KANSAS STATE The No.10 Wildcats are upbeat after accepting an invitation from the Plymouth Holiday Bowl yesterday.Page 3
SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1995
SECTION B
KANSAS FOOTBALL
Good bowls a rare find
Finding a good bowl match-up this year is like getting into Western Civilization in time to graduate. The whole bowl picture is clouded by previously created television contracts and the threat of bad ratings from games with lesser-known football programs.
Teams that should get a spot in a good bowl are being punished because their marketability is low.
Kansas, Kansas State and Northwestern have broken into the college football hierarchy, but they
can't seem to find
can't seem to买
a place in a major
bowl, where they
belong.
Once again, television has ruined the possibilities of what could have been some great bowl match-ups.
The NCAA took a big step in setting up the College Football Bowl Alliance. The Sugar,
SPORTS COLUMNIST
Orange and Fiesta bowls should pair off the top six teams in the country, but the Rose Bowl's contract with the Big Ten Conference and Miami's hold on the Orange Bowl has caused a myriad of problems.
I can't begin to clear up the bowl picture in this column, but I can give a few of the match-ups we should all be able to see.
You will notice that I do not use the sponsorship names that should precede each bowl's name. I despise corporate America's reduction of college football into one huge billboard to sell everything from cars to computers.
I think that the overabundance commercial timeouts, blips, uniform logos and stadium signs would be enough. Apparently not.
The following are some games I want to see, and all college football fans should be entitled to see.
Fiesta Bowl
This Alliance game should determine the national champion, but with Ohio State most likely on its way to the Rose Bowl, it won't. I think Nebraska should face Florida.
Orange Bowl
The Cornhuskers and Gators are probably the best two teams in the country. Ohio State may lose to Michigan on Saturday.
I would like to see Colorado take on Tennessee. It certainly would be much more exciting than Colorado and Oregon in the Cotton bowl.
Miami is somehow assured a spot here, if it can emerge as Big East Champion. I hate Miami football and do not want to see it, especially on New Year's Day. Miami is not even in the top 20 and doesn't belong in an Alliance bowl.
Sugar Bowl
Notre Dame is always fun to watch in the big games. Throw in another big-game team like Florida State, and you've got yourself one heck of a battle. It sure beats the possible Notre Dame-Miami game, which was yesterday's rumor.
Rose Bowl
Southern California will face either Ohio State or Northwestern. I want to see a true Big Ten championship. But a playoff between Northwestern and Ohio State never will happen.
I'd sure love to know who is the true Big Ten Champion. A tie for first just isn't American.
Colorado will face Oregon in this one. I'm sure Tylenol PM or NoDoz will want to sponsor it.
Cotton Bowl
Why not put USC in this one and let them get a little taste of the Big 12 with Texas?
This game should involve a Big Ten team and one from the Southeastern Conference. An Auburn and Michigan match-up would be a good game down at the gulf.
Outback Bowl
Florida Citrus Bowl
Oregon against anybody. This game will have so many commercials for computers and orange juice that I'm not sure they have any time to play football.
I hope none of this will offend anyone, but I'm sure there is someone who just can't get the point.
Jayhawks wait for postseason bid
Kansas may meet UCLA in Aloha Bowl
By Robert Sinclair
Kansan sportswriter
It is inconceivable that a team ranked just outside of the top 10 with an overall record of 9-2 would have nowhere to go for the holidays.
Yet, as of yesterday, the No. 11 Kansas football team still had no concrete bowl plans.
"I want to go where we're wanted," Kansas football coach Glen Mason said. "If someone doesn't want us, that's fine. But I don't think that we are in a position where people don't want us."
Obviously, the Jayhawks are headed for a postseason game. So what's with the delay?
The Big Eight Conference champion, Nebraska, is going to the Bowl Alliance. Nebraska will play for the national championship if it beats Oklahoma Friday.
The Cotton Bowl announced Sunday that it was inviting No. 8 Colorado and No. 12 Oregon to its New Year's Day game.
"I'm not totally certain about how these new procedures work," Kansas athletic director Bob Frederick said. "It's clear that the Cotton Bowl gets first choice after the Alliance, the Holiday Bowl and following that, the Alamo Bowl. The thing I don't know for sure is whether it's possible for the Alamo Bowl to hold on to its choice as long as it wants."
will face the Western Athletic Conference champion.
