Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Thursday
November 4, 1999
Section:
B
Page 1
The Kansas bowling team has picked up where it left off last season with two tournament victories this fall.
SEE PAGE 8B
Big 12 basketball
Read up on the Jayhawks' competition in men's and women's basketball this season.
SEE PAGES 5B AND 8B
Kansas basketball
Coach Roy Williams' process for determining his starting lineup might seem unorthodox to some fans.
SEE PAGE 3B
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Kansas setter Molly LaMere and middle blocker Amanda Reves try to block a Nebraska shot. Nebraska defeated Kansas 3-0 last night at the Horejires Family Athletics Center. The loss dropped the Jayhawks to 15-9 overall and 6-7 in the Big 12. Photo by Eric Sahmman/KANSAN
Kansas hangs tough but loses to Nebraska
By Shown Hutchinson
sports@kansan.com
Kansas sportswriter .
It was clearly a height advantage that decided last night's volleyball match between Kansas and Nebraska.
Nebraska had the height.
Kansas didn't.
The Jayhawks were outblocked 15-7 and, as a result, were upended 3-0 by the No. 13 Cornhuskers at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center. A record crowd of 1,236 fans watched as the Jayhawks dropped to 15-9 overall and 6-7 in
the Big 12 Conference.
Kansas senior middle blocker Amanda Reves highlighted the night by recording the 1,147th kill of her career, a new school record. But that still wasn't enough to stop the Cornhuskers.
"They're big girls, and they have a big height advantage." Kansas sophomore setter Molly LaMere said. "They have the smarts, and they know where to place the ball. They're just good volleyball players all around."
Nebraska's all-around game started early. The Cornhuskers staked themselves to a 6-1 lead in the first game after a Kansas
attacked long. The Jayhawks took a timeout, then proceeded to score the next three points after junior outside hitter Amy Myatt picked up a kill, Nebraska recorded an attack error and Myatt and senior middle blocker Anné Kreimer combined for a block.
From there, Nebraska took control. The Cornhuskers reeled off seven straight points, capped off by an ace by setter Greichaly Cepero. Kansas would score only one more point as the Cornhuskers won the game 15-5.
See GRITTY on page 3B
As the millennium draws to a close, the Kansan will feature the lives and achievements of the 10 greatest athletes at the University of Kansas, as selected by former and current players, coaches, administrators and fans.
Top Athletes from the University of Kansas: 10. Lynette Woodard women's basketball, '78-'81
9. Jim Ryun track, 66-69
7. Ralph Miller men's basketball and football. '38-'40, '41
8. Danny Manning men's basketball, "85-88
kansas millennium athlete No.7 ralph miller Two-sport standout athlete later made the transition from court to the sidelines
story by matt tait
Very rarely today does a man come along who is so connected to the roots of basketball that he can recall conversations with the men who shaped the game.
Ralph Miller, a standout athlete at the University of Kansas from 193840 and in 1941 is one such man.
Miller, a Chanute native, enjoyed an extremely successful career in both football and basketball while at Kansas.
Before coming to Kansas, Miller was a multi-sport star at Chanute High School, where he ran track and played football for four years, played basketball for three and golfed and played tennis for one. In all, he lettered 12 times in five sports during high school.
Out of high school, Miller received offers from 70 schools to play sports. In fact, Miller said that he nearly went to Stanford to be reunited with John Bunn, a man Miller's uncle played with at Kansas. He ultimately chose Kansas, where he played basketball and football.
"I certainly enjoyed sports, and since I rather excelled at them, they became a rather important part of my life," Miller said.
Did he make the right decision?
"I think so, because I met my wife at Kansas, and I really enjoyed playing both football and basketball," Miller said.
Legendary Kansas coach Forrest C. "Phog" Allen recruited Miller to play both sports. His wife, Jean, whom he met in 1938, said she thought that was the turning point in her husband's decision to come to Kansas.
As a football player for the Jayhawks, Miller was both a running back and quarterback for three years and received three varsity letters. He still holds the Kansas record for most touchdown passes in a single game with
five against Washburn in 1938. However, a knee injury during his football career turned Miller away
see MILLER page 4B
contributed photo
Commentary
Determining top10 athletes no easy chore
When I decided that the Kansan sports section should feature the University of Kansas' 10 greatest athletes, I knew that the selection process should be left to the experts.
After all, I only have been on this campus for a little more than three years, while the athletic tradition at Kansas is more than 100 years old.
