8B = THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2003
Experienced coach joins football staff
By Jesse Newell
jnewell@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
In attempting to build a championship-caliber program, Mark Mangino has tried to surround himself with coaches having championship experience.
The trend continued today as Mangino hired Northern Colorado assistant coach Earnest Collins to fill Kansas' vacant secondary position.
Collins was a student assistant at Northwest Missouri State for three years, helping lead the Bearcats to consecutive NCAA Division II titles in 1998 and 1999. Collins previously played at Northern Colorado, where he set school records for punt return yards in a season and a career.
Along with his playing and championship experience, Northern Colorado coach Kay Dalton said that Collins would bring much more to the Kansas coaching staff.
"He's very professional," Dalton said. "He's a good recruiter. He's got a very good work ethic. I think Kansas got a fine football coach."
As a special teams and secondary coach for Northern Colorado, Collins assisted in a 12-victory season, as the Bears reached the Division II semifinals.
Collins fills the spot left by Travis Jones, who left to take a position on Louisiana State's coaching staff last month. This leaves just one assistant position open. The Jayhawks have yet to replace Ken Conatser, who resigned two weeks into the 2002 season.
Mangino also named Chris Dawson strength and conditioning coach last week. Dawson spent two years as the strength and conditioning coach in Minnesota under former Kansas coach Glen Mason, and he played linebacker for the Oklahoma Sooners from 1991 to 1994.
- Edited by Jason Elliott
Coach Pat Riley faces fines for complaints about NBA officials
MIAMI — Pat Riley, fined by the NBA for the second time this season yesterday, joked that his complaints about officials have taken a toll on his wife and daughter.
How much?
"About three trips to Saks Fifth Avenue, so enough's enough," Riley said. "I may have to bite my tongue."
The Miami Heat coach was fined $20,000 yesterday for criticizing the officials following a loss to Portland last week. He was hit with a $50,000 fine in December.
Riley admitted that his complaints reflect the frustration of coaching a team that's last in the Atlantic Division.
"I absolutely hate losing," he said. "I despise it. I do everything I can not to lose. So anybody who's got any brains at all knows that if you're somebody who hates to lose, and you're losing, that somewhere you get frustrated ...
"But I'm not complaining. I'm just fighting as much as I can to get what I can get."
In the wake of NBA commissioner David Stern's warning last week that he has had enough of
gripes about referees, Riley said he wasn't surprised by the latest fine.
"I understand what it is, and you accept it." Riley said. "It reminds of me of my favorite quote from Winston Churchill: 'I may not be the lion, but it is left to me to give the lion's roar.' And that is what David Stern did. Every time he does this, it reminds me of that quote, because he does. He's got the loudest voice, a very effective voice."
Following the Heat's 101-87 loss to Portland on Feb. 5, Riley complained of "an absolute officiating tragedy."
"I thought I was at the comedy store watching some kind of comedian out there laughing with the Blazers, and talking to them, and smiling with them," Riley said then. "It was so unprofessional."
Heat players said they appreciate Riley making a financial sacrifice on their behalf.
"He's out there fighting for us," forward Caron Butler said. "You like to see that even when you're down and not doing so well. Coach is still working hard and battling for us."
Men's golf team begins season in Hawaii
Roster in question as young players step-up to fill spots
Made/Big Island Intercollegiate tournament in Walkoloka, Hawaii
By Paul Kramer
pkramer@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The question concerning this tournament is which players would fill the two remaining spots after proven-veterans, senior Chris Marshall, junior Tyler Hall and sophomore Andrew Price.
The Kansas men's golf team will tee-it-up for the first time this season today at the Taylor
For now, coach Ross Randall has picked freshman Ryan Rainer and sophomore Kevin Ward. Randall said that many golfers
"I know who the first three are. Then I am not sure who comes after that," coach Randall said.
had had their moments, but nobody has stepped forward with consistency.
Marshall is one of the best golfers in the country. Marshall was recently ranked No. 18 nationally in the Sagarin ratings. Coach Randall said he was very excited about this year for Marshall, and said he was the top
Kansas will also get a early feel for some of its Big 12 Conference competition in the tournament. The tournament features Baylor, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Texas Tech.
ranked golfer in Kansas' region.
The three-day event will start today and continue through Friday, with 18 holes played each day.
Edited by Jason Elliott
Samuelson
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
the Hardwood Classics Collection have increased by 300 percent in the past year.
And how could any hoops-loving American missed out on LeBron James' journey. He was cleared to play after the all the hoopla about his Hummer, but was busted after getting bribed by that red, white and blue Wes Unseld Bullets jersey.
Still, nothing could have beaked 'Hawk fans more than last weekend's embarrassing attempt by the Wildcats to break Brumlage's winning barriers against the layhawks with their milky mismatched purple
tanks.
Maybe if the Cats would have put out the cash for the lavished lavender shorts,the throwback attempt might have worked.
