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SPORTS
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TALK TO US: Contact Jay Krall or Sarah Warren at (785) 864-4858 or sports@kansan.com
Commentary
Brian Hanni
Columnist
sportsakansan.com
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2001
Sweet revenge a possibility for Jayhawks
Revenge is sweet, and tonight the Jayhawks might just get it against Wake Forest.
Fresh off a huge road win at Arizona, the tough nonconference schedule continues tonight as the No. 23 Demon Deacons come to town.
No.4 Kansas will be out for redemption against Wake Forest, and you can bet the 'Hawks are glad to be back on their home floor after last year's collapse in Carolina.
nool after No. 3 A year ago this Friday, the then-No. 3 Jayhawks took their perfect 7-10 record into Winston-Salem, N.C., and got whacked by the No. 11 Demon Deacons.
whenever he was out-hustled, out-muscled and just flat out embarrassed in the 84-53 loss. Roy Williams summed the night up by saying, "They totally kicked our tails everyway they could possibly be kicked."
The game was Williams' first game in his home state since turning down the North Carolina job, and it certainly wasn't the homecoming he'd hoped for. That night, Williams was handed one of the worst losses in his coaching career. The 31-point margin of defeat was the school's fourth worst all-time loss and only the 86-53 drubbing the year before at Oklahoma State was worse for Williams.
The 53 points Kansas scored during that game were a season low. An 11-20 assist-to-turnover ratio didn't help either. The Jayhawks were also out-rebounded 43-26, and while some of those missing boards could be attributed to Kenny Gregory's absence from the lineup, the 'Hawks needed much more than the injured Gregory on that night.
Fast forward 362 days, and here we are again with another great matchup between Kansas and Wake Forest. Of the four Deacons who did the most damage to Kansas last year, all but one remain on the roster.
Big man Darius Songaila is back this year and leads the Deacons in scoring, averaging more than 17 points a game. Songaila put up 10 points and eight rebounds last year against Kansas and will need an even bigger game tonight if Wake wants another win. Craig Dawson and Josh Howard are also back after combining for 41 points in last year's game.
With another national television audience, the table is set for some sweet revenge, and this time, there are several factors on Kansas' side.
The obvious one is the home-court advantage. Allen Fieldhouse will be rocking with fired up fans excited to welcome back the 'Hawks from their victorious trip into the desert.
Finally, this year, instead of losing one of its best players just in time for the Wake Forest game, Kansas should be welcoming one back. Freshman Wayne Simien is likely to return, and as we saw in the exhibition games, a healthy Simien really bolsters the Kansas frontcourt.
Secondly, Kansas has to be feeling good after the win at Arizona. On Saturday, the Jayhawks proved they were deep enough to win big games even when several of their best players were watching from the bench. The effort from the Kansas reserves was a big-time confidence builder for this team.
For those reasons, I really like the Jayhawks' chances tonight. While some might see a letdown coming after such a big road win, I'm not buying it. If the Hawks play with the same intensity they did on Saturday, they'll get their redemption tonight. The margin might not be the same as Wake's win last year, but some Deacon tail will definitely be kicked.
Hanni is a Topeka senior in broadcast management.
Wake-up time for Kansas
After an 84-53 loss, Jayhawks looking for a little payback
By Ryan Malashock Kansan sportswriter
Wake Forest pounded Kansas 84-53 last Dec. 7, leaving the Jayhawks with an everlasting nightmare. Well, make that a 636-day nightmare. At 8 tonight at Allen Fieldhouse, the Jayhawks can avenge that blowout loss and defeat their second-straight ranked opponent in the process.
No. 4 Kansas enters tonight's game with No.23 Wake Forest not just remembering its big victory at Arizona on Saturday but also recalling a past defeat.
Senior forward Jeff Carey said the Jayhawks had not forgotten last year's debacle in Winston Salem, N.C.
"It is motivation," said Carey, who had five rebounds in 22 minutes against Arizona. "It was embarrassing and pathetic on our part. We'll be ready this time."
Kansas (4-1) may be out for revenge tonight, but Wake Forest (5-1) will make that task a difficult one. The Demon Deacons start four seniors, all of who were major contributors on last season's team. First-year coach Skip Prosser has turned a team that was embarrassed in the first-round of last year's NCAA Tournament into a legitimate Atlantic Coast Conference contender. Early in the season, Wake Forest has defeated No. 21 Fresno State, Arkansas and Minnesota and lost only to No. 9
Syracuse in the championship game of the preseason NIT.
"Skip's so good, and he's got the kids to buy into his system immediately," said Kansas coach Roy Williams. "They have a totally different style of play from last year's team."
Prosser's team is rebounding better and quickening the pace of the game by pushing the ball up the court, much like Kansas' up-tempo style.
uptemple style Demon Deacon forward Darius Songalia, 6-foot-9, and 6-forward Josh Howard combine to make one of the ACC's top frontcourts.
Kansas out-rebounded Arizona by only one rebound (45-44), and the Wildcats snatched 27 offensive rebounds on Saturday. To make matters worse for Kansas, freshman forward Wayne Simien may not be available tonight. Williams said Simien, who last week said he expected to play tonight, would be a game-time decision.
