Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Kansas football player Dan Dercher prepares to make an impact at the NFL combine.
Column
Wednesday
January 27,1999
Section:
B
Page 1
SEE PAGE 3B
The Kansan's Sam Mellinger says this season's low expectations may help Kansas men's basketball.
SEE PAGE 4B
Kansas Soccer
Donna Holyman joins the Kansas soccer coaching ranks as assistant coach.
SEE PAGE 4B
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Jayhawks to battle 'Huskers
Kansas looks to bounce back from Missouri loss
By Kevin C. Wilson Kansan sportswriter
The unpredictable season of the Kansas men's basketball team continues tonight in Lincoln, Neb., when the Jayhawks battle the streaking Nebraska Cornhuskers.
The Jayhawks, 13-5 overall and 5-1 in Big 12 play, limp into the Devany Center after losing their first Big 12 game of the season on Sunday to the Missouri Tigers 71-63. Kansas, which saw its streak of consecutive conference home-court victories end at 55, hasn't suffered back-to-back losses since Feb. 20-23, 1994.
"The challenge for this team and for myself is to go to Nebraska and bounce back, play better and see if we can't get a win," Kansas guard Ryan Robertson said.
Jayhawk freshman guard Jeff Bosbee passes the ball during the Kansas vs. Missouri game Sunday in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks play at Nebraska tonight. Photo by Christina Neff/KANSAN
Kansas will be looking back against a Nebraska team that has won four consecutive games after beginning Big 12 play 0-2. The Cornhuskers, 12-7 and 4-2 in the Big 12, are coming off a
"They're a pretty athletic team, and they're going to be ready to go," Kansas forward Nick Bradford said. "They are going to have a lot of energy, and they're going to try and get a big win against us."
Belcher, a 6-4 junior who averages 12.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game, and Florence, a 6-5 senior who averages 10.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game, complement the center.
And what a big win it would be.
players rank among the top four in the Big 12 in rebounding and blocked shots this season.
In three years of Big 12 play, the Jayhawks have never lost to a conference team other than Missouri, and this would be a bad time to break that streak. The two-time defending Big 12
"The challenge for this team and for myself is to go to Nebraska and bounce back, play better and see if we can't get a win."
commanding 72-55 win against visiting Colorado last Saturday
last Saturday "Nebraska is on a roll right now," Kansas coach Roy Williams said. "They're playing good basketball. We need to come out and play with the intensity we didn't have in the first half (Sunday)."
Ryan Robertson
champions need a win tonight to maintain a share of the conference lead with 7-1 Texas. Four teams, including Nebraska, are closely
The Cornhuskers, who have lost the last nine games against Kansas, are led by center Venson Hamilton, guard Cookie Belcher and forward Larry Florence.
Hamilton, a 6-10 senior who averages a team-leading 14.3 points, will go head-to-head with a familiar face tonight. Hamilton and Kansas center Eric Chenowith were teammates last summer on a Big 12 all-star team that toured Europe. Both
behind the leaders with two league losses.
Williams said before the season began that he knew the league race would be more competitive than in the past.
"I felt that before the season, Oklahoma State and Missouri had the more talented veterans, and they were the ones to look at," Williams said. "It's looked like that so far, but then Nebraska goes in and has a big win at Oklahoma; Oklahoma wins at Oklahoma State; we win at Missouri; they win here. It's a little screwed up."
Because of all the parity in the league, Williams said every game had taken on even greater importance.
"You've got to be able to play and ready to play on game night wherever it is," Williams said.
The Starting Lineup
KANSAS
JAYHAWKS
5-1 Big 12, 13-5 overall
C OCOKIE BELCHER 6-4 JR.
G JOE HOLMES 5-11 JR.
F ANDY MARKOWSKI 6-8 Sr.
F LARRY FLORENCE 6-5 SR.
C VENSON HAMILTON 6-10 SR.
The Devany Center • Lincoln, Neb.
TV: Cable channel 4 and 62
NEBRASKA
NEBRASKA CORNHUSKERS 4-2 Big 12, 12-7 overall
Kansas to tackle Longhorn pressure
By Matt James Kansan sportswriter
Runners, take your marks — get ready ..
get set ... go!
The Kansas women's basketball team may not be taking any starting blocks with them to Austin, Texas, tonight, but Jody Conradt, Texas head coach, would like to pressure the Jayhawks into a game that could be mistaken for a track meet.
Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Frank Erwin Center.
After the 1997-1998 Texas team stumbled to a 12-15 record with clock-draining, methodical half-court sets, Conrad removed the offensive shackles during the off season and turned her young team loose.
"That's how this team has to play," Conrad said. "We have some athletes. We have speed, quickness and depth. It's just a matter of being committed to it."
The commitment to the transition offense and full-court pressure defense has had immediate results for Conradt's team.
Texas improved its overall record to 10-7 after overwhelming the Oklahoma Sooners with a fast-breaking attack in Austin on Saturday. The win gave the Longhorns a 4-3 conference record, with all four wins coming at home.
See PRIDE on page 6B
The Starting Lineup
KANSAS
JAYHAWKS
4-3 Big 12, 14-6 overall
C RASHUNDA JOHNSON 6-4 Fr.
Frank Erwin Center • Austin, Texas
Anschutz renovations scheduled to begin soon
An artist's rendition shows the proposed changes to Anschutz Sports Pavilion. The improvements, which include new turf, lights and banners, are scheduled to begin this spring and will continue until Aug. 1. Photo by Jeff Severin/KANSAN.
New turf, lighting paint job part of plan
By Michael T. Rigg Kansan sportswriter
The University of Kansas Athletics Department wants to renovate Anschutz Sports Pavilion to the tune of about $1.3 million, said Darren Cook, Director of Athletic Facilities.
The proposed improvements, which would include adding new turf and other possible cosmetic changes, are scheduled to begin this spring and continue until Aug.1, said Pat Warren, assistant athletics director.
He said the proposed improvements would use existing department funds. No construction firms have been contracted for the project yet.
Anschutz is used as an indoor training facility for a number of Kansas athletic teams including football,
baseball and softball. The building also serves as home to the Jayhawk track program.
The proposed cosmetic changes include the addition of new lights, a few banners and a new paint job.
Warren said the proposed turf in the facility would be "convertible," meaning it could cover the track that lies on the outside edge of the pavilion. When the track is needed, the turf could be removed.
"The lighting inside of Anschutz right now makes it really hard for the baseball team to take batting practice." Warren said.
"It will be an inconvenience, just like any other construction project," Cook said. "Construction is difficult for everyone. I'm just praying for
Cook also said the construction would be a hassle for all teams needing to use the facility during the proposed changes because many teams like to use Anschutz during bad spring weather.
If spring weather is anything like last year and indoor facilities are needed, Cook said an alternative would be explored.
Rob Bolks, Kansas football administrative assistant, said upgrading Anschutz would help the football program immensely.
good weather this spring."
"We haven't really looked into making other plans while the facility is under construction because we're still in the planning stages." Cook said.
"This will put our indoor facility on par with or better than all the Big 12 teams that we recruit against. We in the football program are looking forward to this very much." Bolks said.
Cook said the project needed to be completed in time for football's first fall practice Aug. 1.
If the proposed changes go through. Anschutz would house a full-length football field, instead of the 90-yard field now used, Bolks said.
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