12
University Daily Kansan / Friday, April 3, 1992
SPORTS
Jayhawks ponder the question, 'What if?'
Bv Codv Holt
Kansan sportswriter
With Southwest Missouri State preparing to tip off the 1992 NCAA Women's Final Four this weekend in Los Angeles, Kansas players are back in Lawrence asking themselves the difficult question: "What if?"
It seems some Kansas players are still left with a bitter taste in their mouths after drawing the 27-2-Lady Bears in the first round of the NCAA championship tournament. Forget the fact that a first round game pitted the No. 10 team in the nation versus the No. 17 Jayhawks. Kansas was also forced to play the game at the home of the Lady Bears, where SMSU had amassed the longest home winning streak in the nation at 27 games. Kansas, then 25-5, lost 75-5 in a game that was much closer than the
score implies.
"I thought it was an unfair match up before we even played them," senior guard Kay Hart said. "We were matched up with a Final Four team in the first round and we had a better record than a lot of teams seeded higher than us."
Since the Lady Bears defeated Kansas they have worn the glass slipper, defeating, among other teams, the 4. Team in the nation, Iowa, on their way to their first ever Final Four.
Hart also said that both Kansas and SMSU deserved better seedings but because of the perception of women's basketball in the Midwest neither team received the recognition they deserved.
MSSU's success has the Jayhawks wonder
in if it could have been them in the big舞.
Senior forward Danielle Shareef said that
Kansas and SMSU were two evenly matched teams but SMSU had a distinct advantage over the Jayhawks by playing at home.
"I really feel it could have been us there if things would've gone a little differently," she said.
Hart and Shareef said they had mixed emotions about seeing their first-round opponent in the Final Four.
Hart said that SMSU's presence in the Final Four made Kansas look better, but she had been asking herself the question, "What if?" She said she thought the Jayhawks could be in SMSU's shoes and they defeated the Lady Bears in Springfield, Mo.
Shareef said she was a little bitter with the prospect of watching the Lady Bears on television.
*But only in the sense that I wish we could
still be playing," she said.
Kansas coach Marian Washington said she was happy for SMSU, who is coached by Cheryl Burnett, a former player at Kansas under Washington. She said that the Lady Bears' success would bring recognition to women's basketball in the Midwest.
She also said that Kansas and SMSU matched up well and said she thought her players had to realize it could be them in the national spotlight.
However, she said it was important to remember that Kansas was playing without a full squad. Three former Jayhawk starters were on the bench with injuries, and SMSU was healthy and had an opportunity to do the best job they could.
"Asfar kansasis concerned, we have a lot to be proud of," she said. "We did the best we
could with our situation."
She said she hopes that SMSU's success would make the Final Four more realistic to her team.
"This should be a springboard for us into next season," she said.
Washington, Hart and Shareef all said that they were a little surprised that SMU reached the Final Four. But Hart said that the Lady Jayhawks should win because of their tenacious defense.
SMSU, 31-2, will play Western Kentucky, 26-7, at 11:30 a.m. Saturday in the first national semifinal game. Virginia, 32-1, and Stanford, 28-3, are scheduled to tipoff 30m minutes after the conclusion of the first game. The winners of the semifinal games will play at 3 p.m. Sunday for the national championship. All games will be televised on CBS.
'Hawks will play Cowboys
By Jerry Schmidt Kansan sportswriter
After two games against the No. 1 team in the nation, one would think the schedule could not get much tougher for the Kansas baseball team. Not so fast.
The Jayhawks, 16-13 overall and 2-6 in the Big Eight Conference, must now play the defending Big Eight Champion. No. 10 Oklahoma State Cowboys.
After losing two games to No. 1 Wichita State, the Jayhawks will begin a four-game conference series with the Cowboys at 7 tonight at Reynolds Stadium in Stillwater, Okla.
Oklahoma State swept a four-game series with Kansas last year in Lawrence.
The two teams will play a doubleheader 2 p.m. Saturday and single contest 1 p.m. Sunday.
Tonight's game will be Kansas' seventh game in eight days. By Sunday, the 'Hawks will have played 10 games in 11 days, weather permitting.
Despite the killer schedule, junior David Soult said the team was starting to play like it was earlier in the season when they started with a 1-4 record.
"We're starting to play a lot better," he said. "The only thing we're missing is hitting. Once we hit like we can, we will start winning."
Kansas had numerous opportunities to win Wednesday's game but could not come up with the key hit it needed. The missed chances gave the Shockers' Joey Jackson the opportunity to hit the game-winning home run in the top of the 15th inning.
"I'd rather win four games against Oklahoma State this weekend than beat Wichita State." he said.
Soul said that although the defeats against Wichita State were hard to swallow, the games were not as important as the conference contests this weekend.
