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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
10A
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2002
COMMENTARY
Jonah Ballow jballow@kansan.com
Magic 8 Ball sees success in Kansas' schedule
With the men's basketball team starting its preseason last week, I want to take this time to predict some of the intriguing early season match-ups for the Jayhawks.
Why are these upcoming games interesting? Rematches.
I decided to throw away all the preseason magazine and newspaper articles to find a more scientific way of predicting the games.
After hours of searching in my closet, I pulled out my handy Magic 8 Ball. The toy that had once helped me predict my chances with the opposite sex would now serve a greater purpose.
The men's team marched all the way to the Final Four last year only to lose to the eventual national champion, Maryland. The Jayhawks then lost two starters, Drew Gooden and Jeff Boschee. With that said, Kansas looks solid with its starting five that features two potential NBA first-round draft picks in Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich.
The first marque match-up for the Jayhawks will be a much-anticipated rematch with Holy Cross on Nov. 19. Last season Holy Cross gave Kansas fans quite a scare by almost defeating Kansas in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The game ended with the Jayhawks earning the victory, but Kansas fans will make sure that Holy Cross feels the wrath of Allen Fieldhouse.
I asked the Magic 8 Ball whether Holy Cross had a prayer against Kansas and with a quick shake I received my answer — "Don't Count On It."
Another rematch marked my second predictions pick.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Last year Oregon lost to Kansas in a fast-breaking, high-scoring affair that ended 104-86. This Midwest Regional Final game was hands down the most exciting game of the year.
This season, the Jayhawks will travel to Portland, Ore., on Dec. 7 where the Ducks wait for their chance to redeem last season's loss. The game features the dynamic duo of Oregon's Luke Jackson and Luke Ridnour who combined for 32 points per game last year. However, Kansas has its own duo of Hinrich and Collison, who combined for 30.4 points per game last season and will try to combat Jackson and Ridnour during the game.
I looked to the 8 Ball and asked if the Jackson and Ridnour duo would outplay Hinrich and Collison for the victory. The 8 Ball gave an intriguing answer — "Signs Point to Yes." I have to agree, because the Ducks will seek their revenge and, helped by home-court advantage, will narrowly hand the Jayhawks their first loss of the season.
Two weeks after the game against Oregon, Kansas will host yet another rematch. UCLA will march into town Dec. 21, looking for its second consecutive victory against Kansas in as many seasons. Even with Gooden scoring 22 points and hauling down 10 rebounds, the Jayhawks lost the game by 10 points last year.
My Magic 8 Ball has a difficult question for this game. Will the Jayhawks receive an early Christmas present with a late December win?
The Magic 8 Ball affirms my feelings by answering, "As I See It, Yes."
With that quick decision, it must have looked at the schedule and seen that the game is at Allen Fieldhouse. Again, Kansas plays at a different level at home and will win a close game.
The next game, against Arizona on
Last chance fortune-up
SEE BALLOW ON PAGE 6A
Moulaye Niang, freshman forward, puts up a shot in the first half against EA Sports. Niang scored 7 points in Kansas' game on Monday, Nov.4.
Despite blowout, coach Williams says team must improve
By Jessica Scott
jscott@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas' men's basketball team scored 111 points, shot 62 percent for the game, made more than half its three-point attempts and had 10 different players score in last week's exhibition game against the EA Sports All-Stars.
Man, the Jayhawks have some work to do.
"We just didn't really push it," said coach Roy Williams. "We were horrible the other night running break. We had 18 points that we lost just on making bad passes. We can't have that kind of thing if we want to be a running team and if we want to be a team that can keep people on their heels."
The Jayhawks will get a final opportunity to polish their sneakers before the regular season begins. Kansas hosts Washburn at 7 ontion at Allen Fieldhouse in its last exhibition game. Williams said he saw a number of areas that needed improvement after last week's 111-94 win over the All-Stars.
"We've got to make sure our game Tuesday night is closer to the way we practice," Williams said.
SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE 6A
The starters, who combined for 80 points, were led by sophomore Wayne Simien with 26 points, followed by seniors Kirk Hinrich with 20 and Nick Collison with 18.
"Of course, with stepping into a starting position comes the
With Drew Gooden gone to the NBA, Simien said he was prepared to break into the starting lineup.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
John Crider, former Kansas guard, passes the ball to a teammate. Crider played with the Jayhawks in 1999 and 2000, but he is now a guard for the Washburn iChabods.
