THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
SPORTS
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 17, 2009
9A
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"I'm going to wait a few days to gather my thoughts before I say anything."
Former Phoenix Suns coach Terry Porter when asked about his recent firing
FACT OF THE DAY
A report by the New York Times two months ago found that if you exclude Jerry Sloan and his 20-year tenure in Utah, the average NBA coach lasts just 1.3 seasons with one team.
— nytimes.com
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
Q: Including Porter, how many NBA coaches have been fired this season?
A: Eight. At the All-Star Break, exactly 25 percent of teams in the NBA had fired their coaches. Porter is the shortest-tenured of those eight. He lasted just 51 games as the Suns' top guy.
Big 12 teams rely on big players
Much has been made of the Big 12 Conference embracing "small ball"
COMMENTARY
this basketball season. Teams are pushing the pace of play and throwing some tiny lineups on the court, with interesting results.
Truth is, it's much ado about nothing.
The numbers bear several facts: The Big 12 isn't an especially guard-centric conference, and any team with a shot at the NCAA Tournament has a capable big man or two.
Oklahoma, undefeated in conference play, has one transcendent player carrying a few role players to victory. That transcendent star is Blake Griffin, a 6-foot-10 blueprint of a big man. He's the best player in the nation and the reason Oklahoma could end up with a No.1 seed come March.
Kansas, the conference's second-best squad, gets its best offense and defense from sophomore center Cole Aldrich. Junior guard Sherron Collins scores often, but his efficiency isn't in the same neighborhood as Aldrich's.
Missouri is supposedly guard-
driven because it plays fast. In reality, the Tigers are Sweet Sixteen contenders because of their incredibly effective front-court duo of DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons. The conference's best one-two post punch shoots 54 percent and accounts for 37 percent of Missouri's scoring.
The conference's backcourt focal teams have struggled. Oklahoma State, Nebraska and Colorado, the only Big 12 teams with players smaller than the national average, are ranked 10th, 11th and 12th in rebounding percentage and fifth, sixth and 12th in victories, respectively.
It's sometimes tough to appreciate professional basketball until the college season is over,
RECOMMENDED
READING
The picture-heavy book, written by the guys who run the basketball blog Free Darko, uses advanced statistics and highbrow literary references to examine 18 of the NBA's most intriguing players. It sounds odd, but give it a try. After all, you've got to do something to pass the time between Kansas basketball games
but there are plenty of reasons to take in some NBA action. Just ask the authors of "The Macrophenomenal Pro Basketball Almanac."
Tangentially related NBA note: LeBron James continued to make a convincing case for his coronation as "Most Awesome Guy Ever," by donning a spiffy yellow cardigan and aviator sunglasses Saturday while taking in the NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
ON-CAMPUS BOOK SIGNINGS
University of Kansas graduate and sportswriter Ken Davis will sign copies of his new book, "The University of Kansas Basketball Vault: The History of the Jayhawks," on campus twice this week.
The signings will take place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Allen Fieldhouse and from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the KU Bookstore at the Kansas Union on Saturday, Davis' book is the sort of no-holds-barred resource that would make a perfect very, very late Christmas present for an alumnus of the University. It goes to great length to detail the 110-year history of Kansas basketball, complete with replicas of ticket subbs and pennants. The book is current through the 2008 national championship run, so if you're having a hard time brushing the party cobwebs from last March and April, you can refresh your memory.
Edited by Melissa Johnson
BASEBALL
Closer has confidence in experienced bullpen
BY JOSH BOWE
jbowe@kansan.com
To be a closer requires a certain set of qualities: Toughness, short memory and a little bit of attitude.
It's a high-pressure position and a role that senior pitcher Paul Smyth has relished his entire career.
the lineup
"I do think that mentally I am one of the tougher guys," Smyth said. "A lot because of the experience I've had in the bullpen."
Kansas Bullpen:
As Kansas creeps closer to its season opener Friday against Air Force, the young team will rely heavily on Smyth to help guide it. Three pitchers graduated last year and two pitchers have recovered from last season's injuries, leaving the team with an almost fully revamped rotation.
Smyth feels confident in the bullpen, however, and expects his pitchers to deliver him a lead to protect.
