SPORTS UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, December 8,1993
11
When the clock strikes 00:00
Richard Devinki/KANSAN
Mike Maddox, third year law student, studies for classes while on campus. Maddox, who was a forward for the Jayhawks from 1988 to 1991, said his first year away from college basketball was the hardest for him.
They were the big men on campus. Their lives, their fame revolved around how they did on the basketball court. But after their senior seasons, they were forced to find new lives.
By Anne Felstet
Kansan sportswriter
The roar of the crowd and the bright lights of the cameras are fickle. For a moment, the crowd is the players' best friend and cameras abound. Then they are gone.
For former Kansas basketball players Milt Newton, Jeff Gueldner and Mike Maddox, the cameras have dimmed, and the athletes have been forced to find a new niche.
Maddox, who was a forward for the Jay-
hawks from 1988-1991, said it was a hard
adjustment from playing on the '91 Final
Four team to sitting in the stands, but feels
he has fully adjusted to being a fan.
"It's an ego thing," he said. "First of all you miss the attention, and second you miss being a part of the team with its camaraderie and trying to accomplish something with your teammates."
Maddox had the hardest time adjusting to life after basketball the first year away from it, but the more time that passes, the easier it becomes.
Maddox and his wife, Bonnie, are building a house in Lawrence so they can move back from Overland Park where they are living now. She is also a Kansas graduate.
Newton, a forward for Kansas in 1887- 1899, said he had to adjust to not having the free time he enjoyed as a Jayhawk
"We'd have a two-hour practice then we were free." he said.
"If I missed basketball too much I wouldn't have left it," he said.
After Kansas, Newton played in the Continental Basketball Association for Grand Rapids, Mich., and Rockford", Ill., and overseas on the Australian national team, but now is working in Denver, Colo.
Newton returned to Lawrence after playing basketball and worked at West Junior High School while he completed his master's degree in sports administration. He taught all subjects to children with behavior disorders.
On June 3 of this year he began working for the NBA's Denver Nuggets as the community relations coordinator. One of the big projects he coordinates is Night Moves, a project that provides after-school activities for junior and senior high school students.
Newton said he did miss playing, but he made a decision not to play and to get on with his life.
"I'm happy to still be in the basketball profession," he said.
Gueldner, a guard during the 1987-1990 seasons, shied away from the limelight during his tenure as a Kansas basketball player. He performed his basketball responsibilities, but kept away from anything that would bring attention his way. Now he wishes he would have cared more about the attention. He said the fame only lasted so long, then it was gone. He does not receive as much attention now, but the fans still recognize him when he attends Kansas games, he said.
"I belong in the section with the 90-year-olds," he said. "I'm the worst fan in Allen."
He doesn't stand up or yell like rest of the crowd, but does applaud — albeit politely — when the team makes a good play.
That stoic manner helps him to be an objective color commentator. For the past four years, he has been giving the how and why of plays for Creative Sports Inc., the producer and distributor of the Jayhawk Television Network.
He color comments about three or four games a year, he said, and he would like to accumulate a few more.
"I'm very opinionated, and it's fun for me." he said.
Gueldner pursued several job opportunities before accepting his current job 10 months ago at Cellular One in Lawrence. He is an account executive who handles sales and client service.
He said he's tried to keep in touch with his old teammates, but it was difficult because everyone had started new lives and was getting used to their new routines.
With the Denver Nuggets, Newton sees former Kansas players who have turned pro. He said he still spoke with former teammate Danny Manning, now with the Los Angeles Clippers, and he will be able to watch Mark Randall in practice. Randall signed with the Nuggets Nov. 29.
Maddox said the former players wanted the current team to do well.
The former Kansas players not only support their professional counterparts, but also the current Kansas players.
"They make us proud to be former players," he said.
Richard Devinki/KANSAN
Jeff Gueldner, a Cellular One sales representative, displays the cellular phones available for sale. Gueldner was a guard for the Kansas basketball team from 1987 to 1990. Gueldner said he was never interested in the fame that went along with playing for an NCAA Championship team.
