Tell as your news:
Contact Levi Chronister or Jessica Tims at (785) 864-4858 or jtims@kansan.com
SPORTS
1B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2002
SPORTS COMMENTARY
Ryan Greene rgreene@kansan.com
Williams signs top high school recruits
Weekend offers more to do than attend game
By Jessica Scott
jscott@kansan.com
Kansas writersporter
You can't blame Kansas coach Roy Williams for already looking forward to the 2003-2004 season, even though this season hasn't even begun.
On Wednesday — the first day of the early signing period — three of the country's top high school seniors announced their desire to play for Williams. Jeremy Case, Omar Wilkes and David Padgett all
Williams
Another top athlete, 6-foot-5 guard J.R. Giddens, will join the recruiting class but opted to sign next week at a school
began the process of becoming Jayhawks by signing their national letters of intent Wednesday afternoon.
"The biggest thing is that it makes you feel a little more comfortable," he said. "I probably do get a little emotional. In recruiting, when somebody decides to come to Kansas, they're putting their faith in you."
It's pretty easy to sum up how dismal this season has been for the Kansas football team.
Case, a 6-foot guard from McAlester (Okla.) High, is a pure shooter who is the son of a coach. Williams said Case, although he looked young, would fit into
assembly in his hometown of Oklahoma City. Williams, after thousands of miles
spent on the road recruiting, said knowing these four would come to Kansas eased his mind.
"You look at him right now, he's a nice looking kid, but you think he's about 13 years old," Williams said. "He's going to get bigger and stronger. He'll be very dedicated to improving his game throughout his career."
The 6-4 guard Wilkes, who visited the University for Late Night with Roy Williams, is expected to travel from his home town of Los Angeles to Lawrence
the college game.
SEE RECRUITS ON PAGE 3B
For starters, the Jayhawks give up an average of 41.1 points per game, which ranks 114th in the nation out of 119 Division I teams. On the flip side, the 19.2 points per game that the offense has been producing is good for 100th in the nation. With those two statistics, plus the fact that our place-kicker has missed nine of his 14 field goal attempts on the year, a 2-9 overall record and a winless campaign in the conference is expected.
So if you really want to watch a sorry football program, tune into this game because it's about the only game this weekend that will make you feel better about Kansas football.
Greene is a Vernon Hills, Ill., junior in journalism.
Zach Dyer. junior quarterback, prepares to toss the ball on an option play in last year's game against Nebraska. Dyer was moved to safety this season but will return to the starting quarterback position tomorrow against Oklahoma State.
From looking at the stands out of the press box this fall, student attendance has been minimal, and why shouldn't it be? Sure, coach Mark Mangino says his kids play with a lot of heart and never give up, but who really cares when your in-state rival is beating you 30-0 at the end of the first quarter? That is what brings upon my proposal to all KU students: Do not go to Memorial Stadium tomorrow.
Here's a picture. Kevin Steele was brought into Waco to turn around a hapless program. He was fired a couple of weeks ago in his fourth season, and agreed to play the role of lame duck coach for the team's final two games of the year. Why would he do it when the final two games are against Texas and Oklahoma? Sure, the Bears beat the Jayhawks this season for their first Big 12 Conference victory since 1998, but it's guaranteed their weekend will be worse than Kansas'.
Stay home. Do homework. Clean your apartment. Finally, do your laundry. Heck, maybe even go visit your parents. Just don't waste your afternoon freezing your butt off at the concrete prison at 11th and Mississippi. With that said, here's a list of activities that would be more entertaining than tomorrow's game against Oklahoma State.
Kansan file photo
Well first, if you can't see any success on the gridiron, you can relive last year's Final Four run from a first-hand account. However, the real reason to read it is to learn the gripping stories about how Boschee farts when he stretches. As you can see, the book is an intellectual read.
1) Read Jeff Boschee's book.
3) Visit historic Baldwin City.
There are things in this movie that you will and won't see at Memorial Stadium. At the game, you won't be seeing anyone shooting fireworks out of his rear end or guys stuffing poultry in their underwear as gator-bait. The only thing that you can see at both venues is intense laughing from spectators, but it's all about whether you'd want to chuckle while wolfing down Junior Mints or Dippin' Dots.
2) See Jackass : The Movie.
4) Go to a sports bar and watch Baylor play Oklahoma.
Baldwin City has plenty to offer. You can start your weekend by checking out the Baker men's basketball team compete in the Baker classic tonight and tomorrow. Then you can swing by the childhood home of Kansan sportswriter Doyle Murphy. To finish it off, go and check out the famous "train to nowhere." I know that last time I checked, Mario Kinsey, Carl Nesmith and Zac Wegner were all on board.
Uncle to face nephew on field
By John Domoney
jdomoney@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Tomorrow Jake Letourneau will close out his career against the Cowboys and his nephew.
