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SPORTS
1B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 2003
Jayhawks avoid Tigertrap
By Doyle Murphy
dmurphy@kansan.com
Kansan sportswinter
Roy Williams squats in front of assistant coach Joe Holliday and Jeff Graves to get a closer look at the team's defensive action during the early second half. Williams criticized Graves's and Miles' play despite the Jayhawks 76-70 victory over Missouri.
Jared Soares/Konsan
Roy Williams sure didn't sound like someone who had just bested his rival for the fourth straight game.
The Kansas coach ripped into junior forward Jeff Graves and sophomore guard Aaron Miles shortly after No.12 Kansas' 76-70 victory against No.21 Missouri.
"Jeff Graves has got to decide to play and stop sitting over there next to me—I've got enough assistant coaches." Williams said. "And Aaron Miles, I don't care about shots but you can't have six turnovers."
Miles mustered just two points and five assists to go with his six turnovers. Graves finished the game with eight points and four rebounds, but Williams seemed most angered by several careless fouls and a traveling violation
Williams was so peeved that not even long-time radio announcer Max Falkenstein could coax a complimentary word about the two from him.
"Max, don't even go there," Williams said cutting off a Falkenstien question. "There is nothing positive I want to say about Jeff Graves and Aaron Miles."
Williams did, however, have plenty of nice things to say about his two seniors. Forward Nick Collison and guard Kirk Hinrich shouldered much of the load in the second half, while squashing one Missouri run after another.
Collison scored 10 points and grabbed six rebounds to finish the day with 22 and seven, respectively. Hinrich scored 15 of his game-high 24 points after the break. He also led both teams with eight assists, while playing tough defense on Missouri junior guard Ricky Clemons.
"Max, don't even go there. There is nothing positive I want to say about Jeff Grave or Aaron Miles."
Clemons, who recently denied charges that he abused his girlfriend,
Roy Williams
Men's Basketball coach
heard chants of "woman beater" from the Kansas crowd before Williams asked them to stop during a first-half timeout. Clemons scored a team-high 19 points for the Tigers but took 15 three-pointers and made just five.
Clemons, Collision and Hinrich all were predictable focal points, but two Jayhawk reserves turned in uncharacteristically impressive performances. Their timing couldn't have been better for Kansas.
With Miles and Graves suffering offnights, sophomore guard Michael Lee and junior forward Bryant Nash filled in admirably for the Jayhawks. Nash's seven points were one off his career high of eight, set against Holy Cross in November. More than the points, Nash was aggressive attacking the basket. His violent, fast break dunk at the end of the first half sent Kansas to the locker room on a positive note.
"I haven't seen it yet," Nash said of the slam. "I just took off. I tried to get another one, but Michael Lee didn't see me."
Lee didn't have any dunks of his own, but his clutch free throws helped seal a Kansas victory. He made 3-of-4 charities in the final 27 seconds, pushing Kansas' lead to five points.
"I felt like if somebody was going to get fouled I wanted it to be me," he said after the game.
Lee also came up with a rebound for the Jayhawks' final possession. He scored seven points, grabbed four rebounds and didn't commit a turnover
while playing a career-high 28 minutes.
Williams said more evaluations are needed before he will know if injured sophomore forward Wayne Simien will need shoulder surgery. There will not be an announcement
until Simien's status changes. Williams said.
Collison needs just one point to reach 1,800 in his career.
— Edited by Leah Shaffer
Lee's career high takes cake
Brandon Baker/Kansan
Michael Lee, sophomore guard, drives in against the Missouri defense. Lee scored 7 points during the Jayhawks' romp against the Tigers yesterday.
By John Domoney
jdomoney@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
In a little more than a season and a half of playing basketball at Kansas, sophomore Michael Lee has earned a reputation for hard-nosed play and the nickname "Tweet" for his fouling in practice.
In the past weeks, Lee has embarked on a new reputation as the clutch free-throw shooter for the Jayhawks.
"The way I look at free throws is, it is the easiest shot in basketball besides an uncontested lay-up," Lee said. "The gym is quiet when I shoot, so I just try and concentrate."