Oklahoma State enters the game 23-6 overall and 4-0 in the Big Eight after a series sweep of Missouri. The Cowboys have a 340 team batting average and a 3.95队 ERA. Oklahoma State features four hitters with batting averages above 400, led by Danny Perez, who boasts a 458 average with seven homers and 23 RBI. He also has stolen 10 bases.
Lou Luca, a first team all-conference performer last year, is hitting 440 with a team-leading 12 homers and 43 RBI.
Kansas coach Dave Bingham said teams such as Oklahoma State and Wichita State have helped increase the popularity of college baseball.
"They're an outstanding team," Bingham said. "They are the ones that have helped make college baseball in this country.
"We need to go down to Stillwater and play well and get a win. In fact, we'll even play bad and take a win down there."
Sophomore pitcher Chris Corn will start tonight's game for Kansas. Corn is 3-1 with a 3.10 ERA, 25 strikeouts and 13 walks.
Kristen Petty KANSAN
Kansas third baseman Camille Spitaleri, Sunnyvale, Calif., senior, dives for a ground ball during fielding practice.
Softball begins conference play
By Shelly Solon
Kansan staff writer
Kansan staff writer
Senior Shelly Sack and the Kansas softball team have been anxiously anticipating this Big Eight Conference season.
The Jayhawks have jumped out at a 2-5 start heading into their conference opponents against Oklahoma State and Nebraska tomorrow in Stillwater, Okla. Last year, the team finished fourth in the conference with a 5-5 record. This year could be a different story.
"This is the year we've been waiting for, especially the four seniors," Sack said. "I hope this is for real and I feel like it and that it's not a fluke. But we haven't reached that climactic point yet."
Sack said this team's depth, maturity and experience would benefit them during the tough conference schedule.
"This weekend's going to be tough but we're really confident because of the way we've played," she said. "It's almost scary when I look at what we've done. We have so much talent, and big wins have built our confidence."
Oklahoma State is the No. 6
ranked team in the country. Kansas is No.18.
Kansas soft coach Kalum Haack said Nebraska and Oklahoma State were always tough competition for the Jayhawks.
"We're vying to get the number one seed for the Big Eight tournament, but we don't want it this weekend. But we do not want put all our eggs in one basket."
Haack said the Big Eight was the second or third toughest conference in the country.
"Besides the teams that are ranked, the other Big Eight teams are capable of knocking anybody off at anytime," he said. "It similar to Big Eight men's basketball teams. We are all strong and competitive."
But assistant coach Gayle Lueke said Kansas' tough non-conference schedule, which included two losses to No. 1 UCLA, should have it ready for conference play.
"We've got the style of team that won't go into any game scared or intimidated," she said. "We've played UCLA, the number one ranked team, twice. But we have to play Big Eight teams like Oklahoma State and Missouri twice and they are both ranked teams."
Jill Bailey pitches during a 5-0 shutout against Wichita State.
Women's tennis travels to Oklahoma
Weekend play may not be easy
By Lyle Niedens
Kansan sportswriter
Eveline Hamers has been the dominant force in Kansas women's tennis since her arrival at Kansas in 1988.
The senior from Meerssen, Holland,
was the first Kansas women's player
to be named All-American, an honor
she has received three times. She also
has won three consecutive Big Eight
Conference championships at No. 1
singles.
But she has not been a part of a conference championship team, something she considers very important.
Coach Michael Center said Kansas, 9-4 and ranked No. 17 in the country, could win the conference, but that until someone else proved it, Oklahoma State, the defending conference champions, was the team to beat.
"I think if we play the way we're capable of, we can be the team to beat," Center said. "I want us to believe that. But I think we have to earn it. We're not at the point where we can just show up and people are going to say 'Uh, oksana is here.'"
"Until now, winning the Big Eight as a team has been more of a dream than anything," Hamers said. "But this year it is a real goal, and I think we know we can do it."
weekend for the Jayhawks. Kansas opens its conference season this afternoon at Oklahoma State and will play at Oklahoma tomorrow.
Oklahoma State certainly did not say that when Kansas visited Stillwater, Okla., last April. The Cowboys crushed the Jayhawks-9-0.
The road to that goal begins this
"We were overmatched last year."
"I think if we play the way we're capable of,we can be the team to beat."
Michael Center Kansaswomen's tennis coach
Michael Center
However, the Cowboys lost four of their top six players from a year ago. But they still have one of the top singles players in the country, junior Cristina
Sirianni, who is ranked No. 55.
The Jayhawks head into this weekend's action coming off a 5 upset at Notre Dame last Friday. Despite the loss, Hamers said the team had learned a valuable lesson, evident in their victory against Boston College 8-1 the next day.
"I think as a team it made us realize a few things," she said. "We can't take anything for granted. You can be ranked, but nothing matters once you get on the court."
