The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 72

SUNDAY, APRIL 4, 1993 013 The Indianapolis Star Barkley leads hot Suns against streaking Pacers Pacers today OPPONENT: Phoenix Suns WHERE: Market Square Arena TIPOFF: 3:10 p.m. TVRADIO: Prime Sports Network; WNDE-1260 AM, FM magnitude to be a good leader and role model. That's where he doesn't always measure up." The tale of the tape shows the Suns with the league's best record (54-15), and Barkley the consensus MVP and the prince of Phoenix. Today, his Eastern tour stops at sold-out Market Square Arena, where the Pacers have won a club-record 11 straight. Expect Barkley to view this as more than an exhibition.

The Pacers are one of only four teams to beat the Suns in Phoenix, winning 109-108 March 21. Barkley scored 38 but couldn't get a shot off out of a double-team in the final seconds. Reggie Miller had 26 points out an offensive center, but the three-player trade for Barkley (Jeff Hornacek, Tim Perry, Andrew Lang) has provided the post-up player and the pivotal one. He's also averaging 12.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists. Before the Suns dismantled the Knicks In the bench-clearing mess and whipped the Bulls in Chicago, some were saying they were too small or to new to elite status to win the championship.

Barkley, of course, begged to differ. "It's about time we got credit for what an excellent basketball team we are," Barkley said. See PACERS Page 16 including the last nine after blowing a wide-open dunk. "You want to stay close to them and the last five minutes play as good defense as possible on Charles," said Miller, "because he tries to take the game over. "They've got so many great weapons (Danny) Alnge, (Dan) Majerle and Kevin (Johnson)." Among others.

Second-year specimen Richard Dumas follows Barkley's 26.0 scoring average with 16.9. Five other Suns score In double figures. The acquisition of Ainge has given them another 3-point assassin and created Incredibly better spacing. The Suns come at you constantly and with By Dan Dunkin STAR STAFF WRITER Last Sunday, Charles Barkley returned to Philadelphia and received a home-court advantage. He was welcomed with a standing ovation, was overwhelmed by "MVP" chants which used to stand for most-vllified-by-the-players and became the first player In memory to be hugged on-court by a fan other than Mor-ganna.

The host 76ers were booed throughout as Barkley and the Phoenix Suns mopped them up. "We appreciated Charles' tal- ent," said one of his main detractors, Sixers forward Armon Gil-Ham, "but it's the other part of it we and I had problems with. The things he did and said off the court. "You expect a player of that Associated Press NEXT Suns' Charles Barkley averages 26 points. Goodyear grabs pole at Phoenix St Purdue's Grigson on die mend Determination helps lineman rebound from freak injury By Robin Miller STAR ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR Phoenix, Ariz.

Scott Goodyear won his first Indy-car pole position Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway a few hours after Nigel Mansell made his first oval-track mistake. Consequently, Goodyear starts today's (3 p.m., WRTV-6) Phoenix 200 from the catbird seat, while Mansell hopes to be released from Good Samaritan Hospital in time to watch the second IndyCarPPG race from his hotel television. Mansell, who captured his Indy-car debut from the pole at Australia last month, was wowing everyone during Saturday morning's first practice period. He hot-lapped his KmartHavollne '93 LolaFord-Cos-worth faster than anyone with a blistering time of 20.760 seconds (173.414 mph). But the defending Formula One champion's chances for a second straight pole ended hard against the Turn 1 wall at the beginning of the second practice session.

Mansell lost control entering the first corner and slid backwards Into the concrete. He was removed from his car on a stretcher, airlifted to Good Samaritan and, fortunately, came away with only a concussion. "The back end went away and I said to myself, 'No way. There's no way I can get It back' so I ducked down and the next thing I remember Is waking In the helicopter," Mansell reported to his public relations people, "I thought I was dreaming and I said to myself, 'This isn't Then you feel the pain and it Is happening. "It was a big Impact.

