Section:
B
The University Daily Kansan
Trivia question
Sports
Which team won the NCAA basketball championship by piling up a string of 32 straight victories during the 1956-57 season, including the NCAA final against Kansas? See answer on page 7A
Inside: Charlie Gruber finished his roller coaster season yesterday in the NCAA championships.
SEE PAGE 7A
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2000 For comments, contact Melinda Weaver or Jason Walker at 864-4858 or e-mail sports@kansan.com WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
Inside: Coach Terry Allen tried to put a positive spin on his disappointing football season in his final press conference.
SEE PAGE 5A
Kansas forwards corral Broncos
By Michael Rigg sports @kansan.com
Kansas sportwriter
It took only eight seconds last night for the Jayhawks to send a message that this game was different.
Kansas followed up Friday's lethargic performance against North Dakota by blasting out of the gate with a Nick Collison dunk on its first possession, then kept up the maddening pace to crush Boise State 101-61.
The Collision dunk opened the floodgates that the Broncos were never able to stop, as the third-ranked Jayhawks inside play early built up a 33-point halftime lead. Once again, Kansas was paced by senior forward Kenny Gregory, who tallied 25 points to accompany career-high 11 rebounds.
In some ways, Gregory and the Jayhawks were scared into victory, as coach Roy Williams reminded his team in practice that the Broncos were winning against No. 16 Cincinnati in the
second half before Boise State eventually lost to the Bearcats.
"We wanted to come out and send a message," Gregory said. "Coach Williams was really worried about this team, so we wanted to come out early and not give them any confidence."
That's exactly what the Jayhawks did, building up a 28-12 rebounding advantage at the half and holding the Broncos to just 37 percent shooting for the game.
"It's the first time all season that I've felt remotely good about anything we've done defensively." Williams said of the team's defense, which also amassed 10 blocked shots.
Still, Williams wasn't completely satisfied with his team's 40-point cakewalk last night. He was most dismayed by the Jayhawks' 24 turnovers.
But Bronco coach Rod Jensen said he knew the Jayhawks were for real.
"Kansas is a better team, no ifes, and ors but about it." Jensen said. "I think with the team Kansas has, they have a shot to
Kansas freshmen Mario Kinsey and Bryant Nash trap Boise State's Devin Armstrong on all fronts during last night's game at Allen Fieldhouse. The 'Hawks will take on Washburn Saturday. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
win the National Olympic win"
Kansas Game Notes
Kansas Game No. 2
After伯erating Jayhawk fans following a win against Colorado in January, Williams was quick to praise the gathering of 15,600 last night.
"Think about our crowd — North Dakota on Friday night and Boise State tonight," Williams said. "There are a lot of places in the country that can't have 16,000. There were a few empty seats up in the corners, but not many. So I'd like you to say the good things I say about the crowd, too. They had their well-conditioned butts in the right place."
Senior forward Luke Axtell, who has yet to play this season because of a sprained ankle, will practice Thursday and may play in Kansas' Saturday game against Washburn.
Williams will learn today if freshman point guard Mario Kinsey will need surgery on his left leg. Kinsey had surgery in October to relieve pain in his right leg caused by an abundance of exercise and stress on the leg and might have to have the same procedure done to his left leg.
STATISTICS
No. 3 KANSAS 101, BOISE ST. 61
BOISE ST. (0-2)
Woods 7.12 4.10 22, Jackson 3.11 1.9 2,
Morgan 1.24 3.5 24, Skiffer 1.5-2.2 4, Nabors
4.14 0.0 8, Defres 1.2-1.3 4, Hordemann 2.
5.0 2.4, Armstrong 2.7 0.0 4, Tillman 1.2 0
2, Gainus 0.0 0.0 0, Totals 22.60 11.24 61,
**KANAS (A.O.)**
Collison 4.8 1.1 9, Gregory 11.5 1.2 4,
Chenwitt 7.15 1.3 15, Hinrich 3.5 14. 10,
Boschue 5.9 0.0 14, Gooden 9.10 2.3 20,
Kinssey 0.0 0.0, Ballard 0.0 0.0, Nash 0.1 0.
Oarey 0.0 2.2 2, Harrison 0.0 0.
Zerbe 34.0 0.6, Kappelman 0.0 0.0, Totals
42.67 11.17 101.
- haarttime - Kansas St. 57, Boise St. 24, 3-point goals - Boise St. 61, 21, Kansas St. 69, Fouled out - Collison. Rebounds - Boise St. 22, Kansas St. 48. Assists - Boise St. 13, Kansas St. 27. Total fouls - Boise St. 19, Kansas St. 21. Technicals - Jackson, Abe. A. 15, 600.
