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8B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY'S DAILY KANSAS
FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2009
FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2009
BASKETBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
whether he would ever be able to contribute significantly. Self heard the doubt.
"Let's call it like it is." Self said.
"When we recruited him, a lot of people said, 'Can he help you guys?' And here he is — where would we be without him? Hes been very, very valuable to us."
Although Morningstar averages seven points per game, it's his defense that has Self raving. Self said Morningstar had been the team's best perimeter defender "without question."
Perhaps his finest performance came in the defeat at Arizona, where Morningstar held All-American candidate Chase Budinger to five points — 12 below his season average. Morningstar is likely to play a similar role by guarding Cory Higgins, Colorado's leading scorer at 17.5 points per game, when Kansas tips off in Boulder, Colo., on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
Morningstar usually defends the opponent's best guard. And he usually excels. Morningstar held both Siena's Edwin Ubiles and Michigan State's Raymar Morgan to less than their scoring averages in two of Kansas' last three games.
"I've drilled into my head that in order to help my team, I can't let my man score." Morningstar said, "whoever I'm guarding that night — whether it's the best player or the leadener."
Self cites numerous reasons why Morningstar has transformed into the Jayhawks' top defender. He's
always in good position. He always gets a hand in the shooters' face.
Even though Morningstar averages fewer than three rebounds per game. Self says he's one of the best jav hawks at blocking out his man.
"I've learned you have to play defense to win games," Morningstar said. "That's pretty much what it comes down to."
But that's not all he's contributed. To Self, taking care of the ball is just as important as locking down defensively.
Morningstar leads the team in turnover-to-assist ratio, tallying nearly three assists for every turnover. He hasn't committed a turnover in the last three games.
Marcus Morris still hasn't gotten an opportunity to see Morningstar miss many long-range jumpers. Morningstar has converted on 46 percent of his three-pointers, which makes him the third most efficient three-point shooter in the Big 12.
He has. Morningstar has transformed from a redshirt a season ago to the lajhawks' premiere defensive stopper and three-point bomber.
"If you told me before the season wed be getting out of Brady what we're getting out of him," self said. "I would have thought he must have elevated his game in a number of ways."
And according to Marcus Morris, a solid teammate for a pickup game.
Edited by Mary Sorrick
"What's good for one is really good for the other," Henrickson said. "You have to have perimeter and post balance."
Not only is Boogaard Kansas' most productive interior player — she's averaging 10.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game — but her
low-post points, too.
WOMEN'S (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
When Boogaard scores and gets touches in the post, defenses must sag inside. That means more space for perimeter players to work.
ability to score inside also creates scoring opportunities for Kansas' other players.
"That allows us to attack the defense at the core in the paint,"
Henrickson said Kansas would see an assortment of defenses against Texas Tech on Saturday. Still, regardless of the defense the Red Raiders employ, the Jayhawks need to continue to look inside.
Henrickson said, "and that's always been important for us"
"We shouldn't miss her."
Henrickson said. "If she's there, we have to be able to throw it to her. And we're not being very efficient on the number of times she's open and available and we don't let go of it. It's not a selfish thing, we just don't see it."
Edited by Sam Speer
Kansas vs. Texas Tech
P No. Kansas Ht. Yr. PPG P No. Texas Tech Ht. Yr. PPG
G 3 Ivana Catic 5-8 Sr. 3.4 G 13 Jordan Murphy 6-0 Jr. 11.8
G 4 Danielle McCray 5-11 Jr. 17.7 G 3 Maria Moore 5-5 Sr. 8.3
G 20 Sade Morris 5-11 Jr. 12.8 F 41 Dominic Seals 6-2 Sr. 14.0
F 24 Nicollette Smith 6-2 So. 7.7 F 31 Ashlee Roberson 5-11 Jr. 5.8
C 14 Krysten Boogaard 6-5 So. 10.8 C 20 Kiera Mallard 6-3 Fr. 8.6
Tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse, Sunflower (Channel 6).
Who to watch out for..
Senior forward Dominic Seals. Seals is another post presence the Hawks will have to deal with, following K-State's Marles Gibson and Missouri's Jessra Johnson. Seals scored 18 points and grabbed nine boards against a tough Texas A&M team, and she has the potential to dominate a game.
The Red Raiders love to pound the ball inside to their bigs, and for good reason. Their jumpers, especially from behind the arc where they shoot just 32
centre, brick more than a stonemason.
Why Kansas will win...
Kansas was able to win without much help from Danielle McCray, and the starters, especially junior Sade Morris and sophomore Nicollette Smith, are playing with confidence. Coach Henrickson also realizes how important it is to defend the home court.
Zero. That's how many games the Red Raiders have won on the road and at neutral sites this year (0-5).
ClarkGoble
TRACK (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
"I was trying to get to the NCAA National meet; I was trying to get a provisional time or an auto-time," he said. "I didn't get there, but I'll try and work harder and get it at the next meet."
