Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
JAYHAWKS TO PLAY WICHITA STATE TODAY
Kansas is 0-5 against Missouri Valley conference teams. SOFTBALL13B
TUESDAY, APRIL 28, 2009
WWW.KANSAN.COM
JAYHAWKS, BRUINS TO MEET NEXT SEASON
Kansas-UCLA matchup will be only the 15th ever. MEN'S BASKETBALL 12B
A SILVER-LINED CLOUD
Kansas goes overlooked
PAGE 1B
No players were drafted, but two sign free-agent contracts and two more have pro prospects
BY STEPHEN MONTEMAYOR
montemayor@kansan.com
One year removed from having four players drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft, Kansas saw no senior's name called in last weekend's draft, but two players signed free agent contracts shortly after.
On Sunday night linebackers James Holt and Mike Rivera landed free agent contracts with the San Diego Chargers and Chicago Bears, respectively.
"It's hard to describe," Rivera said. "It hasn't even set in yet. It's unbelievable that I've got a chance to learn from guys that are Pro Bowlers and Hall of Famers someday."
Those future peers would be Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs. There will be no shortage of competitors for a spot on the Bears' depth chart, as Chicago drafted Ohio State linebacker Marcus Freeman in the fifth
round Sunday and also added Rutgers linebacker Kevin Malast as a undrafted free agent, bringing the team's linebacker total to nine.
Despite the dearth of linebackers that he will have to contend with, Rivera said he believed he would fit best with the Bears, who were among 10 teams to contact him as the draft wound down.
"Each team I talked to, I looked at the depth chart and what defense they had," Rivera said. "I wanted to put myself in a good situation and I like the Bears' 4-3 defense. I think I'll have a good shot to help out on special teams."
That shot begins immediately. Rivera heads to a three-day mini-camp with the team this weekend, and will split time between class and team preparation as the semester draws to a close. Rivera is working on a master's degree in sports administration, but will not finish it this year.
Rivera, 6-foot-3, 255 pounds, finished third on the team with 93 tackles and capped his tenure with a career-best 14 tackles in last year's Insight Bowl. Rivera led all Kansas players with a 38.5-inch vertical leap at Kansas pro day March 10. Had Rivera done that at February's NFL combine — no Kansas player was invited — he would have tested 1.5 inches higher than fourth-overall selection Aaron Curry.
HOLT A BOLT,
MORTENSEN EXPECTS
DEAL
"We all appreciate everything coaches Corey Meredith and Chad Dawson have done for us," Rivera said. "They've been a big part of our success."
DEAL
Holt, 6-3, 225 pounds, led Kansas in tackles in 2008 with 105, as well as accumulating a team-high 10 sacks. He ranked third nationally with 0.46 forced
fumbles per game and closed his career with an Insight Bowl defensive MVP performance after turning in three sacks in the victory.
Holt earned All-Big 12 Second Team honors last season while Rivera was an All-Big 12 Honorable Mention selection for the third consecutive year.
Linebacker Joe Mortensen
has been reported to be expecting a deal somewhere soon as well. Mortensen could be signed as a fullbackafter
participating in some drills at the position during pro day.
Mortensen
"I was all-state at fullback in California," Mortensen said after the March workout. "I just love to hit, so it doesn't really matter which side of the ball it is."
BACHEYIE AMONG TOP CEL PROSPECTS
Graduating safety Tang Bacheyie is being considered one of the top-ranked players heading into the May 2 Canadian Football League draft.
Bacheyie will be drafted as a linebacker, one of the three positions he was listed at while at Kansas. As a freshman in 2005,
Bacheyie was converted to safety from running back. In his four years at Kansas, Bacheyie saw time in the secondary
Bacheyie
and on special teams. He played in nine games last season, recording one tackle.
"I feel that a CFL team should draft me because I am a hard
SEE FOOTBALL ON PAGE 3B
BASEBALL
Camaraderie helps less-experienced Jayhawks win games
Kansas set to play a doubleheader against Chicago State this afternoon
The bonds between teammates in the clubhouse can make up for a lot of things.
BY JOSH BOWE jbowe@kansan.com
It can hide a team's weakness, lack of talent or lack of experience. Kansas certainly doesn't bring in the recruits that programs like Texas, Oklahoma or Texas A&M bring in, but what the Jayhawks may lack in stellar recruits they make up for with the chemistry that coach Ritch Price helps create.
Kansas already has the second most Big 12 victories in the Price era, all with dozens of young players, some even playing their first full collegiate season. Watch the team on and off the field, it's clear there's a bond that has helped propel them past all projections.
Admission is free for students with a valid KUID.
"The energy in our dugout is outstanding." Price said. "The team chemistry is as good as it's been since I've been here."
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 3B
Jerry Wang/KANSAN
Members of the Jayhawks baseball team welcome freshman catcher James Stanfield back to the dugout after scoring a run in Sunday's game against Nebraska. The Hawks' team spirit this season has provided energy for a team lacking experience.
COMMENTARY
It's time to pay heed, beware of 'The Hog'
Everyone knows about the presence of the Phog in Allen Fieldhouse. Opponents must Beware, Pay Heed and so forth. The men's basketball team has won 41.
basketball team has won 41 straight games at home and is 77-6 there under coach Bill Self.
But you can't overlook what the baseball team has been doing next door to Allen Fieldhouse all season long either. After Sunday's doubleheader sweep over Nebraska, the Jayhawks are now 21-3 in Hoglund Ballpark. They are looking to improve on that record when they take on Chicago State twice today.
But which Kansas team's home résumé is more impressive? We'll give the contenders three rounds to show their stuff.
THE HOG VS. THE PHOG
Let's get ready to rumble.
Round one: Quality of victories
Just like Sherron and Cole, Buck and Tony have taken down their fair share of less-than-quality opponents in their home arena. The Jayhawks in the Fieldhouse took down Florida Gulf Coast, Jackson State and Albany. The Jayhawks next door have defeated the likes of Northern Colorado, Baker and Missouri Valley College.
Not too much difference yet.
But the baseball team swept then-No.1 Texas and then-No. 17 Oklahoma State at home. The hoopers? Yes, they destroyed Missouri, soundly defeated Tennessee and dispatched Siena, but they did not defeat the highest ranked team in the country.
Advantage: The Hog.
Round two: Atmosphere.
In 23 home games so far this season, the baseball team has drawn a total of 19,845 fans. At Sunday's doubleheader, Nebraska's fans were significantly louder than Kansas'. The Rock Chalk Chant had to be played over the stadium's speakers at the end of the game.
Round two. Atmosphere.
Opponents walk into Allen Fieldhouse to the jeering of 16,300 fans game in and game out. When the outcome is all but decided, the fans belt out the Rock Chalk Chant
Advantage: The Phog.
Round three: The difference between baseball and basketball.
Kansas basketball rarely loses at home. But neither do other basketball programs. Memphis and North Carolina both lost just once at home last season. Top programs defend their home court.
In baseball, the home field advantage is not as clear cut. Top-ranked North Carolina has lost seven games at home. No. 10 Georgia Tech has lost five.
Defending your home field is a lot tougher in baseball, where the impact of the fans is not as important. The Jayhawks have done it incredibly well this season.
Advantage: The Hog.
And there you have it. The Jayhawks in Allen Fieldhouse are tough to beat, but they defend their home court only a little better than their national competition. The Jayhawks have defended their house against quality opponents like few others in the country have.
Opponents should still Beware of the Phog, but they should Beware of the Hog as well.
Edited by Casey Miles
二