"I knew he had been in the business a long time and he wasn't hurting for players."
Kansas forward Nick Collison on his rationale for declining to play for Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski
2B = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Inside Sports
SPORTS COMMENTARY
Joey Berlin jberlin@kansan.com
Don't look for patterns in tourney performance
For the second straight year, the Kansas men's basketball team scared the living crap out of its fans in the first round of the NCAA tournament, nearly suffering one of the biggest upsets in tournament history. And for the second year in a row, the Jayhawks rebounded in the second round with an astounding victory that reestablished them as a national title contender.
So there has to be a pattern here, one that says something about Roy Williams' Jayhawks, right?
No. There's no pattern. It's just sports, where the inexplicable can happen, and does on a regular basis.
People want everything to happen for a reason, and when their favorite sports team succeeds or fails, they look for an apparent cause.
TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2003
If they can't find one, they come up with something spiritual. Like last year, when one of my teachers shrugged off Kansas' near-de defeat to Holy Cross in the first round of the tournament by saying that playing in a tough game "builds character."
Uh-huh — just like nearly losing to Notre Dame in the second round last year built character for Duke. The Blue Devils, who were defending national champions at the time, then showed off their newfound toughness by getting eliminated in the next round by heavy underdog Indiana.
Sure, Kansas rebounded off the Holy Cross debacle by blasting Stanford 86-63 last year.
This year, the Jayhawks put the Utah State game in their rearview mirror by smashing Arizona State 108-76 Saturday. Does this mean our Jayhawkes are a team that actually needs to play poorly, and come close to getting sent home, to play their best later?
I doubt it. Early this season, Kansas suffered an embarrassing loss to North Carolina in the Preseason NIT, then "regained their focus" by losing decisively to Florida the next night. Same team, different result. Where's the correlation?
That Kansas again played one of its worst games of the season in the first round of the tournament, then played one of its best in the second round, is definitely interesting.
A certain bad Canadian pop singer might label it "irician." But does it give us any predictive power about these Jayhawks? Nope, none at all.
Berlin is a Leawood senior in journalism.
Duke exceeds Kansas in post-season history
The Associated Press
LAWRENCE — When Kansans are asked to compare their proud basketball program with Duke's, the truth hurts.
At least it does for anyone willing to see the truth The Blue Devils, who meet the Jayhawks Thursday night in the NCAA tournament's West regional semifinals, stand taller by almost every measure.
Kansas takes a backseat to no one in the their own stomping grounds in the Midwest. The Jayhawks have gone 30-2 the past two seasons in the tough Big 12, which has three teams in the round of 16. They've won the conference championship four times in seven years.
But over the years against Duke, they're a paltry 1-6.
Kansas coach Roy Williams is flush with success in 15 years, winning more than four of every five games. He won more games in his first 14 years than any other coach in NCAA Division I history.
Yet, time after time, he finds himself out-cruised by Duke coach Mike Krzyezewski. Kansas fans are busting their buttons over the fact they've made the NCAA's round of 16 now for the third time in a row. But Duke is there for the sixth straight year.
If the second-seeded Jayhawks should beat No. 3 seed Duke Thursday night, it will only be Williams' first victory in four games against the Blue Devils.
"I have great respect for Mike and what he's done with his program, and the
"They're awfully difficult to recruit against. I can tell you that because we haven't had much success recruiting against them.
"Nick Collison is the only player we ever got that they wanted. They've got a lot of the other ones that we wanted."
way they've done it, with true student-athletes," said Williams.
The 6-foot-9 Collison, voted by Big 12 coaches as the conference player of the year, narrowed his list to Kansas and Duke when he was a highly sought high school senior four years ago.
"Recruiting-wise, they do better than anybody else. And they get the most players. I think people see Kansas (as being) close. But (Duke) is probably on top right now in terms of what they've done in the past. What is it? Six straight Sweet 16s? That's pretty impressive."
He admits the team he chose is not as highly regarded around the nation as the team he turned down.
One reason Collison picked Kansas was geography. It's a lot closer to his Iowa home than North Carolina.
"I think it was one of the few times our location was very helpful," Williams said.
But another big factor was Williams.
"They really presented themselves well," said Collison, who is averaging almost 19 points and 10 rebounds. "I can see why a lot of kids would want to go there. They make it seem like it's the obvious choice, all the things they tell you. The bottom line was I trusted coach Williams a little more."
Cincinnati field opens; Pete Rose won't attend
The Associated Press
CINCINNATI — Pete Rose turned down an invitation to be Cincinnati Mayor Charlie Luken's guest when the Reds open their new stadium next week.
Luken said yesterday that Rose's agent contacted him to say the former Reds star would not be at the March 31 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the new Great American Ball Park.
Rose agreed to a permanent ban from baseball in August 1989 following an investigation of his gambling. He applied for reinstatement in September 1997 and has been in discussions with baseball officials the past year about being reinstated.
