Kansas Expected to Fill Void Left by Missouri

Nothing has been finalized, but all indications are that UCLA will play Kansas next season at Lawrence, Kan., as the late replacement for Missouri, which this summer backed out of a home-and- home series.

UCLA officials are still bothered that Missouri bailed out at such a late date--the Bruin schedules were complete through 2008 and they needed to add only one game in ‘09--but also concede they don’t have great standing to sue.

UCLA estimates that the trip to Columbia, Mo., could have been worth about $500,000 to the Bruins in gate and TV revenue, not counting the rare exposure in the Midwest for recruiting purposes that probably would have come with a regional broadcast, but the university probably won’t pursue litigation because Missouri tried to find the Bruins a replacement.

The problem from the Bruins’ side is that they didn’t want to play Kansas State, one of the offers from Missouri, because there is no desire to play another tough opponent. Not when the date in question--Sept. 8, 2001--comes immediately after the opener at Alabama and just before home games against Arizona State in the conference opener and Ohio State.

The trip to Lawrence, instead, would come against a team that finished 5-7 in 1999. Still to be decided is whether it will be a one-game series or whether the Jayhawks will also come to the Rose Bowl for the season opener in what was supposed to be the Missouri visit in 2002 or in 2009.

Either way, not going to Missouri is a particular letdown for Bruin tight end Bryan Fletcher, who is from St. Louis, about a 2 1/2-hour drive from Columbia.

“It is very disappointing for me,” said Fletcher, in a three-way battle with Gabe Crecion and Mike Seidman to be named the starting tight end. “I had looked forward to going home and playing in front of my friends and family. My parents are disappointed. Everyone is disappointed.”

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Ricky Manning is back in football after again spending part of the summer with the Minnesota Twins’ affiliate in Fort Myers, Fla., but not yet back in football form.

“He’s probably a little behind,” secondary coach Bob Field said, a sentiment Manning echoes. “His summer was not as strenuous as it would have been if he spent the summer here with our strength and conditioning staff.”

Instead, Manning spent it in rookie ball in the Gulf Coast League, batting .275 in 26 games as an outfielder in his second consecutive season there after signing out of high school. As part of his plan to stick with both sports at least through college, a desire the Bruins have respected even though they would prefer he develop his considerable potential as a cornerback, the sophomore from Fresno spent his mornings and afternoons on baseball and then used the free time at night for weightlifting and sprints.

“There’s no getting in shape in baseball,” he said. “You don’t do anything. Eat seeds. Spit.”

The Bruins are not concerned about his condition, knowing Manning will be at 100% within days, just like last season. From there, he’ll reassume the role as the future of the secondary.

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Starting left guard Oscar Cabrera, originally listed as doubtful for the Sept. 2 opener against Alabama, could now be sidelined until mid-September because of a sprained right ankle, meaning the new goal is to get him back for the third game.

Cabrera, one of the few prominent Bruin offensive linemen not to sit out a game because of injury last season, twisted the ankle during a running drill Saturday. He has since been on crutches and Thursday was in a walking cast.