Edited by Clay McCuistion
Kansas guard Kirk Hinrich pulls up for the jumper as Boise State's Joe Skiffer sails past. The Jayhawks soon pulled away from the Broncos last night, defeating them 101-61. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
More information
For more on the game.
See page 7A
For more photos of the game
See www.kansan.com
'Hawks, Sooners seek season-clinching wins
By Sarah Warren
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
All's well that ends well.
Saturday night, the Kansas volleyball team will travel to Norman, Okla., for its final game of the 2000 season. Just like the Sooners, the Jayhawks are looking for a win to push them positively into 2011.
The last time the two teams met, the Jayhawks (14-14, 5-14 in the Big 12 Conference) downed the Sooners in three games and sent them back to Oklahoma with their sixth-straight spanking. Now, the Jayhawks and the Sooners each have lost their past four matches and are looking to end the season on a winning note.
"They depend a lot on their middles for offense," said coach Ray Bechard. "So you know a lot of balls will be going there. They have some tendencies unlike some teams that are very balanced."
And the Jayhawks know exactly where to look to keep a positive outlook on their side of the net.
Those tendencies have names: Cathy Cook and Holly McMillan. The pair of senior middle blockers leads the Sooners with 60 total blocks each on the season.
According to Bechard, the 7-19, 2-16 Sooners probably won't mix things up going into their final game of the season.
always go back to here. The Jayhawks, however, are all over the board. Seniors Amy Myatt, Nancy Bell and Danielle Geronymo lead Kansas, respectively, in kills and prove that the Jayhawks are aces from all sides of the net.
"I think they'll still go to their strengths," Bechard said. "When you get a tense situation, you always go back to the same thing."
Myatt has 443 kills on the season, averaging 4.57 kills per game. She is just eight kills
KANSAS VOLLEYBALL
At Oklahoma 7 p.m. Saturday in Nola, Oklahoma
■ The Jayhawks shutout the Sooners 3-0 on Oct. 19
Kansas starters:
16 DS Jennifer Kraft 3-5 so Oklahoma starters
16 DS Jennifer Kraft 5-5 so
Karabas starters:
4 O OHara Kidd 5-11 sr
7 MB Danielle Geronymo 6-2 sr
8 S Molly La Mere 5-7 jr
10 OH Nancy Bell 5-10 sr
10 OH Ayahu Ha 6-0 sr
away from holding the Kansas record for most kills in a season, currently held by Judy Desch of the 1987 'Hawks at 450.
23 S Carolyn Kittell 5-7 sr
Bell holds down the right side of the court for the Jayhawks with 349 kills on the season and is averaging 3.60 kills per game. She also is second in total blocks at 67.
Geronymo averages 2.74 kills per game, garnering 291 kills so far this season and leads Kansas in blocks with 116. With an average of 1.23 blocks per game, Geronymo is set to be third in blocks per game in a season in the Kansas record book.
Oklahoma starters
1 S Jessica Barney 5-8 so
3 OH Maria Holmgren 6-1 sr
7 OH Christina Barlow 5-10 fr
9 MB Hally McMillan 6-2 sr
13 MB Cathy Cook 6-2 sr
Kansas is hoping its diversity will help it win the final game. That victory would mean not only a wining record, but an enjoyable ending, especially for the seniors Myatt, Bell, Geronymo and outside hitter Sara Kidd, who found herself out for half a season with an ankle injury.
— Edited by Casey Franklin
Women's basketball team braces for first road test
By Zac Hunter
Kansan sportswriter
The 'Hawks, 10, take their act on the road to Arkansas State at 7 tonight after winning their regular season opener on Saturday in Allen Fieldhouse, 122-71. Now they play an Arkansas State team that has won its previous two games against Kansas.
The latest win for the Lady Indians was a two-point victory last year in the fieldhouse.
After slapping around Grambling State, it's time for Kansas to pick on a team its own size.
Senior guard Jennifer Jackson said she knew winning in Jonesboro, Ark., would not be easy.
Maybe the Jayhawks have to prove they can win a close game against the Lady Indians. In the last two seasons, Arkansas State has beaten Kansas by an average of three points.
"They've beaten us two years in a row, and I think that we've got to go in there and really prove something," she said.
However, this year may be a different story. Coach Marian Washington said the strength of Arkansas State was its inside play. Heading into this game, Kansas' best performers have been its forwards.
But one might wonder what Kansas actually has to prove.
Senior forwards Brooke Reves and Jaclyn Johnson scored a combined 53 points against Grambling State. The Kansas post players are looking forward to taking on the Arkansas State front-court.
"I think our posts are some of the best defensive posts in the Big 12," Johnson
KANSAS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Kansas (1-0) at Arkansas State (1-1) 7 tonight at the Convocation Center in Jonesboro, Ark.
