THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
2B SPORTS
MONDAY. DECEMBER 8. 2008
quote of the day
"They're one of the best football teams I've seen."
--was a novelty, the first of his kind
— Missori football coach Gary Pinkel on the Oklahoma Sooners. Oklahoma will play Florida in the BCS Championship Game
fact of the day
Texas A&M was the first Big 12 school to win a football national championship. The Aggies split the title in 1939 with Southern California.
Oklahoma is the first Big 12 team since Texas in 2006 to play for the national title.
trivia of the day
Q: When was the last time a Big 12 school and an SEC school played each other for the BCS Championship?
A: The 2004 Sugar Bowl. LSU defeated Oklahoma and split the national title with Southern California.
ku sports schedule
Monday
No Events Scheduled
Tuesday
No Events Scheduled
Wednesday
Women's basketball:
Western Illinois, 7 p.m.
(Lawrence)
Thursday No Events Scheduled
Friday
No Events Scheduled
Saturdav
Saturday
Men's basketball:
Massachusetts, 1 p.m.
(Kansas City, Mo.)
Women's basketball:
Creighton, 3 p.m. (Omaha,
Neb.)
Self brings East Coast flavor to Jayhawks
W when Russell Robinson first stepped on the court for Kansas, he was a knight, the first of his kind
Robinson was an East Coast kid. Nobody since Terry Brown back in the '80s had hailed from New York City.
Roy Williams didn't believe in the East Coast. He always said before they got to Kansas they had to fly over Duke and North Carolina and Kentucky and whole bunch of other power programs. Williams said he didn't want to waste his time.
Now, Bill Self's team has a distinct East Coast flavor and that's part of the reason this reloading project has gone smoother than expected. Guys like Tyshawn Taylor of Jersey City, N.J., Quintrell Thomas of Elizabeth, N.J., and the Morris Twins of Philadelphia, have already been through their fair share of battles.
Basketball is different in the Northeast cities. Robinson would play at least three or four games every Saturday and Sunday in his spare time. It was real competition. Sometimes the other kids would want to fight Robinson afterwards.
Self knew his freshmen class would have played those same games and developed that same grit. Last year, after signing the Twins, Mario Little of Chicago, commented on how much toughness they'd bring because of where they grew up.
This class shows how much Kansas has changed under Self. Williams would always recruit a banner crop of Californians and Texans. Guys like Scott Pollard, who painted his nails. Guys like Eric Chenowith, who spent his summers going to Dave Matthews Band concerts.
I can't quite imagine Taylor doing that.
OBSCURE STARTERS
Yes, it was rather odd hearing Erik Danielson shout over the P.A. "A senior from Overland Park, Kan. Matt Kleinmaint!" on Saturday.
Kansas coach Bill Self said he started him because other players needed to learn how to practice harder. Kleinmann turned the ball over and allowed his man to score within the first minute. It wasn't exactly memorable.
But his game could have his
torical significance, kind of. If Kleinmann doesn't start another game the rest of this year except for Senior Day, he'll create a distinguished triumvirate of him, Alex Galindo and Luke Axtell. They'll become the only jayhawks of the last 10 years to finish their career with only one start that doesn't include Senior Day.
Some other recent players who have started games other than Senior Day that you might not expect? Jeff Hawkins — 11 games. Lester Earl — nine games. Ashante Johnson — two games. Bryant Nash — three games.
ONE LIST
Five gifts the sporting world needs to receive this holiday season.
1. A holster for Plaxico Burress (or at least a pair of pants that don't have an elastic waist band)
2. A championship for Tony Gonzalez
3. Some confidence for Clark Hunt so he finally cans Carl Peterson
4. New talent in American men's tennis, so an American will finally win another Grand Slam
5. A change of luck for Brian Bannister, so he becomes a dominant pitcher for the Royals next summer
Edited by Ramsey Cox
Confetti!
Jon Goering/KANSAN
Members of the Kansas football staff watch during the player introductions before Saturday's game against Jackson State at Allen Fieldhouse. During a break in the first half, it was announced that Kansas had accepted an invitation to the Invitade In Bowl in Tempe, Ariz.
Attention all Tradition Keepers!
FREE
FINALS DINNER
for Tradition Keepers members
We'll dish up an awesome gourmet buffet that is sure to cure your final woes! Relax with a free shoulder massage, win prizes, and enjoy many other FREE perks co-sponsored by Perceptive Software.
Monday, Dec. 15 - Adams Alumni Center Stop by anytime between 5 and 7:30 p.m.
Stop by the Adams Alumni Center if you would like to become a Tradition Keeper member – Dinner is just one of the many benefits of student membership in the KU Alumni Association. You must
Rsvp to traditionkeepers@kualumni.org by Dec. 10.
have your student membership card to receive your student discounts. Rock Chalk and good luck on finals!
TRADITION
KU ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
KEEPERS
perceptivesoftware
www.workplaykc.com
1266 Oread Avenue • 864-4760 • www.kualumni.org
KICK THE KANSAN: RESULTS
The dust has cleared, the scores have been settled and the games have been played. And now, Kick The Kansan is going home for the winter.
But as we say goodbye, let's honor our Week 13 winners.
Dan Holmes, Olathe senior, finished the week 8-2 and took home the readers' crown. Holmes, however, was unable to kick The Kansan.
Kansan sports editor Rustin Dodd correctly predicted eight of the 10 games as well.
Kansan design editor Drew Bergman finished at the top of staff standings with an impressive 97-43 record.
capped off his championship with a 7-3
The Mighty Bergman
capped of with a 7-3 mark in Week 13.
As we raise our glasses to toast Bergman, we'd also it.
Bergman
to thank every reader who took the time to send in their picks.
So enjoy the holidays, enjoy the bowl season and good luck with final exams.
Kick The Kansan is out.
MEN'S BASKETBALL Missouri wins 93-66 against California
COLUMBIA, Mo. — DeMarre Carroll is such a believer he said it twice: Missouri is the most unselfish team in the country.
The numbers backed him up after the Tigers combined for 22 assists, dazzling California with their quickness on both ends of the court in a 93-66 victory on Sunday.
"It just shows how much trust we have in each other," Carroll said. "It's a whole new team and it's a whole new era, and we're looking forward to bigger and better things."
"I'm always looking for quality minutes," coach Mike Anderson said. "And that's what they gave us."
Both played pivotal roles in an early 18-point run that put Missouri in control. And both finished with big games despite playing only 22 minutes each.
It starts with the senior big men for Missouri (7-1). Carroll had 19 points, six rebounds and three assists, and Leo Lyons added 18 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
Jerome Randle had 15 points for California (6-2), which shot a season-worst 35.9 percent and committed 20 turnovers against the Tigers' press, often creating easy baskets on the opposite end. Missouri also ended with 20 offensive rebounds while out-rebounding California 48-38.
Missouri won easily despite hitting only one of its first 14 3-point attempts, finishing strong by making five of its last six from long range. Four of those were by freshman reserve Kim English, who had all but two of his 16 points in the second half.
The Tigers shot 49 percent, had a season-high seven blocks and added 14 steals.
"I think these guys enjoy playing with each other," Anderson said. "I think they understand what we're trying to accomplish and a lot of credit goes to our seniors. It's very evident."
Theo Robertson added 12 points for California, which has dropped two of three after a 5-0 start.
Associated Press
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