BARKLEY GETS VOTE
Houston's CHARLES BARKLE continues to lead West Conference get-tellers in fan
SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
balloting for the Western Conference All-Star team, but his margin against Seattle's Shawn Kemp is shrinking.
Barkley, a 10-time All-Star, has received 786,811 votes to Kemp's 785,813 — a difference of only 998 votes. Last week, Barkley led Kemp by 7,995 votes.
use our election vote getter in all
balloting for the Western Confer-
Gary Payton and John Stockton are leading among guards in the Western Conference, while Hakeem Olajuwon is the top vote-getting center.
READERS CAN E-MAIL KANSAN SPORTS DESK
The University Daily Kansan **SPORTS DESK**
finally has its e-mail working. You can send e-
mail to sports@kansan.com if you have anything
to say to our columnists or have any comments,
suggestions or complaints for the desk. We are waiting for your input and will publish selected feedback on Fridays.
49ERS COACH QUITS
THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 1997
In eight years as the San Francisco 49ers coach, head coach GEORGE SEIFERT won two Super Bowls and built the highest winning percentage in NFL history. He retired yesterday in a starting move
Seifert, 56, won Super Bowls in 1989 and 1994. His record with the 49ers was 108-35. He was succeeded by former University of
California coach Steve Mariucci, who was 6-6 last
year, his only season as a head coach. Mari lucci, 40, has been coaching for 18 years. His Cal队 finished the season with a loss to Navy in the Aloha Bowl.
SECTION B
UConn reports violations by basketball program
HARTFORD, Conn. — The University of Connecticut said yesterday it believed its men's basketball program violated NCAA regulations and an investigation was under way.
In a brief statement, athletic director Lew Perkins said the university was working with the NCAA and the Big East conference.
"The institution cannot comment further until the matter has been resolved." Perkins said.
Kyle Muncie, team representative, said Perkins' statement was issued after the abrupt cancellation of a news conference involving players and coaches from both the men's and women's basketball programs. The event was supposed to promote public safety posters.
The NCAA did not immediately return telephone messages.
John Paquette, a representative for the Big East, said the conference had been informed of the possible violation and would have no further comment.
Kansas sophomore guard Ryan Robertson anxiously looks on as his teammates battle with the Washburn Ichabods in Allen Field House. The Javahaws' success is due in part to the tremendous depth of their bench.
"When a school reports something they are concerned about, it goes through the conference and then through the NCAA," he said. "We are aware of the situation but don't have any comment beyond that."
NFL coaching vacancies filled by former leaders
Two NFL teams have begun to hire new employees.
Fassel, who succeeds Dan Reeves,
returns to the team where he served
as an assistant during Ray Handley's
two-year tenure in 1991 and 1992.
DALLAS — The former stripper who made up a gang-rape accusation against Dallas Cowboys stars Erik Williams and Michael Irvin was still at large yesterday on a warrant charging her with filing a false police
Fassel spent most of Tuesday trying to finalize an agreement on a four-year, $3.2 million contract, to be the Giants' third coach since Bill Parcelsi resigned in 1991. Dan Reeves had coached the team for the last five seasons.
Dallas Cowboys' accuser could get jail time, fines
The New York Giants named former Arizona Cardinals offensive coordinator Jim Fassel as the team's new head coach yesterday.
Tyler Wirken/KANSAN
Reeves appears to be on the verge of being hired by the Atlanta Falcons after meeting with team president Taylor Smith, and various reports said a deal was imminent.
Reeves was fired from the Giants head coaching position after this season.
WBBM-TV in Chicago said Tuesday night that it leamed that the Falcons could name Reeves as coach as early as yesterday. As of press time, he had not yet been named coach. Falcons representative Charlie Taylor declined to comment on the report.
Nina Shahravan,
23, could face six
months in jail
and a $2,000
fine if convicted of
the misdemeanor
Shahravaan filed a police report Dec. 30 — after first going to a television reporter — accusing Irvin of holding a gun to her head while Williams and a third man, who was never identified, raped her in Williams' home. She also accused Irvin of videotaping the attack.
