UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
Andy Rohrback/KANSAN
AMERICAN LEAGUE'S TOP PLAYER
JUAN GONZALEZ eided out Seattle's 21-year old sensation Alex Rodriguez to win the American League's Most Valuable Player. Gonzalez got 290 points, and 11 first place votes and
Rodriguez received 287 points and 10 first place votes. Cleveland's Albert Belle was third with 228 points.
CHIEFS UPDATE
The Bears have held themselves together despite injuries and adversity, like being unable to score on four shots from the 1- yard-line in the final seconds in Denver. Now Dave Krieg returns to one of his many recent pit stops.
FRIDAY. NOVEMBER 15,1996
This would be a fitting game for MARCUS ALLEN'S 111th career rushing touchdown, which would break the record he shares with ex-Bear Walter Payton. Looking over Allen's shoulder: Greg Hill, who has run for 194 yards the past two weeks and had three TDs in the upset of Green Bay.
Psychic sees deluded kitty attack bison
SECTION B
Sorry,I've just got to vent.
Former Jayhawk great Wilt Chamberlain told Sports Illustrated to get lost when the magazine approached him to have his picture on the cover with legendary Laker centers Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, George Mikan and Shaquille O'Neal. With his conceived personality (which ranks up there with Carl Lewis) and his age, Wilt should feel privileged if Sassy magazine wanted to plaster his has been mug on its cover next to Jason Priestley.
Aside from the Vaughnvious, Raef LaFrentz is the best pro prospect the Jayhawks have. Call me crazy, but Viva LaFrentz might be one of the smoothest and most fluid big men to play in a Kansas uniform since Danny Manning.
Please God, not another year of Dick Vitale.
Anybody? Anyone?... Didn't think so.
of Dick Vitale.
■ Raise your hand if you think UCLA's firing of Jim Harrick just 18 months after he lead the Bruins to the national title is merely because he took too many student athletes out to eat on recruiting dinners. Do I
But, Lou Tepper's Illinois squads went 25-29-2, including 2-7 this season, outweighing all of his other accomplishments. In college football, winning isn't everything. It's the only thing.
Illinois' former football coach Lou Tepper's graduation rate was above 90 percent. Lou Tepper stressed racial equity to his players, insisting that white team members room with Black team members on road games. Lou Tepper gained respect and national recognition for Illinois football by the way he ran a squeaky-clean program.
Quick crossword puzzle: Seven letter word for legend in the making — Iverson (Philadelphia 76er Allen Iverson, that is). He'll be the best someday.
If you don't want to make some easy money this weekend, skip over this segment. I've just gotten off the phone with Dionne Warwick, my personal psychic, and she has looked into the future for this weekend's football action.
Kansas City 28, Chicago 12 Neil Smith will come out fuming after his mother-in-law calls him just minutes prior to kickoff, without using 1-800-COLLECT. She's got some nerve, Neil!
Colorado 72, Kansas State 3 During the Star Spangled Banner, Kansas State quarterback Brian Kavanaugh mistakes Ralphie for an oversized canine, has a flashback to his dog-beating days and tries to attack the mammoth buffalo. Ralphie sticks up for himself and his four legged descendants, and stamped Kavanaugh. The Mildcats never recover from Kav's freak accident, resulting in a lopsided K-State loss.
Bill, you will be getting a call from a special Crimson Girl. No, Dionne ... Just give me football predictions.
Kansas 31, Texas 30 — After years of digging, the Kansas athletic department officials manage to find a loophole that shows Dana Stubblefield and Tony Sands have one game of eligibility remaining. Big Dana takes a day off from the 'Niners and Sands takes a day off from ahh, hmmm, ahh...anyway, Jayhawks win. Jayhawks win.
Penn State 52, Michigan 6 — If God wasn't a Nittany Lions fan, then why did he make the sky blue and white?
Teams battle for bowl bid
Kansas, Texas need victory
By Dan Gelston
Kansan sportswriter
It was a team with 10 wins and a bowl appearance a year ago. This year, it was nationally ranked early in the season, but it must now win its remaining two games to qualify for a bowl bid.