C'mon Wildcats, even back in the day the rap group Bone wore those faded bluish-clouded Cavs jerseys.
Now, I'm not saying Kansas should go the complete retro route; leaving out the knickers and knee pads of its inaugural teams is a must.
It's been 15 years since the Jayhawks wore something strange—and that clash of clothing aided in their chase of the championship.
On Dec. 3, 1987, the Larry
But why not add a little flavor for a game?
Brown-led Jayhawks broke out the vellows.
Fans apparently weren't too happy.
But it wasn't as if the faithful were watching the Jayhawks fall to Duke in the 1986 Final Four, when they wore their reds.
Brown vowed that because of the 71-67 defeat, they would cast away the crimsons for good.
But now Kansas should bring them back — maybe not yellows or even the rumored reds, but something old mixed with something new.
Perhaps the 1952 championship team's whites, kind of like the style Collison wore for his Sports Illustrated shoot for the college basketball preview issue earlier this season.
Of course the nutters would have to go. Those bottoms were shorter than most men' boxes are today.
And there's always the Champion blue-hued jerseys of 1988 for a little karma.
If none of that sounds good, break out the beak-yellow mustards for a Sunday trip to Columbia, Mo., on March 9.
Now that would be Old School.
Samuelson is a Wichita senior in journalism.
Easy
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
he or she must have a minimum of 48 transferable hours with a 2.0 cumulative GPA.
If an athlete does qualify initially, he or she must have 12 transferable hours for every semester taken. Therefore, if an athlete takes two semesters of community college he or she must have 24 hours transferable. The University was less likely to accept transfer hours than other institutions, said Buskirk.
The Sentinel based its evaluation of each school on interviews with about two dozen coaches, recruiting coordinators and academic coordinators in Division I-A.
Buskirk said the article surprised him.
"I was shocked and befuddled. I wouldn't think that we
would have easy admissions qualifications." Buskirk said. "And Baylor, that's a private school, so you would think they would have stricter admissions policies as well."
Throughout the football recruitment process, academic counselors Buskirk and Michael Norwood reviewed recruits' transcripts to advise if the players could qualify.
Buskirk said that if the recruits did not have a chance to qualify.
the coaches would recruit other players.
"We had a couple of instances in which I was asked for my honest opinion, and I had to tell them that the player would not qualify," Buskirk said.
"If academically, the player is not likely to make it, the coaches don't want to waste their time."
-Edited by Andrew Ward
Finley's goal propels Blues' victory over Sabres
BUFFALO, N.Y. — It's been so long — almost 27 months — that defenseman Jeff Finley can't remember scoring his last goal.
It will be hard to forget his latest one. Finley scored with 4-59 left to end a 173-game drought, lifting the St. Louis Blues to a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres last night.
"No, I don't remember the last one. It's been a while." Finley said before being reminded that his last goal came in a game against Phoenix on Nov. 25, 2000. "It's fun. That's the name of the game, try and score. Especially when you get the game-winner, it's exciting."
Keith Tkaehuk, extending his goal streak to six games, and Steve Martins also scored for the Blues, who rallied back after spotting the Sabres a 2-0 first-period lead.
St. Louis improved to 4-0-2 in its last six games and won despite losing top playmaker Doug Weight, who did not return after being cut below the nose when he was struck by a puck with eight minutes left in the second period.
Following the game, coach Joel Quenneville said Weight will be re-evaluated when the team returns to St. Louis, but probably won't play in the Blues' next game against Philadelphia tomorrow.
Adam Mair and Tim Connolly scored for the Sabres, winless in seven (0-5-0-2). The Sabres are also winless in their last nine games against the Blues (0-7-2), with their last victory coming Oct. 1, 1997.
"We're still finding ways not to win games," Sabres defenseman
Rhett Warrener agreed.
James Patrick said. "That was the difference tonight. They capitalized."
"That's a good lead," he said. "It should be enough. We've proven this year that we're capable of blowing it."
Justin Papineau had a hand in the game-winning goal, driving up the right wing and getting a shot off. Martin Biron got a piece of it, but the rebound deflected to the left circle, where Finley — pinching in from the point — flipped it into the open side.
The goal was Finley's 15th — and fourth game-winner— in 634 NHL games.
The significance of Finley's goal was not lost on the Blues.
"We'll have to buy him something," said Tkachuk, who was playing for Phoenix when Finley scored his last goal. "I'm glad. We needed this win. That's the thing with the way we've played all year. We've been through so much, all the adversity, and it's different people stepping up."
The Sabres appeared in control when Mair, sneaking a backhander through Brent Johnson's legs, and Connolly established a 2-0 lead in the opening period.
The Blues, who mustered just eight shots on net in the first 30 minutes, finally responded with two goals in a 78-second span.
1 kaehuk cut Buffalo's lead to 2-1 when he redirected Pavol Demi-tira's pass into the slot behind Biron with 5:45 left in the second period.
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