Sports
Alexander "Sasha" Kaun is expected to announce his decision to join the Kansas men's basketball team today. PAGE 2B
The University Daily Kansan
1B
Wednesday, October 1, 2003
Joey Berlin
jberlin@hansan.com
Self brings blue chips annually
Bill Self doesn't yet have the victories, the hardware or the adulation that Roy Williams earned as Kansas men's basketball coach. But he's already gone to work fixing one of Williams' biggest weaknesses.
Self's first recruiting class as coach of the Jayhawks will break Williams' longstanding cycle of only bringing in excellent recruiting classes every other year.
With verbal commitments from power forward Darnell Jackson of Oklahoma City and guard Russell Robinson from New York, Self has already bagged two recruits ranked in the top 60 by the Rivals recruiting service. History tells us that's two more than Williams would have gotten.
Even at a big-time program, it's tough to bring in several top-100 prospects in perpetuity. Top-notch prep players want to go to a competitive, high-profile program, but they also want to go somewhere where they can play right away. So if one school landed a big recruiting class one year ahead of a player's graduation, that player might look somewhere else.
that play important roles.
After back-to-back Final Four appearances, it's easy to forget that from 1999 to 2001, Kansas didn't win the Big 12 title and wasn't a serious national championship contender. Part of the reason for that was Williams' inability to load up on stud recruits in the classes of 1996, 1998 and 2000.
In 1999, Williams brought in arguably his best recruiting class ever: Drew Gooden, Nick Collison and Kirk Hinrich. The following year, Kansas' only scholarship addition was Bryant Nash, who has one year left to prove that he was worth the investment.
It wasn't that Williams wasn't trying to bring in blue-chip recruits in the "off" years; he just failed to do so. He's continued that trend the last few years.
Matt Trible, Wheaton, III., senior outfielder, Ryan Baty, Wichita senior first baseman,and Travis Metcalf, Wamego junior third baseman, are returners from last year's baseball team. The trio will lead the Jayhawks into the next baseball season.
worried investors.
In 2001, Williams brought in another bumper crop, with Wayne Simien, Keith Langford, Aaron Miles, Michael Lee and Jeff Hawkins. But then, 2002's class brought Jeff Graves, who was instrumental in Kansas getting to the national title game, and Moulaye Niang, who wasn't. Graves brought value, but it was still an unremarkable class for such a big-time program
Following this year's touted class of J.R. Giddens, David Padgett, Omar Wilkes and Jeremy Case, not much would have been expected for Kansas' 2004 class if Williams were still around
He might have looked for an athletic but basketball-challenged "project" along the lines of Nash or Niang. Maybe he'd throw away a scholarship on a small-town Kansas product with no chance of contributing at the Division 1 level, a la John Crider.
Team dreams of Omaha
SEE BERLIN ON PAGE 6B
- By Ryan Greene
rgreene@kansan.com
Kansan sportwriter
Tucked snugly just south of historic Allen Fieldhouse rests a little slice of heaven known as Hoglund Ballpark.
This small plot in the heartland of America has long gone unnoticed. However, to anyone who loves the national pastime, it is pure beauty.
Among those who can appreciate it for all its glory are the coaches and players of the Kansas baseball team.
Last season, to add to the picturesque backdrop of mile-high trees beyond the outfield wall and the neatly manicured outfield grass, the Jayhawks fielded a team that fans fell in love with.
With a cast of players previously unheard and a coach in his first season at the major Division I level, Kansas burst onto the baseball scene and made its first appearance in the Big 12 Conference tournament.
coach Ritch Price instilled a confidence in his team that led to the thirdbiggest turnaround by any Division-Iteam in 2003, and his players fed off of his constant positive attitude.
Now that the team has tasted success, it wants to go even further and achieve the ultimate dream of playing in the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
Leading this team of upstarts in the heart of the country is a heart of the batting order that stands out from any other in the nation.
in the nation.
Seniors Ryan Baty and Matt Tribble partner with junior Travis Metcalf to not only lead the Jayhawks statistically into next season, but also emotionally as the trio will be relied upon to rally a young team with big expectations.
The summer the three leaders experienced has shown how real their College World Series hopes are as they begin scrimmaging this month.
scrimmaging this night. For Baty, once the Jayhawks' season ended at SBC Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City in the conference tournament, a new season began.
Baty headed to Massachusetts to compete in the prestigious Cape Cod summer league. The Cape league is a summer playground for college baseball's cream of the crop to improve their skills and showcase their talents for Major League Baseball scouts.
there," Baty said. "I know we play Stanford this year, and I played with four Stanford guys. The way we prepare here is second to none in the country. We've got just as much talent as they do at places like Stanford."
