was fourth with 220 and Brian McGreeye was seventh with 228.
Freshman Len Johnson led the Crimson team with a score of 231.
place in the Texas A&M Spring Invitational Regatta Saturday in College Station, Texas. The KU B Fleet placed first under skipper Spencer Mary Lee Truong. The A Fleet placed fifth under skipper Brackman. This was the first time the sailing club placed in the overall awards in a Southeastern Collegiate Sailing Association event. Kansas sailed against Texas A&M, Texas, Baylor, North Texas State and SMU.
SAILING CLUB PLACES 2ND: The KU Sailing Club earned second