Police filed the charge with prosecutors on Tuesday.
On Friday, after she was confronted with evidence that Irvin couldn't have been at Williams' house the night of the alleged attack, Shahravan signed a statement admitting her story was a lie.
The Associated Press
Depth is secret to team's success
By Bill Petulla Kansan sportswriter
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas men's basketball team is 17-0 and No. 1 with a bullet. That's not a news flash, it has had the top ranking for seven consecutive weeks.
But exactly what has been the key to the Jayhaws' success this season? It just depends on whom you ask.
To many, the depth on the Kansas bench has been able to wear down opponents. In fact, Kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams said he thought that the difference in Monday night's 80-67 victory against Iowa State could be attributed to the bench play of sophomore guard Ryan Robertson, junior guard Billy Thomas and sophomore forward T.J. Pugh.
"The run that we had in the middle of the second half with Billy's two three, T.J.'s basket, Ryan made great decisions," Williams said. "That just really gave us the margin to win."
Williams also attributes the solid defensive play by senior guards Jacque Vaughn and Jerod Haase.
"Even when Jacque and Jerod aren't getting it done on the offensive end of the floor or they're making bad decisions ... they're both still sensational on the defensive end." Williams said.
According to senior guard Jerod Haase, coaching has been the key factor in the success of the program this season.
"It's not coaching," Williams said. "It's just good kids trying to do the best they can on every possession. It's part of our program, we keep coming at you."
"I think the bottom line is that we're extremely well coached," Haase said. "We have, in my mind, the best coaching staff in America."
Kansas senior guard Jacque Vaughn has 683 career assists in a Jayhawk uniform, only one assist shy of tying the Kansas and Big Eight Conference all-time assist records. The record is held by former Kansas guard Cedric Hunter, who tallied 684 career assists.
Williams, however, disagrees. He feels coaching has played only a minimal role in what the Jayhawks have been able to accomplish thus far.
Vaughn, who averages 5.4 assists per game, is expected to break the record when Kansas plays Connecticut at noon Sunday in Hartford, Conn.
The Jayhawks, 17-0, are off to their best start since the 1989-90 season when they jumped out to 19-0. Kansas has a 38-game winning streak at Allen Field House.
"It gives us something to have some pride about," Haase said. "But it isn't our main concern right now."
The Jayhawks' last home loss was a 81-74 defeat at the hands of Missouri on February 20, 1994.
Senior center Scot Pollard, who has been hindered by an ankle injury suffered Saturday against Baylor, went through a light running and shooting practice Tuesday. The team did not practice yesterday. Pollard is listed as probable for Sunday afternoon's game at Connecticut.
Women's basketball breaks for classes, rest
Suzi Rayman, Melbourne, Australia, sophomore, works on her jump shot in preparation for Saturday's game at No. 16th Texas. Rayman is coming off a 74-49 point victory against Baylor with nine points and nine rebounds Saturday at Allen Field House.
By Tommy Gallagher Kansan sportswriter
Since No. 11 Kansas defeated Baylor Saturday night, the team has been able to concentrate on the first week of classes and Saturday's game at No. 16 Texas.
Kansas women's head basketball coach Marian Washington did not hold practice for two days this week and said this would be the last week she could rest her players for a prolonged timeperiod.
"I just want to give them some sort of rest because we played three games in a seven-day period against Kansas State, Iowa State and Baylor," Washington said. "Since the beginning of the year, I have shortened the length of the practices, but the level of intensity has remained the same."
The Jayhawks played Kansas State on Jan. 4, Iowa State on Jan. 8, and Baylor on Jan. 11. Kansas will not have more than five days to prepare for an opponent for the remainder of the regular season after Saturday.
"Its more relaxing to have some time before a game like we have had this week," Sanford said. "For me, because I cannot speak for the other players, the time off has helped because this is the first week of school, and we need some time to adjust to the new semester."
Sophomore center Nakia Sanford said she was able to concentrate on classes because of the light week.
