NEW CONTRACT Pro Bowl running back TERRY ALLEN, whose 1,353 yards set a Washington Redskins single season rushing record in 1996, re-signed with the team yesterday. Allen, the only player in NFL history to rush for 1,000 yards after reconstructive surgeries on both knees, signed a four-year contract. Financial details were not immediately available. UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS Allen received $2 million for his 996 effort as the Redskins went 9-7, their first winning season in four years. Allen finished third in the NFC in rushing, behind Barry Sanders and Ricky Watters. WOMEN'S NBA TO HOLD FIRST DRAFT TODAY The WNBA will hold a draft today with the spot light on Nancy Lieberman-Cline and former Kansas player Lynette Woodard. The eight franchises in NBAs cities will begin the 10-week season on June 21. Woodard was captain of the 1984 U.S. Olympic gold medal-winning team and is the leading scorer in women's college basketball history. MERCER LEAVING Kentucky's RON MERCER told the world yester- day that he would turn pro after the NCAA tour- ment, and give up his remaining two years of eligi- bility. Mercer, a finalist for the Naismith and RCA player of the-year awards, leads the Southeastern Conference in scoring with 18.1 points and averages 2.52 points and averages 5.3 rebounds for the No. 3 5.3 rebounds for the No. 3 Wildcats. The 6-foot 7 sophomore from Nashville, Tenn., recently took out an insurance policy that would pay him $500,000 if he sustained a career-ending injury during the remainder of the season. Page 10 Baseball's Jackie Robinson will be honored all season NEW YORK — Baseball dedicated its 1997 season to Jackie Robinson yesterday and will donate $1 million to the foundation established for the player who broke the sport's color barrier 50 years ago. "It was baseball's proudest moment then," acting commissioner Bud Selig said. "It's still baseball's proudest moment, and I believe it will always be baseball's proudest moment. There never should have been a barrier." At a news conference attended by Robinson's widow, Rachel, Selig said: all major and minor league players and all major league umpires will wear "Breaking Barriers" arm patches this season; all teams will use baseballs with the commemorative logo in their home openers: 100,000 gold and 200,000 silver commemorative coins will be sold by the U.S. Mint; teams will show Robinson video spots created by filmmaker Spike Lee on their stadium scoreboards and television broadcasts: the All-Star game in Cleveland will be dedicated to Larry Doby, the first Black player in the American League, and he will be honorary captain of the AL team. Colorado coach's agents deny initiating negotiations Patton's agents said yesterday that they planned to wait until the end of the season to open negotiations with university athletic officials. BOULDER, COLO. - Agents representing Colorado basketball coach Ricardo Patton deny reports that the coach initiated contract negotiations while his team was competing for its first NCAA Tournament berth since 1969. However, the agents said Colorado interim athletic director Dick Tharp asked Patton to submit a revised contract proposal. Patton is Colorado's only first-year head coach to win 20 wins (20-7) A contract proposal submitted by Patton's agents reportedly is worth as much as $425,000 per year, plus a substantial signing bonus. Agent Eric Miller said that the proposal also included an annuity package, disability and life insurance, a university housing allowance, the use of one or more cars and a country club membership. Steve Puppe / KANSAN English golfer David Carter recovering from operation "I'm very tired, I feel lost," Carter said in an interview with The Associated Press yesterday from his hospital bed. DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES — English touring golf professional David Carter is recovering after emergency brain surgery Tuesday night. European PGA Tour officials said the 24-year-old Carter, who had three top-10 finishes last season, had been found in his hotel bedroom by friends after complaining of feeling ill earlier in the day. Fellow golfer and countryman Iain Pyman said, "A group of us saw David yesterday, and he said he was sick and having headaches." Brain scans at the hospital revealed fluid in his brain, and he was taken to the operating room. Carter's doctors could not be reached for comment, but