JAYHAWK
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Basketball
NCAA Countdown Continues
Eastern Michigan wins the MAC tournament; Villanova beats Pittsburgh in a double-overtime thriller. Scores and stories inside. SEE PAGE 7B
Yesterday's game - Kansas vs. Kansas St.
KANSAS
20-7
UNRANKED
SECTION B, PAGE 1
KANSAS ST.
11-17
UNRANKED
WWW.JHAWKBBALL.COM
46
THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 1998
Kansas women sneak by Kansas State
Kansas guard Jennifer Jackson tries to slow Kansas State's Morgen Finneran. Jackson scored seven points in 50-46 Kansas win in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Tournament last night at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Mo. Photo by Geoff Krieger / KANSAN
Semifinal round matches team with Cyclones
By Kevin C. Wilson
Kansan sportswriter
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas women's basketball team overcame dismal shooting and a tenacious Kansas State defense to eke out a 50-46 victory in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Tournament last night at Municipal Auditorium.
Forward Lynn Pride scored 10 of her game-high 15 points in the second half and sealed the victory on a driving layup with 26 seconds left.
K-State had a chance to tie the game with less than a minute remaining when Kansas forward Jaclyn Johnson knocked
Kansas guard Shandy Robbins reaches for the ball under the Kansas basket. Robbins retrieved the ball and scored on the play. Photo by Geoff Kriegar/KANSAN
away a Wildcat pass that led to Pride's game-clinching basket.
"It was just something that happened," Pride said. "Jackie came up and knocked the ball loose, and I happened to be there to get the ball and go down to score for us."
The Jayhawks led 23-22 after 20 minutes of sloppy play and erratic shooting from both teams. Kansas shot a meager 31 percent from the floor in the first half, and K-State hit 35 percent of its shots, as both teams applied disrupting, trapping defenses.
The Jayhawks' full-court press forced K-State into 15 first-half turnovers.
"We never got in sync," said Deb Patterson, K-State coach. "I credit that to Kansas and their defensive pressure, but I felt our turnovers were by virtue of poor decision making."
Neither team heated up in the second half. Kansas finished with 33.9 percent shooting and K-State with 34.7 percent.
Washington said her team struggled with shooting all night.
Pride connected on six of 14 field goals and was the only Jayhawk to score in double figures. Johnson grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, and guard Suzi Rayman produced a solid all-around game, with seven points, seven rebounds and six assists.
"We just weren't shooting the ball well," Washington said. "We had the open shots that just wouldn't go down for us."
The Jayhawks shut down the two players who had led KState to victory against Baylor on Tuesday night. After combining to score 54 points during that game, center Angie Finkes and forward Nicky Ramage could muster only 14 points against the Jayhawks' defense.
Guard Brit Jacobson and forward Jenny Coalson led the Wildcats with 10 points each.
Washington said that she knew the game would be an emotional battle.
"Any time you face a team for the third time, it's going to be tough, especially a rival like Kansas State," she said. "The seedings don't matter in a game like this."
The Jayhawks, 20-7 overall, will face No. 2 seed Iowa State at 7:30 tonight in the semifinals of the tournament. The Cyclones defeated Texas A&M 68-68 earlier yesterday.
Kansas 50. Kansas St. 46
KANSAS STATE. (11-17)
Washington said that Iowa State was
Coalson 4-8 0-10 1, Ramage 2-6 1-3 5,
Finkes 4-13 1-4 9, Jacobson 3-7 4-1 10,
Woodlee 1-5 0-0 3, Harris 3-7 3-4 9,
Finneran 0-3 0-1 0, Totals 17-49 9-16
46
KANSAS (20-7)
Pride 6-14 3-4 15, Johnson 1-7 4-8 6,
Sanford 3-7 0-1 6, Raymant 2-14 2-2 7,
Jackson 3-7 0-0 7, Pruitt 0-1 0-0 0, Scott
0 0 0 0 0, Robbins 2-3 0 0 5, White 2-3
0 0 4, Totals 19:56 19:5 15.50
playing well lately but that her Jayhawks would be ready.
"The they are the most difficult team in the Big 12 to defend because of their great outside shooting and experienced inside play," Washington said. "It will be nice to get them on a neutral court."
Halftime — Kansas 23, K-State. 22.
Three-Point goals — K-State 3-7 (Coalson 2-2, Woodlee 1-4, Finneran 0-1), Kansas 3-11 (Pride 0-3, Raymant 1-5, Jackson 1-1, Pruitt 0-1, Robbins 1-1)
Fouled out — None. Rebounds — K-State 38 (Coalson 9), Kansas 37 (Johnson 11). Assists — K-State 14 (Jacobson 6), Kansas 10 (Raymant 6). Total fouls — K-State 17, Kansas 16.
