Sports
University Daily Kansan / Friday, March 11, 1988
7
KU set for third game with OSU
Jayhawks hope Big Eight just beginning for Kansas in post-season tourneys
By Elaine Sung Kansan sports writer
The Jayhawks men's basketball team's plan this year has been to take the season on a game-to-game basis.
So far, the plan has gotten the Jenkins message response. Now, copy the postscript.
The Big Eight tournament starts today at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas is hoping that its postseason schedule will be extended further with an invitation to the NCAA tournament.
The first step is beating the No. 6 seed, Oklahoma State, in the first round at 8:10 tonight. The Jayhawks defeated the Cowboys on Saturday in Allen Field House 75-57 and beat them earlier in the season at Stillwater 78-68.
Kansas fifth-year senior forward Chris Piper does not consider it a disadvantage to have to play back-to-back games against Oklahoma State in such a short time.
"We'll know what to expect, and we'll be ready for them," Piper said last week. "We've set our goals for the Big Eight tournament. We've approached it on a game-to-game basis."
Oklahoma State enters the postseason with a 14-15 overall record and a 4-10 record in the Big Eight. The Cowboys freshman forward Richard Dumas is one of the leading candidates for the conference Newcomer-of-the Year award. Dumas is averaging more than 17 points a game, and he scored 21 points in the last game against Kansas.
"They'll be going into the tournment with nothing to lose. I hope our kids approach it the same way,"
T.
They'll be going into the tournament with nothing to lose. I hope our kids approach it the same way.'
Larry Brown Kansas basketball coach
Brown said. "No one expected us to be the third seed."
Some didn't expect Kansas to finish in the top half of the Big Eight after the Jayhawks started the conference season with a 1-4 record.
But Kansas finished the Big Eight with a 9-5 record, winning eight out the last nine conference games.
"I don't think we we're really worried about it," guard Jeff Gelfordner said. "They know what we do, and we know what they do. It's just a matter of going out and executing. We know if we play well and if everything goes the way we want to, we'll win the game. We don't want to look past them; but at the same time, we know we can beat them."
The tournament starts at 12:10 p.m.
p.m. then No. 4 Massachusetts plays
Oklahoma is the No.1 seed in the tournament and will play No.8 seed Colorado. The Sooners are 27-3 overall and 12-2 in the conference and are this year's regular-season conference winner. They are ranked fourth nationally.
If the Jayhawks defeat Oklahoma State, they will advance to the semi-finals at 3:10 p.m. tomorrow and will play against the Nebraska-Kansas State game.
Kansas State, seeded No. 2, will play No. 7 seed Nebraska at 6:10 tonight.
Big Eight Tournament
Kansas
Jayhawks
COACH: Larry Brown
Record: 10-9(5)
Oklahoma State Cowboys
COACH: Leonard Hamilton
Record: 14-15(4-10)
PROBABLE STARTERS
F-24 Chris Piper 6*8" PPG
C-21 Milt Newton 6*10" 10.4
C-25 Danny Manning 6*10" 25.0
G-33 Guelder 6*5" 4.2
G-14 Kevin Pritchard 6*3" 10.9
F-21 Richard Dumas 6'7" 17.2
F-23 William Woods 6'5" 5.2
C-42 Sylvester Kincion 6'10" 9.2
G-32 John Starks 6'3" 15.7
G-31 Derrick Davis 6'10" 5.6
COVERAGE: Game Time 8:08 tonight, March 11, at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. The contest will be televised on the Raycom TV network, KSNT-TV channel 27. The game will be broadcast on the Jayhawk Sports Network, KLZR 106 FM.
Big Eight Basketball Tournament Kemper Arena-Kansas City, Mo.
KANSAN Graphic
The championship game at 3:10 p.m.
Sunday will be nationally televised on ABC-TV. Also on Sunday afternoon, the NCAA men's basketball committee will announce the selections and pairings for the national tournament, which starts March 17th.
The teams arrived in Kansas City yesterday to practice in Kemper. Brown has not commented on the status of guard Otis Livingston, who was ordered out of practice Tuesday afternoon. No official statement has been released regarding Livingston's status with the team.
Annual rumors haunt Brown as he recruits
Kansan sports writer
April is a key month for Kansas coach Larry Brown and the men's basketball program.
By Elaine Sung
It is the month when the now-annual speculations about Brown's intent to leave or stay at the University of Kansas reach their peak.
