NCAA SPECIAL SECTION
Kansas filled important role in shaping basketball's past
By Ann Sommerlath Sports editor
Sports editor
The game of basketball is a century old this year, and nowhere is that tradition richer than at the University of Kansas, the third-winning program in college basketball. It is appropriate that Kansas basketball history closely is with the first 100 years of the sport.
Kansas' basketball legacy begins with the origins of the game itself. In December of 1891, James Naismith invented a game that he dubbed "basket ball," while teaching at what is now Springfield College in Illinois.
Seven years later, Naismith, the "Father of Basketball," introduced the sport to the University of Kansas as a form of recreation to occupy the students between football and baseball seasons. Naismith, a former track star, became the school's first basketball coach, and, ironically, is the only Kansas basketball coach to compile a losing record (35-60).
The coach with the most victories in Kansas history followed Naismith as head coach of the 1907-1988 and 1919-1955 seasons. Forrest "Phog" Burr was named head coach, and was dedicated March 1, 1955, established a 592-191 record.
Allen's son, Robert Allen, played basketball for the Jayhawks from 1939 to 1941.
Robert Allen recalls his father's influence on the history of basketball.
"As a player, Dad told Mr. Naismith, 'I'm going to coach basket.
ball," but Mr. Naismith told him that you can't coach basketball, you can just play it." Robert Allen said. Then Mr. Naismith asked Dad to coach."
Allen also coached at Baker, Haskell and Central Missouri State, and including his record at Kansas, compiled a victory total of 746. This record is fourth only to Adolph Rupp (880), Henry Iba (767), and Edd Diddle (759). Rupp coached at Kentucky and was a member of the Kansas 1922 and 1923 Helms National Championship squads coached by Allen.
Under Allen, Kansas won Regional NCAA Championships in 1940, 1952 and 1953 and the national championship in 1952. Allen's 1922 and 1923 teams won the Helms Foundation National championships as well.
"Dad was well endowed with the desire to make basketball a major sport," Robert Allen said. "He founded the National Basketball Coaches Association and was its first president. He was one of three men that played for the NAA (National Athletic Association) — what is now the NCAA."
Allen also was largely responsible for many NCAA rule changes and is credited with being responsible for the NBA basketball in the Olympic Games.
"There is one thing for which he should be long remembered," Robert Allen said. "In 1932, he met with two men in L.A. and determined that they would be trained in the Berlin games in 1936. He went on to coach in Helsinki in 1952."
Dick Harp, who played under Allen from 1938 to 1940 at Kansas, was head coach from 1956 to 1963 and compiled a .596 winning percentage (121-83). Harp coached Wilt Chamberlin, who was a member of the 1974 team to the North Carolina 54-33 in triumph. The CAA title game in Kansas City, Mo.
Harp and former Jayhawk Dean Smith (North Carolina's current coach) are of two only five men to be selected in the NCAA Final four game.
Ted Owens succeeded Harp, registering a 348-182 record in 19 seasons. His team appeared in the Final Four in 1971 and 1974. Under Owens, the Jayhawks won six Bight regular season championships, eight conference event championship and appeared in the NCAA tournament seven times.
Larry Brown was the sixth coach at Kansas, and his winning percentage .754) is the best in the school's history. Brown played basketball at North Carolina under Smith. In five seasons at Kansas, his teams won one Big Eight Conference regular season title; no conference post-season titles; had five consecutive NCAA tournament appearances.
Current coach Roy Williams replaced Brown in 1988. He played as a freshman under Smith and spent ten years as Smith's assistant at his alma mater. The team was named coach of the year last year after compiling a 30-5 record.
Besides its prolific coaches, Kansas has been home to other influential figures in the history of basketball. Thirteen inductees to the Hall of Fame came from Kansas.
'Dad was well endowed with the desire to make basketball a major sport. He founded the National Basketball Coaches Association and was its first president. He was one of three men that organized the NAA (National Athletic Association) — what is now the NCAA.'
Robert Allen Son of Phog Allen
A. C. "Dutch" Lonborg was athletic director from 1950 to 1964 and helped organize the first NCAA tournament. He served as chairperson of a tournament committee and is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Kansas has had 41 All-American selections including Clyde Lovellette. Jo White, Wilt Chamberlain and, in 2003, Derek Johnson, the No. 1 draft choice in 1988.
Under Williams, Kansas has continued its excellent basketball tradition, tying Oklahoma State for regular-season Big Eight champions this year. The next few weeks only can enhance the Jayhaws' outstanding basketball legacy.
Super fan 'Captain Jayhawk' flys makes appearance on national TV
By David Mitchell
Special to the Kansan
At first glance he appears normal. Certainly, a Kansas City, Kan., senior, maintaining a 3.2 grade point average in the School of Journalism would seem to have better things to do.
