Sports
University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, March 26, 1991
11
1991 Final Four special for 'Hawks
By S. J. Bailey
Kansan sportswriter
Every college basketball player dreams of playing in the Final Four and getting a shot at a national championship.
But for many members of the Kansas basketball team, this year's trip to Indianapolis holds even greater meaning.
Senior forward Mark Randall knows exactly what Maddox is speaking of when he talks about feeling like a part of the team. Randall was a medical redshirt and watched from the sidelines in 1988 as Kansas achieved college basketball's ultimate goal.
"It's a great feeling," Maddox said after Saturday's game. "Personally, I think this is a bigger accomplishment than 1988 because I'm more a part of this team. I never expected to go through all of this again."
"I can't even compare this feeling to 1988," Randall said. "It means a great deal to me because I am more a part of this team. This year, I got a chance to work at a charging here and there, and actually something to help us get here."
For senior forward Mike Maddox,
it is a chance to relive the excitement
and emotion of the Jayhawks' 1988
national championship.
Randall said he was grateful for the opportunity to get his chance to play in the Final Four.
"I'm truly thankful to all my teamsmates because every one of them has played a big part in all of this," he said. "This is my senior season, and I am going to go out and lay it on me I'm going to go out and lay it on the every time I ever out on that court."
Senior guard Terry Brown said he thought the trip to Indiana wilks. o give the Jayhawks the attention that had been denying them all season.
"We beat Pitt, Indiana and then Arkansas, which was supposed to be the No. 2 team in the country." Brown said. "Maybe now we'll start home respect, and people will start taking a little more about Kansas."
"This feeling is亿惩ablewild." Tunstall said. "Two rings would definitely be a substitute for those first two years."
The excitement of the NCAA tournament also has been a thrill for the three Jayhawks playing in their first year of collegiate competition.
Junior guard Sean Tunstall, who was not eligible the past two seasons because he did not meet NCAA requirements regarding eligibility, said the chance to play for a national championship would begin to make up for the two long years of waiting to take the court.
Freshman forward Richard Scott said beating the Razorbacks was especially sweet because he played
for Little Rock Central High School in Arkansas last year.
"My friends from Arkansas didn't think we had a chance, and now I can go home in the summer and brace them that we beat Arkansas," Scott told me. "I can't get big Raizoback fan, too. I can't wait see what he about to say this."
Freshman guard Steve Woodberry said this season's trip to the Final Four was extremely unexpected.
"I knew I'd be going sooner or later, but I didn't think it would be my first year," Woodberry said. "It's a great feeling knowing I'm going my freshman year."
Freshman guard/forward Patrick Richey said this year's success gave him confidence about the future
"It would be really difficult to go to the Final Four each of my seasons here, but you never know." Richey with a grin. "Anything's possible."
Oddly enough, Coach Roy Williams might have the only reason to dread playing in this year's Final Four. The semifinal match-up pits him against his long-time mentor and friend at North Carolina, Dean Smith.
"I'm going to be disappointed at the end because one of us is going to lose a game," Williams said. "But at the same time, I'm going to be happy because one of us is going to be in the finals."
Fans await results of ticket scramble
Kansan sportswriter
By S. J. Bailey
Hundreds of eager Jayhawk fans will be on the edge of their seats this morning, and the Kansers will not even be playing until Saturday.
About 800 students and faculty will find out at noon whether their names were picked in the lottery to receive tickets to the Final Four in Indianapolis this weekend.
Diana Miller, ticket manager,
said the ticket office received 794
applications for Final Four tickets
between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. yesterday.
There are 434 tickets available,
and they will be distributed to students through a lottery system.
ticket office after noon today to find out whether they had received tickets.
Diana Kirkwood, Lawrence resident, took student applications at the Allen Field House ticket office yesterday afternoon. She said that although the office was extremely busy, especially near lunch and closing, the job was well worth the aggravation.
"The students were very excited, but they were also politic and very friendly," Kirkwood said. "We got tired, but at the end we had enough that the team won. It really is an enthusiastic kind of job."