The second national letter of-intent signing period begins April 13th, and Brown and his staff will find out then whether those speculations have hurt the recruiting harvest.
Kansas did not sign any recruits in the fall signing period, and Brown blamed part of it on the rumors circulating that he would leave.
Now, with the second signing period drawing near, Kansas assistant coaches Ed Manning and Alvin Gentry have been traveling around the country on recruiting trips. Brown himself is recruiting when he is not at practice with the team.
"I think it's going well," Brown said. "We're going just about everywhere. We are looking at what our needs are, and then we're looking at what kids are available."
Brown is looking in both high schools and junior colleges but would prefer to sign high school talent.
"We don't have young guards in our program," he said. "Kevin (Pritchard) will be a junior, and I like to bring in some kids where they can grow without any pressure on them."
The fifth-year Kansas coach also is hoping for some young big men and all-around athletes like senior forward Archie Marshall who can play more than one position.
"I was thinking of bringing in maybe five or six kids in, and I'd like three, hopefully four of them to us," he said. "I anticipate us doing very well."
The players Brown visits ask him whether he is staying at Kansas or leaving. Brown does not say how he responds to them, but he does say that so far, the process has been
positive and that the rumors are not hurting.
Speculation over Brown's intentions started before the regular season ended. Newspapers and magazines around the country have suggested several places where UCLA could be included in UCLA and North Carolina.
It is also no secret that Carl Scheer, general manager for the NBA expansion team Charlotte Hornets, has said Brown is his first choice as the Hornets' coach.
Brown said, "I don't even think about leaving. If it was just one place, people could put a lot of substance into it, but with so many rumors, it gets silly after a while. What really bothers me is that some of those places already have coaches, and all this makes me look like I'm trying to get their job. It's embarrassing."
Brown never says definitely whether he is staying or leaving. For five years people have speculated. For five years Brown has stayed in place, the longest period of time he has staved with one team.
"A coach does not have to have another press conference every day and say he's staying," he said. "Why don't they ask every coach whether he's staying?" Well, I've been here five years, you would think eventually it would get old.
"If you just look at this year, why would I have redshirted (Mark) Randall and (Sean) Alvarado? Why would we be out working as hard as we are in recruiting?"
"The only way people are going to understand is if I start next season, and I have every intention of starting next season. Until Danny graduates and they see me back here again, maybe they won't ask me again."
I want to be the best coach I can
hate. I hope to continue the way I am
this week.
Editor's note: This is the fourth of the four part series examining the 1987-88 men's basketball season.
Associate sports editor
Bv David Boyce
Spencer hit two home runs and three triples in leading the Jayhawks to a doubleheader sweep against Missouri Southern 9-5 and 10-3.
Yesterday against Missouri Southern, Jeff Spencer proved he could come back from a disappointing game, and it was that baseball trait that pleased coach Dave Bingham.
Just 24 hours before yesterday's game, Spencer struck out in the bottom of the seventh with the tying run on second base against Northwest Missouri State.
"He is the guy we wanted to come to the plate in that situation, but he didn't perform," Bingham said. "He was really upset about his play, but today, he showed a lot of character and did really well."
"Of course it feels good." Spencer said of his performance.
He said the pitching both days were about the same but the team today was more disciplined at the plate.
"Yesterday, we weren't patient and we were swinging at the pitcher's pitch, but today, we were waiting for good pitches," Spencer said.
In the first game, Kansas fell behind 2-1 after the first inning. But by the third inning, the Jayhawks were ahead 5-3 and never relinquished the lead in the nine-inning contest.
Mulcahy had 11 strikeouts.
Craig Mulcahy pitched six innings for his first victory of the season.
"He threw 129 pitches in six innings, and we always like to strive for one pitch per out."
Bingham said that although he didn't like the pitcher's wildness, he did like the way Mulcahy made good decision pitches.
In the second game, starter Tom Bilyeu went five innings and gave up three runs but he had a lot of 3-2 counts. Kansas scored in all but the sixth inning, and the team committed the worst error. The game went seven innings.
"We played well today." Bingham said. "I never like to say you learn from your losses, but I am glad to see how we came back. It is a step in the right direction."
Divers confident as nationals approach
Kansas went 6-1 on the home stand and raised its record to 6-4. Bingham said the home games should help the Jayhawks in the Pan American Citrus Tournament in spring break at Edinburg, Texas.
