Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Friday March 13,1998 Section: B
The NCAA Tournament kicked off yesterday with a number of close games. Check out the tournament bracket on page 2B
College Basketball
For the second consecutive season, the South Carolina Gamecocks bow out in the first round.
SEE PAGE 6B
Commentary
Page 1
SEE PAGE 7B
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Ryan Hodapp, KU Superfan, prepares to enter Allen Field House and take his place as the University of Kansas' most visible basketball baller. For three years Hodapp has faithfully performed his duties of supporting the team and pumping up the crowd
Story and photos by Graham K. Johnson
It's Show Time
Two o'clock sharp.
It's exactly one hour before tip-off, Ryan Hodapp abruptly halts the conversation, grabs his bag from underneath the bleachers and makes his way from the stands to the men's restroom at the north end of Allen Field House.
He takes his regular place at the right-hand sink.
He checks the mirror one last time. The man he sees is no longer Ryan Hodapp the shy senior from Overland Park. Now he is Superfan — an institution at the University of Kansas' Allen Field House, a testament to the power of Kansas basketball and to the madness of March.
He takes his regular pace at the right hand side. From his bag he takes crimson and blue face paint and applies a crimson stripe down his forehead, nose and chin. Crimson always goes on first and always on the right side, then the blue. For the crowning touch, he pulls on his bright red, curly-haired clown wig.
The real question may be whether there is a little bit of Ryan Hodapi in all of us?
For three years and more than 40 home games, Hodapp has donned a red sweatshirt with "KU Superfan" stenciled across the front, tied on his blue cap and worn the red wig and face paint to show his support for Kansas basketball.
What is it about basketball that would make someone do such a crazy thing? Is this normal? Is this a problem? Is it contagious?
"I think everyone is capable of exhibitionism, which is what this is," Cheffers said. "For instance, most people would exhibit some of Superfan's behavior if they were told they'd just won the lottery."
And there is, said John Cheffers, a professor of education at Boston University. Cheffers has written about fan behavior including a 1990 co-authored paper entitled: A Description of Behavior and Emotional Involvement of Spectators During Professional Hockey Games.
It's Game Time
3:05 p.m
Superfan begins jumping up and down and stomping on the stands. The force of his 300-pound frame coming down on the bleachers shakes those next to him off-balance. His booming baritone voice belts out a HO-OOOOO-OOH! YEAAHH!
He hasn't won the lottery, Kansas just won the tip-off. During a time-out, Hodapp admits there is a bit of the exhibitionist in his act.
"In all honesty, and this seems kind of superficial, it started out just trying to get on TV once," Hodapp says.
Superfan began painting his face as part of an attempt by him and his fifth-floor McColum Hall.
mates to get on ESPN during a Kansas football game against Texas Christian University in 1995.
"I figured, who do you usually see on TV? You see the weirdos with their faces painted, going crazy," Hodapp says. "So I bought some paint and painted my face half crimson and half blue, and that's where it all started."
Now, he has become one of those weirdos.
Mickie Hodapp, Ryan's mother, remembers vividly how the superman/clown get-up all got started.
"He came home one day and said he was going to be a KU superfan," Mickie Hodapp said. "He said, 'Mom, will you make the cape?' I said, 'Sure, why not? This is cool, go for it.'"
Hodapp didn't get on television for that TCU game, but he eventually got on during the third game of the '95-'96 season.
"They singled me out for a crowd shot," Hodapp says proudly.
But the original motivation has been replaced by a deeper personal commitment, Hodapp claims.
After three years of his ritual of always going in the same door, always using the same bathroom and always putting the paint on the same way, the routine has become more than just a habit.
"As a fan. it's part of mv identity." Hodapp says.
Identity with the team is the key element in fan behavior, from a screaming basketball fan to the skinhead soccer rowdy who kicks in a few ribs. Cheffers said that whatever it looked like, it was not actual insanity.
"It's not really craziness. It's extreme identification, and it's extreme loyalty." Cheffers said.
The identity of fans such as Hodapp often involves
Ryan Hodapp applies face paint one hour before game time. Hodapp's ritual involves always putting red on the right side, blue on the left, and always at the same sink in the same bathroom in Allen Field House.
more than just being an admirer of the team, Cheffers said. Many actually believe they are a part of the team with a specific role to play.
"He will identify himself as one of the team, except
See SUPERFAN on page 3B
Jayhawks to face Tulane in first round
Kansas to try to slow Green Wave's splash in NCAA opener
By Kevin C. Wilson Kansan sportswriter
The No. 5-seed Jayhawks (21-8) meet the No. 12-seed Green Wave (21-6) at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa, in the West region.
Let the games begin.
Coach Lisa Stockton is in her fourth-year at Tulane and has an 88-31 record, making her the coach with the most wins in the school's history.
The Kansas women's basketball team tangles with Tulane at 6 p.m. today in the first-round of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament.
Tulane received its fourth-straight invitation to the NCAA Tournament. The Green Wave finished second in the National Division of Conference USA with a 12-4 record and ranked No. 19 in the poll this season.
games, and is paced by a potent inside-outside pair.
Tulane enters the tournament on a hot streak, winning nine of its last 11
High-scoring guard Grace Daley leads the Green Wave with 19.9 points per game. Daley, a first-team All-Conference USA selection and the 1998 Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year, hit double-figures in 24 of Tulane's 27 games this season. She also scored more than 20 points in 14 games and surpassed the 30-point barrier on four other occasions.