"I'm not surprised. It was clear Pete wanted to be here, but it was clear he wouldn't do anything that would interfere with his attempt to be reinstated into major league baseball," Luken said. "He'll be here in spirit. I'm sure he'll be here sooner or later."
Rose's agent, Warren Greene of Plantation, Fla., did not return messages left yesterday.
The Reds declined to comment on the exchange between Rose and Luken.
"This was between Mayor Luken and Pete Rose," Reds spokesman Rob Butcher said. "We were not involved in any way, shape or form."
Pitcher aims to make Royals staff
The Associated Press
PHOENIX — D.J. Carrasco is still waiting to hear the word from manager Tony Peña that he will be on the Kansas City Royals pitching staff when the season opens.
"I would have to say yes." Peña said yesterday after Carrasco worked a scoreless inning in the Royals' 5-3 victory over the Oakland Athletics.
Carrasco, a rookie right-hander who is a Rule 5 draft pick from the Pittsburgh Pirates, has done everything in spring training to assure that he deserves a bullpen job.
"I have a good feeling," Carrasco said about his chance of making the opening day roster. " Hopefully, things will go well
If the Royals do not keep Carrasco on the 25-man roster all year, they have to offer him back to the Pirates for $25,000, half the drafting price.
for everybody. I'm trying to leave it all out on the field. I'm trying to make it hard for them (to cut me)."
He worked a perfect eighth inning against the Athletics. In eight appearances, covering 11 innings, Carrasco has a 2.45 ERA while allowing just eight hits, walking two and striking out eight.
"I'm very impressed every time he goes out." Peña said.
The Royals, who have won five of their past six games, had 13 hits in beating the A's. Mike Sweeney went 2-for-3 to raise his Cactus League-leading average to .518 and drove in his 21st run with a fifth-
"I'm trying to leave it all out on the field. I'm trying to make it hard for them (to cut me)."
D.J. Carrasco
Kansas City Royals potential recruit
inning single.
Starter Miguel Asencio worked five shutout innings, giving up four singles and walking none. Asencio left with a 3-0 lead, but left-hander Scott Mullen gave up a three-run pinch homer to Adam Melhuse in the sixth to tie the score.
Angel Berroa hit a two-run double in the eighth for the winin hit.
Kansas Athletics Calendar
THURSDAY
Baseball vs. Baker, 6 p.m., Hoglund Ballpark Softball vs. Oklahoma City University, 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., Kansas football stadium
TODAY
men's basketball vs. Duke, 8:57 p.m., Anaheim, Calif.
Women's golf, Betsy Ravil Longhorn Classic,
all day, Austin, Texas
Men's golf, Stevinson Ranch Invitational, all day, Stevinson Ranch Golf Club, Stevinson, Calif.
FRIDAY
Baseball vs. Oklahoma State, 6 p.m., Hoglund Ballpark
**tennis at Texas Tech.** 1 p.m., Lubbock, Texas.
SUNDAY
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
SATURDAY
Baseball vs. Oklahoma State, 1 p.m., Hoglund Ballpark
Softball at Iowa State, 1 p.m., Ames, Iowa
CORRECTION
Yesterday's The University Daily Kansan contained an error. The article," Hawk dashes to win NCAA title," stated Kristi Kloster was the Jayhawks' last track and field national champion. Scott Russell was the last national champion by winning the weight throw in 2002.
POLI
kansan.com What are you more concerned with?
log on to www.hansan.com to cast your vote.
The war in Iraq
The NCAA basketball tournament
CAMPUS
Workout facility opens for Kansas varsity athletes
The Anderson Strength and Conditioning Center opened yesterday morning to varsity Kansas athletes.
Dana and Sue Anderson pledged the $8 million necessary to build the 42,000 square-foot center.
Gary Kempf, assistant athletics director, said the new conference rooms would give more room for meetings that otherwise struggled with space constraints.
It includes $560,000 of weight equipment on the ground floor and plyometric stairs designed to build muscles at one end. Upstairs includes a cardiovascular area and several conference rooms.
HOK Sport of Kansas City, Mo. designed the center. Turner Construction contracted the facility. Algen Williams, former Kansas wide receiver, was the site representative for HOK.
Williams said the center was one of the biggest in the nation by square footage.
Chris Dawson, strength coach, said the new center was a major step up from Kansas's former training center.
"This weight room is up there with Notre Dame and Alabama's," Dawson said.
The center was a major factor in Dawson's decision to come to Kansas. He formerly held a similar position at Minnesota.
Kempf said the new center would aid Kansas athletes.
"If you can't get strong in here, you can't get strong period," Kempf said.
—Kevin Flaherty
I'm driving through Iowa. I'm going about 65, and the only thing going through my mind is that next Thursday, Duke is going to get a butt-kicking.
www.beatduke.com
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