NOTRE DAME: New coach must wade through the nostalgia. SEE PAGE 3B. ROYALS: Owner seeks stadium renovation. SEE PAGE 3B.
TALK TO US: Contact Jay Krall or Sarah Warren at (785) 864-4858 or sports@kansan.com
SPORTS
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
1B
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11,2001
Commentary
Brian
Hanni
Columnist
sportsokansan.com
Winter break could bring surprises
Fifteen down and one to go.
It's the final week of the semester, which means our precious one-month winter break is right around the corner. After more than 15 weeks of lectures, tests and bad football, I don't know about you, but I'm definitely ready for a break.
While it will certainly be nice to relax for a while with no papers or projects to worry about, a month of no classes also means no Kansan. For four weeks there will be no Free for All, no Meghan Bainum columns and worst of all, no great coverage of Jayhawk sports.
I know you're all probably heartbroken and teary-eyed as you're reading this, but fear not, my Jayhawk friends, we won't be leaving you empty-handed.
empty hundred.
Although you won't have any sports columns to read for the next month, I've got a list of predictions that I hope will tide you over. So, as the Kansan goes into winter hibernation and its readers go home for winter break, here are my 10 predictions for the next month.
1. The Kansas men's basketball team will lose just once between now and the first day of the Spring semester. That's eight wins out of nine games, including tough road tests at Colorado, UCLA and Oklahoma State.
2. The Kansas women's basketball team also plays nine games between now and the start of next semester. Of those nine, the team will win four.
3. Of the eight teams from the Big 12 Conference competing in bowl games over the break, five will come out winners.
4. Nebraska won't be one of them. Just like they did in the 1989 Orange Bowl, the Miami Hurricanes will win the national championship by beating Nebraska. Those poor 'Huskers even if they do win the Rose Bowl, people won't stop whining about them being there.
5. After keeping quiet his decision for a curiously long time, Jason Giambi will finally join the Yankees. The news of New York landing yet another top-notch free agent will cause thousands of baseball fans around the world to gag in perfect unison.
6. The NFL playoffs won't be finished by the time we return to campus, but the Chicago Bears' season will. The new "Monsters of the Midway" will look more like roadkill on the highway after an early exit from the playoffs.
7. Brett Favre will finish yet another spectacular season and take home his fourth MVP award for the Green Bay Packers. The Pack will still get whacked by St. Louis in the playoffs, but it won't take away from the amazing season Favre's had.
8. Kansas guard Jeff Boschse will become the Jayhawks' all-time leading three-point shooter in a little more than a month. Boschsee could break Billy Thomas' record before winter break is finished, but I'm guessing he'll hit trey No. 270 on Jan. 19 at home against Oklahoma.
9. The No. 3 Missouri Tigers will finally lose a game—in fact, they may lose twice before the end of the month.
10. And the final prediction for Kansan readers to keep their eyes on during winter break —2002 will bring another year of fantastic sports, far too unpredictable for any college columnist to forecast.
Hanni is a Topeka senior in broadcast journalism.
Venturing to the Big Apple
End of semester brings busy schedule, short trip for basketball team
By Ali Brox Kansan sportswriter
The last week of class is always busy, and the men's basketball team also has hectic schedule as it departs today for tomorrow night's match-up against Princeton.
The team will practice in the New Jersey Nets' practice center this afternoon before getting something to eat and going to the New York Knicks-Boston Celtics
game to watch former Jayhawk Paul Pierce. The team will then head to Princeton, N.J., for its game at 7 p.m. tomorrow.
Kansas coach Roy Williams said that having his players miss class at this crucial time of the semester was a concern.
"We got a charter (flight) so we can bring them back and have everybody in
class on Thursday," Williams said during yesterday's press conference. "It was almost impossible to get them to much of
Paul Pierce
class tomorrow so we're chartering back after the game."
The frantic time associated with the last week of class made it difficult for Kansas to work out its schedule to spend much time in New York. Williams said the team had tried to arrange a trip to Ground Zero, the former site of the World Trade Center, but would not have time to go.
"It's really a pretty quick trip," Williams said. "I have mixed emotions to be honest with you. I'd like to see Ground Zero myself in some ways, but in other ways, I don't want to see."
other ways, I push them to Senior guard Brett Ballard agreed that this week was a hectic time for the team
but said that he was excited to see Pierce play.
"It's a little bit hectic," Ballard said. "I know for me I have a lot of stuff to do for my classes and missing class is a little bit tough. Obviously we're excited to go watch Paul play, so that makes it worthwhile."
