Monday March 24, 2003 March 24, 2003 Tell us your news Contact Jessica Tims, jtims@kansan.com, or Matt Gehrke, mgehrke@kansan.com, or call 864-4858 THE UNIVERSITY D SPORTS WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS 12A THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2003 SPORTS COMMENTARY Jonah Ballow jballow@kansan.com Coaching crucial to conference success College basketball has many keys to winning. With that said, the Big 12 Conference is arguably the best conference this year. Wonder why? Look no further than to the men in the suits. The coaches in the Big 12 are a major factor to the overall success of the conference. For instance, coach Dave Bliss of the Eaylor Bears has helped turn that program around in three seasons along with achieving a milestone as the 92nd coach in NCAA history with 500 victories. Bobby Knight from the Texas Tech Red Raiders came from Indiana two years ago and helped ignite the team in Lubbock. While this season has not been as successful, last year Texas Tech showed its worth with 23-9 record and an NCAA tournament berth. By the way, Knight gets my coach of the year vote by turning down his $250,000 salary because he thought the team did not accomplish goals he set for it. Knight said it was nobody's fault but his own, and that was a mark of a great coach. What is even more impressive are the coaches at schools considered mainly for their football dominance. Basketball coach Rick Barnes has catapulted the Texas Longhorns this season as a national powerhouse and one game shy of the regular season Big 12 title. Texas has long been considered a football juggernaut, but now the Longhorns are hunting for a national championship. The Oklahoma Sooners are also considered main for football. Basketball's Kelvin Sampson coaches this team and his Sooners are considered the toughest team in the Big 12. Two years ago, the team made it to the Sweet 16 and Oklahoma marched all the way to the Final Four last season. Oklahoma now has the best athletics program in the nation. In eight seasons, Sampson has compiled an impressive 187-74 record and become one of the best coaches in the nation. Even at border rival Missouri. Quin Snyder has kept the Tigers in the upper echelon of the Big 12 in each of his coaching seasons. Missouri also went deep into the tournament last season by earning a spot in the elite eight. Like him or not, Snyder is winning 20 games a season and has a record of 62-58 in three seasons. been called to duty Don't forget the Oklahoma State Cowboys with coach Eddie Sutton, who's high respected in the coaching commu- highly respected in the coexisting community. With more than 700 victories and an overall record of 272-114 at Oklahoma State; this man deserves the high praise from every coach in the country. Last but not least is our own Roy Williams and the most popular person Lawrence. Williams won the lads over further when he decided to stay at Kansas instead of coach at North Carolina. Last season was a historic season for Williams and the Jayhawks when they won the regular season Big 12 crown by going undefeated in confer- ence play and then made it all the way to the Final Four only to lose to last year's champions, the Maryland Ternpins. After taking over for Larry Brown 100 players from 84 teams in Williams has not even won 100 games in 15 seasons of work. He is 40-16 in Big 12 play and has led Kansas to 13 straight 20-victory seasons, and he has an overall record of 412-99. useful information While watching the Big 12 tournament, consider not only the great players on the court but also the men who coach them. Ballow is a Littleton, Colo... junior in journalism 'Hawksface'Clones Kansas to begin Big 12 Tournament By John Domoney jidomoney@kansan.com Kansas sportswriter The Kansas men's basketball team wears the proverbial bullseye being the Big 12. Conference champion as it enters today's second-round game against Iowa State in Dallas. According to junior forward Bryant Nash, the Jayhawks might be labeled with another not-so-flattering title. - **Opponent:** Iowa State - **When:** Noon today - **Where:** Dallas - **TV:** ESPN - **Radio:** KLZR 105.9 FM Eric Braen/Kansan Nash said he and Keith Langford would probably be the bad guys. "Me and Keith are probably going to get some hoo-rahs down there," he said. ford, both Texas natives, will be returning to play in their home state and in the American Airlines Center, which is hosting its first Big 12 tournament this week. Nash and Lang- iowa State's last two games against Kansas have ended in lopsided Jayhawk victories, including February's 70-51 defeat in Lawrence. Kansas will start its tournament play against Larry Eustachy's Cyclones at noon today after the Jayhawks received a bye in yesterday's first round by way of their No. 1 seed in the tournament. While the Jayhawks were busy with practice yesterday, Iowa State was busy dispensing of Texas A&M in the first round. SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE 8A NCAA uses mathematics for tournament rankings By Kevin Flaherty kflaherty@kansan.com Kansan staff writer Ask most college basketball fans about their favorite science, and you'll hear the same reply bracketingology.Like most sciences, bracketology has a healthy dose of mathematics coupled with case studies. Each fan has a different way of deciding who he thinks will make the NCAA tournament, where the team will be seeded and who will win it. We all know a fan who crunches the numbers, knows the statistics by heart and predicts the game outcomes by how many victories the team has on rainy nights against yellow-uniformed teams with left-handed shooting guards after playing on consecutive Thursdays. Then there