Coach Ritch Price likes the chances of his bullpen pitching
2008 statistics
"For me, I rely a lot more on my movement," Smyth said. "In terms of quality innings I'm able to go through it one time and after that I think it becomes a little rockier, so one time through is good."
Closer:
Senior Paul
Smyth (5-5,
3.73 ERA,
51 SO,12
BB, 10 SV)
Smyth
"I've just been riding my boy Brett Bochy about being my setup guy," Smyth said. "I've got the two Brett's in front of me, and they're both quality pitchers."
Smyth is also not your prototypical Big 12 closer in a conference that has seen great fireballers such as Texas' Houston Street or Missouri's Kyle Gibson. Smyth said using more off-speed stuff allowed him to get batters off balance, especially if the lineup only saw him once.
Setup men: Sophomore Brett Bochy (0-0, 5.94 ERA, 18 SO, 9 BB), Junior Brett Bollman (2-3, 5.83 ERA, 32 SO, 20 SB, 1 SV).
Junior Thomas Marcin (0-0,4.38 ERA,13 SO.
In the Mix:
Freshmen Kelson Boyer,
Kevin Burk and Colton
Murray and Junior Travis
Blankenship
The Kansan's Take: Smyth is the unquestioned closer and leader of this bullpen. His suc-
Bochy
cess will be measured by how
many wins Kansas has this season. Bochy, Bollman, and Marcin will all see time as setup men, with Bochy having
Smyth's consent to be the main setup man. All three will have to improve from some of last season's collapses. Blankenship
Bollman
used in spot situations,
and possibly start. Of the other freshmen, Colton Murray is the one to watch.
is the only lefty in the bullpen
Price has expressed interest in molding Murray into a future closer after Smyth departs.
Marcin
BIG 12 CAPSULES
Baylor Bears
Preseason Ranking: No. 8 (Baseball America) / No. 17 (USA)
Josh Bowe
Today/ESPN)
The Bears, the third of four Big 12 teams in Baseball America's top ten.
are also the third Big 12 team on the Jayhawks' schedule. They are also Kansas' third conference series. After opening with No. 4 Texas and a road trip to No. 1 Texas A&M, the heat stays
on for the Jayhawks when Baylor comes to town April 3-5. Third baseman Shaver Hansen returns for his junior campaign after leading the team in batting average, hits, runs, triples, RBI and total bases. He was one of only three Bears to appear in all 58 games in 2008, starting 57 of them. Hansen will likely hit leadoff after starting the majority of last season in that role.
Oklahoma State Cowboys Preseason Ranking: Unranked (Baseball America) / No. 13 (USA Today/ESPN)
Oklahoma State returns a potent offensive attack from last year's squad that led the
conference in batting average and home runs. They were second to Texas
A&M in triples, RBI and runs scored. This year the Cowboys bring back wunderkind second baseman Tom Belza, who led the conference with a .386 average in 50 games as a freshman in 2008. The Cowboys also bring back a power bat from the left side of the plate in junior
"I think we are more solid in the bullpen than we were a year ago," Price said. "The potential's there."
this season. With Smyth anchoring a core group that boasts a good amount of experience, Price has great expectations.
outfeilder Neil Medchill, who was fourth on the team with 11 home runs while hitting. 349 and earning All-Conference honors. Among pitchers with more than 20 innings pitched, junior left-hander Andrew Oliver led the team last year with a 2.20 ERA and a 7-2 record. Oliver looks to return to form this year and was selected by Baseball America and Rivals.com as a preseason All-American. The Cowboys visit Lawrence for a three-game series on April 10-12.
"So I would hope that when we get into the three-game weekend set that we'll be able to set people up to get to Smyth and not have the game blow on us," Price said. "It blew up on us two or three times last year."
lead far too often before the ball could be handed to Smyth.
A problem with last year, Price said, was that the team blew the
To promote team chemistry,
assistant coach Ryan Graves often groups together the starters and relief pitchers during workouts and practices. He will often throw in competitions between the two to keep the team engaged and working its hardest.
Tim Dwyer
Smyth welcomes this approach and said he felt that it would pay off in the long run.
"He likes to put a lot of competition out there and he's a competitive-natured guy." Smyth said. "I find that, especially with this group of guys, our team doesn't really back down from competition."