"Anytime you are on the road, you would like to play at least. 500 baseball, and I would certainly be happy with a 4- record," Bingham said. "I won't be pleased if we go 3-5 or 2-6."
Kansas tennis teams ready for spring-break road trip
Last year, the Jayhawks were 2-6 in the tournament, but Bingham doesn't think this year's results will be the same.
"We set a goal at the beginning of the season to get better every day, and we have become more polished with each game," Bingham said. "Now, we will face tougher competition, but we are more prepared."
With stops scheduled in nine cities and three states in 11 days, the Kansas men's and women's tennis teams' spring break sounds more like a concert tour.
And although they will be on the West Coast, the two teams' coaches consider the vacation a business trip. "If we're not playing we'll be
Kansan sports writer
By Tom Stinson
"We are going to be traveling every day," women's coach Eric Hayes said. "And we'll be working out every day. There'll be tough situations, but it will be good for us."
in some ways, this is like professional tennis. We're on the road 11 days playing some of the best teams in the country. We've got to be able to control our emotions. This is the final stage for the Big Eight season."
'If we're not playing we'll be
traveling,' men say in cereal
ware. 'Men is totally business.'
The men's team begins competing tomorrow against San Jose State. During the week it will play California-Berkeley, California-Irvine, Pepperdine and Princeton.
Brigham Young is 17th in the Volvo rankings.
Making the trip for the Jayhawk men will be seniors Larry Pascal and Reggie Hodges, junior Jim Secrest, sophomores Chris Walker and Craig Wildey and freshmen John Falbo and Jeff Gross.
Pepperdine is ranked fifth and
The women play in the University of Pacific Invitational today, tomorrow and Sunday. During the week they will play California-Davis, Fresno State, San Jose State and Brigham Young.
The Jayhawks will end their break in the Rice Invitational in Houston next weekend.
California-Irvine seventh in the Volvo Tennis/Collegiate national tennis rankings.
By Tom Stinson
The Kansas divers are ready for the Zone C Diving Nationals this weekend inAusin, Texas, but are the Zone C diving judges ready for the Kansas divers?
Kansan sports writer
The top three performers in each of the five zones across the country can qualify for the NCAA Championships. But, Kansas diving coach Barry Susterka said that politics sometimes weighed on the meet's scores.
"It gets political when you get down to this competition," said Susterka, who was named Big Eight Conference women's diving coach of the year for the second consecutive year. "The zone wants to send its best divers to nationals, so sometimes, the big names bring in the big scores.
But we're breaking through that barrier. Kelley (Kauzlarich) setting the (Big Eight one-meter) record will be heading in the right direction."
Kauzlarich, a Liberty, Mo., freshman, will lead three Jayhawk women divers to the meet. Senior Lori Spurney will make her fourth appearance at the zone meet, and sophomore Julie Pierce will make her second appearance.
Last weekend at the Big Eight Championships, Kaulairl broke the conference one-meter record with a score of 469.1. Spurney finished third and Pierce finished fourth in that event.
In the three-meter, Spurney placed fifth and Kaularich placed sixth.
Both Kauzlarich and Spurney will compete in the one- and three-meter competition. Pierce will compete in the three-meter.
Sophomore Andy Flower will compete in the men's three-meter for the second year.
Flower said that his goals for the meet were to set a personal record and possibly break the school record.
Flower finished sixth in both the one-meter and three-meter competition.
"Sometimes, the names pull in the big score." Flower said. "So I want
Smith will be competing in the 500-yard and 1,650-yard freestyles and the 400-yard individual medley. The Mequon, Wise., junior qualified for the 1,650-yard freestyle when she
to make a name for myself for the future."
The Zone C meet is probably the toughest qualifying meet because of the powerful Southwest Conference, Susterka said.
"If we get in there, concentrate and dive tough, we can compete against anyone in the country." Sutten said. "Especially in the one overheard."
"I think we're ready mentally and physically, it's just if we can go in and have a good meet. We've got kids who believe in themselves and, when you get on a board, that's all that matters."
If any Jayhawk women place in the top three, they will join teammates Barbara Ann Smith, Sue Spry, Susan Bloomfield, Erin Easton and Gina Brown at the Women's NCAA Championships March 17-19 in Austin.
"I'm excited to see the caliber of competition that will be there." Smith said. "I'd like to swim in the top heat (top six) at night. But I'd be excited to finish top 20."
