Volume 124 Issue 118
kansan.com
Thursday, March 15, 2012
COMMENTARY
Women deserve NCAA bid
The majority of my columns this year focused on Kansas men's basketball. It's no secret that the University is a men's basketball school. The incredible consistency of success is almost unheard of.
Jayhawk fans follow the team 365 days a year and are known as one of the most passionate fan bases.
I'll admit I was stunned beyond belief that the NCAA Women's Tournament Selection Committee selected the Jayhawks. If I was a gambler, I would have bet against the Jayhawks' chances of reaching the NCAA Tournament. The team lost its star player, Carolyn Davis, and went on to lose six of eight games without her. The Jayhawks finished below .500 in the Big 12 and lost its first and only game in the Big 12 conference tournament, so the odds were not in their favor. They were shocked to hear the selection committee call their name.
During March Madness, all eyes turn to the men's team, but for the first time in 12 years the women's basketball team enters the madness.
Before this season, coach Bonnie Henrickson led the Jayhawks to five post-season appearances, but none in the NCAA Tournament.
She raised the women's program from the ashes. Before she took over in 2004, Kansas had four consecutive losing seasons, which is unacceptable at a school such as Kansas. Despite the program's improvement, she found herself in the hot seat.
Putting your team on the proverbial bubble just about every year and failing to clinch a spot in the Big Dance makes fans and the athletic director anxious about the program's future.
People who follow the women's basketball team placed a de facto ultimatum on Henrickson this season. If the Jayhawks failed to advance to the NCAA Tournament this season, Henrickson should lose her job.
Kansas can build off this. Say what you want about how the Jayhawks have performed since Davis's injury, but for them to clinch a spot in the NCAA Tournament after losing its star player is impressive and a testament to Henrickson. Kansas finally reached its goal of making it to the NCAA Tournament, but now it must strive for bigger goals and build for the future. Henrickson could and should be the coach to lead the Jayhawks.
You could sense the excitement and relief from Henrickson and her team. The Jayhawks finally earned their moment of glory.
Edited by Tanvi Nimkar
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TYLER ROSTE/KANSAN
Outfielder Michael Suiter high-fives teammates after his big home run in the fifth inning. Suiter's sister brought the Jayhawks back into the game, being down only one run at the end of the fifth inning.
BASEBALL
Defense players key in journey to Classic
The Kansas baseball team (8-7) heads to San Antonio, Texas, for the second time this season, competing in the Irish Baseball Classic.
ANDREW JOSEPH
ajoseph@kansan.com
"Strike one," Morovick said.
"Strike one and that's all I need."
The Jayhawks are riding a two-game winning streak and take on Indiana State (12-4) Thursday at noon. Freshman pitcher Drew Morovick will look to bounce back from his disappointing outlast Wednesday against North Dakota. Morovick lasted just 2.1 innings and surrendered five runs and walked three in Kansas' 12-9 loss to the Fighting Sioux.
Morovick is 1-0 with a 9.00 ERA, and his approach heading into Thursday's game has not changed.
Morovick and the Jayhawks face an Indiana State team that is riding a seven-game winning streak. The Sycamore's 8.7 runs a game leads the Missouri Valley Conference, and Thursday's starter Dakota Bacus is 2-1 with a 2.32 ERA and 26 strikeouts in 26 innings pitched. Coach Ritch Price says that Morovick's competitive nature will be crucial in the freshman's rebound start.
"When you have a bad outing like that, and he's a highly competitive individual, he's looking for a chance to redeem himself," Price said. "I was really pleased with his performance in that first start, and I know him well enough to say that he wants this chance to redeem himself."
A key aspect of the jayhawks' success in the nonconference has been the near-flawless defensive. The Kansas defense ranks ninth nationally with a .983 field percentage, and out of the 58 runs allowed this year, just three are
unearned. The strong defensive play enables the pitching staff to attack the strike zone more effectively, but the middle infielders' performance has taken the defense to an elite level.
"I thought we had a chance to be good defensively, and it all starts with the kid at shortstop," Price said. "Kevin Kuntz along with the second baseman Eldredge have played exceptional on defense, and anytime you're solid up the middle like that, you are going to have a great defensive team."
