what we heard "You see one gym,you've seen them all." — Tennessee-Chattanooga senior forward Ashley Champion on the team's upcoming game in Allen Fieldhouse. off the bench
thursday, november 20, 2003
the university daily kansan 9A
Solid coaching spurs team on to newfound success
He has his own cheering squad. He has resurrected a Jayhawk program. He has changed the attitude of his team. And he may lead the team toward the first NCAA postseason bid of his coaching career.
If you guessed Mark Mangino, try again. It's volleyball coach Ray Bechard.
Last Saturday, Kansas defeated Iowa in three games in Ames, Iowa. It marked Bechard's 100th victory with Kansas. Yet, before he came in 1998, the volleyball program was barely on the map. It never experienced consistent success and never placed well in the Big 12 Conference standings. It never made the NCAA Tournament. In spite of that, he built this team into one of the fastest-rising volleyball programs in the nation.
How?
He made them improve.
Last year, while Kansas won the most games in a season since 1991, it lost eight times in 3-0 sweeps. This year it knocked off then-No. f13 Minnesota on the road. It won a game against the mighty Nebraska Cornhuskers for the first time since 1998, though in the end it lost the home match 3-1. It defeated Missouri in five games after being down 9-1. And it defeated Texas at home for three consecutive seasons — an unprecedented feat.
He made them calm.
sports commentary
"He instills confidence within ourselves and helps us believe that we can be a force in the Big 12," senior Abbie Jacobson said. "Knowing that Coach B is behind you 100 percent helps you drive every day in practice and get better."
Jason Hwang
jhwang@kansan.com
He made them tough.
Bechard's team can overcome any type of adversity. They played only seven matches this season with the original starting lineup.
The team setter Andi Rozum missed the first 10 matches because of nagging injuries and fabulous freshman outside hitter Jana Correa to a season-ending knee sprain on Oct. 11.
"This team has been extremely
resilient," Bechard said. "For this team to move forward speaks a lot on how they believe in themselves. I don't know a team that has batted as hard and will fight night in night out."
He is dedicated.
Bechard's daughter and backup setter Ashley, said the whole family had always been Jayhawk fans. When Kansas State offered him the head coaching job, Ashley said he decided not take the job with the in-state rival.
The coach said it was an honor to lead in Lawrence and believed that getting the program's first-ever NCAA tournament victory would make him more proud than personal milestones, such as the 100-victory mark.
The athletics department built the volleyball team a new facility, Horesi Family Athletics Center in 1999, and Bechard
never let them regret it. He is the first Kansas coach to compile four consecutive winning seasons and is on his way to a fifth.
One more victory in the regular season will enable the program to have a winning conference record for the first time ever.
"In my first year, this team did not know how to win because they did not have a lot of success." Bechard said. "Over the years, it's been a slow progress but it's been fun to watch it happen. I just hope that the next 100 wins will come faster."
The way this team is playing, there's no reason why that wish can't become reality.
Youngest World Series pitcher dies
Hwang is an Overland Park senior in communication studies.
George Brett, former Royal, loses brother Ken Brett to cancer
The Associated Press
SPOKANE, Wash. — Ken Brett, brother of Hall of Famer George Brett and the youngest World Series pitcher in history, is dead after a long battle with brain cancer. He was 55.
Brett, who died Tuesday night, was part-owner of the Spokane Indians minor league baseball team and Spokane Chiefs hockey team. The teams confirmed his death yesterday.
Brett pitched 14 years in the major leagues, going 83-85 with a 3.93 ERA. He also hit .262 with 10 homers.
He set a record for pitchers by homering in four straight starts for the Phillies
Brett was 19 years, 1 month when he pitched 1 1-3 scoreless innings for the Boston Red Sox in the 1967 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
in 1973, and he was the winning pitcher in the 1974 All-Star game while playing for Pittsburgh.
The left-hander tied the modern record for playing with the most teams: 10, including Milwaukee, Philadelphia, the New York Yankees, the Chicago White Sox, California, Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Los Angeles and Kansas City before retiring in 1981. He shared the record with Bob Miller and Mike Morgan.
He won a high of 15 games three times in his career, with Philadelphia in 1973, Pittsburgh in 1974 and the White Sox and Angels in 1977.
He moved to Spokane several years ago to help run the minor league teams he owned with his brothers George and
Bobbv.
Brett was born in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Sept. 18, 1948. He was the Boston Red Sox first round draft pick, and fourth pick overall, in the 1966 amateur draft. He made his major league debut the next season.
Hank Aaron knocked a Brett fastball out of the park for his 700th career homer on July 21.1973.
On May 27, 1974, Brett held the San Diego Padres hitless into the ninth before settling for a 2-hit shutout win. In the second game of a doubleheader, his pinch-hit triple knocked in two runs for an 8-7 Pittsburgh win.
On May 26, 1976, Brett had a no-hitter with two out in the ninth inning against California when Jerry Remy's slow roller down the third base line was allowed to roll by Jorge Orta and ruled a hit rather than an error. Brett won the game 1-0 in 11 innings.
