THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
2B SPORTS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 20. 2009
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"Have you guys ever seen the movie, 'The Terminator'? That's what [Griffin] is like. That kid has no facial expressions. He just plays and it's like every kid out there on him is like Sarah Connor, and he's just going to take his time and kill 'em."
Bob Knight as quoted by The Los Angeles Timec
FACT OF THE DAY
Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin leads the Big 12 in points per game and rebounds in conference play. Griffin is averaging 23.3 points and 14.5 rebounds per game in 11 conference games. Those numbers are even more impressive considering Griffin is eighth in minutes played at just under 35 minutes per game.
Big 12 Athletics
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
How many points did Blake Griffin score against Kansas last season in the Jayhawks 85-55 victory in Allen Fieldhouse?
A: Zero. Griffin was forced to leave the game after only five minutes after suffering an injury. In his absence, Kansas big men combined for 41 points and 21 rebounds.
-KU Athletics
SOFTBALL Heels down Jayhawks with one-hit pitching
North Carolina senior pitcher Lisa Norris struck out thirteen on Thursday in a 5-2, one-hit victory against Kansas to open up the Cathedral City Classic. Senior center fielder Dougie McCaulley broke up the no-hitter in the fourth "inning, reaching first on an infield hit to the shortstop.
The No. 20 Tarheels got ahead early, posting three runs in the first inning and never looking back. Both of Kansas' runs were scored in the sixth, neither of them earned. The Jayhawk offense went 1-for-21 from the batter's box, lowering its season average to .210. Sarah Vertelka (1-2) was tagged with the loss, pitching five of six innings.
The team lost 4-1 against Oregon State Thursday night, but full stats were not available at the time of publication. Kansas plays BVU today, UC Santa Barbara on Saturday two more games Sunday against No. 10 California and Cal Poly.
COMMENTARY
Clemente heats up lukewarm rivalry
Tom Powers
Don't hate Kansas State guard Denis Clemente. Sure, Clemente com.
mitted his share of misdeeds in Kansas' 85-74 victory against Kansas State last Saturday.
He elbowed sophomore guard Brady Morningstar in the back for no apparent reason. He slapped sophomore guard Tyrel Reed in the back of the head with a move he must have learned reading The Complete Idiot's Guide to Cowardice. To top it all off, Clemente cried at the end of the game more than Angelina Jolie at the end of the "Changeling" trailer.
But Kansas fans might as well celebrate Clemente. He's made sure there's going to be plenty of intrigue if the lajayhaws and Wildcats face off again next month in the Big 12 Conference tournament in Oklahoma City.
There's a good chance the two teams will meet again at the Ford
Center. In winning seven of its last eight games — including an 88-72 beat down of Missouri
— Kansas State has proven its playing better than every team in the Big 12 except Oklahoma and Kansas.
Too many regular season games remain to start breaking down the scenarios of how Sunflower Showdown part three could appear in the tournament bracket. But if both teams continue to play well, it could happen.
And because of Clemente, it would be a must-see. In other words, Clemente has somehow
breathed life into a series that was completely lopsided this season and for longer than that to be truthful.
Kansas beat Kansas State by 17 and 11 points, respectively, in its two meetings this season. Another matchup at a neutral location would result in an inevitable lashawk victory.
It would be interesting, though, to see how ugly it could get on the court. Interesting to see if Clemente could control his temper from getting in the way of his undeniable basketball talent. Interesting to see how much trash talk is exchanged on the floor.
It would feel like a rivalry, even though this one has been nearing extinction for the last two decades. Kansas has beaten Kansas State 24 of the 26 times they've faced off since the Big 12 Conference was established.
A 24-2 record? Yikes, that's as one-sided as The O'Reilly Factor.
Kansas' 20-1 overall record at Bramlage Coliseum is even worse.
Kansas State commemorated the one triumph — an 84-75 Wildcat victory last season — with a two-disc DVD box set of the game priced at $39.95. If that doesn't speak to the state of the rivalry, then nothing else will.
But none of that will matter if Kansas and Kansas State play again a month from now.
Thanks, Denis Clemente.
Redshirt sophomore pitcher Brett Bochy works through a spring training drill with other infiel players at Hoppund park on Wednesday.
Season-opener vital to evaluating talent
BASEBALL
Rvan McGeenev/KANSAN
BY JOSH BOWE
jbowe@kansan.com
As with any college sport, non-conference games are crucial to finding the identity of a team, especially one as young as the layhawks.
Kansas officially opens its season this afternoon against Air Force at USA Stadium in Millington, Tenn.
It will be hard to tell before this first game what Kansas is capable of doing. A revamped starting rotation along with a new outfield are major uncertainties before today's game. Junior starter Shaeffer Hall is expected to take the mound and lead the young staff, while fifth-year senior Nick Faunce will command leadership of the young outfielders while playing in center.
"We are going to try to use that road trip as a barometer and see what lies ahead of us for conference play," coach Ritch Price said.
"They don't have a lot of experience at the Big 12 level." Faune said. "But they all know how to play the position and I have a whole lot of faith in them."
