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The University Daily Kansan
Sports
Sports trivia
This baseball team was nicknamed the Highlanders, but that was back in the old days. However, newspaper columns were narrower, and the writer inserted the team's present nickname. What team of today once played as the Highlanders?
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Inside: The Big 12 Conference had its women's basketball media day yesterday in Kansas City, Mo., and discussed conference changes.
SEE PAGE 8A
Inside: Daryl Strawberry was arrested for violating his probation and testing positive for cocaine use.
SEE PAGE 9A
THURSDAY OCTOBER 26.2000 For comments, contact Melinda Weaver or Jason Walker at 864-4858 or e-mail sports@kansan.com WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
Aggies outdig Jayhawks
Bv Sarah Warren
By Sarah Warren sports@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
Floor burns aren't just for basketball players.
Last night at the Horejsi Family Athletic Center, the Kansas volleyball team found itself skidding across the floor, fighting for each ball launched over the net by No. 25 Texas A&M. However, the 'Hawks slid to a 3-0 loss to the Aggies, their second shutout by A&M this season.
"Maybe we took a small step forward tonight," said Kansas coach Ray Bechard. "It's a moral victory. It seemed like they were a bit more hardworking in the end."
Indeed, the Aggies' Erin Gibson recorded 17 kills and 17 digs, proving to be A&M's super woman. Gibson is a big reason why the Aggies are No.1.
in the Big 12 Conference in both kills and digs. She led the Aggies in digs, followed by Christy Clark and Jenna Moscovic, who each chipped in 14.
"They're a ranked team; they're going to bomb some balls," said Jennifer Kraft, Kansas sophomore defensive specialist.
"But whenever we would smack the ball, they were always on the ground getting it," Bechard said.
Kraft and teammate Danielle Geronymo, senior middle blocker, led the Jayhawks with 14 and 13 digs, respectively.
The Aggies were so deadly in both categories that they were easily able to drop the ball on Kansas' side of the floor while keeping it off their own patch of court. And their strong defense and offense showed as Kansas scored 18 fewer kills and 12 fewer digs than A&M.
"We're there in heart and
there in spirit; we just have
to put the ball away. We just let the leads slip away."
Jennifer Kraft
Kansas defensive specialist
"I thought we played pretty hard." Bechard said. "We didn't win, but we played hard. A&M made the plays, and that's why they're ranked."
The Jayhawks made war on the court, however, extending rallies until the ball switched possession up to 10 times.
"We played a lot better than we played the last time we met them, and we certainly played better than the
Senior outside hitter Nancy Bell concurred.
"We haven't fought that hard in a long time," Bell said. "It's frustrating when you play a three-game match for two hours. It's frustrating to come out on bottom."
The loss to the Aggies dropped the Jayhawks to 12-9 overall and 3-9 in the Big 12. And the 'Hawks will have a tough time rebounding for their next match Saturday night against No.1 Nebraska. The Cornhuskers are undefeated and have already dropped the 'Hawks once this season — a 3-0 defeat Sept. 20 at the Horejsi Center.
"We're there in heart and there in spirit; we just have to put the ball away," Kraft said. "We just let the leads slip away."
— Edited by Shawn Hutchinson
Sara Kidd, senior outside hitter, attempts to block a shot against Texas & A.M. Kidd had eight kills and eight digs as Kansas dropped a 3-0 decision to the Aggies last night at the Horeisi Family Athletic Center. Photo by Aaron Lindberg/KANSAN
Texas native sides with Kansas
Bv Jason Franchuk
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Kareem High remembers very little about his first time in Lubbock, Texas.
He's been back to Lubbock numerous times to visit relatives since he moved from there as an infant. He's seen the vast Texas Tech campus that is the centerpoint of the town, much as the University of Kansas is of Lawrence. But Texas Tech, Kansas' opponent Saturday, did not have a strong enough lure to hook High.
But there was a short frame of time when he did.
"I was I when I moved from there." High said, "so I don't really remember a lot about it. I've been back a bunch of times, but never really thought about playing there."
