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SPORTS
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
1B
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2003
SPORTS COMMENTARY
Ryan Greene rgreene@kansan.com
Jayhawks show class win or lose
As many strides as the Kansas women's basketball team has taken this season following last year's winless conference record, the team has still shown growing pains on the court.
Today, the Jayhawks head into the first round of the Big 12 Conference tournament as an underdog, facing the Iowa State Cyclones.
Iowa State has defeated Kansas twice this season, most recently Wednesday at Allen Fieldhouse.
Whether the Jayhawks' season ends today or lives to see another game, the team has still left a huge impression off the court that can do nothing but make the University of Kansas proud.
You can say it starts at the top, with coach Marian Washington and her staff.
Washington always makes sure that her athletes emphasize the most important part of the term "student- athlete."
"Academics is number one, that's just the bottom line." Washington said. "If they're not doing what they need to do in the classroom, they don't travel, they don't practice, and we've lost some players because of that. It's always been first and foremost and that will never change as long as I'm here."
The importance of academics showed its dividends last week, when four members of the team were named to academic all-conference teams.
Junior guard Leila Menüc, sophomore forward Valerie Migicovsky and sophomore guard Blair Waltz were named to the All-Big 12 first team. while sophomore guard Brandi McGinest was named to the second team.
Even that number of players is misleading, since freshman and transfer student-athletes are not eligible in their first year.
That rule meant that nine team members could not be recognized for their academic achievements.
Washington said that had they been eligible, the team would have had six or seven members to the all-conference teams.
The best part of the team's off-court contributions is that academic success is just the tip of the iceberg.
Over the years, Washington's teams have made a yearly trip to Lawrence Memorial Hospital during Christmas time to visit children who are not able to spend their holidays at home with family.
Also, in August, members of the team took part in a project called "Women Build," working with the Lawrence Habitat for Humanity. The project involved helping build a home for a local family.
"It's important that when they leave out of here that they're good people and that they have a purpose in this life and that is not a selfish one," Washington said. "We should be all out there trying to support each other, and any time that I can give them that experience, I think it's very important."
While their 10-17 record did not draw 16,000 fans to Allen Fieldhouse every game, the players' interactions with the fans who do come, even after a tough loss, keep their loyal following coming back for more.
A perfect example of this welcoming attitude came in the form of an e-mail delivered to coach Washington and her staff last week from a family in Fort Scott.
SEE GREENE ON PAGE 6A
'Hawks take on Cyclones
By Ryan Greene rgreene@kansan.com Kansan sportswinter
For nine members of the Kansas women's basketball team, today's date with Iowa State will mark another first Big 12 postseason play.
- Big 12 postseason play.
The Jayhawks (10-17 overall, 3-13 Big 12 Conference) will head into this year's Big 12 Tournament in Dallas as an underdog against the Cyclones (12-15, 7-9). Iowa State swept the regular season series and looks to pull off one of college basketball's toughest feats at noon today - beating one team three times in a season.
On a team with so much youth, leadership has been a constant concern. Junior guard Leila Menguc and sophomore guard Blair Waltz have stepped up as leaders on the floor, but coach Marian Washington still wants more.
"Who do we have right now as a leader? We really don't have anyone, with the exception of maybe Leila," Washington said. "They have to work through all of this themselves."
In the first meeting this season, the Cyclones pulled out a 72-70 victory at home on Jan.11 in Ames, Iowa. The regular season sweep was completed last Wednesday, 69-44 in Allen Fieldhouse.
Defending and preventing the threepoint shot has been the thorn in Kansas' side all season, and the two meetings with Iowa State have been no exception.
In each of the two games, the Cyclones hit 11 three-point shots.
The biggest positive for Kansas down the stretch of the regular season was freshman forward Tamara Ransburg staying out of foul trouble. Rans-
KANSAS VS.IOWA STATE
KANSAS(10-17)
PNo. Player Ht. Yr. PpG RPG
22 Tamaura Renabuy 6-4, Fri. 10-9 7.6
23 Tamaura Renabuy 6-4, Fri. 10-9 7.6
G. 3 Blair Wiltz 6-0, So. 7.1 5.6
G. 2 Lala Menggac 5-6, Jr. 2.7 2.2
G. 1 Aqlai Aquarra Bursa 5-6, Jr. 1.8 4.8
G 23 Erica Hallman 5-8 Fr. 8.3 1.7
F 33 Nichela Roberts 6-1 Fr. 3.8 4.3
G 20 Stacev Becker 5-9 So. 4.1 0.7
IDWA STATE (12-15)
P No. Player Ht. Yr. PPG RPG
G 12 Ammon O'Mail 5-11 Sc. 10.1 14.8
G 13 Lindsay Wilson 5-9 Sc. 19.2 2.6
G 15 Holly Bordowyk 5-9 Sc. 1.5 1.5
F 43 Mary Colefied 6-0 Sc. 6.9 4.5
F 43 Liuse Krieger 6-0 Sc. 9.8 5.8
F C 45 Lei Krieger 6-2 Sc. 9.8 5.8
G 10 Erica Junod 5-7 Jr. 5.0 3.8
G/11 Mary Fox 6-0 So. 5.5 4.0
F/C 11 Brittany Wilkins 6-3 Fr. 4.1 2.5
Opponent: Iowa State
When: Noon
Where: Reunion Arena, Dallas, Texas
Radio: 1320 KLWN
burg led the team in scoring with 10.9 points per game.Her 64 blocked shots are the fifth highest single-season total in team history.
