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The University Daily Kansan
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Sports
Inside: Three Jayhawk defensive lineman have dominated opposing offenses this season.
SEE PAGE 6B
Inside: The Kansas women's soccer team makes its first appearance in the Big 12 Conference today against No.3 Nebraska.
WLDNISDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2000 For comments, contact Melinda Weaver or Jason Walker at 864-4858 or e-mail sports@kansan.com WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
SEE PAGE 5B
'Hawks ready, eager for exhibition game
By Michael Rigg sports@kansan.com Kansan sportwriter
The Kansas Jayhawks hope tonight's exhibition game will exhibit the changes the team has undergone in the last eight months.
Following a tumultuous offseason when coach Roy Williams nearly departed and top recruit DeShawn Stevenson bolted for the NBA, the Jayhawks will get a taste of game action tonight when they take on the California All-Stars at Allen Fieldhouse.
The core of last year's team returns tonight, and they're champing at the hit to start the season.
Of course, there are plenty of reasons to be intrigued by tonight's exhibition. It will mark senior forward Luke Axell't return to play since February, and six players — five of them walk-ons — will suit up for Kansas for the first time.
"We're anxious to get started — maybe the players more so than I am," Williams said. "We're tired of beating on each other in practice."
When, it's not really a game tonight when Kansas takes on the California All-Stars at 7 at Allen Fieldhouse. In fact, the exhibition game that Jayhawk fans will witness should resemble more of a practice than a midseason contest.
"Anybody who has been here a long
time knows I just call these glorified practices because that's what they are." Williams said.
Also, sophomore guard Kirk Hinrich and junior guard Jeff Boschcee will be tested by All-Star guard Ed Cota, who many experts thought was the nation's top point guard for North Carolina last season.
"Ed Cota is very creative and very good with the ball," Williams said "He's hard to guard, so it will help Jef and Kirk both."
Despite the fact that Hinrich never has played against Cota. Hinrich agreed with Williams' assessment.
"I always thought of him as a great player, and it will be tough to contain him," Hinrich said.
Williams said he would choose between Hinrich, Boschee, Axtell, sophomore forward Drew Gooden, sophomore forward Nick Collison, senior center Eric Chenowith, and senior forward Kenny Gregory to
But whether Hinrich will have that chance when the game starts tonight remains to be seen. Williams said the starting lineup for tonight's game wouldn't be announced until minutes before tip-off.
"We have seven guys who will play a tremendous amount, and five of those will start," Williams said. "It's not important. Playing in the starting lineup is very overrated."
More information
For more on the California All-Stars and
a statistical breakdown of the game.
See page 2B
decide his starting lineup.
But it doesn't matter to Hinrich.
"All that matters is if you're out there when the game ends," Hinrich said.
Kansas game notes
No cameos: In the past, former Kansas players suited up for the All-Stars. But this year, no former Jayhawks are expected to play on the team, even though guard Rex Walters was at the fieldhouse yesterday.
Teams promote unity: In an effort to promote unity in college basketball, both teams will stand before the game and be read a prepared statement by the National Association of College Basketball Coaches. The statement will urge the fans and the players to take a stand against discrimination and injustice.
After the reading of the statement both teams will be on the court for the singing of the national anthem for the first time in 30 years.
- Ticket change: The tickets for tonight's game have the wrong time on them. The game will tip off tonight at 7, not the 8 p.m. time printed on the tickets.
Edited by Amy Randolph
Sophomore forward Drew Gooden shoots over an Oklahoma State defender during the Big 12 Conference tournament last year. Gooden is among the players who may start in tonight's game. Kansan file photo
Senior outside hitter Nancy Bell spikes with authority past Iowa State's Sarah Rollman. Bell had 12 kills last night in the Jayhawk's win against Iowa State. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
Kansas quickly,easily disposes of Iowa State
By Sarah Warren
Kansan sportswriter
They may wear red, but Iowa State is no Nebraska.
The Cyclones' volleyball team, 2-21 and 0-14 in the Big 12 Conference, nowhere near resembles the No. 1 Cornhuskers, 21-0, who downed Kansas in three games Saturday night.
Instead, the Cyclones resembled more of a red whirlwind of errors as they collided into one another, smacked balls into the costume-clad Halloween audience and missed enough balls to record a .034 hitting
percentage.
"When you're not passing the ball you really look disorganized," said Kansas coach Ray Bechard. "They were running all over the place, running into each other."
The Jayhawks cleaned up at
"We thought if we could beat their strength, it would be demoralizing," Bechard said. "And their strength was blocking."
Kansas stuffed away five blocks of its own.
the bumbling Cyclones' expense, sending them home winless once again, with a 15-2,
15-4, 15-6 walloping. Kansas improves to 13-10 and 4-10 in the Big 12.
"We were prepared," said senior outside hitter Nancy Bell. "We took care of the part of their game that they usually excel in."
The 'Hawks didn't just dominate in blocking. Kansas dominated Iowa State in every category — blocking, killing, digging, setting and serving.
The Cyclones' strength happens to be blocking. However, the Jayhawks kept the Cyclones to only two blocks.
Kansas vs. low State 152, 154, 156
More information
For more from last night's Kansas volleyball game See page 38
See page 38
Kansas brought down 45 kills for a .347 hitting percentage, while the Cyclones only killed 19 balls in 89 attempts. Bell led the 'Hawks with 12 kills, and junior setter Molly LaMere had 34 assists.
"Their passes weren't to target and ours were," Bell said. "And when you're not passing well, you're not giving your setter good looks, and you're not going to give your hitters good looks."