Ballard said that the players would have to plan ahead for their classes and take care of class work when they got home.
home.
"Our teaches are really great, and they really help us out," Ballard said. "So as long as you plan ahead and manage your time you're usually OK."
Pain and injuries can't stop Kansas freshman standouts
SEE TRAVEL PAGE 6B
Simien back in action after knee surgery, Langford recovering
By Ryan Malashock Kansan sportswriter
One Kansas freshman has recovered from his injury while another faces the prospect of playing with an injury.
Forward Wayne Simien suffered torn cartilage in his left knee in practice on Nov.15, had arthroscopic surgery performed on the knee and missed more than two weeks of action. He returned last Tuesday night against Wake Forest.
While Simien is moving forward, guard Keith Langford is struggling to fight off a recent injury. The 6-foot-4 Fort Worth, Texas, native chipped a bone in his left ankle in a practice prior to the Arizona game.
In Simien's two games since he returned to the Kansas lineup, he has averaged 11.5 points and eight rebounds.
Sinien said the Jayhawk leaders surrounding him on the court were helping with his comeback.
were helping to meet the "My comfort level is good, and I feel real comfortable out there with the leadership that Kirk (Hinrich), Jeff Boschee and Aaron Miles have shown out
there," Simien said yesterday. "We get along real well on and off the court, and that's really helped everyone adapt."
everyone adapts.
Simien hasn't displayed any ill effects from his knee injury and has continued his physical, intimidating style of play.
"It's felt good out there." Simien said. "I'm still able to play tough and play how I like to play."
Kansas coach Roy Williams said Langford's injury had affected his play.
"I think it's bothering him. I don't think there's any question there, as for how much, I think a lot of it is how it goes the first couple of possessions you're in in the game," Williams said. "Do you get off to a good start and do you feel good about it? If that's the case then you sort of forget about it. If things are bothering you and you're not getting off to such a good start, you're thinking about the ankle probably more than you would be."
Langford scored a career-high 19 points in Kansas' victory Dec. 1 at Arizona and posted double-figure point totals in four of Kansas' first five games. Since then, though, he has averaged just 3.5 points and two rebounds per game in Kansas' victories against Wake Forest and UMKC.
Contact Malashock at 864-498E
LAURIE SISK/KANSAN
Freshman forward Wayne Simien dishes off to a teammate. He finished with 13 points, five rebounds and two steals in 16 minutes of play during Saturday night's 79-68 win against UMKC.
Jayhawks hope to join elite 1,800-win club
By Ryan Wood
Kansan sportswriter
As the clock expired in Kentucky's 79-59 route of North Carolina on Saturday, the Wildcats won a little more than a tradition-rich basketball game against a struggling Tar Heel squad.
"For us to get 1,800 is amazing." Kentucky coach Tubby Smith said after the game.
Kansas is third on the list and has its sight set on reaching the recently crossed milestone before too much longer.
With the victory, Kentucky became the first school in NCAA history to win 1,800 games. North Carolina is second on the list with 1,782.
Saturday night's 79-68 victory against U M K C improved Kansas's all-time record to 1,744-742. Coach Roy Williams is accountable
The Jayhawks (6-1) continue to plug away at their impressive career win total.
"I think I was there for (1,400) my first year," he said. "I hope that I'm here for (1,800)."
for 361 of the victories."
Kansas' win total is better than that of
storied programs such as Duke and UCLA, and with the success the Jayhawks have had lately, they won't be caught any time soon.
"I think those things just support the theory that Kansas basketball has been important for a long, long time," Williams said. "The tradition, the history we have here and the appreciation we have for basketball is never lessened. It's always been something that's important to the people."
Williams said through the years he has had his teams autograph basketballs after the 1,400th,1,500th,1,600th and 1,700th victories, and he hoped to add another one to his collection soon.
"I hope it doesn't take us another 20"
All-time wins leaders and their win/loss records
- Kentucky; 1,800-559
- North Carolina; 1,782-634
- Kansas; 1,744-742
- Duke; 1,657-764
- St. John's; 1,636-733
years to get it," he said with a smile.
years to get it, he said when a state-
The Jayhawks look to add to their career mark tomorrow when they hit the road for a game at Princeton (2-5).
Kansas defeated the Tigers in 1999 in its only other meeting.
Contact Wood at 864-4858
NFL
Miami 41
Indianapolis
6
MEN'S NCAA BASKETBALL
No.14 Georgetown 91
Morgan St 65
MEN'S SNCAA BASKETBA
No. 18 St. Joseph's 85
Drexel 64
NBA
Utah 107
Dallas 98