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SPORTS
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
1B
TUESDAY,OCTOBER 22,2002
Jonha Ballow
jballow@kansan.com
Depth will lift 'Roy's boys' to Final Four
For my 21st birthday, I thought I would sit down have a beer and ask myself a question — how is the men's basketball team going to improve on last year's Final Four exit and win a national championship?
I then answered my question with another question.
What did past championship teams have that enabled them to reach the Promised Land?
That answer: role players.
Among the great players that propel teams to have great seasons, there are always starting players or bench players who help the team reach greater success. For more evidence on this theory, I looked at last year's championship team and its role players.
The Maryland Terrapins, last year's national champion, are a prime example of role players being a key ingredient to its run at the title. One player who started the final 25 games and helped his team defeat the Jayhawks in the Final Four was forward Chris Wilcox. With key players such as Juan Dixon and Lonny Baxter, opponents struggled to defend the forward who played a masterful tournament. Wilcox did all the little things for the team — rebounding, blocking shots and providing an emotional spark. Against Kansas, Wilcox totaled 18 points, four block shots and nine rebounds.
Kansan file photo
Drew Nicholas also came off the bench and provided solid minutes and three-point shooting. Terence Morris and Steve Blake started but were not the stars of the team. These players combined to score about 19 points a game.
The contributions by the role players helped Dixon and Baxter achieve success and win the national championship.
With my beer almost half gone, I realized that I must get back to my main question. How are the Jayhawks going to improve on last year's team?
Roy Williams and I are thinking on the same terms, as he confirmed my thoughts at Media Day.
"Going into the start, it does look like that the five guys are going to get the majority of minutes," Williams said. "As I said, it's a challenge for us as coaches and those other guys, because you cannot win at this level in college basketball with just five guys."
Kansas had many solid role players last year along with star players. Wayne Simien and Keith Langford were huge for the Jayhawks, combining for almost 16 points a game and nine rebounds Assuming both players move to the starting lineup to fill Jeff Boschee and Drew Gooden's spots, there is questionable talent coming off the bench.
Newcomers to the team are junior college transfer Jeff Graves, freshman Christian Moody, freshman Moulaye Niang and freshman Stephen Vinson. Sophomore Michael Lee and junior Bryant Nash are the only returning players on the bench along with second-year freshman Jeff Hawkins.
This is a scary proposition for a team with a tough schedule. With games against UCLA, Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma and Missouri these players must step up their game to relieve the starters.
Nash has to improve on the dismal one point a game that he averaged last season. Hawkins needs to provide a spark similar to what Langford accomplished last year. Williams has said the 5-foot-11 guard is a good ball-handler and will play both at the point guard and shooting position. He showed at Late Night that athletic skills were not going to be a problem and neither would
SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE GB
Kicker's struggles continue
Johnny Beck, sophomore kicker, puts an extra point through the up-rights against Missouri last year. "I always want to say I can't be a streaky kicker, and that's what I think I'm turning into," said Beck after missing all three of his field goal attempts against Tulsa University.
Consistent place kickers hard to find,recruit coach Mangino says
By John Domoney
jdomoney@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
It may have been four years since Kansas football coach Mark Mangino was an assistant coach at Kansas State University, but Mangino still made time to watch the fourth quarter of the Texas-Kansas State game last Saturday night
Mangino looked on as Longhorn place kicker Dusty Mangum made a 27-yard field goal with 1:32 left in the game that put Texas ahead 17-14.
Kansas State place kicker Jared Brite, who already had an extra point blocked in the second quarter, failed to tie the game with seven seconds left as his 56-yard field goal attempt was blocked, giving the Longhorns the hard fought victory.
The struggles of the Wildcat kicking game struck home with Mangino who has watched other teams mirror the struggles of the Kansas kicking game.
"We're not alone," Mangino said. "The only thing we could put our finger on is that less and less kids are specialized in kicking and more and more are playing other positions and just kicked for their high school team."
When the season began Mangino never expected anything but consistency from Jayhawk place kicker Johnny Beck, who was nominated for the Lou Groza award.
Instead, Beck has connected on only 5 of 12 field goal attempts, and he has missed three points after touchdowns.
Last Saturday against Texas A&M, Beck looked as if he were back on track with a 35-vard field goal in the third quarter.
hawks, and Beck had the ensuing 40-yard field goal partially blocked, which extended his missed field goal streak to six.
The kick was called back because of an illegal procedure penalty against the Jay-
"I always want to say I can' be a streaky kicker, and that what I think I'm turning
into," said Beck after he missed all three of his attempted field goals against Tulsa University on Sept. 28 in Tulsa, Okla.
Beck's kicking partner punter Curtis Ansel has enjoyed the success and consistency that has eluded Beck so far this season.
