TODAY'S WEATHER: Sunny and warm with high of 56 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL: Team reaches end of tough season
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2002
Ryan Malashock
rmalashock@kansan.com
Senior plays through her hardships
Nikki White stands an imposing 6-foot-3 inches tall. The starting center on the Kansas women's basketball team, White bumps, battles, bruises and pounds her way in the paint against the best of the Big 12 Conference's post players.
But taking a gander at White's Kansas career, as well as her basketball beginnings, reveals that her strongest muscles aren't the ones she uses to oppose her competitors. White's strongest muscle is her heart.
White's resolve was tested early in her life, as she was never ordinary. As a towering, shy, seventh grader (White stood 6-2 at the age of 13), the thought of playing basketball had never entered her mind. Until that year, her peers urged her to play.
White glances back at that first year of basketball as her toughest. She had no coordination, no skills, no drive. A pretty auspicious start for a future collegiate player. White could've given up, but that's not her style, not even at that age.
The following summer. White's AAU coach, Eddie Clinton, worked with her every single day, honing what he saw as a basketball flower waiting to bloom. White calls Clinton her biggest basketball influence.
"I still talk to him to this day," White said. "I improved so much that summer. He gave me so much confidence, and from then on, I felt there was no limit to what I could do."
White has endured more pain and heartbreak than any human being deserves to, yet she pushes forward. Beginning in high school, White's left leg has been problematic.
The limb has been operated on eight times. No, that's not a misprint. That's eight surgeries, which means eight rehabs. Yet, White's heart and drive wouldn't allow her to quit.
She arrived at Kansas with so much promise. She chose the Jayhawks instead of perennial powers Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Texas and Rutgers. But her career has been filled with disappointment. Her health, until this year, never allowed White to play a full season.
An ankle injury appeared to have prematurely ended her career last season, but a successful surgical procedure last spring gave her renewed hope.
Sonow, as a 22 year-old, fifth-yearsenior. White enters her last few weeks as a Jayhawk. Though Kansas is suffering through its worst conference season in school history, White stays upbeat.
She's grasped the role of a team leader, attempting to relay her experience to her younger teammates. She's remained healthy, played in all but one game and averaged a career-high 7.2 points per game.
Important to White throughout this losing season, laugher has remained an integral part of the team's character. White said every day on the team this year had been a joy whether it had been going out with the girls or hearing sophomore Sharonne Spencer refer to her as "kickstand" for the thousandth time.
"It's tough because I'm not used to losing games, but I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world," White said. "I'm having the most fun this year, I just can't believe it will all be over soon."
Nikki, though it's almost over, be proud for how far your heart's taken you, because the journey would've been finished far sooner for most others.
Malashock is an Omaha, Neb., junior majoring in journalism.
OLIVIA SARI/KANSAN
Junior forward Drew Gooden celebrates the Jayhawks' conference championship win. Gooden is bound to be a top NBA draft pick this year if he decides to declare himself eligible for the draft, despite pleas from the student body for Gooden to return for his senior year at Kansas.
Fans beg Gooden not turn pro
By Doug Pacey Kansan sportswriter
Drew Gooden knew it was bound to happen and on Monday night it did.
When Roy Williams pulled Gooden from the game with eight minutes remaining in Kansas' 102-66 victory against Iowa State, Allen Fieldhouse erupted into a "One more year, one more year," chant, begging the junior to stay at Kansas for his final season.
When Gooden climbed the ladder to snip his strand of the net during the post-game Big 12 championship celebration, the crowd again broke into the chant.
The last time such a thing was heard at the fieldhouse was during former Jayhawk All-American Paul Pierce's junior year in 1998. Pierce
Game time: 3 p.m.
Sunday
Kansas at Nebraska
Place: Bob Devaney Sports Center, Lincoln, Neb.
On TV: CBS (Cable channel 5 and 12)
105. 9 FM KLZR.
decided to forego his senior season at Kansas, and Gooden has hinted that he will take the same route. The forward, who leads the Big 12 in scoring and rebounding with 20.7 points and 11.2 boards per game, has not been definite in his decision to dart to the NBA Draft.
Wisconsin is formidable foe for 'Hawks
"It was different," Gooden said of hearing the chant. "I hear it all the time as far as individuals asking. But the whole crowd got into it and,
SEE GOODEN ON PAGE 7A
By Ryan Wood
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas baseball team will face what is probably the toughest challenge to its undefeated mark this weekend.
weekend.
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee comes to Lawrence for a three-game series starting today at 3 p.m. at Hoglund Ballpark. The two teams also will play a doubleheader tomorrow starting at 1 p.m.
"We're going to have to play a little better to beat Wisconsin-Milwaukee," said coach Bobby Randall. "They return enough good players that we better respect them."
