PENGUINS COACH
General manager Craig Patrick will take over the team, which is second to Buffalo in the Northeast Division.
Eddie Johnston was fired as coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins westerday.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
Penguins assistant coaches Bryan Trottier and Rick Kehoe coached at practice this morning.
and Mario Lemieux in 1984, is 232-224-60 in 61/2 seasons with the Penguins from 1980-83 and since 1993, when he replaced Scotty Bowman.
Patrick said Johnston would help him in the front office in a job that is yet to be determined.
The team is 31-26-5.
GERMANY. ENGLAND FIGHT FOR WORLD CUP
England is trying to outmaneuver Germany for the rights to the 2006 World Cup. English political officials were angered when UEFA said it was backing Germany's
bid. UEFA backed down and said it would look at both offers but recommend only one candidate to FIFA. Because of the fighting, both may lose their bids.
CAVALIERS COACH
There has been no discussion about whether Cleveland Cavaliers coach Mike Fratello will be let out of his contract after the season, team president Wave Embry said.
TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 1997
Embry said he was concerned about reports published Friday in the New York Post that said Fratello might be allowed out of the last year of his deal with the Cavaliers.
Post columnist Peter Vesccey predicted in his column Fratello would be allowed to pursue other options after the end of this season, his fourth in Cleveland.
Fratello has led the Cavaliers to the playoffs for three straight seasons. Cleveland (32-25) is in the seventh playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Men's AP Top 25
The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press men's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through March 2.
SECTION B
rank team rec pts pvs
1. Kansas (69) 29-1 1,773 1
2. Minnesota (2) 26-2 1,706 2
3. Utah 23-3 1,577 4
4. South Carolina 23-6 1,564 6
5. North Carolina 21-6 1,466 8
6. Kentucky 27-4 1,453 3
7. Duke 23-7 1,297 7
8. Wake Forest 22-5 1,265 5
9. UCLA 19-7 1,243 10
10. Cincinnati 24-6 1,039 9
11. Xavier, Ohio 22-4 1,018 14
12. Arizona 19-7 927 15
13. Clemson 21-8 898 12
14. New Mexico 22-6 883 11
15. Illinois 20-8 607 21
16. Iowa St. 19-7 608 13
17. Col. of Charleston 28-2 544 20
18. Colorado 21-8 454 20
19. St. Joseph's 21-6 481 23
20. Louisville 22-7 456 17
21. Villanova 21-8 437 18
22. Maryland 20-9 354 16
23. Stanford 18-7 207 25
24. Georgia 21-7 139 —
25. Indiana 21-9 134 22
Other teams receiving votes: Tusa 119, Princeton 79, Iowa 59, Tulane 48, Georgetown 30, Texas Tech 21, Wisconsin 17, N.C. Charlotte 15, Mississippi 11, Massachusetts 10, New Orleans 11, Fresno St. 10, Pacific Ii 10, California 11, Sacramento 11, Rhode Island 7, California 5, Hawaii 5, Michigan 5, Syracuse 4, SW Missouri St. 3, Bowling Green 2, Purdue 2, Southern California 2, St. Mary's, C, Calil 2, Virginia 2, Long Island U, 1. Navy 1, Oklahoma 1, Vanderbilt 1.
Women's AP Top 25
The Top 25 teams in The Associated Press news's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through March 2.
rank team rec pts pvs
1. Connecticut(38) 28-0 996 1
2. Old Dominion (1) 29-1 957 2
3. Stanford (1) 28-1 926 3
4. North Carolina 27-2 873 5
5. Louisiana Tech 26-3 833 6
6. Florida 23-3 760 10
7. Georgia 22-5 728 4
8. Alabama 23-6 708 7
9. Kansas 23-4 678 11
10. LSU 23-4 604 9
11. Tennessee 23-10 591 8
12. Texas 20-6 493 12
13. Notre Dame 26-5 471 4
14. Virginia 21-7 414 13
15. Texas Tech 19-7 412 15
16. Illinois 22-6 407 18
17. Stephen F. Austin 26-3 381 16
18. Geo. Washington 25-4 293 19
19. Auburn 20-9 293 —
20. Vanderbilt 18-10 220 17
21. Clemson 19-10 198 22
22. W. Kentucky 20-7 146 21
23. Michigan St. 21-7 138 20
24. Tulane 25-4 83 —
25. Duke 18-10 65 25
USA Today/CNN Top 25
Top 25 teams in USA Today/CNN men's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through March 2.