Kansas probable starters:
■ Kansas probable starer
[position, height, year, PPG, RPG]
F Brooke Reves 60 sr 28.0 9.0
F Jaclyn Johnson 61 sr 25.0 15.0
C Nikki White 63 g 15 0 2.0
G KC hilenkamp 5 10 ir 14 0.3 0
G KC hilgenkamp 5-10 jr 14.0 3.0
G Jennifer Jackson 5-11 sr 10.0 3.0
Arkansas State probable starters:
(position, height, year, PPG, RPG)
F Natalie Goodall 5-8 sr 17.0 3.0
F Jolie McKeirnan 6-1 so 11.5 10.5
C Latura Taylor 6-3 sr 7.5 4.0
G Keeshia Evans 5-8 sr 9.5 4.0
G Rae Ann Smith 5-7 it 4.5 1.0
said. "This is going to be a show to see what we can do."
After playing Arkansas State, the Hawks travel to Birmingham, Ala., for the Lady Blazer Classic. The University of Alabama-Birmingham is playing host to the tournament Saturday and Sunday.
The tournament will be a homecoming for Jackson, who played high school ball in Alabama.
"I'm really excited to go home," Jackson said.
Sports Columnist
- Edited by Shawn Hutchinson
"It's certainly going to be something I'm going to enjoy," Jackson said. "But before we do that, we've got Arkansas State on Tuesday."
Despite Jackson's enthusiasm about returning home, she said she knew the Hawks were going to Alabama to take care of business first.
Seth Jones
Players Choice Awards skew results from Big 12 poll
If you are one of those sports fans who subscribes to that horrible piece of hogwash ESPN the Magazine instead of Sports Illustrated, you need to change your ways. Go out and buy the newest issue of Sports Illustrated — the Nov. 20 issue with goofy-looking Shane Battier on the cover. Then read how the best sports magazine in the world slapped both Roy Williams and you, Kansas fans, in the face.
Yes, on page 73, your favorite coach and even you, the person reading this column, got disrespected. You see, SI did a special "Players Choice Awards" section, allowing one player from each Division I college basketball team in a major conference to vote for the best and the worst in his conference.
The results — Roy Williams wins "opposing coach you'd least like to play for" and Oklahoma State wins "toughest place to play."
Now I will dissect and identify the horrible fallacies in this players' poll.
(Here would be a great place to insert an obligatory joke about Florida and the national election. But, alas, I refuse.)
First off, when I say "won," I use the term loosely. As stated above, every team had one person vote on his own conference. So there were only 12 players who were casting choices for these categories.
Three out of 12 players said they'd like to play for Roy Williams the least, for a minuscule 25 percent. Once again, only three out of 12 players said Oklahoma State was the toughest place to play — hardly a resounding winner to make any inferences from.
The only category that received a convincing majority was "strongest player," going to Chris Owens of Texas. He received nine out of 12 votes.
Oh, something else. The coach that "won" the category of "opposing coach you'd most like to play for," was Missouri coach Quin Snyder with, of course, 25 percent of the vote.
So what's up with the lack of respect for Williams and for Allen Fieldhouse and its fans?
First of all, as I said, 25 percent does not count for much. There was no clear-cut, least-likable coach or hardest place to play. But I'll defend my people anyway.
Maybe it's as Chenowith told me—these guys are just ticked that Kansas didn't recruit them. Add salt to that wound in the way we use most of the Big 12 Conference as our giant pinata, and it's doubtful that many players in the Big 12 think of Kansas with great fondness. It's more likely that they see Kansas in their nightmares. No one likes the schoolyard bully.
Maybe those three players that voted for Williams (I'm thinking they were from Missouri, Kansas State and maybe Oklahoma) can't stand the way Williams is treated like a demigod in this town.
I'll actually echo that sentiment. It does make my stomach turn when I see fans at Kansas basketball games wear T-shirts that have "Roy's Prayer" inscribed on them. Few things make me laugh harder than religious parody, but praying to a basketball coach is like praying to Regis Philben. These are games, ladies and gentlemen. Take them lightly.
Why didn't the fieldhouse win toughest place to play? What are they saying about our fans?
Allen Fieldhouse is the toughest place to play. Compare the records. Kansas has lost three conference home games since the Big 12 was formed in 1996. The next closest school is a tie between Oklahoma State and Texas, which have lost seven games each.
I've never been to a game at Oklahoma State. Maybe it is louder. Maybe the rims are tighter. Maybe the showers don't have hot water, and the cheerleaders will bite you. But the numbers don't lie. When teams come to Allen Fieldhouse, they lose.
This Sports Illustrated survey is whacked out, and for once, the media isn't to blame.
Jones is a Mulvane senior in journalism.