Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Quarterback Jay Alexander looks forward to next season with the Jayhawks.
Thursday
April 8,1999
Section:
B
SEE PAGE 3B
Page 1
UCONN guard Khalid El-Amin announced he would return for his junior season.
Basketball
SEE PAGE 8B
Pro Basketball
Los Angeles Sparks star and former Kansas player Tameka Dixon writes almost as well as she plays. Dixon has a new children's book coming out.
SEE PAGE 2B
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UConn star to continue NCAA career despite trend
Khalid El-Amin gave a vote of confidence yesterday to the institution that made him famous.
By announcing that he will return for his junior year after helping Connecticut win the national championship, ElAmin assured men's college basketball of at least one experienced star.
And he may have reversed a trend of early
departures that has too often turned the greatest game on the planet into an NBA preparatory course.
Sam
Mellinger
sports@kansan.com
During UConn's title run, America fell in love with the pudgy, charismatic kid from Minnesota. He answered all the fat jokes with a warm smile and was featured in several profile stories describing his ambitious eating habits.
El Amin thrived in his new fame and was named to the Final Four all-tournament team after recording a total of 30 points and 10 assists in the two victories. Players such as Antonio McDyess have used an outstanding postseason performance to justify an early entry to the NBA.
And with a national championship, there figured to be little incentive for El-Amin to return.
There was warranted concern from pro scouts about his weight — at 5-10, he's listed at more than 200 pounds — but El-Amin clearly is among the nation's top point guards and would have been a first-round NBA selection.
Except fun.
"I think doing it a second time would be even better," he said at the announcement. "I want to come back and try to relive the great memories and experiences."
Of course, there likely are other reasons he is returning. Though El-Amin's leadership is unquestioned, NBA teams surely wondered how he would perform without consensus All-American Richard Hamilton. And another year and a few less pounds may boost his draft position into the top five, which would translate into more money.
I can't pretend to know his every thought, but clearly, this was not a decision based on money. El-Amin has bucked the trend of premature jumps to the NBA, a practice that has given some players early cash, but the temptation has deprived many more young men of the chance to thrive and develop.
Kevin Garnett started this fad unintentionally. He wanted to go to college, but when his test scores were too low, his options were junior college or the NBA. Not a hard decision.
So when Garnett was picked fifth and had a solid rookie season — 10 points, six boards per game — inexperienced players all over the country began submitting
See PAST on page 2B
Senior first-baseman Chad King is caught in a cloud of dust after Southwest Missouri State's Shayne Ferrer tagged him out trying to steal home. Kansas lost the game 16-10. Photo by Graham K. Johnson/KANSAN
Kansas drops doubleheader against Southwest Missouri
By Matt Tait
sports@kansas.com
Kansas sportswriter
In a night littered with home runs and arguments, the Kansas baseball team dropped a doubleheader to Southwest Missouri State last night at Hoglund Ballpark.
The Jayhawks scored 10 runs in the first game, which most days would be enough to win, but wound up losing 16-10 as the Bears pounded out 17 hits and rallied their way through four Kansas pitchers. The Jayhawks lost the second game 11-4.
The home runs came out early in the first game as Southwest Missouri State's Ryan Howard launched a solo shot in the second inning off of Kansas starter Chris Williams, who lasted four innings, giving up five runs and striking out five.
Kansas' Chad King answered Howard's shot in the bottom of the inning when he belted a solo shot of his own to right center for his second homer of the year.
"I changed my stance a little, and I'm seeing the ball a lot better because of that." King said.
The home run gave the Jayhawks a 3-1 lead heading into the third inning. The Bears added one in the top of the third to cut the gap to one, but in the bottom of the inning Kansas freshman Corey Harrington hit a solo shot to push the lead back to two.
The Jayhawks knocked out Southwest Missouri State's starter in that inning, but reliever Matt Smith came in and pitched well.
Part of the reason Smith earned the win was because the Bears' bats came alive
John Pfeifer, Lawrence resident and '84 KU graduate, watches the Kansas baseball team play Southwest Missouri State while his son Clayton, 3, sits on his lap. Kansas lost both games of yesterday's doubleheader at Hoglund Ballpark. Photo by Graham K. Johnson/KANSAN
Southwest Missouri State added three in the sixth, four in the seventh and four in the eighth and sealed the deal, as the runs were enough to outlast any Kansas rallies. Included in the three inning outburst were two more Bears home runs.
"We gave up 11 runs in 8 innings," coach Bobby Randall said. "That took us right out of the game. Our defense did OK, and our offense scored 10 runs — that should win the game. But we didn't pitch well tonight."
throughout the rest of the game.
questioning umpires' calls. Southwest Missouri State coach Keith Guttn, assistant Brent Thomas and also Randall made several trips from the dugout to the field to argue calls.
Both games saw a bevy of managers
In the second game Randall was ejected by the umpire for venting his frustrations about a questionable call.
wayne I saw them wrong or maybe I saw them right — I don't know— but it's frustrating right now," Randall said.
The second game picked up right where the first game left off in terms of Southwest Missouri State offense. The Bears picked up a run in the first and five in the second to jump on the 'Hawks 6-0. The lead was pushed to 11-0 by the third inning before Kansas managed to score.
Three home runs in the first three innings provided the lead for the Bears and starter Andrew Jefferson held it. Jefferson gave up only four runs in six innings and picked up the win.
Three of the four runs came off of another King home run, a monster blast to straightaway center.
"I think everyone's frustrated," King said. "But if there is a silver lining, it's the fact that these aren't conference games."
