"We're drunk on the NCAA Tournament right now. But when you're drunk, even Anna Nicole Smith makes sense." From ESPN.com's page 2 on whether March Madness is the best postseason sports play.
2B = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Inside Sports
Yesterday's The University Daily Kansan contained an error. The column, "Duke, Kansas share sparse similarities this season," stated that Duke University was in Durham, S.C. It is located in Durham, N.C.
CORRECTION
Surprising all Colorado makes the cut for Sweet 16
"I think a lot of people on the outside doubted we could get back here, but everybody on our team knew we could it." Buffers guard Kate Fagan said at the post game press conference.
BOULDER, Colo. — The Colorado women's basketball team was picked to finish sixth in their conference in the preseason. They were nowhere to be found in a preseason Top 50 poll by womencollegehoops.com. They had a one-week stay in the national Top 25 polls in January and never returned after a bad loss at Kansas State. And once again, the team that gets no respect is going to the Sweet 16.
Colorado, (24-7) seeded sixth in the Mid East regional, defeated third seed and 11th ranked North Carolina 86-67 in front of 4,645 boisterous and appreciative fans at the Coors Events Center Monday night.
By Katie Zemko Colorado Daily via U-wire University of Colorado
Both teams came out shooting cold, combining to miss their first seven field goal attempts before Coretta Brown opened up the scoring with a three pointer. UNC led 5-1 and 7-6 early, but when Tera Bjorklund hit her first field goal en route to her dominating 34-point performance, she put the Buffs ahead 8-7. North Carolina would stay within striking distance for most of the game, but never led again.
Colorado launched 15 3-point field goal attempts in the first half, hitting only five. Reserve guard Veronica Johns Richardson went two for two from deep in the half. But it was Bjorklund's strong inside presence and ability to draw contact to get to the charity stripe that allowed her to score 17 of the Buffs 36 first half points. CU led at the half, 36-27, due largely in part to hitting 11 of 13 free throw attempts compared to UNC's 0-1 from the line.
"A lot of teams look at her stature and think she's going to be susceptible to physical play. I think she responded to that."
"I think part of North Carolina's strategy was to rough her up a little bit or to be a little bit physical on the inside," Buffs head coach Ceal Barry said of her star center.
Bjorklund simply wasn't fazed at all in this game in spite of some extra curricular roughhousing by an obviously frustrated Tar Heels squad. For the game Bjorklund shot 11 of 14 from the floor and 12 of 17 from the free throw line. She added eight rebounds to her performance. We offer
Michigan player pleads guilty
By Maria Srow Michigan Daily via U-wire University of Michigan
ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Choosing a plea agreement over chancing an unfavorable jury verdict, University of Michigan basketball player and kinesiology junior Bernard Robinson pleaded guilty to two counts of assault and battery in an incident that occurred in April.
According to Department of Public Safety reports, Robinson was accused April 20 of fondling a female student in the stairwell of West Quad Residence Hall. The woman escaped and contacted DPS, who arrested and released Robinson that morning.
Robinson is a forward from Washington who averaged 11.7 points per game this past season.
His attorney, Nicholas Roumel, who
works for Student Legal Services, said Robinson had originally been facing three counts of fourth degree criminal sexual conduct. Had he been found guilty of those charges, he would have been listed in the Sex Offender Registry for the next 25 years. He also could have faced up to two years in jail plus fines and fees, Roumel said.
"He admitted to putting his arm around the waist of the complainant without her consent on two counts," Rounel said. "It affirms what we have said all along, that he is not guilty of a criminal sexual offense."
Those charges have been replaced with two counts of simple assault and battery, a misdemeanor.
Roumel said the plea agreement had come unexpectedly and at the advice of Washtenaw County Circuit Court Judge Donald Shelton, who presided over the
He added that although the plea agreement was a "significant reduction" to the original charges, the agreement still holds consequences for Robinson due to the guilty plea.
"I think there is always mixed feelings when you do that," Roumel said. "He could have been facing a guilty charge on a sexual offense, which would have almost certainly ended his basketball career. This keeps him in school and on the team."
Joseph Burke, the chief assistant prosecuting attorney, said the plea agreement was beneficial and supported by all parties involved, including the victim.
case.
Robinson is now scheduled to be sentenced on April 29 at 1:30 p.m. He could face up to 93 days in jail or receive a penalty of community service, counseling and fines.
Nebraska's lineup begins to settle
By Vince Kupig
Daily Nebraskan via U-wire
University of Nebraska
LINCOLN, Neb. — It may have taken a while, but Mike Anderson is finally starting to get comfortable with an everyday lineup for his Nebraska baseball team
Well, sort of.
Heading into yesterday's 4 p.m. contest against Cal Poly (14-11-1) at Haymarket Park, the Cornhusker coach has never filled in
the same lineup card for more than one game.
With only so many combinations left, Anderson is starting to narrow down the nine spots.
"It's getting a lot better with [the lineup]," said Anderson, whose No. 16 Huskers (14-6, 4-2 Big 12) also play the
Mustangs today at 4 p.m. "I would have liked to settle the lineup earlier. But the kids settle the lineup."
