SPORTS
FRIDAY, MARCH 18, 2005
PAGE 1B
WWW.KANSAN.COM
▼ FOR THE WEEKEND
JOE BANT
jbant@kansan.com
Intramurals offer break from NCAA Tournament
The madness starts today.
No, I'm not talking about the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Yes, Kansas does open up tournament play tonight with its first-round match-up against Bucknell, beginning the seniors' last run and last opportunity for a national championship. And yes, that's a road that will certainly be filled with drama and climax at every turn.
But the madness I'm referring to right now is a little closer to home than Oklahoma City, Syracuse and St. Louis. It's at Nismith and 18th streets.
I'm talking about the Rock Chalk Classic at the Student Recreation Fitness Center. Up to 14 men's and women's intramural teams are set to square off in a single-elimination tournament for the opportunity to compete in the National Intramural Basketball Championships April 15 to 17 at Georgia Tech in Atlanta.
Most of the competing teams are from the University of Kansas, but Washburn, Southern Illinois, Oklahoma State and Eastern Kentucky are also represented, in most cases sending the cream of their intramural basketball crops. Throw in 46 out-of-state staff members from locations such as Ohio, Wisconsin and Florida, and all the T-shirts, hoopla and trophies, and what you have is an intramural tournament like nothing Kansas has put on before.
"It's our own little version of March Madness," said Kurt Schooley, assistant director of sports programs.
Schooloy and the rest of the recreation services staff came up with the idea to host the tournament last spring and formally applied in the fall to be a regional site. Since then, it's been a process of securing sponsorships and hotel reservations for incoming staff, ordering the T-shirts and trophies and soliciting teams. Schooloy said the work required 100 volunteers and staffers. It was work, he said, that would pay off this weekend.
The University is one of eight regional host sites around the country, with the victors from each region advancing to the championship at Georgia Tech.
Schooley said he figured being associated with the KU name and basketball tradition would be a draw. He said that it would be an opportunity to show off the new recreation center.
Bant is a Colorado Springs, Colo., senior in journalism.
The Kansas legacy drew at least one competitor from Southern Illinois. Senior Maggie Rodeffer made the four-and-a-half hour car trip to Lawrence yesterday with several teammates. She said she had always rooted for the lavwhaws.
jeeynawks.
"I'm a big KU fan," Rodede said. "Everyone makes fun of me because I'm from Illinois. For me, it's a big deal."
Rodeffer comes with a team that took second in her school's intramural competition and said winning the national bid would be a blast. But she said she was more interested in having fun competing and hanging out in Lawrence.
You might call Rodeffer a veteran of these "extramural" competitions. She's worked on the staff at a couple and played in a flag football tournament.
"It's a lot of fun to go and participate against people from other schools," she said.
On the surface, Schooley said the tournament this weekend wouldn't look much different than a normal intramural basketball tournament — except, of course, for the T-shirts and hoopla and slicker-looking officiating crews that have three people instead of the usual two. The officiating crews are themselves part of the competition because the best officials, which are selected by a committee, go to nationals.
Schooley also said the bleachers would be arranged to accommodate more spectators. So, if for whatever reason you tire this weekend of the wall-to-wall tournament coverage or develop lesions from sitting on the couch too long, head down to the recreation center to catch some live action of athletes battling for a different kind of championship.
"I intramural sports is not varsity basketball." Schoolie says. "It's not even club sports. These are people that just love to play."
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Healthy and anxious
Mike Lee, senior guard, answers a question about the team making up for Keith Langford's absence at yesterday's press conference in Oklahoma City. Lee, junior forward Christian Moody and junior guard Jeff Hawkins answered questions about tonight's match-up against Bucknell.
NCAA Tournament brings Jayhawks a range of emotions
BY MIRANDA LENNING
mlenning@kansan.com
KANSAN SENIOR SPORTSWITER
OKLAHOMA CITY — If Kansas' locker room was any indication of the Jayhawks' attitude going into tomorrow's first-round game against Bucknell, the Jayhawks will be loose, excited and anxious.
After their 6 p.m. practice yesterday it was more like a shootaround the Jayhawks headed to the locker room to change clothes and talk to the media, although most of the time was spent goofing around.
Sophomore guard J.R. Giddens couldn't stop laughing while he
SEE JAYHAWKS ON PAGE 3B
Langford's decision to play tonight in his own hands
BY MIRANDA LENNING mleningd@kansan.com KANSAN SENIOR SPORTSWRIVER
OKLAHOMA CITY — When Keith Langford woke up yesterday morning, he was surprised to flip on the television and hear CBS report he wasn't going to play in the Jayhawks' game against Bucknell on Friday.
That was the word that came out of the Jayhawk camp before they left on Wednesday, but Langford, senior guard, said if the decision was up to him, he would play.
"The doctor says it's still questionable, but if you ask me, I'm going." Langford said.
Langford suffered a relapse of
SEE LANGFORD ON PAGE 3B
PROFILE
Drew in good company
Former Kansas player works hard in NBA offseason to help Cavaliers
BY FRANK TANKARD
fiankand@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Editor's Note: Kansan sports-writer Frank Tankard will profile a former Kansas men's basketball player each day this week, leading up to the Jayhawks' first game tonight. Each player featured took the court for the Jayhawks sometime during the last four years. This is the last installment of the five-part series.
The first thing Drew Gooden did was buy a house. The Memphis Grizzlies had selected him as the fourth pick of the 2002 NBA draft, and he figured he'd be there for a long time, maybe raise a family there some day.
Three years and two teams later, Gooden, a former Kansas All-American, isn't about to start planting seeds.
Now in the midst of a season with the Cleveland Cavaliers in which he's averaging 14.1 points and 9.5 rebounds per game, he has a different take on NBA life than he had when he left Kansas after his junior year as the program's 14th all-time leading scorer.
Cleveland Cavaliers forward Drew Gooden, right, waits for a rebound with Utah Jazz forward Anborel Kirilenko Tuesday. Gooden has had some success in support of superstar LeBron James, but he said he was hesitant to plan roots anywhere. Cleveland is Gooden's third NBA city since he left Kansas in 2002.
Mark Duncan/THE ASSOCIATED PRES
SEE GOODEN ON PAGE 3B
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