"I feel psychotic," he said Feb. 7, more than 40 hours before the 3 p.m. tipoff time of the Feb. 9 Oklahoma State game.
However, a simple game of basket ball can change everything. Friends who are not as fervent in their work of Kansas basketball admit they do not even recognize him inside Allen Field House.
There are things to do, fans to organize. He is not a Kansas mascot. He is not a fricken lil leader. He is Joe Zielinski. Captain Jayhawk.
Zielinski can be seen behind the north basket in the field house. He is not hard to spot. He wears a cap. It occurs, it is a wall banner, but it has not touched a wall in more than three years. He also wears a basketball or what used to be a basketball. Now it is a helmet.
He is Captain Jayhaw, and he is seen. He has had more air time this season than some members of the Kansas bench. By his best estimate he has appeared in all but two of the Jayhawes televised home games. On national television in January on ESPN S's "Doubletakes."
Captain Jayhawk is little known, yet has become a tradition of Kansas basketball. In the late 1980s the "Hey" chant came into vogue in college basketball. Fans went flying into the air in arenas around the nation. The chants were lured by resounding cheers of "We're gonna beat the hell out you."
During the song one person is picked up by the arms and legs. When the band pushes the crowd screams, the audience goes on their fan of choice into the air.
This song sparked the conception of the original Captain Jayhawk.
Then, along with Curtis Marsh,
Leavenworth senior, the two freshmen set about their task. When
the Duke Blue Devils came to Lawrence in late February 1988, the duo decided to go all out.
Alex Logan, Iowa City, Iowa,
senior, said, "I saw that on TV(
1988), and I said, 'We've got to do
that!"
They succeeded. Logan bought a basketball and popped it just before game time. It quickly was sculpted as a helmet. Then there was the cap.
"We wanted to get on TV," Marsh said.
"I got the flag from a friend in Ellsworth and just never gave it
back," Logan said.
The Super Fans, as they called themselves, won immediate attention. Since 1988, they have managed to sneak into three yearbooks, the James and "The Cinderella Story"," the 1988 national championship video.
However, the 1990-91 season has marked the end of an era. Faced with a busy schedule, Logan has been forced to miss several games. At this season's opening late night practice, he and his helmet were passed on to Zielinski.
Zielinski is a veteran basketball fanatic. He got his start rooting for the Washington High Wildcats.
"I'd spend every Monday morning in the office explaining my actions," he said.
The waiting game
KU basketball has not cooled his fervor. For the Oklahoma State game, Zielinski arrived at 9:30 a.m. Friday at the field house. He pitched a three-man ten by himself and signed in. The Super Fans were seventh in line. He left for classes and returned at 1:30 p.m. He spent the rest of the afternoon studying and visiting with passersby.
At 5:30 p.m. he bluced his way into the varsity's closed practice. Former Jayhawks Kevin Pritchard and Rick Calloway were on hand. Zielinski was impressed, and Kyle of Jayhawkes were evoked and savored.
At 6 p.m. he returned downstairs.
Senior forward Mark Randall stopped by to visit. He is Zielinski's friend. Zelinski is his biggest fan.
at 6:30 p.m. Zielinski and Marsh left for dinner, returning two hours later. The cold weather forced them to move inside the Parking Facility, where they frisbee. At 9 p.M., Logan again history is relived. Captain Jayhawk is saved.
"We let them know we're behind them," Zielinski said. "And he lets us know we're not there for nothing."
"I don't mind that Captain Jayhawk gets all the attention," Marsh said. "As long as people know I'm the reason he flies."
At 10:30 p.m., Logan, Marsh and Zielinski went to a friend's party. When they returned before midnight, they were surprised to find the rest of the camp asleep. Logan departed, but a steady stream of friends later came and encouraged Marsh and Zielinski's vigil.
They played poker and Frisbee in the garage, but they grew restless amidst the quiet camp. They sang loudly; show tunes, country, rock 'n'
See SUPER FAN, Page 7
Philp Meiring/KANSAN
Hey!
Captain Jayhawk Joe Zielinski, Kansas City, Kan., senior, pumps his hat in the air during the Iowa State game. Zielinski took over the duties of Captain Jayhawk this season and has become a recognized figure at all Kansas home games.
Numbers in parentheses represent tournament seeds.
Split Big 8 title leaves Kansas seeded second
Parity could make '91 tournament tough for conference champions
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In the end,
both failed. No 12 Oklahoma State
failed at Iowa State on Saturday
and then No 10 Kansas turned around
and failed Sunday at No. 15
Nebraska.
The Big Eight regular season title was split right up the middle. Give half to the Cowboys. Give half to the Jayhawks.
