BIG 12 SEARCH
BIG 12 ATHLETIC DIRECTORS are considering three Texas cities, as well as Kansas City and St. Louis, for sites for the 1997 conference championship football game.
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
On Monday, Big 12 commissioners said Dallas, Houston and San Antonio were the Texas cities. The Dallas site would be Texas Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys. At San Antonio, the game would be held at the Alamodome. The Astrodome would be the venue for Houston. The first Big 12 championship game was held in St. Louis last year, and 63,109 fans watched the Texas Longhorns upset the Nebraska Com-
huskers 37-27
ALL-STAR GAME RATINGS DROP
Ratings for Sunday's NBA ALL-STAR GAME were 4 percent lower than last year, dropping from 11.7 to 11.2
The figure was 22 percent below the All-Star
game's peak rating of 14.3 in 1993, Nielsen Media Research said yesterday. Still, it was the game's fourth-highest rating since 1975, trailing 1993, 1996 and 1992 (12.8) games.
BLUES SETTLE
The ST. LOUIS BLUES and Mike Keenan settled their contract dispute, averting a hearing with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 1997
On Dec. 19, Keenan was fired as general manager and coach with 3/1/2 years remaining on a contract that paid him about $2 million per year. He had been seeking about $6 million, while the
Blues were offering only $3 million. The NHL said neither party would disclose settlement terms. Before coaching the Blues, Keenan guided the New York Rangers to a Stanley Cup victory.
SECTION B
UCLA interim head coach gains permanent status
LOS ANGELES — Interim UCLA basketball coach Steve Lavin was promoted to permanent head coach yesterday and will receive a four-year contract.
Lavin, 32, was an assistant for five seasons before being appointed interim coach after Jim Harrick was fired Nov. 6.
The Bruins (13-7) are tied with USC for first place in the Pacific-10 with an 8-3 conference record.
Lavin hasn't been afraid to bench starters for being late or throw them out of practice, as he did with forward J.R. Henderson last month.
Lavin's contract will run through June 30, 2001. That could mean underclassmen Toby Bailey, Henderson and Jelani McCoy will stay in college instead of leaving for the NBA.
Baron Davis, considered the top point guard prospect in the nation, may sign a letter of intent and follow on his oral commitment to play for the Bruins.
Davis, a senior at Santa Monica Crossroads High, decided last fall to wait until the spring signing period to commit after Harrick was fired two weeks before the college season began.
Purchase of Riverfront may push Reds downtown
The deal could force the stadium planned for the Reds to be built downtown rather than along the Ohio River on the southern edge of the city — against the Reds' wishes.
CINCINNATI — A partnership run by the owner of Cincinnati's indoor soccer and minor league hockey teams has purchased Riverfront Coliseum for $21 million, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported yesterday.
Cincinnati Cyclones owner Doug Kirchhofer leads the partnership, which will renovate the 22-year-old arena.
The coliseum is privately owned, and representative Patty Fredricks has previously declined to name the owners.
The deal requires the Cyclones to get loans for nearly $15 million in privately financed improvements. The Cincinnati Equity Fund, a group of local businesses, is reportedly putting together a loan in the $5 million range.
Both the Reds and Bengals have said they prefer that their new stadiums be located on the river, It is expected to be announced this week that the Bengals' new facility will be built on the waterfront.
However, a group of business owners has been lobbying to build the Reds' stadium downtown in an area called Broadway Commons, roughly 12 blocks north of the river.
Neck injury may endanger career of Chief's John Alt
KANSAS CITY, MO. The Kansas City Chiefs may lose their best left tackle.
John Alt, a 13-year veteran who has battled back problems for several years, has a neck injury that could threaten his career.
Doctors have told him he has two bulging disks in his neck, an injury diagnosed after a tingling sensation lingered in his left arm after the season ended.
Alt lost feeling in the arm during a Monday night game Dec. 9 against the Raiders. Trainers insisted he lay motionless for several minutes while they examined him, but he later returned to the game.
Alt said he would wait as long as possible before deciding whether to retire.
