THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
PAGE 1B
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2005
WWW.KANSAN.COM
▼ WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: 70-60
Bear-ly defeated
Jayhawks lose on Senior Night
BY PAU BRAND
pbrand@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFT WRITER
For a few minutes, the nearimpossible seemed as though it might actually occur. The magic of Senior Night swept over the Jayhawks and almost willed them back into a game against a top-10 team. The crowd stood on its feet as it watched Kansas charge back from an 18-point second-half deficit to cut the Baylor lead to only six, 50-44. All the momentum was on the side of the Jayhawks.
But in the end, the comeback fell short as the muscle of No. 6 Baylor, 22-3 (12-2 Big 12 Conference), firmly asserted itself to finally put away a pesky Kansas team, 70-60. The defeat marked the sixth loss in the same number of games against ranked opponents this season. Baylor, the first-place team in conference, has now won nine consecutive games.
Early in the game, Kansas, 12-13 (5-9 Big 12), struggled to find offense
against a much larger Baylor team and dug an early hole, falling behind 21-5 at the 10-minute mark of the first half.
Kansas did not roll over, and closed out the half with a flurry of Aquanita Burras scores.
"I'm proud of our kids to make a run at the end of the half,"coach Bonnie Henrickson said.
The run consisted primarily of baskets from the senior guard, Burras, who accounted for 15 of the last 17 Kansas points of the half. The senior guard sank seven of 10 shots in the first period. Burras established position by posting up down low, drove hard from the perimeter and even hit a three-pointer to lead the late charge.
On several trips, Burras was the only offensive choice even considered by the Jayhawks, and there was nothing the Bears could do about it. Burras finished with 24 points, tying her career high.
"They struggled to guard her off the dribble." Henrickson said.
SEE SENIOR NIGHT ON PAGE 3B
Aquanita Burras, Kansas senior guard, defends Chelsea Whitaker, Baylor senior guard, during the remaining minutes of the game against Baylor last night.
Brian Lewis/KANSAN
RECRUITING
Top recruits selected as high school all-stars
BY MIRANDA LENNING
mlenning@kansan.com
KANSAN SENIOR, SPORTSWRIVER
Kansas fans can watch all three of the Jayhawks' signeres before they even slip on a jersey. Mario Chalmers, Micah Downs and Julian Wright were all named to the 2005 McDonald's All-American team last night.
The all-star game for high school seniors, which pits the best high school players from the West versus players from the East, will be played March 30 in South Bend, Ind. Kansas, Duke and North Carolina all had three players selected for the game. Chalmers, a point guard from Anchorage, Alaska, and small forwards Wright, Chicago Heights, Ill., and Downs, Bothell, Wash., will all play on the West team.
"It's just a chance to play with the best of the best," Chalmers said. "It's going to be fun to go out there and represent the Kansas connection."
EXCELLENT ADVENTURE
Kansas coach Bill Self said there were two sides to having signees play in the high-profile game.
BILL CROSS bcross@kansan.com
Save booing for Kansas' opponents
Think about the last time you bombed a test or had a rough day at work.
Kansas sophomore guard J.R. Giddens has obviously been in a slump lately. Everyone, including the coaches and Giddens himself, has been frustrated by his play.
What if you had gone home afterwards and found 16,300 people — people who have supported you for two years — screaming profanities, flinching you off and booing?
"These are still amateur athletes and they're out there trying." Kansas coach Bill Self said after Saturday's home loss against Iowa State. "Certainly, he didn't play one of his better games."
But when Giddens, the team's top three-point threat, entered the Iowa State game during the Jayhawks' late-game rally, jeers from the student sections showered him.
Give him a break.
Between the "Fuck Missouri" chant and verbal bashing of his players, Self's limited reaction has been admirable.
"The fans were frustrated and certainly players were frustrated," Self said Saturday. "But that's not typical of our student body."
I shouldn't ask you to stop booing the Jayhawks; just ask yourself why you're doing it before you start. If Wayne Simien went 3-for-16 from the field, fans would have pity on him. But it was Giddens, the team's extravagant showman, and fans judge Giddens more harshly because of his flamboyant personality.
His chest thumping, jersey popping and on-court jawging gets on our nerves, and some fans tried to take his ego down a peg by booing on Saturday. And they enjoyed it. It's fun to torpedo giant egos and kick guys while they're down, even when they're on your favorite team. And unfortunately, Kansas fans haven't had a chance to kick opposing players while they're down for quite a while.
