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SPORTS
10A
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2003
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
KU baseball hits road to play UALF
By Daniel Bork
dberk@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas baseball team will travel to Little Rock, Ark., this weekend to tangle with the University of Arkansas-Little Rock. Kansas (4-2) will try to continue its early season success, which started last week by winning four out of six games in Hawaii.
The Trojans of Arkansas-Little Rock have yet to start their season but finished 19-35 in 2002, good enough for ninth place in the Sun Belt conference. The Trojans do return some talent, though, and are led by junior pitcher Brad Cherry, who finished last season with a 1.82 earned run average.
The Jayhawks will continue their season-long nine-game road trip almost as healthy as they were at the start of the season.
Freshman second baseman Ritchie Price is expected to play in all of the games this weekend after having surgery to repair a broken nose and fractured cheek bone. Pitcher Pat Holmes will miss his scheduled start and instead come out of the bullpen because of a sore elbow. Pitcher Ryan Knippschild will take his place in the starting rotation. Knippschild pitched a complete game, seven-hitter against Hawaii-Hilo in his first start for the Jayhawks.
Couch Ritch Price said his team was ready for its three-game set despite the shaky and inconsistent weather in Lawrence.
"Practice has been really good since returning from Hawaii," Price said. "Over the weekend, when the weather was so nice, we managed to play three intrasquid games which really gave our team some quality time on the field."
SEE BASEBALL PAGE 7A
Eric Braem/Kansan
Keith Langford passes to Nick Collison during the first half of KU's 81-51 defeat of Nebraska Feb. 1. Langford led the team in points with 17 and Collison led in rebounds with nine. The Jayhawks defeated Missouri 76-70 Monday. KU takes on Kansas State in Manhattan tomorrow at 12:45 p.m.
pose threat
By Doyle Murphy
dmurphy@kansan
Kansan sportswriter
There aren't any plans to rename Bramalage Coliseum "Allen Fieldhouse West," but the Jayhawks have certainly made themselves comfortable in Kansas State's home arena.
In fact, No. 12 Kansas (16-5 overall), 6-1 Big 12 Conference) has never lost in Bramalage. That's 14 seasons of Wildcat whippings, and the Jayhawks' domination does not stop at Bramalage. Kansas beat K-State (11-9, 2-5) in their last five meetings on the Wildcats' old court, Ahearn Field House, and has won 25 straight against its in-state rival.
History aside, Kansas coach Roy Williams said it would be a mistake to lump Kansas State coach Jim Wooldridges' current team into the same category as past squads.
"I think there's no question in my mind that it's the best team since Jimmy's been there." Williams said at a press conference yesterday.
The Wildcats have already won nearly as many games as last season's team that finished 13-16, 6-10. K-State has lost three consecutive games, but the last two defeats have come at the hands of No.7 Oklahoma and No.11 Oklahoma State by a combined 10 points. The Wildcats dropped a home game against the Sooners 91-89 before performing admirably in Stillwater, Okla., despite losing 63-55 to the Cowboys.
Matt Siebrandt was K-State's leading scorer in each contest with 23 points against Oklahoma and 17 versus Oklahoma State. Stopping the 6-foot-8, 235 pound senior forward goes a long way toward shutting down the Wildcats
Opponent: Kansas State
Time: 12:45 p.m. tomorrow
Where: Manhattan
Radio: 105.9 KLZR
KANSAS VS. KANSAS STATE
12 KANSAS(15-5)
P No. Player Ht. Yt. PPG RPG
N 5 Nick Collison 6-9 Sr. 19.2 8.9
G 5 Kailiangming 6-4 Ss. 16.0 5.0
G 10 Kirk Limin 6-4 Ss. 17.6 3.8
G 11 Aaron Miles 6-1 Ss. 8.5 3.8
F 47 Jeff Grunes 6-1 Jt. 5.1 3.6
G 25 Michael Lee 6-3 So. 4.5 2.4
F 33 Bryant Yamn 6-6 Jr. 3.1 1.9
G 1 Jeff Hawkins 6-11 So. 1.4 0.9
KANSAS STATE/11-9
F 23 Marques Hayden 6-8 Fr. 7.4 4.7
G 1 Schleyr Thomas 6-0 Fr. 1.6 0.8
G 30 Jardt Hart 6-5 Jr. 7.9 2.5
No. Player. Pt. Ht. Yr. PPG RPG
F44 Penny Paceo 8-9 Sc.11.1 6.4
F32 Gibson DeJesus 8-6 Sc.12.0 5.6
F34 Matt Seblendk 8-6 Sc.10.5 5.2
G22 Frank Richards 6-2 Jr.9.6 2.6
G11 Tim Elis 6-4 Jr.10.7 3.0
offense, Kansas senior forward Nick Collison said.
While Collison is busy trying to keep the ball out of Siebrandt's hands, his Jayhawk teammates will be trying put it in his.
"Siebrandt is a big part of their offense a lot of their plays go through him," Collison said yesterday. "If you can limit his touches it helps a lot."
Last week's Big 12 Player of the Week, Collison has averaged 20 points and 13 rebounds per game in the Jayhawks' last three outings.
Collison and senior guard Kirk Hinrich know they must score for Kansas to be successful, Williams said. The coach of the Jayhawks told his senior leaders before the season that the team would be counting on them to assume much of the scoring load previously shouldered by former Jayhawks Drew Gooden and Jeff Boschee.
