SOFTBALL: Kansas to open season in sunny Arizona. See page 2B. SWIMMING: Jayhawks to take winning ways on the road. See page 2B
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SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
1B
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2002
COMMENTARY
Andy Samuelson asamuelson@kansan.com
Infamous coach gives answers in fake talk
Editor's note: Andy Samuelson did not actually interview coach Bobby Knight. The following is a fictitious interview with the colorful, controversial coach, conducted in Andy's mind for your enjoyment. However, at one time or another, Knight has actually said everything presented here. Some quotes are from Bob Feinstien's book. A Season on the Brink, others are from Knight's own book. His Own Man, some are from Sports Illustrated and others are from past press conferences.
I recently had the privilege — in my mind — of talking with Texas Tech's legendary coach Bob Knight. The always colorful Knight, reflected on his whirlwind season on the plains of West Texas and tomorrow's game.
**Andy:** Hey, what's up, Knight? (Oh,
gosh coach, er, I mean Mr. Knight, I didn't
mean to say that).
Bobby: Son, my name is not Knight to you. It's coach Knight or Mr. Knight.I don't call people by their last name, and neither should you.
Andy: Sorry coach Knight, it'll never happen again. I just wanted to thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions with a lowly college journalist before the big game tomorrow.
Bobby: Would it help you if I went back out, and came back in walking on my hands or something?
Andy: That's a good one, but I could've swore I've heard it before.
Bobby: You're no more prepared for this than the Bank of America is to lend money to the penguins. So ask your question.
Andy: You've had a really successful season in your first year at Texas Tech. But do you think you've faced a team the caliber of Kansas?
Bobby: Your biggest opponent isn't the other guy. It's human nature.
Andy: Yeah, sure, coach Knight, but e'mon, the Jayhawks are on a roll right now. They are 9-0 in the Big 12 Conference and it looks like there is some real NBA talent on this team.
Bobby: Hell, I don't even watch the pros. If the NBA was on Channel 5 and a bunch of frogs making love were on Channel 4, I'd watch the frogs—even if they came in fuzzy.
Andy: OK, but doesn't it help your team to have a big conference challenge in February?
Bobby: I've had all the challenges I need in my lifetime. I'd rather play against a really bad team.
Andy: Slow down there Bob, er, coach Knight. You still have Baylor twice and a game left with the Aggies. But seriously, while you've had success against Kansas in the past, you've only won one game in the last seven meetings against the Jayhawks.
Bobby: If you're a coach you're going to get your ass beat now and then.
Andy: Well, let's switch subjects. Does the Allen Fieldhouse maintenance crew need to chain the chairs together? Do you anticipate any of your famous antics?
Bobby: What a b---s--- question. You can think of a better question than that.
Andy: Well coach Knight our time is about up. I would just like to thank you for this opportunity and hope I conducted myself as a professional.
Bobby: I'd like to refer to this whole thing as a real Mickey Mouse operation, but that would be an insult to Mickey Mouse.
Andy: Sorry, we can't all be Jeremy Schaap. Well, thanks anyway for your time.
Bobby: All of us learn to write in second grade, and most of us go on to better things.
Samuelson is a Wichita senior in journalism.
Knight gets respect
Williams develops camaraderie with Texas Tech coach
By Doug Pacey Kansan sportswriter
Roy Williams remembers the night before a game in December, 1993 when Bob Knight's Indiana Hoosiers were in Lawrence.
Kansas' coach showed up at Knight's hotel bearing a platter of brownies that his wife, Wanda, had baked for Knight. After Williams gave the much-maligned coach the desserts, Knight had just one thing to say.
"He wanted to know where the blankety-blank ice cream was," Williams joked.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Over the years, Williams and Knight have become friends because of the respect that Williams has for Knight. It's well known that Williams learned most of what he knows about coaching from mentor Dean Smith, but he acquired skills from studying Knight, too.
If there was another coach that I've stolen things from and imitated, it would be coach Knight," he said. That is respect, to say the least, and I genuinely like the guy."
After Williams' first season as the Jayhawks' coach, he bumped into Knight at the Final Four in Seattle.
“He just said, 'I want you to know I've enjoyed watching your team this year. You're doing things the right way,'” Williams said. “As a young coach in his first year out, it meant a great deal to me.”