"Every day there's 15 to 20 scouts
SEE OMAHA ON PAGE 6B
Kansan File Photo
Angela Pichardo, Hollywood, Fla., sophomore ran in last year's Kansas Relays at Memorial Stadium. Pichardo is returning to competition after a hip flexor injury.
Injured runners return
Women's cross country prepares for Cowboy Jamboree
By Sean O'Grady
sogrady@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Despite sitting out the first two meets of the season, Angela Pichardo is ready to help pace the Kansas women's cross country team this weekend at the Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree in Stillwater, Okla.
A hip flexor injury Pichardo, Hollywood, Fla., sophomore, sustained at the start of the season limited her workouts in late August and early September.
tember.
However, the team's three-week hiatus from competition has given Pichardo the time she needs to prepare.
the times I felt like I am definitely ready for this weekend," she said. "Someone asked me if I was ready to race, and I told them I wasn't racing, I was placing."
Pichardo won't be the only Jayhawk to dust off her racing shoes either. Laura Lavoie, Springfield, Mo., senior, and Jenna Bimbi, Pueblo, Colo., sophomore,
"I feel like I am definitely ready for this weekend. Someone asked me if I was ready to race, and I told them I wasn't racing, I was placing."
Angela Pichardo Hollywood, Fla., sophomore
will both open their seasons at Oklahoma State.
Lavoie, who was the team's top finisher at last year's conference meet, said she has been kept out of action as a precaution because of a shin injury she sustained at the beginning of her summer training.
She said though she was nervous about this weekend, she was ready to race.
"I feel like I need to compete to get me back into it," she said. "It was hard
watching the team compete without me."
Megan Manthe, Anoka, Minn., junior, who sprained her ankle and did not compete in the Kansas State Wildcat Invitational, said the addition of the veterans would help the team against both regional and conference opponents.
Assistant coach Doug Clark said he was also looking forward to getting the veteran talent back in competition.
"I am really looking forward to watching the whole team finally run as a group," he said.
Even with the return of Lavoie, Mante, Bimbi and Pichardo, Kansas will be without Monika Spinger, Berlin, Germany, junior. Springer, who was the Jayhawks' second finisher last time out, will not race because of an undisclosed injury.
This year will mark the 67th Cowboy Jamboree, the nation's longest running meet.
-Edited by Katie Bean
Volleyball team to battle at Mizzou
By Mike Norris
norris@kansan.com
Kansan sportwriter
There probably won't be any volleyball nets torn down at tonight's Border War in Columbia, Mo., but that doesn't mean there aren't any bragging rights involved.
bragging right Jana Correa hasn't even played against Missouri, but the outside hitter from Sao Paulo, Brazil, knows it's always a big deal when the two teams meet.
when the two teams meet.
"I know Kansas and Missouri don't like each other and maybe it will be difficult for us," she said.
"But it doesn't matter, we're going to do our best, and try to win there."
Kansas coach Ray Bechard acknowledged the rivalry existed.
"We're going there knowing we're not going to have fans in the stands, and we need to play our best."
Sarah Rome senior outside hitter
Bechard said playing this Big 12 Conference match on the road makes it more significant than just Kansas versus Missouri.
but downplayed it.
Kansas (10-4, 1-1) enters the contest fresh off of a come from behind victory at home Saturday versus Baylor, a match Correa called emotionally tiring. But senior outside hitter Sarah Rome, who had a match high 21 kills on Saturday, said it would have been more tiring had the team lost. Rome said the team still needed to be ready to go on the road in the Border War matchup.
"We're going there knowing we're not going to have fans in the stands, and we need to play our best," Rome said. "The other team has that edge, but we've got to fight through it."
Senior outside hitter Abbie Jacobson said that she was worn out from the match,but that the way Kansas won the match was a big lift.
"We're still excited, I think it gives us a lot of momentum going into the game with Mizzou," she said. "We're going to try and get some points for the Border War."
Bechard said the team needed to
look past the long match and concentrate on the Tigers.
"October will be a very difficult month for us," he said. "We've got to go out and make a difference on the road."
Missouri (10-3, 3-1), is coming off its first Big 12 loss last Friday at Texas A&M. But they are 5-0 at home, and they Jayhawks are just 1-2 on the road.
"You've got to win Big 12 games on the road this year for us to get into the tournament," Jacobson said. "That's just going to be our next step heading down to Mizzou."
The Jayhawks have split four matches in Columbia since 1999. But the Tigers lead the all time series,35-32.
Edited by Dave Nobles
Sean Smith/Kansas
Senior outside hitter Sarah Rome bumped a ball during Saturday's vicory against Baylor. During the game, Rome pushed her career dig total to 942.
TALK TO SPORTS: Contact JJ Hensley and Shane Mettlen at PORTS@KANSAN.COM