TALK TO US: Contact Jay Krall or Sarah Warren at (785) 864-4810 or sports@kansan.com
INSIDE: Soccer team closes exhibition season with 4-1 victory. SEE PAGE 3B. INSIDE: Student-athletes excited about new strength center. SEE PAGE 3B.
SPORTS
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
1B
MONDAY, AUGUST 27, 2001
Commentary
Aaron Fulk
Sports columnist
sportskansan.com
Kansas football could use more than beer
Ashley Michaels, freshman middle blocker, tries to power a spike down against the double-block of freshmen outside hitters Lindsey Morris and Danielle McHenry, as junior middle blocker Molly Scavuzzo prepares to dig. The Jayhawks play next weekend in Charlotte, N.C.
LAURIE SISK/KANSAN
Football season is upon us and the age-old question asked by faculty and students alike is once again heard throughout the campus: How can we get as much support for the football team as we do for the basketball team?
It's a question that's lingered with the Athletics Department and alumni even longer than it's bothered Terry Allen. The fact is, Memorial Stadium does hold 33,950 more people than Allen Fieldhouse. Also, don't overlook the strength of the Big XII in the football conference compared to basketball.
Now, forget all the facts. Anybody who has lived in Lawrence for any time at all knows that Kansas is a "basketball school" with support for basket-ball, and that's just how it is.
New Kansas athletics director Allen Bohl is ready to remedy that. Right away, he's making progress. With Bohl's recommendation that the University allow alcohol during tailgating. Memorial Stadium parking lot is well on its way to joining bars such as the Wheel and the Crossing as Jayhawk fans' pregame party spot.
Allowing alcohol in is a great start, but that's all it really is — a start. More has to be done. As I see it, promotions and advertising is the name of the game. That is what needs to be done to assure that the stadium is selling standing-room-only tickets.
Driving down Interstate 70, I've noticed the huge billboards. It's a good start, but it's not enough — your future game attendees need to feel like they know your players. They need to recognize your players. They need to feel comfortable cheering on your players.
Here are just a few promotional suggestions that I think would have scalpers in the parking lot marking ticket prices up three times the face value.
We all know that the football team hasn't kept the cleanest reputation around town, and I think it's about time we change that. I was thinking bake sales.
We'll set up stands at grocery stores around town, call in a few moms to help cook, put tackles Nate Dwyer and Justin Hartwig in white aprons and we're set. This should really help clean up that image. Besides, it's a good way to get the boys out in the community and let the neighbors see their pearly whites.
Here's another idea: I was thinking about a talent show. We all know that these boys can play football, but maybe the general public would like to see a display of their off-the-field talents. Have a few playing the guitar — maybe some wannabe rappers. Then running back Reggie Duncan can end the evening with an encouraging poem-reading to lead to an exciting and winning weekend of football.
One more idea — it might be a little hard to pull off, but I think if we work together we can do it. See. I think the quarterback challenge has been played out. Let's send Zach Dyer and Mario Kinsey to MTV's Dismissed. It's only fair. We'll get nationwide coverage and the two can use this airtime to show their leadership skills as they try to win over one lucky lady. We'll also be able to see how they handle pressure situations. We'll be able to tell how well they communicate in the huddle based on when they use their time-out cards.
I don't want to jump the gun, but my prediction is: "Mario, it's been great, really it has, but you are dismissed."
If Bohl takes my suggestions, I would even let him take credit for them. But if the MTV gig works out, I hope he doesn't forget the little people.
Fulk is a senior in journalism from Gardner
Volleyball team braces for season
Kansas women adjust to game with new NCAA rally scoring rules
By Steve Laurenzo Kansan sportswriter
Alumni were kept off the court, but the Kansas women's volleyball team gave fans a taste of what's to come in a fast-paced scrimmage on Saturday.
Jennifer Kraft, junior defensive specialist, contributed five service aces and 10 digs, and Abbie Jacobson, sophomore outside hitter, collected 16 kills during the intra-squad scrimmage at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center. The scrimmage marked the beginning of the team's semester-long season.
The competition helped the team prepare for next weekend's tournament in Charlotte, N.C.
The annual event traditionally takes place between an alumni squad and the current squad. However, NCAA scheduling regulations prohibit anything other than an inter-squad match within one week of a team's first scheduled match. The Charlotte tournament begins at 11 a.m. Friday.
Senior setter Molly LaMere had a productive evening with two kills, three digs. one block and one service ace.
Freshman middle blocker Ashley Michaels added one solo block and three block assists.
Rally scoring allows teams to score on both offense and defense. To compensate, the games now go to 30 points rather than 15.The goal of rally scoring is to make volleyball matches more fanfriendly.
The scrimmage was the women's first taste of competition under the new rally scoring rules implemented this year by the NCAA.
"It's a lot different," LaMere said. "You have to be smarter, make better choices and play almost error-free game. We will just have to adapt."
