friday, october 10, 2003
sports
the university daily kansan 9A
Big 12 Tournament changes after Baylor's probation
By John Domoney
jdomoney@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Lew Perkins' main job as Kansas athletics director is to strengthen Jayhawk athletic programs. However, last week at a Big 12 Conference meeting in Dallas, Perkins and other Big 12 officials worked to offer aid and support amid scandals and investigations at Baylor.
One of the main topics on the agenda was the Big 12 men's basketball tournament to be held March 11 to March 14, 2004, at American Airlines Center in Dallas. Baylor has placed itself on probation for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons and also disqualified itself from the men's basketball tournament this season.
Baylor's probation comes on
the heels of Carlton Dotson being arrested for the murder of teammate Patrick Dennehy. Former coach Dave Bliss' resignation came in early August after Bliss was caught on tape attempting to create a cover-up by urging players and coaches to lie about Dennehy's involvement in a drug ring.
Baylor's absence from this year's tournament means there will only be 11 schools involved in the four day event. The Big 12 officials voted during the conference meetings to allow the No. 5 seed in the tournament to receive a Thursday bye along with the top four seeds who traditionally have always received the bye. This allows for a 10-game tournament instead of an 11-game tournament as has been the case since the Big 12 Tournament began in 1997.
Tournament ticket prices will remain the same for the 10 games over the four days with tickets priced at $330, $300 or $210 depending on the location of the seats. The
Perkins
ticket prices are remaining the same because the tournament schedule has not changed enough to necessitate a change, Perkins said.
"What people have to remember is that you're paying for a session not just a single game so we voted to keep the ticket prices the same," Perkins said.
As the only private institution of the Big 12, Baylor's struggles in
men's basketball and football have been chronicled by many who believe Baylor is not fit for the athletic strength of the conference. Perkins is not blind to Baylor's struggles, but said he saw a need for the conference to reach out to the university.
"We're trying to help them and support them," Perkins said. "I think we all know we could be in that situation some day. Even the weakest member of your conference needs to get better."
For Perkins, the issue is how a weak Baylor athletics department hurts the Big 12 as a whole. The need to encourage and support the other schools of the league is necessitated by the fact that the better a school like Baylor is, the better the financial situation of the league.
"When we play K-State, 1
would like them to lose." Perkins said. "When we're not playing them, I want them to win because when we go and negotiate TV contracts we need the conference to be strong. To have Baylor to not do well that hurts us as a conference."
Although the current spotlight is on Baylor to improve its athletics department and clean up the chaos created by the murder of Dennehy, Perkins can tell the conference is also looking to Kansas for continued improvement in its athletic programs.
"I think they view us as being a basketball school," Perkins said of the Big 12. "They want us to be better for the conference."
Perkins has only been in the Big 12 Conference for a few months, but he's already a familiar face to conference officials.
"I knew just about everybody in the league coming in," said Perkins, who counts Texas athletics director DeLoss Dodds and Oklahoma athletics director Joe Castiglione as friends in the business.
Perkins was the athletics director at the University of Connecticut for the past 13 seasons before coming to Kansas. This year he said he saw a difference between the how the Big 12 and Big East conferences did their business.
"One of the reasons I love being a part of the Big 12 Conference is the emphasis on a lot of sports," Perkins said. "People here are interested in having a well-rounded program. The other thing I'm interested in is there are more academic restrictions the Big 12 has than the Big East has."
Edited by Abby Sidesinger
FOOTBALL: Roles reversed for Big 12 rivals
CONTINUED FROM 7A
the passes be coming from. Joel Klatt started the season at the helm for Colorado, but an injury made way for Erik Greenberg. Both players' numbers are comparable and both are very similar physically, but Kansas coach Mark Mangino believes that whoever starts, there will be little difference in preparation for each quarterback.
"We think both of the quarterbacks are close in talent and ability," Mangino said. "I don't see a big difference between them. I believe they put up around 450 yards of offense on Baylor, so either quarterback is capable."
The biggest factor that should give Kansas fans confidence is the
"We think both of the quarterbacks are close in talent and ability."
Mark Mangino Kansas coach
Jayhawks' history of stepping up their play against Colorado in recent years. Kansas pulled off upsets of Colorado both in 1998 and in 2000, and in its last venture to Boulder in 2001, it only lost 27-16 to the eventual Big 12 North champions.
Kansas Football Notes
One Jayhawk who fans may be wondering about is former
starting quarterback Zach Dyer. After moving to safety and seeing significant playing time in the secondary last season, Dyer has slipped down the depth chart. While Dyer may not be making headlines on the field, Mangino said the senior's contribution off the field is just as significant.
