SPORTS
MONDAY. MARCH 14, 2005
PAGE 1B
WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE RANT
RYAN COLAIANNI
rcolaianni@kansan.com
It's time to make NCAA bracket predictions
All right everyone, it's that time of year, tournament time, where we all claim to be experts. We tell ourselves that we know who the sleeper team is going to be in the tournament, who is going to be this year's Valparaiso.
or what it is worth, I'll give you my predic-
So for what it is worth, I tions on who is going to dance the longest, and what Kansas' potential slip-up game might be.
The Jayhawks didn't think they would get a No. 3 seed. Going into this past weekend's Big 12 Tournament, they were still in the hunt for a No. 1 seed. They played without their second leading scorer and nearly defeated one of the best teams in the nation. It does not make sense to give the team with the strongest schedule and the top RPI a No. 3 seed.
Look at the number of teams that the Jayhawks played out of conference that made it to the big dance. Vermont, Pacific, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Louisiana-Lafayette, Kentucky, Georgia Tech and Nevada all qualified.
If Kansas met up with North Carolina, it would likely result in the highest television ratings for a college basketball game in the past decade.
Despite the seed, it certainly could be a fun regional final. If Kansas met up with North Carolina, it would likely result in the highest television ratings for a college basketball game in the past decade. The media hype would be deafening. It would be an emotional game for both the players and the coaches.
Not only did Kansas get snubbed from a potential No. 2 or No. 1 seed, it is playing in the hardest bracket in the tournament. Florida and Connecticut are two of the hottest teams in the country right now. Connecticut is loaded with talent, and Florida manhandled Kentucky yesterday, winning by nearly 20.
The one redeeming thing about this bracket is the fact that the Jayhawks will be able to play their opening games in Oklahoma City. In such a tough bracket, the support of the Jayhawk faithful will certainly be helpful.
As for the upsets in this tournament, there are a couple of teams that I think could make some interesting runs. Villanova plays in the dreaded 5 vs. 12 game. Every year a No. 12 seed knocks of a No. 5 seed. Villanova's style of play makes it vulnerable.
TRACK AND FIELD
SEE COLAIANNI ON PAGE 8B
Reaching new heights
Pole vaulter wins national championship, sets school record
BY PATRICK SHEHAN pshehan@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWITTER
Senior pole vaulter Amy Linnen reaffirmed her talent and re-established her dominance as a collegiate pole vaulter this weekend. But most notably, she repeated history, and earned a second national title.
Her victory in the women's pole vault came three years after her first national championship, when she broke the NCAA record with a jump of 14 feet, 8.50 inches. She won that title as an Arizona Wildcat.
Favetteville, Ark.
Linnen won the NCAA Indoor Championship in the women's pole vault, setting a Kansas record with a jump of 14 feet, 1.25 inches in
For Linnen, 2002 was special, but 2005 has been phenomenal, she said.
Linnen became the first jayhawk to win a women's national championship in nine years. Her jump this weekend reset the women's pole
Linnen
vault record at Kansas, which has been rehashed several times this season. Linnen entered the competition as the fourth-ranked pole vaulter in the nation.
Linnen said. they're afraid
"I know in the rankings, it didn't really show," "But now, I think when they see my
name."
Linnen said she knew that she had everything to lose and everything to gain.
"She came here to win the meet, and not to win second or third," Kansas coach Stanley Redwine said.
She also knew the title wouldn't be handed to her.
"I went in with a competitive attitude and just got the job done," Linnen said.
MEN'S BASKETBALL: 78-75
Kansas focuses on positive
SEE POLE VAULTER ON PAGE 8B
Forward Wayne Simien battles an Oklahoma State opponent for a shot during the game Saturday afternoon at Kemper Arena. Simien contributed 15 total points in the 78-75 defeat.
Rylan Howe/KANSAN
Jayhawks take loss in stride ready for NCAA Tournament
BY MIRANDA LENNING
mlenning@kansan.com
KANSAN SENIOR SPORTSWRIETER
The Jayhawks didn't leave Kansas City this weekend with more bling for the trophy case.
A close loss to Oklahoma State at the buzzer kept Kansas out of yesterday's Big 12 Tournament championship game.
But despite their early exit from the tournament, the Jayhawks left Kansas City, Mo., with more confidence, momentum and excitement going into this week's NCAA Tournament.
Kansas coach Bill Self said it was a good weekend for the Jayhawks. They handled Kansas State, 80-67, on Friday, and lost to Oklahoma State, 78-75, in one of the best basketball games of the Bio 12 Conference season.
"The K-State game, whether people want to admit it or not, that is a pressure game with the streak in people's minds," Self said. "And playing without Keith, and us losing the last game of the season to Missouri — that was a pressure game."