"It might be the first time in history that an uncle plays his nephew in a college football game," the senior strong safety said.
The Concordia product has an older brother, David, who played football for Kansas State and earned a letter in 1982 as a defensive back.
David Letourneau's son, Josh, is a second-year freshman strong safety for the Cowboys, after taking a redshirt last season. Josh has played in four of Oklahoma State's nine games this season recording one tackle as a member of the special teams unit.
"Ive never seen him play in college," Letourneau said of his nephew from Plano, Texas. "I did see him play one or two times in high school."
Jake Letourneau said he and his nephew would talk on the phone and wish each other luck for tomorrow's game.
When Kansas (2-9 overall, 0-7 Big 12 Conference) takes the field against Oklahoma State (4-5, 2-3) at 1 p.m. tomorrow in Memorial Stadium it will be Letourneau's last chance to take the field as a lahawk.
Letourneau was recruited to Kansas by former coach Terry Allen as a quarterback after earning all-state honors during his senior season at Concordia High School.
This season Letourneau has 44 tackles and has started at strong safety in seven of the season's previous 11 games. Junior Zach Dyer has started at the strong safety spot in three of the last four games after he moved from quarterback.
Following the 1999 season, Letourneau made the transition to strong safety. He started all 11 games last season and led the secondary with 87 tackles. Last season against Colorado in Boulder, Colo., Letourneau made 16 tackles to go along with an interception.
Kansas coach Mark Mangino said on Wednesday that junior quarterback Bill Whittemore would not play tomorrow, and Dyer would start at quarterback. With Dyer moved back to quarterback,
Letourneau will likely start in his final collegiate game.
"Our seniors have weathered some storms over the years," Mangino said. "They have been resilient. I'm very proud of them. I'm impressed with them, that they still have great enthusiasm and great
Letourneau is one of 18 seniors who will finish their college careers tomorrow.
love of playing the game here at KU despite the fact that their record is not the way they would like it to be."
Over the past four seasons, Kansas has a combined record of 14-31, but Letourneau said the seniors had an important role in the program.
—Edited by Christina Neff
Jayhawks look to end Cowboys' bowl quest
By Doyla Murphy
dmurphy@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Along with heading toward disparate endzones on the field, the Cowboys' and Jayhawks' destinations for after the game are polar opposites.
Kansas and Oklahoma State will be going in different directions during and after their 1 p.m. meeting tomorrow.
Oklahoma State (4-5, 2-3 in the Big 12 Conference) has bowl game aspirations, while Kansas (2-9, 0-7) is headed back to the drawing board.
That doesn't mean the Jayhawks are ready to concede their last game of the season.
"They're trying to get to a bowl game," Kansas senior linebacker Greg Cole said at a press conference Tuesday. "I want to ruin it for them. I don't get to go to a bowl game. I'll try to stop their bowl hopes."
The only remaining hurdles for the Cowboys in their quest for bowl eligibility are tomorrow's game against the Jayhawks and home games against Baylor and then Oklahoma. The Cowboys need to win two of those three to reach six wins for the season — the magic number necessary to be considered for a postseason bowl appearance.
If Oklahoma State does succeed in getting past Kansas, the Cowboys will have accomplished a feat that has eluded them all season — win-
SEE FOOTBALL ON PAGE 3B
Women's team starts off well
By Doyle Murphy
dmurphy@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The basketball season has yet to officially begin, but the women's team has already distinguished itself from last year's squad.
This time last year, the 2001-2002 Kansas team lost it's first exhibition to the Houston Jaguars 67-60. It recovered to defeat Fort Hays 72-56, but the stage had been set for a season Jayhawk fans would rather forget. The
Kansas slipped past the Solna Vikings 61-56 Wednesday night.
last year's squad.
Heading into their final exhibition game of the preseason against Fort Hays State University at 2 p.m. Sunday in Allen Fieldhouse, the Jayhawks allowed eleven a game.
Chris Burket/Kansan
SEE NEW SEASON ON PAGE 3B
Blair Waltz, sophomore guard/forward, goes up for a shot in Wednesday night's game against the Solna Vikings. Coach Marian Washington said a positive attitude would be key for the Jayhawks.
Volleyball seeks to end 2-game skid
Kansas volleyball will attempt to end a two-match losing streak against Baylor tomorrow in Waco, Texas.
By Jason Hwang
jhwang@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas is 0-3 in road matches in the state of Texas this season. The Jayhawks take on the Bears at 7 p.m. tomorrow in the Ferrell Center.
In its last match, Kansas lost its first five-game match of the season to Texas A&M Wednesday in Lawrence.
"I think we will bounce back because we have to," sophomore libero Jill Dorsey said. "We can't dwell on the past.
SEE VOLLEYBALL ON PAGE 3B
---