THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
FRIDAY, IANUARY 21, 2005
COLUMN: 'Hawks showed strength many times WOMEN: Coaches, players ready for Showdown
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Examples abound.
Junior forward Christian Moody, already vastly improved from seasons past, showed he could perform when it mattered when he led the team with 11 points and grabbed seven rebounds against Kentucky, earning player-of-the-game honors. Freshman forward C.J. Giles also played probably his best game to date against the Wildcats, hitting all five of his shot attempts and recording six rebounds even though foul trouble limited him to only 17 minutes of playing time.
Freshman Alex Galindo went from junk time to clock time. It
was his guarded three in overtime against Georgia Tech that cut into what was then a fourpoint lead for the Yellow Jackets. In the following game against Texas A&M, it was Galindo, with another three-pointer, who broke a tie with the Aggies with less than a minute to go.
And, of course, there are always the stalwarts: Langford, Miles, senior forward Wayne Simien and senior guard Mike Lee. Those four have made careers out of seizing opportunities on the court, hitting clutch shots, making timely passes, and being where they need to be when they need to be there.
Kansas isn't crushing opponents — not yet, at least, and the Jayhawks aren't putting up 90 points a game, nor will they. And sometimes, like Wednesday night against the 'Huskers, they're needed a little bit of luck in their corner, but they're making shots and stops when they need to, and different players are doing it.
And come March, it won't be the flash-and-dash glitz that cuts down the nets in St. Louis, it'll be the "been there, done that" swagger of experience and grit, which Kansas is showing it has in abundance.
Bant is a Colorado Springs, Colo., senior in journalism.
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action with the team after transferring from Kansas State last winter, she has started each of her eight games and averaged a team-high 14.3 points per game. She averages 33.5 minutes per game and is a 70 percent foul shooter.
Besides Brooks, the Tigers have two other viable scoring options. Junior guard LeToya Bond and junior center Christelle N'Garsanet both average more than 12 points per game. Bond, who plays a team-high 34 minutes per game, also averages four assists per contest. N'Garsanet grabs a team high 6.3 rebounds a
game and has a team high 28 blocks. She is one of four Tigers who stand 6-foot-3. That size concerns coach Henrickson.
"We go from playing one of the smallest teams in the conference in A&M to playing one of the biggest teams in the conference in Missouri," Henrickson said. "They are huge."
To win, Kansas will have to rebound better than it has in previous games. Against a team with the size of Missouri, boxing out is the key, Henrickson said.
"We need to rebound with more effort," she said. "We need to box out better. It's all about effort and intensity, and we
need to step it up in both of those areas."
In the all-time series, Kansas remains ahead of Missouri 34-31 and holds a 15-10 edge in Lawrence. Last season, both teams stole road victories with the Jayhawks' 55-52 victory in Columbia, Mo. and a 76-49 loss at home.
Besides the storied intensity of the rivalry and the importance of the key conference match-up, the contest is worth 1.5 points in the third annual Kansas/Missouri Border Showdown. Kansas currently leads this season's edition by a count of 7.5 to 5.5.
Edited by Lisa Coble-Krings
CHALMERS: Recruit chooses Kansas over three other teams, ready to play in Allen Fieldhouse
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Hansbrough finished with 36 points, nine rebounds and, unofficially, eight slam dunks.
Chalmers had a more balanced stat line. He finished with 27 points, eight rebounds, seven steals and six assists. He managed all of this in spite of being double-teamed throughout the game and often facing a third defender when he had the ball.
With a stronger supporting east, Chalmers' numbers could have been higher. His teammates missed several lay-ups and short-range shots, failing to convert Chalmers' assists.
Chalmers' father, Ronnie, is the coach of the Bartlett Golden Bears. Though his team lost to Poplar Bluff 86-57. Ronnie was pleased after the game.
"He's been playing out standing," he said. "You can tell that he matured a lot over the summer and improved his game on both ends of the court."
Either here ... or there
Mario chose Kansas over Georgia Tech. Wake Forest University and Arizona. Surprisingly, Mario has never actually seen a game in Allen Fieldhouse, having only been for Late Night in the Phog.
"To me, its just another arena. I've played in front of big crowds before, but this time it will be easier for me because it will be my fans, and I'll feel welcome," Mario said.
After watching the Jayhawks defeat Georgia Tech on ESPN, Mario knew he had made the right decision.
"Lawrence is a basketball town, and that's what I really liked," he said. "Everybody follows the Jayhawks up there. Plus, I really like the up-tempo style that they play."
Hansbrough made a different decision, choosing North Carolina over several other schools, including Kansas. Hansbrough said Williams was the biggest factor in his decision to play in Chapel Hill.
"I love the way he develops his big men," Hansbrough said. "It basically came down to me liking coach Williams
"He's so explosive. He'll be an
impact player for us. He and Russell Robinson together will create a lot of havoc."
Men's basketball coach
Bill Self
better than the coaches at the other schools."
Playing time was also a factor for Hansbrough, who looked at the teams' situations and felt his best chance to play right away was at North Carolina.
"I feel that I can step in to North Carolina and make an impact right away," Hansbrough said. "I will get a lot more playing time than I could have gotten at Kansas."
S*ar of tomorrow
Coach Bill Self drove to Springfield Sunday morning after returning from Kansas' 76-61 victory against Colorado. Self said he was excited about pairing Mario
with freshman guard Russell Robinson in the backcourt next season.
"He's so explosive," Self said of Mario. "He'll be an impact player for us. He and Russell Robinson together will create a lot of havoc."
Jayhawk fans have reason to be excited about Mario's arrival: He averages 27.6 points and 7.4 steals per game. His no-look passes, among other things, have earned him the nickname "Super Mario."
"He's a magician out there on the court. Mario has the great ability to see things happen before they actually do," Ronnie said.
Shay Wildeboor of rivals.com is also quick to praise the talented guard. Wildeboor, who follows Kansas basketball recruiting and has watched Mario play several times, said he was the real deal and a nightmare on defense.
Ronnie said his son could score 40 to 50 points per game, if he wanted.
Mario said he would rather dish out assists than accumulate points, however.
"I try to get all of my teammates involved," Mario said. "If I need to score, I can score."
Ronnie has coached his son since sixth grade, so watching from the stands will be a new experience for him and will take some time to get used to, he said.
"It's going to be tough," he said. "I try not to think about it, but when this season ends, it's all going to hit me."
He is even considering retiring from high school coaching after this season.
It will also be tough for Mario, who will have to take directions from someone new.
"It will be a little weird, but to be honest, coach Self is almost the same coach as my dad. They believe in a lot of the same principles," he said.
Cheering on the Jayhawks 2,700 miles away
Mario was born and raised in Anchorage, but most of his extended family lives in North Carolina. The Air Force transferred his father to Alaska in 1982.
Because Mario cannot make it to Allen Fieldhouse, he and
his family gather around the television in their house and cheer for the Jayhawks by watching as many games as they can.
Surely he is imagining a time a few years from now when those same people will be gathered together in that same room watching him play in that same crimson and blue.
"We've watched almost every game on TV," Ronnie said. "We're following them very closely and are rooting for them hard."
While watching, Mario has noticed sophomore guard J.R. Giddens' No. 15 jersey. Mario wears that number for Bartlett and has worn it his entire life. He doesn't plan on having to switch numbers either, he said.
"I'm going to try and talk J.R. into letting me have it," he said.
Regardless of what number Mario wears next season, Jayhawk fans should be excited. "Super Mario" is coming to town.
- Edited by Lisa Coble-
Krings
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