is that person in the office pool who always wins by picking, teams with the cutest mascot and prettiest colors. It is March Madness' random nature that drives fans to cheer for breakaway dunks and cry at missed free throws in the warning minutes of tournament games. But how do the teams get there, and who chooses the teams that go dancing? From the prom queen beauties such as the Arizona to the cinderellas such as Troy State, a 10-person NCAA tournament selection committee meets throughout the weekend to make bracket choices. The committee consists of university athletics directors, conference commissioners and associate commissioners. Kevin Weiberg, Big 12 Conference commissioner, is a committee member. These 10 men must consider several Big 12 national Ratings Percentage Index rankings through Sunday SEE RANKINGS ON PAGE 8A Team National Rank 1) Texas .3 2) Oklahoma .4 3) Kansas .5 4) Oklahoma State .19 5) Missouri .23 6) Colorado .42 7) Texas Tech .48 8) Texas A&M .60 9) Iowa State .92 10) Baylor .98 11) Kansas State .118 12) Nebraska .123 "out of 327 Division I basketball teams Baseball embarks on series By Daniel Bork dberk@kansan.com Kansan writers writer The Kansas baseball team will look to rebound from a 2-1 loss to Arkansas this weekend when it faces Oral Roberts University in a three-game series. The Jayhawks, who with the loss dropped to 16-5 on the season will host Oral Roberts (4-5) at 4 p.m. today to kick off the series. After the game, the teams will travel to Tulsa, Okla. to finish the series. Junior outfielder Josh Lex leads Oral Roberts in batting with a .353 average and is second on the team with eight RBI. Senior Kevin Wheeler is expected to start on the mound for the jayhawks today. He is 3-0 on the season with an earned run average of 3.51. Junior losh Duran will follow Wheeler and start tomorrow's game. Duran is 2-1 with a 4.13 earned run average. Senior Pat Holmes or sophomore Kenny Falconer will start Sunday. The team will also rely on its bullpen this weekend, which is led by juniors Brandon Johnson and Chris Smart. Johnson has an ERA of 1.08 and Smart has a 4.00 ERA, while Johnson is 4-1 on the season. Head coach Ritch Price said assistant coach Abney have done a wonderful job with the pitches. "Johnson and Smart have been rock solid out of the bullpen this season, and Ryan Knippschild had been pitching well also before he began starting games." Price said. Offensively, the Jayhawks have three guys batting more than .380 in Wheeler, senior Casey Spanish and junior Matt Tribble. Spanish leads the bunch with a .434 average. Spanish also leads the team in runs scored, hits, triples and RBI. While Spanish and Tribble both patrol the outfield along with senior Lance Hayes, Price has been pleased with the emergence of the team's middle infield which consists of senior Brandon Shepard and freshman Ritchie Price. Price has been solid defensively for the Jayhawks so far this season and has not committed an error while batting 328. Shepard, who struggled early this season, hit his first home run of the season Tuesday against Arkansas and provides leadership for an infield in which he is the only senior. "Brandon is a very good player defensively, who is struggling at the plate a little bit." Price said. "Ritchie is playing as well as a second baseman can play right now. We also feel like we have two other plus defenders in the infield with Travis Metcalf and Ryan Baty." Edited by Amber Byarlay Football to find its strength in the air Experience is key in Jayhawk offense By Kevin Flaherty kflaherty@kansan.com Kansan staff writer When watching the Kansas football team this fall, fans should expect to see passes spiraling through the air when the Jayhawks are on offense. With a proven quarterback in junior Bill Whittemore and a more experienced wide receiving corps, the passing game should be a major source of improvement on the team. Coach Mark Mangino said Whittemore was still recovering from his knee injury suffered against Missouri last season. "As far as his knee, he is in pretty good shape," Mangino said. "The first three practices we have with him, we are going to go slow with him." best passing day of the season against Missouri, with 242 yards passing, when he was injured in the third quarter. Whittemore accounted for 22 touchdowns, 11 passing and 11 rushing, and was named Big 12 newcomer of the year. Whittemore started during the second game of the season in Mangino's offense, and was off to what could have been his The best weapon in the passing game could turn out to be someone who didn't play for the team last year. Lionel Anderson, the projected starting tight end, brings a unique combination of size and speed to the position. Mangino said Anderson was a special player. Quarterback and big 12 Conference Newcomer of the Year Bill Whitmorete runs in place during Wednesday's practice. Coach Mark Mangino said Whitmorete was sacking recover from his knee injuries. "He is going to be huge for us when it is all said and done," Mangino said. "He's very athletic, makes tough plays, and I think that he has the chance to play at the next level." Anderson said Mangino had recruited him by saying he would get chances to catch the ball. "He said how they will try to incorporate the tight end in the offense," Anderson said. "He talked about how they used Trent Smith at Oklahoma." In Mangino's last season as Oklahoma's offensive coordinator, Smith had 61 catches for 564 yards and six touchdowns. Anderson, at 6-foot-3, 240 pounds, has size that poses problems for opposing defensive bucks. He also has great speed, with a 4.65 second 40-yard dash time, and has a speed advantage over manny linebackers. SEE OFFENSE ON PAGE SA H