SPORTS UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, March 5, 1993
9
Kansas rides streak into tournament
Defense is 'Hawks'key to success
Kansan sportswriter
By Jay Williams
Kansas sportwriter
The Kansas women's basketball teamrolled into Salina yesterdayhoping to stay on its most recent hot streak.
The Jayhawks, 18-8 overall and 9-5 in the Big Eight Conference, will practice today in preparation for its first-round Big Eight Tournament game against Missouri at noon Saturday. A Jayhawk victory would advance Kansas to the second round against either Colorado or Kansas State at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Kansas has been hot of late,winning four in a row and seven of its last eight.
"We've been having some great games lately," freshman guard Charisse Sampson said.
The Jayhawks were 4-4 in the conference after Feb. 5,loss to No.6 Colorado. The month following has been the best for the Jayhawks, and the team now is a contender for the tournament title and an invitation to the NCAA Tournament.
"This is a whole different ball club," Sampson said. "This is what counts, now."
Sophomore forward Angela Aycock said she was excited about the tournament and the Jawhacks' chances.
Andrew Hodges / KANSAN
can beat anybody."
"I don't care who we play," she said.
"If we play like we are capable of, we
Kansas coach Marian Washington, who will try to win her sixth conference tournament title since 1976, said that defense would be an important factor against the Tigers.
Missouri is coming off a 64-63 upset of Oklahoma State. Washington said the Tigers had a strong inside attack that Kansas could not stop when the teams met in Columbia, Mo.
"We're starting out against a very good ball club," she said. "We've got to play very well, there's no doubt about that."
Source: Big Eight Conference
The Tigers' inside attack is led by senior center Lynette Linneman and senior forward Vantrece Williams. The two average a combined 31 points and 16 rebounds a game and were named second team all-conference.
Washington said conference regular season champion Colorado and conference runner-up Nebraska should be the favorites for taking the tournament title. She also said two second-division teams could surprise in Salina.
Oklahoma shocked the conference with its upset of Colorado on Sunday. The Sooners' 74-69 victory impressed Washington.
"Oklahoma has been playing good basketball," she said. "They're doing something right to be able to beat Colorado."
Washington also highlighted K-State. The Lady Cats, despite being 1-12 in the conference, have played several of the conference's top teams tough, including Kansas. The Lady Cats stayed close in the first half Sunday before the Jayhawks ran away in the second half.
"If they come out as hard as they did here in Allen Field House, they will be someone to reckon with," Washington said.
State and Kansas. All but Kansas remain in the poll.
For the first time in the history of the conference, four women's teams enter the tournament after having been ranked in the Associated Press Top 25 at some point during the season. Colorado, Nebraska, Oklahoma
"That represents a big step up in terms of the caliber of teams in the Big Eight Conference." Washington said.
Kansas will hope for an NCAA at large bid if it does not win the conference title. With a good showing, the Jayhawks might convince the NCAA selection committee that they
deserve a bid.
"I know we're good enough for a bid," Samson said. "But our minds are focused on winning the Big Eight Tournament."
All Kansas tournament games can be heard on KMAJ 1440 AM and KJHK 90.7 FM.
NOTE:
Baseball team set for home opener
By Brady Prauser
Kansan sportswriter
"We'd like to get into a baseball mode." Bingham said. "We're much more into a football mode right now, practicing every day and playing on the weekends."
Kansas baseball coach Dave Bingham said his team's early-season regimen resembled that of a different sport.
The Jayhawks, scheduled to play their first home game at 2 p.m. tomorrow against Grand View College, have been plagued by football weather this season. Kansas originally was to open its home schedule Tuesday against Washburn, but the game was postponed because of snow.
The Grand View game was to be played today but was moved to Saturday because of wet field conditions. Kansas, 3-3, also will play the Vikings in a doubleheader Sunday.
Grand View is a National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
Saturday will be the Vikings' first game this season.
He said he knew one important thing about Kansas.
"Any time we can play a Division I school to make us better, we do," said Grand View coach Lou Yacinich.
"If Dave Bingham is there, they've got to be good." Yacinin said. "I've seen his teams before."
Bingham's Emporia State team played Grand View in the 1884 NAIA World Series.
Senior right-hander David Soult, 1-1,
will be Kansas' start pitcher tomorrow.
