Friday, March 31, 2000
The University Daily Kansan
Section B · Page 3
Tennis team sees jump in poll
Big 12 matchups to test Jayhawks
By Zac Hunter
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Despite four losses in its last five meets, the Kansas women's tennis team leaped 16 places in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll.
The Jayhawks, which were ranked No. 75 last week, now are ranked No. 56. Although they went 1-2 on their most recent road trip, the leap is a direct result of one victory, a 5-4 upset against No. 29 South Florida on March 24.
However, the computerized ranking system the association has incorporated might not give most accurate depiction of how well the team is playing.
"We're kind of aware of the rankings of the other teams, but we don't dwell on it," said junior Monica Sekulov. The Jayhawks' record now stands at 9-6 overall and 2-1 in the Big 12 Conference.
Aside from the South Florida meet
the trip went poorly for Kansas. Losses to both Maryland and Notre Dame put the Jayhawks to a mid-season slump.
KANSAS TENNIS
Although four out of five losses might be cause for alarm, coach Jenny Garrity said that having a winning record in the league.
was reason enough not to press the panic button.
in the Hawks hope to keep their spot in the polls, they will have to finish strong in conference play, which begins this weekend against Oklahoma and Iowa State.
Neither the Cyclones nor the Sooners have managed to win a Big 12 meet, but Garrity said that both teams would be playing with nothing to lose — and that worries her.
"They are going to be very loose and are going to be ready." she said.
Oklahoma is a team that Kansas is familiar with, and the matchup has been fairly even through the years. Kansas leads the series 14-9. Last year,
"We're kind of aware of the rankings of the other teams, but we don't dwell on it."
Monica Sekulov
the 'Hawks beat Oklahoma 6-3 in Norman, Okla.
junior
Iowa State, on the other hand, has been the Jayhawks' sacrificial lamb in the all-time series. The Cyclones have managed to win only once in the last 23 meetings, which includes a 9-0 shellacking in Ames, Iowa, last year.
Despite the success Kansas has had against both opponents, Garrity said that her team would have to be ready if it wanted to beat either opponent.
Sekulov agreed that they would have to remain focused to beat both teams. She also said that every remaining game was a must-win situation.
The meet against Oklahoma will be at 2 p.m. tomorrow at the Robinson Center courts. The Iowa State meet will be 1 p.m. Sunday at the Plaza Tennis Courts in Kansas City, Mo.
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas softball to head home for showdown against Aggies
By Rebecca Barlow
The Kansas softball team is looking forward to one thing this weekend, but it's not the doubleheader against Texas A&M. The team is looking forward to where the game will be played — at Jayhawk Field, finally.
This will be only the second home game for the 'Hawks, 18-17 overall and 0-2 in the Big 12 Conference. They have played 33 of their last 34 games on the road.
"Our friends and family don't have to travel as far to watch us play," said infielder Courtney Wright. "I feel more support."
The home field advantage makes the players very happy.
"it is going to be nice," said left fielder Christi Mussier. "We have traveled so much lately it's hard to focus. We get to sleep in our own beds and don't have to worry about anything."
Besides having the support of their fans, the 'Hawks will benefit from knowing their field so well.
Musser: Says team is excited about home-field advantage
The Jayhawks will need the support of their fans to win both games against the Aggies, 20-13 and 0-3 in the Big 12. The two teams split a doubleheader last season, and the Aggies only lost one starter and one pitcher from the 41-22 team last year.
"Texas A&M will be tough competition—they are a quality team," Musser said. "But it's nothing we can't handle."
Kansas and Texas A&M both are looking for their first win in the Big 12. The Aggies lost two games to Oklahoma and were shut out by Texas.
Like Texas A&M, Kansas was blanked twice by the Longhorns, but the Hawks are looking to redeem themselves.
"We want to bounce back and at least win every home game this season." Wright said.
Conference wins are the top goal for the team, which has its eye on the Big 12 title. The teams with the best regular season record receive the top seeds at the Big 12 Tournament, May 10 to 14 in Oklahoma City. The winner of that tournament receives an automatic bid to the college World Series in Oklahoma City.
"The Big 12 is one of the best conferences in softball," Wright said. "We are all up for the challenge and ready for this season."
Tennis schedule toughens players
Kansas will play at 1 p.m. tomorrow and Sunday.
Jayhawks to roundup Sooners, Cowboys
By Brent Wasko sports@kansan.com Kansan sportwriter
The Kansas men's tennis team has already faced one of the toughest schedules in the country, and it won't let up for the squad this weekend either.
