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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TALK TO US: Contact Jay Krall or Sarah Warren at (785) 864-7858 or sports@kansan.com
Commentary
THURSDAY, NOV. 29, 2001
Michael Riggs
Columnist
sportskansan.com
Right coach could be the miracle man team needs
Do you believe in miracles? Al Bohl does.
Alabama coach Dennis Franchione is everything Kansas wants in its next head football coach. He is a big name. He knows the area. And he would give the Jayhawks instant credibility.
And Bohl. Kansas athletics director, simply has to bring Franchione to Lawrence.
Yes, Franchione sounds like a long shot. But rumors started to swirl about Franchione on Monday, and they aren't dead yet.
Bohl can't let those rumors die. The Topeka Capital-Journal reported yesterday that Kansas had contacted Franchione. Now it's up to Bohl pull out the miracle.
Hiring Franchione would send a message to the Big 12 Conference: The Kansas football team won't be pushed around any more. Franchione would bring order to the table, something that the undisciplined Jayhawks need. Franchione could guide the Jayhawks to a bowl next season — something that most others on the list of finalists couldn't accomplish.
franchise is the last hope. Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mark "Mammoth" Mangino would singlehandedly put the local buffets out of business. Fresno State coach Pat Hill can't beat Boise State. Western Michigan coach Gary Darnell had a losing record this season in the powerhouse Mid-American Conference. Michigan State defensive coordinator Bill Miller is a nonname. Same with Kansas interim coach Tom Hayes. And former Oklahoma coach Gary Gibbs has already been fired by a fellow Big 12 school. There's nothing like hiring other schools' fired coaches to kill your credibility.
That leaves Franchione.
The scariest part of these "Franchione to Kansas" rumors is that the Alabama coach hasn't denied his interest in Kansas. He laughed about the rumors a few weeks ago, but he has yet to state that he isn't interested in the job. Also, a radio report on WHB 810 in Kansas City said that Franchione would be interested in the job if Bohl came calling.
Still, Franchione remains a long shot to be the next Jayhawk coach. He has one of the top college football jobs in America at Alabama, and he just signed a seven-year contract worth $1.1 million per year. Also, he doesn't have a favorable view of football at Kansas. He was passed over in 1997 when Kansas selected Terry Allen instead of him.
But there also are plenty of reasons why Franchione would want to come to Kansas. He was born in Girard, a small town tucked in the southeast corner of the state. He went to college at Pittsburg State, and was an assistant coach at Kansas State from 1978 to 1980. He wouldn't take a pay cut, as Bohl will reportedly pay the new coach between $700,000 and $1 million, according to the Wichita Eagle. And the NCAA is expected to punish Alabama for recruiting violations that occurred before Franchione's arrival.
Still, Bohl must make the sales pitch of his life to land one of the top coaches in the nation. He must convince Franchione that Kansas can win in the Big 12, and that fickle fans will show up to watch.
It may be a long shot, but it's a shot that must be taken.
For Kansas football to be taken seriously, Bohl must turn the Franchione pipe dream into reality.
Rigg is a Greenwood Village, Colo. senior in broadcast news.
I ΔURIE SISK/KANSAN
Jayhawks tame Gorillas
Senior guard Jeff Boschee is fouled by Pittsburg State's Dan Stanley as he drives the lane. Boschee's 12 points, six rebounds and five steals helped the Jayhawks to a 105-62 win over the Division II Gorillas last night at Allen Fieldhouse.
In blowout game, Williams plays all 13 suited players and one scores career high
By Ryan Malashock
Kansan sportswriter
After getting off to a slow start, Kansas poured Division II Pittsburg State into submission last night at Allen Fieldhouse.
(3-2) 105-82. Kansas sluggishly got out to a slim 10-7 lead seven minutes into the first half. Sparked by a 19-0 run midway through the first half. Kansas stretched the advantage to 24 points at halftime.
submission is required.
Behind 26 points and 13 rebounds from junior Drew Gooden, the No. 8 Jayhawks improved to 3-1 by punishing the Gorillas (3-2) 105-62.
"I was disappointed that we got off to a slow start, but that can happen in these kind of games," said Kansas coach Roy Williams. "We came in wanting to keep our focus the whole game and that didn't happen."
Despite the lackluster beginning. Gooden said he was pleased with Kansas' performance and said the Jayhawks achieved their main goal for the game.
"We wanted to come out with a lot of defensive intensity this game." Gooden said. "Personally, I wanted five steals tonight."
Gooden didn't get his five steals, but the team combined for 21 steals, one short of the school record. The Richmond, Calif., native capped off his dominant night by slamming down a highlight-reel dunk in the second half.
Kansas led the nation in defensive field goal percentage last season. The Jayhawks are picking up where they left off this year. Pittsburg State converted 37.9 percent of its
field goals last night. Kansas has yet to allow an opponent to shoot more than 50 percent in a game.
"We just came out and played hard," Kansas junior guard Kirk Hinrich said. "We've been playing tough defense all year and kept it going tonight."