Former'Hawk returns tonight to Fieldhouse
By Ryan Greene
rgreene@kansan.com
Kansan Sportswriter
Last week, former Kansas guard Adonis Jordan was welcomed back to Allen Fieldhouse while playing for the EA Sports All-Stars.
Tonight another former Jayhawk will try to make his presence felt in his return to Lawrence.
Washburn guard John Crider was a member of the Jayhawks in 1999 and 2000, but left the team in 2000 and later transferred to Washburn, a Division II school. Last season he averaged 5.8 points per game while starting 14 of his 22 games with the Ichabods.
"John Crider is a great youngster, from instate, that we hoped would work out here," said Kansas coach Roy Williams. "We knew it was going to be difficult for him to start with, and John was just not very happy. As soon as he told me he was not very happy, I said well then, the best thing to do is see if we can find a place where
SEE CRIDER ON PAGE 6A
John Nowak/KANSAN
Middle blockers Josiane Lima and Ashley Michaels have put up impressive numbers since becoming starters this season. Michaels is third in the Big 12 in hitting efficiency, and Lima leads the Jayhawks in kills and blocks. The KU volleyball team is enjoying a strong season start with a 17-6 overall and its best conference record through 14 games (8-6).
Dynamic duo lead volleyball team
By Jason Hwang
jhwang@kansan.com
Kansan sportwriter
The Kansas volleyball squad (17-6 overall, 8-6 Big 12 Conference) is sixth in the Big 12 with its best-ever conference record through 14 games and is in position for a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Two of the reasons for this success are sophomore Ashley Michaels and freshman Josiane Lima — first-year starters at middle blocker.
Two people from different walks of life — one from a small town in the Midwest and another from a different side of the world — are helping a volleyball program to one of its best seasons ever.
"They're good volleyball players and good teammates, too," he said. "They're good student athletes, conscientious about their academics, who are wellliked and work very hard. They are very representative of what we want our program to be."
Coach Ray Bechard said the pair were what many coaches would want their players to be.
SEE VOLLEYBALL ON PAGE 6A
Soccer ends season without NCAA bid
It was a season of highs and lows for the Kansas women's soccer team.
By Daniel Berk dberk@kansan.com Kansan sports writer
The team beat Colorado and Oklahoma State, lost to Baylor — who were winless in the Big 12 Conference — and tied Nebraska, the Jayhawks' first non-loss against the Cornhuskers.
Glimpses of brilliance came from freshmen Jessica Smith, Kim Karfonta, Holly Ryder and Caroline Smith, who was named to the Big 12 Newcomer team.
Then three team members, seniors Nikki Wahle and Lindsay Hunting and junior Carmel Kaplinger, were suspended for two games for violating team rules.
Two more lows came during the postseason. Kansas (11-7-2 overall, 4-5-1 Big 12) outshot Nebraska in the conference tournament but lost 2-1. The Jayhawks also learned yesterday that they weren't selected for the NCAA Tournament.
"It was a good season, but it was definitely an inconsistent one," said head coach Mark Francis. "We did not win some games that we should have."
Even though this season didn't end with a second straight NCAA tournament appearance, potential is the word buzzing around the locker room.
Kansas returns its leading scorer, Caroline Smith, and its starting goalie, sophomore Meghan Miller.
All of the Jayhawks' forwards will be back next year and just one player in the midfield is a senior. There's plenty on the horizon with the incoming recruiting class being the team's best vet, Francis said.
"We have a strong nucleus returning," Francis said. "We have a lot of talent and should be very good next season."
The only place where Kansas will lose many players is on defense, with Brooke Jones, Brianna Valento and Wahle all seniors.
Those three and Hunting were Francis' first recruiting class, back in 1999 when the Jayhawks finished with their best record at the time, 8-10-1. Valento said a lot had changed since then.
"Every season, the recruiting gets better," Valento said. "Every girl that coach has brought in has been beneficial to our team in some way."
Just three teams from the Big 12 were chosen for the NCAA Tournament — Texas Texas A&M and conference champion Nebraska.
The Jayhawks' chances slipped away as they dropped their last four matches, including a 2-0 loss to rival Missouri.
"If we would have beaten Missouri and Nebraska, I think we would have been chosen," Francis said.
Valento, who will try her luck in the professional ranks next season, said that the team was headed in the right direction and would be a successful program in the future.
- Edited by Chris Wintering
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