Collison's importance has been further increased by the continued absence of sophomore forward Wayne Simien. Simien will miss his 10th straight game after leaving a game against the University of Missouri-Kansas City with a separated shoulder. There is no timetable for his return, Williams said.
Women to wrangle with Longhorns
By Ryan Greene
rggreene@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Bouncing back from Wednesday's 73-42 loss at Colorado will not be an easy task for the Kansas women's basketball team.
The team heads back on the road to take on No. 11 Texas Longhorns at 1 p.m. tomorrow.
This will be the first and only meeting during the regular season between the two teams, but Kansas (9-11 overall, 2-7 Big 12) still has a bad taste left in its mouth from the end of last season.
Not only did Texas (14-5, 7-1) secure Kansas' 0-16 Big 12 regular season record with a 61-46 defeat, but the Longhorns also edged the Jahawks in the opening round of the Big 12 Conference Tournament, 63-61.
Marty Caivano/The Daily Camera
Sophomore guard Stacey Becker and freshman forward Tamara Ransburg fight for possession Wednesday against Colorado's Sabrina Scott. Kansas will play Texas tomorrow.
With her young team still having trouble putting together a complete game on both offense and defense, coach Marian Washington said teaching was still the key.
- Edited by Todd Rapp
"The next several ball games we're going to face teams that are very agres-
Opponent: Texas
Time: 1 p.m. tomorrow
Where: Austin, Texas
Radio: 90.7 KJHJ, 1320 KLWN
sive on the defensive end," Washington said. "We're going to have to find a way to score."
For the Jayhawks, the main concern right now is the health of sophomore guard Blair Waltz. Waltz was limited to only two minutes of play against Colorado because of back pain.
Kuniko Yamamoto, assistant athletic trainer, said there was more than a 50 percent chance Waltz will play tomorrow. Should she not be able to go, it will mean extended minutes for freshman guard Erica Hallman.
Hallman started in Waltz's place Wednesday night and had eight points and four assists in 34 minutes of play.
The Jayhawks will be lacking a deep bench against Texas, but they will still have to place much of their focus on Longhorns junior forward Stacey Stephens. Freshman forward Crystal Kemp will shoulder most of
"Crystal will have to really come to play because she's really the biggest player we have inside in terms of body,"
the responsibility of stopping Stephens.
Washington said. "When we have to help out so much inside, it creates some challenges for us."
—Edited by Michelle Burhenn
Softball team to open play in Florida
As the rest of the University of Kansas campus shivers under the snowfall, the softball team is enjoying the warm sunshine of St. Augustine, Fla.
The squad kicks off its season today in the Triple Crown Sports/UCF Tournament.
The tournament, hosted by Central Florida, is comprised of 12 teams, including the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Kansas will open up regular season play by facing Mississippi at 10:15 a.m. today. At 12:45 p.m., the Jayhawks will take on Bethune-Cookman. On Saturday, the squad will meet Purdue at 12:15 p.m.
The 'Hawks are scheduled to play two more games in the championship round. The opponents of those contests, though, will be decided as competition unfurls.
The Rebels of Ole Miss, with 11 returning letter-winners, have a record of 2-0 after taking Jacksonville State earlier this week.
SEE SOFTBALL PAGE 7A
Basketball recruits will serve dessert after this season
You know the old saying, "You can't have your cake and eat it too?"
Last year Kansas men's basketball team went undefeated in Big 12 Conference play, putting up a 16-0 record, as well as reaching the Final Four for the first time since 1993. This year, things seem to be going just as well. The 'Hawks are tied for first in the Big 12, the best conference in the nation, and have more than a legitimate shot at going to the Final Four for the second straight year. Heck,
Well, throw those words of wisdom out the window and grab a fork, Jayhawk fans.
Kansas has even defeated the hated Missouri Tigers three straight times.
But next year, without Collison and Hinrich, Kansas will rebuild, regroup and take a few steps backward, right?
Kansas has one of the best recruiting classes in the country to work with next year, and it fills almost every position on the floor. Roy Williams spent nearly every second of his free time last season to recruit and sign these players, and it has paid off in a big way. So grab a seat in the Delorian, and let's see the future of KU basketball.
Wrong.
COMMENTARY
Brad Zollars
bzollars@kansan.com
David Paduett
This 6-foot-10,210-pound phenom can play either the center or power forward position and has just been named to the
McDonald's All-American team, which showcases the nation's talent. The recruiting Web site, www.theinsiders.com, calls him "the package," and ESPN.com ranks him as the 17th best recruit in America. Can you say Nick Collison, part II? Not only does Padgett play like the Kansas forward, he is the son of a coach. The two even bear a remarkable facial resemblance. Finally, proof that Clonala is for real. J.R. Giddens
The Oklahoma City small forward can flat out play. He is averaging 25 points a game this season and has major ability. Picture Keith Langford with a better outside shot. Giddens did, however, hit a pothole on his way to Lawrence. He was arrested Dec. 19 on charges of conspiracy to commit grand larceny. Oklahoma City police said he and three others tried to make off with nearly $4,000 worth of electronics from Wal-Mart by disabling security tabs. His case has since been resolved, and recruiting analyst Greg Swain, who has known Giddens for some time, claims that he will be wiser when he gets to Kansas.
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SEE ZOLLARS PAGE 7A
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