Sports
University Daily Kansan / Wednesday, February 15, 1989
13
KU zeroes in on No.1 squad
Top-ranked Sooners defend ranking on national TV tonight
by Mike Considine Kansas sportswriter
Kansan sportswriter
Oklahoma's No. 1 ranking might make tonight's game more appealing to the ESPN national television audience, but sophomore center Mark Randall said it didn't make Kansas more anxious.
"The fact that they're No. I doesn't help us get up, any." Randal said. We always get when we play Olivia. It's always a big rivalry.
The Jayhawks have a 16-8 overall record and are tied with Iowa State for fifth place in the Big Eight Conference with a 3-6 record. Big Eight leader Oklahoma is 21-4 overall and 7-1 in the conference.
The Sooners beat the Jayhawks 123-95 on Jan. 18 in Norman, but Kansas has won seven of its last 11 games against Oklahoma. The Jayhawks have lost their last five including three at Allen Field House.
Williams said he would use the same basic game plan, but KU would have to execute better and cut down on turnovers.
"A lot of those things are tough to accomplish because their pressure tends to force you to turn it over and get into a helter-skeller type game."
"We will really have to play a great basketball game." Kansas coach Roy Williams said. "We'll have to show a high percentage and not turn it over many times and give them the really easy ones. And then we've got to catch them when they're not going to have their best night.
Oklahoma outscored Kansas 29-14 at the start of the second half in the 18 game. The Sooners, led by Cookie Blailey, forced 23 turnovers.
"We've got to try to stop their furries," Williams said. "They can suddenly get two or three steals and six or eight points. You only have to do that two or three times a game (to win)."
Kansas
Jayhawks
Game 26
He said that he would not try to slow the tempo because the Sooners' athletic ability would make that tactic ineffective. The key for the Jayhawks, he said, was knowing that the fast break and when to slow down.
Coach: Roy Williams
Record: 16-8 (3-6)
Kansas played some zone defense against Oklahoma in the last game and might play more this time because of injuries, Williams said.
"Our fast break was successful when we took the right kind of shots," he said. "We didn't make very good decisions last time, and I'm hoping that we'll make better ones this time."
PROBABLE STARTERS
Player Ht. Pg.
F-Tony Martin 6-8 92
F-Tyron Jones 6-5 133
C-Stacey King 6-11 26
G-Gerrence Mullins 6-3 101
G-Mookle Blaylock 6-1 218
Coach: Billy Tubbs
Record: 21-3 (7-1)
**Game notes:** Kansas leads the series 111-53. The Jayhawks have a 29-5 record over Oklahoma in Alain Field House. Under Tubbs, the Sooners are 9-13 against Kansas overall and 2-6 in the field house. The game is number 13 in the student ticket package. The game will be telecast on ESPN (channel 18) and broadcast on KLZR 106-FM and JUHK 90.7-FM.
Player Ht. PGP
F-Mike Maddox 6-7 10.9
F-Milt Newton 6-4 16.4
C-Mark Randall 6-9 16.3
G-Kevin Pritchard 6-3 14.7
G-Scooter Barry 6-4 7.5
He said junior guard Jeff Guelder, who has a thigh injury, probably won't play. Guardes Kevin Pritchard (strained Achilles' tendon) and Lincoln Minor (hip pointer) are also limited by injuries.
Senior center Sean Alvarado is still battling a stress fracture of his lower right leg. Williams said the injury was not improving.
"The trainer said his leg is becoming even more painful," Williams said. "The more he pounds it running up and down the court makes it more difficult for him to play. I hope he can play, but it's the type of game that's
going to be difficult for him."
Williams said Kansas' zone had slowed the Sooners' running offense but didn't prevent them from dominating the offensive boards. However, Randall said the Jayhawks had improved since then.
The Sooners were ranked No. 1 earlier this season but lost their next road game to Oklahoma State 77-73 and dropped out of the top spot. Randall said he didn't necessarily expect history to repeat itself.
we've decided to go to the offensive board."
"I think the zone (forces) teams to beat us with the outside jump shot, and also, it helps us with the rebounding," Randall said. "I think part of the improvement) has been the zone, but I think a lot of it is that
"The home court advantage doesn't really mean anything." Randall said. "We thought it did for us. We didn't have the 55-game winwrist streak."
Stewart has operation after test shows cancer
The Associated Press
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Basketball coach Norm Stewart of third-ranked Missouri underwent successful surgery yesterday for colon cancer and gall bladder disease and was hospitalized in satisfactory condition, doctors said.
Whether Stewart will be able to return this season as coach remains unknown.
Officials said Stewart, 33, would be hospitalized for at least a week. The eighth-winning active coach in college basketball. Stew art collapsed Thursday with blood flowing from his first NCAA violation scandal.
