Inside Sports
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
. .
Sports
Tennessee's Chamique Holdsclaw was a unanimous pick to the women's All-America team. The pick solidified her team's No.1 seed.
Pro Baseball
Prairie View A&M is eager to play No. 1 seed Kansas in the first round of the NCAA Tournan-state had been 15-6 and cruising toward a possible NCAA berth, but an ankle injury to guard Duane Davis and a three-game suspension to second team All-Big 12 forward forward Manny Dies have hampered the Wildcats' performance.
SEE PAGE 2B
NAGANO
TRAVELS
Tuesday
March 10, 1998
Section:
B
Page 1
Pro Football
The U.S. men's hockey team is in the penalty box because of some trashed rooms during the Winter Olympics.
Page 1
SEE PAGE 4B
WWW.KANSAN.COM/NEWS/SPORTS
Contact the Kansan
Sports Desk: (785) 864-4810
Sports Fax: (785) 864-5261
Sports e-mail: sports@kansan.com
Sports Forum: sptforum@kansan.com
Big Dance is a big letdown for the Big 12
By Tommy Gallagher
tgallagher@kansan.com
Kansan sportwriter
With the announcement that four Big 12 Conference schools had made the NCAA Tournament, coaches across the league wondered why there were not five.
By contrast, five conferences placed five teams in the tournament. Only the Big 12 had four.
Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton said he was dismayed to see that the Big 12 lagged behind comparable conferences.
"The Big 10, they didn't win a game last year in the NCAA and all five of their teams are seeded higher than ours," Sutton said. "I was disappointed, and I was disappointed for our conference. A lot of times, perception plays a role."
Entering this season, some prominent national analysts called the Big 12's first season a disappointment. Both Kansas and Texas played the Sweet 16 last year, though neither team advanced any further.
This season, the Big 12 placed four teams in the tournament.
Kansas received the No. 1 seed in the Midwest. But Oklahoma State (No. 8 South), Oklahoma (No. 10 East) and Nebraska (No. 11 West) each failed to impress the selection committee. All had hopes of a higher seed.
Kansas coach Roy Williams said he was amazed by seedings of the other Big 12 schools in the tournament.
But not everyone could attend the Big Dance.
"I truly have a hard time believing that they have those type of seedings." Williams said. "I was shocked when I saw those seedings. They certainly deserved something better than what they got."
Williams: Said he was shocked at Big 12 seedings.
Missouri (17-14) would have been the fifth team from the Big 12 to make the NCAA Tournament, but a 23-game road losing streak during the past two years might have eliminated the Tigers.
So instead, Missouri must settle for a first-round home-game tomorrow night against Alabama-Birmingham, in the 32-team Post-season NIT.
Missouri coach Norm Stewart reflected positively about the season, but his manner was subdued.
"We've had good ball games on the road and just haven't quite been able to get over the hump," Stewart said. "It's been close a couple of times, but we just couldn't do the little things to overcome some of the things that had happened to us. That call here. That shot there."
Kansas State (17-11) also will play in firstround action of the NIT tomorrow. The Wildcats (17-11) will play at North Carolina State.
Dyn-o-mite!
Bradford bumps up team spirit
By Tommy Gallagher
tgallagher @ kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas forward Nick Bradford may not be the most dominant or explosive player when he steps on the court, but he might be the player with the most enthusiasm.
Bradford has a style all his own.
The chest bumps. The dancing. The laughing. The no-look passes and finger rolls. And what had been his trademark tube socks, which Bradford has ditched.
"They're probably gone for good," Bradford said. "I'm not superstitious or anything. I just decided to switch it up a little bit and go with a new look."
During pregame warmups, Bradford has several roles. He has different routines for forwards Raef LaFrentz and Paul Pierce, among others, that help energize his teammates before each game.
"With Raef, I don't chest bump. I just pat him on the butt because he's always ready to go." Bradford said. "With Paul, I give him one serious stare-down to make sure he's ready to go."
Everyone else receives the standard chest bump, even though coach Roy Williams banned the practice early this season.
"Nick Bradford provides great enthusiasm," Pierce said. "When he gets on the court, he provides a spark for us. Those chest bumps really get us going before each game."
The Jayhawks, 34-3, won the Big 12 Conference Tournament last weekend despite an ailing Raef LaFrentz and without guard Billy Thomas.
