2B
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SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY OF LAKE KANSAS
FRIDAY MARCH 27, 2000
FRIDAY, MARCH 27, 2009
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Their freshmen have gotten better, I think they've gotten a little more consistent. And they have two players that are as good as anybody in the tournament."
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo on Kansas, The State News
FACT OF THE DAY
Michigan State out-rebounded Kansas 42-31 in the teams' previous meeting this season on January 10 in East Lansing, Mich. Six Spartans had three or more rebounds apiece in a 75-62 victory over their Big 12 opponent.
KU Athletics
Q: Who won the only NCAA tournament meeting between Kansas and Michigan State?
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
A: The Jayhawks defeated the Spartans 96-86 in overtime in Kansas City, Mo., in the 1986 NCAA Midwest Regional Semifinals.
@KANSAN.COM
BEWARE OF "THE BLOG"
"Blog" Allen: Can't watch the game on TV2 Taylor Berm will be live blogging before and throughout Kansas' matchup with Michigan State.
Through the Uprights: On the heels of today's open football
practice, Stephen Mon-
temayor breaks down the day's
THROUGH THE UPRIGHTS
developments and the team's progression this offseason on Through the Uprights.
Courtside: Jayson Jenks provides his unique brand of commentary after the Jayhawks WNIT game against Arkansas. Will Kansas play another game? Is the WNIT title within their grasp? COURTSIDE BLOG
The Give and Go: After a brief hiatus, Clark and Jayson are back with another podcast following Kansas'
WNIT
Sweet
Sixteen
games
against Arkansas at Allen Fieldhouse.
Would Stephenson fit in at Kansas?
COMMENTARY
Let's play investigator. Recruiting Investigator. No, not in the way Yahoo! Sports did earlier in the week in exposing Connecticut and coach lim Calhour of recruiting violations. Let's just find out who Kansas' next commitment will be.
Right now, it sure looks like Lance Stephenson. "Born Ready," Stephens's nickname, is set to make his announcement at the McDonald's All-American game next week in Miami.
Stephenson
Stephenson, Rivals.com's No. 9 player in the nation, is deciding among Kansas, Maryland and St. John's. Well, not really deciding among. Those are his finalists, but Stephenson told reporters earlier in the week that he already knows where he's going. And he
dropped a clue while doing it.
dropped a clue while doing it.
"I just want to have a chance to win the tournament," Stephenson
said, according to Rivals, "so I'm picking by that."
The last time the Red Storm won an NCAA tournament game, Stephenson was probably playing with Pokemon cards. That was 2000, and it was only one game. St. John's has never won a national championship.
The Terraplas won the national championship in 2002. But Maryland hasn't made the Sweet Sixteen in six years and at this point is a perennial bubble team.
If Stephenson is truly selecting his college based on championship potential, it's Kansas. But how would Stephenson fit in with the lawhawks?
That's the better question. Assuming junior guard Sherron Collins and/or sophomore center Cole Aldrich return to school
next year. Stephenson would not be the star.
It would be interesting to see how the all-time leading scorer in New York City high school basketball history deals with that Stephenson, who won four New York City titles at Lincoln High School, broke Sebastian Telfair's record last month and finished high school with nearly 3,000 career points.
Stephenson has also admitted that if it weren't for the NBA's requirement to spend one year in college, he would jump straight to the league. On the surface, he isn't the kind of player Kansas coach Bill Self has filled his teams with here.
Kansas hasn't featured an outlandish one-and-done talent or dominant scorers. The Jayhawks have relied more on tough, team-oriented players.
Maybe that's what Stephenson will be in college. Self certainly wouldn't be interested if he didn't believe Stephenson could adapt.
If Stephenson commits to Kansas, there's one final piece of the puzzle to be figured out: He
would be Kansas' 15th scholarship player for next season.
That's two more than the NCAA limit of 13. Unless both Collins and Aldrich declared for the NBA Draft, the Jayhawks would be over the limit.
At this point, it looks unlikely that Kansas would lose both of them. The only other options would be players transferring or getting scholarships pulled from them.
That's an issue for another time. This weekend, enjoy Kansas's fight to reach the Final Four. A week from now, the Stephenson mystery will be solved.
Edited by Casey Miles
Scribble dribble
Weston White/KANSAN
Purdue University senior Justin Dalton gets a piece of basketball memorabilia autographed by junior guard Sherron Collins. Dalton, who has no ties to the Jayhawks, said that he wanted Collins' autograph because he is a good player.
MLB
Tejada sentenced for misleading Congress
ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — The prosecutor's words were delivered in the matter known as "The United States of America vs. Miguel O. Tejada," spoken during Thursday's 23-minute hearing in which the Houston Astros shortstop was sentenced to one year of probation for misleading Congress.
The message — famous or not, you must tell the truth — also could be interpreted as a warning to another baseball star, Roger Clemens. His case, involving sworn testimony to the House of Representatives, is currently before a grand jury in the very same federal courthouse where Teiada appeared.
"People have to know that when Congress asks questions, it's serious business," Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Durham told the court. "And if you don't tell the truth — and we can prove you haven't told the truth — then there will be accountability."
Durham talked. Tejada was the past American League MVP receiving his punishment after pleading guilty last month and admitting he withheld information about an ex-teammate's use of performance-enhancing drugs when questioned in 2005 by congressional investigators.
Congress referred Tejada to the Justice Department in January 2008, a little more than a year before it asked that Clemens be investigated to determine whether he lied when saying he never used performance-enhancing drugs.
Standing at a lectern facing Kay, Tejada spoke softly for less than a minute, the talented hands he normally uses to grip a bat or field ground balls stuffed in the pant pockets of his pintriped, three-piece suit.
He apologized to Congress,
to the court, to baseball fans
— "especially the kids" — and
added: "I learned a very important
lesson."
Tejada is the first high-profile player convicted of a crime stemming from baseball's steroids era.
Tejada was the All-Star sitting in court this day, his chin resting on his right hand while
"What people are not entitled to do, your honor, is to provide untruthful or dishonest answers. No one has that right." Durham told the court. "Not the people who are well-known — and not the people who are unknown."
Tejada faced up to a year imprisonment and a fine up to $100,000. But Kay followed the recommendation of prosecutors who said he deserved a lighter punishment, issuing a sentence of probation, 100 hours of community service and a $5,000 fine.
THIS WEEK IN KANSAS ATHLETICS
TODAY
Men's basketball
Michigan State,
8:37 p.m.
Indianapolis
Tennis
Oklahoma, 6 p.m.
Norman, Okla.
Baseball
Texas A&M,
6:35 p.m.
College Station,
Texas
Women's golf Liz Murphey Collegiate Classic Athens, Ga.
Track & field Missouri Relays Columbia, Mo.
SATURDAY
Softball Texas A&M, 2 p.m. Lawrence
Soccer
Creighton, 2 p.m.
Lawrence
Jaseball
Texas A&M,
2:05 p.m.
College Station,
Texas
Rowing
Oklahoma, TBA
Oklahoma City
Track & field Missouri Relays Columbia, Mo
Women's golf
Liz Murphey
Collegiate Classic
Athens, Ga.
SUNDAY
Soccer
KU Mens
Club Team,
10 a.m. Lawrence
jennis
Oklahoma State,
11 a.m.
Stillwater, Okla.
Softball Texas A&M, noon awrence
Jaseball
Texas A&M,
12:05 p.m.
College Station,
*texas*
Women's golf
Liz Murphey
Collegiate Classic
Athens, Ga.
SUBLEASE YOUR ROOM FAST
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