"He is currently in satisfactory condition and treatment for his ulcer disease continues. He will be hospitalized for at least one week.
Beth Morell, a spokeswoman at the hospital, said she could not offer further information.
The day before Stewart collapsed, his senior assistant, Bob
"During the evaluation of the source of the gastrointestinal bleeding, it was found that Norm Stewart was suffering from gall disease and cancer of the colon"; St. Johns Regional Hospital news release
"Surgery was performed (yesterday) morning to remove both the cancerous tumor and the diseased gall bladder. The surgery was successful, and Coach Stewart tolerated the procedure well.
Sundvold, was suspended with pay pending an internal investigation into allegations concerning former Missouri player P. J. Mavs.
Earlier in the season, Stewart got into a controversy with a St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter about remarks the reporter construed as threatening to his 1-year-old son also. Nebraska fans named him Grace Lunno because he game became incarcerated said. Stewart turned to then during a game and insulted Husker Coach Danny Nee.
The NCAA probe and Stewart's illness are only the latest in a string of setbacks and controversies overshadowing what many think is the best team in Stewart's 22 years as Missouri's coach. His wife, Virginia Stewart, underwent two major operations this month and was hospitalized Thursday when Stewart fell ill.
Stewart, a native of Shelbyville,
Mo., was an all-n conference player
for Missouri in the mid-sos and
late-sos. He played six
six-year slint at Northern Iowa.
In the ensuing decades, he built the program into a Big Eight showcase. When he started the season, his Missouri record was 400-217 with five conference championships.
Thompson's arrest joins list of OU woes after probation
The Associated Press
OKLAHOMA CITY — A federal magistrate ordered Oklahoma quarterback Charles Thompson temporarily jailed yesterday pending the
Thompson
outcome of a detention hearing on his drug-related arrest.
Thompson was taken into custody Monday on a complaint of selling cocaine to an overfear FBI apes.
The detention hearing before U.S.
Magistrate Robin Cauthron will be continued today, along with a preliminary hearing.
Thompson is the fifth Oklahoma football player to be suspended since the NCAA placed the Sooners on a three-year probation in December. At that time, the NCAA criticized Coach Barry Switzer for failure to "exercise supervisory control" over the program.
Gov. Henry Bellman said he was "thoroughly surprised and disgusted" to learn of Thompson's arrest on the cocaine complaint.
Bellman was he talked to David Swank, the university's interim president, about Thompson's arrest and that hit the football program.
The governor said the incidents — including a gang rape and shooting at a football player dormitory — made it "fairly obvious" that "something is wrong" within the football program.
Bellman said he suggested to Swank that some "fundamental changes need to be made . . . and I think he agrees."
On Jan. 13, starting cornerback Jerry Parks allegedly shot and wounded teammate Zarak Peters after an argument in the athletic dorm. Parks was suspended from the team and charged with shooting with intent to injure. He is at home in Fort Wayne and awaiting his preliminary hearing.
On Friday, Nigel Clay, Bernard
Hall and Glen Bell were charged with first-degree rage in a law. 21 alleged assault in the athletic dorm. They were suspended from the university for two years, but they can appeal the decision, pending the outcome of the trial. Glen Bell was released on bail yesterday after bond for the three was reduced.
Thompson was suspended from school yesterday, a day after he was suspended from the team.
"As soon as Coach Switzer was notified there was a problem, he suspended Charles Thompson from his team," Swain said in a statement.
"During the last several months, the University of Oklahoma has faced some very difficult times as a result of problems occurring in our athletic program. The OU Board of Regents and I have pledged ourselves to correcting these matters."
Swank said the regents "took the first step" toward cleaning up the football program when the board approved a set of recommendations Friday that addressed the problems in the school's athletic programs.
"We know these problems will not all be resolved immediately," swank said. "But we are committed to correcting the problems that led to the recent series of events and putting into place lasting solutions."
"Couch Switzer is going to be working with the athletic department and me, and this (Thompson's position at this time), he said.
"Because of theses of Bernard Hall, Nigel Clay, Jerry Parks and Charles Thompson, Barry Switzer should resign because of what they did." No more than I think their lawyers could hold prison to serve their sentences," Switzer told the Oklahoma News Network.
Swank said he had "confidence that Coach Switzer can be a help in solving these difficulties."
Switzer said yesterday he had no intentions of resigning because of Thompson's arrest or other problems associated with the football program.
"I think it is totally ridiculous that the media always asks that question. Well, someone has to pay a price, we have to have some fall guy, scapegat, somebody's head to get to roll. Never felt that way." Swissized. "That's not how you resolve and solve problems. Obviously not."