Center said he did not want to dwell on last weekend and instead wanted to focus on Oklahoma State, a match that could set the tone for the conference season.
"I don't think the conference will be won or lost on Friday," he said of today's match. "But it definitely will send a message on what's going to transpire during the course of the season.
"And I think we're ready to go."
Jayhawks will race in Texas
By Chris Jenson
ByChrisJenson Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas track team will begin its run at collegiate track's triple crown today at the Texas Relays in Austin, Texas.
Track coach Gary Schwartz said that the Texas, Kansas and Drake Relays circuit was the oldest in the nation. The meets have long been known as three of the premiere relay invitations in the nation, Schwartz said.
"I'm excited about going, because this is the first Texas Relays for me since I competed as an athlete," he said.
Schwartz said that this was the first time since becoming Kansas coach in 1988 that he had taken the Jayhawks to compete in Texas.
Relay meets differ from regular track invitations, Schwartz said. He said the format emphasizes relay competition, as regular meets do.
"The athletes look at the relays as a饮
水 time. "He said they don't have to
time."
It is a big deal to do good down
it involved by the press. It is
involved by the press.
Senior distance runner Jason Teal said the team would be looking forward to seeing new competition outside of the Big Eight Conference.
Teal will run in the two-mile relay
with a 2000-meter leg of the distance
median to Teal.
"This gives us a chance to get out of
Bright Light and see some teams we
do not play against."
Kansas' two-mile relay team was seeded first going into the NCAA Indoor Championships last month, but failed to make the finals after dropping the baton during an exchange. Teal said the team hoped to do well in Texas.
"We're going to stack the relays," he said. "We're going in with our best teams, and I think we have a legitimate chance of coming out with a really high finish."
"We've got nothing to lose and everything to gain," he said. "I think we've got a real good shot of doing extremely well."
Senior middle-distance runner Cathy Palacios said the team was looking forward to the fun atmosphere of the meet.
"It's a whole different atmosphere," she said. "If this isn't the meet to have fun in, then I don't know what is."
Palacios, who will run in the two-mile relay and in the 1,500 meter as an individual, agreed that, although the atmosphere is fun, the competition would not be a laughing matter.
"We want to go and run really good times," she said. "We want to go out and perform really well."
The NCAA Outdoor Championships will also be held this June in Austin and Schwartz said the team would benefit at that meet from having run in today's Relays.
At the Metrodome in Minneapolis
Semifinals
Saturday, April 4
Final Four schedule
Championship Monday. April
Michigan (24-8) vs. Cincinnati (29-4), 4:42 p.m.
Duke (32-2) vs. Indiana (27-6), 30 minutes after completion of first game
Michigan-Cincinnati winner vs. Duke-Indiana winner, 8:22 p.m.
NCAA basketball
Almee Brainard, Daily Kansan
MINNEAPOLIS - The Final Four is the ultimate experience for a college basketball player, and, except for the Duke Blue Devils, there isn't a lot of experience this year.
Duke has made the national seminational its March vacation spot. The Blue Devils have been in the Final Four for five straight years and for six of the past seven years, finally winning it all last season.
Everybody but the freshmen on the top-ranked Duke team, 32-2 overall, know what it's like to go through the weekend that climaxes the 64-train, one-loss-and-you're-out NCAA tournment.
They can even take it lightly.
"The more Final Fours you go to, the more cousins you find out you have who need tickets," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
The other teams only need to have names of immediate family members on their ticket lists.
Michigan, 24-8 overall, was third in the Big Ten and won its first four tournament games at Atlanta and Lexington, Ky., thus repeating the scenario that it set up in 1989, when Michigan won it all under then-interim coach Steve Fisher.
Cincinnati, 29-4 overall, has seven first-year players on the roster, including five junior college transfers, a freshman and a transfer from Akron. The Bearcats worked their way to the Final Four through the Midwest Regional, and they are still the only players who could walk through a Twin Cities hotel lobby without being noticed.
Indiana, 27-6 overall, is at its fourth Final Four under coach Bob Knight. Their last appearance was in 1987, when the Hoosiers emerged as champions. In fact, the only Final Four appearance by Knight which didn't end with a title was his first, in 1973, when UCLA beat Indiana on the way to its seventh straight title.
LSU start to turn pro
BATON ROUGE, La. — Shaquile O'Neal, the 7-foot-1 center who dominated college basketball during his three years at Louisiana State, is expected to take his game to the NBA next season.
O'Neal called a news conference for 1 p.m. today at Fort Sam Houston, the U.S. Army base in Texas where his father is stationed.
The New Orleans Times-Pacificy and ESPN have both cited unidentified sources in saying that O'Neal is likely to turn pro.
From the Associated Press