During the past two months, our staff
During the past two has talked to people who have been around Kansas athletics for much of its history, including longtime broadcaster Max Falkenstein, women's basketball coach Marian Washington and members of the athletics department. But even with expert advice, it is impossible for any "greatest ever list" to be entirely inclusive.
Chris
Fickett
sports editor
sports@kansan.com
For example, many
still are debating Major League Baseball's recent All-Century team. During a World Series telecast, NBC's Bob Costas and Joe Morgan debated whether more minorities should have been represented on the team. Costas and Morgan, and many others, thought that Roberto Clemente, a native of the Dominican Republic, should have made the team.
Just as Clemente was slighted from baseball's All-Century team, there are many other athletes from Kansas who would be worthy of being on the Kansan's top 10 list — especially women.
Unfortunately, men's sports have been more prominent during the course of the century, and it has been only recently that women's sports have been given their just attention.
Had Kansas women's basketball, volleyball and women's soccer enjoyed as long of a tradition as men's basketball, for example, Lymn Pride, Amanda Reves and Natalie Hoogveld probably would have been picked in the top 10 by the experts.
There have been thousands of athletes who have competed at Kansas, and try as we might, your favorite might not make the Kansan's cut.
When looking at Kansas athletic history as a whole, however, recent history takes less precedence, which may explain the look of our list.
As this millennium comes to an end, there seems to be a need to honor and remember the very best athletes that Kansas has fielded, which is one reason why the Kansan is counting down the University's top 10 athletes.
The best reason why I decided for our staff to take on such a project, however, is because I thought it would create debate, which mirrors the goal of higher education to be a marketplace of ideas.
So enjoy today's feature on Ralph Miller, and pick up Tuesday's feature on Kansas athlete No. 6.
And start wondering how your top 10 would stack up against ours.
Fickett is a Palos Heights, Ill., senior in journalism.
Kansas secondary improving thanks to confidence, big hits
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Bv Mike Miller
Sure, it still takes one every now and then — like a 49-yard touchdown pass late in the fourth quarter against Nebraska, which put the 'Huskers ahead for good — but during the last two games, the secondary has been one of the bright points for the Javahawks.
Instead of taking hits, the Kansas secondary is beginning to give some out.
All it took was an enforcer, a revised defensive scheme and a little confidence.
Allen.
"I'd say the last two weeks is the best we've played," said Kansas coach Terry
The secondary used to be the part of the Kansas defense that got burned on a regular basis. One game after another, an opponent would score on a big play.
A 62 yard touchdown in the San Diego State game. An 88 yard touchdown against Kansas State. A 78 yard touchdown against Texas A&M. It was as if someone were rewinding the same play week after week and showing it again.
Help came in the form of two position changes — safety Carl Nesmith in place of Greg Erb and left cornerback Muhammad Abdul-Rahim in place of Quincy Roe — which has allowed Kansas to improve in attitude and personnel.
"We made improvements in our style of play," said safety Kareem High. "Like with Muhammad and Carl, they bring excitement to the defense. Carl with his hits, and Muhammad gets us going in the huddle."
Nesmith has been awarded Biggest Hit more than any other player this year, an award the Kansas coaches give after each game. They are the kind of hits that get shown again and again on the MegaVision board. His hits not only energize the defense, but when the hits are played on the MegaVision, they also can energize the crowd. That suits the players just fine.
"When Carl comes out with a devastating hit, everybody's charged up. Everybody kind of draws off that," High said.
The defensive schemes also have been simplified since the beginning of the season.
"We've just been concentrating on having fun and playing within the system," High said.
"We're playing great," he said. "In the secondary, we're playing with a lot of toughness."
Though the 'Hawks practice several different schemes during the week, they use only two or three during games, which has cut down on mistakes during games.
Though they might give up a big play
Nesmith agrees. He said that improved aggressiveness was the key to the improved play.
The Jayhawks won't be tested too much during the three remaining games because Baylor, Oklahoma State and Iowa State have the three worst passing offenses in the Big 12 Conference.
every now and then, the confidence from the last two weeks has been infectious. Now the secondary believes it can defend the pass and back that confidence up.
But that doesn't concern Nesmith. He just wants to finish the season with some more wins — and a few more hits.
"I run around and make big hits," Nesmith said. "I guess some guys don't expect me to come out and hit them like that."
Edited by Chris Hutchison