European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 6, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26 the stars and stripes wednesday april 6.1998  Brown denies thinking of Urcla by Malcolm Moran Kansas City to. Not with each achievement the questions and he ironies turn pc in Ray Brown when his Kansas Jay Hawks beat okla Harna 83-79, monday night for the Mcaa championship he frowning Achico Cuenl of his seven seasons Ai a College coach the comparison and speculation connected Brown 1o Urcla teams past and future. Brown has passed this Way before. Eight years ago he  a Urcla team with tour freshmen that nearly Defeated Louis Ville in the championship game at Indiana Polis. Bui us us his abilities an a coach were beginning to receive As much Atten Tion As his tendency to seek the More perfect situation inc question was whether he would pass that Woy again. He has said he has not though about the future that the sudden Success of a team that once contemplated a spot in the National invitation tournament has been too overwhelming to think about anything else. If he has rot considered the Urcla vacancy created by the Dis Missal of Wall Hazard Loisl wednesday then Brown would be one of the few final four visitors to Kansas City who has nut wondered about the possibility i have no reason to believe that Larry is pricing to  mid Bob Frederic the Kansas athletic director. I Deal wit him on a Day to Day basis. We talk about recruiting and future scheduling. Every one seems to want him to make a statement thai he is nol leaving but no other coaches Are making that statement. There s just nol one sign that i be seen in the last five or is weeks Fred Erick said. He has been the Mosi con tent and having the Best Lime that i can remember. He Nas been much More re lated smiling a lot. He seems id be really enjoying what he s going. Thai was change from earlier in the  Peter Dalis inc Urcla athletic director said through a spokesman that he did not wish 10 discuss inc coaching vacancy. Brown s five Complete seasons at Kansas surpass his tenure As the coach of the Den ver nuggets which had been the Long Cal stay in his coaching career. Still Brown s Candor in discussing his dissatisfaction with certain Becton surrounding the Kan Sas program have been considered Evi Dence that he would consider leaving. Last week. The los Angeles times re Ponert that Brown had asked recruits if they would consider playing for him if he were to move Louclla. Brown has been critical of the restrictions imposed on Kansas High school players whose teams Are not allowed to schedule More than 18 games. The frustrations that the Kansas pro Gram suffered earlier this season Freder ick said included the academic problems of Marvin Branch a 6-foot-Lqw-Inchcenter from Barton courtly Kansas Community College who chose to join the Jay Hawks after signing a National let Ter of intent to attend Pittsburgh. Branch averaged 8.4 Points and 6.1 rebounds in the first 14 games of the season and added much needed inside help for Danny Manning s senior season. Gut Branch was ruled academically ineligible on Jan. 13, creating a void that Leto five losses in the next six games. While Frederick said he could not Dis cuss Branch s a Adamic problems he did say thai Brown Felt the system had failed Branch. He thought thai people did t do enough to help Frederick said. Throughout inc series of rumours that have characterized Brown s five Yean in Lawrence including talk of openings with the Knicky and the Charlotte expansion club in the National basketball association Frederick said the coach had never used speculation to improve his situation. We be talked about the future Frederick said. I said i Don t want you to worry about it now but i want you to know Well do the kinds of things that Are necessary la make your situation Here As Good As anyplace Manning did t do it alone his family was with him App nolo Oklahoma Forward Date Sieger shoots. Over Mil Newton Chris Piper 24 Kansas City to. Apr de Manning Felt like a coach Oam Dic Manning Felt Tike a mom Anil Jef Gueldner fell like a Champion when Danny Manning went to the free throw line to decide the Mcaa championship. Manning the tournament s most Oul standing player made four free throws in the final 14 seconds monday night giving Kansas an 83-79 Victory Over Oklahoma and making everybody in Kansas feel like champs. I was whispering for him to Lake his time and relax said Damello Danny Manning s Mother. I almost fell As if he could hear  on the Bench As Manning s Brilliant career playe Doul its final seconds was fathered Manning a Jay Hawks assistant who made a mighty Effort in the Post game frenzy to act like a coach and not a proud father. "1 just wanted Danny 10 make those free throws said the elder Manning who played