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SPORTS
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
1B
TUESDAY, APRIL 22, 2003
Self's road returns to Lawrence
By Shane Mettlen
smettlen@kansan.com
kanssars sportwriter
When Bill Self addressed a throng of media and supporters in the John Hadl Auditorium yesterday for the first time as the head men's basketball coach at Kansas, he sounded like a man happy to be home.
Sure, Self is a native Oklahoma, who graduated from Oklahoma State, but it seems when a big event happened in his life, it happened in Kansas.
Self played basketball for the Cowboys while his wife, Cindy, was a cheerleader at Oklahoma State, but they didn't meet until they traveled the 280 miles from Stillwater to Lawrence for an NCAA Tournament game his senior year. That summer, Self was back in Lawrence to work at Larry Brown's basketball camp, where Brown offered him a job as a Kansas assistant coach. He joined the staff for the 1985-86 season and received his first taste of big-time college basketball, specifically the Final Four.
"Every time you come to (Allen Fieldhouse) you get goose bumps," Self said. "I was the fifth or seventh guy on a really big staff in '85 and '86 and it was a thrill just watching the games here. The team was really good and I saw the best of what college basketball had to offer."
At his press conference, Self continued to gush about his experiences in Kansas, while showing those in attendance his sense of humor. Self made
WHO IS BILL SELF?
Education
Edmond (Okla) High School, 1981
Oklahoma State University, B.S. in Business, 1985
Oklahoma State University, M.S. in Athletics Administration, 1989
Playing Experience
Edmond High School, 1978-81
Oklahoma State University,
basketball, 1982-85
Personal
■ Born Dec, 27, 1962, in Okmulgee,
Okla.
■ Wife: Cindy
■ Children: Lauren, 12, and Tyler, 9
cracks about his own playing ability and his mentor Brown's reputation of being a journeyman.
While Self made a good first impression to the public yesterday, it was just an example of what the powers at the University already knew. Interim athletics director Drue Jennings said he knew Self was the man for the job the first time they spoke.
Eric Braem/Kansan
"There's an casualness in the way he talked with us, an openness if you will. Much of that you saw today," Jennings said after the press conference. "I would enjoy playing for that guy. I know he's going to work my tail off, but he's going to
Bill Self's children Tyler, 9, Lauren, 12, and wife, Cindy, speak with reporters after the press conference. Cindy met Bill at a basketball game in Lawrence when the two were students at Oklahoma State.
SEE ROAD ON PAGE 3B
Students satisfied with Self's style
By Henry C. Jackson
cjackson@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Among students, Self appears to be sufficient.
As word of Bill Self's hiring as Kansas men's basketball coach spread yesterday, students reacted positively.
"I'm thrilled about it," Dan Sandler, Overland Park sophomore, said. "I think he's going to bring a lot to Kansas."
Roy Williams' departure last week left many students befuddled and bitter. But, the announcement of Self, most recently the Illinois men's basketball coach, as the next head coach of the Jayhawks had most students feeling optimistic about life after Roy.
"I think they made a careful choice," Jeremy Kuo, Geneva, Switzerland, Junior, said. "I think he'll be successful and keep the Jayhawk spirit alive."
Most students did not seem to care that Self, who served as a graduate assistant under Larry Brown during the
1985-1986 season, had Kansas ties. They seemed more excited about his track record as a head coach at Illinois and before that Tulsa.
"It's not an emotional thing," Sandler said. "He's just been very successful and now he has a chance to shine."
SEE STYLE ON PAGE 3B
"I think we'll win it all, and Roy will be sitting, watching and crying." Dan Sandler, Overland Park sophomore
Heard on the Hill
Compiled by Henry C. Jackson
"All the way to the end." Jeremy Kuo, Geneva Switzerland,junior
"We're going to win it all next year. We have to."
How far do you think Kansas will go next year under Bill Self?
Noah Becker, Deerfield, Ill., sophomore
"I think they'll go just as far as they have in the past."
"The Final Four."