Scott Beaven, Kansas City, Mo,
graduate student, said he waited
in line for about 15 minutes to fill
out the application.
"This is my only shot at getting a ticket, Beaven said. "I was there last week and had to abbreviation but, I think I need to be there in person for this one."
Jayhawks lose to Wyoming in 10 innings
Bv Mark Spencer
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas baseball team dropped a 7-6 decision to the Wyoming Cowboys in 10 innings at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium last night.
Trailing 6-3, the Jayhawks scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth and fourth inning.
The Cowboys' designated hitter, Brett Featou, scored the winning run in the 10th when Wyoming rightfielder Steve Hazlett's grounder up the middle bounced freakishly high off the pitching mound.
"I thought this was a great college baseball game," Kansas coach Dave Bingham said. "If we could play like this every night and give ourselves a chance to win in the eighth, ninth and 10th innings, I'd be happy."
six innings.
"I thought those two kids did a wonderful job," Bingham said. "They really got better tonight."
Kansas junior Jory Ramsdell scattered 10 hits in seven innings, and sophomore Joel Bacon struck out eight boy batters in three innings of relief.
The Jayhawks were shut out through six innings, partly by crafty pitching by Wyoming left-hander Brian Grassnick and partly by a strong wind blowing in from center field.
These two factors and five Cowboy runs put the Jayhawks down 5-0 after
At this point in the game, Grassmick had struck out six Jayhawks, but the strong wind had kept several Kansas blasts in the park.
("Jeff) Niemeyer crushed two, and "Gerry (Camara)也击 all well one." Bingham said. "Niemeyer hit one of the screws, on the screws, and it stayed."
Graswick caused the rest of the Jayhawks' early-game offensive woes.
Kansas designated hitter Mike Bard said, "Their left-hander had great stuff, pitche<sup>4</sup> well, and we had to play catch-up."
Kansas scored two runs in the seventh and one in the eighth, in pulling to within two of the Cowboys, 5-3.
After the Wipming added one in the top of the ninth, Kansas first baseman Niemeyer sliced the Wipming to right-center two-二BIB double to right-center field.
Kansas sophomore John Wuycheck, pinch-hitting for Camara, drove in Niemeyer and tie the game at six with a sharp single to left.
After the Cowboys scored a run off of Hazlett's bounce, the Jayhawks went down in order in the bottom of the tent.
Kansas, 14-11, and Wyoming, 12-5, will play again at 7 tonight at Hogland-Maupin Stadium.
Kansas shortstop David Soult dives past Wyoming first baseman Barry Goldman, hosting a throw.
Team hungry for next season
By Lana Smith
Kansan sportswriters
Twenty-one is the number most college students look forward to, whether anticipating a birthday or a big win at blackjack.
This year, the Kansas women's basketball team reached that number in victories.
when the season started, we wanted to do more. "Kansas junior guard Kay Kay Hart said. "We lost both players." The season, I'm pleased about that."
Despite the fact that Hart had greater expectations for the Lady, she "21-13 season finish," she said, many improvements in the team.
However, Hart also noticed an inconsistency in Kansas' play, especially at the National Invitational Tournament.
She said the Lady Jayhawks' second-place finish in the Big Eight Conference and third-place finish in the NWIT served to make the team even hungrier for victories next year.
"The best improvement has been in individuals being able to step up and use us help," Hart wrote. "We have a team that anyone can get hot."
"There were a few times when we ran out of gas," Hart said. "We need to be more consistent. We would have won the NIT hands down if we would have played like we did in the Big Fight."
Hart said she hoped continued weight training and playing together this summer would increase Kansas's consistency.
"If you look at the Big Eight next year, you have to look at us," Hart said.
Kansas assistant coach Mitch Shea also thought Kansas would be able to get the Big Eight title next
Women's Basketball
"They know how and when to assert themselves in tough situations," Shea said. "They learned how important it is to compete for position." (Marian) Washington said we've already won if we played hard.
