Section:
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Sports Trivia
The University Daily Kansan
Sports
Trivia question: His first name is Yelberton, but this star is better known by his initials, Y.A. Supply his last name. See answer on page 7A.
Inside: Sharonne Spencer is adjusting to her season-ending injury and the idea of not playing this season.
SEE PAGE 9A
Inside: The Oldahoma men's and women's basketball teams try to compensate for key losses from last year's teams. SEE PAGE 7A
For comments, contact Melinda Weaver or Jason Walker at 864-4858 or e-mail sports@kansan.com WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
Soccer club qualifies for nationals
Johnny Kedzuf, Andover sophomore, warms up with teammates during practice. The Kansas men's soccer club recently qualified for the national tournament in Austin, Texas. Photo by Craig Bennett/KANSAN
By Michael Sudhalter
Kanson sportswriter
sports@kanson.com
The Kansas men's soccer club wore out their legs and questioned their own endurance after a 48-hour, five-game stretch at the Midwestern Regional Qualifying Round Oct. 28-29 in Lubbock, Texas.
The Jayhawks won their first four games and qualified for the 16-team national tournament Nov. 16-18 in Austin, Texas. In the first round, the team defeated heavily favored Baylor 2-1 and Texas-EI Paso 1-0. The 'Hawks then defeated Southwest Texas State 3-0 and league rival Wichita State 3-1 before falling to host Tech Tech 4-0.
"Baylor was looking past us, and we surprised them," Coffin said. "We can surprise teams if they look past us."
together and ielled at regionals."
While the club lacks the formal guidance of a coach, they have found sufficient leadership skills from players such as Coffin and Chris Pirotte, Olathe graduate student.
"Since we don't have a coach, organization has been a challenge," said Jared Coffin, Stamford, Conn., junior and club president. "Other teams have coaches, trainers and travel more often."
"Although we lost our core players from last year, this team has stepped up and performed well," Pirotte said.
Coffin said the benefits of not having a coach were that higher ranked teams tended to underestimate the Jayhawks' ability to win.
Piratte, who was a member of the club two years ago when it competed at nationals in Phoenix, said he was impressed with this year's group.
Piratete also said that this team, unlike the 1988 squad that lost to Weber State in the quarterfinals, qualified for nationals instead of making it by default.
"Qualification made it a big step," Pirotte said. "This team really came
To continue their solid play, the Jayhawks will increase their number of practices from three to four days per week until the national tournament. The team is expected to run sprints to boost their endurance for its trip to Austin.
The Jayhawks have accomplished this without an key element. Unlike many of the teams they compete against, the Jayhawks do not have a coaching staff.
While the club does not know which top-notch soccer teams it will face, many team members would like to have a
rematch with Midwest Regional Champion Texas Tech.
"I think that we need to play Texas Tech early in the tournament while we are fresh." Coffin said.
Greg Bowlin, Parkville, Mo., senior,
said the Jayhawks matched up better
against the Red Raiders than the 4-0 final
score indicated.
"I would say we are just as good as
Texas Tech," Bowlin said. "The only difference is that they have more endurance then we do."
Pirlette said he agreed that Texas Tech was in better condition entering the Midwest Championship round, but he was optimistic about the next challenge.
"We need good play and a little bit of luck to succeed at nationals," Pirotte said.
— Edited by Worisia Chulinda
Portland point guard commits to'Hawks
By Michael Rigg sports@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
For backcourt help on the eve of the election, Kansas coach Roy Williams enlisted the help of a Democrat.
Aaron Miles, a guard for the Jefferson High Democrats in Portland, Ore., gave Williams a nonbinding verbal commitment at a press conference yesterday afternoon. Miles chose Kansas instead of Arizona, UCLA and Duke.
Miles' commitment had been rumored since Oct. 15, when Miles' best friend and teammate, shooting guard Michael Lee, committed to Williams' program.
But with the 6-foot Miles, the Jayhawks now have one of the top point guards in the nation. A highly-recruited talent in the style of former Jayhawk Jacque Vaughn, Miles was ranked as the fourth-best point guard in the nation by FoxSports.com. As a junior last season, Miles averaged 12 points and six assists per game.
