THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1.2005
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PAGE 12A
ONE LOVE
MARK DENT
MDENT@KANSAN.COM
Maui shows Kansas' potential
Even though the Jayhawks played like turkeys in their Thanksgiving tournament in Maui last week, there's still plenty of reason to give thanks for this team because they showed plenty of signs of encouragement.
Monday night's game against Arizona couldn't have started worse. The Jayhawks came out scared, and, heck, they couldn't get the ball past midcourt and hadn't attempted a field goal before they were down 7-0.
Against Arkansas, Kansas was a little better but still lost after committing costly turnovers late in the second half.
Kansas' game was full of visible holes.
First of all, the Jayhawks turned the ball over an unimaginable 51 times combined against Arkansas and Arizona.
They shot a miserable 10 for 36 from three-point land and shot 40 percent from the field against their first two opponents.
But those problems can be fixed with a little bit of practice and, more importantly, time. The real story from Maui was the promise this young team showed.
On Monday against Arizona, after falling behind by 16, the Jayhawks showed exactly what they could do when everyone's on the same page. Sophomore forward Sasha Kaun took over down low, tipping in missed shots and pulling down every rebound. Guards Micah Downs and Russell Robinson both connected from the outside, and freshman forward Brandon Rush hit leaners and lay-ups from everywhere, and, all of a sudden, the game was close.
Rush is a perfect example of why to get excited about this team. If you haven't already fallen head-over-heels for Rush, then good luck ever finding love.
Rush averaged 16 points and just under five rebounds for the tournament. It's not just the numbers; he's shown athletic ability that no other Jayhawk has shown in his freshman campaign. He made 20 of 36 shots and hit three of four three-point shots in the final two games.
Kansas' third game gave fans another reason to hope. Chaminade may be a Division Two team, but Kansas still put up a memorable effort. The Jayhawks dulled the Swords from the getgo, riding CJ Giles' 18 first-half points to a 46-29 lead at the half. Kansas won 102-54 and out-rebounded Chaminade 50-27.
Perhaps the most obvious reason for encouragement was the reassuring fact that young teams always seem to struggle early.
Remember the 1999 Duke team that included freshmen Jason Williams, Carlos Boozer, Casey Sanders, and Mike Dunleavy? That team lost its first two games of the season to ranked opponents and ended up with a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Now, maybe it's too early to start reserving seats in Indianapolis, but it is obvious that this team can do something special once it starts showing the promise it exhibited during parts of the Maui Invitational.
Dent is an Overland Park freshman in journalism.
Match will stretch'Hawks
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Sophomore center Sasha Kaun pulls down a rebound over two Idaho State defenders during the first game of the season at Allen Fieldhouse. Kaun and fellow center CJ Giles will be called on to defend 20th-ranked Nevada's center Nick Fazekas, last year's WAC player of the year, tonight at Allen Fieldhouse.
Kansan file photo
BY RYAN COLIAANNI rcolaianni@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
For Nevada men's basketball coach Mark Fox, tonight's game against Kansas marks a return to Allen Fieldhouse, the building he called home during the 1993-94 season. Fox spent that year under former Kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams, observing the team while he was getting his master's degree from Kansas.
"I learned a great deal," he said. "I spent a lot of time with him and coach Holladay and coach Dougherty and certainly have very fond memories of my time in Lawrence."
Fox grew up in Garden City but he said he was not good enough to play basketball for Kansas. So he played two seasons at Garden City Community College before transferring to Eastern New Mexico.
"I grew up following the 'Hawks," Fox said. "I wouldn't say that I bleed blue, but I tend to root for both Kansas and Kansas State."
Nevada has opened its season with two of its three games on the road, winning at Vermont and UNLV and trying to prepare for the environment at Allen Fieldhouse.
"Nothing prepares you for Allen Fieldhouse," Fox said. "It is the best place in the world to play college basketball. There is not another arena that you can play in to prepare you for it."
Nevada comes to Kansas boasting a 3-0 record and is ranked 20th in the Associated Press poll because of the play of preseason All-American junior center Nick Fazekas and sophomore guard Marcelus Kemp.
Some believe that the Wolf Pack is the favorite because of its place in the rankings. The Jayhawks are unranked.
But Fox thinks otherwise.
"If we are the favorite in Allen Fieldhouse, then whoever made those odds should be drug-tested," Fox said.