Smith, who was named the Big Eight's Outstanding Female Performer, also won the 400-yard individual medley and the 500-yard freestyle.
broke the conference record last weekend with a time of 16:34.45.
Smith is ranked fourth nationally but has not seen all of the results from around the nation.
"They all have to click at the same time in a (sprint) relay like that," coach Gary Kempf said. "I hope to hell they swim fast. Anybody that goes (to the NCAA meet) and anybody that qualifies has a bona fide chance to be an All-American."
Orioles' Lynn hopes to stay healthy for a change
weekends when every performer who qualifies individually for the championships is allowed to swim three events.
Kansas' other four participants qualified in the 200-yard freestyle relay with a time of 1:34.97.
The Associated Press
In an attempt to keep Lynn healthy this year, Manager Cal
MIAMI — Fred Lymn keeps hearing questions about his health. Interviewers go beyond the usual, "How are you feeling?"
tusal. How are you feeling?
It's more like, "How's your health, really?"
The reason is that the Baltimore Orioles outfielder, who has turned 36, missed 128 games because of injuries over the last three seasons.
Ripken is planning to play him some in right field.
"I'm still going to play center field, but for the benefit of the club and myself, I'll play some right field," Lynn said. "It could help us a couple of ways. It could help me play some more games, and it could help our defense. (Ken) Gerhard feels more comfortable playing center than he does play right or left. So you shore up two positions by me going to
In 111 games last year, Lynn hit
23 home runs and drove in 60 runs.
His .253 average was 36 points below his career average. Only once has he hit lower.
In an attempt to stay healthy, Lynn altered his offseason training program.
"I really worked on my legs, whereas in the past, I’ve tried to work on my upper body strength," he said. "I really worked my legs hard. I cut down on the long-distance running and played a little bit more tennis for quickness. My legs feel really good this year.
That's where I've had the majority of my problems, pulls and sprained ankles, things like that."
Those kinds of nagging injuries "are harder to live with than if you get hit by a pitch and break a band," Lymn said. "I've never had what you'd call the obvious injuries."
Last year, back spasms and a sore quadricorp kept him out of 43 games. In 1986, a sprained right ankle and strained right wrist forced him out of 49 games.
Ex-Met is eager to prove himself with Dodgers
The Associated Press
VERO BEACH, Fla. — Jesse Orosco enjoyed four exceptional seasons with the New York Met, but last year wasn't so hot for him. As far as he's concerned, it was time to move on.
"It's a new life for me," Orosco said of being traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in December. "I was overly excited when I heard about the trade.
Now, he says, he has something to prove.
"The opportunity wasn't there for me (in New York) anymore," he said. "The work wasn't quite there. It was just time for me to go forward. If I can pitch well here, I can get consistent work.
"I have no bitterness over what happened last year. I had a great
time in New York. It's just time to go on.'
Orosco was 4-10 with a 2.72 earned run average and four saves in 1982, his first full season with the Mets.
The left-handed reliever blossomed the next year, going 13-7 with a 1.62 ERA and 17 saves.
Last year was different. Orosco went 3-9 with a 4.44 ERA and 16 saves. It was a year he would rather forget.
In 1894, Orosco was 10-6 with a 2.59 ERA and 31 saves. The following year, he was 8-6 with a 2.73 ERA and 17 saves. And in 1898, when the Mets won the World Series, he was 8-6 with a 2.33 ERA and 21 saves.
"I want to prove to the Dodgers that I can be the man to overcome the problems they've had for a long time," Orosco said, referring to difficulties the club has had with left-
"I wanted to go back home, play on the West Coast," he said. "The trade was the best thing that could happen to me."
Orosco, who turns 31 next month,
grew up in Santa Barbara, 100 miles
north of Los Angeles.
In the Dodgers' first six exhibition games this spring, all of which were victories, Orosco pitched three times. After a shaky first outing, he was effective in the next two.
handed relievers since Steve Howe first began having drug problems in 1983. "I'm going to go out there and pitch the way I'm capable of pitching.
working now.
Orosco said reports that he had a sore arm last year were false.
over ... I didn't have any arm problems," he said. "Nobody asked me about it, but everybody reads about it, and I had to make some calls to tell people it wasn't true.
"It never bothered me. I just wanted to pitch."
He refused to discuss reports that he and Mets Manager Davey Johnson had problems. But he did say, "I have nothing against Davey. I'm on a new team now. I just want to move forward."