Athletic director Donnie Duncan could not be reached.
Mike Treps, Oklahoma's sports information director, said yesterday. right now, I guess that's all there he had to prove to the hail mongers no more statement we could make.
"Switzer said (Thompson) was suspended and I thought that was quite a bit. What more should he say"?
"It is extremely agitating for us to find out something like this happened," Treps said. "We are all dismayed and shocked that something like this would occur, but it doesn't make sense of things like they are supposed to be."
Media, friends and spectators crowded into the courtroom as Thompson and his two attorneys entered. Officials said security was tighter than usual for the quarterback's appearance.
Thompson's mother was in the courtroom, but she declined to comment to reporters as she waited for the hearing to start.
Although Price wouldn't say if any other people were involved in the investigation, Norman Police Lt. Jared Garner arrests were expected this week.
U. S. Attorney Bill Price said Thompson, a 20-year old sophomore, faced up to 29 years in prison and $1 million in fines if he was convicted.
Price said the arrest Monday night
ended a six-month investigation.
Thompson allegedly sold 12 grams of
a substance to an FBI agent for $1,400
on Jan. 26.
Thompson took the spotlight at Oklahoma as a redshirt freshman in 1987 when Jamelle Holley suffered a season-ending knee injury.
"From what I understand, Charles Thompson is the only person involved as far as the Oklahoma athletic program is involved." Judy said.
Eye on the ball
Paula D. Hotaker/KANSAN
Kansas freshman guard Shannon Bloxom gets in defensive position Monday during a practice at Allen Field House. The Jayhawks will travel to Oklahoma tonight to play the Sooners in a Big Eight Conference game. Kansas and Oklahoma are tied for last in the conference with 3-7 records.
Expos pitcher faces charge
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A Montreal Epson pitcher could face up to 60 days in jail after his arrest in a prostitution police said.
The Associated Press
Bryn Smith, 33, was among 118 people charged with solicitation during the Feb. 6-8 operation in which six police officers posed as prostitutes along a busy street in West Palm Beach, about 60 miles north of Miami, said Police Chief Billy Riggs.
"We're sending a message Don't come into our city looking for prostitutes." Riggs said Monday.
Mayor Pat Pepper Schwab said maximum penalties should be
Among those arrested were Bartell Downs, 26. a Palm Beach County corrections deputy, and WJNO radio producer Douglas Young, 34. of Boynton Beach. He was arrested as he drove his ice cream truck down the street seeking sexual favors.
sought for the suspects. Under Florida law, soliciting for prostitution is a second-degree misdemeanor with a maximum of 60 days in jail, a $200 fine or both.
Smith, who could not be reached for comment Monday, was in the area last week to play in the PGA tournament and championship Pro-Am golf tournament.
Varsity team is still soccer club's goal
by Beth Behrens
Kansan sportswriter
Members of the KU Soccer Club are disappointed that the club will not receive varsity status this year. The team can be established in the future.
The club submitted a proposal to the University of Kansas Athletic Corporation last month, but the proposal was rejected because of financial difficulties that KUAC expects to face next year.
San Antonio, Texas, senior Allan Klenke said that the club would continue efforts to finance a varsity-level team.
"If we can find people to finance the team, we'll go back to KUAC," said Klenze. "We are coming."
efforts to achieve varsity status. Our biggest concern right now is keeping the club at the same ability level
"A lot of the main leaders of the club will be leaving after the year. We need to stay competitive and attract players to remain successful."
Kienke said that he did not expect anyone to leave the team because of the decision.
"We are here because we wanted to go to KU," Klenean said. "We joined the club because we wanted to play soccer, but it will get harder to attract players to the University if they don't know it. I see it, the longer the University waits to accept a varsity soccer team, the lower the caliber of the
players will be."
Nelson said he thought that KUAC
"The proposal we submitted was pretty much self-financed." Nelson said. "It was a great proposal. I think the team was too optimistic, though. I sat in on a KUAC meeting, and when I found out about the financial distress they are in with the Big Eight schools on probation, I didn't think there was any way the proposal would be accepted."
In the Big Eight Conference, the Kansas men's basketball team and the Oklahoma and Oklahoma State football teams are on probation.
Cub treasure Ed Nelson said that $UCA's decision did not surprise him but that he was certain the proposal would come up again.
would consider the proposal again within five years because interest in soccer was growing in the area
He said one of the 1994 World Cup semifinal games would be played at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. A team from the program recognized soccer playoff
Coch Glenn Shirtliffe said that the club members wanted varity status to allow them to meet other first division teams.
"They train as hard as any varsity team." Shirtlife said. "They were under the impression that playing under varsity status would be easier because they wouldn't have to pay to play. They want challenging games to show the University how good they are."