THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011
PAGE 7B
MEN'S BASKETBALL
LOSING THE LOTTERY
COMMENTARY
Early morning ritual should be at the Rec
With the No. 2 Ohio State Buckeyes making the trip to Lawrence on Saturday, basketball campers flocked Allen Fieldhouse on Wednesday morning for the lottery of the most anticipated home non-conference game in years. Despite plenty of time to plan ahead, what actually ensued was an unorganized mess, putting the entire camping system in question.
The tradition of basketball camping is entrenched in the college experience of every basketball-crazed student to ever step foot in the Phog. As a blue blood program, seats to basketball games are always in high demand, and the student body's tenacity on a game-by-game basis is comparable to only a handful of other schools across the country.
Like many other seniors at Kansas, I have seen my share of basketball lotteries, and I can't think of a worse run operation than Wednesday morning's debacle. Whenever Big 12 rivals such as Missouri, Kansas State and Texas are to play at Allen Fieldhouse, there is a lottery held inside Allen Fieldhouse itself, with the students sitting in the bleachers.
On Wednesday morning, the Allen Fieldhouse tunnels remained closed, and more than 1,000 students tried to fit in the arena's cramped concourses. It took more than 20 minutes to realize that this was not the appropriate course of action, so the students were alerted to go to the garage adjacent to the Fieldhouse. In line with the unorganized, disastrous theme of the lottery, the students were moved — yet again — outside to the sidewalk in between Allen Fieldhouse and the garage. The sub-freezing temperatures only made the matter worse as a girl was carried off on a stretcher by EMTs.
Lotteries are never the most enjoyable experience, but the fact is that the individuals organizing the Ohio State lottery should have anticipated the large turnout. The lottery clearly was not coordinated with the Kansas Athletics office or the facilities personnel because there is never a reason for a lottery to take an hour just to get through the first 10 groups that signed up.
Allen Fieldhouse is considered one of the nation's most intimidating basketball venues, and the student body's commitment to their Jayhawks deserves a great deal of the credit. However, I'm starting to believe that Allen Fieldhouse is not the right place to hold lotteries.
Yes, I know it's awesome walking the hallowed hallways of the Fieldhouse at 6 a.m., and you can almost feel the building's tradition at its calmest state. My concern is that those coordinating the lotteries either need to drastically improve their performance or move the lotteries to the Amber Student Recreation Fitness Center for now on. The recreation center opens at 5 a.m. on weekdays and provides plenty of space and parking to accommodate the large turnout of big name lotteries.
Camping and lotteries are part of what makes the Kansas basketball tradition great, but the process itself needs to do some serious soul searching.
1: Each group may have a maximum of 30 members. Up to 15 are allowed in when the doors open, with each person being allowed to save one seat.
2: Camping begins at AFH at 6 a.m. the morning after the previous home game.
Edited by Mike Lavieri
CAMPING RULES
New groups sign up at the bottom of the list as they arrive.
3: If more than one group is present at the start of each camping session, a lottery will determine the order. For the lottery, each group will get one drawing for every five members who are present at the lottery. A maximum of 30 group members may be present. A list of groups, in order, is posted on a door.
4: Camping takes place weekdays from 6 a.m. until 10 p.m. and weekends from 8 a.m. until 10 p.m.At each of those times, a mandatory roll call ensures that each group has a representative there.
5. Roll may be called at any time throughout the day by a representative of the athletic department. The person who is calling roll will check the bathrooms and if a member of any group is not present, that group will
be scratched from the list. A list of the date and the time that the group was scratched will be kept.
6: Camping will be cut off to new groups 1 $ \frac{1}{2} $ hours before doors open (3 $ \frac{1}{2} $ hours before tip-off).
7: Final roll call is approximately 30 minutes before students can enter AFH (two hours before game time). At final roll call, each group receives its final standing and lines up outside for proper entry to the game.