Kansas has battled through a brutal stretch in its schedule, competing against 11 nationally ranked opponents in its last 13 matches. This weekend the Jayhawks face two more ranked teams
Jayhawks face two more ranked teams — Oklahoma at 10 a.m. tomorrow at the Robinson Center tennis courts and Oklahoma State at 1 p.m. on Sunday at the Plaza Tennis Center in Kansas City, Mo.
But the trying schedule may help, not hurt, the Javahwaks.
Coach Mark Riley said the schedule would help the team prepare for its last two matches of the season against Texas A&M and Texas — matches that could be very important in the Big 12 Conference
"I think our tough schedule has helped our team play more together. It doesn't matter who we face. If we play up to our ability, we can beat any ranked team."
Alex Barragan
sophomore
"I think our tough schedule has helped our team play more together," said sophomore Alex Barragan. "It doesn't matter who we face. If we play up to our ability, we can beat any ranked team."
title race.
"We will definitely be a better team for having played a tough schedule," Riley said. "If we face ranked opponents now, we'll be ready to win those tough matches at the end of the season."
Next up on the Jayhawk's schedule is the No. 49 Oklahoma Sooners. Oklahoma will be looking to rebound from its 0-2 start in the Big 12.
Riley said Kansas always had struggled with the Sooners. The last time the Hawks met them, Oklahoma won the match 5-2. The Sooners are returning five players from that squad, including four seniors.
Oklahoma is especially strong in doubles competition, with Charlie Roberson and Rick Warren pairing up as the
nation's No. 49-ranked doubles team.
Oklahoma State, the Jayhawks' opponent on Sunday at the Plaza Tennis Center in Kansas City, Mo., also is a strong team. The Cowboys are ranked No. 75 in the country and carry a 5-4 overall record. They also are a young squad with only one junior and one senior on their roster. But both teams are tough competition for the unranked 'Hawks.'
"They are both quality teams, which are capable of heating us." Riley said. "If we can defeat both of these teams, we'll be in good shape heading into the end of the season."
Riley said that it should be an advantage for the Jayhawks to be playing at home this weekend. The Jayhawks have played five of their last seven matches on the road.
"It's going to be nice not be on the road for a while," he said. "I think the guys feel more comfortable playing here. We have to win on our own turf."
Barragan said the key to this weekend's matches should be the doubles competition. The Jayhawks have struggled to claim those points this season, and it has contributed to the team's 5-8 overall record.
"We can't afford lose the doubles point this weekend," Barragan said. "We are going to have to play well in all areas of our game if we hope to win."
Drexler steps down as coach of Houston basketball team
The Associated Press
HOUSTON Clyde Drexler quit yesterday as coach of the University of Houston basketball team, only two years after retiring from the NBA to take control at his alma mater team.
"He's been thinking about it a while," said Chet Gladchuk, Houston's athletics director. "It boiled down to his position that he's had a 20-year run in basketball as a player and the last two years as a coach and it's time he needs a break."
Drexler said he wanted to spend more time with his family, in spite of his love for basketball and his job.
with my family.
"The time away from home has been difficult," Drexler said in a statement. "Despite my enthusiasm for the job, I need to prioritize my lifestyle so that I can spend more time
"The day-to-day rigors and demands of this profession take me from them, and at this point, I want to watch my children grow."
Drexler returned to the Cougars in 1998, hoping to return the school to the basketball prominence it enjoyed during the early 1980s when he was a member of the Phi Slama Jama teams that went to the NCAA Final Four three straight years. Drexler was a member of the first two of those teams.
But in his first coaching job, he went 10-17 and 10-21 respectively.
"He jump-started some things we asked him to do," Gladchuk said, crediting Drexler with bringing alumni back to the campus and improving recruiting.
"There was no other agenda, simply that he had 20 years on the road and just wants to watch his children grow up.
"We were very competitive this past year. We've taken a giant step forward. We had a great recruiting class this year. What we've got to do now is capitalize on that ..."
Drexler played most of his 15-year pro career with the Portland Trail Blazers. He was traded to his hometown Rockets in February 1995 and was instrumental that year in leading the team to its second consecutive NBA title.
He ended his pro career after the 1998 season as one of three players in league history to get 20,000 points, 6,000 rebounds and 6,000 assists.
"He's been soul searching since the end of the season," Gladchuk said. "I thought it had stabilized. He said everybody asked how he was feeling about the job and it's been fine."
"But the issues I've mentioned have been weighing on his mind."
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