Kansas isn't the only team in this unenviable position. The Texas Longhorns are as well.
Sound familiar?
When these two teams play at 11:38 a.m. tomorrow at Memorial Stadium, it will be a battle of two teams trying to salvage their seasons.
"It's kind of odd how it worked out for us," Kansas senior linebacker Jim
The Longhorns are in an unusual position. They are 5-4 with two games remaining. If they split those games, they would be 6-5, but as the Big 12 Conference's southern champions they would play the north champion in the conference championship game.
If they lost that game, they would be 6-6. A team must not only have the six wins, but have a winning record as well, thus disqualifying Texas from a bowl.
Kansas, with a record of 4-5 overall, 2-4 conference, and Texas are lucky to be still in the bowl race because the conference has not lived up to expectations. Kansas coach Glen Mason said the team was fortunate to still be in contention. "It means some people have had the same problems we had. You look at this conference thing and it's wide open."
Moore said. "Both teams had very high expectations and both of us have failed to live up to them."
Texas has been very inconsistent. It has neither won more than two games nor lost more than two consecutive games. The Longhorns have a two-game winning streak and are coming off a 38-32 win at Texas Tech.
Longhorn quarterback James Brown was the 1995 Southwest Conference Offensive Player of the Year. But he got off to a slow start, throwing for just 479 yards in the first four games. In the last five games, he's thrown for 1,100 yards with seven touchdowns.
Senior running back Shon Mitchell was a 1,000-yard rusher last season, but he also got off to a slow start this
year. He rushed for just 99 yards in the first four games, but he had 443 yards in the last five games.
"You look at the numbers they've been putting up of late and it's pretty impressive," Kansas junior defensive back lason Harris said. "They're on a roll, and they've got just as much at stake as we do. We're both in must-win situations."
John Mackovic, Texas coach, and former Kansas City Chief's coach, said the Longhorns were aware of the balanced Jawahawk offence.
"They really move the ball around," he said. "If you overload on the run, they can throw on you. We did a good job on Byron Hanspard; hopefully, we can do the same things on June Henley."
While Henley has remained a constant in the Kansas offense, the quarterback swapping that has plagued the Jayhawks all season continues to persist.
Senior quarterback Ben Rutz is out
after two consecutive starts with a sprained right shoulder. Junior Matt Johner is back in after starting in the first seven games.
"I have confidence in both of them," Moore said. "I don't think there's really any difference in them. Ben might be doing a better job of taking charge in the huddle."
This will be the first game between the two teams as members of the Big 12. The teams haven't played each other since 1938. Kansas leads the series 2-0. The Jayhawks know their season depends on winning this game.
"The biggest part for us has been the on-field intensity," Moore said. "We have to stay focused for 60 minutes. If we can do that, we can win."
Mason said the Jayhawks know their mission was simple — win and they're in.
Junior guides team
"If you do a good job at meeting those challenges and you succeed, then you go on," he said.
By Adam Herschman Kansan sportswriter
"She's definitely a team leader," junior setter Tiffany Sennett said. "She's a big asset to our team."
On a team without any seniors, junior Maggie Mohrfeld has been providing leadership to the Kansas volleyball team this season.
Mohfield, team co-captain, is one of five juniors on a Jayhawk team that graduated two seniors last season. She has provided team leadership in 101 games this season with her individual play at the middle blocker position.
Mohfeld already has surpassed her career-high marks in kills with 230 and total blocks with 109. Six matches still remain this season.
"I hope to motivate people to work hard by working hard myself." Mohrfield said.
One team member who Mohrfeld has influenced is freshman middle blocker Amanda Reves.
"She's definitely someone I look up to," Reves said. "When I make a mistake she knows what I did wrong and she can correct me during the game. Even though she's a junior, she seems very experienced in how to play and what to think."
Mohreld also has had more solo blocks (16) this season than last year's seniors Jenny Larson and Tracie Walt, who had 15 combined last season.