SPORTS BRIEFS
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Payless ShoeSource is corporate sponsor for fan-seeking team
Bob Frederick, athletic director, announced Monday that the Kansas women's basketball team would now have Payless Shoore as a major corporate sponsor this season.
The sponsorship is the first of its kind for Kansas women's basketball and in the Big Eight conference. It will be highlighted by the televising of the Kansas-Colorado game Jan. 9 on the Jayhawk Network.
Kansas coach Marian Washington said it was her ultimate goal to increase the popularity of women's basketball at Kansas.
In connection with that game, Payless ShoeSource will be distributing free tickets beginning Dec. 17 at its stores in the Kansas City metropolitan area, Lawrence and Topeka. The goal is to fill Allen Field House in the hopes of breaking the current attendance record of 3,750.
"We're very fortunate to get a sponsorship like this one," she said. "I hoped that one day before I left, I'd have a chance to see the field house filled."
PROFESSIONAL BOXING Punch puts champ in pokey
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Former World Boxing Organization champion Tommy Morrison pleaded innocent yesterday to charges of public intoxication and punching a student, whom he claimed was staring at him in a restaurant.
Morrison and an unidentified friend and their dates were eating at Country Kitchen early yesterday when Morrison approached a group of University of Iowa students seated at another table. He hit one from behind, Iowa City Police Sgt. Craig Lihs said.
Llhs said Morrison, of Overland Park, told police the students were staring at him.
"The kids were eating and studying for finals," Lihs said. "They were looking at him and saying he was in the movie 'Rocky V.'"
William Strout, the 20-year-old man who was hit, was not injured. His friends "left immediately" and called police. Lihs said.
Morrison, 24, who had a blood-alcohol level of 0.24, also was charged with simple assault. He posted $260 bond. A court date probably won't be set until next week.
Lihs said he didn't know why Morrison was in Iowa City.
Morrison won the World Boxing Organization heavyweight title on a unanimous decision against George Foreman on June 7. He lost the title in a first-round knockout by Michael Bent in Tulsa, Okla., on Oct. 29.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL Coach bans players from hoops
LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska coach Tom Osborne doesn't want his football players on the basketball court before the Orange Bowl showdown with Florida State.
Two players have been injured playing pickup basketball games.
Wingback Clester Johnson sprained his ankle playing basketball last week and missed Monday's practice.
Defensive tackle Billy Wade previously hurt his knee in a basketball game.
A "no-basketball" rule is now in effect for the No. 2 Cornhuskers, who will play No. 1 Florida State on New Year's night. The winner of that game is expected to be crowned the national champion.
Compiled by Kansan sportswriter Gerry Fey and the Associated Press
Morgan State, its nine freshmen to test itself with No.15 Kansas
By Gerry Fey
Kansan sportswriter
While the Kansas women's basketball team may be considered young with all four freshmen seeing considerable playing time, it has nothing on Morgan State — the team with only one senior and nine freshmen.
as the Jayhawks, Kansas coach Marian Washington said.
At 7 tonight, the 4-0 Jayhawks face 0-4 Morgan, State in
"All I know is that they are an up-tempo type ball club, "Washington said. "It's good for this team. It helps as far as it's the tempo we like."
The Bears play the same style of game
Morgan State is a Division-I team, but Washington said this game took the place of what was to be a Kansas-DePaul matchup.
"We were disappointed with DePaul," she said. "We had a contract with them, but they were not able to fulfill the contract."
"It gives our kids a chance to see a Division-I program at the top," Powell said. "There's no better role model than Kansas.
Morgan State coach Anderson Powell said he enjoyed the challenge of playing the No.15 team in the nation.
Kansas can relate to losing players because of injuries. At the beginning of the season, Washington said if the Jayhawks stayed injury-free, they would have a chance for a successful season.
