8B
Thursday, February 22, 1996
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS RAP
Fans missing women's great season
Sunday is last chance for students to discover Kansas' forgotten team
Congratulations to the Kansas women's basketball team! Your victory against Oklahoma on Sunday clinched at least a portion of the Big Eight Conference championship.
Unfortunately, many students at Kansas do not show their support for this tremendous basketball team. As a member of the women's basketball band, I've noticed that there are usually more students in the band than in the rest of Allen Field House.
The lack of attendance is a shame. Those who have supported the team have been thoroughly entertained this season.
The Jayhawks swept nationally-ranked Oklahoma State. They lost a heartbreaker at home to powerhouse Colorado by two points but then beat the Buffaloes in Boulder, Colo. Against Iowa State, freshman guard Suzi Raymont tied the game with no time remaining, was fouled and then hit a free throw to win. Then there was the NCAA record for perfect free-throw shooting against Nebraska.
This is a historic year for Kansas basketball. It is possible that both the men's and women's teams will be the final Big
Eight champions. The women's team has just one more regular season game to play — 2 p.m. Sunday in the field house
A victory Sunday against Kansas State ensures sole possession of the Big Eight title. It is also the final home game for guard Charisse Sampson and forward Keshana Ledet, both seniors. I am therefore challenging the student body to support this team by attending Sunday's game.
After all, Kansas has the best basketball fans in the country. This team has succeeded without widespread support, but it deserves recognition for its success.
Neil Hague Topeka senior
Average baseball salary increases fall
Major league players in salary arbitration get lowest average since 1989
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — The 76 major league players in salary arbitration got an average raise of 73 percent, the lowest since 1989, according to a study released yesterday by The Associated Press.
The average salary for the players increased from $1,087,031 to $1,876,305. That's below the $2,031,787 average last year and down from the record average of $2,091,187 in 1994.
The percentage increase was the lowest since a 71 percent rise seven years ago. The percentage increase declined from 110percent in 1993 to 95percent in 1994 to 80percent last year.
One year after the 232-day strike, multiyear contracts returned for arbitration-eligible players.
Ten players received two-year contracts. Two players got three-year deals,
Boston first baseman Mo Vaughn for $18.6 million and St. Louis outfield Ray Lankford for $12.5 million.
Following the strike only four players in arbitration got multi-year contracts, the lowest total since 1987 when the owners' collusion against
players depressed the market
Thirty-four players in arbitration doubled their salaries, including 23 who tripled, nine who quadrupled, five who quintupled and four who had six-fold hikes.
Three players had seven-fold increases, led by Boston shortstop Wil Cordero, who got a 670 percent raise from $315,000 to an average of $2,425,000.
New York Yankees outfielder Bernie Williams got a 650 percent from $400,000 to $3 million, and Boston pitcher Heathcliff Slocumb got a 600 percent raise from
$200.000 to $1.4 million.
As usual, most of the players settled. Players won seven of the 10 cases that went to hearings, their best percentage ever and their first winning record since they were 14-10 in 1990.
It was only the sixth time players won more cases than owners.
Owners lead 218-175 since arbitration began in 1974.
Only one player in arbitration took a payout: Baltimore Orioles reliever Alan Mills accepted a 10 percent cut from $600,000 to $540,000 after going 3-0 with a 7.43 ERA in 21 games.
Stockton'steals'record
Utah point guard becomes NBA's career steals leader surpasses former greats
"You kind of take it lightheartedly when someone like him comes in, because he didn't look like he could play right off the bat. I thought I could get a steal off him right away, and I tried it and he went by me and scored, and he did it repeatedly. I had never seen him before, but from then on I noticed him because of that one time. I said, 'Oh, this guy looks like he can play.'"
Mo Cheeks remembers the first time he saw John Stockton. It was during an exhibition game in Las Vegas during the Utah point guard's rookie season.
The Associated Press
"I remember him coming in the game and me thinking he couldn't play," Cheeks said.
Stockton, in his 12th season, has been fooling opponents ever since.
He broke Cheeks' NBA record for career steals Tuesday night by getting two as the Jazz beat the Boston Celtics 112-98 at Salt Lake City.
Stockton entered the game with 2,309 steals, one short of the total Cheeks amassed in 15 seasons with Philadelphia, San Antonio, New York, Atlanta and New Jersey.
"It is good to hold the record, but you know eventually it's going to end. I don't have any problem with it; I know it's going to end soon and most records end at some point," said Cheeks, now an assistant coach with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The NBA didn't begin counting steals as an official statistic until 1973, and some say Cheeks' mark is diminished. For example, there are no records of most of Oscar Robertson's steals for the Cincinnati Royals and Milwaukee Bucks because he retired one year after they became an official stat.
Same goes for Bob Cousy, Hal Greer, Bill Russell, John Havlicek and Bill Sharman — all good defenders.
Former New York Knicks guard Walt Frazier is sometimes considered the true career steals leader.
"It's possible, because they only started keeping steals in '73, and I came into the league in 1967. In my prime, I was the first guy who made steals very popular in the NBA, where a guy would just take the ball from another professional player," Frazier said.
No records exist of Frazier's steals in his first six seasons, although he averaged 1.94 per game and 147 per season in his last four years with the Knicks. Cheeks averaged 2.10 per game and 154 per season.
"Physically, he's not intimidating; he's only about 6-foot-2, 175, but he's shrewd, he's clever, he's slick, he understands the nuances of defense like playing the passing lane, and he's played with some good guys as well," Frazier said.
Stockton's career averages are 2.49 per game and 203 per season, although he is down to 1.68 per game this year and is second to Karl Malone for the team lead.
Stockton, an eight-time All-Star, also has 10,974 career assists, the most in NBA history. He will play for the U.S. Olympic team this summer after making the Barcelona team four years ago.
"He's pretty much a player like how I played the game," Cheeks said. "He's unselfish and plays defense. He does a lot of little things, smart things, and he continues to compete hard every time."
This season, he leads the NBA in assists, with 11.3 per game, and is the only guard among the top 10 in field goal percentage, with 553.
Clemson athletes held for rape
The Associated Press
Bernard Williams and Bennie K. Zeigler are charged.
CLEMSON, S.C. — Four Clemson football players were held in the Pickens County Jail yesterday for the alleged rape of a female student.
The players have been suspended indefinitely from the team, Coach Tommy West said Tuesday.
The woman, a freshman, was allegedly raped in the room where Williams and Dingle live, by the four men on Feb. 15 in Mauldin Hall, an all-male residence hall on the campus, Saxon said.
Bond was set at $20,000 for each player Police Chief Lonnie Saxon said. If convicted of criminal sexual conduct and conspiracy, each player could face 30 years in prison.
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Dingle, a linebacker, played in all 12 games last season. Zeigler, Rice and Williams sat out as redshirts.
Clemson representative Joy Smith said that a three-member hearing committee would decide whether the players would remain in school.
Adrian Kennell Dingle, Christopher Rice, Eric
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