With one recruit in the bag, Williams waits for another player to make his decision. Keith Langford, a 6-foot-4 guard/forward from Crowley, Texas, may be joining Miles at Kansas next season. Langford averaged 19 points per game for North Crowley High last season.
"He is the best player in the nation at point guard," Berry told the Portland Oregonian. "He can score when he wants, but he gets everyone involved with his passing. When you can dominate a game the way Aaron does, it really says a lot about a player's basketball IQ."
Todd Berry coaches the Democrats and the Portland Elite team Miles played on last summer.
Langford told online magazine Fastbreak Recruiting last week that he would commit to Kansas unless something went wrong during his visit last weekend.
His commitment would fill the fourth of five scholarship positions Kansas has to offer for next season.
Along with Miles and Lee,
Leavenworth forward Wayne Simlen has also committed to the Jayhawks. The commitments can become official on Wednesday, the first day of the fall early-signing period.
In the first Associated Press poll of the season, released yesterday, the Jayhawks were ranked No. 7 in the nation. The coach's poll, which came out last week, ranked Kansas No. 6.
— Edited by Erin Adamson
AP PRESEASON TOP 25
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' men's preseason college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, 1999-2000 records, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last season's final ranking:
rank team rec pta pve
1.Arizona (7) 27-7 1,753 4
2.Duke (29) 29-5 1,749 1
3.Michigan St. (5) 32-7 1,489 2
4.Stanford 27-4 1,487 3
5.Maryland (1) 25-10 1,436 17
6.N.Carolina 22-14 1,407 —
7.Kansas 24-10 1,376 —
8.Illinois 22-10 1,237 21
9.Tennessee 26-7 1,203 11
10.Seton Hall 22-10 1,186 —
11.Florida 29-8 1,033 13
12.Kentucky 23-10 1,015 19
13.Utah 23-9 695 —
14.Connecticut 25-10 680 20
15.Akansas 19-15 603 —
15.Notre Dame 22-15 603 —
17.UCIA 21-12 597 —
18.Cincinnati 29-4 591 7
19.Wisconsin 22-14 499 —
20.Wake Forest 22-14 466 —
21.DaPaul 21-12 352 —
22.Oklahoma 27-7 330 12
23.Southern Cal 16-14 284 —
24.Virginia 19-12 231 —
25.Iowa St. 32-5 184 6
Offers receiving votes: Albahena 157, Iwane 103, John's 93, Missaloum 82, Garzaville 80, Texas 39, N.C. State 32, Indiana 32, Temple 31, Karver 30, Michigan 22, St. Louis 21, Minnesota 20, Louisiana 19, California 18, Louisiana 18, Lyndonna 12, Syringa 10, Oldhamena 12, South Carolina 12, Dayton 10, Johnson 9, Wyoming 6, BYU 3, Purdue 5, Charlotte 4, Georgetown 4, C3 Hartford 3, Mississippi 8, Miami 3, UWV 2, Lafayette 1, Oregon 1, Regional 5, Louisiana 1, KCU 7
Promoters try to curb lackluster attendance
Kansas senior safety Carl Nesmith blankets a Texas Tech wide receiver. The Kansas ticket office is trying to boost attendance for the football team's home finale against No.19 Texas Saturday. KANSAS file photo
In light of disappointing ticket sales this season, the ticket office is trying different ways to lure fans to the football team's home finale Saturday against Texas.
By Jason Franchuk sports at kansas.com
Kansas sportwriter
Sports Columnist
Rick Mullen, director of promotions, would like to see a larger crowd in Memorial Stadium this week. Kansas drew 32,600 fans against Colorado, but managed only 26,000 fans two weeks ago against Texas Tech in arguably Kansas' most important game of the season. Perhaps the reason was the best college football game of the year, Nebraska at Oklahoma, was taking place simultaneously. Or perhaps it was the overcast weather that threatened a rainstorm from the west.
The Jayhawks were 4-3 when they played the Red Raiders and only two games away from being bowl-eligible. Kansas, now 4-5, is still able to qualify for a bowl game, but it must defeat both No. 19 Texas at Memorial Stadium and Iowa State in the regular-season finale in Ames, Iowa.
The promotions department has a $60 package that includes a ticket for two early-season men's basketball games against North Dakota, Boise State and Washburn. A ticket for the Texas-Kansas football game is included. That deal has worked, according to Mullen, because of the unusually high number of November games
the basketball team will play.
