University Daily Kansan / Friday, April 1, 1988
Sports
11
Jayhawks content with role as Final Four underdogs
By Elaine Sung
Kansan sportswriter
Every year, a team in the NCAA basketball tournament surprises everyone and survives longer than in 1995. It was Villanova. Last year, it
A month ago, people were wondering whether the Jayhawks would even receive a berth in the tournament. They had lost their national ranking and 55-game home court winning streak broken and had gone on a five-game losing streak.
In 1885, it was Villanova. Last year, it was Providence.
This year, it's Kansas' turn.
But as the Jayhawks enter tomorrow's NCAA seminal game against Duke, they still do not have a national ranking, have a record of 25-11 and still are considered underdogs for the tournament.
"This year was great," center Danny Manning said. "The simple fact is that we have what it takes to
win. But a lot of people counted us out. They shut the door on us."
Since the other three teams in the Final Four all finished in the top five of the national polls, Kansas is concluded this year's "Cinderella" team.
we realize all the other teams have better records, but the question is do they have better character than us? We have guys on this team who have shown a lot of good this season. We have teams that gone through what we have had to. We're perfectly comfortable with what the press says."
"No one expects us to win," said forward Milt Newton. "I think we've kind of grown accustomed to that billing. We're going to let the others think of us as an underdog.
The Jayhawks don't pay attention to the title, but they are content to let the image stay.
against the Blue Devils brings back memories of the 1986 Final Four played in Dallas. It was a nightmare for Kansas that day, with the team sunk in foul trouble and forward Danny Manning being held to only four points. The most troubling loss by far was that of Archie Marshall, who injured his knee in the game and was forced to sit out the next season to rehabilitate.
The Jayhawks are 0-3 against Duke, the most recent loss coming this season in late February. Kansas rallied at the end of the game to send it into overtime. But even with Manning's 31 points and Newton's 15, the Jayhawks could not hold on and eventually lost, 74-70.
"It was a new experience, but we learned a lot from it," Manning said. "It benefited us as a team. But it was a frustrating experience."
"That game, we just stopped executing," said forward Mike Maddox.
Tomorrow afternoon's game
"We lost our concentration towards the end of the game. It just didn't go our way. Our defense will be a big factor. That's what's got us this far. Now, it's up to us. I think we've had a good year. We have as large a chance to take it all as anybody else."
Just beyond the Final Four linger the anticipation of that championship game, something that the Jayhawks want, and something so much so that the focus is on the present.
Tomorrow, whoever wins the Kansas-Duke matchup will play the winner of the Arizona-Oklahoma battle championship game Monday night.
"All we're going to do is take it one game at a time," Newton said. "We can't look past Duke. We won't even think about it now. Not until we beat Duke, then we'll think about winning that last game for the championship."
NCAA Final Four
Kansas
Jayhawks
COACH: Larry Brown
Record: 25-11
Duke Blue
Devils
COACH: Mkryzowych
Record: 28-6
PROBABLE STARTERS
192.4.253.70
www.192.4.253.70
http://www.192.4.253.70
F-24 Chris Piper 6"8" 4.9 PPG
F-21 Milton Newton 6"4" 11.2 4.6
C-25 Danny Manning 6"10" 24.6
G-14 Kevin Pritchard 6"3" 10.7
G-33 Jeff Guelder 6"5" 4.0
F-21 Robert Brickey 6'5" 14.0
F-55 Billy King 6'6" 5.2
F-35 Danny Ferry 6'10" 19.1
G-31 Kevin Strickland 6'5" 16.3
G-14 Quin Sainny 6'3" 8.3
COVERAGE: Game time 4:30 tomorrow, April 2, at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. The game will be televised on CBS, WIBW-TV channel 13 and KCTV-TV channel 5. The game will be broadcast on the Jawhawk Sports Network, KLZR 106 FM.
KANSAN Graphic
Kansas coach Larry Brown has led the Jayhawks to their second Final Four appearance in three seasons.
Luck follows Jayhawks in tournament bracket
By Elaine Sung
Kansan sportswriter
The tournament road to the Final Four has been a little smoother than Kansas originally might have anticipated.
The NCAA men's basketball selection committee blessed Kansas by letting the Jayhawks stay near home territory in the first and second rounds of the Midwest Regional in Lincoln, Neb.
Some would accuse Kansas of having it too easy this time around in the tournament. But good fortune as well as talent is a necessary ingredient to being successful when dealing with a sudden death 64-time tournament.
“Getting to the Final Four for anyone takes luck. I don't care who it is,” said forward Mick Maxdox. “If you don’t have a bit of luck, you’ll probably not succeed, fortunate, but we’re still taking one game at a time and not looking ahead.
"Murray State is a great team, or else they wouldn't have been there. Vanderbilt was, challenging with (Will) Perdue. I know we had a decent path to the Final Four, but winning four games in the tournament for anyone is a great accomplishment."
In the opening round, Kansas drew No. 11 seed Xavier, which complained about being seeded too low after finishing the regular season with a No. 18 ranking in the national polls.
