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SPORTS
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
1B
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2002
SPORTS COMMENTARY
Ryan Wood rwood@kansan.com
Do the math: scholarship rules unfair
Sometimes, I'm convinced that a drunk chimp on roller skates could run the NCAA better than the officials in charge now.
'Hawks advance to NYC
What's there to like about the NCAA? It's the most messed up association in America, and it has done its absolute best to make sure that men are screwed over in college athletics today.
Well, except for football players, of course.
At the University of Kansas, the five men's sports (with cross country and track and field counting as one) by NCAA rules are given a total of 126.9 scholarships. Baseball gets 11.7. Golf gets 4.5, not enough to fully assist a starting lineup.
Meanwhile, football gets 85 scholarships. Eighty-freak-in-five.
You have got to be kidding.
No wonder men's tennis is a memory. No wonder Robinson Natatorium has the men's swimming and diving record board looking more like a tombstone that reads "1925-2001."
Men's tennis and swimming and diving were murdered in 2001 because the athletics program didn't have enough money. Why? Because football isn't good, and the KU fans flee when a team doesn't win. But the University of Kansas Athletic Corporation still forked over the money for 85 tuitions, 85 rooms and
SEE WOOD ON PAGE 2B
Eric Braem/Kansan
Senior guard Kirk Hinrich divides UNC-Greensboro's James Maye and Tizzo Johnson as he reaches for the hoop. Hinrich scored 23 points in the Jayhawks' 105-66 victory Friday.
By Jessica Scott
jscott@kansan.com
Kansas sportswriter
The University of North Carolina-Greensboro's men's basketball team faced a near-perfect opponent Friday night: the No. 2 ranked Kansas Jayhawks.
A national audience witnessed the Jayhawks 105-66 victory, which included a second-half team that held the Spartans scoreless for nearly five minutes until they ended a 20-0 run with 6:50 left in the game. But by this time the score was 94-52 and the Jayhawks were on cruise control.
"Midway through the second half, our defense got going and our break got going, and then it was just a lot of fun," coach Roy Williams said.
Sophomore guard Keith Langford slammed twice during this time span, with his dunk from a Nick Collison pass earning thunderous applause.
"He was sensational and got us off to a great start," Williams said of Langford. "Keith got in the rhythm and took some shots he should have. The second half he did a better job of taking it to the basket."
Langford, who missed just one shot en route to a career-high 24 points, attributed his early impressive play to a newfound attitude.
"Freshman year I was so indecisive, and this year I have to put up or shut up," he said. "I'm starting. I have to do something or somebody else is going to be getting my minutes."
Langford and the rest of the starters used this game to prove why they are considered the best starting group in the country. Four of them combined for all of Kansas' points in the first half. When the final buzzer rang, the starters combined for all but 13 points in the game.
Collison's 25 points propelled him past Wilt Chamberlain on Kansall's axis.
"Freshman year I was so indecisive, and this year I have to put up or shut up."
Keith Langford Kansas sophomore guard
time scoring list and into 16th place. Sophomore forward Wayne Simien added a career-high 18 points and 10 rebounds, and senior guard Kirk Hinrich had a complete game with 23 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals, sophomore point guard Aaron Miles was 0-4 from the field but finished with eight assists and two free throws.
As impressive as the starters were, Williams said he needed the reserves to help offensively.
"I'd like for those guys other than those top five to take care of the basketball a little better and make shots," he said, "but again, we're getting them minutes so hopefully it will help us."
Kansas applied relentless pressure on the perimeter throughout most of the game and its reserves kept the defense alive while the starters rested. Sophomore guard Michael Lee provided a spark off the bench in the first half when he dove for a loose ball in front of the Jayhawk bench, creating a Spartan turnover. Second-year freshman guard Jeff Hawkins also showed his quickness and defensive pressure by causing a five-second violation.
Williams said the guards could have denied the ball better, even though Kansas tallied 16 steals to UNC-Greensboro's five.
The Jayhawks will play North Carolina at Madison Square Garden Wednesday evening in the semifinals of the Preseason NIT.
—Edited by Lauren Beatty
Senior earns bid to run in NCAA race
By Justin Schmidt
jschmidt@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas senior Mark Meneefe will be running today at the NCAA cross country championships in Terre Haute, Ind.
Menefee
Menefee's eighthplace finish in the 10k at the Midwest regional championships Nov. 16 with a time of 30;16.31 earned him an at-large bid to the NCAA championships. This will be Menefee's final cross country race in a Kansas uniform.
"I am really, really excited and happy," Menefee said. "I didn't think I was going to make it and now I am really glad I have a chance and to compete."
Charlie Gruber, who is now a volunteer assistant coach for the Jayhawks, was the last Kansas runner to individually qualify for the NCAA Championships in 2000.