Frederick was referring to the Alamo Bowl's desire to wait and take the loser of the No. 9 Texas-No.15 Texas &M game Dec.2.
Now the decision lies with the Alamo Bowl committee.
The winner more than likely would go to an Alliance bowl.
However, with a loss this weekend against Texas Christian and a loss Dec. 2, Texas A&M would finish with a 7-4 record. If Texas loses to either Baylor on Thanksgiving or Texas A&M, it would probably drop out of the top 10 and fall behind Kansas.
Because bowls are required by NCAA rules to take the best team available or a team within one win or five ranking positions of the best team, the Alamo Bowl is in an awkward position.
The Jeep-Eagle Aloha Bowl also has informed Kansas that it is interested in pitting it against UCLA Christmas Day.
"They liked the thought of a Kansas-UCLA match-up because Terry Donahue used to coach here, and his wife's a Kansas graduate from 'Kansas City.' Frederick said.
The three-way tie for second place in the Big Eight Conference between Kansas, Kansas State and Colorado has been lost in the bowl picture.
This is something to take pride in, Frederick said
"We're really glad to be 9-2," Frederick said. "To me — now maybe it's because I've been around since 1958 off and on — I'm really proud to be finishing in a tie for second the last year that we play football in the Big Eight Conference."
Every year at this time, the national-poll-vs- playoff-system debate surfaces. This year, Kansas has been affected negatively by the polls.
For instance, if Kansas had lost to Nebraska Oct. 7 and defeated Colorado Nov. 11 instead of the opposite, they probably would be ranked higher and going to the prestigious Cotton Bowl instead of playing the waiting game.
When asked about Colorado going to the Cotton Bowl, Mason said it didn't bother him. When asked about whether Kansas should have been considered, he said, "We beat Colorado, didn't we? At Colorado."
For the second time in his eight-year career at Kansas, Jayhawk coach Glen Mason has been named as a finalist for coach of the year honors. On Friday, the Football Writers Association of America announced the six finalists for its 1995 Paul "Bear" Bryant Coach of the Year Award.
Kansas Football Notes
The other finalists are Ohio State football coach John Cooper, Northwestern football coach Gary Barnett, Virginia Tech football coach Frank Beamer, Florida football coach Steve Spurrier and Kansas State football coach Bill Snider.
The award will be presented during a banquet on Dec. 14 in Houston.
The Big 12 athletic directors have voted to recommend that the conference hold a football playoff game on Dec. 7, 1996 at the Trans World Dome in St. Louis, Mo.
The game will be televised on ABC with a title sponsor to be named. The directors postponed a decision about future games and sites until either the spring or summer meetings.
The conference's presidents are meeting in Kansas City, Mo., in late December to discuss the recommendation.
Kansas pummels the Victorian All-Stars
Australian players no match for 'Hawks in preseason game
Kansas 116, Victorian All-Stars 44 KANSAS Player tgm/tga ftm/ftc Pieroev LaFre Poli Ve
By Matt Irwin
Kansan sportswriter
The No. 2 Kansas men's basketball team defeated the travel-weary Victorian AllStars 116-44 last night in front of 15,300 people at Allen Field House.
After playing several teams in close games, including a nine-point loss to No. 12 Memphis, the collection of players from Australian professional leagues finally gave in.
The Jayhawks scored the first seven points of the game. With six minutes left in the first half, Kansas led by 25 points.
"We've got better players, and we've got more of them," Kansas coach Roy Williams said. "Catching them on the end of their trip, they didn't have the energy they needed to come in and play us."
Playing their seventh game in 11 days, the All-Stars were worn down by Kansas' consistent substitution of new players, its pressing defense and fast-breaking offense.
"When you have Calvin and Jacque at the point, you have no choice but to run," Kansas senior forward Sean Pearson said.
By halftime, Kansas had a 61-24 lead and shot 61.1 percent. Seven Kansas players finished with at least 11 points, and 13 of 14 Javahawks scored in the game.
Kansas sophomore forward Raef LaFrentz and Kansas freshman guard Ryan Robertson led the team with 17 points. Robertson made every shot that counted, including six out of six shots from the field.