"It's a growing process for us," he said. "We lost eight upperclassmen to graduation, eligibility or injuries. But we're a team that's going to be good."
"Leathers is going to play," she said. "With the injury, we're going to spot-play her. I'm happy with that. She'll be able to encourage this young team. It's a chronic back problem, so she'll be playing with some pain."
But the injury bug already has bitten the Jayhawks twice this year. Kansas will be without junior forward Alana Slatter against Morgan State, and senior guard Michelle Leathers will play sparingly.Washington said.
Losing Leathers in the backcourt has given freshman guard Angie Halbleib a chance to play. She scored 22 points against Central Michigan, hitting six of 14 from behind the three-point line. Halbleib
Morgan State will be the first of six games in December for Kansas, but Washington said the schedule would not put much strain on her players.
said she and the team's other freshmen accepted the challenge.
"I think we're going to be expected to contribute because we only have 10 scholarship players," Halbleib said.
"Right now, I think we're spaced out pretty well," Washington said. "We just went through three games in four days."
For the rest of the break, Washington said she thought Athletes In Action, an exhibition game, and Lamar would be the toughest games. Kansas plays against Athletes In Action on Saturday at home, followed by Lamar on Dec. 19 in Beaumont, Texas.
Kansas capped off four days of games Saturday with a 81-65 victory against Central Michigan, winning the Dial Soap Basketball Classic '93.
"Athletes In Action has former Olympians on the team," Washington said. ("No. 1) Tennessee only beat them by three, but they do have one key player that has been injured. I think our hardest series of games so far is behind us."
Hectic, NBA-like schedule continues for No. 7 Kansas
After trips to New York and Chicago, No. 7 Kansas will play North Carolina State at 6:30 p.m. in Raleigh, N.C.
Kansan sportswriter
By Mark Button
Kansan sportswriter
On the road again.
The Jayhawks, 5-1, are undefeated in their three games on the road this year. However, the NBA-like schedule seems to be taking a toll on Kansas.
MEN'S
BASKETBALL
The Jayhawks flew to the Big Apple two weeks
And tonight, of course two days after their last game, the Javhawk face the 2-3 Wolfpack.
ago, played two games with one practice in between and came home with the Preseason NIT championship. Last week the 'Hawks lost an exhibition game 93-82 at home against Australia's national team on Nov. 29. Two days later, Kansas was defeated 73-59 by Temple at Allen Field House. On Saturday, the team was off to Chicago and earned a come-from-behind, 79-74 victory against DePaul. Then on Monday night, Kansas came back to the field house and defeated Washburn 82-68.
"It's difficult to find time to study," said Kansas senior Patrick Richey. "And we have to do that to get those good grades. I think we need the experience, but I'd like to get some more home games in."
"It's a team I used to think of like a lot of people around here think of K-State," Williams said. "I've been booed in there and had people call me all sorts of names. So it's just like any other arena in the Big Eight."
North Carolina State is led by 6-foot-11 junior center Todd Fuller, who has averaged 14.6 points and 10.2 rebounds in the team's five games. Also crucial to the Wolfpack has been the play of seniors, guard Lakista McCuller and forward Lewis Sims, who have averaged 12.4 and 10 points, respectively.
Williams, who as a assistant coach at North Carolina from 1978 to 1988, said he had a history with the Wolfpack fans.
Kansas coach Roy Williams said he took full responsibility for the team's hectic schedule. Does he think it will help his young team?
"Ask me again in January," he said.
Kansas has been led by senior forward Richard Scott and senior guard Steve Woodberry, as Williams expected.
Williams said early in the year that the two would have to find ways to score with the defense aimed at them, contrary to last season when the opposition was geared to stop then senior guards Rex Walters and Adonis Jordan.
So far, so good for the two seniors this year.
Woodberry has improved his scoring average from 10.1 points at the end of last season, to 17.2 this season. Scott has improved from 10.6 to 15 points this year.
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