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SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
1B
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 13,2002
SPORTS COMMENTARY
Andy Samuelson asamuelson@kansan.com
Ex-Hawk can't live past dream of success
There's a locally famous painting in Lawrence titled "Javadreamin'."
The work by artist John Onion features a youngster sitting on a worn basketball in the middle of the bright green lawn outside Allen Fieldhouse, eyes transfixed on the famous building where basketball is bred in young boys.
While the brown-haired kid could be just about any bitty-baller with dreams of playing for the Jayhawks, its not impossible to imagine Onion opted to use a youngster from the Sunflower State much like John Crider for his miniature model meditating in the painting's picture-perfect sunlight.
Crider is a guy from Horton who is trying to become the man on a mission for Washburn after transferring from Kansas in January 2001. But he did have Jayhawk dreams of his own.
Crider, who wore the crimson and blue for 21/2 years, never got the chance to completely realize his day of Jaydreamin' at Kansas.
And unfortunately for Crider, he didn't get to realize them in his return to Kansas. Crider is no longer a Jayhawk, he's an Ichabod, but besides a much longer ovation last night by beloved Jayhawk fans because he's been away. Crider didn't show much difference in another hue of blue.
"I was just off a little bit," said Crider, who only played 22 minutes after getting his head jarred by a Jayhawk early in the second half.
Kansas blew away the Division II school from Topeka 101-66 and kept Crider quiet — something he was all too used to while at Kansas.
He made just one of 25 field goals in 27 games in a Jayhawk uniform and scored only four points last night on 2-of-7 shooting. Much like his career at Kansas where he never hit a three-pointer, he couldn't knock one down from outside last night either, going 0-for-3 behind the arch.
The 6-foot-4, 190-pounder grabbed three rebounds and had three assists but showed no real signs of what made him the Gatorade Kansas Player of the Year in 1998 when he averaged 31.1 points and 11.1 rebounds his senior year at Horton High School.
Crider had never even imagined playing as an Ichabod —he always wanted to be a Jayhawk.
There's a picture even more famous in the Crider family that shows Crider as a teenager with his favorite coach — Roy Williams—during one of Williams' summer camps.
"I never thought I'd be an opponent in Allen Fieldhouse," Crider said. "It was kind of a weird feeling, but exciting too."
Crider, who Williams said will always be a member of the Jayhawk family, was pumped to be an opponent because he was living an even bigger dream.
The Washburn senior, who scored 15 points in the Ichabod's first exhibition victory of the season, has always dreamed of playing basketball, period. Playing the game, not sitting and watching it, being on a court was the way he wanted to live his dreams.
It's what kept him going through his famous six-hour-a-day self-practices in Horton. It's what helped him fight through the obvious role reversal of being a high school legend to being little more than a lump on the log at one of the nation's premiere basketball schools.
SEE SAMUELSON PAGE 3B
Washburn washed out
'Hawks continue exhibition victories
By Jessica Scott
jscott@kansan.com
Kansas writer/sportswriter
The lineup changed, the court changed, and at one point the shoes changed.
The outcome, though, stayed the same as Kansas won its 17th straight home exhibition game last night, beating Washburn University 101-62 in Allen Fieldhouse.
Sophomore forward Wayne Simien did not suit up because of mild tendinitis in his ankle, freeing a starting spot for freshman Moulaye Niang. While Simien probably could have played, coach Roy Williams said he and Simien made a joint decision for the forward to sit out after a brief pregame shootaround. Niang finished with seven points and three rebounds.
"Moulaye can play a lot better," Williams said, "He's got a chance to be a good defensive player, but he didn't
play very well defensively today."
Because of a rules experiment by the NCAA, the court looked different than usual. The lane was widened an additional two feet on each side and the three-point line was extended nine inches farther from the basket, but it apparently did not affect Kansas' shooting. The Jayhawks finished 62 percent from the field, nailing six of 11 attempts behind the arc.
Not every Jayhawk started off the game shooting hot. Sophomore Keith Langford contributed four points before the break, but came out after half time and scored eight straight points. So what made the big difference?
"I changed shoes," Langford said. "I've been doing it since high school. I know it's just mental, but it just comforts me. It made a little difference."
Without Simien, Kansas ran into
SEE BASKETBALL PAGE 8B
Sophomore guard Keith Langford eyes an opening to the hoop against the Washburn Ichabods. Langford racked up 15 points and four steals at Allen Fieldhouse last night.
Eric Braem/Kansan
Eric Braem/Kansan
Washburn shooting guard John Crider (right) battles for position against guard Aaron Miles (No.11) and forward Nick Collison. Crider, who played two seasons for the Jayhawks before transferring to Washburn, scored 4 points on his return to Allen Fieldhouse last night.
