Section:
A
The University Daily Kansan
Trivia Question
Sports
The linebacker or defensive back charges into the offense's backfield and tackles the ball carrier. What is the name for this defensive tactic?
SEE PAGE 7A
Inside: The Kansas volleyball team lost decisively against Texas Tech last night in Lubbock, Texas.
SEE PAGE 6A
Inside: Tonight's Kansas opponent, UCLA, will match up well with the Jayhawk offensive attack.
SEE PAGE 6B
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 2000 For comments, contact Melinda Weaver or Jason Walker at 864-4858 or e-mail sports@kansan.com WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
By Michael Rigg sports@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
NEW YORK — Somehow, Drew Gooden and Eric Cowenwith both had to travel to the biggest city on the East Coast to try and send a message back west.
Growing up in California, both Gooden and Chenowith were force-fed UCLA basketball. Both were recruited by the Bruins at some point in their careers. And tonight, when their Jayhawks play UCLA at Madison Square Garden in New York, both want to let everyone in California know how well they're doing.
"I think it's a big challenge for me because I really want to beat UCLA," said Chenowith, a senior center. "I grew up in California, and I'm a (Bruins coach Steve) Lavin fan, but I'm not a UCLA fan. And I really want to win."
Chenowith's hatred of Bruin colors contrasts Gooden, who said tonight's game was an opportunity to play against the team he rooted for growing up.
"Everyone was a UCLA fan at some point, because they dominated," said Gooden, sophomore forward. "They had a good tradition on the west coast. But now I'm at Kansas, so I can't root for them anymore."
In fact, Gooden's adoration of the Bruins and
The No. 19-ranked Bruins are not an easy eoy to start a season, and, if nothing else, UCLA almost certainly will pose more of a challenge than the Jayhawks' two exhibition opponents, the California All-Stars and Emporia State.
"Playing in the league, I was like, I didn't know Baylor was in the Big 12." Gooden said. "But I know a lot about UCLA. I know that there has been a great stock of players that have come out of there, and they have a good stock of players this year."
the Pac-10 was so great he didn't even know the schools in the Big 12 Conference, even as recently as last season.
"We haven't faced anybody yet that's going to go to the offensive backboards like UCLA's going to go," Kansas coach Roy Williams said. "We've got to concentrate and cut down on our second shots."
The Jayhawks will tip off their season at 5:30 tonight on ESPN2.
Kansas Game Notes
Axtell Still Alling Williams continued to
lament the loss of senior forward Luke Axtell yesterday. Axtell sprained his ankle in practice by landing on Gooden's foot Tuesday, and didn't make the trip to New York.
"He hurt it about an hour before practice ended, and it swelled up about as big as I've ever seen," Williams said. "The doctor thought it would just get worse if he got on an airplane and it went through pressure changes. That's not crying before the battle, it's just saying facts, and we would love to have him for the first two games."
Williams also pondered who would replace Axtell in the Kansas lineup. Since Axtell was injured so close to the game, the Jayhawks worked overtime yesterday at the New Jersey Nets' practice facility to help find a replacement.
"We had some problems trying to figure out what we were going to do." Williams said. "The other [small forward] is Kenny Gregory. After Kenny do you go to Bryant Nash, a freshman, who's wide-eyed and bushy tailed? Or do you go with Mario Kinsey and slide down Jeff Boschese and Kirk Hinrich? Or do you go with Drew Gooden and put him in a position he's never played before?"
See JAYHAWKS on page 7A
Jayhawks come up big in exhibition
By Zac Hunter
By Zac Hoffer sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
In the first half of Kansas 69-50 exhibition victory last night, the Basketball Travelers should have been nicknamed after another basketball violation — the Basketball Personal Fouls.
The Travelers tallied 15 foils in the first half alone. They did, however, manage to tone down their grabbing and hooking in the second half, adding six more foils and finishing the game with 21.
Kansas junior center Kristin Geoffroy said the Travelers tended to take extra liberties with their
seeks **hand-booking**
the account for the 15 fouls
in the first half.
The 19-point win suggested Kansas handled the Travelers easily, but the 'Hawks found themselves trailing by three points at halftime. They were down by as many as 16 points toward the end of the first half
But neither the screens nor Kansas' paltry first-half shooting could keep the Jayhawks from winning the game.
Kansas found itself picking up the intensity and carried it into the second half.
"Our defense wasn't very effective, for the most part, in the first half," said Kansas coach Marian Washington.
Kansas allowed only 12 second-half points and awoke from its offensive slumber, shooting 48 percent from the field. The 'Hawks shot a frigid 36 percent in the first half.
Washington said the Travelers jumped out to such a wide lead because they were doing a good job of moving without the ball, whereas the 'Hawks weren't keeping up.
That 86 percent would have been much worse had it not been for the shooting of Geoffroy. She was 3-4 from the field in the first half and ended with 16.
"Late in the first half they finally found themselves playing a little better defense." Washington said.
The offensive leader for Kansas was senior forward Jaclyn Johnson. She lit up the Travelers for
"I'm very disappointed in my first-half effort," said senior guard Jennifer Jackson.
very effective, for the most part, in the first half"
Nearing the end of the first half, however.
Marian Washington Kansas women's basketball coach
"Our defense wasn't
But that bad-shooting week turned into a good-shooting night when she drilled nine of 16 shots.
21 points and showed her versatility by stepping out and hitting some long-range jumpers. "I've been having a bad-shooting
I've been having a bad-shooting week." Johnson said.
"I came out at the beginning of the game thinking I wasn't going to make any buckets, but I finally got into a flow and I
While the 'Hawks ran away with the game in the end, there was a definite feeling they hadn't begun to scratch the surface of their potential.
knocked down a couple;" she said.