rank team rec pts prv
1. **Kansas (28)** 29-1 748 1
2. Minnesota (2) 26-2 695 2
3. Utah 23-3 672 4
4. South Carolina 23-6 658 4
5. Kentucky 27-4 619 3
6. North Carolina 21-6 591 3
7. Duke 23-7 543 7
8. UCLA 19-7 500 14
9. Wake Forest 22-5 495 5
10. Cincinnati 24-6 434 8
11. Arizona 19-7 417 13
12. New Mexico 22-6 415 11
13. Clemson 21-8 407 10
14. Xavier, Ohio 22-4 355 17
15. Iowa State 19-7 329 12
16. Colorado 21-8 372 19
17. Villanova 21-8 244 18
18. Coll, of Charleston 22-7 206 20
19. Louisville 20-9 199 15
20. Maryland 20-9 191 16
21. Illinois 20-8 156 23
22. Stanford 18-7 118 24
23. St. Joseph's 21-9 99 —
24. Indiana 21-9 51 22
25. Princeton 22-3 39 —
Raef and Roy: best in Big 12
LaFrentz, Williams garner top honors in new conference
By Spencer Duncan Kaplan sports editor
The Associated Press and Big 12 Conference coaches named Kansas forward Raef LaFrentz and Kansas coach Roy Williams conference player and coach of the year yesterday.
LaFrentz and Williams led the Jayhawks to a school-best 29-1 record and to the first Big 12 Conference title.
"I don't think Raef could ever exceed my expectations," Williams said. "I thought he was so good that I expected him to get 100 points and 100 rebounds every game. Knowing that was not realistic with the teams that we
Roy Williams
play and the conference that we are in,
I am pleased with how he's been playing.
He should be proud."
LaFrentz is averaging 21 points and nine rebounds a game.
Williams surpassed former North Carolina State coach Everett Case for the most victories in nine seasons as a head coach. Williams has 242 wins.
LaFrentz also was named to the All-Big 12 basketball team. He is joined on the team by Colorado guard Chauncey Billups, Texas Tech center Tony Battie, Iowa State guard Dedric Willoughby and Texas guard Reggie Freeman. LaFrentz and Billups were the only unanimous selections.
Colorado coach Ricardo Patton said LaFrentz and Billups deserved to be unanimous selections, and he further praised his point guard.
"He's quick enough and crafty enough with the basketball that, if you guard him too close, he can go by his man, penetrate and get his teammates the ball or pull up for an open jumper," Patton said. "He has played great."
Kansas guard Jacque Vaughn was named to the second team. He is joined by Texas Tech guard Cory Carr, Nebraska guard Tyronn Lue, Oklahoma guard Nate Erdmann and Baylor center Brian Skinner.
Raef LaFrentz maneuvers past Nebraska's Bernard Gamer. LaFrentz was named Big 12 player of the year Monday by the Associated Press as well as Big 12 coaches.
Steve Runne / KANSAN
Bottom team byes would equal more Big 12 in Big Dance
The Big 12 Conference has the postseason tournament all wrong.
Welcome to the Big 12, where few teams actually deserve a bid, which is why the Big 12 has it all wrong.
The Big 12 men's tournament begins Thursday. Twelve teams are looking for a conference title but, more importantly, they are looking for an NCAA Tournament bid.
Right now, the top four teams in the conference get a first-round bye. The Big 12 should change this and give the bottom four teams byes. That is right, the bottom four teams.
That is Kansas State, Missouri, Baylor and Texas A&M. Big 12 officials claim the four teams get byes to the brackets and reward
even the brackets and reward teams that excelled in the regular season.
But if the Big 12 gave the bottom four teams byes, the conference would have a better chance of getting more teams in the tournament.
If selections were made today, only three Big 12 teams would be guaranteed NCAA bids. Kansas (29-1), Colorado (21-8) and Iowa State (19-7) are locks. That is it. Only three teams from what was supposed to be a power conference are guaranteed spots. Win or lose in the conference tournament, these teams are in.
Then there are the bubble teams.