"I want this team to be proud of what they've accomplished this year," Shea said. "I think we showed, once we got outside of conference play, we could be successful. They were focused, and we wanted to go into next year with want to go into next year with the attitude to be the team to beat."
Shea said a Kansas winning season would be possible next year if the Lady Jayhawks continued to win. But for errors made in each game,
The strength McCloud talked about was displayed Saturday in Amarillo, Texas at the NWIT, when Kansas came back from a 16-point deficit at the half and beat Houston 69-67. The victory provided the Lady Jayhawks with the third-place finish.
Junior forward Tania Bonham said increased patience during games would help Kansas seize more victories next year.
"We're going to take the Big Eight title," McCloud said. "We have everyone coming back. We'll have the strength and the death."
Bonham said that rushing plays caused the Lady Jayhawks to lose when they should have won.
Sophomore forward Marthea McCloud said Kansas would be the team to beat next year.
Kansas led for most of its NWIT game against Santa Clara, which
'We're going to take the Big Eight title. We have everyone coming back. We'll have the strength and the depth.'
All of the players said they hoped the season and tournament play would give them the experience they needed for next year.
— Marthea McCloud Kansas basketball player
took first place in the tournament. However, Santa Clara grabbed the lead during the second half and beat the Lady Jayhawks by one point.
Kansas will be the only Big Eight team not to lose a player, and the team will have five players returning as seniors next season.
Junior forward Danielle Shareef said this leadership base and positive attitudes would make a force to reckon with in the future, something the team grasped a better understanding of this year.
"We get into a rush, and things get out of place," Bonham, said. "We can't get comfortable when we get a lead."
Shareef said the national competition and games against ranked teams such as Virginia and Oklahoma State made the Lady Jayhawks more knowledgeable about their game.
"We knew we had a good squad," Shareef said. "We had good attitudes, but every game we played our potential better. Everyone is balanced, and we have been playing team-oriented ball."
"We learned a lot," Shareef said. "We played a lot of pressure games."
49ers All-Pro signs 2-year contract with L.A. Raiders
The Associated Press
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Ronnie Lott, left unprotected by the San Francisco 49ers being an All-Pro last season, has signed a two-year contract with the Los Angeles Raiders as a Plan B free agent.
Lott said yesterday at a news conference that the contract was not guaranteed and that he would move into a safety to strong safety with the Raiders.
Originally drafted as a cornerback by the 49ers with the eighth overall selection in 1981, Lott switched to free safety in 1985.
"I've always been committed to winning." Lott said. "If that means playing strong safety, if that means playing cornerback, if that means bringing water to my head coach, that's what I'm going to do."
Lott, 31, has been one of the NFL's premiere defensive players for the past 10 years and was a starter on the championship teams with the 49ers.
Lott was sideline late last season when he strained both knees, and it was feared he had damaged ligaments. But he returned to the lineup during the playoffs and was one of the dominant defensive players for the ninth Pro Bowl, where he showed no effects of the knee injuries.
"The knees are feeling fine," he said. "I've been able to play a little basketball in addition to rehab work.
"That (the knees) was the main reason I had to play in the ProBowl. I just wanted to show people I could play this game and play it effectively."
Lott earned $800,000 in his final year with the 49ers and was scheduled to make $1 million in 1991. It thought that he will earn slightly more than $1 million a year with the Raiders.
"I feel it's going to be a new challenge, not only to play a new
position but to wear the silver and black," he said. "Growing up as a kid, always emulated the Jack Tatum. He's a great former Raider defensive hacks."
"I'm going to come in here and play hard, play with enthusiasm and try to fit in . . . I've got my work cut out for me."
Assuming he's healthy, winning a job would seem to be the least of Lott's worries.
"We'd like to welcome the great Ronnie Lott to the Raider organization." Raiders coach Art Shell said, "We're going to work hard, I said, 'Something's wrong here.'"
"I don't know how much speed he's lost. We feel he can help our football team, and that's why he's here."
Mike Harden played strong safety and Eddie Anderson free safety for the Raiders last season. Harden was named to the All-Star team, beaten by the team in the Flags B system.