I don't have to tell you how important the Allen Fieldhouse crowd is. Other crowds may count as the sixth man, but the fieldhouse fanatics, when they're on, can easily count as the seventh and eighth. So shape up and support our team. Otherwise, on Sunday, the Jayhawks could lose a second-straight home game for the first time since 1989.
But let's be careful about how we take out our frustration. Booing KU players in Allen Fieldhouse just moves you below Giddens on the personality rankings.
And stop booing the Jayhawks
So support the players regardless of their per sonalities.
Cross is a Kansas City, Mo., senior in journalism. He is the Kansan sports editor.
PROFILE
Past player lives a dream
Contributed by University Archives/Spencer Research Library Former Kansas guard Billy Thomas during the 1997-98 season, his senior year.
Former guard signs with New Jersey, gets his big break
BY KELLIS ROBINETT
krobinett@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Billy Thomas has been to a lot of games in Allen Fieldhouse, but something just felt different to him this time.
The round of applause he received didn't surprise him, and neither did his front-row seat directly behind Kansas coach Bill Self.
What made watching Saturday's game between Kansas and Iowa State so special for the former Kansas sharpshooter was that it was his first time in the Phog as an NBA player.
The 29-year-old recently signed with the New Jersey Nets and traveled to Lawrence during the NBA's All-Star Break.
"I always get a warm reception," he said. "This time, I've come back and I'm where I want to be in my professional life, and it's even better."
The journey Thomas took to achieve his dream of playing in the NBA couldn't have been scripted more dramatically.
He graduated as Kansas' all-time leading three-point shooter, but Jeff Boschee eventually passed him with 338.
His rise to the top is the basketball equiv alent of Cinderella going to the ball.
For years, his college record
The former guard, who played at Kansas from 1995 to 1998, was overlooked by every NBA franchise. This oversight happened despite making 269 three-point shots during his college career, which is the second most of any Iavhawk.
Former Kansas guard Billy Thomas sits behind the Kansas bench during Saturday's game against Iowa State. Last week, Thomas, who is second in Jayhawk history with 269 three-point shots made, signed to play for the New Jersey Nets until the end of the season. He said he planned to sign a multi-year deal after the NBA season.
was the only thing people knew about him
"It is a fair tale story and it couldn't have happened to a nicer person and a nicer young man," former Kansas coach Roy Williams said. "I've spoken to Billy a few times, and I'm just so happy for him, because he's a kid that persevered. He never made much money at it, but has just been willing to keep at it because he's got a big-time dream."
Until now, that is.
After spending seven years in American minor league systems, such as the National Basketball Development League, the United States Basketball League and the International Basketball League, he played overseas in the Philippines, Italy and Argentina. He finally got called up to the NBA on a 10-day contract earlier this year.
He took full advantage of his opportunity and scored 12 points in two separate games and helped New Jersey to a four-game winning streak.
In a game against the Golden State Warriors, Thomas came off the bench with his team trailing in the fourth quarter.
He played strong defense and scored seven unanswered points to lead New Jersey to victory.
FOOTBALL
SEE DREAM ON PAGE 3B
BY RYAN COLAIANNI
rcolaiani@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Big 12 wants instant replay
The conference is looking at three potential replay models to implement. Members of the conference have been asking coaches which system they would prefer, assistant Big 12 commissioner Bob Burda said.
System name
♦ The "NFL" model
♦ The "Big Ten" model
♦ The "hybrid" model
POSSIBLE INSTANT REPLAY SYSTEMS
The Big 12 Conference intends to have instant replay at all of its football games next season and is now looking into which type of system to use for games.
The Big 12 Conference is considering three possible systems for instant replay during the 2005 football season. Kansas football coach Mark Mangino said he had not versed himself on all the details, but he would prefer a model similar to the National Football League's.
Who can challenge?
♦ Coaches*
♦ Replay official
♦ Coaches or a replay official
Kansas football coach Mark Mangino said he was still learning all the details.
"I think, at first glance, this is
Source: Big 12 Conference
something that I would be in support of." he said.
Mangino said he would prefer a system similar to the NFL replay system. In this system, a coach can
challenge a play, but if the coach loses the challenge, the team loses a time out.
The NFL system allows coaches to have two challenges per game.
Mangino
During the final two minutes of each half, however, a play can only be reviewed by an official in a booth above the stadium.
"Anything that is going to make our conference better I am in support of." Mangino said.
The Big Ten was the first conference to use instant replay last season. Their system did not allow coaches to participate, because challenges could only come from a technical advisor in a booth.
SEE REPLAY ON PAGE 3B