Drew leads by example

By John Hutchinson didn't run through any real harsh problems. Missoariansportswrtter "I really bad to kind of set the example for the team. Once I did that, I feel we had everything In wartime Larry Drew might have been IfillllinfBillB troops a pretty muchestablished." general One of bis prime responsibilities was Introduc- Of course, he would have been overshadowed ing Steve Wallace, his backcourt teammate to by the flashy, media-darlin- gs like Patton and WBB&S9rB& 'JBubSSb&bSbBeSb Newcomers ' Missouri . MacArthur those who steal the thunder from Wallace, who was recruited by Missouri. out of their men. Dunbar High School in Baltimore, Md., attended Ke would be the quiet, strong type, working State Fair Community College, Sedalia, and bring talent shoulder to shoulder in the trenches with the men transferred to the University after his freshman who would determine winners and losers. He year. would be known as a GFs, GI. Drew and Wallace became roommates, ac- In real life, Drew is a basketball player for the cepting the dual tasks of acclimating the sopho- to Tigers and, while the majority of media Big and to the University cam- more to the Eight Stipanovich coverage is aimed at the Darnell Valentines of pus. With , Steve people Ricky joining a nucleus of the Big Eight, the that count Drew's "It was a big change coming from a small -- and Frazier coach and teammates know he is a leader experience veterans, Larry Drew says RsBsvOsBsisflBBOKr 0BKKf6WBrjSuEBss9IBBE8B j"wbBBbHb1bf aJMxJ jf B" school, where play was mostly freestyle. Larry Wi-- SBBr as good a floor general as there is in the Big fjL " .sflHHGSJ5fl9EEPvBB the 1979-8- 0 Tigers should be as good or helped me make the transition," Wallace said. BssMHSSSSBBfflliSiKSBaBi snSSsBHfiSflKflEBiElnHBwiBNLflNflHH . BHftrtsr i CTMBmifl year. janu Eight "He went through the league and told me better than his freshman about ''dnfaaHl year seniors Kim Ander- "I know the players accept him as team lead- each player, and he helped with a lot of minor That was the Coach son and Jim Kennedy led the Tigers to er," said. "He's been a things that needto be taken care of. coa-chab- te, of Eight tournament, very good player for us. He's a hard worker, helped in my work, on the court aca- the finals the Big "He and down an invitation to the with good talent and a proven scorer. demically, and showed me around campus," before turning "He's a good passer, the best passer baseline NTT. " Wallace said. talented baildub that to baseline I've ever coached, Stewart said. For his part, Drew said anything he did to help "We had a As a scorer, the 6--f oot-- 2 guard finished third in year," says Drew. "This year, with the Wallace, be would do for anyone. gang, the Big Eight scoring race last year (16.0), be to wEBBtBSBBEnBttBBHMlB&ttmQE5 three new guys and the rest of the "I wanted to. help him adjust and there BbboISSBShsSbI with ahead of the vaunted Valentine, and became the same way with of the I mink we have as much talent help him, but it's the all the bench." first Missouri junior to score l,C0O points in his guys. I like to be a help," Drew said. more depth on BBiBBIiWBlMffl blue-chi- p will have career. With a performance equalling last sea- While he been helping gaining local at- The three recruits has and Tigers' at- son's 426 points, he can surpass John Brown as national focus has on Big little trouble fitting into the tention, the centered according to the Tigers' career scoring leader. like Valentine, Ricky Ross Col- tack, Drew. Eight rivals, and OKBeafeB can do, won't But it is his passing game that can devastate a situation under- "Jon, with what he it orado's JoJo Hunter he too many games for him to break opponents. stands. Larry Drew scores against the take really shoot the Ricky is one me mam reasons top. At in. He can ball i wins ot iney gei more Yugoslavian Nationals, of things Stipo won't publicity when they came out of back in the feel and than me is that right, Drew passes ahead to a agSWgMgalBMUBHMMlMBHEc any problems at all. ' can make good high school they had the ink," Drew said. "I had lwmw'r"lIIIMI have a pass, teammate on a fast break. The fismSHnUBwHBBl of gang I think we'll a little, theirs was on the national level; mine "With the rest the but holds get together real early," Drew says. and hit my man when hes was on an area level. Therefore, they were fol- Tiger captain already the team; we-'v- e got the tal- lowed wherever they went to school and the pub- Missouri record for career as- "We've got the BilliiMlfflff if we-sta- y