"He made it sound like a good idea," High said of the vounner Dykes' persuasions.
But there was a short frame of time when he did. After graduating from high school in Garland, Texas, High attended Navarro Junior College. He was a friend of Spike Dykes' son, who worked at the school. Dykes was the Red Raiders coach who built a strong team that received national attention as an up-and-coming program. High was on his way to being named a second team juco AllAmerica, so he had some options — Texas Tech being one of them.
High is second on the team with 52 tackles, and he's also forced three fumbles while gaining some slowmotion time on the Memorial Stadium MegaVision board for the ferocious hits he's laid on opposing receivers.
But as tough as leaving Texas might have been at first, High has succeeded as a player at Kansas. He started all 12 games last year and has started all seven games this year as the Jayhawks have rallied their season to 4-3, winning their last two consecutive games.
Kansas defensive back Kareem High, 27, snags Alabama-Birmingham's Jegil Dugger from behind during the fourth quarter of the home opener at Memorial Stadium. Kansas' secondary has shown a great deal of improvement throughout the season. The Jayhawks will play Texas Tech in its next home game Saturday. Kansan file photo
"We've been working a lot harder," High said.
"That's made us a lot better."
Of any unit, it's been the secondary that has shown the most improvement. Along with High's arrival last season, the unit gained free safety Carl Nesmith from the juco ranks, as well as then-freshman cornerback Andrew Davison and then-sophomore Quincy Roe.
High and Nesmith, despite their personality differences, rely upon each other as Kansas' last line of defense as the safeties. Both admit they are very different from each other, in including in the way they carry themselves. Nesmith does more talking. High is less likely to confront the opponent. But maybe Nesmith's smunk is rubbing off.
"Don't let Kareem fool you," Nesmith said.
The yin and yang of Kansas are also coming together on nicknames. Nesmith has been known as the Butcher for a while now.
"A few days ago," Nesmith said, "Kareem was calling himself the Baker."
dlestick maker anytime soon, but High is not as concerned with image as much as winning Saturday and being one victory away from reaching a bowl game. "This win would really give us a lot of confidence." High said, "A lot."
No word on whether they'll go searching for a can-
would give plenty of High's Texas relatives something to remember.
"I hope they'll be watching and cheering for me," High said.
And while the win would not come in Lubbock, it
— Edited by Kimberly Thompson
Axtell in good health, looking forward to playing
Medical condition to remain mystery throughout season
By Michael Rigg sports@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
Luke Axtell is a straight-shooting, three-point artist who has skills in dodging reporters' questions.
Such was the case with the annual Kansas media day, where the following exchange occurred.
Luke, why did you start playing the guitar?
GIRLS, he said. Does it work?
12 Conference this season?
"Girls." he said.
Does it work?
Sports Columnist
"I'm doing okay," he replied.
In fact, only one question could rattle Axtell. It was the question about his health and the still-undisclosed medical condition that kept him out of the final 14 games of last season.
"It doesn't matter," Axtell said. "If Kevin Garnett was out there, then we would have to beat him."
What will the graduation of Marcus Fizer and Chris Mihm do to the Big
Indeed, the hardest part of having an undisclosed medical condition is everyone asking to disclose it. Still, Axtell tried to stay positive throughout all the questions about his health, and Kansas coach Roy Williams applauded Axtell.
Axtell started squirming in his chair, and his eyes started to wander.
"I worked hard over the off season to get healthy, and I feel like I have," Axtell said. "I'm in perfect health."
"He's got a great attitude," Williams said. "He feels much better about everything. That positive outlook really helps him."
While Axtell's condition will remain undisclosed, at least until the end of the season, he said he hoped everyone would know about his shooting skills after this season. Last year, before the illness, Axtell showed flashes of brilliance. He led the Jayhawks in scoring in a win against Nebraska, and he shot 39 percent from three-point range.
Still, Williams identified Axtell as one of the team's main question marks heading into the season. Axtell, meanwhile, wants to put all those questions to rest.