When Lee stepped up to the line for a one-and-one with 26.8 seconds leftofthe clock and his Jayhawks clinging to a 72-69 lead over the Tigers, the former high school football tight end and defensive back felt right at home.
been at the line before in a late-game situation.
After hitting two late free throws against Colorado in a 60-59 loss on Jan. 22 and several more in a 90-87 win over Texas on Jan. 27, Lee had
"On the first one, I thought I had two free throws," said Lee about the front end of the one-and-one. "I thought that helped me concentrate."
Lee's second free throw ripped through the cords of the net, giving Kansas a 74-69 lead and giving Lee a satisfying 20th birthday gift.
Lee told reporters after the game he was searching for a birthday gift after his teammates had offered little in the form of presents.
SEE LEE PAGE 3B
SPORTS COMMENTARY
Ryan Greene
rgreene@kansan.com
Fans repeat classless behavior during game
By Ryan Greene
rggreene@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Another "Big Monday" game in front of a national audience, and it was another job well done by Kansas students showing a lack of class.
It's hard to beat the issue of fans and class harder than it has already been hit, but last night's display from the student section was a pure disgrace to me as both a journalist and a spectator.
A week ago yesterday, about 100 idiot fans rushed the floor after Kansas downed third-ranked Texas at Allen Fieldhouse. Sure, the Jayhawks entered that game ranked lower than the Longhorns, but it has never been in the nature of Kansas basketball to provide such a pathetic display. The team attitude is to expect a win every time you step on the floor.
This week, the students had an opportunity to redeem themselves by leaving Missouri guard Ricky Clemons alone, instead of taunting him for his recent arrest for choking a female. Then, two minutes into the game, the crowd chanted "Woman Beater, Woman Beater, Woman Beater." This went along with the numerous vicious comments shouted to Clemons during warm-ups that I don't dare repeat in this publication.
Roy Williams silenced the students before the game as they began similar chants, but apparently they forgot the orders of the coach once he left to attend to business.
I'd like to hit the rewind button and take you back two seasons.
Iowa State was visiting Allen Fieldhouse, and students made fools of themselves by chanting "GED" and "High School Dropout" at Cyclone guard Jamaal Tinsley before the game. Tinsley responded by raining threes over Kirk Hinrich all night in a 79-77 Iowa State win.
On ESPN following the game, analyst Digger Phelps called the Kansas fans "classless," which was well deserved.
Now back to last night.
Clemons did not seem bothered by the hazing, leading Mizzou with 19 points in a losing effort. So what exactly was the point of even starting with the guy?
It's hard to say what I'm about to say, because I believe that under no circumstances is it right to hit or abuse a female, but I have to give props to Clemons for not letting the taunting get into his head.
SEE GREENE PAGE 3B
University honors two former female athletes
By Ryan Greene
rgreene@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Angela Aycock and Tamecka Dixon became the second and third women to hang their jerseys from the Allen Fieldhouse rafters last night.
"It just goes to show that I've dedicated four years of my life to this University and to these people," Dixon said. "It's great to come back and feel the vibe of Kansas basketball again."
Dixon flew back from Italy, where she plays professional basketball during the WNBA offseason, to attend the ceremony. Dixon, a member of the Los Angeles Sparks, made her mark as a professional. She won two WNBA titles and earned league all-star honors twice.
Aycock attended as well but was unable to take part in the halftime ceremony because of her vows as a novice nun. Her commitment comes with a vow of humility.
Women's coach Marian Washington, who coached both Aycock and Dixon as Jayhawks, said she was proud to see her players' efforts awarded at the ceremony.
"They're family to me now and I just miss them so much," Washington said. "I'm so happy and proud for them because they truly did a great job for our
"It's great to come back and feel the vibe of Kansas basketball again."
Tamecka Dixon
Former Kansas Basketball player
program while they were here."
Dixon said it was still a rush to find her name among the list of great KU basketball players who had their jerseys retired over the years at the University.
"I didn't know all the politics that went behind it, and still don't know to this day," Dixon said. "I'm just tremendously honored."
— Edited by Andrew Ward
Jared Soares/Kansan
Tamecka Dixon and Angela Aycock had their jerseys retired at halftime. Though Dixon was there, Aycock was not present due to her novice nun code.
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