THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 2005
WWW.KANSAN.COM
MEN'S BASKETBALL
PAGE 12A
Big Apple shines big spotlight Jayhawks tip off Jimmy V Classic
BY RYAN COLAIANNI
rcolaiani@kansan.com
KAKSAN STAFF WRITER
NEW YORK — Jim Valvano was more than just a basketball coach, he was an inspiration to many, and now that inspiration lives on through the Jimmy V Classic.
The classic will tip off at 6 tonight, when Kansas faces St. Joseph's in the opening game on ESPN. Michigan State against Boston College will follow at 8 p.m., completing the classic.
"We are obviously looking forward to playing in the Garden and having a chance to play and be a part of something that is much bigger than just a basketball game and bringing awareness to a cause that is so important," Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self said.
Now in its 11th year, the annual series of basketball games has raised more than $50 million for the V Foundation to fight cancer, a disease that took Valvano's life in 1993.
Valvano coached in college basketball for 20 seasons, including the 1983 season when he won the national championship, as the coach of North Carolina State.
Nick Valvano, CEO of the V Foundation, said he was happy to have the opportunity to have the games broadcast on national television to create awareness.
"We are very,very grateful for
The trip to New York also marks a homecomore for Kansas sophomore guard Russell Robinson, who grew up in the Big Apple. This will be Robinson's first trip home since the summer.
St. Joseph's coach Phil Martelli said that his team was excited to be playing in the classic and was happy to help raise money to fight cancer.
"I am very excited to see my family and get back home," Robinson said.
"We obviously, this time of the year, are fortunate for the gifts that we have, but our thoughts are with the people who need our help," Martelli said. "If our presence in this tournament helps us raise one extra dollar and that dollar finds a cure for this awful disease, then count us in every time."
the coaches who help us achieve this " Valvano said.
Robinson has never played in Madison Square Garden, but he has watched numerous games there while growing up in the city.
Martelli and St. Joseph's have had the previous week to prepare for Kansas, but Martelli has not fared well against teams coached by Self. Last season, Kansas cruised to a 91-51 victory against St. Joseph's at Allen Fieldhouse. Self also beat St. Joseph's twice while he was the coach at Tulsa.
SEE CLASSIC ON PAGE 10A
Rachel Sevmour/KANSAN
Sophomore forward Sasha Kaun dunks the ball against Western Illinois with more than 15 minutes left in the second half Saturday night in Allen Fieldhouse. Kaun scored 10 points in the 86-57 Jayhawk victory. Kansas will take on St. Joseph's in New York on Saturday in the Jimmy V Classic.
The Good
FORT WORTH BOWI A glance at the next opponent
Andre Ware won the 1989 Heisman Trophy while playing quarterback at Houston.
Wilson Whitley, former coach, won the 1976 Lombardi Award.
Rylan Howe/KANSAN
Former Cougar quarterback
Houston Quick Facts:
◆ Founded: 1927
◆ Enrollment: 35,400
◆ Conference: C-USA
◆ Nickname: Cougars
David Klingler holds the NCAA record for most passing yards in a game with 716, and the most touchdown passes in a quarter with six.
Erica Hallman, senior guard, left, and Ivana Catic, freshman guard, support their teammates from the bench during Kansas's 100-50 victory over Birmingham-Southern Friday in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks are undefeated after Saturday's game against New Orleans in Allen Fieldhouse.
CBS announcer Jim Nantz and PGA star Fred Couples played golf while they were students at Houston.
Houston has won nine conference titles in three conferences.
Houston lost one of the greatest bowl games ever played to Notre Dame in the 1979 Cotton Bowl. Joe Montana, fighting off the bitter cold in what has been nicknamed the Ice Bowl, led the Irish back from a 34-12 deficit to defeat the Cougars 35-34 on the last play of the game.
The Bad
Several Houston players were involved in a brawl with Hawaii players after losing the 2003 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl 54-48 in triple overtime. Houston's hand signal, which signifies a Cougar's paw, so closely resembles the "Shocker" that it was reported by Sports Illustrated On Campus.
Kellis Robinett
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Freshman guard on the rise
Fresh Ivana Catic already key for offense
BY MICHAEL PHILLIPS
mphillips@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
The freshman guard was analyzing the numbers after Friday's 72-50 victory against Birmingham-Southern. She noted that the Jayhawks needed to cut down their turnovers — they had 20 — and could have added an additional 10 points by making all their free throws.
After just five games of college basketball, Ivana Catic can already read the stat sheet like a pro.
