THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2009
SPORTS 11A
FACT OF THE DAY
The Jayhawks are perfect on three networks and win-
less on another. In minimum
appearances, Kansas is
undefeated on NBC (8-0),
FOX (1-0) and Fox Net (1-0).
However, the Jayhawks are
0-2 in games on USA.
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
Q: After last night's game, what is Kansas' home record on ESPN?
e
BEWARE OF "THE BLOG"
A: 63-8. The Jayhawks are 2-1 in home games on ESPN this year. The Dec. 13 loss to Massachusetts was played at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., but it still counted as a home game for Kansas.
@ KANSAN.COM
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"Blog" Allen: Check "Blog"
Allen for a "Double Overtime"
post. Case Keefer offers extended analysis on Monday's game against Texas A&M plus those juicy tidbits you can't live without.
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The Sports Desk: Sports editor Andrew Wiebe gives you the lowdown on Kansan sports coverage this semester and his observations from Big Monday.
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The Jay Report: Case Keefer and Taylor Bern break down Kansas' victory on Big Monday with their usual hubris and panache.
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Through the Uprights:
Offseason football writer Stephen Montemayor details developments since the Insight Bowl including a coaching change and a pair of wideouts headed to Lawrence.
Courtside: What's happen ing with Danielle McCray?
Find out from Jay- son Jenks and Clark Goble at Kansan's only women's basketball blog.
Jayhawks win when McCray delivers
COMMENTARY
The Give'n Go: For more postgame analysis from the
The most valuable basketball player at the University of Kansas wears number four. The player in question isn't Sherron Collins, but Danielle McCray.
loss and a preview of Nebraska, check out the only women's basketball podcast around.
The do-it-all junior guard has put the Kansas women's basketball team on her shoulders and carried it to a 12-4 record this year. McCray is leading the team with 18 points and eight rebounds per game. She's shooting nearly 38 percent from three-point range and 88 percent from the free-throw line.
McCray is among the elite players in the Big 12 Conference. Sturdy and chiseled at 5-foot-11, McCray has built her body into one of the conference's best. She's point-guard quick and power-forward strong with a hitch-free jump shot
and deep range. McCray, an Olathe native, can post up smaller opponents inside and stretch defenses with her three-point shooting.
She's had her share of great games in Jayhawk victories this season: 27 points and 12 rebounds against St. Louis and 26 and nine versus Houston, specifically.
But it's when McCray struggles that her true value shows. At UCLA, McCray missed 11 of 14 shots and scored nine points (Kansas lost).
Kansas State held her to 2-for-12 shooting and seven points (Crayas lost). Most recently, McCray went 7-for-24 at home against Texas Tech (Crayas lost).
When McCray is on, Kansas is on. When McCray is off, Kansas is off. McCray knows it, Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson knows it, and, unfortunately for Kansas, every team in the Big 12 knows it.
Kansas State threw tall defender after tall defender at McCray. Four days later, Missouri stuck large-and-in-charge power forward Jessra Johnson on McCray, holding her to 12 points in a Kansas victory. Texas Tech put long-armed wing Ashlee Roberson on McCray last weekend. Kansas can be assured each of its final 13 opponents will take note of McCray's struggles against bigger, more physical defenders.
"It's faster, and they're better players," McCray said of the increased level of play in the Big 12. "I don't know what I'm going through right now. I've been in the gym a lot lately, shooting. I don't know what it is, I've just got to get out of it."
McCray can't be blamed for going through a rough stretch. She's the focus of opposing defenses at all times because Kansas lacks many other viable offensive options. Junior guard Sade Morris is the Jayhawks' second-leading scorer, but she isn't a pure shooter (33 percent on three-pointers). Senior point guard Ivana Catic isn't an offensive entity, attempting barely two shots per game. Posts Krysten Boogaard and Nicollette Smith
are capable offensive players, but each has limitations: Boogaard struggles from the free-throw line (50 percent), Smith struggles inside the three-point line (35 percent).
Like Collins, McCray is often her team's hero and sometimes its scapegoat. Must be the jersey number.
- Edited by Casey Miles
Mega Jenga
Ryan McGeeney/KANSAN
Rone Niu flips six bowls at once from her foot onto her head while riding a 10-foot unicycle at halftime of Saturday's women's basketball game.
MLB
Pitcher Hamels re-signs with champion Phillies
NFL
PHILADELPHIA — Cole Hamels signed a three-year, $20.5 million contract with the Phillies on Sunday, keeping the 25-year-old World Series MVP winner in Philadelphia through the 2011 season.
Hamels went 4-0 in the postseason with an 1.80 ERA as the Phillies claimed their first championship since 1980. He won the first game in three playoff series and took the MVP award in the NL championship series against the Dodgers.
Vegas oddsmakers favor Steelers in Super Bowl
LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas oddsmakers aren't buying into the Arizona Cardinals, no matter how many times they win as underdogs this postseason.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were favored by 6 1/2 points to win the Feb. 1 Super Bowl after beating the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday to set up the showdown for the NFL title, according to Las Vegas Sports Consultants.
Associated Press
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DON'S AUTO:
What students are saving about Dons'
After being parked at the airport for Thanksgiving Break, I went to turn my car on and it was dead. I remembered Don's Auto from the UDK and my Dad wanted me use the longest, most reliable Auto Service.Not only did Don's Auto fix my car,but called me several times in the process of doing so they could save me the most money.
THIS WEEK IN KANSAS ATHLETICS
-Lauren Bloodgood, Junior- Dallas, TX
TODAY (No events)
Don's Auto Center • 11th & Haskell • 841-4833
WEDNESDAY
Women's Basketball Nebraska, 7 p.m. Lincoln, Neb.
THURSDAY
Swimming Arkansas, 4 p.m. Fayetteville, Ark.
FRIDAY (No events)
SATURDAY
Women's Basketball Kansas State, 11 a.m. Lawrence
Men's Basketball Iowa State, 1 p.m. Ames, ames
Swimming
South Dakota/UNI
3 p.m., Lawrence
When he walked off, the sling was dangling from his left hand.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL Millen take some blame for Detroit's struggles
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida quarterback Tim Tebow walked onto the basketball court Saturday with his right arm in a sling.
Tebow, the 2007 Heisman Trophy winner, ripped off his sling at the end of a speech at the Arkansas-Florida basketball game in an effort to assure Gators fans he would be fine following surgery on his non-throwing shoulder.
Tebow had surgery last Monday to treat complications from a bone spur, one day after he announced he was staying for his senior season, and was expected to be ready for spring practice, which is scheduled to begin in April.
COLLEGE SPORTS NCAA to present APR to evaluate its coaches
OXON HILL, Md. — The NCAA said Saturday it will move ahead with plans to create an Academic Progress Report for coaches, one that could be posted on the Internet for all to see by summer of 2010.
The move came before NCAA president Myles Brand released a statement saying he was being treated for pancreatic cancer. The NCAA already has an APR for schools, used to penalize teams whose athletes consistently perform poorly in the classroom. The same formula would be used for the coaches' APR, although coaches with low scores would be faced with stigma instead of sanctions.
Associated Press
FRIDAY, MARCH 27
7:30 PM.
A MULTIMEDIA EVENT FEATURING DJ SPOCKYS ORIGINAL ANTARCTIC FIELD RECORDINGS.
LIED CENTER OF KANSAS
785-864-2787
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