The Jayhawks look to get their young players some valuable postseason experience today and snap a fourgame losing streak. The team's last victory came at Nebraska on Feb. 19.
Waltz said that it was tough to beat a team three times in one season, but Kansas could have a definite mental advantage by today's opening tip because of its familiarity with Iowa State.
"It is a good thing," Waltz said. "If there isn't fire in our blood already, then it will definitely be there by game time."
- Edited by Andrew Ward
Blair Waltz, sophomore guard, was named to the Academic All-Big 12 team, along with junior guard Leila Mengueg and sophomore forward Valerie Migicovis. The women's basketball team takes on Iowa State in the Big 12 Tournament at noon today in Dallas.
File Photo/Kansan
Player works through injury
By Shane Mettlen
smettlen@kansan.com
Kansan Sportswriter
Life was good for Erica Hallman when she arrived at the University of Kansas in the fall.
The Covington, Ky., native was where she wanted to be and was eager to begin her freshman season as a Kansas women's basketball player.
Leaving the Blue Grass State for the golden plains of Kansas wasn't an easy decision for Hallman.
The Louisville Cardinals and Kentucky Wildcats worked hard to persuade the Commonwealth's 2002 Miss Basketball to stay closer to home, but for Hallman the opportunity to help rebuild the Jayhawk program was impossible to pass up.
"I always told myself that I wanted to go somewhere that, if the first day I
Hallman managed to stay healthy her first day at Kansas, but it wasn't long before the 5-foot-8 guard was sidelined with an injured right knee.
went I got hurt, those were still the type of people I wanted to be around," Hallman said. "That's how coach Washington is."
Hallman missed more than a month of practice and both the Jayhawks' preseason exhibitions. She managed to return to action in the regular season opener, scoring 9 points in 21 minutes while wearing a heavy knee brace.
Despite the recovery, Hallman found herself in an unfamiliar position coming off the bench. That proved to be a somewhat difficult assignment for the former high school star to adjust to.
SEE HALLMAN ON PAGE 6B
File Photo/Kansan
Leaving her native Kentucky to play for the Kansas women's basketball team was a difficult decision for freshman guard Erica Hallman. The University of Louisville and the University of Kentucky both tried to recruit Hallman, but the opportunity at Kansas was impossible to pass.
Jayhawks face ranked Razorbacks today
Junior outfieldier Matt Trible will try to extend his 20-game hitting streak against Arkansas at 4p.m. today in Fayetteville, Ark.
Jared Soarea/Kansan
By Daniel Berk dberk@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
After a three game sweep of the Western Michigan Broncos, the Kansas baseball team is looking to continue its hot play when it faces the University of Arkansas at 4 p.m. today in Fayetteville, Ark.
Arkansas is 13-1 and won two of three games against Kansas State. Last year, they fell one game short of the College World Series.
The Razorbacks are coached by Dave Van Horn who left the University of Nebraska last year after leading the Huskers to two straight College World Series.
"This game is a really good opportunity for our team," Kansas coach Ritch Price said. "Arkansas is a solid team, who will present a challenge for us. They also have
one of the top facilities in the country."
Junior Ryan Knippschild is scheduled to start for the Jayhawks after pitching a complete game against Western Michigan. Knippschild is 4-0 on the season with an ERA of 2.67.
Arkansas is led by Brady Toops, batting .421 with 14 RBI. Pitcher Charley Boyce has a 1.25 ERA.
Junior Matt Tribble will try to extend his current hit streak of 20 games, a new Kansas record. Tribble is batting .427 and has started all of the Jayhawks' 20 games
Hayes, who patrols centerfield for the Jayhawks, is batting, 333 and leads the team with eight stolen bases.
The Jayhawks have solid outfield contributions from Tribble, senior Casey Spanish and senior Lance Hayes. Spanish is batting .452 and leads the team in RBIs with 21 and runs scored with 22.
"Lance is as good as a centerfielder as I have coached," Price said. "He does a great job using his small game skills to get on base and he is solid defensively."
Price also said that Tribble was a special player and that all his hits had been solid base hits.
"If you watched all 20 of our games, there was not one when he got a cheap hit."
Another reason Price said his team had been so successful is the outfield's consistency and maturity.
"On every successful team you need junior and senior leaders," Price said. "All three of those guys are in my lineup every day and are so hungry to win. Their maturity and desire has allowed us to change this program a little bit and be more successful."
Edited by Leah Shaffer
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