Kansas also continued its torrid early-season shooting by knocking down 59.7 percent of its shots last night, including 50 percent from 3-point range. Hinrich connected three of five 3-pointers and scored 18 points last night. Senior guard Jeff Boschee dropped in two 3-pointers and added 12 points. Junior forward Nick Collison recorded 10 points but fouled out and played only 18 minutes.
played only 10 minutes All 13 players who suited up for Kansas last night played in the blowout, giving Williams many options with which to experiment in preparation for Saturday's game against No.4 Arizona.
Sophomore forward Bryant Nash set a career high with eight points, and senior forward Chris Zerbe scored three points in seven minutes of action.
"The entire team benefits from these games." Williams said. "We're especially going to need Bryant later on in the year, so it's nice to get those guys playing time."
Note:
Williams announced that freshman forward Wayne Simien would not play Saturday against Arizona. Simien had arthroscopic surgery to repair torn cartilage in his left knee two weeks ago. Simien said he hoped to be ready for next Tuesday's home game against No. 23 Wake Forest.
Contact Malashock at 864-4858
More men's players seeing minutes
By Ali Brox
Kansan sportswriter
Besides giving in-state schools such as Pittsburg State University some extra money, games against Division II opponents allow more Kansas men's basketball players to get experience.
Despite the 105-62 lopsided score, coach Roy Williams said those games provided situations that couldn't be replicated in practice.
"We do get some of those other guys, like Bryant Nash, a couple more minutes in game situations," Williams said.
Nash, a sophomore forward, scored his first points of the season on two free throws with 8:23 left in the first half. Nash finished 4 for 6 from the free throw line and scored a career-high eight points in 14 minutes of play.
"We need Bryant and we need Bryant to develop," Williams said. "He is going to be important to us and we're going to try to get
him some minutes."
Senior forward Jeff Carey played 18 minutes and scored eight points to tie his career high, set against Texas A&M in 1999. Carey was 6 for 7 from the free throw line and pulled down three rebounds before fouling out on a questionable call with 6:48 left in the game.
"The foul was on Drew and they called it on Jeff Carey." Williams said. "I was trying to tell them they had the wrong guy."
Carey's fifth foul forced Williams to look down the bench for senior forward Chris Zerbe. Junior forward Nick Collison had already fouled out with 10:49 left in the game and freshman forward Wayne Simien was still out with a knee injury. Zerbe played four minutes in the first half. After replacing Carey when he fouled out in the second half, Zerbe went 3 for 4 from the free throw line and finished with three points, two
SEE CENTERPIECE PAGE 5A
LAURIE SISK/KANSAN
Fan favorite Chris Zerbe, senior forward, is fouled by a Pittsburg State player as Gorilla center Oliver Vogt defends. Zerbe logged seven minutes off the bench and scored three points from the foul line.
Committee works to find new football coach
By Brent Briggeman Kansan sportswriter
The committee was appointed Nov. 5 to assist Al Bohl, athletics director, in the selection process.
A committee comprised of students, alumni and KU employees continues to search for the Jayhawks' new head football coach.
A month into the search, no official hiring date has been set, but John Mize, a Salina alumnus who is on the committee, said the search is going well.
"It's been a tremendous experience, and we've worked extremely hard." Mize said. "We haven't put a timetable on anything. We'll be done when we get the right person for the job."
After Terry Allen was fired on Nov.4 fans and reporters have speculated about who might fill the vacancy.
Some of the names that have been mentioned include Alabama coach Dennis Franchione, Western Michigan coach Gary Darnell, Fresno State coach Pat Hill, Michigan State defensive coordinator Bill Miller and former Oklahoma coach Gary Gibbs, who is currently the defensive coordinator at Louisiana State.
Though the committee and Bohl have refused to discuss specific candidates, several names continue to surface.
South Florida coach Jim Leavitt was recently added to the list of candidates.
Leavitt made his name in the coaching ranks at Kansas State, where as a defensive coordinator he took the nation's 93rd-ranked defense and turned it into the nation's best in just four years.
The Kansas City Star said Oklahoma defensive coordinator Mike Stoops and former Ohio State coach John Cooper are not longer candidates for the position. The newspaper cited anonymous sources close to the team.
Mize refused to discuss the list of candidates yesterday. He said the committee had decided during its first meeting that it wouldn't talk about candidates until Bohl's office made an official decision.
The committee has met several times
"If we had a vote, he'd come back," Davison said. "People out there don't see what's on on the inside. They only see KU losing. They don't see coach Hayes teaching the team and the type of stuff he brought to the table."
Though several members of the committee are former players, no current players were appointed to the group. If the players had a say, senior cornerback Andrew Davison said interim coach Tom Hayes, who continues to be a candidate, would be invited to extend his stay at the helm.
NCAA BASKETBALL
in Lawrence and will continue to do so until the search is complete.
Indiana 79
North Carolina 87
NCAA BASKETBALL
No. 9 Virginia 31
Contact Briggeman at 864-4858
No.22 Michigan State 28
The game was postponed after ice, placed under the floor for an upcoming minor league hockey game, melted and made Virginia's home court slippery.
Allen Iverson scored 40 points for the 76ers as Michael Jordan led the Wizards to victory with 30 points in Philadelphia.