The two have coached against each other six times, twice in the NCAA Tournament, and Williams
SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE 8B
Kansas coach Roy Williams waits for an official's call during a recent game at Allen Fieldhouse. Williams has said he respected Texas Tech coach Bobby Knight, whose Red Raiders the Jayhawks will face tomorrow at the fieldhouse.
Big crowds nothing new for Tech
Team faces obstacles on road,but finds success at home
By Brent Wasko Kansan sportswriter
As fans around the Big 12 Conference have come out to see Texas Tech coach Bobby Knight, his team has become used to sold-out venues full of raucous fans.
That experience could come in handy when No.24 Texas Tech faces No.2 Kansas at 3 p.m. Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
The Red Raiders, 16-5 overall and 5-4 in the Big 12, have been solid at home. The team cruised past No.14 Oklahoma State and No.4 Oklahoma in the same week.
The victories, which were both nationally televised, caught the attention of the pollsters. Texas Tech became ranked for the first time all season.
But both the Oklahoma State and Oklahoma games were at home. When the team has left Lubbock, Texas, it has struggled. Texas Tech is just 1-3 on the road in the Big 12.
Knight said his team had strained to adjust to being a marked team, and the team had trouble playing in the spotlight game after game.
"Good teams are able to cope with things that happen during the course of a season," he said.
With the way Texas Tech has played on the road, it wouldn't seem that the Red Raiders have much of a chance to beat the Jayhawks. 20-2
SEE KNIGHT ON PAGE 8B
Track heads to Iowa to prepare for Big 12
By Matt Norton
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas track team will compete against many of the nation's best today and tomorrow at the Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa.
More than 50 college teams and several of the country's finest post-collegiate clubs will arrive at the fast,300-meter track trying to qualify for either the NCAA or the USA Track and Field
Championships in March.
For some of the younger team members, this meet will be their first real test as Jayhawks.
"I think the young guys are going to start seeing what big competition is like and learn what it takes to step up when you're challenged like this," said senior middle distance runner Brian Blachly.
Coach Stanley Redwine said the tough competition would help prepare the team for the Big 12 Conference
championships in two weeks.
"It seems like they're starting to get the competitive edge and catch on to the higher expectations we have of them this season," Redwine said.
Blachly was part of the distance medley relay that won at Iowa State last year in school-record breaking time and went on to finish sixth at the NCAA Championships, marking the beginning for a breakthrough period for Blachly.
He is now one of the Jayhawks' leading runners.
"I think last year I was surprisingly relaxed because I knew I had some great teammates behind me," Blachly said. "I think a lot of times, the first time you get in races like this, the tendency is maybe to go out really fast the first half of the race. Especially on the middle distance side of things, we've just got to stay
SEE TRACK ON PAGE 2B
Jayhawks need consistency to beat Tigers
CHRISTINA NEFF/KANSAN
Kansas center Kristin Geoffroy hangs her head as the rest of the team looks despondent. The Jayhawks will search for their first conference win this week end at Missouri.
Second-half play, unranked opponent keys to winning game
By Jessica Scott Kansan sportswriter
For the Kansas women's basketball team, maintaining a level of intensity throughout the second half could be the key to defeating the Missouri Tigers in Columbia, Mo., tomorrow.
The Jayhawks (5-19, 0-11) lost the first Border War of the season at home, 66-48, a month ago.
Kansas added another mark in the lost column Wednesday against No.12 Iowa State. After a hard-fought first half, Kansas crumbled after the break and was outscored 45-22 in the second. Washington says that playing hard for only one half was a trend she saw in her team.
"This team can look back on a lot of games and they can see they've played pretty well against most of the teams
for 20 minutes," she said. "We just can't seem to squeeze out enough minutes to stay in ball games a little closer."
"Every single game, or every other game, is going to be against a nationally ranked team and that's just the reality of it all," Kansas coach Marian Washington said. "But I just really feel that we can surprise some teams if we could just stay with it a little bit more."
Because seven of the Jayhawks' nine remaining games are against nationally ranked opponents, a road game against the unranked Tigers (13-7, 4-5 Big 12 Conference) seems like a relief for the Kansas women's basketball team.
The Jayhawks' two leading scorers have been inconsistent offensively in the past three games. Senior K.C. Hilgenkamp, who has a team-best 12.3 points per game, hit her first two shots against the Cyclones, but took just two shots in the second half. Senior Selena Scott, after scoring 20 points against Oklahoma, made just 1 of 11 shots
SEE WOMEN ON PAGE 7B
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