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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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10A
TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 2002
Big 12 move means loss of tradition, profit for Missouri
Dallas. Of all the cities to pick for the new location of the Big 12 Conference tournament next year, it happens to be Dallas.
This city should be renamed "Over Excessive."
Too many glass buildings and big hats, too much big hair and enough fake nails to build a small city.
Maybe I'm being harsh, but I am qualified to bash on Dallas. I have been there several times and gained an opinion about it. And to put it bluntly, I don't enjoy going there.
I'm not sure some of the other Big 12 teams will enjoy traveling farther next year, either.
Dallas is just too large of a city and too impersonal to establish a tradition like Kansas City, Mo. has developed. The big wigs of the Big 12 should know by now not to mess with tradition.
For the first time since 1946, Kansas City will not be the host of the Big 12 Conference tournament.
Dallas will generate extra revenue and get a boost, while Kansas City gets kicked in the groin by the Big 12.
Kansas City has made quite the profit on the Big 12 Conference tournament. Even parking this year was raised from $6 to $15. And it was the city that made those changes, not Kemper Arena or the Big 12.
Restaurants, hotels and other small businesses are all going to suffer for at least a weekend in Kansas City next year. Every team seems to bring with it its most loyal of fans who don't have problems dropping a few hundred dollars each day for the weekend of basketball.
Why was the move made? I don't think heads of the Big 12 even know.
It appears that the move was made purely for the purpose of moving. I think a change of scenery was all that they were after. However, geography obviously played a large part in this move. The Texas teams are most likely pleased, along with loyal Oklahoma fans — but what about the teams in the North?
Iowa State, Nebraska, Colorado and, of course, both of the Kansas schools will have a longer jaunt to get to the Big Dance.
Obviously, there is no location that would make every team happy but moving the tournament all the way to Dallas was a bit extreme.
The Dallas Morning News Web site conducted a poll asking fans where the best location for the Big 12 Conference tournament would be, and close to 80 percent stuck by Kansas City as the best host city.
city. Too bad the heads of the Big 12 didn't take notice.
Why not put Oklahoma City in the drivers seat next? It has the most central location to every school in the Big 12.
Dallas will be the host for the 2003 and 2004 tournaments. In 2005 it will return to Kansas City, but is up in the air after that, as 2006 has not yet been determined.
Big 12 officials need to pick a permanent place for the tournament and make it last build upon the tradition that it has developed in Kansas City over the past 50 years and keep it that way.
They shouldn't move it just because they feel like it.
Eichten is a Topeka sophomore in journalism.
Kansas not looking past Holy Cross
Kansan sportswriter
By Doug Pacey
Every March when the brackets are released for the NCAA Tournament, sports analysts, talking heads and self-annointed "bracketologists" predict what teams are sleepers, which will choke and which will make the Final Four.
The chances of tournament favorites Duke, Maryland, Kansas and Cincinnati will be bandied about over mugs of coffee this week. The upset potential of 12-seeds Tulsa, Missouri, Utah and Creighton will be discussed more deeply than any philosophy topic you've heard debated in lecture. But there are four teams in the tournament that receive next to no recognition — the 16 seeds. In fact, the only attention these four teams ever garner has negative undertones.
A 16-seed has never beaten a No.1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Not once, not ever, never. It will happen eventually. Roy Williams has said, but when it does, he doesn't want any part of that fiasco.
No. 1 seed Kansas is 5-0 all-time against 16-seeds and will get a chance to extend that winning streak in the Midwest Region's first-round of the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks (29-3 overall, 18-1 Big 12 Conference) will play No. 16 seed Holy Cross (18-11) at 6:50 p.m. Thursday in St. Louis in the Edward Jones Dome. The game will be televised live on CBS, channels 5 and 13 on Sunflower Cablevision.
Despite the Crusaders' 16-seed, Williams and the Jayhawks aren't looking past their first-round foe.
"You have to take it one game at a time in the tournament," Drew Gooden said. "We just have to focus on Holy Cross now. We will be practicing on Holy Cross, that is our main focus now."
The Crusaders beat American University 58-54 Friday in the championship game of the Patriot League Tournament and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Holy Cross has run a three-guard offense similar to Kansas' and is led by junior guard Tim Szatko, 13.7 point per game.
In the only meeting between the two teams, Holy Cross topped the Jayhawks 57-53 Dec. 20, 1949.
That loss is in the far, far past and has nothing to do with this Kansas team and neither do the tournament shortcomings of recent Jayhawk squads, Williams said.
"We're going to try and get them to focus one day at a time," he said, "and not worry about what happens in the past because they had nothing to do with that or what happens in the future."