Dubai Clas sic director Mike Stewart said that he was stable. Carter hit his head two weeks ago in South Africa on a waterslide and suffered a concussion. "They (doctors) said the accident in South Africa was the cause of this," Carter said. The Associated Press Women clinch title outright Late spurt spells victory By Tommy Gallagher Kansan sportswriter With a 66-58 victory against Nebraska last night, the No.11 Kansas women's basketball team won the Big 12 Conference regular season title and continued to roll as March Madness draws near. After the game, Kansas women's basketball coach Marian Washington said that capturing the inaugural Big 12 title was something she would cherish for the rest of her life. nsas guard Tamecka Dixon and center Nakia Sanford both try to pull down a rebound. The Jayhawks defeated Nebraska 66-58 last night. "You can't even imagine what my nights have been like as we've gotten closer," Washington said. "Here I am now, able to say that we are the Big 12 Conference champions. It's going to be one of the highlights of my career, to have won the last Big Eight title and now the first Big 12." With the victory, Kansas had clinched at least a tie for the Big 12 title. The Jayhawks won the title outright when No. 12 Texas, which was one game behind Kansas in the Big 12 standings, lost 60-56 at home to Colorado last night. The Jayhawks started cold against Nebraska (18-7 overall, 8-7 in the Big 12), but finished scorching hot. Kansas (22-4 overall, 13-2 in the Big 12) shot 36 percent from the floor in the first half and was outbounded 23-10 in the first half by an undersized Nebraska frontcourt. The Jayhawks also had problems defending against Nebraska forward Anna DeForge, who had 16 points and seven rebounds at halftime. Kansas slowed DeForge in the second half, allowing her to score only seven more points. She finished with 23 points and nine rebounds. "Tonight I thought we struggled defensively," Washington said. "In the second half, I thought we did a better job covering some of their shooters. And I also thought we did a better job hitting the boards because they had really outre-bounded us in the first half." The Jayhawks recovered in the second half, shooting 64 percent from the floor while erasing what had been an eight-point halftime deficit. Kansas guard Angie Halbleib celebrated her 22nd birthday by recording a game-high 28 points and adding five assists and four rebounds. She was 9 of 13 from the floor, including 4 of 5 from behind the three-point line. "Tonight I really needed to step up my offense," Halbleib said. "They left me open a lot more than I thought I was going to be. When we saw that was their scheme, my teammates got me the ball." Although Kansas guard Tamecka Dixon's point production was slowed by inflammation in both knees, she managed to find other ways to contribute. No.11 Kansas 66, Nebraska 58 "A lot of what we did this year was for coach," Halbleib said. "We love coach so much. If we're not up for the game, we just have to look at her and she's motivation enough. This title was for her." In the end, the game added up to a conference title that the players wanted to win for their coach, said Halbleib. KANSAS (22-4) Pride | FG | FT | TP | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | Pride | 1-4 | 1-2 | 3 | | Sanford | 2-3 | 0-2 | 4 | | Tapp | 5-8 | 1-9 | 2 | | Hulbert | 9-13 | 6-9 | 19 | | Dixon | 5-14 | 0-3 | 10 | | Reed | 0-1 | 1-1 | 0 | | Gray | 1-1 | 1-1 | 0 | | Raymant | 1-2 | 2-2 | 2 | | Canada | 1-4 | 0-0 | 2 | | Oklahoma | 25-90 | 11-97 | 25 | "I think it was a three-point play in the second half that seemed to turn the momentum back to us," Washington said. "It seemed like they felt it. I could see it on their face, and I could see them physically responding to it. When I saw that, I knew we were finally where we needed to be." She finished with 10 points, five assists, four steals and three rebounds. Center Nakia Sanford had 11 rebounds and four points, and forward Jennifer Trapp had 11 points, five rebounds and two assists. Forward Suzi Raymant had her best game since she was suspended for four games by the NCAA because of amateurism violations. She played 17 minutes and had five points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals. NEBRASKA (18-7) FG FT TP McClain 4-9 3-6 11 J. Kubik 2-3 0-2 4 Rogers 4-9 1-1 9 DeForge 10-21 1-2 23 N. Kubik 3-7 0-0 7 Schwartz 0-4 0-0 0 Benson 0-3 0-0 4 McPherson 0-2 0-0 0 Thompson 0-0 0-0 0 Glmore 0-0 0-0 0 McDill 0-0 0-0 0 Totals 25-58 5-11 58 Halftime: Nebraska 33, Kansas 25. 