Jamie Mitchell, Lawrence junior
Laura Cohelo,
Shawnee graduate
student
"All the way." Steven Lucas, Overland Park sophomore
Jayhawks shut down by Tigers
Andy Samuelson/Kansan
Kansas pitcher Mel Wallach prepares for a pitch during the Jayhawks' second game against Missouri last night at Jayhawk Field. Wallach, who was making her first appearance of the season because Kansas' top two pitchers were injured, gave up 3 runs on seven hits in five innings of Kansas' 13-1 loss to Missouri. Kansas also dropped the opener 8-4.
The Missouri Tigers' softball team turned a border war into a border blowout when they won both games of an afternoon doubleheader against Kansas, 8-4 and 13-1.
By Steve Schmidt
sschmidt@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
In both games, Mizzou got out early posting 5 runs in both opening innings.
Five of the first six Tiger batters scored in the first inning capped off by a 2-run home run by junior catcher Daisy Mettlach.
"When you give up 5 runs in the first inning, emotionally it takes you out of the ball game," Kansas coach Tracy Bunge said.
The Hawks put on some numbers as well in the first, as sophomore first baseman Lindsey Weinstein and freshman designated player Melaney Torres crossed home plate off a single from junior centerfielder Mel Wallach.
Kansas (23-20, 2-13) posted 2 more runs in the third after Torres and freshman second baseman Jessica Moppin scored off singles — Torres off Moppin's hit and Moppin off Wallach's — but that was it for the 'Hawks for runs.
The Tigers (30-15, 11-4 Big 12 Conference) went back to work in the second, getting 3 more runs from only one hit.
After the shaky first two innings, senior pitcher Kirsten Milhoan settled down and allowed only one hit in the last four innings, but the 8 runs were plenty for Mizzou sophomore pitcher Erin Kalka to shut down the Jayhawks the rest of the way for the victory. Milhoan took the loss for Kansas.
In the second contest, Mizzou again scored 5 runs in the first inning.
Bunge decided to let Milhoan call it a day, but the senior was the only active full-time pitcher on the team. Sophomore Serena Settlemier has missed the entire regular season because of a
throwing injury and on Saturday the rotation took another blow as junior Kara Pierce injured her shoulder against Texas.
So Wallach, who hadn't pitched since January in practice, got the call to the mound. If Wallach was rusty, it was hard to tell for the first three innings she pitched. The junior wound up retiring nine straight batters in the second, third and fourth innings.
"If there was a bright spot I'll look at, the bright spot is when Mel Wallach came in," Bunge said.
"I pitched a long time before I came here so it was more like a flashback," Wallach said.
Wallach said she really wasn't nervous because she had thrown many innings before coming to Lawrence.
Wallach's magic, however, wore off in the fifth and sixth inning as the Tigers rang up 3 more runs.
SEE SOFTBALL ON PAGE 3B
SPORTS COMMENTARY
Ryan Greene
rgreene@kansan.com
Life's greatest lessons are learned in adverse times.
It's funny because Kansas basketball fans have learned those lessons each of the past three Mondays.
Kansas fans sympathize with Illinois
First, we learned that victory is never guaranteed. Then, we learned that Roy Williams is, in fact, a human. Finally, we learned that every cloud has its silver lining.
Based on the numerous responses I received from my 'letter' to Roy Williams last Tuesday, I was shocked to see that more than 95 percent of them came from North Carolina fans.
Instead of rubbing the University of Kansas' face in the dirt, the Carolina faithful tried to console their Kansas semi-brethren.
As much hurt as Kansas fans have experienced the past two weeks, all is once again good and pure in Lawrence, as Bill Self has come to the rescue. I look back at it, and I can't believe that I actually cried twice in one week over basketball-related matters. Now, when things seemed like they couldn't get any worse, I couldn't wait for next year.
This is where Illinois and its fans come into play.
When hearing and reading reactions from Illinois students in the papers and on the Internet about Self's departure, their reactions are eerily similar when compared to those in Lawrence last Monday.
To set the stage, being a Michigan fan, I have always had disdain for the Fighting Illini. Sure, I grew up in the Land of Lincoln, but I bleed maize and blue.
I may have absolutely hated everything associated with Champaign-Urbana, but not as much anymore because I can truly feel their pain. Part of
SEE GREENE ON PAGE 3B
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