More information Additional information on March Madness tournments. See page 7B
Coaches dispute Big 12 tournament's city
Games start today; 'Hawks will play at noon tomorrow
By Tommy Gallagher
tgallagher@kansan.com
Kansas sportwriter
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — On the eve of the Big 12 Tournament, some coaches around the league expressed concerns yesterday in Kemper Arena about the league tournament, its host and whether the schools could be more supportive of one another
Kansas coach Roy Williams, via telephone interview, said the Jayhawks could not benefit much from one more week and against conference free.
Williams: Emotions make tournament transitions hard
"I'm not a huge fan of the tournament, but I'm not a huge critic of the tournament either," Williams said. "The conference tournament is so difficult because you play Friday, Saturday and Sunday with all of that emotion."
He said that emotion made the transition from conference play to the NCAA Tournament difficult.
"You have to throw that emo
tion out the door in five minutes time because of the (NCAA) selection show and preparation for the next game." Williams said. "I don't know how it helps you unless you finish in the bottom half of the conference. It's a lot to ask."
Other coaches also made maximum use of their time with the media.
Baylor coach Harry Miller thought the tournament should be moved to Dallas.
remain in Kansas City, M o o,
because the Big 12 north division featured better basketball teams than in the south division.
Missouri coach Norm Stewart said the tournament
Missouri coach Norm Stew
Sampson: Coaches should promote tournament
Oklahoma
c o a c h
K e l v i r
S a m p s o r
"I think coaches need to do a better job pushing our teams, and I don't just mean March when tournament berths are at stake." Sampson said.
said the conference coaches should focus more on promoting the conference than they had this season.
Sampson said the coaches had not been supportive enough of teams like Missouri and Baylor, which may play in the postseason with impressive showings this weekend.
He added that other conferences have had more success in the polls despite less national exposure.
"In the Big 12, coaches take shots at each other, and that's counterproductive to what we want to achieve," he said.
"Does anyone here think Oklahoma State wouldn't finish first or second in the Atlantic-10 Conference," Sampson said.
"I know they would. But we've been arguing about so many other things that we haven't been focusing on what is most important to this conference," he said.
Now, the press conferences have concluded. Let the games begin.
The Big 12 Tournament will start today at noon, when Kansas State battles Colorado. The winner will advance to play top-seeded Kansas tomorrow at noon.
4
Commentary
Pickup-game team needs Paul Pierce
It's a sunny afternoon, and you are about to begin a pickup game at the local playground. This is a big game.
It's for the National Playground Championship.
It's your turn to make the last pick,
and there are only two guys remaining.
One is Raef Lafrentz, and the other is
One is Raef Latrentz, and the other is Dael Bickertz.
Paul Pierce.
This is a dilemma.
My decision is...Paul Pierce.
Who do you pick if you want to win?
Spencer Duncan
sports@kansan.co
In fact, my vote for Big 12 Player of the Year would have gone to Pierce. Actually, the teammates should have shared the award.
Don't misunderstand me: LaFrentz is one of the top players in the country. He will be in the top three of the draft selection and will have an excellent NBA career.
He has proven that there are few better than him.
But understand this: Pierce is also one of the best players in the country. He, too, will be a top draft choice and also will have an excellent NBA career.
But if you are building a team and have to choose between these players, Pierce would be the first choice.
Here's my reasoning.
Everybody loves statistics, so we'll start there.
Pierce has led the team in scoring 16 times, LaFrentz 15. (Yes, I know LaFrentz was injured and missed some opportunities, but stay with me.)
LaFrentz averages 20.4 points and 11.4 rebounds per game, only slightly above Pierces 20.1 points and seven rebounds per contest.
Look at the other comparisons (Every number is a per game average)
Assists LaFrentz1, Pierce 23
Blocks LaFrentz1, Pierce 1
Steals - LaFrentz less than one, Pierce 1.
Three-point field goals — LaFrentz has hit eight this season, but he has attempted only 15. Pierce, on the other hand, has been a consistent threat from the arch, hitting 34 shots on 91 attempts.
Free-throw percentage — LaFrentz 74. Pierce 75.
He has proven he can be a threat from anywhere on the floor, not just a few feet from the basket, where LaFrentz rules.
And Pierce has kept this up through 34 games, while LaFrentz has played in just 25.
All these numbers show is that the two are almost even. The edge, however, has to go to Pierce.
Maybe the biggest difference is that Pierce is raw and unpredictable. Will he shoot a three-pointer, drive the ball, hit an outside jumper or take it in for a dunk?
I understand LaFrentz was hurt, but when he went down, Pierce was the team leader.
Go beyond the statistics.
Pierce is also more of a floor leader. His teammates know it, he knows it and LaFrentz knows it.
You almost never know.
LaFrentz is more refined: almost all his shots are going to come from under the basket or be turnaround jumpers.
Pierce's style is more difficult to defend, making him a more dangerous player.
I'm not knocking LaFrentz. But the Big 12 Player of the Year award should have gone to both players. Kansas is where it is because of both of them, not just one of them.
And admit it: Deep down, if you had to pick one for your team, you would take Pierce. too.
After all, I hear he plays great playground ball.
Duncan is a Topeka senior in journalism.
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