The result was more playing time for Bradford, who played almost 22 minutes per game in the tournament, well above his average of 13.6 minutes of playing time this season
Bradford averages four points and 2.4 rebounds, but he played well in the Big 12 Tournament. That included a devilish performance — six points, six rebounds and six assists — in a 91-59 semifinal win Saturday against Nebraska.
Above: Kansas forward Nick Bradford shoots over Kansas State guard Josh Reid. The Jayhawks defeated the Wildcats 68-61 Friday in the Big 12 Tournament. Photo by Steve Puppe/KANSAN Above Left: Kansas guard Nick Bradford looks up at the crowd. Bradford cut down the nets in Allen Field House after Kansas won the Big 12 Conference championship. Photo by Geoff Krieger/KANSAN
Bradford, who ranks fourth on the team in steals, said he knew he had to be more productive because of the injuries.
minutes now, but injuries are just a part of the game." Bradford said. "I just need to do the same things that I've done all season, and I'll be successful."
Kansas pitcher out for season
Workman, who has a persistent elbow injury, will see a doctor today about approving a medical redshirt, Bunge said. She only played five games in the fall and has not played this spring.
A first team All-Big 12 selection her sophomore year, Workman broke a Kansas record by pitching in 311.2 innings and finished the season with a 1.48 ERA. She was named to the Big 12 All-Tournament team and received second team Mid-West Region honors.
Junior pitcher Sarah Workman will not play for the rest of the season, Kansas softball coach Tracy Bunge announced yesterday.
"I know that I'm expected to play more"
"Last weekend was difficult because this was all mixed up in things." Bunge said. "Now we know Sarah's not going to be back for us, and we can
Workman was 50 in the fall, finishing with 35 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.98. Although the team is not 100 percent without her, Bunge said, the other pitchers, s o p h o r e Christy McPhail and freshman Jessi Kowski, have done a good job of filling in.
Bunge said that making the decision at this point in the season gave the team a chance to mentally refocus and concentrate on the rest of the season.
Workman: Will not play for the rest of the season.
- Laura Bokenkroger
"On Saturday, we played in a hard-fought game against a good team in Fresno State," Bunge said. "Jessi pitched extremely hard for us, only giving up four hits. I think that we just need to find the consistency and mental state we had on Saturday."
move on."
The Associated Press
SURPRISING NCAA TOURNAMENT FACTS
The number most associated with the NCAA tournament is 64 because that is how many teams make the field.
That is far from the only number connected with this year's tournament, which starts Thursday. Here are some figures that could be interesting, might be surprising and will change by this time next year:
0 — times all four No. 1 seeds have advanced to the Final Four. 3 — times in the '90s the scoring champion has played in the tournament (Bo Kimble of Loyola Marymount in 1990, Glenn Robinson of Purdue in 1994 and Charles Jones of Long Island University in 1997).
3 — bids for the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, the most for one of the non-power conferences since
the big West had three in 1990. 4 — teams making their first NCAA tournament appearance — Illinois-Chicago, Northern Arizona, Prairie View A&M and Radford.
6 — No. 1 seeds for North Carolina since the field expanded to 64 in 1985. Kansas and Kentucky are next to five each.
6 — schools to repeat as national champion, with Arizona trying to make it seven.
7 — the longest current streak of NCAA appearances to be snapped this year when Wake For
also all ryan team combined number of consecutive first-round losses between first-round opponents Indiana (3) and Oklahoma (4).
8 — schools from last year's Sweet Sixteen that did not even make this year's field.
8 — the lowest seeding of a national champion (Villanova in
1985)
9 — No. 1 seeds that have gone on to win the national championship since 1979.
9 - teams ending at least a 10-year drought since their last NCAA appearance.
11 — lowest-seeded team to reach the Final Four (LSU in 1986).
14 — teams with losing records that have played in the NCAA Tournament. Prairie View A&M joins that group this year.
14 — tournaments that have had fields of 64.
16 — teams in the field that did not beat another NCAA tournament team this season, with only No. 5 Princeton among the top half of field
16 former NCAA champions that are in this year's field.
40 — the number of wins Kansas would have if it wins the national championship.