The level of competition this weekend certainly isn't going to be at the level the jayhawks will see in the Big 12 Conference. Air Force finished 18-33 last season, its best finish since 2002. In 2006 they finished 8-44. So the young Kansas players shouldn't be too intimidated or nervous about starting the season today.
While the pitching has to improve to make up for the new lineup, Price has raved about how talented the young arms are, and the key will be the development of those pitchers if Kansas is to have any chance to repeat the
magic of the 2006 Big 12 championship season.
"The kids we brought in have the best arms of any freshman class by far." Price said. "It gives us hope for the future, it gives us something to build on, but I've been really pleased by the freshman arms."
But what lies ahead after this weekend could make some knees shake.
During a two-week stretch in March, Kansas will play host to national powerhouses Arizona State, Texas and Texas A&M. If Kansas can come out of this weekend unscathed it might be
KANSAS VS.
AIR FORCE
WHAT: Season opener
WHEN: 1:00 PM CT
WHERE: Millington, Tenn.
USA Stadium
able to pose a challenge to these nationally rated programs.
Edited by Casev Miles
tainly going to have to be ready by the middle of March to be able to compete."
"That may be the toughest two weeks anyone in America is going to play." Price said. "We're cer-
Big 12 capsule
Preseason Ranking: Unranked, 9th in Big 12 Kansas State lost a lot of talent, particularly from its pitching staff, from last year's 29-29 (11-16 Big 12) team. The Wildcats' 11 conference wins and tie for sixth in the conference in
Kansas State Wildcats
2008 were their highest finishes in six seasons. Their effort to repeat their success must come without the aid of honorable mention All-Big 12 pitcher Brad Hutt, who graduated, and No. 2 starter Justin Murray, who was selected in the 29th round of the 2008
MLB draft. Sophomore Thomas Rooke will provide relief of out the bullpen for the fresh faces in the rotation after posting a 5-1 record with a 3.59 ERA as a freshman. Junior infielder Justin Bloxom will anchor the Wildcats' lineup, leading all returnees with a .288 average and eight home runs.
Case Keefer
SOUND BITE Missouri governor links his job and MU loss to KU
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Gov. Jay Nixon draws a link between the intense scrutiny he gets as Missouri's chief executive and his alma mater's heartbreaking loss to Kansas in football.
Speaking to the Missouri Press Association Thursday, Nixon recalled a photo in the Jefferson City News Tribune of his son, Jeremiah Nixon, getting beaten on a pass play during a game of touch football on the mansion lawn.
MLB
He compared the photo to Missouri safety William Moore "getting burned deep" during the Tigers' 40-37 loss to Kansas in November.
Royals claim infielder Tug Hulett for roster
Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Royals have claimed infielder Tug Hulett off waivers from the Seattle Mariners.
The Royals designated lefthanded pitcher Neal Musser for assignment Thursday to make room on the 40-man roster.
Hulett hit. 224 (11-for-49) with a home run and two RBIs in 30 games in 2008. The left-handed hitter also batted. 298 with 22 doubles, five triples, 14 home runs and 47 RBIs in 91 games with Triple-A Tacoma.
The 25-year-old was selected by the Texas Rangers in the 14th round of the 2004 draft.
Associated Press
Softball
BYU, 2:30 p.m.
Palm Springs, Calif.
DAY
SATURDAY
Baseball
Air Force, 1 p.m.
Millington, Tenn
Baseball
Memphis, 4 p.m.
Millinion, Tenn.
THIS WEEK IN KANSAS ATHLETICS
Men's basketball Nebraska, 3 p.m. Lawrence
Baseball Bradley, 1 p.m. Millington, Tenn.
Tennis
DePaule, 10 a.m.
Iowa City, Iowa
Softball
UC Santa Barbara,
7:30 p.m.
Palm Springs, Calif.
TODAY
SUNDAY
Baseball
Bradley, 10 a.m.
Millington, Tenn
Tennis
lowa, 11 a.m.
lowa City, Iowa
Softball
California, 11 a.m.
Palm Springs, Calif.
Women's basketball Iowa State, noon Lawrence
MONDAY
Softball
Cal Poly, 1 p.m.
Palm Springs, Calif.
TUESDAY
Men's basketball Oklahoma, 8 p.m. Norman, Okla.
Baseball
Arkansas, 3 p.m.
Fayetteville, Ark
The Jay Report: You know it, you
@KANSAN.COM
ball podcast in all the land.
love it. Go to Kansan.com to listen to the premiere men's basketball set
The Give and Go: Before you come back to school on Monday,
don't forget to listen to your favorite women's basketball podcast. The
guys wrap-up Sunday afternoon's game against Iowa State.
Courtside: Don't miss Jayson
jenkins
postgame
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of Sunday's
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NFL
Arizona Cardinals swap coaches with the Chiefs
TEMPE, Ariz. — The Arizona Cardinals have hired former Kansas City Chiefs assistant Curtis Modkins as running backs coach.
He replaces Maurice Carthon, who was hired as assistant head coach of the Chiefs on Thursday. Carthon followed Todd Haley to Kansas City after the Cardinals' former offensive coordinator was hired as the Chiefs' new head coach.
Associated Press
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