Right fielder Doug Dreher, who had four hits in the two games, agreed with King and said that the team was still in contention.
"We just have to go out and play well this weekend, because we're still in the race for the eighth spot," Dreher said. "It's not that hard to turn it around as long as we play well. We've got a lot of games left."
- Edited by Clint Hooker
All-American pole vaulter tries to stay grounded
By Mike Miller
mike@kmspn.com
Kansan sportswriter
If Andrea Branson could do one thing right now, she would go fishing.
As a two-time All-American pole vaulter, Branson's time is consumed by practice, meets, homework and, when time allows, sleep.
But if today were a free day for her, she would head to Clinton Lake and — if things went well — come home smelling of fish.
Her commitments to track and her computer science major keep her extremely busy. When she's not at practice, she spends her time at Learned Hall.
"If I had no homework or prac
Branson: Ready for NCAA Outdoor Championships.
tice," she says,
her eyebrows raising
in astonishment,
"that'd be unbelievable.
As it is, I have
to settle for Potter Lake."
She says that she has caught fish out of Potter two times.
— two catfish and a carp — and one of them was ...
"I caught one catfish, brought it
incredibly resilient.
To learn to pole vault as a sophomore at Shawnee Mission East, Branson had to stay after practice and work with the track coach after he was finished coaching the boys' team.
home and put it in our fountain.
It lived for about a year, even after we cleaned out the fountain with bleach," she said.
"It wasn't even an event her sophomore year," said her mother, Paula. "I think the coaches thought she was a little crazy, but really determined."
Branson may be as stubborn.
That determination and fortitude caught the eye of Kansas jumps coach Rick Attig during Branson's senior year in high
school. After she attended Attig's summer jumping camp at Kansas, Branson was smitten with the Kansas track and field program.
Particularly the pole-vault program.
During his 15 years at Kansas, Attig has coached 26 conference champions, 25 All-Americans and two NCAA record breakers. He coached Pat Manson and Scott Huffman, pole vaulters still ranked in the top 10 among pole vaulters in the United States.
It was this tradition and success that Branson wanted.
coached Huffman, her eyes lit up."
"She wants to go to the Olympics," her mother said. "When she heard that Attig
coached Huffman, her eyes it up. Branson is ranked fourth nationally in the pole vault and wants to compete after college in the pole vault, but tries to focus on the outdoor season.
See BRANSON on page 2B
"I try not to think about everything that's happened so far," Branson said.
She placed second to teammate Candy Mason last year at the Big 12 Championships, then vaulted 12-1 1/2 at the NCAA Indoor Championships. The mark earned her All-American honors as a freshman.
so far, that's been nothing but success.
Robertson sixth pick in USBL selection
Former point guard may play in Salina
By Mike Harrity sports@ukans.edu Kansas sportswriter
Williams told Robertson, who has hopes for an NBA career, that he had never seen a player go there and play poorly and still get drafted.
Robertson's play was far from poor.
Roy Williams had a simple message for Ryan Robertson before his former player left for Portsmouth, Va., to play in an NBA invitational last weekend.
1
"Coach Williams seems to think my chances of getting drafted are 50/50," said
By the end of the invitational, played in front of a slew of pro scouts, Robertson had made the all-tournament team and his team had won the championship. His best game came in the second of his team's three victories, when he scored 23 points, making nine of 11 shots. His totals for the weekend: 39 points, 19 assists and one turnover.
Robertson of the NBA draft. "I think the initial feeling about the draft is that I'm kind of on the borderline.
"Playing well this past weekend just gave myself more of an opportunity down the road."
Another road Robinson might travel could take him to Salina, a two-hour drive from Lawrence. Yesterday, the Kansas Cagerz of
Robertson: Could be drafted by NBA, but assured USB spot.
the United States Basketball League (USBL) selected Robertson with their first- round pick (the sixth overall).
The league, which employs the same rules as the NBA, provides players a chance to showcase their skills for scouts on a regular basis. During the 12 years of the league, 120 former USBL players have made it to the NBA.
The Cagerz have already signed former Javhawk Billy Thomas to a contract.
Robertson, however, will wait until after talking to Williams during their scheduled meeting today to make a decision.
in me thinks it's a good idea for me to do, and he thinks it's something that'll help me, I'd probably do it," Robertson said. "Obviously, playing with Billy is something that's very appealing, but that won't really influence my decision.
"There are a lot of positives, but there are also some negatives. It would give me a chance to make a very small amount of money, but more importantly it would give me a chance to stay in shape."
If Robertson were to sign with the Cagerz, he would miss the first few weeks of the season, completing his degree in business administration.
The Cager 12 pay veterans salaries ranging from $400 to $450 a week and rookies about $300 weekly. The USBL season lasts from April 30 until the last week of June. NBA rookie and free-agent camps open in early July.
It would be worth the wait for Cagerz vice president and coach Tom Hughes.
preidentate race in the draft," Ryan was our No. 1 priority in the draft," Hughes said. "Almost every night we play a game, there will be scouts from the NBA, the CBA and international scouts as well. The exposure that Ryan could get from our league would benefit his future plans."
Whatever the future holds, Robertson says he's happy with the start of his professional basketball journey and will continue to seek the advice of his old coach.
"A lot of my decisions about playing pro is just a matter of what Coach Williams thinks is a good idea and going from there," said Robertson, who has yet to sign with an agent. "I'm happy with my performance in Portsmouth, and hopefully down the road will continue to go well for me."
Edited by Melody Ard