Kansas also stunted Cyclone suc-
also stunted Cyclone success with seven service aces. Iowa State could pull out merely two aces. In addition to the all-out offensive dominance, Kansas led on the defensive side, pulling out 48 digs to 35.
"They're a team that's really trying to find themselves."
"They're young," Bechard said.
The Cyclones field one senior, one junior, four sophomores and seven freshmen on their roster. Of the seven freshmen, six played last night. And, instead, of finding themselves last night, the fledgling twisters found themselves exiting the Horesei Family Athletics Center after an hour and 10 minutes.
"This was a good game to prepare us for our game Saturday," Bell said.
Kansas faces Baylor at 2 p.m. Saturday at Horejsi. The Bears downed the Jayhawks in five games in Waco, Texas, on Sept. 27.
Seth
"Let's go for back-to-back wins," Bechard said. "I'm sure the team will eat a little candy tonight and then come back and practice hard this week for Baylor." — Edited by Wieson Chulindro
Sports Columnist
Jones
Local fame honor await basketball's new walk-ons
Odys are, you don't know Chris Zerbe. But you will
Zerbe is a walk-on basketball player from Andover.
Chris is all right with me because he is a fellow Chisholm Trail Leaguer. The CTL consists of schools outside of Wichita: Rose Hill, Goddard; Wellington; Augusta; Zerbe's school, Andover; and my school, Mulvane. We Chisholm Trail guys gotta stick together.
I don't know how much influence Zerbe will have on the 'Hawks this season. He probably won't see much floor time. But regardless of his numbers, his life is about to change. He's about to be recognized as a member of the most elite group on campus — the men's basketball team.
I ran into Zerbe downtown the other night. "So, does anyone know who you are yet?" I asked.
asked.
"Nope."
"They will."
Basketball season is upon us. Soon, you'll see those calendars with all the basketball players' faces on them. You'll start watching them on TV. And then you will start to recognize Zerbe's pretty-boy mug. And then people will know. Then things will change for Zerbe.
When he goes to Mr. Goodcents for his nickel sandwich, he'll have to pause before leaving when the guy behind the counter asks him to autograph the basketball poster. At H-Yee, the checkout lady will ask him, "Aren't you a basketball player?" Subsequently, the same woman will tell her husband later that evening, "I saw that Chris Zerbe guy at the store today," as though it were newsworthy.
People will look a little longer when Zerbe walks by. Women will point and whisper if they see him sitting on Wescoe Beach. Zerbe will have the right to cut in line.
Imagine this: You and I are sitting at a booth enjoying a cold one at Rick's Place one night. In the booth in front of us sits Chancellor Robert Hemenway, three National Merit Scholars and Baby Jay, in costume. Behind us sits Eric Chenowith and a random student.
Baby Jay could be clucking like a chicken, and Chancellor Hemenway could be clucking right back, and still, the first thing you'd say to me would be, "Dude, that's Chenowith! Man, I hope he plays better this year."
It's sad, really. When you think about it, there are a handful of former Kansas basketball players who have gone on to make millions. The majority, though, go on to normal jobs and normal lives. On the other hand, if you had said hello to one of the merit scholars or the clucking Baby Jay, you may have been able to make a connection that would one day lead to a nice job somewhere.
So Chris, have you worked on your autograph lately? You're gonna be needing it soon.
You'll be a local celebrity. It doesn't make me mad. Heck, I think you should live it up while you have the chance. As Tom Petty once sang, "It's good to be king and have your own world. It helps to make friends, it's good to meet girls. Yeah, the world would swing, if I were king."
"Can I help it if I still dream time to time?"
Jones is a Mulvane senior in Journalism.
Women's basketball player knocked out by knee injury
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
After sitting out last season because of the NCAA partial qualifier rule, sophomore forward Sharonne Spencer was dealt a tragic blow in what was to be her first season of game action.
After getting her academics up to NCAA standards, Spencer suffered a season-ending knee injury in Monday's practice, tearing her anterior cruciate ligament and lateral
meniscus, and damaging her medial collateral ligament in her right knee
"We were looking forward to her finally getting out on the floor after sitting out last year," said coach Marian Washington.
Spencer will undergo surgery to repair the knee in two weeks and assistant athletic trainer Mark Cairns said she would be granted a red shirt for the 2000-01 season.
He also said Spencer's rehab process would take a minimum of six months because of the severity of the
injury.
The loss of Spencer will hurt the depth of the Jayhawks at the forward spot because Washington was expecting Spencer to be a major contributor this season.
"Sharonne had been playing very well, and we anticipated that she would contribute this season," Washington said.
The loss is even harder to take considering how well Spencer fit into the Jayhawks' style of play. She is an athletic forward who can run the
While Washington was disappointed she would be short one forward for the season, she was more concerned with Spencer "the person" and less with Spencer "the player."
Spencer's injury is the second time since last season that a Kansas play-
"We are very disappointed for Sharonne," Washington said. "She has been working very hard. This is a terrible situation."
floor, a perfect match for the up tempo Jayhawk offense.
Last April, sophomore guard Kristen May tore an ACL in a pickup game and slowly is regaining confidence in the knee after a summer of rehabilitation.
Although her knee is healing, May said she still felt the effects of the injury.
er has gone down because of a significant knee injury.
"I'm also very apprehensive on layups," she said. "I can sense myself softening up a little bit. I'm working myself out of that."
— Edited by John Audlehelm
16
Spencer will red shirt this season after tearing the ACL.