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SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
12A
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2003
NCAA rule may profit smaller schools
By Kevin Flaherty
kflaherty@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
A new NCAA rule will give conferences more leeway in negotiating payouts for football bowl games, and that could be mean more revenue for conferences and those running the bowls.
The association passed the rule in late December. Conferences can now negotiate directly with bowl games on financial matters, but Bo Carter, Big 12 Conference associate commissioner, said the new rule change not affect the Big 12 as much as other conferences.
"We already work with so many bowls in negotiations." Carter said. "We have seven bowl tie-ins and have eight bowl-teams the last two years."
Carter said the new deal could either help or hurt smaller schools, and the effects would not be known for a few years.
Southern Mississippi plays football in Conference USA, a non Bowl Championship Series conference, which means the conference champion does not get an automatic berth to one of college's top five bowls. The Eagles lost to Oklahoma State in this season's Houston Bowl.
Leila Menguc, junior guard, celebrates off the bench during the Jayhawk victory. The Jayhawks defeated the Cornhuskers by 3 points in the last seconds of the game last night.
Richard Giannini, athletics director at Southern Mississippi, said that the new system's benefits depended on the bowl but should help the smaller conferences, and the new rules could work for smaller bowls.
"You look at the Hawaii bowl, and there maybe wouldn't be as many spectators, but the 'TV ratings would be great,' Giannini said. "It was made for TV, to watch unopposed on Christmas Day."
Bowl commissions guarantee teams a certain amount of money, but even with that guarantee, the 75/25 rule could still affect team's winnings. For example, if a bowl guaranteed $2 million per team, but the bowl's revenue was $10 million, the two teams instead would split the $7.5 million. If the bowl lost money, it was obligated to come up with money.
Perhaps the main weakness of the old bowl system was the 75/25 rule. That rule stipulated that 75 percent of the bowl income — advertising, televisions fees and other income — would be split between the two bowl teams. The bowl took in the remaining 25 percent.
Carter said the new system would place more emphasis on ticket sales.
Under the new arrangement, the bowl and the conference could write a contract that better represents the interests of both parties and negotiate deals that will benefit both parties.
"It will put some pressure on bowls to pick teams that travel well," Carter said.
SEE MONEY ON PAGE 9A
Jayhawks beat'Huskers
Brandon Baker/Kansan
By Ryan Greene
rgreeen@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Wednesday night was a true gut check for the Kansas women's basketball team (9-9, 2-5).
Fortunately, the Jayhawks passed with flying colors.
The Jayhawks ended their sevengame losing streak to the Nebraska Cornhuskers (7-10, 0-6) with a 67-64 win. For Kansas, it marked its secondstraight Big 12 Conference victory and its first home conference victory since Feb.17, 2001.
For the Huskers, it extended their overall losing streak to eight games and kept them winless in conference play.
For the second-straight game, the Jayhawk attack was led by freshman forward Crystal Kemp, and sophomore guard Aquanita Burras. Kemp had a career-high 26 points and eight rebounds.
Burras was scoreless in the first half but had 11 points in the second half and sank two clutch free throws that give Kansas a 65-64 lead with 4.7 seconds left.
"We had all the ingredients of what we've been working on," coach Marian Washington said. "I'm thrilled for Crystal. It's her second game coming out of a slump."
Freshman guard Erica Hallman added a spark for the Jayhawks off the bench with 10 points in 25 minutes of play.
For the 'Huskers, senior guard Shahidrah Roberts led the way with 15 points. Senior guard Margaret Richards was the only other Nebraska player to score in double figures with 12.
The key behind the back-to-back conference victories for Kansas has been the offensive resurgence of Kemp
and Burras, who are apparently through with their struggles.
"I talked to my mother, and she gave me all the confidence to boost me up, and I'm happy to join the team with my presence." Burras said.
Burras' clutch performance from the free-throw line was the most memorable moment of her Kansas career.
"I'm just happy that they went in," Burras said. "My teammates said it was
Kemp not only had her best scoring output of the season but also showed the Allen Fieldhouse crowd just how versatile she really was.
like there was an angel right there by the backboard."
Whether it was by taking the ball coast-to-coast for a lay-in or hitting her first 3-pointer of the year, Kemp displayed the entire package.
"It's not something I'm going to look
to do all the time, it's just an as-needed thing," Kemp said.
With two tough conference victories under their belt and eighth-ranked Texas Tech visiting Allen Fieldhouse this weekend, Washington is confident with her freshmen playing like seasoned veterans.
"After the preconference schedule we didn't talk about them being freshmen anymore." Washington said.
Brandon Baker/Kansan
Aquanita Burras, sophomore guard, shoots a free throw to tie the game in its final seconds. The Jayhawks defeated the Cornhuskers 67-64 at Allen Fieldhouse last night.