Sophomore forward Suzi Raymant had a different view.
"I would have liked to play another game in between," Raymant said of the idle time. "Even though we won by a lot of points against Baylor, we still didn't play all that well. I think a game in the middle of the week could have helped us better prepare for Texas."
Regardless, the short practices helped some players recover from nagging injuries. Freshman forward Lynn Pride has been nursing a sprained right knee, and Sanford has had trouble with two bad knees throughout the season
"There is a difference between being tired in practice and being tired in a game," Sanford said. "You can get tired in practice, but it's just not the same because it doesn't physically take its toll on you the same way as being tired in a game does."
Washington added wind sprints and bike riding to this week's practice schedule, although Sanford insisted that Kansas would approach the Longhorns the same as any other opponent.
"We look at every game as if it were the most important game of the year," Sanford said. "We practice for each team just the same. Sometimes there might be different looks because of our opponent, but this week there was nothing different than usual."
Football recruits commit
Kansan staff report
It may be basketball season, but new members of the Kansas football team are beginning to get ready for the next football season.
Quincy Roe, a 5-foot-10, 175-pound defensive back from St. Louis, started school at
Kansas this week after spending the first semester at St. Louis Community College.
Los Angeles quarterback Akili Roberson also started school this week. Roberson is a transfer from Los Angeles Southwest Junior College. He signed his letter of intent earlier this month.
Both players plan to attend spring drills and have already met with new Kansas head football coach Terry Allen.
A 1996 graduate of Hazelwood East High School, the same high school that produced Jayhawks' Ronnie Ward and Michael Allen, Roe couldn't enroll at Kansas last
fall because he had not completed a core course in math. He completed that course last semester in St. Louis.
Recruiting has been one of Allen's main focuses since taking charge of the football program from former coach Glen Mason, who left to coach the Minnesota Gophers.
Injuries sink team's top women divers
By Kelly Cannon Kansan sports writer
Kansan sports writer
Kansas women's diving was dealt two blows this week with the injuries of its No.1 and No.2 divers.
Freshman Keri Pribyl will have to sit out the rest of the season with a shoulder injury, and junior Kenzie Zeller's collegiate career is finished after reinjuring her back.
"Kenzie injured her back a year and a half ago and had surgery," said Don Fearon, Kansas' head diving coach. "She had bulging, herniated disks, but she got it done and really gave it a lot of rehab. On Nov. 2, against Missouri, she hurt it again."
"He advised her to discontinue diving," Fearon said. "She had reinjured the two disks she hurt before, as well as one above."
Zeller continued to practice until December, and she consulted with the neurosurgeon who performed her earlier back surgery during winter break.
Zeller will have to undergo surgery to repair the disks.
"If she wants to be active, she needs to have it done again," Fearon said.
Pribly has been hampered by a painful right shoulder all season.
"I thought I had tendinitis, so I took Thanksgiving break off," Priybil said. "But I kept diving on it, and it finally got so bad I couldn't dive."
Pribyl had X-rays taken Dec. 20, at the University of Kansas Medical Center, and at that time her doctor suggested rehabilitation.
Pribyl's rehab was to last six weeks, and if at the end of two weeks she was pain-free, she could return to diving. When two weeks were up, the pain remained, and she may have surgery.
Both Zeller and Pribyl are on scholarship. Zeller's scholarship will continue until the academic year ends.
"We're not quite sure what the problem is, but we think it may be her rotator cuff," Fearon said. "She is not able to raise her arm above her head."
"This isn't her choice." Fearon said. "Her mind is willing, but her body is not."
The loss of Zeller and Pribyl could affect Kansas' showing at the Big 12 Conference Championships in February.
"This does affect the team because all the girls were going to score at conference." Fearon said.
Sophomores Deanna Beiswanger and Christian Paschall and freshman Kelly Norton now have the reins of the team.
"Deanna and Kerri switched off for the No. 2 spot,
Deanna was in there too," Fearon said. "Kelly Norton has also been coming on. She qualified for the NCAA zone meet up in Minnesota."