"One of the best investments ever made was a scholarship to Zach Dyer," Mangino said. "He may not be the greatest football player that we have, but has great leadership qualities, he's a good citizen, his teammates respect him. We'll take all the Zach Dyers we can get."
— Edited by Abby Sidesinger
needs five seasons of data to continue a poll and after this season, Vail will have three. One of his goals is to compute a couple of past seasons so that he can be eligible for the 2005-2006 season.
CONTINUED FROM 7A
The formula is unbiased and has strong bases in the three factors of influence. If more polls were like Vail's, schools like Kansas wouldn't have to worry about past pigskin pedigree.
SPORTS: Jayhawks up to 11th from 15th in poll
Missouri seeks to rebound from loss against Kansas
VAIL RANKING STOP 15
| Team | W/L | Pts. | Pvs. |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 1.) Nebraska | 5-0 | 363.0 | 2 |
| 2.) Oklahoma | 5-0 | 362.8 | 1 |
| 3.) Virginia Tech | 5-0 | 359.1 | 6 |
| 4.) Ohio State | 5-0 | 349.5 | 3 |
| 5.) Florida State | 5-0 | 347.7 | 4 |
| 6.) Minnesota | 6-0 | 345.8 | 7 |
| 7.) Arkansas | 4-0 | 344.5 | 9 |
| 8.) Miami | 5-0 | 340.1 | 5 |
| 9.) LSU | 5-0 | 326.6 | 11 |
| 10.) TCU | 4-0 | 324.4 | 12 |
| 11.) Kansas | 4-1 | 308.9 | 15 |
| 12.) Northern Illinois | 5-0 | 308.0 | 14 |
| 13.) Iowa | 5-1 | 304.7 | 16 |
| 14.) Michigan State | 5-1 | 301.2 | 19 |
| 15.) Washington State | 5-1 | 298.9 | 18 |
The Associated Press
Flaherty is a Lenexa senior in journalism.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — In August, Nebraska and Missouri both could have envisioned being 5-0 headed into their Big 12 showdown. At least one team held its end of the bargain.
The 10th-ranked Huskers (5-0, 1-0) bring a perfect record into tomorrow night's game. Missouri (4-1, 0-1) is still smarting from a fourth-quarter collapse at Kansas two weeks ago, its last game, spoiling the aura of an unbeaten match-up that had assured a sellout.
The 35-14 loss, coming after a 14-13 third-quarter lead, knocked Missouri out of the Top 25. It also created serious doubt among its fan base, still waiting for third-year coach Gary Pinkel to turn around the program.
"The best remedy would be to get out there and beat Nebraska."
"Like they say, you're never as good as people say you are, and you're not as bad as people say you are," tight end J.D. McCoy said. "It was a tough loss, but no one here is hanging their head.
No current Missouri or Nebraska player was even born the last time the Tigers won in this lopsided series, which Nebraska leads 61-32-3 overall. The 'Huskers, who have averaged 41 points their last four trips to Missouri, were a touchdown favorite to win again over a program that is seeking only its third winning season in the last 20 years.
Easier said than done. Nebraska hasn't lost to Missouri since 1978, a run of 24 straight victories, and hasn't lost in Columbia, Mo., since 1973.
Missouri has lost 45 in a row to Top 10 teams since winning at Mississippi State on Oct. 3, 1981.
Most satisfying about this season for Nebraska is the fact that the team wasn't ranked at the start of the season coming off a disappointing 7-7 showing. Two of the victories have come against Oklahoma State and Penn State, which both beat the Huskers last year.
"We're right on track to where we want to be," offensive guard Mike Erickson said. "It's been a lot of fun these first five games."
Missouri, of course, is not on track. The Kansas loss was tough for Pinkel and players to deal with.
"There's a certain point where you let something go." Pinkel said. "If you're thinking about the past it has absolutely nothing to do with making you better.
you've got to go on, and I think our players have done that."
"You've got to evaluate,
Missouri's biggest edge could be an extra week to prepare.
"That's usually a big benefit for a team and that part of it worries us some," Nebraska coach Frank Solich said. "We have enough time to prepare well, so we expect it will be a game that comes down to how both teams execute."
Both teams feature big-play quarterbacks. Missouri's Brad Smith hasn't been nearly as explosive as in his breakout red-shirt freshman season, but has completed 67 percent of his passes — best in the Big 12 — and has not thrown an interception.
"I think I can play a whole lot better," Smith said. "I think that just comes with the maturity, and going through the season.
"Hopefully you can play better toward the end of the season and learn from the first games you play."
The game will hinge, however, on how the nation's No. 1-ranked defense does against Missouri. Nebraska is coming off its first shutout in nearly three seasons, a 30-0 victory over Troy State, and Josh Bullocks leads the nation with five interceptions.