"Ryan's done a good job of making his open shots. He hasn't tried to force anything," Williams said. "Basically, we shot the ball much better this game than we did the
Robertson wasn't the only one shooting well. Kansas shot 59 percent from the field.
KANSAS 216, Victoria Air-Stars 44
KANSAS
Player ftm/fta ftm/fta tp
Pierce 5-13 2-4 12
LaFrentz 8-11 1-2 17
Pollard 5-7 1-4 11
Vaughn 4-6 2-4 11
Haase 4-7 0-0 11
Williams 5-7 1-4 11
Thomas 2-6 0-0 5
Rayford 1-1 0-0 2
Pearson 2-6 0-1 5
Pugh 1-2 4-8 6
Robertson 6-6 4-4 17
McGrath 0-1 0-0 0
Whatley 2-4 0-0 4
Ransom 1-1 2-2 4
Totals 21-42 18-25 67
VICTORIAN ALL-STARS
VICTORIAN ALL-STARS
Keys 1-4 0-0 2
Cass 1-10 0-0 3
Joynes 0-2 5-6 5
Kerle 3-19 1-3 7
Smith 4-9 4-6 12
Dench 0-3 2-2 2
Wickstrom 2-8 0-0 4
Chapman 0-1 0-0 0
Campbell 2-3 1-2 5
Anderson 1-4 2-2 4
Totals 24-59 13-21 63
first game."
Despite the improved shooting and a lead that kept growing throughout the game, Williams said he had hoped the game would be more productive.
"I was pleased with several things, but I really wanted a chance to look at our execution more," Williams said. "We didn't get much of a chance to do that."
Williams said that when he scheduled the game, he had hoped that the Victorian All-Stars would be much like the Australian teams Kansas had faced in past seasons.
Williams said he thought a closer game would have allowed him to evaluate his team better.
Now Williams has four days to evaluate and prepare his team for No. 8 Utah. The Jayhawks play the Utes Nov. 25 at Kemper
Richard Devinki / KANSAN
Kansas freshman forward T.J. Pugh reaches for a rebound against Victorian All-Stars forward Jason Jovens and center Axel Dench as sophomore forward B.J. Williams looks on.
Arena in Kansas City, Mo.
"I talked to the team after the game, and we're down to four days now," Williams said. "It's got to be four good days of practices. I wanted a little bit tougher test tonight to see how we would handle that situation, and we didn't get it. So instead, we've got to have four good days of practice."
Kansas'speed stymies Aussies
No.2 Jayhawks pour on the speed in easy 116-44 victory
By Jason Strait Kansan sportswriter
Scot Pollard ripped the rebound off the glass, swiveled around and passed the ball to the speedy Jacque Vaughn in last night's game against the Victorian All-Stars.
"Let's run! Let's run!" Vaughn shouted, leading the Jayhawk break. The junior guard saw an opening and knifed toward the basket — two points.
The enemy's nightmare wasn't over. The Jayhawks were in a full-court press — another turnover. Two more Jayhawk points.
It was a scenario the No.2 Kansas men's basketball played to perfection last night and hopes to reenact throughout the year.
With the absence of the speed-impaired Greg Ostertag, Kansas plans to capitalize on two of the most athletic
big men in the nation in junior center Scot Pollard and sophomore forward Raef LaFrentz, Vaughn will increase the tempo on both offense and defense any chance he gets.
"We've got mobile guys, we've got quick guys, we've got a lot of depth," Pollard said. "I think we're going to be looking to run a whole lot this year."
The Jayhawks ran over the Victorian All-Stars, pressing early, causing 26 Victorian turnovers and generating 14 steals for Kansas.
"The easiest part of basketball is making a layup by creating an up-tempo game," Vaughn said. "If we look back at stats from last year, just with these two exhibition games, we probably have 50 percent more layups than last year.
"With Scot and Raef and their athleticism, it creates havoc for other big men. They have to run up and down with Scot and Raef the entire game. With them going up and down, with them pressing, with them being able to shoot the 15-footer. Their big man's not resting anymore, just sitting back in the key. So that's definitely to our advantage."
Kansas junior point guard Jacque Vaughn drives to the basket against Victorian All-Star guard Eric Wickstrom in an exhibition game last night at Allen Field House. Vaughn scored 11 points and had 9 assists in the Jayhawks' 116-44 victory.
Kathleen Driscoll/
KANSAN