They couldn't stop Manning, who scored 24 points. More importantly, Xavier underestimated the four other Jayhawk starters, especially Milt Newton, who had 21 points. Forward Chris Piper added nine points, and Jeff Gueldner and Kevin Pricard had eight.
"I thought we all could do it." Manning said. "When we got to the tournament, our goal was to win the national championship. Now, we're in a position to do it."
The second round of the sub-regions brought Murray State of the Ohio Valley conference. The Racers had knocked off North Carolina State, which potentially could have caused trouble for Kansas. The Wolfpack were ranked 14th in the final national poll, but the Jayhawks had beaten North Carolina State 74-67 in December.
ber.
Instead, it was Murray State that provided the most trouble in the tournament, keeping the game tight until Manning's hook shot with less than a minute to go gave the Jav-
- Mike Maddox Kansas forward
The Jayhawks have not expressed surprise at having reached this point in the tournament, reacting to the success as if it were expected all along.
M
Murray State is a great team, or else they wouldn't have been there. Vanderbilt was challenging with (Will) Perdue. I know we had a decent path to the Final Four, but winning four games in the tournament for anyone is a great accomplishment.'
The next two games were the most crucial. Kansas might have had to meet No. 8 Pittsburgh. But Vanderbilt held together while the Panthers dominated the Commodores advanced to meet the Jayhawks in the Sweet Sixteen.
The Midwest Regional became the Sunflower Classic, with both Kansas and Kansas State in the final game. Kansas once again avoided a high-ranking team, dealing with intrastate rival and 20th-ranked Kansas State instead of No. 1 seed and third-ranked Purdue.
The Wildcats had upset the Boiler-makers 73-70 in their Sweet Ten game. The Jayhawks, fueled by revenge and the desire to make it to their second Final Four in three years, tramped K-State 71-58 to take the regional championship.
hawks a one-point lead. Kansas eventually won by only a three-point margin.
"A little team can knock off a big power at any given day," said guard Lincoln Minor. "But every team is tough, or they wouldn't have made the final 64 teams."
Kansas had no problem with the Commodores, beating them 77-64 behind Manning's 38 points.
Kansas, Duke not strangers when playing for big stakes
By Keith Stroker
Kansan sportswriter
On March 23, 1986, the Kansas Jayhawks defeated the North Carolina State Wolfpack, 75-67, in the Midwest Regional Championship at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. The victory advanced them to college basketball's Final Four.
Kansas was ranked in the top five for most of that season and was ranked No. 2 for the last month of that season. The team was expected to make it to the Final Four and to win the national championship.
The Jayhawks' 71-67 semifinal defeat to the Duke Blue Devils, then the nation's No. 1 ranked team, was a disappointing end to the one of the best seasons in the team's history. For Kansas fans, it was frustrating to lose to Duke for the second time that season. On Dec. 5, 1985, the Blue Devils defeated the Jayhawks 92-68 in the championship game of the preseason Big Apple National Invitational Tournament.
in one of tomorrow's National Semifinals at Kemper, trying to average a 74-70 overtime defeat to the Blue Devils on Feb. 20 in Allen Field House. The Jayhawks have failed to defeat Duke in three previous meetings spanning the last three seasons.
Two years later, Kansas is back in college basketball's Final Four. But this season injuries, academic problems and suspensions left fans wondering if the team could make it this far.
Kansas forward Danny Manning said the Blue Devils had a fine team, but he was tired of losing to them.
"Duke has a very talented team and an excellent player in Danny Ferry." Manning said. "They play a similar style of tough-nosed defense, much like we do, so it should be a very interesting game."
Once again Kansas will face Duke
Manning said that this season it took a teammate to be able to pass the ball.
"The team in '86 had a tremendous amount of talent, and anyone could step up and be able to lead us to a victory," Manning said. "With talented players like Greg, Ced, Calvin and Ronnie, there was no one player that the team had to rely on. This season we wouldn't have made it without everyone contributing 100 percent."
Kansas forward Archie Marshall was out for the entire '87 season because of a knee injury against Duke in the '86 Final Four. Another season-ending knee injury this year will keep Marshall from playing
against the Blue Devils.
Marshall, the sixth man on the '86 team, has had to cheer from the bench for most of this season.
"It has been a tough experience for me at Kansas, but one I don't regret," Marshall said. "My team members have been great to me. I am working hard, and I don't feel basketball is out of the question in the future. It may take longer for my knee to heal this time, but I still would like to continue with the sport that has been very good to me."
Kansas guard Scooter Barry was a freshman on the '86 team. He has enjoyed this season more than the one two years ago because he has been able to play more and contribute to the team's success.
"I feel that we were the best team in the country two years ago," Barry said. "There is more emotion this season, and I have more ties to this team. I think our problem in 86 was that we were satisfied just to get to the Final Four. This year we won't be satisfied unless we win the national championship."
It won't be easy to top the success of the 86 team, but this year's players believe the national championship trophy could be brought home to Lawrence for the first time since 1952.
East defeats West in all-star game of college basketball All-Americans
By a Kansan reporter
The crowd at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo., also showed their support for the two Big Eight players, Iowa State's Jeff Grayer and Kansas State's Mitch Richmond, both of whom were invited to the NCAA tournament knocked out of the NCAA tournament. Both played for the West team, which lost 97-91 to the East squad.
