THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
WWW.KANSAN.COM
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2005
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
PAGE 10A
Easy victory
Tough defense creates points
BY MICHAEL PHILLIPS
mphillips@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Despite the absence of senior guard Erica Hallman, the Kansas women's basketball team cruised to a 77-53 season-opening victory against Binghamton Sunday afternoon.
The Jayhawks wasted no time earning an 18-6 lead in the game's opening minutes.
"I was pleased with our energy out of the locker room today." Henrickson said.
Junior guard Shaquina Mosley started the game in place of Hallman. Hallman, a two-year starter, was suspended indefinitely because of academic reasons, Henrickson announced after the game.
Mosley scored 10 points with eight assists, but made her biggest contributions on the defensive side, adding to the team's total of 16 fast-break points.
Kim Andrews/KANSAN
Senior forward Crystal Kemp also made big contributions other than scoring. Kemp went just 6-of-14 shooting, but pulled 10 rebounds, including
"Crystal had amazing rebounds that helped us out in the first half," Mosley said. "She was coming out of nowhere."
four on the offensive side of the court.
By the end of the first half, the Jayhawks had a 48-22 lead. On the bench, Kansas assistant coach Katie O'Connor counted that 22 of those points were in transition, meaning they were created by Kansas' defensive plaus.
"We talk nonstop about our defense creating our offense," Henrickson said.
The fast tempo helped senior guard Kaylee Brown tie a career-high with 19 points, 16 of which came in the first half. She noticed the Binghamton players were slow to get back on defense toward the end of the half.
"Getting points in transition created energy for us," Brown said.
Binghamton women's basketball coach Rich Conover said Kansas' speed was the deciding factor in the game.
Kim Androws/KANSAN Kansas senior guard Kaylee Brown tries to move down court past Binghamton defenders in Allen Fieldhouse on Sunday. Brown led Kansas with 19 point in the 77-53 Kansas season-opening victory.
SEE VICTORY ON PAGE 8A
Kansan file photo
Sophomore guard Taylor McIntosh, left, and senior guard Erica Hallman, middle, block Emporia State sophomore guard Deolinda Ngulela in Allen Fieldhouse on Nov. 13. Hallman was suspended indefinitely for academic reasons. She is not expected to play in Tuesday's home game against Detroit.
Senior guard suspended
BY RYAN SCHNEIDER
rschneider@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Erica Hallman has been suspended indefinitely, Kansas women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson announced Sunday.
Hallman, a senior guard and two-year starter, was suspended for academic reasons. Henrickson said. She wouldn't comment on specific reasons. Hallman will also miss Tuesday's home game against Detroit.
Henrickson said the suspension would be monitored on a day-to-day basis.
"It's just a statement so she understands, and our kids understand, that the most important thing for these young women here is to graduate," Henrickson said. "She has no wiggle room. She has no room to mess up and try and give an excuse about why things aren't done."
With Hallman out, junior transfer Shaquina Mosley, freshman Ivana Catic and senior Kaylee Brown will see
a majority of the guard minutes.
Mosley had previously split point guard duties with Catic, but Mosley will have to assume the shooting guard position until Hallman returns. Mosley's new position allows Henrickson to have her two fastest players on the court at the same time.
Catic and Mosley continually pushed the ball in transition in the first half of Sunday's game, finding one another near the three-point line for open jump shots. They combined for 15 of Kansas' 23 assists.
In order for Henrickson to continue running her fast-paced transition offense, Mosley will be forced into an increased scoring role to replace Hallman. Mosley made the first start of her Kansas career Sunday, scoring 10 points, dishing out eight assists and grabbing four rebounds. She also logged a team-high 31 minutes.
SEE HALLMAN ON PAGE 8A
VIEW FROM PRESS ROW
Preseason games don't mean much
As exciting as preseason college basketball tournaments are, they always end up meaning diddly when March rolls around.
That's why the Kansas basketball team shouldn't get wrapped up in victories and losses this week.
The Jayhawks should instead focus on playing the way men's basketball coach Bill Self wants and use their week in the Hawaiian islands becoming a team.