Through 20 games, the Huskers have had 20 different lineups.
Make that 21 after yesterdays game.
Center fielder and leadoff hitter Jeff Leise, the only player to start every game for the Huskers, likely won't play in either game against the Mustangs because he had seven stitches put in above his right eye Sunday evening.
Leise suffered the injury while wrestling around with outfielder Brandon Fusilier following Sunday's victory against Kansas State.
Anderson, who said neither would be disciplined for their horseplay, put a ban on wrestling.
Leise, who has started 104 of Nebraska's past 105 games, should be ready to go for Friday's first game of a three-game series against Oklahoma, Anderson said.
"I felt really good about [the lineup]
before this," Anderson said.
Before that incident, Nebraska's top half of the lineup appeared pretty stable.
The first five hitters -- Leise, Joe Simokaitis, Matt Hopper, Fusiller and John Grosse -- were the same in all three games against Kansas State.
Each of those five hitters have the five highest individual averages for the Huskers.
Combined, the five are hitting .371 while the rest of NU's team has a .250 batting average.
"One through five have been our offense." Anderson said.
The newest addition to the group of five has been Simokaitis,NU's sophomore shortstop.
Simokaitis batted last in the order for NU's first 15 games, before being moved to the No.2 spot.
After hitting .256 with only 16 RBIs in 51 games last season, Simokaitis has hit .308 with 18 RBIs in 19 games this season.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2003
T.J. Ford receives Naismith Award
By Darren W. Dummit
Daily Texan via U-wire
University of Texas
AUSTIN, Texas — A middle-aged man with a strong likeness to Tyrone Willingham sat in a plane getting ready to leave Birmingham, Ala., Monday morning when a male flight attendant noticed he was wearing a Texas Longhorns shooting shirt.
With his dainty shorts and blow-dried hair, the flight attendant shot out a somewhat snake remark about how good Texas would be if only T.J. Ford had a jump shot. The passenger simply replied with a knowing glance, which led to a nervous chuckle from the surrounding rows.
father of the 2003 Naismith National Player of the Year.
"This honor means a lot to me. When I took a look at the list of names who have won the award in the past, I was humbled," the sophomore said. "It does show that hard work pays off."
Just hours after his father's flight home, it was announced that T.J. Ford had become the first Texas male basketball player to win the Naismith Award in its prestigious 35-year history.
It wasn't long before the flight attendant found out exactly who the burnt-orange clad passenger was: Leo Ford,
Ford's latest honor shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone, even the flustered flight attendant quickly backtracked by saying Ford was still, in his view, the best point guard in the country.
T. J. leads his Longhorns in points (15.0 ppg), assists (7.4 apg), steals (1.96 spg), free throw percentage (81 percent) and minutes (33.5 mpg). Coincidentally, he also led the Horns to back-to-back
sweet 16 appearances for the first time in school history.
The Naismith Award, founded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, are determined by a select group of leading basketball coaches, journalists and administrators which comprise the Naismith Board of Selectors. Ford was also named the Sporting News Player of the Year March 17.
"My teammates should share in this honor, as none of our program's success would be possible without them," TJ. said.
Despite all the accolades, Ford has made it clear that he intends to return to Austin for at least one more year. While he was "110 percent" sure he was coming back three weeks ago, there's no telling what impact a potential run to the Final Four might have on his ultimate decision.
kansan.com What are you more concerned with?
POLI
The war in Iraq
The NCAA basketball tournament
Log on to www.kansan.com to cast your vote
Kansas Athletics Calendar
TOMORROW
Men's basketball vs. Duke, 8:57 p.m., Anaheim, Calif.
FRIDAY
Baseball vs. Oklahoma State, 6 p.m., Hoglund Ballpark Tennis at Texas Tech, 1 p.m., Lubbock Texas.
SATURDAY
Baseball vs. Oklahoma State, 2 p.m., Hoglund Ballpark
Softball at Iowa State, 2 p.m., Ames, Iowa
Tennis at Baylor, noon, Waco, Texas
Rowing at Texas, all day, Austin, Texas
SUNDAY
Baseball vs. Oklahoma State, 1 p.m., Hoglund Ballpark
Softball at Iowa State, 1 p.m., Ames, Iowa
Free for All
-
This is to the person who says that KU sucks and put it in the Free For All. If KU sucks so much, why are they in the Sweet 16 and not Missouri? That's right, Mizzou sucks.
Duke may have Coach K, but if you take the initials of our coach and spell them backwards, it spells WAR, which is what you're going to have on Thursday!
BASKETBALL Nebraska releases player from men's basketball team
LINCOLN, Neb. — A second Nebraska basketball player has been granted a release from his scholarship.
Coach Barry Collier said Monday that Dan Heimos, a sophomore center from Waterloo, Ill., planned to transfer to another school.
Heimos played a total of 24 minutes in 12 games this past season, missing all three of his field-goal attempts and grabbing two rebounds.
He appeared in 22 games as a freshman, averaging 1.2 points and 0.8 rebounds.
Roy Enright, a freshman center from Omaha, was granted his release two weeks ago.
The Associated Press
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