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KANSAN.COM
11A
SPORTS
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Kansas tennis nabs spot in NCAA championships
▶ SCOTT CHASEN @SChosenKU
in the midst of one of the best seasons in program history, Kansas tennis notched another in a long line of accolades on Tuesday, making the NCAA Women's Tennis Championships for the first time in 17 years.
After being knocked out of the Big 12 tournament by Oklahoma State, Kansas finished the year at 17-7. The team finished 6-3 in conference play, earning them a spot in the postseason tournament.
"It is really exciting," senior Maria Jose Cardona said in a KU Athletics release. "This is the first time we've made it to the NCAA [championships] since I've been here, so it's
just amazing."
this is the first time we've made it to the NCAA [championships] since I've been here, so it's just amazing."
Maria Jose Cardona Senior
Currently ranked No. 33 in the latest ITA standings, Kansas will play its first tournament game against UC Santa Barbara. With 10 days between the selection show and the match, that leaves plenty of time for Kansas coach Todd Chapman to scout the opponent.
However, he mentioned a unique insight that may help Kansas in the long run.
"I know they're a quality team," Kansas coach Todd Chapman said of UC Santa Barbara in the release. "I know some teams who have played them this year, so I'll definitely be on the phone trying to get some notes on them."
That first match at the NCAA championships will take place May 13 at 12 p.m. It will be played in the Hellman Tennis Center in Berkeley, Calif. Should the team advance, it'll take on the winner of the match between California, the top overall seed in the tournament, and Texas Rio Grande Valley
Senior Maria Jose Cardona and sophomore Summer Collins celebrate after winning a point against Denver on March 6.
Baxter Schanzy/KANSAN
LEADER FROM PAGE 12
"Evan wanted to win as badly as any kid I ever coached," Law said.
The Kansas kid
Some might assume Evan was granted a walkon spot at Kansas simply because of his last name. However, Self tells a different story.
Having known Evan for nearly a decade before he came to the University, Self developed a personal relationship with him and knew he fit the mold of someone who could make an impact, even if it wouldn't be during games.
"In this situation, I knew that I wanted Evan," Self said. "I thought he was a plenty good enough player to help us in practice [...] Certainly I knew he was the type of kid that we wanted in our program."
at the end of blowouts, Evan did play in the first half of games a couple times.
Most notably, in his freshman season, Kansas was struggling against Oregon State at Sprint Center. With two minutes left in the half and the game tied, Self sent the team's two point guards — Elijah Johnson and Naadir Tharpe — to the bench. Self had Evan handle the point guard duties for the rest of the period.
Evan held his own in his brief showing, as he did a few years later on Senior Day. Starting the game at the two-guard spot, he battled with Iowa State's Matt Thomas from the jump.
While appearing mostly
Even though Iowa State coach Steve Prohm later denied any emphasis to go right at Evan, it seemed like that was the gameplan. Thomas demanded the ball on the first few possessions
and took an ill-advised first shot against Evan after a host of dribble moves.
"It was really fun," Evan said. "The last four years definitely helped prepare me to hang with Matt Thomas, who's a great player. He hit a tough shot on me, but I thought I did alright."
Throughout his time at the University, Evan developed into a player that looked like he belonged on the court. With him in the game, the Jayhawks outscored a Cyclones team that was ranked in the top 25, earning a four-seed in the 2016 NCAA tournament.
However, even more than his development as a player, Self complimented Evan for the type of person he was over the last four years.
"He gets it. He's very bright. He knows how to
be a part of the team," Self said. "And [he's] obviously a fun loving and great personality guy."
Now that he's done playing for Kansas, Evan's eyes are on the future. He'll leave the University with a degree in sports management, leaving him open to a few different careers.
Perhaps a future in coaching could be in the cards; Danny was certainly open to the idea, saying he'd love for Evan to join his staff.
However, no matter where he goes, Evan feels there's one thing that will always define him, and it was his answer to the question: "Who is Evan Manning?"
"He's a Jayhawk," Evan said. "A Jayhawk for life."
Edited by Brendan Dzwierzynski
Senior Evan Manning does the dab during player introductions against
Golden State Warriors.
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