KANSAS CITY, MO. — The loudest cheers arose not for the All-Americans in last night's NABC East-West all-star basketball game but for the Kansas Jayhawks when they walked into the auditorium prior to halftime to watch the game.
The game started out slowly with numerous turnovers for both teams as the players tried to adjust to their new teammates. Richmond had a difficult first half and was unable to score until 11:25 of the second half. He finished the game with 12 points and nine rebounds, and Grayer finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.
But the player that lived up the quiet crowd was Notre Dame's David Rivers, who played on the East team. Rivers dazzled the crowd with flashy behind-the-back moves and had a game-high nine assists. He scored a total of eight points, had three steals and was voted the game's most valuable player.
Iowa State's Jeff Grayer, center, playing for the West team, runs into the East's defense, led by University of New Haven's Herb Watkins, left. The East beat the West 97-91 in last night's NABC All-American East-West game at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo.
Chiefs get QB DeBerg from Bucs
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs acquired veteran quarterback Steve DeBerg from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers yesterday to play backup to quarterback Bill Kenny.
DeBerg signed a three-year contract with the Chiefs, said general manager Jim Schaaf.
The Chiefs sent reserve safety Mark Robinson and fourth- and eighth-round draft choices to the Buccaneers for DeBerg, 34.
On Tuesday, the Chiefs had traded former No. 1 pick Todd Blackledge to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Blackledge and Kenney alternated in the starting job for three years before Coach Frank Gansz settled on Kenney last season.
"Our team needed a proven NFL quarterback as a backup to Bill Kenney, not a developing quarterback," Ganz said. "You have to have someone who has proven he can do the job in the National Football League, and Steve DeBerg has certainly done that."
DeBerg started eight of the 12 of non-strike games for Tampa Bay last season before Heisman Trophy winner and No. 1 draft choice Vinny Testaverte took over.
DeBerg was the league's ninth quarterback, just after Kenney, completing 159 of 275 passes for 1.891 yards. He threw 14 touchdown passes and seven interceptions, with the league's lowest interception percentage.
Robinson has been a backup for Kansas City to All-Pro safeties Deron Cherry and Lloyd Burruss since he was picked by the Chiefs in the fourth round of the 1984 draft.
Sports Briefs
KU RELAYS OFFICIALS NEEDED:
The Kansas track office can provide applications Wednesday for students to help with officiating at the Kansas Relays, which will be April 20-23.
Jayhawk track coaches said that any student could apply from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the track office, 143 Allen Field House. Students are needed to officiate in all events at the Relays.
KU TENNIS TOMORROW: The Kansas men's tennis team will play Wichita State at 9:30 a.m. tomorrow at the Robinson Center courts.
This will be the final match before Big Eight Conference play begins for the Jayhawks. Kansas, 8-7, will open against Oklahoma in Stillwater.
KU BASEBALL THIS WEEKEND:
The Kansas baseball team will play
at 7 p.m. today against Missouri at
Hogland-Maupin Stadium. The Jayhawks, 14-9, also will play the Tigers in a doubleheader at 5 p.m. tomorrow and in a single game at 1 p.m.
Sunday.
track teams head outdoors this weekend to train for Relays
Bv Keith Stroker
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas track teams will start their outdoor seasons this weekend.
The men's and women's teams each will compete in an outdoor meet to train for the Kansas Relays April 20-23. The men's team will compete tomorrow in the New Mexico Invitational in Albuquerque, N.M., against Air Force, Colorado State, New Mexico, Northern Colorado and Arizona.
North Colorado and Arizona
Meanwhile, the women's track
team will be in Tuscaloosa, Ala., for
the eight-team Alabama Invitational.
Teams from Alabama, Alabama-Birmingham, Arkansas State, Northeast
Louisiana, South Alabama, Southwestern Louisiana and Troy State and will compete in the meet today and tomorrow.
Men's track coach Bob Timmons said tomorrow the meet would be used to evaluate one of his track members.
"We really aren't concerned about how many points we score, as much as we get the chance to evaluate our people" he said. "Our season is geared towards the conference and national championships and getting the personnel in position where we think they can score."
U. S. Olympic pole vault coach and
Kansas' three All-American pole vaulters, senior Scott Huffman, junior Chris Bohanan and sophomore Pat Manson, and senior vaulter
Kansas jumping coach Rick Attig said the meet in Albuquerque would be at a higher altitude than the athletes were used to, which would have some effect on their performances.
"The altitude will be a little tougher on the distance runners, making them a little short-winded," he said. "On the other hand, the short sprinters and jumpers may benefit somewhat by it."
Lance Adams have qualified for the NCAA outdoor track championships, which will be June 1-4 in Eugene. Ore. The qualifying mark for the championships is 17 feet, $ \frac{3}{4} $ inches.
Women's track coach Cliff Rovelo said Alabama's track facility should be even better than the one they had two years ago.
"We were in a meet there two years ago, and the facilities were great," he said. "Now they have a new track, which should be nice."
Rovelo said that unlike the men's meet, the women's meet would not be scored.