Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Friday November 5,1999
Football picks
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Despite only one win this year, Baylor coach Kevin Steele is optimistic about his team's game against Kansas.
To see how your football predicting prowess matches the Kansan's, check out the Kansan Web site.
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B
Men's basketball
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Page 1
The Kansas men's basketball team is ranked No. 11 in the season's first ESPN/USA Today Top 25 coaches' poll.
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Confidence baits a trap for Baylor Bears
Kansas running back Mitch Bowles runs through the tackle of a Baylor defender. The Jayhawks will play the Baylor Bears at 1 p.m. tomorrow. Kansan file photo
By Mike Miller
sports@kansan.com
Kansas sportswriter
If Baylor was a person at the bar looking for someone with the most confidence, Kansas would be cooking it breakfast right now.
The Jayhawks are bursting with confidence right now and with good reason. Their shutout of Missouri two weeks ago was the first since 1997, and the 24-17 loss to perennial powerhouse Nebraska was every bit as close as the score indicated. It's a 180-degree turn from the way they played a month ago.
Coming off a 41-7 loss to San Diego State, when the 'Hawks were booed off the field at Memorial Stadium, a lackluster 27-9 win against a winless Southern Methodist team didn't help matters.
Fast-forward four weeks and four games later, and Kansas is playing its best football of the season.
"Time has made us a better foot ball team," Kansas coach Terry Allen said.
Talk to the players on the team and they'll say the reason the 'Hawks are playing better is increased confidence, which came from playing well against one of the best teams in the NCAA. Because, just like in a bar, confidence goes a long way.
The increased confidence should serve the Jayhawks, 3-6 overall, 1-4 in the big 12 Conference, well against Baylor, 1-7 overall, 0-5 in the Big 12. The Bears haven't won since Oct. 2, losing by an average of 34 points. They prefer to run the ball, something the Kansas defense has stuffed recently — allowing an average of only 108 rushing yards the last two games. Before that, Kansas had surrendered 180 yards per game on the ground.
And if Baylor tries to throw the ball, the improved Kansas secondary — which had as much confidence as a wallflower at a junior high dance the first seven games — will be ready.
"We're coming together as a complete defense," safety Kareem High
said. Two changes in the defensive secondary — safety Carl Nesmith and cornerback Muhammad Abdul-Rahim — were implemented against Missouri, giving the secondary improved speed and more physical athletes and, of course, confidence.
"Confidence is probably the No. 1 thing," Allen said. "Those guys were scared to death."
The Jayhawks also will be looking to exact some revenge against Baylor.
Last season, a 31-24 loss to the Bears changed the direction Kansas' season was going. The Jayhawks blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter and dashed their bowl hopes.
"That game a year ago just killed us," Allen said. "That was a sick feeling. They'll be reminded of that."
So motivation, coupled with renewed confidence, should prepare the 'Hawks. If nothing else, they could take their confidence out with them tomorrow night.
- Edited by Julia Nicholson
California warm-up
'Glorified practice' to test Williams' new strategies for offense and defense
Bv Matt Tait
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Break out the uniforms,game time is here.
After three weeks of wearing their mesh practice jerseys, the Kansas basketball team will suit up in their actual game jerseys for the first time this season as they welcome the California East All-Stars for an exhibition game at 7:05 p.m. tomorrow at Allen Fieldhouse (Television: Channels 13 and 62; Radio: 105.9 FM and 1320 AM).
Kansas coach Roy Williams, who traditionally downplays preseason contests, continued to do so Wednesday. Williams said that he looked at the game as more of a glorified practice than anything else.
However, for Jayhawk sophomore forward Jeff Carey a game is a game, and he said that there was nothing like putting on a Jayhawk uniform.
"When you put on that uniform and sit in the locker room before the game, it's a totally different feeling than before a practice." Carey said. "When you run out of the tunnel and hear the 16,000 fans, that's huge. Coach Williams calls it a glorified practice, but I say it's more like an unglorified game."
Tuesday night the California East All-Stars traveled to Syracuse and lost to the Orangemen by only three points, 96-93 — something of which Williams took note.
The meeting will be the Jayhawks' second encounter with the team composed of former college basketball players hailing from California. The squad changes yearly, but generally the team gives colleges across the nation tough contests.
"I'm sure we'll get a test with California," Williams said. "They evidently played Syracuse tough the other night."
Most of the players on the East All-Stars graduated within the past two or three years and attended a variety of universities from Arizona to Valparaiso.
The player on the squad who is most familiar with
While Williams respects the East All-Stars' talent, he said that his focus would be on evaluating the Jayhawks' progress with their new offensive sets — not the opposing team.
Kansas is Mack Tuck, Tuck, a 6-9 center, played college basketball at Colorado from 1993 to 1996, and although he scored in double figures in all five games against the 'Hawks, he was 0-5 against them.
"We'll write the lineups on the board before the game, and that will be the first time that we will talk about them at all." Williams said. "I think it is better to go in there and not know what you are going to get, and see if you can make adjustments out there on the court."
"We still have to get better on 'D,' and we haven't perfected our offense yet." Carey said. "It's good to get exhibition games because that's the first time some of the players will play in front of a crowd of 16,000, and that's a lot different from practice."
Carey said the exhibition game would be a nice way for everyone to get a chance to play in front of a large crowd.
— Edited by Mike Loader
Kansas forward Nick Bradford lays in a basket above a California All-Stars defender in last year's game. The Jayhawks tip off on preseason play against the All-Stars at 7:05 p.m. tomorrow. Photo by Roger Nomer/KANSAN
Jayhawks hope to improve 0-3 record at Texas Tech
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Bv Shawn Hutchinson
No. 1. Kansas sideswiped the Red Raiders in the schools' last meeting Oct. 2 in Lawrence, winning a 3-1 match in dominating fashion.