—The Associated Press
Kansas comes back home
Men to open homestand vs. Cowboys
By Bill Petulla
Kansan sportswriter
After completing what Kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams said was one of the most difficult stretches of the season — five of the last six games on the road — the Jawhaws can go home again.
Kansas will play Oklahoma State at 8:05 tonight in Allen Field House.
"Everybody thinks that when we get home things will be easy, and they aren't," Williams said.
Although the Jayhawks are playing at home, Williams said the Jayhawks still had to play well to win.
Kansas enters tonight's game fresh off Sunday's 69-62 victory at Iowa State. Forward Raef LaFrentz scored 21 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.
Guard Jacque Vaughn said defense was the difference in the victory at Iowa State, which was played in front of 14,325 hostile Cyclone fans.
"We've fought through it all season long," Vaughn said. "In games like this, defense will win the game."
Vaughn contributed 18 points and five steals to the Iowa State game.
Williams commended his team for never pushing the panic button, despite trailing by 16 points or more on three occasions this season.
"I've said all year long we're an experienced team," Williams said. "And when you're a veteran team, small deficits at half-time should bother you and big deficits shouldn't bother you."
For the Cowboys, who are tied with Missouri for eighth in the Big 12, this season has been one they might prefer to forget. Oklahoma State is coming off of its largest home defeat in the Eddie Sutton era, a 90-73 rout against Texas.
Guard Adrian Peterson leads Oklahoma State in scoring, averaging 14.3 points per game. Peterson is the Cowboys' long-range threat — he shoots 36 percent from behind the arc. Forward Chianti Roberts is second in scoring for Oklahoma State with a 13.5 average.
Although the Cowboys have won 11 of 13 games at home, they have been shut out on the road, losing all of their eight road games.
Sutton said he would be amazed if Oklahoma State defeated Kansas.
"I think it would be one of the great upsets of all time if the Cowboys were able to go into Allen Field House and win," Sutton said yesterday.
Sutton also said he had no doubt that Kansas was the best team in the country.
Tonight's game
"They've got all the weapons that a team needs to win it all." Sutton said.
Game is at 8:05 p.m. at Allen Field House. It will be broadcast by Big 12 Television on Channel 13.
Kansas Jayhawks 23-1, 9-1
G Jacque Vaughn 6-1 SR.
G Jerod Haase 6-3 SR.
F Paul Pierce 6-6 SO.
R Raef LaFrentz 6-11 JR.
C B.J. Williams 6-8 SR.
Oklahoma State Cowboys 12-10, 4-6
G Chad Alexander 6-3 JR.
G Adrian Peterson 6-4 SO.
F Maurice Robinson 6-7 SR.
F Chianti Roberts 6-6 SR.
C Brett Robisch 6-11 JR.
Kansas' Jacque Vaughn surveys the court while keeping the ball away from Iowa State's Jacy Holloway. Vaughn scored 18 points and distributed five assists during Kansas' victory against the Cyclones last Sunday in Ames, Iowa.
Standoff awaits 'Hawks
Kansan sportswriter
By Tommy Gallagher
A noisy and hostile crowd awaits the No. 14 Kansas women's basketball team when it plays at Oklahoma State at 7 tonight.
The Jayhawks' only two Big 12 Conference losses have come at tough venues this season. Kansas lost 82-72 at Texas Jan. 18 and 68-66 at Missouri one week ago.
"Oklahoma State is tough at home," Kansas coach Marian Washington said. "Texas Tech found that out right at the start of conference play. We need to keep focused and, as always, take one game at a time."
Trapped in the middle of three Iowa State players, Kansas' Nakia Sanford works to maneuver her way free during the Jayhawks' game against the Cyclones Saturday night in Allen Field House.
No. 16 Texas Tech was swept in its season series by the Cowgirls. Oklahoma State won at Texas Tech 78-56, and then defeated the Red Raiders at home two weeks later 73-61.
The Cowgirls are 5-2 on their home court at Gallagher-Iba Arena this season.
