8B = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
MONDAY.FEB.18.2002
Feud with flu can't keep Gooden down
By Brent Wasko
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas forward Drew Gooden finally found an opponent that could slow him down offensively this season — the flu.
Gooden made just three of his 10 shots from the field in the Jayhawks' 87-72 victory against Baylor in Allen Fieldhouse. His 30 percent shooting performance was his lowest percentage in a game since his freshman year versus Duke in the NCAA Tournament when he shot 27.3 percent.
Gooden suffered from the flu almost all last week, and Kansas coach Roy Williams said he thought the illness affected Gooden's play against Baylor.
"There's no doubt in my mind that he wasn't on the top of his game because of health reasons," Williams said. "He didn't have the touch on his jump hook. You didn't seem him running down the floor in front of everybody like he always does. He got the ball inside a couple of times and got it stripped, which he hasn't done. Hopefully, a good night's rest tonight and little work tomorrow and he'll be ready on Monday."
Gooden tied a season low, scoring 11 points against the Bears. His 15 points against Kansas State on Feb. 4 was his lowest total in Big 12 Conference play until Saturday afternoon.
He said that the flu had almost run its course by game time, but he was still feeling the aftereffects of being sick.
"I think I was about 75 percent today," Gooden said. "I was a little winded in the first half."
"I know everybody anticipated I was going to come out having a Michael Jordan game or something like that."
Gooden said being sick wasn't as much of a factor for him as
that.
Drew Gooden
Kansas Forward
some might have thought.
"I know everybody anticipated I was going to come out having a Michael Jordan game or something like that," he said, referring to Jordan's 38-point performance when he had the flu against the Utah Jazz in the 1997 NBA Finals. "My shot just wasn't falling for me, but I don't want to use the excuse that I was sick."
Gooden began feeling ill early last week. By Thursday, he said he was in bad condition and couldn't practice with the team.
"I was going to try to practice, but there was no way in the world I would have been able to do it," he said. "If I had practiced, I would have passed out. I couldn't even walk. It was horrible. You've all had the flu. You know how it is."
He still scored in double figures, which he has done in all 25 games this season, and he grabbed a team-high 14 rebounds.
Despite the sickness, Gooden's numbers weren't that bad against Baylor.
Gooden said rebounding was his main focus heading into the game.
CHRISTINA NFFF/XANSAN
"I know that I can be sick as a dog and still get rebounds," he said. "Scoring was a question mark as far as me running up
and down the court and getting shots up. I said, 'Forget scoring, I'm going to grab as many rebounds as I possibly can.'"
Gooden has been a little out-of-sync offensively in the last two games. He scored six points in the first half against Texas last Monday and had four points before the intermission against Baylor. This from a guy who leads Kansas in scoring, averaging 20.9 points per game.
"I'm not going to pressure myself," he said. "I know what I'm capable of doing. I'm not going to rush anything because I had a horrible shooting game today."
Gooden said his recent scoring drought hadn't broken his confidence and that it wouldn't affect his performance in future games.
Kansas junior forward Nick Collison said Baylor was effective in not only frustrating Gooden offensively but also stifling the entire Jayhawks' offensive attack inside the paint.
"They did a good job of mixing up defense with their zone where the pressure was on the wings," Collison said. "The guards had to pay more attention to the pressure than they normally do. They couldn't just look past the defense and look for us down low."
Gooden won't have long to rest before coming back on the court to face Iowa State at home tonight. He said he would be ready to go.
"Thursday was the worst day, Friday it was little bit better and today was a little bit better than yesterday," Gooden said. "By Monday, I should have full recovery."
Contact Wasko at
bwasko@kansan.com. This story was edited by Justin Henning.
Kansas forward Drew Gooden shoots a two point basket. Gooden shot his lowest percentage in a game since his freshman year Saturday against Baylor.
BASKETBALL
CONTINUED FROM 1B
streak
"We were a little more dead than we've been," said Nick Collison, who finished with a game-high 22 points. "We can't let a lack of energy, a lack of concentration, do that to us. We've got be ready to play every single night, because that's what the best teams do. They bring it every single night."
Baylor brought its A-game Saturday. The Bears never trailed by more than four points in the first half and even forced 12 lead changes before halftime.
If it weren't for Jeff Boschee, Kansas might even have trailed at intermission. The senior guard scored 15 of his 21 points
in the first half and one of his four first-half three-pointers was a buzzer-beater that gave the Javhawks a 40-36 lead.
Boschie wasn't the only one spotting up outside. The Bears' defense confused Kansas and junior forwards Collison and Gooden found themselves taking long-range jumpers. Baylor outscored Kansas 22-12 inside and out-rebounded the Jayhawks 21-15 in the first half.