Six-foot-3-inch center Barbara Farris makes up the inside half of Tulane's talented tandem. Farris, a second team all-conference selection, scores 14.2 points per game and rips down a team-high 8.3 rebounds per game. She also shoots a remarkable 71.6 percent from the field, which ranks second in the nation in field goal percentage.
When a third scorer comes to life, the Green Wave rolls. Tulane is 15-0 in games that three or more players reached double-figures and 6-6 when fewer than three players hit 10 or more points.
Defense has paved the way to Tulane's success. The Green Wave holds its opponents to 58.1 points per game and 36 percent shooting.
The Dance: Round one
KANSAS JAYHAWKS
Suzi Raymant 5-11 Jr.
Jennifer Jackson 5-10 Fr
Lynn Pride 6-2 So.
Jaclyn Johnson 6-1 Jr.
Nakai Sanford 6-3 Jr.
TULANGREEN WAVE
Grace Daley 5-8 So.
Kelly Scanlon 5-9 So.
F Lacey Vicknair 6-2 Jr.
F Fabrecia Roberson 5-11 So.
C Barbara Firras 6-3 Sr.
When: 6 p.m. today
Women's volleyball Oceane Arena, Iowa City
Women's play: Iowa /UMW
M. D. Bradshaw/KANSAN
Tulane is one of four teams, including No. 1 Tennessee and Old Dominion and No. 3 Louisiana Tech, that rank in the top 20 nationally in scoring defense, field goal defense, scoring margin and rebound margin.
Although Tulane has reached the
NCAA Tournament in four-straight seasons, it has not fared well. The Green Wave is 1-3 in the tournament, with its only victory coming in last year's first-round game against UC-Santa Barbara 72-69.
The Jayhawks enter the postseason after finishing third in the Big 12 Conference with a 11-5 conference record. Kansas defeated Kansas State and No. 24 Iowa State on its way to the Big 12 Conference Tournament Finals.
Although the Jayhawks fell short of the win, losing 71-53 to No. 6 Texas Tech in the championship, they impressed the selection committee enough to land an at-large bid and a No. 5 ranking.
First team all-Big 12 selection Lynn Pride leads the Jayhawks in four categories. The forward paces Kansas in scoring (15.0), rebounding (6.9), steals (2.2) and minutes played (33.5).
Guard Suzi Raymant ranks second with the Jayhawks in both scoring and rebounding, chipping in 14.3 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
No. 4 Iowa (17-10) plays host to No. 13 Massachusetts (19-10), 30 minutes after the Jayhawks' game, with the winners facing at 6:30 p.m. Sunday for a trip to the Sweet 16.
Thomas' leg still hampers his shooting
Kansan sportswriter
By Tommy Gallagher
Karen rooftwiter
Thomas said the problem was with running full speed, which would hamper his ability to run through screens and play defense.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Guard Billy Thomas went through the same shooting motions he always had during yesterday's two team practices, but a left thigh sprain might prevent him from playing when Kansas plays Prairie View A&M in first round action of the NCAA Tournament tonight.
Kansas coach Roy Williams said yesterday he would not decide whether Thomas would play until before the game.
"I have my mobility back," Thomas said. "I just don't have enough regular motion to be comfortable out there. I still have the injury in the back of my mind every time I attempt a full shot. But I can't make a full shot because I am favoring my right side a little bit."
The Jayhawks had an hour and a half practice at Oklahoma City University yesterday afternoon and followed that with a light, 35-minute workout in the evening. Thomas was cautious to protect his injury and ran gingerly.
"If he can't be 85 to 90 percent for the game, then there is really no sense in pushing him," Williams said. "If you would have asked me Tuesday whether he he could play, I would have said no. But now there is a chance. It all depends on how he feels tomorrow."
"So long as I can be comfortable with it,
then I will be all right." Thomas said.
Thomas said he would probably play at less than 100 percent regardless of when he returned to the starting lineup.
Aside from Thomas' leg, the Jayhawks remained focused on playing the No.16 seeded Panthers, (13-16), who have relished the Cinderella roll.
Prairie View A&M has the lowest power rating of any team ever to qualify for the NCAA Tournament at No. 263. And although the Panthers might lack the height and athleticism to compete with the Jayhawks, they have shown they have heart.
Prairie View A&M rallied from 20 points down against top-seeded Texas Southern in the Southwestern Conference championship game and won.
Panthers coach Elwood Plummer said the rally against Texas Southern proved his team had desire.
Panthers forward Julius Marble said his teammates had not traveled to Oklahoma City only to play one NCAA Tournament game.
"We came here to win a ball game, just like anyone else in this tournament," Marble said. "Playing Kansas is more than enough to get us motivated. We would love to play on Sunday. This is the NCAA Tournament where upsets can happen."
Kansas guard Ryan Robertson said the Javahawks did not plan on being unset.
"Coach tells us to fear no one but respect everyone," Robertson said. "I have no trouble with anything they said if they have the power and ability to back it up. But our focus is with what we do rather than what someone else says."
The Dance: Round one
KANSAS JAYHAWKS
Ryan Robertson 6-5 Jr.
Billy Thomas 6-4 Sr.
Raef LaFrentz 6-11 Sr
Paul Pierce 6-7J.
T.J. Pugh 6-8 Jr.
PRAIRIE VIEW PANTHERS
* King Whetstone * 6-1 Sr.
* Tamarron Sharpe * 6-6 Sr.
* Omari Traylor * 6-6 So.
* Julius Marble * 6-7 Sr.
* Aron Thompson * 6-8 So.
When: 9:20 tonight
Where: Oklahoma City Myriad Center
State/Rhode Island
TV: Channels 5 and 13
Radio: KLZR 105.9
M. D. Bradshaw/KANSAN
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