2B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY OF DARRY KANSAN
FRIDAY APRIL 10, 2009
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"The single breasted, single vent Jacket's color is 'Masters Green' and is adorned with an Augusta National Golf Club logo on the left chest pocket. The logo also appears on the brass buttons."
— masters.org description of the green jacket that is awarded to the Masters champion
FACTOFTHEDAY
Gary Player, who's playing in his final Masters this year, is the only champion to keep his jacket. After winning in 1961, Player took it home to South Africa. Masters chairman Clifford Roberts wanted it back, to which Player replied, 'Well, Mr. Roberts, if you want it, why don't you come and fetch it?'
— espn.com
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
Q: What happens to the Masters champion's green jacket?
A: The winner keeps his jacket for one year, at which time he must return it to Augusta where it is kept on the grounds. Multiple-year winners are awarded the same jacket.
— masters.org
@KANSAN.COM
Through the Uprights: Stay in the loon with Kansan football
reporter
Stephen
Montemayor
with reports
from this
THROUGH THE UPRIGHTS
year's spring game.Look for photo galleries and a live blog on Kansan.com.
FOOTBALL Hospital releases player after Sundav accident
Sophomore offensive lineman Ben Lueken was released from the University of Kansas Hospital Thursday afternoon, the hospital's
spokesman Dennis Minich confirmed.
Minich said Lueken left the hospital in good condition.
A police report obtained
Lueken
from the KU Public Safety Office indicated that Lueken suffered severe lacerations following an incident in a Jayhawker Towers parking lot early Sunday.
Capt. Schuyler Bailey said Lueken was either thrown from or tumbled off the roof of a sport utility vehicle during the incident. A suspect was identified and the investigation is ongoing.
- Stephen Montemayor
2008 Jayhawks best in memory
COMMENTARY
It has begun. Now that the NCAA tournament has ended with a resounding national championship victory by North Carolina, the Tar Heels are being called one of the greatest college basketball teams in recent memory.
Only two years ago we heard this about the 2007 Florida Gators who won their second straight national championship that year by beating Ohio State in the title game.
Those arguments seemed to be noticeably absent last year after Kansas won the national championship. Now, let's make one thing clear. This isn't saying the 2008 lavihawks were slighted.
Kansas received plenty of recognition for its third NCAA tournament championship last season. But in the week following its feat most of the talk revolved around the classic championship game against Memphis.
After all, it was probably the greatest championship game ever. North Carolina's smothering of Michigan State this season was probably the worst. Even Florida's 2007 victory against Ohio State was a relative snoozer.
So perhaps the only reason we didn't hear discussions about Kansas' legacy was because there was so
much else to talk about. But truth be told, the 2008 Kansas team was better than both this year's North Carolina squad and the Florida team from two years ago.
Think this is just the Morning Brew being a home? No way. All the evidence supports the Jayhawks.
This season North Carolina went 34-4 and didn't even win the Atlantic Coast Conference Championship Tournament. Florida prevailed in the 2007 Southeastern Conference Championship Tournament, but still only finished at 35-5.
Let's start with the simplest indicator of success: records. In their championship season, the layhawks went 37-3. That's better than both the Tar Heels and the Gators.
North Carolina and Florida supporters might argue that their teams faced tougher competition during their championship seasons than Kansas. Not true. Not
only was the 2008 Big 12 Conference tougher than the SEC in 2007 and the ACC in 2009, the liawahks also had the roughest road in the NCAA tournament.
Kansas beat both the tournament's top-seeded teams in 2008, North Carolina and Memphis. This year's Tar Heels didn't have to play a No. 1 seed at all as their Final Four foes were third-seeded Villanova and second-seeded Michigan State. Ohio State was the only No. 1 seed Florida encountered two years ago.
All three teams had enough talent to make an NBA scout's head explode while trying to take notes during a game. The 2007 Florida team had six players who were eventually selected in the NBA Draft — Joakim Noah, AI Hortford, Corey Brewer, Taurean Green, Chris Richard and Marreese Speights.
— joining Brandon Rush, Mark Chalmers, Darrrell Arthur, Sasha Kaun and Darnell Jackson. It's speculation at this point for this season's North Carolina squad, but it looks to be a lock for seven. An eventual eighth could be possible.
But forget about personnel for
a second. Heck, throw out records and whom the teams beat to get there, too. When it comes down to it, Kansas has the ultimate argument.
The layhawks beat both teams. Before Florida won the national championship in 2007, Kansas upset it 82-80 in Las Vegas with the core of players who would go on to win the national championship in 2008.
And you surely have forgotten how Kansas thrashed practically the exact same North Carolina team 84-66 in the 2008 Final Four.
Let the talk about the dominance of this season North Carolina team continue. And the 2007 Gators, too. Both are well deserved. Just know, Kansas was better.
Edited by Chris Hickerson
Regal Ransom ready to race
Churchill Downs, Reed Palmer Photography/ASSOCIATED PRESS
uAE Derby winner Regal Ransom arrives at Churchill Downs from Dubai United Arab Emirates, on Thursday, in Louisville, Ky. Regal Ransom is expected to run in the Kentucky Derby horse race on Saturday. He will be housed in Barn 45 until he clears quarantine.
GOLF Recent poor play plagues team,worries coach Grove
Men's golf coach Kit Grove struggled to find words to describe his team's play lately.
The team looks to turn things around at the River Landing Intercollegiate in Wallace, N.C., this weekend. Grove said seniors Walt Koelbel, Zach Pederson and Andrew Storm would be counted on by the whole team.
"it's a bit of a crapshoot right now," Grove said. "We are coming off our worst performance of the spring immediately following our best performance."
"This week we have three sei niors in the lineup for the first time all season, so hopefully some of their experience can
equate to some lower scores," Grove said.
Grove also noted his team's competition as motivation for getting better.
"We have the (Texas) A&M tournament which is a very strong field so hopefully it will be a good test before the Big 12 Championships" Grove said.
meet their goals for the season would be to win the conference championship.
Grove said the only way to
"Our ultimate goal every year is to get the opportunity to compete in the postseason and to get to the national finals."
- Christian Lucero
THIS WEEK IN KANSAS ATHLETICS
TODAY
Tennis
Tulane, 2 p.m.
Lawrence
Baseball
Oklahoma State,
6 p.m.
Lawrence
Men's Golf
Oklahoma
7 p.m.
Lawrence
River Landing Intercollegiate, All Day Wallace, N.C.
SATURDAY
Women's Rowing
Kansas State,
11 a.m.
Kansas City, Kan.
Softball
Oklahoma,
1 p.m.
Lawrence
Soccer Arkansas, 2 p.m.
Lawrence
Baseball
Oklahoma State,
2 p.m.
Lawrence
Men's Golf River Landing Intercollegiate, All Day Wallace, N.C.
SUNDAY
Track & Field
John Jacobs
Invitational,
All Day
Norman, Okla.
Baseball
Oklahoma State,
p.m.
awrence
MLB
Cardinals pitcher suspended after positive steroid test
NEWYORK — St. Louis Cardinals minor league pitcher Deryk Hooker was suspended for 50 games Thursday after testing positive for drug of abuse under the sport's minor league program.
The 19-year-old from San Diego was 0-1 with a 1.61 ERA in four starts last season at Quad Cities of the Class A Midwest League after going 1-1 with a 3.84 ERA and one save in eight starts and three relief appearances at Johnson City of the Appalachian League.
Hooker, a seventh-round pick in 2007, was slated to be in Quad Cities rotation this season.
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