"We had a little bit of a letdown, except on the mound." Randall said.
Six Jayhawk pitchers combined to allow just one run on six hits in Wednesday's victory. With the short outings each pitcher logged against Newman, Randall said most of them should be ready to pitch this weekend.
Despite their 5-0 record, the Jayhawks' play has been less than perfect. They committed three errors defensively and struck out seven times in their 8-1 victory against Newman on Wednesday. Randall said he was happy about the win but the team's play needed to improve.
"Our pitchers are doing a lot better than we thought," junior infielder Brandon Shepard said. "They're really hanging in there and keeping us in the ball games."
Randall said the pitching would be the key to containing Wisconsin-Milwaukee, a team that has not started its season yet.
"They're going to be big, strong guys, he said, "and they're going to be swinging the bats."
The Jayhawks, winners of 10 straight dating back to last season, will look to three seniors to provide strong pitching performances in the series. Jeff Davis (1-0) will start today, and Dan Olson (2-0) and Jake Wright (1-0) will take the mound in tomorrow's doubleheader.
"Wisconsin-Milwaukee will be the best hitting team we've seen so far," Randall said. "We're not going to take them lightly."
Today's game will be the first between the Jayhawks and the Panthers.
- This weekend's three-game set was originally scheduled to be played today, tomorrow and Sunday. However, with the threat of inclement weather, Sunday's game was moved to tomorrow.
The Jayhawk's 10-game winning streak is the sec
CHRISTINA NEFF/KANSAN
Kansas shortstop Brandon Shepard throws the ball to first base after forcing Newman player Lenny Rau out, making a double-play. The Jayhawks beat Newman 8-1 on Wednesday. Kansas plays three games this weekend including a 3 p.m. game today against Wisconsin-Milwaukee at Hoglund Ballpark.
ond-longest in school history. Kansas won 14 in a row in March 1994.
Contact Wood at rwood@kansan.com. This story was edited by Molly Gise.
Indoor season comes to end for track team
Matt Norton
Kansan sportswriter
Can anyone catch Nebraska and Texas?
Those two schools have won every indoor team title since the Big 12 formed in 1997, and only the Iowa State men in 1997, the Texas A&M men in 1998 and 2001, and the Colorado men in 1999 have prevented a clean 1-2 sweep by the 'Huskers and the Longhorns.
That's what Big 12 Conference track and field teams are asking themselves as they head into this year's indoor championships at the Bob Devaney Center in Lincoln, Neb.
Kansas, which finished ninth in both the men's and women's divisions last season, is looking to move up in 2002
Nebraska is the defending men's and women's champion.
Coach Stan Redwine said his team was confident and relaxed going into the meet. He said he had told the team all the hard work for this season was finished.
"Now it's show time," he said.
For the women, the middle distance runners are expected to score in several events, led by seniors Katy Eisenmenger in the mile and Courtney Deutsch in 1000 meters, and sophomores Laura Lavoie in the 800 meters and Arrah Nielsen in the 1000.
Redwine said the Kansas coaches tallied what they thought both the men and women could score this weekend. He said if all went as planned, he saw both teams finishing around sixth.
A trio of freshmen are ranked high in the Big 12. Brooklyn Hann is third in the triple jump and eighth in the long jump. Kim Clark has the fourth-fastest time in the 600 yards, and Sondra Rauterkus enters the meet with the seventh-best high jump.
Both the 4x400-meter relay and the distance medley relay should provide big points for Kansas. The 4x400 is ranked fourth and the Distance Medley Relay is ranked first.
SEE TRACK ON PAGE 7A
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Junior pole vaulter Vadim Gvozdetkiy competed in the KU Invitational on Feb. 2 at Anschutz Sports Pavilion. He will compete this weekend a the Big 12 Championships.
Mavericks receive Raef LaFrentz in trade
DALLAS — The Dallas Mavericks were working on a major deal with Denver just before the NBA trading deadline yesterday, receiving Nick Van Exel and Raef LaFrenz from the Nuggets
Neither team immediately announced the deal, but Tony Dutt, the agent for Van Exel, said Van Exel and Avery Johnson were headed to the Mavericks.
Juwan Howard, Tim Hardaway and Donnell Harvey were in the package going to the Nuggets. All three players' had their lockers cleaned out and their nameplates removed from above their stalls prior to the Mavericks' game against Boston.
Van Exel, the Nuggets' leading scorer with a 21.4 average, went public with his demand to be traded Dec. 8.
"He's ecstatic," Dutt said. "Avery Johnson is being moved as well. He and Avery are very close. I think it couldn't have worked out any better."
Dutt said Van Exel agreed to some deferrals in his current contract. He declined to provide details.
The Associated Press
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