Oklahoma State ranks 10th in the nation in field goal percentage, and boasts some of the conference's best shooters.
Guard Jennifer Crow provides instant offense off the bench for the Cowgirls. She ranks 7th nationally in three-point shooting percentage at 45.3 percent. Forward Cheri Edwards ranks as one of the top free-throw shooters in the country at 85.2 percent.
"Good shooting teams like them are usually set-oriented." Reed said. "They're not used to a lot of pressure up front. We need to play tough defense and apply good pressure to try to get them off-rhythm early in the game."
Kansas guard Erinn Reed said that the key to slowing Oklahoma State's efficient shooting is to play tight, pressure defense.
Six Jayhawks scored in double figures against Iowa State this past weekend, including all five starters. Dixon led Kansas in scoring with 20 points, while reserve center Patience Grayer recorded a career-high 13 points.
"The reserves played a big role on this team the past couple games," Reed said. "With the reserves we have, we can keep our starters fresh and the intensity up, especially on defense."
Kansas enjoyed its best day from the free-throw line this season against Iowa State. The team made 29-of-36 free-throw attempts, and forward Jennifer Trapp was 11-for-11 from the line.
Leading Oklahoma State are forwards Edwards and Renee Roberts.
Tonight's game
Edwards leads the Cowgirls with an average of 14.1 points and 5.9 rebounds per game. Roberts ranks second in both categories with an average of 13.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Roberts scored 28 points in last Saturday's 70-63 loss to No. 11 Texas.
Game is at 7 p.m. at the Gallagher-lba Arena in Stillwater, Okla. and will be broadcasted on 90.7 KJHK.
Kansas Jayhawks 17-4,8-2
G Angle Halbleib 5-10 SR.
G Tamecke Dixon 5-9 SR.
F Lynn Pride 6-2 FR.
F Jennifer Trapp 6-1 SR.
C Nakia Sanford 6-3 SO.
Oklahoma State Cowgirls 13-8, 5-6
Oklahoma State Cowgirls 13-8, 9
GKourtney Bower    5-7   SO.
GSarah Boyd         5-9   JR.
F Renee Roberts     5-10   JR.
F Cheri Edwards      6-2   SR.
C Kelly Folsom     6-2   SR.
Divers surpass personal records despite team loss
The Kansas men's and women's diving teams made history Saturday.
By Kelly Cannon
Kansan sportswriter
The teams competed in Lincoln, Neb., against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Despite the fact that both the swimming and diving teams lost, the divers turned in several noteworthy performances.
The highlight of the meet was junior Brian Humphrey's performance in the three-meter competition, said Don Fearon, Kansas diving coach. Humphrey's score, a personal best of 344.55 points, set a Kansas record in the event,besting the previous record of 340.35 set in 1993 by Tim Davidson. Davidson holds three of the four possible Kansas records, Fearon said.
"Everything is just clicking for Brian right now," Fearon said. "The
Brian Humphrey
Nebraska men's team is among the best and deepest in the country. This was really good for Brian, going into the conference championships, to see where he is at."
the condensed Hampshire in addition to Humphrey's three-meter performance, Kansas divers had nine personal-best scores out of 12 performances.
Humphrey, Junior Christian Paschall, sophomore Deanna Beiswanger and freshmen Kelly Norton, Joe Donnally and Sean Jacobs all bested their previous scores in the one-meter competition. Paschall and Norton also bested their scores on the three-meter board. Beiswanger's score in the one-meter competition qualified her for the Zone Diving Championships, March 14 and 15. Norton and Humphrey also have qualified for the competition.
The Zone competition is a preliminary for the NCAA Championships. The country is divided into five zones. Within each zone, there are six spots for men, six spots for women and two additional special qualification spots. Only 35 men and 35 women divers nationally will qualify for the NCAA Championships.
"By the time you make it past zones, you know you are already one of the top 35 divers in the country," Fearon said.
Kansas has the next two weekends to prepare for the Big 12 Championships, which will be Feb. 27, Feb. 28 and March 1 in College Station, Texas.
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