Two things are evident heading into the Kansas volleyball team's showdown with Texas Tech at 7 p.m. tomorrow in Lubbock, Texas.
And No. 2: The Red Raiders want to return the favor.
"They felt like they had an opportunity to win here and felt it was a disappointing loss."
Kansas coach Ray Bechard said about the "Red Raiders." "We'll combat that with the knowledge that we matched up well with them last time."
start, with a career-high 23 kills including the 1,000th of her career.
Last time, Kansas
senior outside hitter Mary Beth Albrecht turned in a star performance. Albrecht helped the Jayhawks recover from a slow
The Jayhawks won the match 16-14, 12-15, 16-14 and 15-5.
This time the Jayhawks will compete in Lubbock, where Kansas holds an 0-3 all-time record. One of those losses came in embroking fashion
Last season, the Jayhawks scored just five points in three games en route to a 15-2, 15-2 and 15-1 loss on Nov. 7, 1998.
"It was a bad experience down there," Bechard said.
"They're a different team and can throw a huge lineup at you." Bechard said. "But I think our team will be able to handle it."
For the Jayhawks to leave town with a victory, they must try and contain Texas Tech's big-play combination of middle blockers Colleen Smith and Lori Garber. Smith is 6-foot-7 and Garber is 6-3.
--- Edited by John Audisholm
The Jayhawks are in the midst of a two-match losing streak. Last Saturday, Kansas lost a 3-0 match at N. Texas.
The loss dropped the Jayhawks to 15-9 overall and 6-7 in the Big 12 Conference.
On Wednesday night, the Jayhawks were shut out again, this time by No. 13 Nebraska. Kansas hit just .141 for the match, while the Cornhuskers hit .244 and had 15 blocks.
"I think there were moments when we played really well," Kansas sophomore setter Molly LaMere said. "If we can put those all together, we can be right up there with Nebraska."
Kansas football: coming soon to a theater near you
Whose opinion do you get when you can't decide which movie to see at the theater.
Friends? Family? The freckle-faced kid at the ticket window?
How about the starting safeties of the Kansas football team? Hadn't thought of them, huh?
Carl Nesmith and Kareem High have some definite opinions about which films are worth seeing.
And they should know. The entire look.
team goes to the movies every Friday night
The team then stays at a hotel, even for home games. But is the ritual a team bonding experience, or simply a way to ensure the players don't get into trouble the night before games?
Matt
"It's when we come together as a group and a team, and just kind of hang out," High said. "We talk to each other about what we're going to do and talk about what we've watched all week on film."
Matt
James
sports columnist
sports@kansan.com
"Maybe." High said. He
laughed and pondered for a second. "Because a lot can happen between Friday morning and Saturday evening come game time. I just think it's good that we get away."
So how do other cinema patrons react when they see more than 90 large men strolling into the theater?
"When they see the buses come up, everybody's rushing to the ticket booth," High said. "They don't know that we've already got our tickets."
"I liked Fight Club," High said. "We have chosen captains that pick the movie. Sometimes we don't agree, but it's cool. We're just trying to get away. It's all right for me to just go see a different movie."
So what movies do they see? Before the Nebraska game it was *Fight Club* — a story of disillusioned men taking years of frustration out by fighting. Not a bad choice considering Kansas hadn't beaten the Big Red in 30 years.
Nesmith, however, doesn't think the team captains actually make the selections.
"That's what they think, but I know who it is," he said. "Fight Club was all right, but I had to go and find out who was picking those movies, and I found out who it was. But I'm not going to tell the name."
The two safeties combined for an incredible 24 tackles in the near upset of eighth-ranked Nebraska.
Whoever it may be, the cinema selector has quite a flair for irony. Before the Missouri game the team saw Bringing Out the Dead, another fitting choice considering the Out team had lost four of its previous five games before blanking the Tigers 21-0.
Nesmith has needed guidance after switching to defense. He played wide receiver at Butler County Community College and quarterback in high school.
But movie critiquing isn't the only area where Nesmith and High work as a team.
"He's come a long way in learning defense.' High said. "He's fast, and he gets to the ball. When he comes with a dominating hit it charges the whole defense. Everybody wants to get one of those hits."
Defensive end Dion Johnson still may have been thinking about the Nicholas Cage flick when, after the victory, he proudly said, "The bird ain't dead."
High and Nesmith agree that they would rather forget that night at the movies.
"It's fun to play with Kareem." Nesmith said. "He's a great strong safety. We communicate well together, and he makes big plays as well as I do. Things I don't know, he'll help me out."
Did watching *Fight Club* help motivate Nesmith to make 14 tackles against Nebraska including a memorable helmet-to-heLM pop on 245-pound running back Dan Alexander?
"That was a bad one," High said. "Don't waste your money. I sat through it, and I watched it, though. It just gave me more time to think about the game."
"Not really. It just made me go to sleep," he said.
So what movies do the two hard-hitting safeties recommend? Varsity Blues — a movie about high school football in Texas—and The Program — the story of new teammates on a college football team who learn to get along.
High played high school football in Garland, Texas, and both Nesmith and High are new to Kansas after transferring from different junior colleges.
Seems appropriate.
And what movie will the team see before tomorrow's Baylor game?
"I'll see anything," Nesmith said. "As long as it's not what we had the last couple weeks."
James is a Hugoton senior in journalism.
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