KU ATHLETICS
CAMPUS CHIRPS BACK
erinxgriffiths
What are your suggestions for basketball lottery?
@UDK_Sports Organization is key! Allowing people to stand outside for more than an hour in freezing cold weather is outrageous!
KalliGotaTwitr
@OKK_Sports Don't clean AFH after the game. Let us sit in stadium for lotto. Draw numbers, leave, clean the stadium after. #getabullhorn
AangeKelly
@UOK_Sports Lottery needs to be
electronic
Courtsey09
its amandaYDG
@buk_Sports How about actually seat us IN THE FIELDHOUSE, not outside, and holla at a damn megaphone/ microphone/SOMETHING.
@UDK_Sports Stay the same. Just make sure the leaders of lottery have a plan of attack for large games. Also have a specific spot for it.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Davis returns to practice after stress fracture
The injury limited her workouts in the last month
KATHLEEN GIER
kgier@kansan.com
Carolyn Davis surprised her team and subbed into a four-on-four scrimmage today at practice. The Jayhawks welcomed back their veteran leader who has sat out of practice the last several weeks while nursing a stress fracture in her right foot.
"I am feeling really great," Davis said. "I have been progressing really well and I have been kind of surprised about how much better it is doing."
The injury limited Davis to bike workouts and underwater therapy for the past month. Davis became anxious about losing her rhythm and missing practice time.
Although she was healing, the junior forward did not slow down during her time off and has continued to score double digits in every game, and more than 20 points in three of them. She highlighted her run with 21 points n 36 minutes in the loss to Alabama on Sunday. Davis is expected to be back to full workouts this week.
Sophomore guard Keena Mays scored a career-high 21 points against Alabama. She made four shots from the three-point range. Coach Bonnie Henrickson said Mays has become a key offensive player for the Jayhawks.
"I am glad my teammates can depend on me and that I can follow through." Mays said.
With Davis back, Kansas is to ready to host Wisconsin tonight
at 7 p.m. The Jayhawks enter the game with a 7-1 record looking to make up for their loss to Alabama in this Big 12/Big 10 Challenge matchup.
Kansas defeated Wisconsin last season in a 93-86 overtime game. Davis led the Jayhawks with 29 points followed by senior Aishah Sutherland with 16 points and 14 rebounds.
KEENA MAYS Sophomore guard
The Badgers enter tonight's game with a significant change in their lineup after losing three
"I am glad my teammates can depend on me and that I can follow through."
Junior guard Taylor Wurtz leads Wisconsin with 17.2 points per game and 9.2 rebounds. She has an impressive range and a quick shot.
All-Big 10 honors seniors since last season.
"She is a big guard who can shoot the three," Henrickson said.
In their last game, the Jayhawks struggled on the defensive end and gave Alabama easy layups and free throws. The Crimson Tide out-scored the Jayhawks 48-38 in the paint.
"If you go play someone, whether it is at home or on the road, and they are shooting layups
The Jayhawks are continuing to struggle with turnovers, averaging more than 20 per game. Turnovers have almost been split evenly between the guards and forwards through the first eight games, despite 65 assists from point guard Angel Goodrich.
Henrickson said junior guard Angel Goodrich is clearly the best defensive player on the team with five defensive rebounds, two blocks and a steal during the last game.
"The problem is we don't really have a close second" Henrickson said. "Like other areas on the floor, we just need people to step up and play on her level."
After the Wisconsin game, Kansas will take a brief break for finals and will not play again until they host UMKC at 7 p.m. on Dec. 17.
and free throws, you are telling them, 'We can't win,'"Henrickson said.
"I think a lot of times we get too ahead of ourselves and try to make things happen that aren't there," Mays said. "We need to slow it down and let the game come to us."
Edited by Alexandra Esposito
CHRIS BRONSON/KANSAN
Junior forward Carolyn Davis drives into the paint during the SMU game earlier this season. Davis surprised her her team and joined practice yesterday.She had been out with a stress fracture in her right foot.
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