Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KAN
CONTROLLING THE PACE COULD WIN THE GAME
It's do or die for Kansas in the WNIT title game. GAME DAY 16B
WWW.KANSAN.COM
FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 2009
OUTDOOR SEASON KICKS OFF IN ARIZONA
Team ready to go after weather delayed season's start. TRACK & FIELD 4B
CHAMPIONSHIP CHALLENGE IN THE FIELDHOUSE
PAGE 1B
Women's wins draw big crowds
More attention on campus fuels WNIT win streak
BY JAYSON JENKS
jjenks@kansan.com
And on the court, the Jayhawks delivered another solid performance, rewarding the 8,360 in attendance with an entertaining product and, more importantly, a 75-72 victory that launched Kansas into the WNIT championship against South Florida at 1 p.m. Saturday in Allen Fieldhouse.
For the first time all season, the areas designated for students were filled with hundreds of college students, standing and screaming against Illinois State.
At 5:30 p.m. a full hour and a half before Wednesday night's tipoff, junior forward Danielle McCray approached Allen Fieldhouse and noticed an unusual sight: lines of eager fans waiting at the doors.
Welcome to the new women's basketball program — one that has risen from the dreaded label of afterthought to increased prominence among Kansas fans.
"That's what we've all been waiting for," McCray said. "We tried to get that from the start at Late Night but they have to see you play for them to come. And you're going
SEE WNIT ON PAGE 5B
KANSAS VS.
SOUTH FLORIDA
**WHEN:** 1 p.m., Saturday
**WHERE:** Allen Fieldhouse
**TV:** CBS College Sports
(Channel 143)
**RADIO:** KLWN-AM 1320,
KLZR-FM 105.9
Admission is free for students with a valid KUID.
Aishah Sutherland prepares to jump for a layup against Illinois State in Wednesday's victory. Kansas plays in the WINIT championship game Saturday afternoon in Allen Fieldhouse.
WestonWhite/KANSAN
Members of the Jayhawks baseball team congratulate each other after a successful run April 1 against Northern Colorado.
BASEBALL
Team to play home series
Weston White/KANSAN
Kansas will face Baylor this weekend with undefeated home record
BY JOSH BOWE
jbowe@kansan.com
The numbers don't lie. 17-10 overall record, 1-7 on the road, and 2-3 on neutral sites.
If you do the math, that makes for an undefeated record at home, 14-0. It's Kansas' best home start since 2001 and obviously the reason the team (17-10, 3-3) enters this weekend's series against Baylor (17-7, 5-4) tied for fourth in the Big 12 Conference.
Coach Ritch Price said the team was "Looking forward to the opportunity to come home and to continue to the momentum that we have," and planned to "try to win another home series in the Big 12."
Home-field advantage is definitely evident throughout the Big 12 and all of college baseball. A staggering 81 percent of games throughout the nation are won by the home team.
Big 12 schools such as Texas, Texas A&M, Nebraska and Baylor all have their own unique and intimidating ballparks. Price said
"The way the game's played, the way the umpiring is called, that's why you see so many one-run games on the road by opposing teams." Price said. "Playing at home has to be a huge advantage if you want to be a good team."
there were some other factors affecting that percentage.
In its first series in the Big 12, Kansas swept then-No. 1 Texas at home. It was a crowning achievement for the program. But then the team lost a series at Texas A&M. Now Kansas has to rebound against Baylor, another top-10 team. Senior
KANSAS VS. BAYLOR
Game 1
Today, 6 p.m.
Game 2
Saturday, 2 p.m.
Game 3
Sunday, 1 p.m.
WHAT: Three-game series
WHERE: Hoglund Ballpark
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 5B
This comes as no surprise. The New York Daily News reported Thursday that Lance Stephenson — a 6-foot-6 guard
BY CASE KEEFER ckeefer@kansan.com
Recruits rethink options after coaching shake-up
MEN'S BASKETBALL
from New York City and ranked as Rivals. com's No. 9 prospect in the nation — may have delayed announcing his college decision because Kansas was attempting to recruit Xavier Henry over him. The
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Henry
Daily News cited an anonymous source.
So wishful-thinking Kansas fans might believe Callipari's departure makes the layhawks the favorites to land Henry. But at the McDonald's All-American Game press conference earlier this week in Miami, Henry said that wasn't necessarily the case.
with Memphis after coach John Calipari left for Kentucky. Henry originally signed with Memphis over Kansas. The Tigers and the layhawks were his only two finalists.
Henry — a 6-foot-6 guard from Oklahoma City who is ranked as Rivals.com's No. 3 prospect in the nation — has asked out of his letter of intent
Stephenson, meanwhile, was scheduled to choose between Kansas, Maryland and St. John's Tuesday at the McDonald's All American Game. Instead, he delayed his decision for the second time in two weeks.
"I'd re-open everything," Henry said. "I'll take a whole new evaluation of everything and everybody and try to make another good decision about where I'm going to go."
Stephenson was widely expected to announce his
COMMENTARY
SEE RECRUITSON PAGE 5B
Jayhawks use power of three in WNIT
Any sport is really just a numbers game, basketball maybe more than others
My sport is real. A numbers game, basketball maybe more than others. Stats can tell a tale of the game that you might not see in action on the court. Shooting percentage, turnovers and rebounds can all lead to a team performing well or crumbling. The women's basketball team has used a much simpler stat to create its success in the postseason. It's using the power of three.
I'm not talking about the three-point shot here. I'm just talking about a third scoring option. Since the WNIT started, the lajhaways have not had a problem with that.
Yes, Danielle McCray is an honorable mention All-America, and she continues to carry this team, but other players have really picked up their level of play in the tournament. Sade Morris closed the season strong after an injury sidelined her for a few games throughout the year. The most refreshing performance, though, has come from freshman Aishah Sutherland, who is averaging 11.8 points per game in the WNIT.
Would they have done this well in the NCAA tournament? Probably not, but they are still getting to play, and I don't think any team could relish that fact more than the women's team does. This is a fairly young team that's only losing one starting player next year, point guard Ivana Catic. So, in all reality this tournament is building momentum for next year.
Add in the fact that sophomore Krysten Boogaard is playing at a high level now and this team looks extremely dangerous. No wonder they made it to the WNIT championship.
Sutherland has really progressed toward the end of the season and that's a big reason why the Jayhawks are playing well. Coach Bonnie Henrickson has talked about the ceiling of Sutherland's potential and how high it is, and now Sutherland is really starting to play up to that potential.
Yes, it was probably sour grapes for this team making it into the WNIT instead of the NCAA tournament, but maybe that's just what they needed in order to develop. The women's team most likely would have lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament, but here they are, still going strong in the WNIT. That's not a bad thing. Their in-state rivals at Kansas State rode back-to-back WNIT berths in 2006 and 2007 including winning the 2006 tournament. The Jayhawks have a chance to do that this year, their second consecutive year in the WNIT. Even if they don't win the championship on Saturday, don't be surprised to see this team in the Big Dance next season.
In reality they did what the men's team couldn't do. They found a third scoring option and got outstanding play from a freshman down the stretch. Tyshawn Taylor and Marcus Morris seemed to trail off in the NCAA tournament, while Sutherland has come on strong.
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- Edited by Sam Speer