Fellow senior Tom Stewart, 2-0, will start Sunday's first game.
Freshman Jamie Splittoff, 0-0, will start the second game.
Bingham said the series might allow Kansas to play some of its younger position players.
Kansas sophomore left fielder Josh Igou awaits a pitch during practice.
Kansas sophomore left fielder Josh go depth," he said. "It has nothing to do with how good or how bad the guys have done, we just need to get more players involved."
'We need to begin to work on our
Kansas has scheduled two new opponents to make up for its canceled
'Hawks aim to keep focused
series with Southeast Missouri State.
The Jayhawks will play host to Pittsburgh State University on Tuesday,
and to Missouri Valley College on Thursday to fulfill the NCAA-required 56-game schedule.
Champions to face another challenge against Cowboys
The No. 8 Kansas men's basketball team wasn't the only Big Eight Conference team to have taken down a net this season. Fans and players in Iowa State and Nebraska have celebrated on the court after victories as well — after beating Kansas.
But the Jayhawks' victory celebration after clinching the title in a 94-83 victory Wednesday night against Nebraska was relatively subdued compared to those at Ames, Iowa and at Lincoln, Neb., where fans rushed on to the court. At Iowa State, a player climbed onto one of the baskets in triumph.
Those celebrations, said Kansas coach Roy Williams, had something
By David Dorsey
Kansan sportswriter
"Somebody asked me why I wasn't jumping up and down after we won," Williams said yesterday at a news conference. "What I enjoy doing is watching our kids. Plus, I'd like people to think that we've been here before. It's also a relief to get rid of some of the pressure. If you make Rex Walters and Adonis Jordan sophomores this year, I'm not so sure we'd lose because the pressure isn't there."
Williams said that teams gunned for Kansas because of its high expectations, and that he didn't expect that to change this weekend against Oklahoma State.
to do with expectations
"My goal is to put our program in a position where it can win or be in contention for a championship each season," Williams said. "It's fun to sneak up on people, but at the same time, I don't mind being the hunted."
Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton said that the 7-foot-1eve had been a large factor in the Cowboys' steady improvement this season.
5, are led by sophomore center Bryant Reeves, the leading candidate for conference player of the year. He leads the team with nearly 19 points and 10.1 rebounds a game.
The Jayhawks, 21-5 overall and 10-3 in the conference, will face Oklahoma State at 2:45 Sunday afternoon in Still water. Okla. The Cowboys, 18-6 and 1
Jayhawks hope to net victories
The Cowboys were in contention for sole possession of the conference championship until they lost Tuesday at Oklahoma. Despite the fact that they're playing for second place, Sutton said that Sunday's game still was significant for his team.
"Our guards make better decisions than they did six weeks ago. And our center has improved a great deal," Sutton said.
"I don't think we've lost any incentive," he said. "The game means a lot because if we win we'd get the second seed in the conference tournament. We'd rather be on the other side of the bracket from Kansas. And by no means have we clinched an NCAA
By Blake Spurney
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas women's coach Chuck Menzbach said that Notre Dame, 5-5, had played the toughest schedule in the nation. Many of Notre Dame's matches have been against top 10 teams.
He said that the Irish were strong at every spot, and that Kansas would have a battle on its hands.
The Kansas men's and women's tennis teams will both hit the courts against high-profile opponents this weekend.
The men will travel to Des Moines, Iowa, to face Drake on Saturday, and the No. 20 Kansas women will play No. 22 Notre Dame in Lawrence on Sunday.
"We're glad this one's at home," he said. "We're expecting a large crowd."
The match will begin at 11:30 a.m. at Alvamar Racquet Club, 4120 Clinton Parkway.
Merbzacher said the Jayhawks, who competed last weekend at the National Team Indoors, had been playing well as of late.
Both Kansas and Notre Dame need to win this match to be in a solid position to get invited to the NCAA Championships, Merzbacher said.
At the National Indoors, the Jayhawes were edged, 5-4, by top 10 teams Georgia and Indiana, but came back to defeat Virginia, 5-0.
Sophomore Rebecca Jensen, Kansas' No.1 singles player, will
The Fighting Irish are led by No. 36 Lisa Tholen and their No. 21 doubles combination of Wendy Crabtree and Holly Lord.
bring a 16-1 single record into the match. She is ranked 16th in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll but may move up when the new polls come out Tuesday.
