FOOTBALL: A look at recruits who may sign today. See page 3B. BASEBALL: Former Wichita State player's legal troubles. See page 2B.
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SPORTS
1B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2002
COMMENTARY
Doug Pacey
dpacey@kansan.com
Bobby Knight Better than his outbursts would have you think
We've all heard the stories about Bobby Knight.
Choking a player at practice, kicking his son in the shins during a timeout, punting a basketball across the court and accidentally shooting a hunting partner. The list goes on and on.
Watching Knight coach is like watching NASCAR. You're not there to see strategy and skill. You want to see the wreck. The 25-car pile-up. You want to see Knight heave a folding chair onto the court.
You want vintage Knight.
That's fine and dandy — everyone wants to be entertained.
Kansas fans will get an up-close view of Knight Saturday when No. 24 Texas Tech plays No. 2 Kansas.
But are you a hypocrite? Will you cheer his outbursts during the game and then criticize his coaching techniques and personality the next day?
Maybe you think Knight is a beast and has no business coaching college students. Or maybe you're all for corporal punishment and don't think there's anything wrong with physically laying into a student-athlete every now and then.
Regardless of what you think of Knight's motivational techniques and temper, he's not the bad man people make him out to be.
He graduated 77 percent of his players in 29 years as the Hoosiers coach. He raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for Indiana University's library system.
Less than a month after accepting the coaching job at Texas Tech, he wrote a $25.00 check to Tech's library system. In less than a year, the Bob Knight Basketball Library Fund has grown to nearly $90.000.
Tech officials say they expect the fund to reach $100,000 before the end of the spring semester, when they will decide what to do with the money.
"When he's not on the court coaching," says Dawn Dockter, outreach director for Tech's libraries, "he's on the road recruiting and speaking to alumni groups and raising funds."
Knight's has such a following that Dockter said Tech had received donations from people across the country who have no ties to the University and even from Hoosier fans.
Knight might be the most loved and most hated coach in the country, but Lubbock, Texas, has had nothing but love for Knight.
Red Raider basketball games have become the place to be seen. Students camp out overnight in the cold and blustery west Texas winter for the best seats at United Spirit Arena.
Knight has already made Tech a competitive team. The No. 24 Red Raiders (16-4 overall, 5-3 Big 12 Conference) will make the NCAA Tournament this year for the first time since 1996.
Winning national titles at Indiana and turning around a Red Raider program that had been floundering won't be what most will remember Knight for. It's too bad all the good he has done for both schools was overshadowed by a handful of negative episodes.
But not in Lubbock. They love him there.
"Regardless of what anybody says about coach Knight," Dockter said, "we're very happy with him and what he's done for Texas Tech."
Facey is an Issaquah, Wash., senior in journalism. Contact him at dpacey@kansan.com.
Teams'records similar
Current basketball team's play reminiscent of'96-'97 squad that lost to Arizona in Final Four
By Brent Wasko Kansan sportswriter
For some Kansas basketball fans and former players. March 21, 1997, conjures images of despair and disappointment.
That night, former Jayhawk forward Raef LaFrentz threw up a desperation three-point attempt as time expired in a Sweet Sixteen match-up against Arizona in the NCAA tournament. The ball fell well short of the basket and Kansas lost the game, 85-82, and a chance at a national title.
Arguably Roy Williams' best team ever, and one of the best Jayhawk squads ever, was eliminated from the tournament.
"It was extremely painful," said Jerod Haase, a starting guard on the '97 squad and a current team administrative assistant. "I have a lot of bitter memories from the tournament."
Kansas was successful the season after the Arizona loss, finishing with a 35-4 record, but the program fell off a bit the following three seasons. This year, however, Jayhawk basketball has regained the spotlight, reminding some of 1996-97 team.
Similarities between the two teams are almost eerie.
If Kansas wins all of its remaining regular season games, the team will have racked up 27 wins. The '97 team established a school record with 29 regular season wins.
The 1996-97 Jayhawks won the first Big 12 Conference
SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE 3B
Statistical comparison
The 1996-97 statistics are after 36 games, and the 2001-02 statistics are after 22 games
2001 1996
2002 1997
Points per game 91.1 84.9
Rebounds per game 43.5 42.6
Points allowed per game 74.3 66.1
NICOLE CHAIKIN/KANSAN
Student applications for tickets to the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments are due 5 p.m. Friday. Applications can be picked up at the ticket office in Allen Fieldhouse. The University has a limited number of student seats available and a lottery system will be used to assign tickets. For more information call the ticket office at 864-3141.
Championship Tickets
—Doug Pacey
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Senior guard Jeff Boschee goes up for a shot against Tulsa's defense as Kirk Hinrich, center, and Aaron Miles look on. The men's team has a perfect 9-0 record in the Big 12 conference.
Women hope for upset repeat
Senior guard Selena Scott, right, and senior forward Nikki White try to stop Weber State's offense. The 'Hawks are 0-10 in Conference play.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Iowa State favored but that didn't stop Jayhawks last time
By Jessica Scott Kansan sportswriter
Tonight could be the night.
Although the severe underdog, the Kansas women's basketball team hopes to repeat history at home against No. 12 Iowa State (17-5, 5-5 Big 12 Conference) at 7:05 p.m.
Last season, the Jayhawks (5-18, 0-10) upset the then No. 6-ranked Cyclones 69-61 before a national audience on ESPN. Kansas coach Marian Washington says this game has always been a challenging one for her team.
"You know we've had our share of good luck against Iowa State, and it's never been an easy game plan or more importantly one that we've been able to discipline ourselves to be able to follow through with, but we've done it," she said.
Last year against Iowa State, four Jayhawks reached double figures. Three of those players were seniors. K.C. Hilgenkamp, this year's leading scorer at an averaged 12.3 points per game, scored 12 points in the vic-
SEE WOMEN ON PAGE 6B
Iowa State short on victory at Fieldhouse
By Ryan Wood Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas women's basketball team faces No. 12 Iowa State tonight in Lawrence. The Cyclones, with good reason, might be a little reluctant to visit.
Iowa State has won just one game in its last 10 trips to Allen Fieldhouse. Last season, the team came into town with a 20-3 record and a No. 6 ranking in the national poll. The Jayhawks, 9-14 at the time, came away with the huge upset, a 69-61 victory in front of 4,500 fans.
With the Cyclones heavily favored again in 2002, Iowa State coach Bill Fennelle said the team knew better than to look past anyone, like they might have last year.
"We've got six games to go, and we're right in the thick of things," he said. "It's a conference game on the road, and we know we have to go win it."
This year, Iowa State is 17-5 overall, but with the Big 12 Conference as tough as it's ever been, the Cyclones have struggled out of the gate to a 5-5 Big 12 mark.
"The challenge we have had this year was with the loss of Erica Junod to injury." Fennelly said. "We've had to experiment
SEE IOWA ON PAGE 6B
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