"Baylor's a smart team," Collison said. "They take advantage of your screw-ups and we made a lot of them. We weren't sharing the ball like we had been or executing our game plan."
It was different in the second half. Kansas scored 22 points inside to Baylor's 14 and outrebounded the Bears 28-14. Kirk Hinrich and Boschee held
Baylor guard Wendell Greenleaf, who entered the game averaging 14 points, was held to a one-for-10 shooting performance and just two points.
"It was like going 15 rounds with Muhammad Ali," Bears coach Dave Bliss said. "We're a little beaten and bloodied."
After the game, Drew Gooden said he wasn't concerned with finding a reason for Kansas' early lethargy or perceived lack of effort. There was just one thing that mattered to the Wooden and Naismith awards finalist.
"We're 12-0 in conference," he said. "That looks good. That looks better than the game against Baylor."
Contact Pacey at dpacey@kansan.com. This story was edited Andy Gassaway.
Contact Pacey at
MONDAY
continued from 1B
points per game.
In Kansas' 88-81 win in Ames, Iowa, earlier this season, Sullivan hit five of seven three-pointers—one from 10 feet behind the arc, while falling backward with Kirk Hinrich waving a hand in his face late in the game—and scored a game-high 27 points.
"He made a couple from way out there up at their place," Williams said. "I hope he doesn't do that this time."
If Sullivan can't find his shot and Kansas wins, the Jayhawks are assured of at least a share of the Big 12 championship. Williams said he hasn't decided if he'll
allow the team to cut the nets for the first time since 1998 after tonight's game or wait. Kansas can clinch the championship outright on Sunday if it wins Nebraska, but the Jayhawks might wait until their next home game, which is also Senior Night, against Kansas State on Feb. 27.
But before the Jayhawks go shopping for a ladder and a pair of scissors, they've got to win tonight's game.
"It's been a goal for a long time and we haven't won one since I've been here," said Nick Collison. "If we could get at least a piece of it Monday, that would be huge for us."
■ Contact Pacey at dpacey@kansan.com. This story was edited by Justin Guenley.
Track team victorious at K-State
Kansas prepares for upcoming Big 12 Championship
By Matt Norton Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas track team compiled four first-place finishes at the two-day Kansas State Open on Thursday and Friday in Manhattan and used the meet as one last competition before next weekend's Big 12 Conference championships in Lincoln, Neb.
Sophomore Laura Lavoie won the 600 yards and senior Katy Eisenmenger won the 1000 meters, while freshman Jeremy Mims won the 800 and senior Scott Russell won the weight throw for the men.
Junior Jamie Waters claimed the third-best throw in KU history in the 20-pound weight with a toss of 52-23/4, finishing third.
Coach Stan Redwine said the meet served its purpose as a tuneup for the team.
"We thought Jamie needed another competition under her belt to fine tune some things, and she threw the third best throw in school history," he said. "Our high jumpers got some things worked out and everyone really ran well."
Eisenmenger's time of 2:52.66 topped the Big 12 list for women heading into the championship meet at the University of Nebraska. She also leads the Big 12 in the mile, and Lavoie is ranked third in the 600 and 800 and seventh in the mile. They both ran on the distance medley relay team, along with sophomores Stacy Keller and Arrah Nielsen. The team is ranked No. 1 in the Big 12 with a time of 11:32.90.
Senior Brian Blachly moved into fourth on the conference 1000 meter list, finishing second at K-State with a time of 2:27.96.
Russell said he was tired going into the meet, so much so that he enjoyed a nap in the stands after his event finished.
Still, he had enough energy to exceed the NCAA automatic qualifying mark and beat fellow All-American Christian Cantwell of Missouri by more than five feet.
Such performances are now common for Russell, and throws coach Doug Reynolds said the best was yet to come.
"We're not trying to do anything big." Reynolds said of Russell's performance Friday. "We're just working on some things so he'll be ready for Big 12s."
Contact Norton at mnorton@kansan.com. This story was edited by Laurie Harrison.
Fifteenth Annual
James E. Seaver Lecture ON CONTINUING ISSUES IN WESTERN CIVILIZATION
A Modern Homer
Writes Home:
Derek Walcott's
Vision of Returns in Omeros
GISELLE ANATOL Assistant Professor of English Conger-Gabel Teaching Professor 2001-2004 The University of Kansas
February 19,2002
8:00 p.m.
Alderson Auditorium, Kansas Union
Reception following, Malott Room
Sponsored by the KU Humanities and Western Civilization Program
.