POLE VAULTING Russian-born pole vaulter Ekaterina Sultanova broke the state record but has higher goals. PAGE 3B
SPORTS
FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2005
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Showdown nears
BY PAUL BRAND AND BJ RAINS
sports@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITERS
www.kansan.com
In a bitter rivalry where both teams are riding four-game losing streaks, something has to give.
For Kansas, 7-8 (0-4 Big 12), the end result of Saturday's game against Missouri could be the Kansas Women's basketball team first Big 12 Conference victory. The home contest against the Tigers, 7-9 (1-4), at 7 p.m. tonight seems to be the most promising chance yet for the Jayhawks to
snare that elusive victory.
The rivalry against the Tigers should bring an emotional factor to a Kansas team that is coming off a stinging loss at Texas A&M.
Had the Jayhawks avoided that tough road defeat, the victory would have boosted the confidence of a Kansas team that now holds a 1-4 record in road games. Instead of riding a wave of confidence into the Border Showdown, the question remains how the Jayhawks will respond to back-to-back thrillers.
tought back from an 18-point deficit to tie the game at the one-minute mark. On the last A&M possession of the game, Aggie freshman Aquonesia Franklin hit a fade-away jumper with only on second left on the clock to take away a 62-60 victory.
Against the Aggies, the Jayhawk
"I think we will respond well," coach Bonnie Henrickson said. "We need to get momentum early and build on that."
Standing in the way are the Tigers, who are led by sophomore guard Tiffany Brooks. In her first semester of
SEE WOMEN ON PAGE 6B
Kansan file photo
Kansas guard Larisa Graves tried to break away from Missouri's Evan Unrau during last year's game against Missouri. The Tigers make their next visit at 7 p.m. tomorrow in Allen Fieldhouse.
Mario Chalmers of Bartlett High School in Anchorage, Alaska is the nation's No. 1-ranked high school point guard and the twelfth-best player overall, according to rivals com. Chalmers chose to play basketball at Kansas starting next season.
Alaskan recruit happy to join Kansas team
By B.J. RAINS
brains@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. — When Mario Chalmers looked across the court during the Bass Pro Tournament of Champions, a high school basketball event, he may have been confused.
Sharing the spotlight in the tournament were Poplar Bluff High forward Tyler Hansbrough and Memphis White Station guard J.P. Prince, two players he didn't figure to face until next season. Chalmers has signed a national
letter of intent to play for the University of Kansas, while the other two have also signed to play for top basketball programs.
Hansbrough, the No. 2 player in this year's class according to rivals.com, has signed to play for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and former Kansas coach Roy Williams.
The 6-foot-2 Chalmers traveled with his Anchorage, Alaska, high school team, the Bartlett Golden Bears, to compete last weekend. Sell-out crowds of more than 8,300 watched each day's action.
Prince, one of this year's top guards, has signed to play for the University of Arizona and coach Lute Olsen.
"I have a feeling that we will be meeting up again in college someday," Chalmers said. "Hopefully it will be in the Final Four."
In last Friday's first-round game, Chalmers and Hansbrough put on a show. Though Chalmers' game was impressive, Hansbrough turned in the play of the game with a reverse-360 slam dunk in the second quarter.
SEE CHALMERS ON PAGE 6B
Three seniors head for Hawaii
BY RYAN COLAIANNI
rcolaianni@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Three Kansas football players will be doing something this weekend that a Jayhawk football player has not done in nearly a decade.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN starting at 6 p.m. tomorrow.
Seniors Joe Vaughn, David McMillan and Brandon Rideau will be participating in the 59th annual Hula Bowl in Maui, Hawaii. The game showcases top seniors. The last Jayhawk in the game was Isaac Bvrd. who played in 1996.
Vaughn, who never missed a start in his two years with the program, anchored the Kansas offensive line. After the 2003 season, Vaughn was named Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year.
RIDFAU
tunity to play football with some of the best players in the nation," Vaughn said. "The three of us can't wait to represent the Kansas Jayhawks in Hawaii."
"I am excited for it trip, and I'm looking forward to the oppor-
Rideau led the team in all receiving categories during his senior season. He had seven touchdowns and 51 receptions for 597 yards. Rideau nearly broke the all-time Kansas receptions record, racking up 131 catches in four years.
McMillan was a
VAUGHN
McMilian was dominant part of the defensive line as a defensive end during his senior season. He led the team with seven sacks. During McMillan's career he accumulated 15
sacks, one of just seven Kansas players to have 15 or more sacks in his career. McMillan also recovered three fumbles and had 15 tackles for a loss.
The three will play for the West team, which is being coached by Oregon's Mike Bellotti and Georgia's Mark Richt. Many other players from the Big 12 Conference will also be participating, including Texas Tech senior quarterback Sunny Cumbie.
The players were selected to participate in the game by a committee of five former coaches who are members of the American Football Coaches Association.
— Edited by Laura Francoviglia
SPORTS COMMENTARY
JOE BANT
jbant@kansan.com
Jayhawks continually show grit, resilience
I don't know about you, but I wasn't worried Wednesday night when the Nebraska men's basketball team led Kansas by three at the break.
Maybe even more impressive than the Jayhawks' undefeated start is their propensity to win games where they've trailed with less than five minutes to go - games that include marquee matchups with top-rated opponents Kentucky and Georgia Tech.
And even when the Cornhuskers stuck with the Jayhawks in the second half and senior Nebraska guard Corey Simms had an opportunity to win the game in the closing seconds with a three-pointer, I didn't break a sweat. I knew Simms' shot was going to rim out and that Kansas was going to improve to 14-0. This team just finds ways to win when games are on the line.
That's a far cry from last year when Kansas was winless in such games. Richmond comes to mind, when the Jayhawks were unable to hold onto a four-point lead against the Spiders at Allen Fieldhouse with about a minute to go. Bad memories also surface the Elite Eight game against Georgia Tech, when Kansas made a miraculous comeback to push the game into overtime, only to fall short in the end.
Just ask Kentucky, which battled back from an eight-point deficit on its home court to take a one-point lead over Kansas late in the second half, only to have the game stolen away for good when senior guard Aaron Miles calmly drove the lane on Kansas' next possession and nailed a scoop layup, oblivious to the 24,000 fans willing against him.
Yes, this year's team is different, and resiliency is its hallmark.
Or, even better, ask the Yellow Jackets, who could not have looked any more in-control of a game when it used its attacking defense to jump out to a 16-point lead over the scrambling Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on New Year's Day. Georgia Tech's early effort was for naught: Kansas won in overtime, 70-68, after senior guard Keith Langford's stone cold turnaround jumper.
This season has seen close game after close game for Kansas, causing some pundits to question the team's dominance compared to ESPN favorites North Carolina and Illinois. But it's hard to argue with a 14-0 record, especially when it's achieved while playing the Ratings Percentage Indexes' toughest schedule in the nation. It's also hard to argue with a team that has so many players capable of stepping up in crucial moments.
SEE COLUMN ON PAGE 6B
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