FRIDAY, FEBRUARY
"I'm approaching every game as if it's the last time somewhere ... This is as good as it gets with a good divorce."
Steve Lavin, UCLA head coach
Inside Sports
2B • THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Brad Zollars
bzollars@kansan.com
'Hawks need to end slump at curved line
The Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team has a weakness. It has hurt the team so far this season, it has hurt it in the past, and if things don't change in a hurry, it could cost the team dearly.
This weakness isn't a person, as in the injured Wayne Simien, nor is it the lack of support, as in the razor-thin Jayhawk bench. No, this weakness is a seemingly harmless, but deadly curved line. The three-point line to be more specific.
Kansas is second to last in the Big 12 Conference in three-point defense this year and has flip-flopped with Iowa State for last place in the conference all season.
There are probably some out-of-state freshmen who are reading this and are saying so what? But those who grew up in the state of Kansas, bleed Crimson and Blue and have a long and painful memory might understand the gravity of this statistic. They don't need a reminder of Kentucky in '99, Rhode Island in '98 or Arizona in '97 Just ask their therapists.
Well, let's look at some of the Kansas losses so far this year and the job they did defending the three-point line.
Not scared yet?
Florida relied almost solely on threepointers, hitting 45 percent from the arc. Arizona shot a blistering 41 percent, with Salim Stoudamire burying open threes, smoking the jayhawks in the second half. Oregon made an incredible 50 percent of its long balls and even the poor-shooting Colorado team hit big threes down the stretch. Texas shot 44 percent from three-point land in its loss to Kansas, and if it weren't for Nick Collison and his monster game, those threes would have been the difference.
If you weren't scared before these numbers, there's a good chance you need to change your underwear now.
There's no need to panic just yet, though. Kansas has a good defense, one of the best in the Big 12 and guarding the three-point line is a simple matter of extending its defense. Often times, the Jayhawks get bunched up inside and simply need to spread the defense out to the arc, especially after missed shot. Do this and a large part of the problem is fixed.
The bottom line: If Kansas doesn't guard the three-point shot come tournament time, Roy Williams could be spending another late March on the golf course, wondering what went wrong.
Judging by the unprecedented balance of talent that will make up the NCAA basketball tournament this year, anybody can pull the upset.
Female golfer readies to tee off as first woman to play in PGA
Zollars is a Chicago senior majoring in communications.
The Associated Press
FORT WORTH, Texas — Annika Sorenstam is the best player in women's golf, often drawing comparisons to Tiger Woods because of her dominance on the LPGA Tour.
Sorenstam's 21 tour victories the past two years are more than anyone. Woods included. She's a five-time LPGA player of the year and has four majors among her 42 LPGA wins.
So what does Sorenstam have to gain by playing against the men on the PGA Tour?
"The answer is simple: I am curious to see if I can compete in a PGA Tour event," she said Wednesday after accepting an invitation to play in the Colonial in
Nothing more than that.
Mav.
Sorenstam, who would be the first woman in 58 years to play on the PGA Tour, just wants to find how she would stack up against stronger players on tougher courses.
"I just think she wants to find out how good she really is, and if the gap between women's golf and men's golf is that great — or not great at all," Woods said.
There's not much else for Sorenstam to prove on the LPGA.
The 32-year-old Swede shattered the tour's scoring record (68.7) while winning 11 tournaments last year and finishing in the top 10 in 20 of 23 events.She also won two other tournaments worldwide.In 2001, she became the first
woman to shoot 59 and earn more than $2 million in one season.
LPGA Tour commissioner Ty Votaw said Sorenstam's performance should not be viewed solely as a competition against the men.
against the men.
"This is Annika vs. Annika," Votaw said.
"It's about Annika challenging herself and breaking down barriers, never stopping in her quest to improve and test her abilities."
Sorenstam hand-picked Colonial, a course that does not require as much power off the tee. The par-70 layout plays to 7,080 yards and puts a premium on accuracy, Sorenstam's forte.