Johnson said the starting offense had only practiced together one time. She said once they start working together more, the results would come eventually.
"It's going to be amazing when we get to work on it," Johnson said.
Kansas senior forward Jaclyn Johnson pump fakes the defenders in the first half of last night's game at Allen Flockhouse. Johnson finished the night with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
--- Edited by Shawn Hutchinson
Bad-luck charm advises Williams
Dear Coach Williams.
You know how these things work. I write this column directly to you; you read it; a couple of tears are probably shed; you gain inspiration; you go win your game tonight against UCLA in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic in New York.
But I guarantee that's not going to happen with this column. First, you're in New York right now and there's a 99.9 percent chance you won't even read this column. Second, I'm not good at giving out words of inspiration. And third, I bring bad luck to your basketball team, so it's best if you stay away from me altogether.
Last semester, I was the men's basketball reporter for the Kansan. You might remember me. That day when you blew off steam at the Kansan during a press conference, I was the guy who was the scapegoat. A Kansan sportswriter had written a column ripping Lester Earl, you took offense, then voiced your complaints to me, Yeah, I'm that guy.
To get on with my story, I was physically present at your remaining 20 games last season
— including those devastating losses on the road to Missouri, Texas, Iowa, Iowa State and Oklahoma State. Never in my life had I seen a Kansas team get demolished the way it did on the road last season. So I place all the blame on me. It was my fault. That's the only way I can explain it — I'm bad luck.
It's probably a good thing, then,
that you are in New York right
now, and I'm here in Lawrence.
The way I figure it, now that I'm
out of the picture, it's smooth
sailing for Kansas basketball.
But that won't prevent me from giving you a few tidbits of advice heading into this new season. And for what it's worth, if you lose tonight against UCLA or tomorrow against St. John's or Kentucky, the blame
Shawn Hutchinson
sports@kansan
Advice tidbit No. 3 — When you're facing UCLA tonight and you don't see JaRon Rush on the sideline for the Bruins, don't laugh too hard. Rush's story is a tragic one. He leaves UCLA early, declares for the NBA Draft, doesn't get drafted, then decides to play this season for Kansas City's new ABA franchise, the Knights.
is no longer on me. It falls on that guy wearing the Kansas jersey with the No. 44 on it.
Advice tidbit No. 1 — This should be the season Kansas re-establishes itself as a Big 12 Conference and national power. The Big 12 is relatively weak this season compared to last, and your non-conference schedule isn't as harsh as last season, either. I'm not really giving you any advice here. Just stating the obvious.
Advice tidbit No. 2—When you travel to Winston-Salem, N.C., next month to take on Wake Forest, avoid at all costs the IHOP directly across from the Lawrence-Joel Coliseum. I ate last March during the NCAA Tournament. To put things in perspective, that particular IHOP apparently is in such a bad neighborhood it uses a security guard as a hostess.
Well, what the heck. Laugh all you want. It is pretty funny. So, that's about all I have to write. To recap — I'm bad luck, blame that No. 44 guy if you lose, don't eat at IHOP, and laugh hysterically at Jakron. Oh, and finally, bring home a couple of wins.
Hutchinson is an Overland Park senior in journalism.
By Jason Franchuk sports@kansan.com Kansan sportwriter
'Hawks must beat 'Horns to keep bowl hopes alive
The Kansas football team has been here before, even if the details are a little fuzzy because it was a long time ago.
Along with the typical Senior Day memories, the Jayhawks who started their collegiate careers in 1997 might have visions of a game at Texas. It seemed like just the beginning then but has turned into so much more of a lost opportunity as the program has plateaued.
Kansas was 5-5 going into the Texas game, the final regular season contest. A win would have sent the Jayhawks to a bowl. But a 45-31 loss squelched those hopes.
Running back Ricky Williams, who would win the Heisman trophy as college football's best player in 1998, enjoyed a stellar game for a team that was already out of bowl contention after suffering a subpar year. Kansas coach Terry Allen recalled his team maintaining an early lead. Then Williams was done with his one-quarter suspension.
"I think he ran for 279 yards against us." Allen said. "I remember thinking, 'Wow, is that guy good.'"
Allen overestimated Williams' talent a little. Williams actually ran for 222 yards.
But the fact remains that since that game, Kansas has not come so close to reaching the post-season.
This is a second chance of sorts. If Kansas can win Saturday, then the last four years hinge on one game next Saturday at Iowa State.
"We figured that was just the start," said senior running back David Winbush. "We might be considered the team that was always this close.
There have been some games along the way that we probably should have won. But we can't look back now."
"If we're 5-5 at that point," Winbush said, "I feel like we have to get it done. We have to go up there and get a win. I'm not looking ahead though."
Allen said he was confident if Kansas can knock off No. 19 Texas, next week would be a success, too.
"I feel strongly that if we can get a victory here," Allen said. "Then we can get the victory next week."
Winbush, from Killeen, Texas,
remembered the Texas game,
too. That was the best game of
his freshman year. He rushed 11
times for 87 yards and a touchdown.
He thought it was just the
beginning for himself and the
seemingly fledgling program.
But 4-7 and 5-7 records the last
two years have brought
Winbush's career to this point
— another big game against Texas for a native Texan.
Winbush said he did not think as much about the loss then. The reaction was a shrug then. There were supposed to be plenty more chances to reach the post-season in the last three years. It has not been that way — until now.
He was hurt the Jayhawks have already let two games slip away against his home-state teams Southern Methodist and Texas Tech.
"We have a shot." Winbush said. "And that's all we can ask for."
— Edited by Warisa Chulindra
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