2B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2009
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"I think all along he's always been thinking in the back of his head, 'I'd love to be (on a big stage).' And how can anybody fault him? If he leaves, they're going to be upset, but it's because he's done such a phenomenal job."
- Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown on recent speculation about John calipari, whom he hired as an assistant at Kansas and with the Philadelphia 76en
FACT OF THE DAY
As Memphis' coach, John Calipari won more than 30 games four seasons in a row from 2005-09. He's the first coach in Division I history to accomplish that feat.
Memphis Athletics
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
Q: What is John Calipari's career record at Memphis?
A: In nine years at Memphis, Calipari amassed a record of 253-68. Calipari decided yesterday that he would leave Memphis to take over as the head coach at the University of Kentucky.
-Sl.com
@KANSAN.COM
The Give and Go Tonight is a historic game for the women's basketball team and the guys will be there to break it all down once the final buzzer sounds.
**Courtside:** Following women's basketball's first game in April, Jayson Jenks discusses the ramifications of this game on the program's future.
The First Pitch: The baseball team rounds out the bulk of its nonconference schedule with a two-game series against Northern Colorado. Josh Bowe and Tim Dwyer are there to discuss it all.
McCray should be All-America
COMMENTARY
All-American snub Danielle McCray is dropping a ridiculous 30 and 10 per game on Women's NIT opponents.
Oklahoma States Andrea Riley,
a second-team AP All-American,
is in Stillwater, watching the
women's NCAA and WNIT tourn-
ment fields narrow to four.
Why does any of this matter?
It doesn't really. It's just an award.
on top of another prolific season. The problem is I just can't understand how the Associated Press could
McCray
name Riley, and others for that matter, to its list of postseason honorees and leave McCray off all three teams.
This on the heels of a season in which McCray averaged 21 points and eight rebounds in 34 games. Like Riley, she was an All-Big 12 selection. Like Riley, she played in arguably the deepest conference in the nation. Unlike Riley, she doesn't have her own Web site
Maybe that's what made the difference. Or maybe it's lack of exposure in general.
touting her accomplishments.
And as talented as Riley is — she averaged 23 points, six assists and four rebounds — McCray was by far the more efficient offensive
player for a better team.
Consider this eye-popping statistic Riley needed 20 shots per game to get her 23 points every night. McCray, on the
hand, scored 21 points on just more than 16 shots per game.
And, despite defenses' gameplanning for her, McCray shot an astounding 46 percent from the field and 43 percent from the
Rilev
and 25 percent respectively. Riley was the engine that drove Oklahoma State, but McCray played almost the identical role for Kansas.
free-throw line. Riley? She shot 36 and 27 percent, respectively.
So where is the love? It’s certainly not coming from the Associated Press. Oh well, I’m sure McCray doesn’t mind too much.
I would venture a guess that she would rather be playing in April than sitting around celebrating another cherry on top of the sundae.
BRING YOUR FRIENDS
Fortunately for fans of Kansas basketball, the WNIT doesn't employ neutral sites for its games
That means big games in Allen Fieldhouse in April, a time normally reserved for spring-cleaning and the occasional AAU tournament. And although Athletics Director Lew Perkins would no doubt break the bank to bring the final back to the Lawrence if Kansas wins tonight, a healthy crowd would go a long way toward winning the confidence of WNIT organizers.
Imagine the environment fans
could create if even 6,000 people showed up. As always, admission is free for students with a valid KUID.
WORLD CUP QUALIFYING
This wouldn't be a Wednesday edition of the Morning Brew without a soccer reference.
The United States plays Trinidad and Tobago tonight on ESPN2 at 6:30 p.m., four days after tying EL Salvador 2-2.
The game is in Nashville, and the U.S. needs to bounce back from a disappointing performance on Saturday to stay atop the Hexagonal.
Edited by Brandy Entsminger
NFL
Giants star's case adjourned until June
SAMUEL MAULL ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW YORK — A gun possession case against New York Giants star Plaxico Burress was adjourned Tuesday until June unless he reaches a plea agreement with prosecutors to resolve the matter sooner.
Burress accidentally shot himself in the thigh with an unlicensed gun hed stuffed into his waistband at a Manhattan nightclub last year.
The star receiver, wearing a gray suit and a light blue shirt, arrived at Manhattan Criminal Court in the company of his wife and his attorney, Benjamin Brafman.
Both sides agreed to adjourn the case to June 15 following a brief hearing before Judge Michael
Yavinsky. Burress' bail was continued.
Prosecutor John Wolfstaetter told the judge that the prosecution was continuing its investigation.
Brafman told reporters after the hearing that he had reached no plea agreement with prosecutors and said discussions were continuing. If the two sides agree, they will not necessarily wait for the scheduled court date; he said.
"If the case needs to be advanced to an earlier date it will be ...We are continuing to work our respective investigations, stay tuned," he said.
Asked whether Burress would play for the Giants this year, Brafman said, "It's not my decision. It's the Giants' decision and Plaxico's decision. It isn't a legal decision, it's a sports decision.
"I assume a lot will depend on how, when and if this case is resolved and June 15th is the next day we are back unless there is a reason to come back earlier."
A law enforcement official with knowledge of the case said Monday that Burress' attorneys and prosecutors remain at odds over the terms of a plea deal, with the District Attorney's office pushing for a stiffer punishment than what defense lawyers believe Burress deserves.