Notes:
"He got to Florida State at a very difficult time," Williams said. "I think the program has a much stronger, more solid base than it was when he got there."
Steve Robinson, a former Kansas assistant under Williams, resigned yesterday as Florida State's basketball coach. Robinson was 64-86 in five seasons in Tallahassee, Fla., and hadn't had a winning season in four years.
Contact Pacey at dpacey@kansan.com. This story was edited by Joanna Miller.
Kansas coach Roy Williams looks on during Saturday's victory against Texas Tech. Williams, whose Jayhawks will play No. 16 seed Holy Cross Thursday at 6:50 p.m., said that a 16-seed will eventually beat a No. 1 seed, although it hasn't yet happened.
CHRIS BURKET/KANSAN
After weekend losses. 'Hawks ready for Bears
Bv Rvan Wood
Following the Kansas baseball team's two heartbreaking losses to Texas A&M Sunday, coach Bobby Randall called the breakdown a team effort.
Kansan sportswriter
"That was nobody's fault," he said. "Not one guy's fault."
Fortunately for the Jayhawks, they won't have time to dwell on the painful come-from-behind defeats.
Kansas (10-2 overall, 1-2 Big 12 Conference play) travels to Springfield, Mo., for a game against Southwest Missouri State (5-2) today at 2:30 p.m.
Sunday's doubleheader was plauged with ninth-inning difficulties. The Jayhawks gave up a combined eight runs — six of them unearned — while committing four errors. Randall said the late-inning situations can take a toll on an inexperienced player.
"That's a lot of pressure," he said. "It's like shooting those big free throws. Sometimes you want to do it so badly that it works against you. That's something that comes with experience. We're a little short on experience."
The starting pitching from three seniors remains consistently strong. Jeff Davis, Jake Wright and Dan Olson have a combined 8-0 record and a 2.25 ERA. Davis (3-0, 0.78 ERA) takes the hill today, facing off against Southwest Missouri State pitcher Brad Ziegler (1-1, 2.92)
The game provides a chance for the Jayhawks to get back on track before Big 12 play resumes. Kansas leaves Thursday for Waco, Texas, and start a three-game series with Baylor on Friday. Randall said the need to keep the focus on the next game was crucial.
Southwest Missouri recently swept Iowa in a three game set in Springfield last weekend. Bear shortstop Shaun Marcum went 8-for-13 with five runs and three RBI in the series.
focus on the next game was over.
"The they should hold their head up," Randall said. "We've got nothing to be ashamed of. We can play better than that, and we will."
Notes:
CHRISTINA NEFF/KANSAN
Kansas trails the all-time series 17-15. The two teams split the 2001 season series, with Jeff Davis recording the win against the Bears on March 21 of last year.
Kansas center fielder Cole Armstrong hits the ball during the first game of a double-header against Texas A&M.
"We've got nothing to be ashamed of. We can play better than that, and we will."
Bobby Randall Men's coach
The Jayhawks' 10-game winning streak to start the season, which was snapped on Sunday, ruined second among longest winning streaks in school history.
"It's icing on the cake," Davis said of the streak. "But at the same time, everyone knows what they've got to do to get better."
Kansas won 14 in a row in March of 1994
Contact Wood at rwood@kansan.com. This story was edited by Andy Gassaway.
Kansas Baseball
Kansas at Southwest Missouri State at 2:30 p.m. today in Springfield, Mo.
Senior overcomes early hitting woes
By Ali Brox
Kansan sportswriter
In Jerry Tabb's first trip to Lawrence, he saw his daughter go two-for-two from the plate against Princeton on Friday. He then watched her hit a three-run home run against Indiana State in the second game of the afternoon.
State in the second game of the season.
In fact, Leah Tabb, a senior catcher, said she can't remember a time when her dad has come to see her play, and she hasn't hit a home run. Jerry Tabb is from Houston and has seen his daughter play in Texas, but this was the first time he's seen her play at home.
And with her struggling from the plate early in the season, Jerry picked the right time to visit his daughter.
"Tabb is starting to swing the bat a lot better," Kansas coach Tracy Bunge said. "She's been struggling early this spring and today was a good day for her. She really looked like she was on the ball and hitting the ball a lot more solidly."
Tabb said she is trying to get better with each game
Tuba said she is trying to "The first of the season I've kind of been in a slump, but I just kept pecking away and finally came through," she said.
Tabb sprained her right knee while sliding in the
SEE TABB ON 7A
JEFF JACOBSEN/KUAC
Senior Leah Tabb makes a catch Friday. She hit a home run against Indiana State, but sprained her knee later in the game and was unable to play in the rest of the tournament
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