Volume 124 Issue 94
kansan.com
225
Friday, February 10, 2012
COMMENTARY
No need to play Missouri
E every beginning has an ending. Nothing lasts forever. Missouri's departure to
Missouri departure to the Southeastern Conference next season certainly jeopardizes the viability of its rivalry with Kansas.
It has been a hot topic of debate as to whether or not Kansas and Missouri should compete against each other on an annual basis in all sports.
Missouri athletic director Mike Alden said he would like the Border Showdown to continue even though the Tigers are leaving the Big 12.
Kansas athletic director Sheahon Zenger said he was against the continuation of the Border Showdown because the rivalry belonged in the Big 12.
Zenger's stance has my approval.
Don't get me wrong, I love the Border Showdown. It is my favorite rivalry. The pure hatred between Kansas and Missouri makes it one of the best rivalries in sports because it goes beyond sports, but it is embedded in the Big 12's DNA.
What has made the Border Showdown one of the best rivalries is the classic games that have had conference championship implications, in particular men's basketball and football. The battle for bragging rights has always been a staple in rivalry games, but even more so when both teams are members of the same conference.
Both schools were founding members of the Missouri Valley Intercollegiate Athletic Association in 1907, which officially changed its name to the Big Eight Conference in 1964 and then merged with the Southwest Conference in 1996 to form the Big 12.
For Missouri and Kansas to schedule non-conference games after competing against each other for over a hundred years in the same conference is nonsense. How can you expect the rivalry to have the same juice when the teams will be playing in separate conferences? Kansas and Nebraska had one of the oldest, uninterrupted rivalries until Nebraska moved to the Big Ten. There was no talk of extending that series even though it's not as intense as the Border Showdown.
It was Missouri's prerogative to join the Southeastern Conference and they were well aware that leaving the Big 12 Conference would spell the end to the Border Showdown.
For Missouri to embrace the continuation of the Border War is a sign of desperation. They understand that they will have difficulty fostering new rivalries with SEC teams who already have strong, traditional rivalries. Can you honestly envision Missouri becoming rivals with Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, etc.? The SEC is glad that Missouri is joining only because it needed a 14th member after Texas A&M joined and became the 13th member.
Maintaining the Border Showdown would upset other Big 12 schools because Kansas would be sending a message that they were OK with Missouri's departure. Continuing the rivalry would be doing Missouri favor, not Kansas, who oppose the move.
Edited by Jeff Karr
MEN'S BASKETBALL
CHRIS BRONSON /KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Coach Bill Self points in frustration as a call goes against Kansas in the second half of Saturday's 74-71 loss at Missouri. The team faces Oklahoma State on Saturday at 3 p.m.
KORY CARPENTER
kcarpenter@kansan.com
There was going to be no Missouri hangover for coach Bill Self's Jayhawks as they prepared for another top-10 showdown with Baylor Wednesday night. Self said that the outcome would be in the Ferrell Center, Saturday's heartbreaking loss to Missouri would have zero effect.
Self didn't have to worry about those questions, though.
Kansas battled back from a rough start to dominate the Bears for the second time this season, eventually winning 68-54. Senior guard Ty-
shawn Taylor had another impressive outing while Jeff Withey had a career-high 25 points, pushing Kansas into a tie with Missouri for first place in the Big 12 with seven games remaining in the conference schedule.
"You take away three minutes in the last 80, that's about as good as a team that we've had at Kansas since I've been there," Self said, according to baylorbears.com. "It's played on the road against two top-10 teams. That was pretty impressive."
Up on Saturday at 3 p.m. is Oklahoma State, the only Big 12 team the Jayhawks haven't faced this season. The Cowboys are an even 12-12 on
the season and 5-6 in the Big 12, coming into Saturday's contest tied at sixth in the conference.
Former five-star recruit and freshman Le'Bryan Nash leads the Cowboys on offense with 13.4 points per game. Nash also hit a game-winning shot over Iowa State to knock off the Cyclones 69-67 Wednesday night.
"I live for those moments, the big moments," Nash said after the game, according to newsok.com.
As talented as Nash is, the Cowboys are led by 5-foot-9 senior point guard Keiton Page.
one of his most impressive offensive seasons this year, averaging 14.2 points per game.
A less-heralded player compared to Nash or Page, freshman forward Michael Cobbins was the team's most valuable player in the Iowa State victory according to coach Travis Ford. Cobbins guarded Royce White and grabbed 14 rebounds. Cobbins held White to just 15 points on six-for-16 shooting, and another impressive defensive performance could increase the chances of an upset on Saturday afternoon.
Page has played at least 25 minutes a game in each of his four seasons in Stillwater and he's having
Self holds a five-to-three advantage against Oklahoma State in his time at Kansas.
Last season, the Jayhawks narrowly escaped the Cowboys 63-62 in the Big 12 tournament at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. The loss eliminated the Cowboys from a potential NCAA Tournament selection.
"We did guard and rebound the second half," Self said following the last meeting between the teams. "And we really feel fortunate to have won considering how we shot the basketball."
Edited by Amanda Gage
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
After four tough losses, back to Kansas State
RYAN MCCARTHY rmccarthy@kansan.com
On the women's side of the Sunflower Showdown, the games continue to be close ones.
In the last four match-ups between Kansas and Kansas State, the results have been within 10 points or fewer.
The Wildcats have the winning streak, but the Jayhawks are hoping that with a few solid days of preparation they will come out on top in their next meeting. A close game was also the case in the first match-up of 2012 when the Wildcats came to Allen Fieldhouse and defeated Kansas 63-57 in overtime. At the time, it was the Jayhawks first conference loss.
"We're 0-1. They beat us at home, and we need to beat them at home," senior forward Aishah Sutherland said of the match-up. "It's a rivalry game. It's a very important game, but I'm really excited for it. I'm hyped for this game I really am."
The main reason? The Wildcats' junior guard Brittany Chambers took over the game when Kansas State needed it most. Chambers knocked down a momentum-shifting three with about four minutes to play in regulation to put them up by three points.
Handling Chambers was the biggest difficulty on that night for the Jayhawks. And as they begin their preparation for Sunday's rematch in Manhattan at anon they know that guarding her will be a big emphasis.
Coach Bonnie Henrickson said she doesn't want to allow Chambers to work the ball with senior forward
Branesha Brown on the offensive end. Henrickson said Brown will set screens for Chambers and the Jayhawks have to make sure to fight over that screen and not under it so Chambers is not open from three-point range.
Although these games have been close, Kansas is still looking for the answer.
"I really don't know. I think it's just the Kansas and K-State game," junior guard Angel Goodrich said. "Both of us really go at each other. They're a good team and we want to go there and get momentum from this win and go to that game."
Both the Wildcats and Jayhawks are coming into this game with a lot to play for. The two squads sit at 6-5 in conference play and are in a tie for fourth place.
The winner will have an inside track of moving up the Big 12 standings and challenging the top three teams: Baylor, Texas A&M, and Oklahoma.
"It's always a big game and there's more at stake in this one, which is exciting for both of us," Henrickson said.
"They have a whole bunch of good players and we have a whole bunch of good players and I just think it's just who wants it most," Goodrich said.
Kansas comfortably beat Texas 85-61 on Wednesday, Texas A&M blew out Kansas State 67-36 in College Station, Texas.
Edited by Anna Allen
CHRIS NEAL/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Senior forward Aishah Sutherland takes a one-handed shot during the second half of last month's game against Kansas State. The Wildcats delivered the Jayhawks' first conference loss in a 63-57 defeat at Allen Fieldhouse.
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