Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 25, 1991 TAG: 9103250062
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
Kansas point guard Jordan's biggest challenge this season has been living up to the position he inherited, one previously occupied in Jayhawks history by Jo Jo White, Darnell Valentine and Kevin Pritchard.
Jordan, a sophomore Californian, is doing just fine, thank you. His Kansas teammates know he will catch the bus on time, too, for Thursday's flight to Indianapolis and the Jayhawks' second NCAA Final Four appearance in four seasons.
"I learned a lesson," said Jordan, who missed two team buses earlier this season. "I wanted to be a starter this season, and then I didn't live up to the responsibility."
One of the biggest question marks for the Jayhawks (26-7) entering this season was whether Jordan would be capable as Pritchard's heir at the point. After a solid start, he ended up in coach Roy Williams' doghouse.
Jordan had to sit out the first half of an Allen Fieldhouse victory over Maryland-Baltimore County after missing a bus in early January following a loss at Oklahoma. Then, two days after the victory over UMBC, Jordan missed the team bus again when the Jayhawks left for Oklahoma State.
Jordan finally caught up with the bus at the Kansas City International Airport, but Williams told him to go home. The Jayhawks lost 78-71 in overtime to the Cowboys.
"I realized I was important to the team when that happened," Jordan said. "I watched that game on TV. It seemed like it would never end."
Jordan returned, and now he is Kansas' No. 3 scorer, averaging 12.4 points. Most importantly, he has a 2-to-1 ratio in assists-turnovers. Jordan's floor leadership in Saturday's 93-81 Southeast Regional victory over Arkansas landed the 5-foot-11 guard on the all-regional team with teammates Alonzo Jamison and Terry Brown and Razorbacks' juniors Todd Day and Oliver Miller.
"I said I thought Adonis could be the best point guard in the Big Eight [Conference], and he was," said Williams, noting that Jordan, an all-conference second-team pick, was the only playmaker among the 10 honorees.
"It wasn't that Kevin Pritchard [now with the Golden State Warriors] didn't do a great job for us. But Adonis has really played well. He has done nothing on the floor but make me a better coach."
Jordan played in all 35 Kansas games as a freshman last season. This year, he has taken hold of the Jayhawks' motion offense and doesn't need to check with the bench and wonder what Williams is thinking.
In Saturday's win at the Charlotte Coliseum, it was as much Jordan's ability to handle Arkansas' pressure defense as it was Jamison's offensive poise that produced the Jayhawks' ninth Final Four visit. Only UCLA and North Carolina - Kansas' foe in Saturday's national semifinals at the Hoosier Dome - have more.
Down the stretch against the second-ranked Razorbacks, Jordan didn't panic when senior teammates Mark Randall and Terry Brown were on the bench with four fouls each. With 5:11 to play and KU up only 72-68, Williams pulled what seemed a risky move by putting freshmen backups Patrick Richey and Steve Woodberry on the floor with reserve center David Johanning, who plays an average of only 5.8 minutes per game, guard Sean Tunstall and Jordan.
"I just thought then about what we talked about at halftime," said Jordan, who attended Cleveland High in Reseda, Calif., the same school that produced Kansas City Royals pitcher Bret Saberhagen. "Coach Williams had told us the only way we were going to beat them was to play with poise. I just tried to keep the ball, hit the open man when we were trying to delay, and attack the basket when I saw an opening. That, and make free throws."
Jordan made six of eight foul shots in the final four minutes, as the Jayhawks displayed a depth that has nine players averaging more than 12 minutes played per game. Jordan said having playing experience with different combinations has helped him realize his potential, too.
"Coach Williams has told me to relax and play, that this is my team," Jordan said. "Scoring has been secondary to me, but teams have been giving me the open jumper and I've been hitting them."
Keywords:
BASKETBALL
by CNB