Meneefee has paced the Kansas men's team all year long, finishing as the first or second Kansas runner in each race. Meneefee will be the only runner from the University competing in the championships.
The top four runners from non-qualifying teams get a regional bid for the championships. Menefee was one of four runners who received a national at-large qualification.
"He definitely worked hard to earn the opportunity to compete at the Championships," coach Stanley Redwine said. "Hopefully he will have a great chance to become an All-American."
The coaching staff is proud of Menee's accomplishments at Kansas.
Jayhawks survive Miners' rally
The top 25 finishers will be named All Americans following today's race.
— Edited by Lauren Beatty
By Doyle Murphy
dmurphy@kansan.com
Kansan sportswinter
The Kansas players didn't empty the water cooler over coach Marian Washington's head yesterday, but that was all that was missing from the Jayhawks' victory celebration.
They leapt into the air, hugged one another and skipped to the locker room after they scraped by the University of Texas-El Paso 63-60 with a key defensive stop in the final seconds.
The jayhawks (1-0) darted to an early 21-9 lead, but the game was far from finished. Driven by a zone defense and the play of junior guards Vaida Zagurskyte and Kia Dowell, the Miners (1-1) mounted a frenzied comeback in the second half. Dowell made 6 of 10 three pointers in the game, including back-to-back threes late in the second half. Her first tied the game, and the second gave UTEP a 58-55 lead with 2:33 left to play.
Down by three points with four seconds remaining. Dowell got the ball behind the three-point line. As she prepared to knock down yet another long shot, Kansas junior guard Leila Menguc shot her arm in the air. The ball deflected off her fingertips into the waiting hands of Zagurskyte.
Only when the ball had sailed over the rim and the buzzer sounded could Kansas feel safe.
The manner in which the Jayhawks won was an encouraging sign to Washington.
"It's really important," she told reporters after the game. "Because I guarantee you we're going to have to fight for every win we get this year."
Freshman Crystal Kemp could be Washington's top warrior in that battle. After solid performances in Kansas' two exhibition victories, the freshmen center/forward proved she was just warming up.
Kemp led all scorers with 21 points, and pulled down 10 rebounds.
Laila Mengic, junior guard, defends UTEP guard Kia Dowell. Kansas defeated UTEP 63-60 yesterday in Allen Fieldhouse.
Brandon Baker/Kansan
SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE 2B
Volleyball continues fifth-game failures
Jill Dorsey, sophomore libero, makes a save for the volleyball team during its loss Saturday.
Eric Braem/Kensan
By Jason Hwang
jhwang@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas volleyball squad stayed with a ranked opponent, but fell short because one of the home crowd's most hated players had a career night.
No. 22 Missouri senior middle blocker Christi Myers was heckled by the crowd all night but still had a careerhigh 26 kills, registered a .449 hitting percentage in 49 kill attempts, and had only four errors. She did this while staring down the crowd and the officials.
"She's obviously their go-to player. We thought if we managed the left side we'd be all right, and we did that," Kansas coach Ray Bechard said. "Myers had a great career. She's a quality middle, one of the best in the Big 12."
Kansas lost in five games at home for the second straight match. Just like in its loss to Texas A&M on Nov. 13, Kansas
led 8-6 in the final game before the teams switched sides of the court. The Jay hawks lost both fifth games 15-12.
"It was frustrating that we were that close to being able to do it," freshman setter Andi Rozum said. "I don't know, for some reason we let up. I don't think there's one thing we can point at why we lost the final game."
Kansas outside hitters Sarah Rome and Lindsey Morris led the team with 14 kills each. Rome, a junior, led the team with 19 digs for her 10th double-double. Freshman middle blocker Josiane Lima's 12 kills and 10 digs also gives her 10 double-doubles this season.
In the next game with the score tied at 18, the Tigers made a 5-0 run to take a 23-
In game one, Kansas made an 8-1 start. It extended its lead to 20-9 by scoring nine of 12 points before a Missouri time-out. Kansas would not look back, winning the game 30-22. Missouri had 11 hitting errors and a .073 hitting percentage.
In game three, trailing 21-19, the Jayhawks scored the next five points, taking the lead to 24-21, which was the biggest lead either had in game three. With the game tied at 29, Missouri blocked Rome's kill attempts, winning game three 31-29.
In game four with a 14-12 lead, Kansas scored six of the next eight points, stretching the lead to 19-14. Kansas won the game 30-22.
18 lead. The two teams would split the next 14 points, and Missouri tied the match, winning game two 30-25.
In the final game, Kansas took an 8-6 lead after an ace by Rome. The teams switched sides and Missouri would tie the game an 8-8 after an ace by Missouri's Lindsey Noll.
With Kansas leading 11-10, Myers would get two kills in Missouri's 5-1 run. Rome hit a ball wide and to the right, giving Missouri game five 15-12.
— Edited by Chris Wintering