Fazekas is averaging 18 points and 8.3 rebounds per game this season. Fox said that Fazekas would be tested by Kansas centers Sasha Kaun and CJ Giles. Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self said he has been impressed by Fazekas.
"We're going to have to be very sound defensively against him or he'll make our young guys not look very good," Self said. "There's a certain way we're going to have to defend him to slow him down and not give him good looks."
"He was extremely focused throughout the off-season," Fox said. "Once he was cleared to start working out, he has been extremely dedicated to get into great shape and to work on his game. He has really paid the price to play and I think that is why he is finding success."
Kemp, who is returning from an ACL injury, has led the team in scoring this season with 21 points per game.
- Edited by Erin Wisdom
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Maui on their minds
Team makes changes to offense, pace
BY MIRANDA LENNING
mlenning@kansan.com
mklengn SENIOR SPORTSWRIVER
If the Jayhawks didn't know the importance of getting their post players involved offensively before the EA Sports Maui Invitational Tournament, they certainly learned that lesson in the three games they played there.
Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self said a big focus for the Jayhawks since returning from Mani.
Hawaii, was integrating offensive opportunities for post players inside. Sophomore centers CJ Giles and Sasha Kaun were vital parts of the Jayhawks offense, both averaging 11 points and 7 rebounds in the Jayhawks' three-game series. Self said he wanted to get the two even more involved in the Jayhawks' (2-2) upcoming stretch of games, which starts against No. 20 Nevada (3-0) tonight at 7 in Allen Fieldhouse.
With that goal in mind, the Jayhawks will most likely run more of a high-low offense, as opposed to
"We're going to adjust some things to get them more touches because we didn't do a real good job of getting them the ball." Self said.
Self said he wanted to utilize the team's athleticism and quickness by playing at a faster pace than in the previous years. In order to get the post players the ball more, players might have to shy away from their ball-screen heavy offense that spread the floor so the guards could penetrate and pass the ball to a post player.
"I am not saying we are changing everything," Self said. "We just need to be more of a combination of something rather than a ball screen, spread it and drive it type of team."
the penetrate-and-pitch style of offense that they have used most of this year
SEE MAUI ON PAGE 11A
Freshman guard Mario Chalmers drives around an Idaho State defender in the Nov. 18 game. Kansas will play No. 20 Nevada at 7 tonight at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas went 1-2 at the Maui Invitational last week.
Kansan file photo
COURTS
Banner dispute at Mizzou Arena ends in dismissal
BY STEVE LYNN
slynn@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
The Columbia, Mo., City Prosecutor's office has deferred prosecution of its case against Andrew Wymore, a former KU student arrested at Mizzou Arena during last year's Border Showdown basketball game.
On March 9, University of Missouri Police Maj. Doug Schwandt arrested Wymore on a charge of unlawful re-entry into
Mizzou Arena.
Paul Aubrey, administrative assistant at the City Prosecutor's office, said the office had deferred prosecution, which meant it would not proceed with the case at this time.
Wymore, Leawood resident, said his attorney, Gerald Mueller, called him Nov. 23 when he received a letter that said the case had been dismissed. Wymore's court date was scheduled for Dec. 21.
"There's a part of me that wanted to stare down Watring in
court," Wymore said, referring to Missouri Police Chief Jack Watring. "But it's a victory anwav."
Mueller said the letter did not give a reason why the office deferred prosecution. The office could re-file the case, but Mueller didn't think it would, he said.
语法
Rose Wilbbenmeyer, city prosecutor, did not return phone calls requesting comment.
An usher allowed Kaufman to hang the banner, but Watring started to remove the banner. In his statement, Watring said he started to remove the sign because it was potentially troublesome. Kaufman attempted to stop Watring, and Watring grabbed him by the collar.
Schwandt escorted Wymore and Chris Kaufman, 2005 graduate, outside Mizzou Arena after an altercation between Kaufman
and Watring. Kaufman and Watring were debating about a 3-by-6-foot banner that Kaufman hung from a railing inside the arena. The banner read, "Allen Fieldhouse East."
Kaufman said.
Shortly afterward, Schwandt approached the scene and escorted the men outside where he told Wymore his ticket was revoked. Wymore said he was confused and wondered if he had bought a false ticket.
"I asked him why and he just folded his arms and said, 'It just has,'" Wymore said in the June 6 edition of The University Daily Kansan.
SEE BANNER ON PAGE 11A
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