Burress is charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree, a felony carrying a minimum prison sentence of $3\frac{1}{2}$ years upon conviction.
A plea deal that includes jail time, depending on the length of the sentence, could have a bearing on whether Burress is able to play
football next season.
Statistics show that more than eight out of 10 people arrested in the city last year on the same charge Burress faces received reduced charges, though some plea deals included jail time.
Only about 14 percent of the people charged last year with the same charge that Burress faces were ultimately convicted of it, said John Caher, a spokesman for the state Division of Criminal Justice Services.
Of the 1,248 people in New York City initially arrested on second-degree criminal weapons possession in 2008, 184 were convicted of the charge. About half were convicted of a misdemeanor or violation, and the remaining convictions were usually lesser felonies with some jail time.
TODAY
Baseball
Northern
Colorado, 3 p.m.
Lawrence
THIS WEEK IN KANSAS ATHLETICS
Softball
Missouri, 4 p.m.
Lawrence
Softball
Missouri, 6 p.m.
Lawrence
Women's basketball Illinois State, 7 p.m. Lawrence
FRIDAY Women's Tennis Baylor, 6 p.m. Waco, Texas
Baseball
Baylor, 6 p.m.
Lawrence
SATURDAY Baseball Baylor, 2.p.m. Lawrence
Softball
Texas Tech, 2 p.m.
Lubbock, Texas
Soccer Marquette, TBA St. Louis, Mo.
Rowing Texas, TBA Kansas City, Kan
Track
Arizona
Invitational, All Day
Tucson, Ariz.
Soccer
Saint Louis, TBA
St. Louis, Mo.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Calipari accepts offer to leave Memphis for Kentucky
BY WILL GRAVES
Associated Press
LEXINGTON, Ky. — John Calipari has accepted an offer to leave Memphis for the tradition- rk Kentucky basketball program, according to reports.
Calipari spent the day considering the Wildcats lucrative offer and calling former Kentucky coaches, including Joe B. Hall.
Hall said the informal chat centered on what it takes to survive one of college basketball's most prestigious, most scrutinized and most lucrative jobs. Kentucky fired Billy Gillispie last Friday after two disappointing seasons.
University of Memphis spokesman Bob Winn confirmed athletic director R.C. Johnson had spoken with Calipari. Asked if Calipari had told Johnson he was taking the Kentucky job, Winn declined to comment.
"I can confirm that he has told R.C. (Johnson) that he is headed to Lexington, Ky., this evening," Winn told The Associated Press.
Earlier today, ESPN reported that Calipari was considering an 8-year, $35 million deal. It would make him the highest paid college basketball coach.
The anticipation of an announcement grew around Calipari's home. Police blocked off the section in front of his house from a main road back to an adjacent golf course. Approximately five police cars kept TV trucks at bay.
DeMarcus Cousins verbally committed to Memphis earlier this month and said he was kind of "lost" while talking to reporters before the McDonald's All-American game in Coral Gables, Fla.
A dozen fans gathered just down from Calipari's home. One fan put a "For Sale By Owner" sign in Calipari's house with "NOT" in red letters at the top and "STAY CAL!" written in place of the phone number. Others held a sign: "Please Don't Go Memphis Needs You."
Even some of Calipari's recruits didn't seem to know what was going on.
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Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown, who hired Calipari twice as his assistant — first at Kansas and then with the Philadelphia 76ers — has talked with Calipari and said Calipari's decision was difficult because he loves Memphis and his players.
"I'm trying to stay focused (and) just come out here and have fun," he said.
"That community, that town, just adores John and respects what he's done. But it's a once in a lifetime opportunity," Brown said Tuesday morning after the Bobcats' shoot-around.
Brown pushed Calipari to take the Memphis job in 2000, and Brown noted Conference USA was different then with Louisville, Marquette and Cincinnati still in the league. He also thinks Calipari is curious to test himself in a big conference after coaching in the Atlantic 10 and lightly regarded C-USA.
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If he leaves, they're going to be upset, but it's because he's done such a phenomenal job." Brown said. "If you leave and you've done a bad job they're happy that you're gone. So you can't win."
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Winning has never been a problem for Calipari, who is 253-68 in nine years at Memphis and 446-139 overall. His name has popped up as
a candidate for other jobs during his stay with the Tigers, but he has likely never been tempted like this.
Kentucky received permission to talk to Calipari on Monday, though Memphis athletic director R.C. Johnson said the program would do whatever it takes to keep the coach who has spent the last nine years turning the Tigers into a national power.
While the waiting game continued early Tuesday, sentiment to lure Calipari to the Bluegrass continued to grow. A Facebook group touting Calipari had increased to more than 16,000 members on Tuesday afternoon.
The Wildcats have deep pockets, play in a major conference and are a national presence. What they haven't had since Pitino left in 1997 is a charismatic leader who could bring some electricity to the program.
Callipar would certainly provide that, but it'll be costly.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
He has four years left on his contract paying him $2.35 million annually. He also has an annuity averaging $1 million over the deal through 2013.
Throw in whatever settlement Kentucky negotiates with Gillispie, the Wildcats could have near $10 million invested in the head coach of its basketball program next year
Former Memphis basketball coach John Calipari yells at officials during Memphis' loss to Missouri in the Sweet Sixteen last Thursday. Calipari is reportedly leaving Memphis to take the vacant coaching job at Kentucky.
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