They say these things happen on ovals and you don't know why. I guess they'll say, 'Welcome to the See GOODYEAR Page 14 -ife 1 i 11 By Mark Ambrogi STAR STAFF WRITER West Lafayette, Ind. At 6-5 and 295 pounds, Purdue offensive lineman Ryan Grigson stood as a large monument to strength and vitality. "I had never missed a football practice In high school or in college," the three-sport athlete from Highland High School said. That was before a freak Injury in October transformed Grigson into a testimonial for how quickly that strength could evaporate.

Grigson, who took a blow to the abdomen during a game, lost the use of his kidneys for two weeks, battled a bout of pneumonia and lost 30 pounds during his nearly five-week stay at Lafayette's Home Hospital. There were long stretches where the young man who had held off 300-plus pound defensive linemen could barely push himself to sit up in bed. "Maybe God was trying to tell me that I'm a human being like everybody else and I can be knocked down at any second," Grigson reflected. "A lot of kids don't understand that. They think nothing Is ever going to happen to them.

It made me realize I'm not in charge of what happens to me. It's what God has to say." Grtgson's determination has put him back on the field sooner than anyone expected. The redshlrt Junior-to-be has already completed the first week of spring practice. "He's done a great Job recovering," Purdue coach Jim Colletto said. "Our team doctor, Steve Badylak, and the doctors at Home Hospital were conservative and made sure he didn't do anything to Jeopardize his health.

He has almost all his strength back. The only thing he lacks is stamina, which should be fine by September." The scar tissue sometimes can make his sides hurt. Occasionally he breathes a bit heavy. Concerned teammates keep a watchful eye. After all, linebacker Matt Kingsbury was there when Grigson took his first short walking steps to recovery in the hospital.

"It's been a great feat, but I knew all along he would be back before anyone realized it," Kingsbury said. While Grigson quickly regained the weight, the muscle development was much slower to come around. "He loves to eat so I knew he'd get his weight back," said former Purdue defensive tackle Jeff Zgonina. Grigson currently tips the scales at 305. While Grigson put In extra effort to regain his shape, he obeyed the doctors.

"He was a good patient," said his mother, Juani-ta Grigson. His mother should know. She was constantly at his side from the moment the ordeal began. In the third quarter of Purdue's victory over visiting Minnesota Oct. 10, a dehydrated Grigson took a blow to the stomach, causing pancreatitis.

"I remember thinking I got the wind knocked out of me," said Grigson, a starting tackle for those first five games last season. "During the game, you don't feel anything. For a spilt second, you might feel pain and that's it." Star Staff Photo Susan Plageman HE'S BACK: Ryan Grigson has returned from a kidney ailment to Purdue's spring practice. St. James' skills proving she's no longer a sideshow Robin Miller Phoenix There's no big crowd following her around like last May and she's not doing any diaries or television specials.

Lyn St. James Is pretty much Just "one of the guys" here this weekend and that's fine by her. After becoming only the second woman to compete at Indianapolis In Knowing his fellow offensive linemen were banged up, Grigson remained in the game. "As I look back at the second half It seems like I was in a daze out there," Grigson said. "After the game when I was shaking hands, a lot of people noticed I was real pale and my Hps were blue." Grigson felt faint In the shower and was unable to swallow liquids.

He went to the training room, complaining of stomach pains. Eventually he began vomiting. "It was a good thing I threw up because If they had sent me home I could have slipped into a uremic coma," Grigson said. That could have been deadly. "He's very lucky." Badylak said.

"He had our full attention and still had a tough time." It was the beginning of a five-week nightmare, the first three spent in Intensive care. "It was very scary, very scary," said Juanlta Grigson, who had waited for her son to come out of the locker room before being summoned. The pancreatitis caused his kidneys to fall. "The doctor put It this way: My kidneys were on a two-week vacation and they were coming back," Grigson said. Not before an extended stay of torture.

Grigson, fed Intravenously, was unable to drink any liquids during that time. "The day I could drink Gatorade was the happiest day of my life," the 21 -year-old Grigson said. Likewise, a Popsicle was a more welcome sight than a porterhouse steak. "I think I have the world's record for eating a Popsicle because I ate It In a half-second," he said. Grigson followed his teammates' exploits on radio or TV.