Edited by Sonya English
Men's basketball Iowa State, 7 p.m. Lawrence
Women's basketball Colorado, 8 p.m. Boulder, Colo.
Women's golf Central District Inv. Parrish, Fla.
TODAY
THURSDAY
WEDNESDAY
THIS WEEK IN KANSAS ATHLETICS
Softball
North Carolina
12:30 p.m.
Palm Springs,
Calif.
Softball
Oregon State, 8
p.m.
Palm Springs,
Calif.
Phelps has called his judgment bad and said he would learn from his mistake.
The photo surfaced in a British newspaper, News of the World, on Feb.1.
USA Swimming suspended Phelps for three months in the wake of the photo, and Kellogg Co. said it would not renew its endorsement deal with him.
FRIDAY
The photo showed Phelps smoking from a marijuana pipe at a party in November when he visited the University of South Carolina
Baseball Air Force, 1 p.m. Millinaton, Tenn
Sam Young had 25 points for Pittsburgh, which lost all 13 games it had played against No. 1 teams, the last three against Connecticut over the last 11 years.
photo but defended his investigation.
The minutes leading up to Fields' big shots was as intense as college basketball gets. The lead changed hands four times and there was a tie in the 2½ minutes
"Michael Phelps is truly an American hero ... but even with his star status, he is still obligated to obey the laws of our state," Lott said.
Softball BYU, 2:30 p.m. Palm Springs, Calif.
Baseball
Memphis, 4 p.m.
Milkington, Tenn.
Pittsburgh finished with a 48-31 rebound advantage, the first time the Huskies were outrebounded this season.
Tennis
DePaul, 10 a.m.
Iowa City, Iowa
Both his 3-pointers were wide-open shots when Connecticut couldn't switch fast enough on screens, and they seemed to take the wind out of the Huskies, who came up empty on both possessions around the threes.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said he couldn't ignore the
Baseball
Bradley, 1 p.m.
Miltoning, Tenn.
Men's basketball
Nebraska, 3 p.m.
Lawrence
SWIMMING Phelps won't face charges for marijuana incident
SATURDAY
A. J. Price had 18 points for the Huskies (24-2, 12-2), who started their third week at No. 1 earlier Monday and had their 13-game winning streak ended.
Connecticut, which leads the Big Ease in scoring defense (60.5) and field goal percentage defense (37.3) held Pittsburgh to 7-of-25 shooting until Fields suddenly got going.
The game was expected to be physical down low and it was with the 6-foot-7 Blair flipping the 7-3 Hasheem Thabeet over his back in the first half, sending him to the bench for about 4 minutes. Blair got a dose back in the second half when he had to leave the game for almost 3 minutes after taking an elbow to the face.
leading up to those shots.
HARTFORD, Conn. — DeJuan Blair had 22 points and 23 rebounds and Levance Fields scored all 10 of his points in the final 3:09 as No. 4 Pittsburgh beat No. 1 Connecticut 76-68 on Monday night, the Panthers' first win ever over a top-ranked team.
Jennifer Clark+23 (87, 80)
Meghna Bal:
+11 (77, 78)
Softball
UC Santa Barbara,
7:30 p.m.
Palms Springs,
Calif.
Pitt took a 36-33 halftime lead behind Blair's 15 points and 13 rebounds and Young's 12 points.
Associated Press
Fields missed his first seven shots from the field but the senior guard gave the Panthers (24- 2, 11-2 Big East) the lead for good with a 3-pointer with 3:09 left that made it 64-61. He added another 3 with 2:21 left to make it 67-61, and he added four free throws in the final minute.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL Panthers defeat top team for first time in history
Emily Powers: +10 (80, 74)
Kalynd Carson:
+11 (78, 77)
Connecticut fell to 40-8 as a No. 1 team and the loss kept them from the best start in school history. The Huskies remain tied with the 1995-96 team at 24-1.
Sydney Wilson:
+17 (84, 77)
women's golf CENTRAL DISTRICT INVITATIONAL
kuhistory.com
Kansas +49 (12th of 15 teams)
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A South Carolina sheriff said Monday he was not going to charge swimmer Michael Phelps after a photo of the 14-time gold medalist showed him smoking from a marijuana pipe.
Scores after two rounds:
Par 72
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FREE PRACTICE TEST
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