3-Point goals: Nebraska 14, Kansas 26. Points per game: Nebraska 0 (half-time), Kansas 2 (full-time). Kansas 7 (Falwell 2, R. Paynant 1, Dexon 0, 1). No. Resounds: Nebraska 37 (McClain 10), Kansas 33 (Sanford 9). Points per game: Nebraska 14, Kansas 25. 3-Point goals: Nebraska 14, Kansas 26. Total points: 5 Total goals: 16, Kansas 16. Right: Forwards Jennifer Trapp and Shelly Canada celebrate a Kansas basket vs. Nebraska. The women defeated Nebraska to secure the inaugural Big 1.2 Championship. GR Gordon-Ross / KANSAN Kemper is'Hawks' nest Bv Bill Petulla Kansan sportswriter The Big 12 Conference men's basketball tournament is only a week away. The first four seeds are given firstround byes. Kansas will be the first seed, and Texas will be the second. Several teams are jockeying for the remaining two slots. The odds of anyone outside of the four bye teams winning the tournament are slim considering that only Kansas and Iowa State have won four consecutive Big 12 games this season. Kansas will play at noon March 7 vs. the winner of the game between the No.8 and No.9 seeds — most likely Nebraska, Oklahoma State or Baylor. "Adding an extra day and an extra game is difficult," said Kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams. "If a team only had played two games going into Sunday (the day of the championship) that would be an advantage." Although this marks the first year of the Big 12 Tournament, Kansas City, Mo., has been host to 20 consecutive Big Eight Conference Tournaments. "When the tournament is in Kansas City, everyone knows it's there," Williams said. "It's a great atmosphere." Williams believes that the hometown touch of Kansas City has kept the tournament from leaving the area at a time when many conference tournaments are moving from city to city. Missouri men's basketball coach Norm Stewart agreed. "Kansas City's always been a great college basketball town and a great backer of Big Eight basketball." Also ahead for Kansas basketball is the late-signing period from April 9 to May 15. Kansas already signed Eric Chenowith, a 7-foot-1 center from Villa Park, Calif., and Kenny Gregory, a 6-4 guard from Columbus, Ohio, during the early signing period, which ended Nov. 20. The Jayhawks' wish list for the late-signing period: Baron Davis, a 6-2 guard from Santa Monica, Calif. Davis made an early verbal commitment to UCLA, but following the firing of head coach Jim Harrick, his decision may be up in the air. Recruiting expert Bob Gibbons rated Davis the best high school point guard in the country "This super quick point (guard) impressed us ... with his ability to push it in transition, score with his jumper from three or deliver it to the open man," Gibbs said. Davis also is considering Kansas, Kentucky and Duke. Khalid El-Amin, a 5-10 guard from Minneapolis, Minn. El-Amin visited Kansas Oct. 18 for Late Night with Roy Williams. Gibbons said El-Amin was a tough and deceptively quick point guard. El-Amin also is looking at Minnesota, Kansas, Fresno State, Cincinnati and Georgetown. Humphrey's selection list includes Arkansas, Kansas, Pittsburgh and UCLA. Ryan Humphrey, a 6-7 forward from Tulsa, Olda. Humphrey also is a football star. He visited Kansas during the Nov. 9 Kansas-Kansas State football game in Lawrence. They have an opportunity to make even more noise this weekend when they travel to Tucson, Ariz., home of the No. 1 ranked Arizona Wildcats, to compete in the Hillenbrand Invitational. Softball team to make noise Kansan Staff Report The Kansas softball team made some noise in the Hall-Of-Fame Tournament last weekend when it defeated No. 10 Oklahoma and advanced to the title game of the tournament. "This will be a good test for us," Kansas coach Tracy Bunge said. "We are excited and our players are looking forward to getting outside and playing in warm weather." 1 The tournament will be in round-robin format, meaning that each team plays every other squad once. The winner of the tournament will be the team that finishes with the best record. Bunge said that the layhawks would be facing a variety of competition, including first-year programs LSU and Florida and the top-ranked Wildcats. Kansas will play DePaul and LSU tomorrow, Colorado State, Arizona and Florida on Saturday, and will finish vs. Kent State Sunday. 1