"They're a good rebounding team and that's something we're struggling with," said junior forward Nick Collison. "Songalia's obviously tough, and we're going to concentrate on keeping him off the boards."
Note
Kansas junior forward Drew Gooden was named the Big 12 playerofthe week byconferenceofficials yesterday. This is the first time Gooden has received the award. In Kansas' two games last week, Gooden averaged a team high 24.5 points and 14 rebounds per game.
Contact Malashock at 864-4859
Kansas junior Nick Collison goes for a layup in Wednesday's 105-62 victory against Pittsburg State. Collison and the Jayhawks are looking to beat their second ranked opponent this season and possibly get a little revenge when they play Wake
LAURIE SISK/KANSAN
Wake Forest ready for challenge
By Ali Brox Kansan sportswriter
With wins against Arkansas and Fresno State, plus a come-from-behind victory against Minnesota in the Big 10-ACC challenge. Wake Forest men's basketball coach Skip Prosser says his team is battle-tested. But those games will mean nothing when Wake Forest meets Kansas at 8 tonight in Allen Fieldhouse.
"We have never played yet as talented a team in as tough a venue as we will Tuesday night," Prosser said.
Prosser said the difference was more than just the rabid Kansas fans that can make it difficult to win in the fieldhouse — it is the
quality of the team that inhabits the building.
"Allen Fieldhouse is so difficult because of Kansas," Prosser said. "We're playing a premier team in one of the most famous arenas in the country."
Last year's meeting between the two teams ended in a 31-point loss for the Jayhawks. Prosser thought last year's game would be a factor that motivated Kansas, and his team would have to offset that factor by playing good basketball.
by playing good football.
"It is motivation," said Kansas senior forward Jeff Carey. "It was embarrassing. It was pathetic on our part."
Prosseremphasized the importance of his big men in the game because of the two All-
American candidates who start for Kansas.
"(Nick) Collison and (Drew) Gooden are two pros," Prosser said.
He said adding Wayne Simien and Jeff Carey into the mix made Kansas' front-court as good a set of players as there were in the nation.
Wake Forest rotates three players in the frontcourt, including senior forward Darius Songaila. Songaila is averaging 17.2 points and 8.5 rebounds per game, but Prosser's major concern is Songaila's average of four turnovers per game.
"Darius has played well," Prosser said.
"But he will be the first to tell you he can play better."
"When you have Boschee, Hinrich and Miles, you have three tough scorers." Prosser said. "That doesn't allow you to gang up on Collison and Gooden. They can score from all positions."
Prosser also said Kansas' three-guard backcourt would pose a challenge for the Demon Deacons.
They can respond to the challenge and pressure of playing Kansas in the fieldhouse will be interesting to see, Prosser said.
"We have to play with poise and with a measured intensity." Prosser said.
Contact Brox at 864-4858
Kansas Crew rows off water during winter
Bv Brent Briggeman
Kansan sportswriter
At 6 a.m., most University of Kansas students haven't even thought about hitting the snooze button yet.
"It's harder in the winter than when we're on the water," said Brian Fansler, St. Charles, Ill., junior. "At least on the water you can see the results of your work, but in the winter you put in the same work and don't get to see the rewards."
At this early hour, the Kansas Crew begins its strenuous daily routine. The club rowing team crowds into the boat house off Massachusetts Street and breaks the morning silence by turning more than a dozen rowing machines.
Kansas Crew members (left to right) Brian Fansler, Jeff Albritton, Bo McCall, Tommy Ryan and Rob Zachmann show off their muscles and boat, Northern Rosz. The team took third place at the Head of the Charles Regatta in October 20-21.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Fortunately for the team, a successful fall season has made this winter's training bearable.
The club's four-man-plus-coxswain boat finished third out of 70 boats and took the bronze medal in the club division at the Head of the Charles Regatta in Boston. The boat includes four rowers and a coxswain, who directs the crew and steers the boat
world. It annually attracts more than 5,000 athletes and 300,000 spectators.
The regatta, which had its 37th running Oct. 20 and 21, is one of the largest and most prestigious such events in the
Although no Kansas team had ever placed higher than 13th in the event, coach Kevin O'Rourke said he was pleased with the team's finish.
pleased with the result.
"People on the East Coast don't really know anything about Kansas rowing," said O'Rourke, a 1999 KU graduate. "But we knew we could compete with the top schools in the country if we put together a good race, and the guys had their best race of the year."
He said the race helped the team understand its potential and boosted team morale during the off season.
"We've got so many people working hard," O'Rourke said. "So for everyone to see those guys take home the medal, it helps everyone see what that work can turn into."
As a club team, the crew team receives $20,000 dollars from the University each year, but none of the athletes are on athletic scholarship. To help the budget, the team does a variety of fund-raisers.
Twice this year, team members have cleaned Allen Fieldhouse after basketball games. They rent out their services to professors in a rent-a-rower promotion, and last year they painted faces at Kansas
City Chiefs football games
"We do pretty much whatever we can think of to raise money," said Tommy Ryan, Leawood junior. "But part of the Boston trip came out of our own pockets."
Rowers say their effort is not without reward.
"I love competing, but at my size, this is my
only real option in college.," Fansler said.
The rowers' off-season will continue until March when they return to competition with a regatta with Kansas State and Wichita State.
Contact Briggeman at 864-4858
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