Ansel recently was added to the Ray Guy Punter of the Year Watch List and averages 42.3 yards per punt. He is ranked sixth in the Big 12 and 23rd in the country.
Ansel also had 19 punts downed inside the 20-yard line, and he had an 83- yard punt against Baylor on Oct. 5 that set a Big 12 record.
Although punting has been one of the most consistent parts of Kansas' game this season, Mangino has seen a trend in high school football that makes recruiting kicking talent a much harder job.
"If you need a quarterback, you go get him and sign him right away," Mangino said. I think that kids realize that too, that the fastest way to earn a Division I scholarship is to be at one of those positions that will play from the line of scrimmage every snap."
Notes
The Kansas State game on Nov. 2. has been scheduled to start at 1 p.m.
Junior tailback Reggie Duncan was suited up Saturday against Texas A&M, but he did not play. Mangino told reporters that Duncan's hamstring continued to hamper the tailback.
Junior cornerback Remuise Johnson is now third on the Kansas list for interceptions in a single season with six. The six interceptions are the most in the Big 12 conference.
Edited by Sarah Hill
JAYHAWKSINTHEPROS
As the NFL regular season is in full swing, and the NBA preseason has just begun, every Tuesday you will be updated on what has been going on with your favorite former Jayhawk athletes who have turned pro. E-mail any names that you would like to see covered or any former athletes who you would like an update to rgreene@kansan.com.
By Ryan Greene
rgreene@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
NBA
Drew Gooden — Memphis Grizzlies
In his first week as a pro, Gooden averaged a double-double. He continued the same pace over the last seven days. Gooden had at least 14 points and 10 rebounds in his three games this past week, including 21 points and 18 rebounds coming off of the bench Saturday against Chicago. Averaging 19.1 points per game and 12.7 rebounds per game through seven preseason contests, he is considered an early front-runner, along with 19-year old Phoenix Suns rookie forward Amare Stoudemire, for Rookie of the Year honors.
The Celtics struggled last week, going 1-3, including two losses to New Jersey. Pierce scored more than
Paul Pierce — Boston Celtics
20 points in three of the team's contests, including 27 points Thursday against New Jersey and Saturday at Minnesota. He also added seven assists in Thursday's matchup with the Nets.
Iacque Vaughn — Orlando Magic
This preseason has not been very kind to the former Jayhawk All-American, as the starting point-guard job
in Orlando is rapidly slipping through his fingers. In the last week, Vaughn recorded a total of 11 points and 13 assists in three games with extended playing time as a starter. Darrell Armstrong has been far more impressive at point guard off of the bench and looks to secure the job that has been his for the past three seasons.
Raef LaFrentz — Dallas Mavericks
Raef played in two of Dallas' three preseason games this past week, sitting out against Detroit on Thursday. He isn't doing anything extremely spectacular to back up his brand new contract extension, but
SEE PROS ON PAGE 6B
Joe Murphy/NBA PHOTOS
Drew Gooden No. 0 of the Memphis Grizzlies dunks the ball during the NBA preseason game against the Miami Heat on Oct. 9, 2002, at the Pyramid Arena in Memphis, Tenn. The former Jayhawk is averaging more than 10 points and 10 rebounds per game during his first NBA preseason.
Wide receiver Derick Mills fends off Missouri defender for a touchdown in last year's game against the Missouri Tigers in Lawrence. Kansas will face Mizzou at 1 p.m. Saturday in Columbia, Mo. Fans of the opposing schools have a mutual disgust that is acted upon on game daw.
Kansan file photo
Weekend border war to fuel Kansas' rivalry with Mizzou
By Kelly McNearney
kmcnearney@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Mizzou. Just the word nauseates most fayhawks. Images of black and gold and an oversized kitty cat make Kansas fans shudder.
Not for fear of defeat by the Columbia clan,but for sheer disgust do Kansas fans detest the Tigers.
The border war heightens this weekend as the Jayhawks march into Columbia for the Tigers' homecoming football game at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Columbia could be considered a danger zone for anyone wearing crimson and blue.
"Once my car got egged in Columbia, because I had a Kansas sticker on it," said Matt Coonan, St. Louis senior. "That fueled the flame. I used to not like them. Now I hate them."
Missouri takes great pride in its homecoming and claims that it began the tradition nearly a century ago.
According to the Missouri Alumni Association, the nation's first homecoming game occurred in Columbia in 1911 when Chester Brewer, then football coach and athletics director, invited Missouri alumni to "come home" for the annual football game against Kansas. That game resulted in a 3-3 tie.
"Our homecoming is ridiculous, especially when we play KU," said Jenny Burke, University of Missouri senior. "It's always been a huge rivalry. It's drilled into our heads when we get here."
Further irking Kansas fans is the drum Big Mo which the Tigers pay homage to at home games.
SEE MISSOURI ON PAGE 2B
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