Oklahoma (17-9) may need to win at least one more. Two would help. Baylor (18-11) could squeak in with two more wins, and Texas is close. Don't forget Texas Tech (18-8). The Red Raiders are the best bubble bet.
That leaves seven teams from the conference that could, emphasis on could, make the NCAA Tournament Realistically, we are talking four or five.
Let us not forget the teams that have to win the conference tournament to get in.
Some Big 12 officials are crying in their offices about what a disappointment this conference has been.
But officials soon will begin lobbying to get the most Big 12 teams possible into the NCAA Tournament. The more teams the Big 12 has in the Big Dance, the more money will be made. And it is all about money.
That is Oklahoma State (15-13), K-State (10-16), Missouri (13-16), Nebraska (16-13) and Texas A&M (9-17).
So I am here to tell the bigwigs how to get richer. Give the bottom four teams byes.
Think about it. Kansas, Iowa State and Colorado are in no matter what they do. It really doesn't matter if they win or lose the tournament.
The next tier of teams isn't in the top or bottom, so they aren't eligible for a bye anyway. They are going to have to get their wins against both top and bottom teams.
If the top four teams had to play in round one, then the bubble teams would have the opportunity to pull off upsets against the top teams in the early rounds. Oklahoma vs. Kansas, Nebraska vs. Iowa State and Colorado vs. Oklahoma State all could be good games. And if the bubble teams pulled out the upsets, they easily could jettison themselves into the tournament.
As for the bottom teams, only one has a chance of going to the NCAA Tournament, if that team can win the Big 12. Give these teams the bye and let them get their rest. Then throw them into the mix.
See if one of them can qualify by pulling off the great upset. In college basketball, anything can happen.
This system would give the Big 12 an opportunity to get more than half of the conference into the tournament.
Comments? E-mail Spencer at sports@kansan.com
Women's competition needs wins
By Tommy Gallagher
Kansan sportswriter
With the Big 12 Conference Tournament starting today, the No. 9 Kansas women's basketball team will look to continue its regular-season dominance against teams that desperately need postseason victories.
The No. 1-seeded Jayhawks received a first-round bye and will play either Oklahoma State or Baylor in the second round at noon tomorrow. While the tournament is crucial for several teams in the Big 12, Kansas guard Angie Halbblel said she wished for a bye straight to the NCAA Tournament.
"I wouldn't mind skipping the Big 12 Conference Tournament," Halbleib said. "I think the tournament is more for the teams that didn't win the conference, and there's going to be 11 of those. We'll have to get up for this because, for a lot of them, it's their NCAA Tournament. They're going to play with that kind of emotion, because if they don't win, they don't get in the tournament."
The top four seeds of the Big 12 Tournament — Kansas (23-4), No. 12 Texas (20-6),
No. 15 Texas Tech (19-7) and Colorado (18-8) — are considered locks for the NCAA Tournament.
Teams having to play for NCAA invitations
Nebraska women's basketball coach Angela Beck said a short week would hurt teams that have to play today, followed by a game tomorrow against a rested top-four seed.
"Our last regular-season game is on Saturday, then we'll have to turn around and maybe play Tuesday," Beck said. "Whoever wins has to have a lot of luck and a healthy bench willing to suffer through a lot of exhaustion."
are Nebraska (18-8), Kansas State (16-10),
and Iowa State (16-10). All three teams lost
their regular-season finales on Saturday.
Eric R. Howell / KANSAN
Nebraska has lost seven of its last nine games, while Iowa State has won seven of its last nine. The Wildcats have been winners in six of their last nine games.
Meanwhile, Kansas has won seven consecutive games and has cracked the top 10 for the first time in more than three years.
That season, the Jayhawks lost in the first round of the Big Eight Conference Tournament to Missouri. Kansas then lost to Penn State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament at University Park, Penn.
For Kansas women's basketball coach Marian Washington, whether the Jayhawks win or lose the Big 12 Tournament this week should have no effect on their NCAA seeding.
"Anything can happen because it's a new season for everybody," Washington said. "Everybody realizes that Kansas will be in the NCAA Tournament, but other teams will need to win the Big 12 Tournament to get an
NCAA bid. I would hope that we win the tournament, but certainly one loss along the way before we get to the NCAA Tournament shouldn't cost us a real good seed. I think we've earned it."