The next afternoon the team allowed only six turnovers and improved to 71 percent from the free-throw line. The result was a 100-50 victory over New Orleans.
"I didn't think she'd be this consistent," Hendrickson said. "That isn't the norm; she's more of an exponent."
Catic's ability to challenge herself and her teammates has been a pleasant surprise for Kansas women's basketball coach, Bonnie Henrickson, who has already made the freshman a big part of the lahawks' offense.
Henrickson told her other freshmen not to worry that they aren't showing Catic's poise.
Catic — pronounced CHOTi-ich — finished Saturday's game just one assist short of a double
Kansas is tied with Baylor atop the Big 12 standings with a 5-0 record, but will face its toughest tests yet when it plays .UMKC on Wednesday and Wisconsin on Sunday. Both are home games.
double, even though she sat out most of the second half.
"I didn't even realize that," she said, "but it doesn't matter as long as we're playing this well."
Henrickson continues to challenge Catic in practice to prepare her for upcoming games against bigger opponents.
"What's coming down the
pipe here after the first of the year is all the speed and athleticism in this league," Henrickson said.
Catic's best plays are on the offensive end of the court. She has averaged 8.2 assists per game, including a freshman record 10 against Birmingham-Southern.
"It feels so good when you take the ball and see everything right away and can tell if the defense is in the right lanes then try to take advantage of that," she said.
Henrickson continues to encourage Catic to work on her defense, and is honest with her about what she needs to work on.
Kansas is tied with Baylor atop the Big 12 standings with a 5-0 record, but will face its toughest tests yet when it plays UMKC on Wednesday and Wisconsin on Sunday. Both are home games.
Henrickson said. "We're very real, and we're very honest."
"She'll look you in the eye, doesn't pout, doesn't feel sorry for herself."
Catic said that she loved playing for Henrickson and that was why she came to Kansas to play.
Henrickson said that Catic was good at "staying in the moment," not looking ahead to future games or months but focused on how she could help the team today.
After setting the freshman record with her 10 assists, she credited her teammate senior guard Erica Hallman and the shooters.
She's already spreading the love, just like a pro.
DANCING NACHOS
Edited by Theresa Montaño
MICHAEL PHILLIPS
MPHILLIPS@KANSAN.COM
This semester, from football to basketball and volleyball in between, there has been plenty to talk about. But today, in the final "Dancing Nachos" of the semester, I'd like to deal with another important topic: dancing nachos.
For future generations the nachos shall dance
I am referring to the animation that was part of the old, Lite-Brite-style scoreboard and has been transferred to the new Allen Fieldhouse videoboard.
The animation consists of a few tortilla chips that conga line onto the screen, their chip bodies supported by toothpick legs and flailing arms. After a few seconds of dancing, the nachos fall into a bowl, with the word "cheese" floating above them that melts onto the nachos in a way only primitive animation techniques could allow.
The dancing nachos were on the brink of extinction last spring when David Pedersen saved them.
"Two of us went and set a camera up and shot all the different stuff that came up," Pedersen, assistant director of video services, said.
The intention was to save them in the event of a "retro" theme night, but Pedersen had another reason to document history.
"We just had certain things there that were so good and so a part of Allen Fieldhouse we really wanted to keep them," he said.
The nachos did not have to wait long to make their first appearance on the video board when KU students and brothers Derek Weber and Taylor Hart came to a game dressed as the energetic edibles.
Weber, a Lawrence senior, was able to convince his brother to go along with the idea.
"We went to Hobby Lobby about two hours before the game," Hart, Lawrence junior, said. "It only took us half an hour to make them.
the nachos were well-received by the brothers' camping group, and Pedersen took notice as well.
"When those guys were there, we realized we needed to get it out," he said.
Weber and Hart also are contemplating a re-creation of another classic: the referee who blows on a bubble-gum whistle to musically announce fouls. Hart said that feat would be harder. Pedersen said other vintage animations also may get some face time this season, but he does not hesitate when asked what his favorite is.
"Dancing nachos. Hands down," he said.
After entertaining generations of concession connouisseurs, the animation continues to find a home in the Fieldhouse.
Retired University employee Dick Bennett assisted with the old scoreboard operations. He said the animation came packaged with the scoreboard, sold by Fair-Play, Inc. It is the classic story of an underdog that fought its way onto Lawrence's biggest stage.
"Dancing Nachos" will continue to run in the Kansan next semester, but the dancing nachos do not belong to me. They do not belong to Weber and Hart. They do not even belong to Fair-Play, Inc.
No, the dancing nachos belong to the ages.
+ Phillips is a Wichita junior in journalism.
---