professionally for Kansas coach Larry Brown in the american basketball association. I guess i Felt like a coach at thai moment everything get planned everything we dreamed about was Righi there and Danny got it done Tor us. About Halfway through this season we did t even think we would be in the tournament. Now look at All  one major reason the Jay Hawks won was Reserve guard dint Norm orc who had seven Points and four assists As Kansas negated what everybody thought would be a Strong Oklahoma Edge Al guard. We knew they had great guards in Mookil Blay lock and Ricky Grace said Normore a defensive Back on Kansas football learn. Bui we rotated our guards and got the rhythm of the game right where we wanted it. We did t discount their guards but they discounted us and so did the Media. I m not on Cloud 9. I m Way beyond that. This  Gueldner said Brown s strategy worked to Perfec Tion in the decisive final moments coach Brown is such a Greal coach i. Wish i could play for him forever gut incr said. Coach Brown told us they had never been in a close game with five minutes left and if we could gel them to that Point. Anything could  Gueldner said the Jay Hawks were not insulted to be eight Point underdogs especially since inc soon cars Cal them in both regular season games. People Eaid they had belter athletes and 1 guess they probably do. But that does t mean they have a belter learn. One thing they did t have was Danny  in the Middle of the noisy Kansas Celebration was Chancellor Gene Budig who said he was looking for Oklahoma president Frank Honor. I know he s Here somewhere he s wearing a red jacket Budig said. This has been a Greal year an unbelievable year. These Young people have brought credit 10 our stale and our University. It s a great moment and i m proud to be part of it. De Manning said tic was sure of one thing his so made the right decision to stay in school forms senior season he a a much Bette was his degree and maybe winning a Nao ship now we re going to gel both. In t that some thing meanwhile in the other dressing room Oklahoma Center Stacy King said Manning had More help Lianhe needed. It was eight against five King said seconds after the game ended referring to the Ihrck officials. Thai s All i pc gel to  Manning who also had 18 rebounds and blocked two shots picked up his third personal foul 25 seconds into the second Hall he remained foul free after dial however and thus was Able to wheel freely underneath the Bas Ket when the game Wai decided in the final minutes. Several minutes after his outburst King softened his remarks. I think there were some Calls out there thai surprised me he said. I think we got Loo much Inlo the off cuiting instead of the playing. There were a Tot of things thai weren t called but pm not complaining about that. The were just the Teller team i guess it player tonight than he Ever de Manning said. We talked about him gelling National Champi Kansas from Page 28 he fouled nut. It a As bad Calls  Sieger made his seventh a Pointer of the game on his Width shot from thai Range but then he went cold. Sieger missed two in a Taw on one Possession and seemed ready to Lake a third when the Ball bounced Back to  instead he passed it inside to King who scored for a 65-60 Lead Oklahoma s largest of the game. Brown called a timeout just before the Basket by King. The Jay Hawks scored five straight Points to in the game the last three coming on a three Point play by Manning. Kansas made 22 of 31 shots in the first half 71 percent including 17 of their first 20. Sieger was the hot hand for Oklahoma As he made six of eight 3-Point attempts while the sooner made 48.7 percent As a learn. 19 of 39, the first half was played Ai Oklahoma s Tempo As the trams finished tied at 50. In the second half the teams combined scored just 12 Points More than each did in the opening 20 minutes there were eight Lead changes in in first half and neither least led by More than six when Pritchard hit a 3-Point-cr to give the Jay Hawks a 31-25 Lead with 9 35 left in the half Sieger who finished 7-of-l3 in 3-Pojntcre. Answered with his third 3 Pointer and King added a Baseline drive and the soon cars were within one again. Manning picked up his second fou with h44 remaining in the half and while he was on the Bench the soon cars still could t capitalize As they oui bored Kansas by Only 12-10.Oklahoma had beaten Kansas twice during the season. 73-65 and 95-87. Vil Tanomu in 1985 and North Carolinas ate in i9s3 both won the National championship Wilh 10 losses each. Those teams were also the heavy underdogs to win Villanova beating Georgetown and North Carolina slate eating Houston. Villanova s Victory was the second meeting of two conference teams for the title. Indiana and Michigan of the big ten met for the championship in 1976