Kemp shines on court
By Shane Mettlen
smettlen@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Kemp has done huge things for the team. After putting up 15 points in a near
Life just keeps getting better for Crystal Kemp. While the Kansas women's basketball team has put together back-to-back Big 12 Conference victories, the freshman forward has put together a string of stellar outings.
Kemp scored 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds in 36 minutes while leading the Jayhawks to a 67-64 win over the Nebraska Cornhuskers in Allen Fieldhouse last night.
"I talked to my post coach, and she just said for me to take my time and relax, to do all the little things, before trying to do the big things," Kemp said.
Kemp was all over the court and displayed new aspects of her game against the 'Huskers. The Topeka High School graduate hit the first 3-pointer of her collegiate career, and on one possession drove the length of the floor to score and draw a foul.
upset of Oklahoma Jan. 22, Kemp recorded her third double-double of the season with 19 points and 11 rebounds against Texas A&M Saturday, helping the Jayhawks break a 21-game conference losing streak.
Kemp said she shoots 3-pointers when she needed to,not just to shoot.
"As far as taking the ball up the court, without waiting on them, we don't have to have so much pressure on the guards."
Kemp also was clutch down stretch, connecting on nine of 11 free throws, including two that clinched the game in
Kansas coach Marian Washington said patience and conditioning had been a key to Kemp's and the Jayhawks' recent success.
Washington said Kemp played a lot of minutes and still produced for the team.
"I'd venture to say she wasn't able to do that for us early in the season," she said.
Kemp and her teammates will try to build off of the momentum of back-to-back victories when they host No. 8 Texas Tech Saturday.
Washington said with two victories the confidence level was stronger.
"Their job is to try and stay disciplined throughout the ball game and try to make a game of it," she said.
—Edited by Julie Jantzer
Williams demonstrates his best and worst in 56 hours
In every circle of friends, there's always that one antagonist. You know who I'm talking about, the one who will make an inflammatory statement for no other reason than to stir up a heated debate.
You know, the one who, without merit will say, "Let's not go to that party. It'll be stupid," or "Don't go out with her. She's trashy," or "Roy Williams isn't a good coach. He hasn't even won the national championship."
The last comment, regarding Kansas' head man, is one that everyone surely has heard from the antagonist friend this season. Being in the media and around opinionated friends, I've heard the complaint so often—and not just this year—that it has become worn out.
So you can imagine the sheer joy the antagonist felt Sunday morning. Kansas just botched the biggest lead in the Williams era in the Arizona game the
night before. Arizona, left for dead, down 20 in the first half, rallied behind sharp-shooter Salim Stoudamire's 3-point bombs and its stifling zone defense.
And what were the quotes from Williams waiting to be read by the antagonist?
"I have no explanation for that what-soever," and "The second half had to be the worst coaching job I've ever done. Part of coaching is how your kids are mentally, and right now we're not very good."
SPORTS COMMENTARY
Sounds like a puzzled coach who had just been schooled at his own profession. And, by all accounts, Arizona coach Lute Olsen did school him in the last 25 minutes of Saturday's game.
Williams had no answer for the Wildcats' sagging zone, a defense that crowded the middle and dared Kansas to launch shots from deep. Kansas reacted
Ryan Malashock rmalashock@kansan.com
exactly the way Olson hoped by refusing to adjust and continuing to brick from outside.
Dream come true, the antagonist must have thought Sunday morning. Kansas loses, and Williams confesses his coaching was terrible, providing an admitted reason for defeat. Great day, time to go badger the friends about Kansas' overrated coach, right?
Not so fast, antagonist. Hope you waited till after Monday. Because just 54 hours after Saturday's debacle,
Williams, along with his players, responded.
Williams' 402 career victories and. 804 career-winning percentage are no flukes, and victory No. 402 was substantial evidence.
Williams' two studs — Nick Collison (24 points and 23 rebounds) and Kirk Hinrich (25 points) — came through with legendary games. The offense went through Collison and Hinrich, who scored 17 of Kansas' last 24 points.
Williams committed a coaching mistake Saturday when Keith Langford (22 points in the first half), playing tense and avoiding his shot, became invisible in the second half.
Lack of depth could have come back to bite Kansas Monday, but Williams finally utilized the bench effectively. Michael Lee (4 points, 14 minutes) is deservedly on the floor more and Jeff Hawkins (three minutes Monday, eight
minutes and a 3-pointer Saturday) is getting a shot.
Jeff Graves sat out more than nine minutes in the second half with four fouls. But athletic swingman Bryant Nash went home and seemed comfortable, home meaning inside with the big boys. Nash (7 points, 16 minutes) was a post player in high school and, as was apparent Monday, can fill in for Graves when needed.
So in two games in a 54-hour span, Williams showed just how bad and how good the future hall-of-famer can be.
There's no doubt the argument will continue. At least until early April, at which time Williams could take care of something that would make those antagonists shut their mouths permanently.
Malashock is an Omaha, Neb., senior in journalism.
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