"We've got a couple of hard-hitting guys (Lott and Anderson) who can knock the ball loose from people," Shell said with a smile.
Lott acknowledged that he offered to take a $200,000 pay cut, staying at his 199 salary, to remain with San Francisco, but that still was not able to afford the jobs, who already shouldle the biggest payroll in the NFL.
Lott said he understood their decision and harbored no ill feelings.
"They wanted me to play one year and then possibly get involved in the organization," Lott said. "I've told people that if I was in their shoes I have done the same thing, based on the philosophy of the organization."
"You've got to be objective about it. Looking at the overall picture, I don't sit here and say, 'Man, they did the wrong thing.' If I was a general manager, I might have done the same thing.
True fan's Final Four wish list
Chris
Oster
Associate
sports editor
Dear bald guy.
It went something like this:
At the start of this year's NCAA tournament, I thought about what would make a perfect Final Four and what list to jolly old St. Dick (Vitale).
OK. First of all, could you please send Kansas to Indianapolis? It would, of course, be the right thing to do.
For this year's Final Four, I was wondering if you could please let me have my way with things in regards to which teams make it to Indianapolis. If you do, I promise never to bag on a sports commentator again.
Do it for Mark Randall. Who else deserves it more than Kansas' hardworking, under-appreciated post man? Randall already has been cheated out of his chance once and certainly has earned another trip.
Randall was a redshirt in 1988 when the Jayhawks won it all, and he was denied last year when Kansas, one of the top teams in the nation, fell in the second round. Have given him another shot at a ring. Give him another shot at a ring.
Do it for Terry Brown, whose talents as a player have for so long been ridiculed as one-dimensional. Brown has grabbed enough defense and developed enough on defense and developed enough to deserve a shot in the big dance.
Brown has to be there for the three-point shotout anyway. Why make the poor guy go to Indianapolis for just one night of bombing?
Or for Mike Maddox, who needs one more ring to represent the second degenerated disk in his back. "I need that," he said of any of Vegas's concealed remarks.
For Kirk Wagner, who has received little credit in his two years at Kansas, and yet has been there through the injuries and the bench that Kansas a valuable rebound here and some tough defense there.
Give Adonis and Alonzo and the rest of the non-seniors a shot this year to get comfortable. More than likely they'll be back soon, so give them a chance to get some confidence.
And for Coach Williams, who has,
for the third straight year, taken a
team given no pre-season respect
placed it among the nation's best.
For the man who inherited a program with the baggage of an NCAA probation and who packed those bags with victories and marched up the annual rankings. It's time he put those bags on a plane for Indianapolis.
Now, when you draw up the other brackets, I'd appreciate some sort of consideration for justice.
Bring in the Tar Heels. North Carolina has been too good for too long, and Dean Smith has caught more hell for not getting back to the Four than a coach of his ability and integrity should have to endure.
Smith may be nearing the end of his coaching years, and if that is so, try to get him there as often as possible. Anyone who would send us Roy Williams deserves as much success and glory as could be reaped.
While you're at it, send Duke. This is a sort of penance for me, as most Duke victories are rather difficult to stomach. But if anyone deserves another shot at UNLV, its the Blue Devils. Last year's embarrassing final should give them plenty of fire to throw at Tarkkanian.
Plus, you can't be too upset seeing Duke lose for the fourth year in a row in the Final Four.
My last request is easy. Make sure Vegas is there. If justice is to be done, it's required.
Picture it. The team that was denied a chance to defend its national championship (Kansas) plays underdog to the team that whined its way back into a previously denied chance to defend its title (UNLV).
Oh, I guess you figured out my picks to make the finals. But justice must be served, and it is the only way.
Sure, North Carolina probably deserves another title under Smith. But he probably would not be too upset losing to Williams in the semis, and it is imperative that Kansas meet Vegas in the final.
And for the finals? Well, I'll let you make the decision, but don't you just have to go with the underdogs?
A truly unbiased fan
P.S. How come that has a New York accent?
■ Chris Oster is a Topeka senior majoring in journalism.