Kansas players showed heart, stepping up and filling in the absence of injured senior guard Keith Langford. In Friday's 80-67 victory against Kansas State, guards Jeff Hawkins and Mike Lee elevated their games, as the Jahawks once again rode the back of Big 12 Player of the Year Wayne Simien, senior forward. Hawkins, a junior, scored eight second-half points, while Lee, a senior, pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds. Simien scored 28 points and added 14 boards.
In Saturday's 78-75 loss to Oklahoma State — as much of a classic as the first match-up two weeks earlier — Kansas showed no signs of the stagnant team that fell to Missouri on March 6. Kansas fought hard, hit shots, and collectively, the Jayhawks played as well as they had since their 81-79 victory against the Cowboys on Feb. 27.
Lee scored 14 points while sophomore guard J.R. Giddens scored 11. Freshman forward C.J. Giles, who did not play in seven of the Jayhawks' last 12 games, contributed four points and two rebounds in 11 minutes. Most importantly, Giles' energetic defense helped contain the Cowboys' leading scorer, senior forward Joey Graham.
But the Jayhawks efforts weren't quite enough. After leading for almost the entire first half, the Jayhawks trailed 30-29 at halftime. The Cowboys got up by as many as 11 points, but the Jayhawks hit four-straight three-pointers and turned that into a one-point lead with 7:30 left.
A television time-out with 7:06 remaining killed Kansas' momentum, and Oklahoma State went on a 6-0 run, forcing the Jayhawks to play behind for the rest of the game.
SEE POSITIVE ON PAGE 8B
▼ PROFILE
Assistant job suits former Jayhawk walk-on
Brett Ballard proves to be as big of a basketball asset off the court as he was on it
BY FRANK TANKARD
fankand@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Editor's Note: Kansan sportswriter Frank Tankard will profile a former Kansas men's basketball player each day this week, leading up to the Jayhawks' first game on Friday. Each player featured took the court for the Jayhawks sometime during the last four years. This is the first of the five-part series. Tomorrow, Tankard will profile former forward Bryant Nash.
Brett Ballard still talks about the time his father took him to see Kansas play Kentucky 15 years ago. Some memories don't fade.
He recalls looking up at his dad and not being able to speak over the screaming fans and the band seated just below. He remembers gazing across the cavernous stadium; staring slack-jawed at Terry Brown
drilling seven three point shots while leading the Jayhawks to a record 150 points as brown-haired, second-year coach Roy Williams stalked the sideline. To a nine-year-old kid from Hutchinson, it seemed unreal.
On that night, the Brett Ballard that Kansas coach Bill Self knows was born. He became the pesky little guy who refused to give up and the guy who showed up to the office before the coaches and who left after most of them. This was the guy who walked into Self's office in 2003 as a former walk-on — days after Self was hired — and asked for a job as an assistant.
Years later, Ballard would play on that court as a walk-on guard. When people ask him to name the loudest game he's been to, he tells them it was Dec. 9, 1989.
Ballard may be one of the most loyal, bull-headed, dedicated men in Kansas basketball.
***
Brett Ballard unlocked the door to the Kansas basketball office. It was 8:30 a.m., the morning after a long Senior Night, and he was the first one there, as usual. This is a busy time of year for Ballard. It is filled with editing hours of tape on possible NCAA Tournament opponents.
Ballard, a little groggy, grabbed a drink from the fridge and sat down on the black leather couch in a posh room of the office. He rubbed his eyes and remembered the community college coach who helped him get his chance at Kansas.
Eric Duff coached Ballard at Cowley County Community College in Arkansas City, and then at Hutchinson Community College. He knew Ballard was dedicated and a good point guard — he played more than 35 minutes a game at Hutchinson.
He also knew Ballard was a
Kansas basketball dreamer and always had been. So when Kansas assistant coach Joe Holladay came to games to scout Hutchinson standout Chris Zerbe, Draft told him to keep an eye on Ballard. It didn't help much though — Ballard had two of his worst games of the season.
Hollady didn't see much in Ballard, but Duft told him to give Ballard an opportunity for a walk-on spot. He figured that was all Ballard would need.
"I told him he was a great-conditioned kid, that he's more athletic than he looks, and that he really works." Duft said. "From there, it was all Brett."
Not too tall, not too strong, not well-known by Kansas coaches, Ballard had to impress Williams with his work ethic when he transferred in the fall of 2000.
SEE BALLARD ON PAGE 6B
Brian Lewis/KANSAN
Brett Ballard, Hutchinson native and administrative assistant for the men's basketball team, has worked his way from the stands as a fan, to the floor as a player, to the bench as an administrative assistant. Now he contributes to the team behind the scenes rather than in front of the crowd.