Superstar No. 1 grabbed a microphone and sang ‘My Girl” in front of 15,000 screaming fans in Allen Fieldhouse.
Superstar No. 2 popped out of a coffin in a red-satin cape, white fangs and spread his wings before 2,500 howling Hearnes Center zealots.
It sure has been a memorable preseason for Kansas’ Danny Manning and Missouri’s Derrick Chievous.
These two all America candidates, who might have received international publicity for those acts had they played basketball, at say, St. John’s, certainly have proven they possess “star quality.”
They, in fact, have been accused of participating in a battle of one-upsmanship. Soul singer trying to outdo Count Dracula, if you will.
“I’ve heard that,” the 6-7 Chievous said. “How can people say that? I don’t guard him. He doesn’t guard me. We both play hard. We both play to win. I voted him player of the year last year.”
Just as Manning tabs Chievous the Big Eight’s best this year.
“Derricks’ a great player, a good leader,” Manning said. “He gets the job done. He’s the player they look to in the clutch. He always comes through.”
Both are the guys their teammates look to at crunch time. Manning averaged 23.9 points and 9.5 rebounds last season. Chievous 24.1 points and 8.6 boards. As clutch performers, they’re similar. In many other respects, oh, so different.
Manning is a soft-spoken former North Carolina native who never sparks controversy in the media. Street-smart New york native Chievous, however, often comes across as downright colofrul – the Reggie Jackson, Muhammad Ali of basketball.
To wit…Manning appears uncomfotable when asked about himself: “When you play basketball, you have to realize it’s a team sport. A player doesn’t make a team. A team makes a player. If I go out and play hard every game, if I say I played the best I can, I’m satisfied.”
Chievous, meanwhile, opens up like a monarch butterfly when fielding personal questions.
“I fantasize,” he said, describing his style of play. “What I fantasize about depends on the situation. If I’ve got two or three people on me, I might be Michael Jordan. If I’m shooting a foul shot, I’m Chris Mullin. In a clutch situation, I’m Larry Bird. It’s like being a chameleon.”
Missouri fans appreciate Chievous’ on-court spontaneity and exuberance after big buckets. Opponents, however, maintain Chievous is a hot-dog, who should be nailed for charging fouls, not awarded two or three points following his patented lean-in jumpers.
“I don’t lean in. I lean my hands in – my body goes straight up,” Chievous said. “If you’ve been in New York City, on the playgrounds, you know it’s physical. There are no straight-on jump shooters. If you don’t lean in, the ball is in your face.”
Fans in opposing gyms tend to hiss when players are called for hacking Chievous.
I don’t pay attention to them. I’m really in my own little world,” Chievous said. “I only pay attention when they throw objects at me. Teams want to kill us, beat us, like we’re No. 1 in the world.”
Fans don’w know the real Chievous, he insists.
“When you have fun, people see you as a flake,” he said. “In college, there’s so much pressure to excel. You are responsible for bringing revenue to the school.
“So I try to have fun. If a person like myself laughs, has fun, he’s a flake. I don’t do drugs. What would they say if I did drugs? I’m a sincere person. I try to have a good time like everybody else.”
No kidding. At MU’s recent Halloween scrimmage, Chievous – after doffing his cape – pointed his index finger in the air following each of his hoops.
Why, Derrick?
“A lady who lives across the street brought some kids to the game,” Chievous said. “They said, ‘Let us see you during the game.’ So I’d look over and point to the kids after I scored.”
The classy Manning does some pointing during games, but merely at teammates following pin-point passes.
“I just want to go on the court every night and be a leader,” Manning says.
Health permitting, Chievous and Manning will again rate among the country’s leaders in scoring and rebounding. perhaps Big Eight fans ought to sit back and enjoy their respective swan songs.
“Danny is the best player in the conference and in the country and that’s not slighting Mitch Richmond, Derrick Chievous, Harvey Grand, Jeff Grayer and others,” Kansas coach Larry Brown said. “It’s tough for Danny. Every day he goes out, he has to prove he is the best.
“He would have been picked first in the (NBA) draft last year if he came out. I see him every day and am partial. But just based on what I know about baksetball and his contribution, he’s a pretty darn good player.”
From MU’s Norm Stewart: “Derrick Chievous is about to become the first 2,000 point scorer in Missouri basketball. That’s a great accomplishment when you think about all the tremendous players in Missouri history. Derrick has great charisma. To go along with that, he’s a tremendous player.”
Which player is better? Perhaps the two should play a one-on-one basketball battle for bragging rights.
“If it’s for all the money, if its’ like Five-Star (camp) where they say, ‘You play and the winner’s team goes to the Final Four,’ I’d do it,” Chievous said without a grin, knowing full well that Manning would accept the challenge in a minute.