Kansas coach Michael Center said that this match was a big one.
The Kansas men also have a lot at stake going into the Drake match. The Jayhawks are the No.4 team in the Midwest region, and Drake is No.3.
"A lot is at stake if we want to go to nationals." he said.
The top-ranked team in the region automatically will qualify for the NCAA Championships.
He said that Drake, 12-2, was a good team with a lot of depth and experience. The Bulldogs are led by potential All-American candidate and No. 1 singles player Martin Dionne.
He did not play for Drake in the fall because he was competing on the professional tour.
Senior Carlos Fleming, Kansas' No. 1 singles play, is undefended in singles play this spring. Center said Fleming probably would be ranked in the ITA's next poll.
Andrew Hodges / KANBAN
Source: Kansas Sports Information
bid. It'll be a competitive contest."
Now that Kansas has fulfilled its expectations of winning the Big Eight Conference Championship, Williams said that the Jayhawks would continue striving for improvement in pursuit of a successful NCAA Tournament.
As for specifications, Williams said the Jawarchaws could improve rebounding
"I've got a feeling that those guys aren't going to be satisfied with that," he said.
and outside shooting. The Jayhawks, led by senior center Eric Paulle's nine rebounds, outbounded the Corn-huskers 39-38.
Despite already having a conference title, Williams said his team would want more.
Shannon Kite
Senior reflects on career
The time has finally come for me to say goodbye to Allen Field House, and as a senior my final home game was one of mixed emotions.
I was sorry to see it all end, yet I am thrilled with everything I've experienced during my career at Kansas. My four years at the University have been the best years of my life.
I had no idea what to expect coming to Kansas from Kimballton, Iowa, and having as many people in an auditorium-size classroom as I have in my entire hometown. My freshman year was full of new experiences and new friends. The team instantly took me under its wing and got me through many things that first year.
My sophomore year the friendships grew closer, and I didn't feel quite as out of place. That was the season the team traveled to Texas to participate in the National Invitational Tournament, where we placed third.
Then came my junior year. Finally, I was an upperclassman and every thing seemed so much easier. I knew I belonged here.
Last season the team captured the Big Eight Conference Championship and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. I would have to say that being Big Eight Champions was the best memory I'll be taking with me — along with the ring I received.
In the first round of the NCAA Tournament that year, we played Southwest Missouri State in Springfield, Mo. The gym was packed, and the noise level was indescribable. I had never seen anything like it. Sadly, we lost that game, but found out later we would get a chance to play the Bears twice during the 1992-93 season.
That brings me to this, my senior year. When the season began I was excited. This would be my last year of preseason conditioning at 5:30 a.m. This would be my last traditional five mile run. But as time goes by, I wish it wouldn't go by so quickly. This season has gone by too fast for me, knowing it's the last go around for everything I do. My last game at Allen Field House will remain with me for a long time thanks to the fans and my teammates.
I guess I never wanted to think of it as over. It's sad to think that this is my last year to play the game I love.
I'd like to use this column to thank the loyal women's basketball fans for all their support throughout my four years. Your support makes the difference in many games.
A special thanks also goes out to the coaching staff for all their support and help throughout my career. I wish them all the luck in years to come.
To my teammates now and teammates past, thank you. You've made my experiences at Kansas the best I could have ever expected. You were always there for support and laughter. You are the greatest friends I could ask for. The great of luck to all of you. I love you, and thanks again.
I could never say thank you enough.
Shannon Kite is a Kimballton, Iowa, senior major in exercise science.
BRIEF
Swim, dive teams get fast start at Big Eights
Kansan staff report
The Kansas swimming teams had a successful first day at the Big Eight Swimming and Diving Championships at the Oklahoma City Community College Aquatics Center.
The women lead second place Nebraska 217-178. The men trail defending champion Nebraska 205-201.
The women took the top three spots in the 500-yard freestyle with freshman Jennifer Davis winning in a time of 4:51.74. Sophomore Frankie Hansen was second, and freshman Donna Christensen took third.
Senior Zhawn Stevens set a meet and pool record in the men's 200 individual medley with a time of 14.793
Both Kansas teams won the 400-
medley relays. The women won in a time of 3.47.50, and the men nipped
Nebraska by 30 seconds with a time of 3.17.01.