Hayes said getting a qualifying time was the main goal for today and that this home meet was one of his greatest opportunities to pull it off. Hayes will also be competing in the 200 meters and the 4x400 relay today.
Senior ShaRay Butler will also compete in the 200 meters and the 4x400 relay today as well as
the 400 meters. Butler said she was excited because she always competed well at home
"This is where we train every day," Butler said. "I know all the turns and everything, so I'm really comfortable at home."
Junior Lauren Bonds had long-distance success on the
"Anytime we step on the track, we're excited and the fact that it's Mizzou is an added incentive to do well."
COLBY WISSEL Senior
She took the victory in the 3,000- meter run. Bonds said it was nice
at the Razorback Invitational.
to start the season with a win.
"It was really exciting to win on that track because that's where they have Nationals," Bonds said. "The competition wasn't as strong as it was in the past, but I was still happy with my performance."
On the men's side senior Colby
performance.'
Wissel started his final indoor track season with a second place finish in the 3,000 meters at Arkansas.
Wissel said he had a lot of work left to do but was glad to be out on the track again.
"Anytime we step on the track, we're excited and the fact that it's Mizzou is an added incentive to do well," Wissel said.
Today's field events begin at 1 p.m., and track events start at 3 p.m.
Edited by Liz Schubauer
BRECKUNITCH
(CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Committee presented athletics director Lew Perkins with a commemorative plaque for leading Time Magazines list of top sports executives in 2008.
The city of Lawrence was one of the finalists in ESPN's summer search for Titletown, USA. It's time the fans get their recognition.
This season, if you want the nation to share that view, follow these simple guidelines from fellow fans, and Allen Fieldhouse will surely get noticed in the aforementioned inevitable search.
If you still aren't sold, just take Fresno, Calif., senior Scott Perlmutter's view on being a fan to heart.
"It's made my life worth living." Perlmutter said.
SWIMMING & DIVING
For the KU masses, basketball games are not just a nightly activity. They are a way of life.
Edited by Justin Leverett
Season's second half starts strong
BY HALLIE MANN hmann@kansan.com
During the winter holiday, Kansas swimming and diving opened the second half of its season by earning two victories.
On Jan. 9 the team traveled to face Florida International.
The Jayhawks won the meet 178-78, losing only one event, the 100 backstroke, in which junior Carrah Haley took second with a time of 1:00.28. Kansas' top relay team, sophomore Lullia Kuzhil, seniors Danielle Herrmann, Ashley Leidigh and Maria Mayrovich finished the 200 medley relay in 1:46.09.
The Jayhawks faced The University of Miami on Jan. 10 and pulled out another victory. Kansas won the dual meet with an overall score of 142-97.
Junior Emily Lanteigne,
Herrmann, and Mayrovich each
won two events at the meet with Lanteigne finishing an impressive five seconds ahead of her nearest competitor in the 50 freestyle.
What: Kansas vs Nebraska
When: Saturday, 2 p.m.
When: Lincoln, Neb.
Senior diver Hannah McMacken scored a personal best of 296.03 points on the three-meter board and 266.33 on the one-meter board, on her way to taking second place in both events.
With only one Kansas swimmer — Mayrovich — qualified for the NCAA Championships right now, Herrmann hopes to qualify in her individual events as well as some of the relay events.
"I want to end before conference with some momentum and confidence", Herrmann said.
Coming off a winning streak, Herrmann is looking ahead to the next four meets, beginning with Nebraska on Saturday.
The Big 12 conference has some of the toughest competitors in the nation, Texas and Texas A&M, which usually vie for first and second. Herrmann said. Herrmann said she was excited for the close race for third between Kansas and Missouri and said the team would need some "really tight races" to take third.
The Kansas coaches are also optimistic about the second half of the season. Diving coach Eric Elliott is confident that the team will continue to succeed going into the conference.
"The whole team has been doing really well considering the amount of training we've been
doing," Elliott said.
Elliott said all three Kansas divers had qualified for the NCAA Zone competition and said he thought the results would be better than last year.
"We don't have any inexperienced divers this year and the all know how to go out there and dive," Elliott said.
Swimming coach Clark Campbell was also pleased with the overall performances at Miami and Florida International. Both of these dual meets were held outdoors, but the team performed well despite the change in atmosphere, Campbell said. One of the main goals for the postseason is to place at conference and quality for the NCAA Championships, Campbell said.
"We're really trying to get one of our relay teams to be represented at NCAA — we haven't had a team qualify in almost 15 or 16 years," Campbell said.
Campbell was pleased with performances by some of the younger swimmers — freshmen Abigail Anderson, Shannon Garlie, and Stephanie Payne — and is optimistic that Kansas will see good performances out of them for the rest of the season.
Campbell said January and February comprised the "dual meet" part of the season and was preparing for tough matchups against Nebraska and Arkansas before going to the Big 12 Championships.
Kansas swimming and diving heads to Nebraska on Saturday for a dual at 2 p.m.
— Edited by Sam Speer
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