The defense even stepped up to the challenge of playing at the MSFC Metrodome in Minneapolis, Minn., last week. While the white roof and indoor lighting could cause many college fielders to lose sight of the ball, Kansas handled to new element well. Freshman center fielder Connor McKay said that his pritor experience in indoor venues helped make a difference.
"About a year ago, I had the chance to play down in Florida
Edited by Pat Strathman
at Tropicana Field," Mckay said. "So I had been in a domed field before, and I liked it. The field was nice and the lighting wasn't too bad."
Offensively, the Jayhawks are showing more signs of improvement. Sophomore second baseman Ka'iana Eldredge led the Jayhawks in Big 12 batting average last season, hitting .356 in the final month of the year. However, he is off to another slow start with a batting average of .190. Eldredge recorded a multi-hit game against Minnesota, and Price is optimistic that the sophomore can find his swing heading into Thursday's game.
"For us to be good, he has to be productive," Price said. "He's been a good hitter as by his First Team All-Big 12 Conference selection as a freshman a year ago, so we need him to keep making progress."
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Former teammates send their support
"They have had an awesome year," Jacobs said. "Every year for me we would be the team that was always on the bubble and Monday would come and we wouldn't make it. So I was so happy to see that."
Sade Morris sat in front of her television and nervously watched the Selection Show, Morris, a 2010 graduate of the Kansas Women's basketball team, remembers the time when she was in that room waiting for a post-season dream to come true. It didn't happen her year, but she proudly watched as her alma mater was announced as an 11 seed in the Des Moines region.
Jacobs and 2010 graduate Porscha Weddington keep in touch almost daily and they connected after the announcement. Jacobs said Weddington has been trying to get her back to Lawrence for an alumni weekend and this announcement made it seem more urgent.
Morris jumped and screamed, called her dad and hopped on Twitter to send congratulatory messages to the current players.
LaChelda Jacobs, a 2010 graduate, wasn't watching, but found out through a tweet from fellow 2010 graduate Kelly Kohn. She grabbed her phone and sent coach Bonnie Henrickson a text.
"It felt amazing because we worked so hard for that and we built the program and we have been waiting for the outcome," Morris said. "To see our name pop up on the screen was just relieving."
Jacobs said the memories of her playing days came rushing back when she thought of the struggles the team has faced this year.
It has been 12 seasons since Kansas made the tournament, so this experience is uniting the alumni who still describe the team as "we" and started planning reunions by catching up through texts and tweets over the last several days.
KATHLEEN GIER
kgier@kansan.com
Weddington is finishing up graduate school at Kansas and has been
They were also entertained with the assignment to play Nebraska, a former Big 12 foe, in the game. Weddington talked about how assistant coach Tory Verdi coached at Nebraska for five years before coming to Kansas. Jacobs talked about the recent records like splitting the series last year and described the game as doable. Morris turned to strategy outlining the familiarity of the coaching staff and players.
All three players said they would tune in on Sunday night to watch the game. They will continue planning a reunion and cheering for the current team who carries the legacy of their program.
able to stay close to the program.
She contacted senior forward Aishah Sutherland and congratulated her on going to the tournament in her final year at Kansas.
"I was just excited because they worked so hard and they have been able to deal with adversity with Carolyn being hurt and she has been really positive," Weddington said. "I was really excited because I know the hard work and dedication that the coaching staff and the players have put in."
"It proves to everyone that Bonnie is a great coach," Morris said. "She came here to turn the program around and that's what she's doing."
This marks the first tournament appearance in Henrickson's eight years as coach. She faced criticism in the past for the teams not being noticed in the post-season, despite numerous injuries to key players and a WNIT Championship game appearance. Morris said this game shows Henrickson's potential.
From the early excitement of the tournament selection to the return of a series that has been played every season since 1974-75, these proud alumni are still cheering for their younger layhawk counterparts.
"It is definitely a doable game and I see them advancing on to the second round so I definitely have my fingers crossed," Jacobs said.
Edited by Amanda Gage