"I just try to be someone that everyone can look for a little stability," Mohrfeld said. "People tend to get worked up in the games, and you need something constant your team can look to and be reassured."
But it's not only in matches
Maggie Mohrfeil, Kansas junior and volleyball co-captain, practices receiving spikes in Robinson Gymnasium.
GR Gordon Ross / KANSAN
See MOHRFELD. Page 3B
Recruits keep Kansas waiting
Even after the firing of head coach Jim Harrick, UCLA remains a possibility for Watson. Kansas is under consideration by Watson again, who may still choose in the early signing period.
"The options have opened up, and he's just letting other coaches come talk to him," said Watson's high school coach Leonard Sparkman.
Sparkman said that Watson had talked to Kansas coaches, but he knew nothing about any visits Watson had scheduled.
By Evan Blackwell Kansan sportswriter
Sparkman also said Watson might sign in the next week.
"I would think that he would try to get this over with early," Sparkman said. "Maybe he'll think about it and come up with a decision this week."
The fall signing period for college basketball recruits is two days old, and all has remained quiet on the Kansas front.
The Jayhawks will wait to make official announcements until the letters arrive in the mail from center Eric Chenoweth from Villa Park, Calif., and shooting Kenny Gregory from Columbus, Ohio. Gregory is expected to sign his letter at a press conference tomorrow, his birthday.
Several Big 12 Conference schools have made official signings in the last two days:
Earl Watson, a 6-foot-1 point guard from Washington High School in Kansas City, Kan., officially is considering other schools after giving an oral commitment to UCLA.
Texas already has filled its five available scholarships. Lamar Wright, a 6-8 forward from Dallas, tops a class whose members all come from Texas. Wright is rated the No. 24 prospect in the country by Prep Star's Recruiting Handbook.
The Longhorns other signings were 6-9 forward Luke Axtell and 6-11 center Chris Mihm from Westlake High School in Austin, Texas. Two junior college transfers, 6-9 guard Wendell Carter and 6-9 forward Marlon Drakes, also signed on Wednesday.
Missouri also stayed in-state for its first signings with Johnnie Parker, a 6-6 forward from Webster Groves, Mo., and Brian Grawer, a 5-11 guard from Pattonville, Mo. Parker is rated No. 74 by Rep Star's.
- Kansas State used its one and only scholarship on 5-11 guard Adam Lopez from Phoenix. Lopez's older brother Damin played for Kansas State coach Tom Asbury when he was at Pepperdine.
Oklaoma State recruited 6-7 forward Michael Johnson from Overland Park, Kan. Johnson, who is Oklahoma State's only early signee so far, plays for Shawnee Mission East High School.
Nebraska announced the signing of 6-11 center Brant Harriman from Mason City, Iowa, and Texas Tech has signed 6-6 forward Johnny Phillips from Fort Worth, Texas.
'Hawks could face Tennessee in tournament
By Adam Herschman
Kansan sportswriter
Last year, they forced Kansas from Sweet 16; now are No.1 team
The possibility of facing Tennessee, the defending NCAA champion, in the second round of the 1996 Women's National Invitation Tournament has crossed Marian Washington's mind.
would be a great way for us to see where we are," the Kansas women's basketball coach said about the possible match-up. "For me a game like that is positive because it gives us a strong schedule, which makes us a better team."
"Whether we would win or lose, it
Tennessee knocked the Jayhawks out of the NCAA Tournament in the Sweet 16 last season. Two things must happen for them to meet.
Tennessee must defeat Austin Peay in the first round, and the Jayhawks have to defeat Southern Methodist University.
The No.12 Kansas women's basket
"We don't want to overlook SMU," Washington said. "But I don't think we will do that because I have a core of seniors who know what can happen when you overlook another team."
ball team begins its regular season in the first round of the WNIT Tournament against SMU at 8 tonight in Allen Field House.
"They have a very talented team
Washington said that SMU was going to be a tough opponent. SMU defeated SPARTAC-Moscow, 90-66, on Nov. 7.
See BASKETBALL, Page 3B