"I cried during all those games because I Just wanted to be there so bad," said Grigson, who was a blocking tight end his first season. "When (Purdue announcer Larry) Clisby came on radio talking about what a perfect day for football It was at Iowa, it tore me apart. I wanted to be a part of it. I guess there's a reason for it. It's Just going to make me hungrier when I'm out there next fall." Grigson received an outpouring of support from the Purdue coaching staff, teammates, hospital staff and the community.

"I didn't mind my mom seeing me that weak, or my relatives, but I hated my buddies to see me that way," Grigson said. His mother, who took a leave of absence from her job, stayed in Grigson's studio apartment. See GRIGSON Page 14 -'-A Hammel named boys all-star coach 1992, and capturing rookle-of-the-year honors In the process, St. James plans to run the entire Indy- CarPPG series In '93 for Dick Simon. Indy's first lady, Janet Guthrie, had 11 starts over a four-year period from 1976-79 and Desire Wilson ran eight of her 11 Indy-car races In 1983, but no female has ever made the full circuit.

"If that creates a little more respect that's fine but it should help make me better," said St. James, who has sponsorship from J.C. Penny, Nike, Jantzen and Revlon on her '92 LolaFord-Cosworth. "If It doesn't make me better, I'm going to kick myself. "I've already got to test more than I ever have." It's also enabled the 46-year-old road racing veteran to blend in with the scenery at Phoenix International Raceway instead of being a sideshow.

"Last weekend when we were here testing I thought about how comfortable this all felt," said St. James, who did a nice Job qualifying In the heat of the day at the Speedway and avoided the wall on race day to finish 11th. "I mean I looked around and there was Al Unser Jr. and Roberto Guerrero with their cars on scales Just like we were and everything was very business-like but relaxed. "I suppose there was a lot of extra attention at Indy last year, but that was to be expected.

I want to create attention with good results." Seventeen years after Arlene Hiss broke the gender barrier in Indy cars right here on the 1-mile oval, St. James qualified at 155.549 miles per hour Saturday. That was some 17 mph off Goodyear's pole speed, but she was second-quickest of the five rookies posting times. mrnmmmmmmfmmmmmmmmmmm I IKY-Wth ville's Freedom Hall. The boys and girls traveling show will return to Indianapolis June 26 for the series finale at Market Square Arena.

Tickets are available by calling (317) 633-1192. All proceeds will be given to The Star's Fund for the Blind. Hammel, a head basketball coach virtually all of his adult life, is well aware of the local significance of the all-star appointment. For years, he tagged along with his older brother. Bob, sports editor at the Bloomington Herad-Tlmes.

"It's a tremendous honor, I know," he said. "1 was dragged to the games when I was a little kid, and I haven't missed a Jim Hammel, who was contacted about the all-star position by Game Director Patrick Alkman of The Indianapolis Star earlier this week, knew Just how to compare his news to Richie's last year. "I'm a father first and a coach second," he said. "What my kids accomplish Is always more important than what I do." Hammel, who coached Lake Central to the State Finals In 1984, Is not the only coach to be honored this week. Bill Patrick of Whitko and Joe Hinton of Floyd Central have been named assistants for the annual two-game all-star series with Kentucky, wjilch liegins with a June 19 game in Louis By Curt Cavin STAR STAFF WRITER Jim Hammel is one of only six Indiana boys basketball coaches to take two different high schools to the State Finals.

Today, he Joins another elite club. The 47-year-old Hammel Is just the second father to follow his son to the Indiana All-Star team. Like New Castle's Sam Alford with his son Steve, Hammel will coach the All-Stars after watching his son, Richie, earn a spot on the state's most-prestl-glous prep team. Richie and Jim were part of Lafayette Jeffs state runner-up team last year and Richie was later named to the squad. File Photo ALL-STAR COACH: JirrnHam-mel of Lafayette Jeff.

See COACHES Page See MILLER Page 14.