Warm welcome for Crider
By Ryan Greene
rgreene@kansan.com
kansen Sportswriter
John Crider's return to Allen Fieldhouse could best be described as bittersweet.
When the senior guard was introduced as a starter for the Washburn Ichabods, Kansas fans gave him a warm welcome comparable to that given to Adonis Jordan last week.
Crider, who transferred to Washburn University during the 2000-01 season, said he was excited to be back in Allen Fieldhouse, but could not predict the type of response he would get from the fans.
"I never thought I'd be an opponent in Allen," Crider said. "I wasn't expecting too much, but it made me feel good, and it made me feel relaxed."
After his introduction, Crider had a brief conversation with his former coach Roy Williams, but
his emotions got the best of him and he couldn't remember the advice and encouragement Williams had given him.
"My adrenaline was just so pumped that I just got lost in the moment," Crider said.
Crider was not the only one impressed with the standing ovation from the 16,150 fans in Allen Fieldhouse. His teammates shared the excitement.
"I thought that was great," Washburn senior forward Ryan Murphy said. "I like Crider a lot, and they do too. It was very respectful of them and showed a lot of class."
Despite the generous reception, it was a rough night for the former Jayhawk once the ball was tipped.
Crider was unable to repeat his 15-point performance from Washburn's first exhibition outing.
SEE CRIDER PAGE 8B
Junior guard to face native team
By Dovle Murphy
By Doyle Murphy
dmurphy@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Basketball coaches say the same thing every year about exhibition games—the players are looking forward to playing an unfamiliar opponent.
Junior guard Leila Menguc will have to wait until the Jayhawks play their second game for that opportunity.
Mengüc, a Stockholm, Sweden
native, said she knows or has played against seven of the 11 members of the Sweden-based Solna Vikings. Kansas will meet the Vikings at 8:05 tonight in Allen Fieldhouse.
The Vikings usually play in Sweden's premier basketball league.
but are now on an eight-game Midwest
Leila Mengüç
tour. In Sweden, Solna has won four national championships, including the past season's title.
Menguc, who played for rival teams in the Swedish league, said she had spoken with some of Solna's players while at home this summer.
"They said 'Yeah, we're going to play against Kansas,' and I said 'Hold up. That's us.'"" Mengüç said after Monday's practice.
Along with practicing as the Jayhawks' starting point guard, Menguc has been working as a scout this week. She even made calls to one of her sisters, who still plays in Sweden, to find out more about Solna.
"She's been trying to give us a heads up on the type of players they are," coach Marian Washington said. "We know a lot about what they might be looking for."
Mengüç said what the Vikings are
SEE MENGÜÇ PAGE 3B
Kanzan file photo
'Hawks to play key Big 12 game
Freshman setter Andi Rozum is 14 assists away from the Kansas freshman record. The Jayhawks are hoping her skills will help them take the Aggies tonight at 7 p.m. at the Horeisi Family Athletics Center.
By Jason Hwang
jhwang@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas volleyball squad will work to end Texas A&M's perfect record against Kansas and to get an opportunity at the postseason.
The layhawks (17-6 overall, 8-6 Big 12 Conference) resume their season against the Aggies (17-7,9-6) at 7 tonight at the Horejsi Family Athletics Center. In their last match, Wednesday in Lubbock, Tex., Kansas lost to Texas Tech three games to zero.
In its 14 previous matches, Kansas has lost to Texas A&M every time, including its first conference match of the season on Sept. 18 at College Station, Tex., when they were swept 3-0.
"We didn't play that well at Texas A&M, but we have a lot more confidence
now," senior outside hitter Molly Scavuzzo said. "We're hoping we need two wins to get into the tournament so this could be really big for us."
Senior defensive specialist Jennifer Kraft's seven digs in Wednesday's game gave her 916 career digs, which is eighth all-time. Freshman setter Andi Rozum needs 14 assists to take the Kansas freshman record in assists.
"Initially, they rely heavily on the outside with Jones and Munsch. Now they're getting much more offense from everybody else," coach Ray Bechard said. "They're young and getting extremely comfortable with what the expectations are for them. They feel they're coming together at the right time."
The Aggies are riding on a four-match winning streak, including a 3-1 win over then-No. 20 Missouri at home Saturday. Freshman outside hitter Laura Jones, the preseason Big 12 freshman of the year, is seventh in the conference in kills per game with an average of 3.77. Sophomore outside hitter Melissa Munsch has a 3.56 kills per game average. Sophomore setter Lexy Beers averages 12.7 assists per game, which is third in the league.
"They're young and getting extremely comfortable with what the expectations are for them. They feel they're coming together at the right time."
Ray Bechard
Volleyball coach
- Edited by Christine Grubbs and Jessica Hood
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