Coach Ray Bechard agreed.
He said the rule changes accommodate the teams's current style of play.
"At times it will help. We're a steady pass-and-serve team," he said.
Beachard said he hadn't yet decided on an official starting squad. LaMere, a virtual lock at starting setter, will most likely be surrounded by a revolving group of players.
dle blocker Molly Scavuzzo, junior defensive specialist Jamie Morningstar, sophomore outside hitter Sarah Rome, sophomore middle blocker Jordan Garrison, freshman defensive specialist Jill Dorsey and freshman outside hitter Danielle McHenry.
Other standouts include junior mid-
Contact Laurenzo at 864-4810
Six seniors planning on recruitment visits soon
Two others drop Hawks from their visit list, recruiters snag players early
By Ryan Malashock Kansan sportswriter
By looking at this year's roster for the Kansas basketball team, it's evident where the Jayhawks lack depth. With only four players at either the power forward or center position, and the possibility of two or three players leaving because of graduation or early entry into the NBA draft after the season, coach Roy Williams has recruited accordingly.
Six high school seniors have lined up fall recruiting visits to Lawrence, five of whom are big men. The number of prospects in the 2002 class dwindled as more high school players committed to schools early.
"Coaches are offering earlier, and in a sense it's a domino effect," said national recruiting analyst Mike Sullivan. "I think the pressure of recruiting has become more intense, and kids are actually taking more visits earlier."
But early doesn't mean easy as Kansas' biggest target may be its most difficult to sign. Shavlik Randolph, a 6-foot-8 power forward from Raleigh, N.C., has not only flirted with jumping straight to the NBA, but has also declared that he would like to attend school close to home. Randolph will come to Lawrence within the next two weeks but he said North Carolina, Duke and North Carolina State would all remain on his list of schools.
Bernard Cote, a 6-9 forward/center from Ontario, Canada, will visit Kansas the weekend of Sept. 8.
SEE RECRUIT ON PAGE 4B
Ex-NFL coach tackles Kansas defensive team
By Brent Briggeman Kansan sportswriter
Assistant coach Tom Hayes looked at ease talking football with reporters while sitting in for an absent Terry Allen at Thursday's press conference.
With a résumé like his, it's no wonder.
Hayes comes to Kansas fresh off of a sixyear stint in the National Football League as the defensive secondary coach of the Washington Redskins. While there, Hayes worked with three Pro Bowl selections in Darrell Green, Cris Dishman and Champ Bailey, as well as Deion Sanders.
Prior to his job with Washington, Hayes was an assistant at national powers Oklahoma (1991-94), Texas A&M (1989-90) and UCLA (1980-88).
"It's no different here than anywhere else I've been. I don't see any abnormalities at all," said Hayes, who will carry several titles at Kansas, including defensive coordinator, secondary coach and assistant head coach.
After a career in football, Hayes understands what goes into a winning program. He said he saw those signs at Kansas.
Offense coach a man with a plan
SEE DEFENSE ON PAGE 4B
AARON LINDBERG/KANSAN
Rip Scherer, quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator, works with Zach Dyer during practice on Friday at Memorial Stadium. Scherer, from Memphis, joined the Jayhawks' coaching staff in June.
By Jeff Denton Kansan sportswriter
Rip Scherer came to Lawrence in June with a plan.
the co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach wanted to enliven the Jayhawk offense and enter a shotgun formation on first downs.
He wanted to keep opposing defenses off balance and enter a no-huddle offense.
He wanted to attack with the pass, gain yards with the run, score points in bunches and enter the new offensive scheme -to create a balance rich in efficiency.
Playing a schedule ranked as high as the fifth most difficult in college football, Kansas hired Scherer to spark the offense. It was his job to have the players buy into the new system.
So far, the plan has worked.
"With coach Scherer being in the press box come game time, he's making a lot of decisions upstairs from what he's seeing," quarterback Mario Kinsey said. "If he sees something that he doesn't like, coach Scherer will make the adjustment. I feel the new offense is going to help so much. We're setting the pace of the game."
Last season, the Kansas offense averaged 23.7 points a game — the
eighth best in the Big 12. They also ranked 77th in the country in yards per game.
To be competitive, Scherer said, Kansas must move the ball down the field. He said he wanted his offense to churn out yards so the Jayhawk defense would take the field fresh and rested. He also said that a consistent offense was key. With most of the personnel intact, he said, now the offense must perform.
"We're going to have an opportunity to spread the ball around," Scherer said.
Like coach Terry Allen, Scherer wouldn't say who he preferred to quarterback the team. However, he said Kinsey and Zach Dyer brought both life and skill to the position. Scherer said he would treat each one as the No.1 candidate until the job was won.
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
SEE OFFENSE ON PAGE 4B
6
cardina 1
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Cardinals
Astros 3
Pirates 1
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
7
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
Brewers
Rockie 3
Brewer 2
MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL
White Sox 3
Devil Rays