Woods did not want to guess how Sorenstam would do, saying it will depend on the weather and how the course is set up.
KJHK
Play-by-play announcers for the KU radio station KJHK 90.7 FM, Jonah Ballow and Todd Panula, invite you to listen in as they call tomorrow's women's basketball game against the Missouri Tigers live from Allen Fieldhouse.
Mark Zillman and Sennett Rockers invite you to listen in as they call Sunday's men's game against the Iowa State Cyclones live from the Fieldhouse.
The Kansas women's basketball team will need key contributions from its starting five in order to pull off a victory over border rival Missouri.
Women's basketball
Sophomore Aquanita Burras is the Jayhawks' leading scorer and will have to give the team much needed scoring with outside jumpers. Kansas will look inside to low post players, freshman Tamara Rensburg and freshman Crystal Kemp to establish scoring from the inside.
The freshman tandem is going to have its work cut out trying to stop junior forward Evan Unrau, who averages 15.7 points per game.
Missouri is reeling with two straight conference victories and hopes to improve on its 6-4 conference record. The Tigers are 2-3 in Big 12 away games.
Kansas is struggling with three consecutive defeats in the Big 12 after being outscored 246-146 in those games. Scoring is a must in order to lift the Jayhawks to a victory over Missouri.
Jonah Ballow, KJHK
For Kansas to win, it has to shut down a potent outside attack by the Mizzou guards. Evan Unrau, Kerensa Barr and Tracy Lozier are all capable of nailing big three pointers in the clutch.
If the Tigers want to win, they have to deal with an inside tandem that could become one of the best in the Big 12. Tamara Ransburg averages 9.9 points per game and 7.4 rebounds, and Crystal Kemp averages 11 points per game and 6 rebounds per game.
Much like the men's team, Kansas will have to be patient and work the ball inside while not trying to match Missouri shot for shot.
If Kansas can sustain the kind of first half it played against Oklahoma for a whole game, don't be surprised if the Jayhawks bring home a border war victory.
— Todd Panula, KJHK
Men's basketball
Excluding Baylor, no team has been more disappointing this year than Iowa State.
Coach Larry Eustachy's gamble with four junior college players, including Tim Barnes and Jackson Vroman, has had mixed results.
Barnes is averaging a respectable nine points per game. However, he scored more than 19 points a game in junior college ball. Vroman gives the Cyclones some size but lacks quickness.
Iowa State is shooting a reasonable
KJHK's coverage of tomorrow's women's basketball game against Missouri will begin at 1 p.m. on 90.7 FM. Coverage of Sunday's men's
basketball game against Iowa State will begin at noon.
FRIDAY,FEBRUARY 14,2003
39 percent from the beyond the arc, and Jake Sullivan is knocking them down at a sizzling 46 percent clip. He is the only hope for a Cyclone team that is simply out-manned.
Mark Zillman, KJHK
The best and the nearly worst of the Big 12 will meet Sunday afternoon in Allen Fieldhouse, Kansas is tied with Oklahoma State at the top of the conference while Iowa State has had only two Big 12 victories.
The Cyclones must stop Kansas inside. Nick Collison is far and away the best post player in this game, and he should have his way with Iowa State forward Jackson Vroman and forward/center Chris Alexander.
Plenty of points will be put on the scoreboard. The game features three of the top five scorers in the Big 12 in Collison and guard Kirk Hinrich of Kansas and Iowa State guard Jake Sullivan. Each of those three could easily score 20 points. Sullivan, however, has no supporting cast, and Kansas will come up with the easy victory.
— Sennett Rockers, KJHK
Aaron Miles, you're lucky I'm not a ninja. Otherwise I'd fly over there and
--cut off your head with my ninja sword.
Start playing some basketball, man.
cut off your head with my ninja sword.
Start playing some basketball, man.
]
I was just beginning to think that the "Mizzou sucks" was getting old, but then I watched them lose to Texas A&M. Suck on, Mizzou, suck on.
like to see replaced at the end of his or her season?