The EA Sports Maui Invitational is a three-game tournament played in as many days. That's 120 minutes of playing time to go around. Everyone from freshman center Matt Kleinmann to senior guard Jeff Hawkins is going to see action.
Self will throw plenty of different lineups on the floor, and he'll get to see what combinations play best together.
KELLIS ROBINETT
KROBINETT@KANSAN.COM
If that happens, Kansas will benefit from its early season trip even if the team wins only one of the tournament's three games.
Ideally, Self will learn enough from the games to settle on a nine-man rotation and stick with them for the rest of the year.
Fans don't want to think that way, of course. They want to see results.
Especially in this year's invitational, which some are labeling as the strongest field the tournament has ever had. Four
In 2003, Kansas went 0-2 at the Preseason NIT, losing to North Carolina and Florida. The team looked awful in both losses and almost dropped out of the top 25. By season's end though, the Jayhawks had won the Big 12 regular season title and came within a few free throws of winning the National Championship.
But a quick look into the Jayhawks' past proves just how worthless these glorified exhibition games are.
teams are ranked in the top 10, and six of the eight participants have won national titles.
A year earlier, Ball State upset Kansas in the first round of the EA Sports Maui Invitational but the Jayhawks then won 29 of their next 30 on their way to an undefeated Big 12 season and trip to the Final Four.
The most glaring year in which a preseason tournament wasn't indicative of Kansas' season was 1988. Kansas went to Maui that year and came back with a 1-2 record but went on to win the National Championship.
way too. In 1999, Kansas won the Great Alaska Shootout in convincing fashion — all three games were won by double digits — but stumbled to six conference losses and a No. 8 seed in the NCAA tournament.
It's simply impossible to tell how a team's season will turn out after these tournaments.
Everyone wants to win. But in the grand scheme of things, games this early don't really matter.
♦ Robivett is an Austin, Texas,
senior in journalism. He is
Kansas sports editor.
It has worked the opposite
Justin O'Neal/KANSAN
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Freshman guard Brandon Rush breaks up a shot by Idaho State's Tim Henry Friday night at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks defeated the Bengals 90-66.
Highly ranked foes await KU in Maui
Five ranked teams among eight in field
BY MIRANDA LENNING
mlenning@kansan.com
KANSAN SENIOR SPORTSWITTER
LAHAINA, Hawaii — The Jayhawks boarded a chartered flight to Maui, Hawaii, less than 12 hours after their 90-66 victory against Idaho State and set their sights on the next opponent: the Arizona Wildcats.
With only two days and one practice to prepare for No. 10 Arizona, Kansas arrived in Maul with a positive attitude about tonight's game at 8.
"I wish we had more time to practice," Kansas men's basketball coach Bill Self said. "But I feel great about this. We are going to learn a lot about our guys real fast. This will be a good test for us."
Along with Arizona, the EA Sports Maui Invitational Tournament features No. 3-ranked UConn, No. 4-ranked Michigan State, No. 8-ranked Gonzaga and No. 24-ranked Maryland. Kansas, Arkansas
"This is an unbelievably tough field, especially this early in the season. It will be great competition for our team and all the other teams in the tournament," said Arizona coach Lute Olsen.
Kansas practiced at a Maui high school for two hours yesterday. It was the only practice the Jayhawks had in preparation for tonight's game at the Lahaina Civic Center. The game will be televised on ESPN.
and host school Chaminade are the only unranked teams in the field.
The Jayhawks had a 7 a.m. weight-lifting session Saturday morning before meeting to watch film on Arizona for the first time.
Self said the biggest concern for the Jayhawks would be handling the Wildcats' full-court press. Kansas, with only two exhibition games and one regular season game under its belt, has not had much experience breaking the press.
"They really get after you," Self said. "It's one thing when you run your press-break in practice, but I don't know how our guys will react when they pressure us like I think they can."
SEE MAUI ON PAGE 8A
.
D to g den Hay onli thar
"I one said it in
A trate sent had ketin the cam scho the r
and camp
4