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SPORTS
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
16A
THURSDAY,APRIL24,2003
SPORTS COMMENTARY
Ryan Malashock
rmalashock@kansan.com
Don't blame coaches who follow dream
Roy Williams and Bill Self are great people. Great college basketball coaches. One is a legend, a locked hall-of-famer. The other is a budding star, a success story in three previous coaching ventures. Both men truly care about their players; they honestly vow to make a lasting impact on their student-athletes.
Yet, both guys have been absolutely martyred by everyone from the media to the "Benedict Williams" shirt-wearing Kansas students to the "He only cares about himSelf" shirt-donning Illinois faithful.
Their complaints weren't preposterous. How could these guys turn their backs on their players? How could they go back on their living-room promises? How could they be so greedy, chasing dollar signs instead of representing integrity?
OK, those are valid queries, but how about this question: How could they turn the jobs down?
Let's see. Williams got to go home to the state he has spent all but 15 years of his life. His pockets got fatter. His family got happier. He got better golf courses to play. He got his dream job.
As for Self, he also got his dream job. His pockets also got fatter. He got to move from a top 20 school with minimal basketball tradition to one of the five most prestigious jobs in college basketball.
Both coaches bettered every part of their lives, financially and personally.
Yet, they're villains, according to their previous school's fans. They're traitors. They have no integrity. They ran out in the middle of the night.
In Williams' case, fans here couldn't cope with the fact that Williams simply loved North Carolina more. In Self's case, fans felt betrayed. Self promised a vision for the future and bolted right when the Illini were ready for a breakout year.
But, please, can we detach ourselves from the crazed fanaticism, people?
They moved jobs. It's that simple. They saw more enticing opportunities in different situations. They can't be blamed for that.
SEE MALASHOCK ON PAGE 12A
Softball team members cover the infield when the game between the Jayhawks and the University of Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos is rained out. The weather ended the game at five innings, and the Jayhawks were awarded the victory over the Kangaroos yesterday at the softball field.
Brandon Baker/Kansan
Softball team gets victory
'Hawks shine, beat'Roos despite weather cancellation
By Steve Schmidt
By Steve Schmidt
sschmidt@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
After watching the Kansas softball team in the first two innings of yesterday's game against the University of Missouri-Kansas City, it was hard to tell that the team had been struggling as of late.
The Jayhawks finally woke up at the plate and hammered nine hits, leading to a 6-0 victory over the Kangaroos.
The game lasted only five innings as inclement weather and threats of lightning forced officials to call the game short and cancel the second game of the would-be doubleheader. After checking the weather early in the day, Kansas coach Tracy Bunge was wondering whether any softball would be played.
"It would have been nice to get the second game in, but I was glad that we could give five innings," Bunge said.
Before the lightning and thunder
KANSAS 6 - UMKC 0
came in the top of the sixth, the Jayhawks (24-20) displayed their skill as the team scored 5 runs off seven hits in the first
two innings.
With freshman catcher Melaney Torres on second, and freshman second baseman Jessica Moppin on first, junior centerfielder Mel Wallach got things going with a base-clearing double as Kansas took a 2-0 lead.
The 'Hawks put up three more runs off four more hits in the second, highlighted with doubles by freshman shortstop
SEE SOFTBALL ON PAGE 12A
Football team brings stronger work ethic to field
By Kevin Flaherty
kflaherty@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Kansas football coach Mark Mangino said he was pleased with the team's progression through the spring in his postspring Big 12 Conference teleconference yesterday.
"We've had a very productive spring," Mangino said, "We are a bigger, stronger and faster football team than we were last year."
Mangino said the team showed vast improvement from where it was last year.
Mangino said a reason for the marked improvement this year was that the coaches did not have to teach effort. Last season, his first at Kansas, Mangino sometimes had to deal with complaints of disgruntled players. This year, he said, the work ethic was "tremendous," and he
didn't have a single complaint that he heard of.
One of the stars of spring football was quarterback Bill Whittemore, Mangino said.
"We feel very confident with Bill Whittermore as our starting quarterback," Mangino said. "He had a great spring, moved around really well, and showed a stronger arm."
Whittemore said he was happy with
the development of the wide receivers during the last season and the spring.
"They're all young guys," Whittemore said. "Going through a year of the Big 12, you learn a lot. They're going to step it up this year — I feel like they will."
Some other standout players were freshman Jerome Kemp, running back; sophomore Banks Floodman, line
SEE FOOTBALL ON PAGE 12A