If the Billikens played KU at St. Louis, the Billikens would destroy the Jayhawks.
POLL
kansan.com Which coach would you most
Which coach
I'm watching the Missouri-Texas A&M game, and someone should tell Norm that it's Missouri, not Missouri.
Is it just me or does Keith Langford look like Geraldo Waldo Faido from "Family Matters"?
Football coach, Mark Mangino
Football coach, Mark Mangina
Women's basketball coach, Marian
Washington
Track coach, Stanley Redwine
Men's basketball coach, Roy Williams
Softball coach, Tracy Bunge Baseball coach, Ritch Price
TODAY
Love on to www.kansan.com to cast your vote
Kansas Athletics Calendar
Suffield vs. Sacramento State at noon in San Diego
Men's golf at the Taylor Made/Big Island Invitational, Waikoloa Resort, Waikoloa, Hawaii
TOMORROW
Softball vs. San Diego State at 7:30 p.m. in San Diego
Bassallb at Louisiana State at 6:30 p.m. in
Baton Rouge, La.
Track at John McDonnell Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark.
Women's basketball vs. Missouri at 1 p.m.
in Allen Fieldhouse
Softball vs. Fresno State at noon in San Diego
Softball vs. University of California-Santa Barbara at 2:30 p.m. in San Diego
Baseball at Louisiana State at 2 p.m. in Baton Rouge, La.
Tennis vs. Texas at 1 p.m. at Wood Valley Racquet club in Topeka
Track at the Tyson Invitational in Fayet teville, Ark.
Men's basketball vs. Iowa State at noon in Allen Fieldhouse
SUNDAY
Softball vs. Cal State Northridge at 11 a.m.
in San Diego
Baseball at Louisiana State at 1 p.m. in Baton Rouge, La.
Tennis vs. Utah at 1 p.m. at Wood Valley Racquet Club in Topeka
TOMORROW
Weekend club and intramural calendar
Men's rugby at Westwick Rugby and Athletic Complex on South Iowa Street Women's volleyball 12-team tournament, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Robinson Center
To submit your intramural game, e-mail Matt Gehrke associate sports editor, at mgehrke@kansan.com or call 864-4858.
"Understanding Our Past, Living Today, Creating Our Future"
For tickets contact:
Charlee Fitts 331-3905
Kristin Lambert 830-8306
University of Kansas NAACP Chapter 2nd Annual black Heritage Ball Sunday, February 16, 2003 Kansas Union Ballroom, 6 PM tickets sold at the Kansas Union $12 for students $15 for non-students
LEARNING TO HEAR THE STORIES IV:
WAR AND MODERN MEMORY
A WORKSHOP ON ORAL HISTORY AND TRADITION
8:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Friday, February 28, 2003
Kansas Union, Ballroom
*William Tuttle, American Studies,
"Pearl Harbor and 9-11: 'Floshubb Memories'
Oral History, and American Children's Lives in
Wartime"
ritchard Norton Smith, Dole Institute,
"War Stories and the Political Battlefield"
*John Musgrave,
"Vietnam and Its Aftermath"
*Audrev Galex
*Mike Tosee*
*Audrey Galex,
"Sadat's Return from Camp David"*
Mike Iosef
American Indian Studies, Hoskell
Indian Nations University,
"Native Americans in U.S. Wars"
*Sam Haskins & Glen Kappelman,
"Visualizing the War"
A box lunch will be provided. Therefore, pre-registration is required Please contact The Hall Center for information 854-804 or call a mentor to register by February 14th.
Co-sponsored by The Hall Center for the Humanities KU Center for Research College of Liberal Arts & Sciences Chancellor's Office
for the Humanities at 7630.116.111
For more information please visit our website at www.hollcenter.kku.edu/ormaine
*Block Women's Oral History Group.
"Lanston's Lawrence: Remembering the Stories"
FOR THE HUMANITIES
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