"If people are surprised, then I won't be," Axtell said. "I know what I can do, and that's my goal — to do what I can do. I didn't do that last year. I didn't do what I was capable of."
Axtell insists he can improve on last season's performance. In fact, he already has a reputation as a big-time scorer in the Big 12, as he averaged 13.3 points per game for Texas in the 1997-98 season before transferring to Kansas.
But Axtell prefers not to look back. He chooses to focus on the future instead.
"I'm looking forward to getting back on the court," Axtell said. "I'm ready to be a contributor to this team."
Kansas Recruiting Update
Jayhawk recruit Keith Langford will visit Cincinnati this weekend.
Langford, a 6-foot-4 guard forward from Crowley, Texas, told Insider's Report that the Bearcats had entered the race for his commitment. Previously, Langford said he would choose between Kansas, Oklahoma and Bavlor.
Langford visited Oklahoma last weekend and will visit Kansas on Friday, Nov. 3.
- Edited by Kimberly Thompson
Michael Sudhalter
sports@kansan.com
Two and 0 with four to go. That one simple phrase is the only thing on the minds of many Kansas football fans who are aching to go on a December bowl trip this winter.
Texas Tech win, bowl game ahead for football team
The "so-called" new season has been a success thus far, despite the weak competition the Jayhawks have faced in Missouri and Colorado. Sure, Colorado is having a down year, but I proudly admit to rushing the field after that 23-15 victory.
Even though I despise the Nebraska Cornhuskers and know how they struggled to a 24-17 victory in Lawrence last season, I realize that the outcome of this year's contest will not be pretty. In fact, it may have a plot similar to the 52-13 K-State debacle. Even the Texas Longhorns will probably have a field day when Major Applewhite, Roy Williams and company stumped into Lawrence Saturday, Nov. 11.
Because of these two expected losses, I have been doing two things in my free time — wishing that 'Hawks had Oklahoma State and Baylor on this year's schedule and rounding up my Ellsworth Hall buddies for a road trip to a decisive season finale in Ames, Iowa.
As for all you cynics who are on the Jayhawks because K-State only beat Texas Tech by five points last weekend, comparing margins of victory and wins and losses against other teams has never been one of my major concerns.
Or course, everyone is going to ask me, "Why are you going to spend your time driving through the cornfields of Iowa if the Jawhaws can't beat Texas Tech?"
If I did factor in such things, I would tell all of you that the Jayhawks defeated Alabama-Birmingham, which upset Louisiana State, which shocked Tennessee in overtime, which struggled with but won against Southern Mississippi. The Golden Eagles of Southern Miss, then easily defeated Alabama, which beat South Carolina and then defeated Mississippi State, which was victorious against national powerhouse Florida.
If I were to forward this obscure fact to coach Terry Allen, he would probably have a stranger look on his face than he did when a television reporter asked him why fans were attempting to take down the south end zone goal post Saturday.
At any rate, many fans were optimistic against the likes of Colorado and Missouri, so what is it going take to pick our heads up and realize that Texas Tech's only Big 12 Conference victory has come against league doormat Baylor. Does one good effort against K-State really suggest that the Red Raiders are for real?
If that is the case, shouldn't everyone tip their hats to last season's 4-7 Iowa State team that lost to the Wildcats by one touchdown.
While Texas Tech has not been impressive this season, I will give the Red Raiders credit for two things: a strong defense and the ability to be competitive on the road. On the other hand, with home games against New Mexico, Utah State, North Texas and Louisiana-Lafayette, one contemplates whether the Red Raiders consult with cupcake scheduler Bill Snyder before issuing invitations to non-conference foes.
The Jayhawks will play Texas Tech at Memorial Stadium where they are 3-1 this season. A new attitude of Rock Chalk in the air is unlikely to be stopped by anyone short of a conference powerhouse, which the Red Raiders are not.
my prediction: Kansas 28 Texas Tech 13 and an eventual trip to the Galleryfurniture.com Bowl in Houston, which brings me to my next question.
Does anyone know of any good restaurants in Ames or Houston?
Sudhfilier in an Overland Park junior in strategic communications.
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