AP TOP 25
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' men's basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through yesterday, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:
1.N Carolina (55) 30-3 1,734 4
2.Kansas (13) 34-3 1,652 3
3.Duke 29-3 1,601 1
4.Arizona (2) 27-4 1,580 2
5.Kentucky 29-4 1,439 7
6.Connecticut 29-4 1,429 6
7.Utah 25-3 1,216 5
8.Brinceton 26-1 1,194 8
9.Cincinnati 26-5 1,129 14
10.Stanford 26-4 1,114 11
11.Purdue 26-7 1,005 9
12.Michigan 24-8 961 17
13.Mississippi 22-6 880 10
14.S.Carolina 23-7 859 15
15.Texas Christian 27-5 784 13
16.Michigan St. 20-7 717 12
17 Arkansas 23-8 487 16
18.New Mexico 23-7 474 20
19.UCLA 22-8 464 19
20.Maryland 19-10 417 21
21.Syracuse 24-8 377 22
22.Illinois 22-9 366 18
23.Xavier 22-7 275 —
24.Temple 21-8 124 24
25.Murray St. 29-3 71 —
Others receiving calls: Clemson 60, West Virginia 58,
Okahama St. 46, St. John's 45, Massachusetts 37,
George Washington 32, UNIV 39, Rhode Island 24,
Hawaii 16, N.C. Charlotte 15, Illinois 10, Tennessee
10, Okahoma 5, Indiana 4, Iona 3, E.Michigan 2, N
Arizona 2, Utah St. 2
USA TODAY/ESPN
The Top Twenty Five teams in the USA Today ESPN college basketball poll, with first place votes in parentheses, records through March 8, total points based on 25 points for a first place vote through one point for a 25th place vote, and previous ranking.
1.N. Carolina (22) 30-3 740 4
**2.Kansas (7)** **34-3** **700** **3**
3.Duke 29-3 684 1
4.Arizona 27-4 678 2
5.Connecticut 29-4 618 6
6.Kentucky 29-4 615 7
7.Utah 25-3 529 7
8.Brenton 26-1 513 8
9.Purdue 26-7 480 9
10.Stanford 26-4 454 11
11.Cincinnati 26-5 446 13
12.Michigan 24-8 399 18
13.S.Carolina 23-7 376 15
14.Mississippi 22-6 351 10
15.Michigan St. 20-7 318 12
16.Texas Christian 27-5 263 14
17.Akansas 23-8 236 16
18.New mexico 23-7 232 19
19.Syracuse 24-8 202 21
20.UCLA 22-8 196 17
21.Xavier 22-7 157 —
22.Maryland 19-10 134 24
23.Illinois 22-9 113 20
24.Temple 21-8 43 25
**25.Oklahoma** **22-10** **41** —
Others receiving votes: George Washington 35, Masseus chursis 33, Murray State 32, West Virginia 24, UNV 32, Ohio State 26, Purdue 19, Older Island 7, N.C. Chalcone 5, Illinois State 4, Rhode Island 4, Utah State 4, Pacific 2, Tennessee 2, Hawaii 1.
AP WOMEN'S TOP 25
the top 25 teams in The Associated Press' women's basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through yesterday, total points based on 25 points for a first place vote through one point for a 25th place vote, and previous ranking:
rank team rec pts pts pts
1. Tennessee 33:0 1,000 1
2. Old Dominion 27:2 944 2
3. Connecticut 31:2 912 3
4. Louisiana Tech 36:3 870 4
5. Stanford 21:5 852 5
6. Texas Tech 25:4 817 6
7. N. Carolina 23:6 743 7
8. Duke 21:7 681 8
9. Arizona 21:6 651 9
10. N. Carolina St. 21:6 601 10
11. Alabama 22:9 574 12
12. Florida Int. 28:1 538 11
13. Florida 21:8 536 13
14. Clemson 24:7 398 14
15. W. Kentucky 25:8 382 15
16. Illinois 18:9 365 16
17. Virginia 18:9 287 18
18. Vanderbilt 20:8 280 19
19. Stephen F. Austin 25:3 258 20
20. Hawaii 24:3 232 16
21. Purdue 20:9 148 —
22. Drake 25:4 128 —
23. Iowa 17:10 115 24
24. Iowa St. 24:7 107 22
25. UCLA 19:8 82 23
Other recipients voting: Utah 86, Memphis 70, Rugers 61, Kansas 46, New York 75, Wisconsin 32, Nebraska 26, WMissouri 21, St. Liberty 21, Arkansas 18, Georgia 14, Washington 14, Marquette 8, Oregon 8, Virginia Tech 6, Kent 5, UC Santa Barbara 5, Colorado 5, Purdue 4, Indiana 1, Indianola 1, Rice 1, Green Bay 1, Youngstown 5.
}