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TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WOMEN'S SOCCER
The spring schedule: time for contemplation
RYAN MCCARTHY
rmccarthy@kansan.com
The games don't count. But that doesn't mean the Kansas women's soccer team isn't taking full advantage of its spring schedule.
The Jayhawks kicked off the season Saturday with a 2-1 win over Nebraska thanks in large part to the play of sophomore forward Carolyn Kastor.
She scored the first goal of the spring for Kansas off a sharp pass from junior midfielder Whitney Berry with 15:44 remaining in the second half.
She also crossed the ball for the game-winning header to freshman forward Jamie Fletcher that propelled the Jayhawks over the Cornhuskers.
Kansas coach Mark Francis has seen vast improvements with Kastor since the end of the fall.
"She looks like a different player," Francis said. "She's playing with a lot of confidence right now and made a huge difference to her game."
Kastor is one of 11 returning
starters for Kansas this season. This comes after an 11-9-1 record and the first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2008.
"It's nice it feels like the fall," Kastor said. "It feels like we've kind of flowed into the next season. It's really nice to have everyone and we can work on the things we need to improve on for next fall. It been a good positive atmosphere to have everyone back."
The Colombian combo of freshman forward Ingrid Vidal and freshman midfielder Liana Salazar, who helped the Jayhawks offensive attack in 2011, will sit out the spring season because of various eligibility reasons.
This year's spring schedule is a different atmosphere for Kansas. It doesn't have the same game day intensity, but the team works on various elements of its game that might be overlooked in other parts of the year.
"In the spring, we're working on all aspects of the game, like fitness and mentality and the actual technical side of the game," Kastor said.
"It's just a lot more of everything all at once"
"The focus in the spring is really establishing the culture of your team, maintaining that and just working on individual and collective things to get better," Francis said.
The focal point for the Jayhawks this year is defense. After being near the bottom for most of last season in most defensive categories in the Big 12, Kansas hopes to improve its mark.
"We've worked a lot on defending, communication, just mentality wise like competing." Francis said.
mentality and the actual technical side of the game."
while building on its established group of players already on campus.
Earlier this month, the Jayhawks also added three new recruits that will arrive in Lawrence this fall. Adding those players allows the team to mix in some new talent,
"We have a chance to be very good I think, but it also creates more competition, which always keeps
,we're aspects of fitness and the ac-side of the
CAROLYN KASTOR Sophomore forward
everybody on their toes and keeps them a higher level." Francis said.
With a few games ahead in April and a lot of time for training, the Jayhawks hope to take a few more steps toward a repeat placement in
the NCAA Tournament.
"Just continuing what we've started here and finishing the spring on the good note," Francis said. "The spring so far has been pretty productive and we really like the improvement that they've made."
Edited by Amanda Gage
Junior forward Whitney Berry kicks the ball to her teammate during Saturday's spring game against Nebraska. The Jayhawks won 2-1.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
MEN'S BASKETBALL COMMENTARY
Another Kansas team makes it to this year's tournament
By Corinne Westeman
cwesteman@kansan.com
For months, basketball fans and sports reporters across Kansas have been asking the same question: "will three Kansas teams make it to the NCAA tournament in 2012?" And, as they all discovered during this year's Selection Sunday, the answer is "yes."
Kansas, Kansas State and Wichita State will all play in this year's NCAA tournament for the first time since 1988.
Obviously, as a No. 2 seed, Kansas will have a lot of hype to live up to in the big dance. And, Kansas State, a No. 8 seed, might make it to the third round, but probably doesn't have enough
talent and explosiveness to beat Syracuse and win a spot in the Sweet Sixteen.
But what about No. 5 seed Wichita State (27-5)?
The Wichita State Shockers have been ranked in the AP's Top 25 Poll for the last four weeks, but have been receiving votes since mid-January. After beating Creighton (a No. 8 seed) on the road, the team made national news and turned a lot of heads. National sports pundits started classifying Wichita State as a typical "Cinderella" team
- one who could make a long tour nament run that would surprise only those who didn't look at the team closely enough.
Wichita State has many components that could make such an NCAA run possible. The majority
of the team is seniors and juniors. Coach Gregg Marshall, who is in his fifth year at Wichita State, has been there long enough to build up his own program and recruits.
The team's leading scorers - Garrett Stutz, Joe Ragland and Toure' Murray - each average more than 12 points per game. The Shockers are ranked 12th in overall average shooting percentage with 48.5%, and their average 77.7 points per game ranks 19th among division I teams.
Wichita State's greatest strength, though, is its ability to shoot free throws. The team's eight major players shoot better than 65 percent, and four of them (Stutz, Ragland, David Kyles and Demetric Williams) shoot better than 80 percent. The team's overall percentage
is ranked 15th in the nation at 44 percent.
Wichita State's biggest weakness is its lack of experience against basketball superpowers, as it has only played three ranked opponents: Alabama, UNLV and Creighton (twice). The Shockers lost to Alabama and beat UNLV earlier this season. They fell to Creighton at home on New Year's Eve, but then won the rematch in February.
Wichita State won the Missouri Valley Conference outright, but lost to Illinois State in the second round of the conference tournament. While that didn't affect its bid to the Big Dance, perhaps it shows that Wichita State might not be the "Cinderella" team that pundits claimed it would be.
The last time Wichita State went
to the NCAA Tournament was in 2006, under Mark Turgeon's tenure as head coach. The Shockers made it to the Sweet Sixteen, and their fans had the satisfaction of knowing their team was one of the best in the nation.
But, since then, Wichita State hasn't been the mid-major contender that it once was. Turgeon left the team for Texas A&M. Marshall was hired to continue the program while the fans were hoping for and, in some cases, expecting the success it had seen the previous year.
Wichita State struggled, rebuilt and grew. Now, throughout the last two seasons, Shocker fans and the entire nation have seen the fruit of that labor.
Last year, Wichita State won the
NIT tournament after beating a tough Alabama team in Madison Square Garden. Now, one year later, the Shocks will have a strong desire to succeed in this year's NCAA tournament – the nation's center stage - because it's the perfect opportunity to prove themselves.
Wichita State might not have much experience playing against major-conference opponents like Iowa State, Indiana or Kentucky, but it does have the talent, the teamwork and the leadership to beat its first-round opponent - Virginia Commonwealth - and be a legitimate contender for a Sweet Sixteen spot. But, it is March Madness, and anything can happen.
Edited by Jeff Karr