Mullen estimated that between 25,000 to 27,000 tickets have been sold for the Texas game so far, and said some deals aimed at selling tickets have helped.
the basketball team will play. Also, any University student who has a ticket for the Texas game will be allowed to bring another student along for free.
"It's the final home game, and we'd like to have a lot of people there to watch it," Mullen said.
Kansas coach Terry Allen has remained neutral on the issue, not wanting to insult the die-hard fans. He has expressed concern, however, that a small crowd affected the outcome of the game against Texas Tech because there was no real home-field advantage to rattle the Red Raiders.
Shawn Linenburger
Kansas senior safety Carl Nesmith has been the most vocal player of the lack of fun
"We can't get any fans to come to our games," Nesmith said. "All we have is each other."
Mullen said he was surprised sales had been low for games against Texas teams, which ordinarily draw more fans. He did not think, however, that the reason for the apathy in football was because of the beginning of basketball season. Even though the argument could be made that many people had limited income and would choose one sport or the other.
Football season-ticket sales were up by about 500 this year compared to last year, Mullen said.
sports@kansan.com
Edited by Shawn Hutchinson
Cornhuskers excel in most sports; maybe it's the bugs
Trivia time — name the Nebraska nickname before the school was called the Cornhuskers.
Answer: Bugeaters. Whoa.
If you didn't hear enough about the athletic powerhouse to the north that dismantled the Jayhawk football team on Saturday, here's some more literature.
The Nebraska media guide gave no history lesson why Nebraska made a mascot change in 1899, so I will give you a possible scenario for the switch from insect eaters to manual laborers.
A massive grasshopper infestation in the late 1800s threatened corn crops across Nebraska. The only solution to combat the insects was to consume them.
Once the grasshopper problem was resolved, field upon field of corn grew in Nebraska. The increase in corn called for an increase in workers, thus most Nebraskans became Cornhuskers.
Pick a sport, and there's a good chance the 'Huskers excel in it.
But although citizens in Big Red country have a disturbing cult following, Nebraska's athletic programs are even scarier.
Whatever the nickname, Nebraska is in its own world. They pledge allegiance to the red in every sport imaginable. Having one major university in a state can do that to people.
Volleyball. Three NCAA title game appearances and one national championship in 1995. The 'Huskers have 21 conference titles as well.
Football. Yeah, that's pretty much a given. Nebraska has 38 all-time bowl appearances, including 31 consecutive and five national championships.
Wrestling. The 'Huskers haven't finished the season lower than 17th nationally since 1989. They finished in eighth place as a team in last year's NCAA championships.
**Women's soccer.** Nebraska was 23-1 in 1996 and is ranked No. 3 nationally this season going into the NCAA tournament.
**Women's rifle.** This sport was added a year ago. There are only 10 such teams in the nation, so they fall into national prominence. I heard Charlton Heston will pull the first trigger at a future Nebraska home event.
- Women's bowling. Nebraska bowlers finished last season as the No. 3 team in the nation after taking third at the Intercollegiate Bowling Championships.
Softball. Nebraska went 39-6 last season, won the Big 12 Conference title and reached the NCAA's final 16.
Baseball. A school-record 51 wins last season helped the 'Huskers to a second straight Big 12 crown. Nebraska was three runs shy of the team's first College World Series berth.
Track and field. The women's team finished in sixth place at the NCAA championships in the spring. The team also ranked No. 2 in the power rankings, which evaluates top two finishes in events. The men finished No. 9 in the same category.
Women's gymnastics. In 25 years of existence, the women's team has reached the NCAA regionals 17 times. Two years ago, the team had a fourth-place finish at nationals.
There are more storied Nebraska teams, but the above list gives one a pretty good idea of the success that oozes from Lincoln. Neb. Perhaps this explains why fans up north eat, breathe and sleep Nebraska sports.
If the teams are so great, why not support them? Maybe Nebraska fans have ample amounts of money to spend as well. What other team brings thousands upon thousands of fans to every road football game?
I enjoy despising Nebraska, but the school's amazing athletic success deserves respect.
And who knows, maybe there's something in the food in Lincoln that gives them the edge.
Maybe they still eat bugs.
Lincolnberger in a Washington, Kan., mentor in journalism.
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