open, that's when I get my licity expands." ent; we play together and, just sists. good chance to go all Despite the fact the accepts the situation, healthy, we have a Steve Stipanovich (40) grabs one of his eight rebounds in his jollies' Drew welcomes the opportunity to greet those the way." opening performance against the Yugoslavian National Team. Larry Drew "name" players on the court "It intensifies the rivalry. When you pick up the papers and read about the top players, you "Everybody likes to score, I enjoy scoring,' wonder how good they are. You want to show you Drew said. "Butif I can make a good pass and-hi- t can compete with them." my man when he's open, that's when I get my Competing with the best is Drew's forte, and jollies in. during the summer he discovered be can match "I figure everybody can get out there and put upwiiththebest the ball up; I like somebody who can show a little "I play ball against pros through the summer. DEHbHBWHS91HdBHbsH vyK&9S9LsswisfiBDs ' ' YHHHBRsBsBsslHRsflBBBVfliBwEBSfli unselfishness, I really enjoy someone like Hs9&$b9 -- that" I find it to be competitive, but I don't have much JsiPtgFajscf'-- ' "iT rfflffnlHBBB msWBIHiisssm k ", ''a5fii9flnHn&BKSH99EB9fllBsWHsVn Drew developed his attitude early, while grow- problem. I'd like to give it a try somewhere," he ing up in Kansas City, Kan., by imitating a bas- said ketball player be saw television. At Drew knows his chances of the same time, HHHsSslHHBSwlKSSMRsSjBflssflBnHBWn HsVHrklSSSSaBBsBEftSBBRIsSBHHDBr .unBPII99U "I had an idol Dave Bing (former star with being drafted by an NBA team may wen rest on the Detroit Pistons). To me he seemed so unself- me Tigers' performance, as wen as his own. might )HkbwLsb& JOsBHsm dSHdhu swBbwUU Htro BsP . iPQSBH ish. He have a layup and, say a substitute "We've got to do some winning. I think if we KnTdLssflrflon ffBtt MSf SbssdQSss9BrSIh who didn't have any points had come in, he win the Big Eight or get in the NCAAs, it would B'.a would give it up. I've seen him do it. That's a have an effect on my chances. I think the main sign of being unselfish; I like to consider myself thing 'to do is win." being like that" If he isn't drafted, Drew plans on exploring a After furthering his attitude as an all-sta- te couple of different avenues. performer at Kansas City Wyandotte High "I'd like to go back home and teach," be said. School, Drew had to choose between bitter rivals "I plan on graduating next wummer with a ma- Missouri and Kansas. jor in counselling and personnel services. In that "It was between M.U. and K.U., and I had field I Hank there are a lot of good job opportuni- been watching Missouri play for the past few ties, especially back in Kansas C8y. years in the Big Eight tournament I'd been However, he would be more than willing to de- the ball boy there. lay than final semester in order to make a brief "Really, I tried to compare the style Missouri trip overseas to Russia and the Olympics. end Kansas played, and I decided Missouri's "I've done a little thinking about it They say style of play would be better for me," be saidL"I they pick the top players and just out of curiosity was a bigger scorer in Ugh school, but lead- I'd like to try ont and see how good those gays ership and moving the ball was basically my job. are. BflBfiBBBHBsslBlEWiixro So moving here was an extension of what I did in It would not be bis first trip to a foreign coon-tr- y, high school." though. His freshman year the Tigers visited It dfcSnt take long for the freshman to establish South America to play in tournament in Buenos DotfBcwta a Ricky top, htaseJf . Starting ell bat three games in 1978-7- 7, Aires, Argentina. Sophomore traisfer Frasferv Drew dished cut 72 assists and by the end of his "We didn't speak the language, and aO of as prepares to dam. case prior to the open- jonioryesr hadthe career assists record (277). were those little was ing of the Tigers season. Frazier was carrying books around; it freriiman-of-4be-ye- And after two yean of preparation, it was in wild. I would definitely like to go back overseas. the Metro Conference ar Us junior year, on a team with one senior and It would be a real experience to go to Russia," he before transferring to Missouri. "" Freshman Jon Sundvold, left, prepares : five newcomers, that Drew was thrust into a role said. of cocsnand. foraging. thj hoaifliiy .to pass in Missouri's exhibition against Yugoslavia. "It took quite a bit of time, really, to get used Missouri's general leads UJ5. conquest of Roa-si- a. to carrying so much of the responsibility. Bat I