Orlando Magic's newest coach debuts tonight against Phoenix
The Associated Press
PHOENIX — Johnny Davis has a plan for what he will bring to the young Orlando Magic: lots of teaching, no tirades.
"He's more laid-back and calm," Magic star Tracy McGrady said. "Guys have the utmost respect for him."
Davis, an Orlando assistant coach for the past four seasons, took over as coach when Doc Rivers was fired late Monday night in Salt Lake City. He takes over a team that has lost 10 in a row since winning its season opener, the worst start in franchise history.
There is no "interim" before his title. Davis was given a two-year contract to direct the NBA's third-voungest team.
"That's very important because it says to the players that you are the coach and you're going to be there," Davis said. "It gives you that security and that comfort of knowing that you coach the way you need to coach."
The Magic flew to Phoenix on Tuesday, and held their first workout with Davis as head coach.
Afterward, he said his low-key demeanor doesn't mean he's a pushover.
"If you're asking if I'll be the kind of guy that will rant and rave and march up and down the sidelines, no, that's not my
style," he said. "But the players will certainly know I'll be in there fighting with them in the trenches. I will be fair with them, but certainly demanding of them."
Davis was coach of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996-97, when the team went 22-60. After that, he was an assistant with the New Jersey Nets from 1997-99 before joining Rivers' staff in Orlando.
Inall, Davis has spent 12 seasons as an NBA assistant. He played in the league for 10 years. As a rookie point guard for Portland in 1977, he moved into the starting lineup in the NBA Finals after Dave Twardzik was injured and helped the Trail Blazers win the NBA championship.
He'll make his Orlando coaching
debut tonight against Phoenix. McGrady, frustrated by the Magic's lack of success, hopes the change in coaches will jump-start the team.
McGrady said he wanted the Magic "to look like professionals out there, instead of at times running out there like a chicken with its head cut off, not knowing our spots on the court. We're lost sometimes. Hopefully we can all be on the same page and play with a lot of energy."
"I'd like to see us get more up-tempo with the ball," he said. "I prefer a running style, but a disciplined style. But you still have to play good defense. That's the foundation for a successful team."
Davis aims to rev up Orlando's offense.
"What I really want to focus on is doing what we do better," he said. "Certainly there will be some wrinkles. I'll put some things in that I think will be good for the team. But I don't want to just come in and tear the thing apart and start from scratch."
But Davis doesn't plan any major changes on the court.
baseball
Ibañez returns to Mariners, leaves Royals after solid year
SEATTLE — The Seattle Mariners have agreed to terms on a three-year contract with free-agent outfielder Raul Ibanez, general manager Bill Bavasi announced yesterday.
"Signing Raul was definitely a priority for us," Bayasi said in a statement released
by the team." He is a great fit for us, on and off the field. His left-handed bat will complement our line up nicely."
The Mariners did not disclose details of the contract. An afternoon news conference was scheduled by the team.
Ibañez was drafted
Ibañez
by Seattle in the 36th round in 1992 and was with the Mariners for parts of five seasons, but saw little playing time. He spent the past two seasons in Kansas City, where he blossomed, hitting.294 both years. He drove in 103 runs in 2002 and 90 last season for the Royals.
"I'm really excited about the opportunity to return to the Mariners," Ibanez said in the statement. "I enjoy playing at Safeco Field and the fans in Seattle have always been great to me."
Mariners manager Bob Melvin said he was happy to add ibanez to the roster
"Raul is a perfect fit for our ball club, Melvin said. "He's got a great swing for our stadium and I'm glad we were able to bring him back."
The Associated Press
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Call 864-0500
I can't wait for Michigan State to come here. They are going to poop their pants when they see what kind of rowdy ass fans they have to play in front of.
Aaron Miles, I was in the car that almost hit you tonight. I just want to say that I was no part of it, and I am sorry.
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Kansas athletics calendar
tomorrow
Women's basketball at UMKC, 7 p.m.
Soccer vs. UCLA, 9 p.m., Drake Stadium,
Los Angeles
NFL
Men's basketball vs. UT-Chattanooga, 6
n.m in Allen Fieldhouse
saturday
Football vs. Iowa State, 1 p.m. at Memorial Stadium
Cleveland Browns player recovering from knife injury
BEREA, Ohio — Cleveland Browns running back William Green was hospitalized yesterday with a knife wound to his side.
Westlake, Ohio, police responded to an emergency call from Green's home made by the player's fiancee, Asia, who said Green "had cut himself."
An emergency vehicle was sent to Green's residence, but he was not there when it arrived. Police said Green arrived at a local hospital in a private vehicle along with another adult and an infant.
Westlake police Capt. Guy Turner said Green was treated before being
transferred to Metro Health Medical Center in Cleveland, where he continued treatment for an injury to his side.
A hospital spokesperson said Green asked that no information be released.
Green, 23, was suspended for four games last week by the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse policy. The second-year back was arrested Oct. 27 on charges of drunken driving and marijuana possession. The Browns suspended him for the Nov. 9 game at Kansas City for "conduct detrimental to the team," and the league will count that game as part of its suspension.
Green pleaded not guilty to the charges and his driving license was suspended.
The Associated Press