Let everyone contemplate how pleasant it would be to own 100 percent of the championship. Both finished with identical 21-6 overall and 10-4 conference records and were unbeaten all year at home. However, both failed in the clutch on their final road game.
Oklahoma State's hopes for the title in Eddie Sutton's first year as coach evaporated Saturday when Skip McCoy scored five straight points in the final 2:30 as Iowa State edged the Cowboys 68-67.
But Kansas, knowing a victory Sunday at Nebraska meant an outright title, missed eight straight free throws in the final decisive play. They capped a storybook regular season of their own with an 85-75 victory.
Because Oklahoma State beat Nebraska twice and Kansas only beat the Huskers once, the Cowards are the No. 1 seed in the Big Eight Tournament. The tournament begins Friday in Kansas City and ends Sunday in Oklahoma receiving the Big Eight's automatic bid to the NCAA tourney.
All teams are through with the regular season except Missouri, which finishes the year at home Monday against Notre Dame.
Friday's first-round games in the Big Eight Tournament are fourth-seeded Missouri (16-10, 8) against fifth-seeded Iowa State (12-18, 6) at 12:10 p.m.; No. 1 seed Oklahoma State (21-16, 4) vs. No. 8 seed Kansas State (13-14, 31) at 2:20 p.m.
No. 9 seed Ohio State (12-15, 7) Colorado (15-12, 9) and No. 3 seed Nebraska (24-6, 9) vs. No. 6 seed Oklahoma (16-13, 9).
Colorado put the ball in the air 61 times. They connected only 16 times. They made matters worse by sinking only four of 27 three-point attempts.
In Saturday's other Big Eight action, Kansas State erased a 10-point deficit and took Oklahoma into overtime, then beat the Sooners on their own home court 101-98; and Missouri scored Colorado 76-51 at home as the Buffaloes shot an appalling 26 percent.
"I'm disgusted with our play today," said Colorado coach Joe Harrington. "But overall, basketball at CU has improved."
Missouri seems to be picking up some late-season momentum even though the probation-bound Tigers are barred from the NCAA tourney.
"I thought we played outstanding on defense," said Missouri coach Norm Stewart. "Our offense wasn't efficient, but it didn't have to be."
Jamal Coleman had 15 rebounds as the Tigers led 51-38.
"Getting 15 boards is like scoring 30 points." Stewart said.
Doug Smith led Missouri with 23 points and had 13 rebounds. Shaun Vandiver's 17 points led Colorado.
'We wanted to be champions without saying co-champions. But Nebraska did a great job. We didn't do a good job of taking care of the basketball early.'
Roy Williams KU basketball coach
"That 90-day February was a drain on us all," Altman said. "For a team that was 211 going into the game it was a 76-48 loss." We showed a lot of determination."
Kansas State made it a season sweep of the Sooners with a come-from-behind effort over an Oklahoma team, which probably will be happy to end this year's nightmare. The victory snapped a six-game Big Eight losing streak for Kansas State and made a last-stplace finish in Dana Altman's first year as head coach a bit easier to swallow.
Jean Dearouillure had 20 points for Kansas State and Jire Wires had 15. Keith Amerson had 12 rebounds. Oklahoma got 32 points from Brent Price and 25 from Jeff Webster, somehow destroying a 10-point lead.
"We made some critical mistakes down the stretch," said Oklahoma coach Billy Tubbs. "We didn't put them away."
"We wanted to be champions without saying co-champions," said Roy Williams, who was looking for his first Big Eight title in three seasons at Kansas. "But Nebraska did a great job. We didn't do a good job of taking care of the basketball early."
Ironically, the two co-champions ended the regular season feeling as unhappy as anybody, except perhaps the roster team that shot 26 percent.
The Jayhawks had 20 turnovers while Nebraska took a nine-point lead in the first half.
"I've never had a team with 20 turnovers in the first half," Williams said. "We might have been tight. We weren't in sync on offense."
Tony Farmer scored 18 points for the Huskers, who were picked last in the preseason poll but they broke their own school record for season victories season by two. Kansas came within one point twice in the second half but ruined its chances at the free-throw line. While Kansas missed eight in a five-minute stretch, Nebraska hit seven of eight and took a 77-71 lead. Mark Randall led Kansas with 17 points.
Oklahoma State has not seen a basketball title since 1965.
"We wanted to win the Big Eight title outright and put pressure on Kansas," said guard Sean Sutton. "I have to give Iowa State credit. They came back and won the game. They obeyed." We also wanted to win the title on their home floor."
Iowa State coach Johnny Orr said Oklahoma State also deserved credit.
"We played some great teams and took some terrible beatings," he said. "But we came back in the toughest league in the country and won three or four last four games. I'm proud of them."
Byron Houston led Oklahoma State with 24 points and Sutton scored 18.