6B • THEUNIVERSITYDAILYKANSAN
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
SPORTS
TUESDAY, JANUARY 28, 2003
Friendship drives Ford and Miles
Jared Soares/Kansas
Aaron Miles receives a pass and shields the ball from Texas guard T.J. Ford. The two off-the-court friends both played solid yesterday. Miles finished with 15 points and nine assists, and Ford had a team-leading 25 points and 10 assists.
By John Domoney
jdomoney@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Shortly after Kansas' 90-87 win over Texas last night, Longhorn sophomore point guard T.J. Ford sat on a step in the hallway of Allen Fieldhouse fielding questions from a host of reporters.
Covered in sweat and stinging from his team's first conference loss, Ford stuck his hand through the bevy of reporters as Kansas point guard Aaron Miles sought Ford and slapped the hand of his friend and foe on the court.
Best of friends off the court but fierce competitors on the hardwood, Ford and Miles waged battle last night as both played more than 30 minutes and directed their teams in a hard-fought Big 12 Conference showdown.
Ford entered last night's game averaging a team-best 17.3 points per game in conference play while hitting 51 percent of his field goal attempts. Against Kansas, Ford did not disappoint with 25 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds.
Against Kansas, Ford's performance last night was no surprise after the point guard entered the season as a preseason All-American.
"He's the best point guard in the country," Texas coach Rick Barnes said. "He does so much for our team. I'm with him everyday, and I still don't know how to guard him."
In last year's game against the Jayhawks in Austin, Texas, Ford nearly led his Longhorns to an upset over Kansas with 16 points and 11 assists.
This time around, the story
was the same after Kansas produced a furious second-half rally after trailing 48-43 at halftime.
Much of the Jayhawks success came on the heels of sophomore point guard Aaron Miles' containment of Ford and Miles' offensive production.
After Ford shot 6-12 in the first half, Miles hounded him into 2-11 shooting in the second half.
Miles' defense on Ford was only the beginning of his play as Miles tallied 15 points and nine assists. The 15 points were the most for Miles since he scored 16 points in a win over California on Dec. 28.
The points and assists were a bonus, Miles said, but he placed most of his focus on guarding Ford.
Several of Ford's decisions involved getting the ball to the hot hands of Longhorn forward Brian Boddicker.
"It's real tough," said Miles of guarding Ford. "He's probably the quickest point guard I've faced. He's stronger than he looks, and he makes great decisions."
"He can see the play develop and find me open," said Boddicker about the court vision and passing abilities of Ford. "He finds you in positions you don't even think you're open."
Boddiecker found the holes in the Kansas defense and shot 6-of-9 from three-point range and finished with 20 points.
As the game clock wound down, Ford found himself in a position to tie the game at 90 when he missed a three-pointer from the corner before time
"It looked like it was going to go in, but it came up short," Ford said. "I thought we were going to overtime."
expired.
Miles said Kansas coach Roy Williams had instructed him to foul Ford as he was bringing the ball up the floor, but Ford's quickness with the dribble did not allow Miles to create a foul before the shot.
With the win Kansas ended a two game losing streak, and Miles broke out of his recent slump. Miles said he will take the words of Ford after the game for use as motivation.
"He always wants me to do good, and I always want him to do good." Miles said. "T.J. told me to show people I can play."
—Edited by Leah Shaffer
Burras
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
Kansas discovered Burras through a Central Arizona assistant coach, former Jayhawk Keshuna Ledet. Kansas coaches watched Burras play and were so impressed that they quickly offered her a full scholarship to play in Lawrence.
"She knew that she could take the ball to the rim for us and she also knew that she could help us in the guard spot," said coach Marian Washington. "I am really thrilled for her because she has done both and it is a great confidence booster for her."
The scholarship was inviting, but it was her visit to campus that convinced Burras that coming to Kansas was right.
Since the start of the season, the team has already eclipsed last year's win total. With an 8-9 overall record, the team's biggest victory came Saturday night at Texas A&M when the team snapped a 21-game conference losing streak. Burras said that
Basketball
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
Thomas connected on two more free throws, and Kansas sophomore guard Keith Langford missed two, giving Texas another opportunity.
Kansas sophomore guard Aaron Miles was supposed to foul Texas sophomore guard T.J. Ford, but like he had done many times before — Ford slipped past Jayhawk defenders and fired the ball upcourt to junior forward Brian Boddicker. Boddicker made 5-of-8 three-point attempts in the game, but this one missed its mark.
win was simply a step to what she wants for the rest of the season.
"I want us around the seventh seed or sixth seed, but I don't want to go too far up, because everyone wants to beat you," she said. "It's best to be the underdog."
Burras said she was already preparing for life after college, on the court or off.
"I would love to still be playing," Burras said. "Either over the summer in the WNBA, but if it's not there, there's always the opportunity to go overseas, or just start life. Whatever happens after college. I'm just going to have to get ready for it."
As one of nine newcomers on the team this season, Burras has immediately left an impression. Leading the team in scoring with 10.9 points per game, solid play has turned her into a rising star. With all the pieces seemingly in place, Burras has found a home.
"No one's telling you one thing and then going behind your back and being, like, we just got you here just to get you here," she said. "Everybody's here and we're just a big family."
- Edited by Lindsay Hanson
The lightning-quick Ford came up with his ninth rebound of the game and fired one more shot from behind the arc. The shot that would have given him his 28th point instead fell short and gave Kansas the victory.
Roughly 100 fans rushed to center court when the buzzer sounded, but the Kansas players made a quick exit.
"They were so tired they didn't feel like jumping around," Williams said. "When I got to the locker room there was a little jumping around, because I freakin' wanted to jump around."
- Edited by Andrew Ward
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