friday,august29.2003
sports
the university daily kansan
5B
Work continues on men's hoops schedule
By John Domoney
jdomoney@kansan.com
Kansas staff writer
After weeks of contacting schools and waiting on court rulings the Kansas Athletics Department is getting closer to finalizing this season's men's basketball schedule.
On Wednesday the United States Supreme Court rejected an appeal by organizers of the Guardians Classic and other preseason men's basketball tournaments to overturn a stay on the NCAA's two-in-four rule. The rule is designed to eliminate teams from playing in more than two exempt tournaments over a four-year period.
"We agreed to wait for the court's decision, and now we don't have to wait until the end of the week," said Larry Keating, Kansas senior associate athletics
director referring to the court's ruling on Wednesday.
Kansas was originally scheduled to participate in the Guardian's Classic taking place with two games in Allen Fieldhouse on Nov. 17 to 18 and two games on Nov. 24 to 25 at Kemper Arena in Kansas City. The Jayhawks must now remove themselves from the tournament's field because of their participation in the 2002 Preseason National Invitational Tournament and the 2001 Maui Invitational.
field.
tional.
With Kansas ineligible for the Guardians Classic, the Jayhawks will begin a home-and-home series with Michigan State this year on Nov. 25 in Allen Fieldhouse. Had Kansas played in the Guardians Classic, the series would have been pushed back a season because both teams were in the tournament's
According to Keating, Kansas has scheduled a home meeting with Richmond on Jan. 10, which will be televised by ESPN. That leaves just one more game to be scheduled for Kansas to have a complete schedule for the 2003-2004 season.
"We would like to have a game on television,but we need to bring in a quality opponent to Allen Fieldhouse that will not be a part of a home-and-home series," Keating said.
series. Reading The Jayhawks have tentative home non-conference games with Tennessee-Chattanooga (Nov. 21), Fort Hays State (Dec.10) and SUNY-Binghamton (Dec.29). Kansas will also play Oregon on Dec. 13 at Kemper Arena and travel to Kenny, Nev., for games against Cal Santa Barbara and Nevada in the Reno classic on Dec. 20-21. The rest of
the non-conference state will include a trip to Fort Worth, Texas, to play TCU on Dec. 1 and a spot in the Wooden Classic on Dec. 6 against Stanford in Anaheim, Calif.
Kansas begins conference play at Colorado on Jan. 5 and concludes the Big 12 Conference schedule with a trip to Columbia, Mo., for the final game in the Hearnes Center against rival Missouri.
As the department continues to finalize the schedule, the Kansas ticket office has had to go ahead and print student vouchers for home men's basketball games as part of the all-sports combo pack that was issued to students starting Aug. 18.
The vouchers have listings for the first and second rounds of the Guardians Classic, and two games listed as to be announced.
Rodney Jones, director of
ticket operations, said when the students brought vouchers in to be redeemed for tickets, the students would receive an explanation about why the tickets did not include the Guardians Classic.
"What we didn't want to do was have the students have to come back later and pick up their basketball tickets," Jones said. "We wanted to make it as easy as possible for the students."
Brian Horn, Butler, Mo., senior, said he understood the student ticket situation but was dismayed by the difficulty of finishing the schedule.
missing the scheduler.
"The ticket situation shouldn't be a big deal," Horn said.
"But I think it's surprising how television and money play such a large part in the scheduling of games."
Ex-Pistons coach first on list for Indiana job
- Edited by JJ Hensley
The Associated Press
INDIANAPOLIS — Rick Carlisle was passed over by Indiana when the team was looking for a coach three years ago and hired Isiah Thomas. It turns out Carlisle will likely get another chance to lead the Pacers.
Carlisle is the top choice of Larry Bird, who, in his first move as Pacers president of basketball operations, fired Thomas on Wednesday and paved the way for the return of his former assistant.
"He's my first choice," Bird said. "We've got other guys on the list, so if we can't work anything out with Rick, we'll just move on."
Carlisle and Bird's relationship dates to the 1980s, when they were teammates with the Boston Celtics. Carlisle also was
an assistant for Bird's Pacers from 1997 to 2000 before Thomas was hired by Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh.
Carlisle spent the past two seasons coaching the Detroit Pistons before being fired in May - despite winning two straight division titles and the 2002 NBA Coach of the Year award.
award Bird spoke with Carlisle on Tuesday and Wednesday about the vacancy. Numerous phone messages were left for Carlisle
"I think a new coach coming in is going to bring some freshness, a new style and hopefully he can play the game the way I like it to be played," Bird said.
o playeR Carlisle, in his first head coaching job, helped turn Detroit from a lottery team into one of the top teams in the East. He led the Pistons to a 100-64 regular-season record and a 12-15 postseason mark.
Like Carlisle, Thomas was abruptly fired after three seasons and a 131-115 regular-season record. The Pacers made the playoffs all three years, with one of the youngest rosters in the league, but never advanced past the first round.
At the end of the season, Thomas received a public vote of confidence from Walsh. When Bird was hired as president in early July and Walsh became CEO, the power shifted.
The Walsh era is done. This is Bird's team now.
Bird's team said, "I was disappointed that Larry and I didn't get a chance to work together," Thomas said. "I truly felt we would have been good together. I'm disappointed we don't get a chance."
Thomas, who was in Puerto Rico with the U.S. men's basketball team at the Olympic
qualifying tournament, arrived in Indianapolis early Wednesday and went straight to Conseco Fieldhouse to meet with Bird.
Bird.
"I said I'm disappointed he didn't give himself an opportunity to know me." Thomas said of the conversation. "I think he would have liked me had he got to know me."
Pacers players have continued to voice support for Thomas. Jermaine O'Neal, then a free agent, said before he re-signed with the team last month that he would not play for anybody but Thomas with the Pacers.
O'Neal, in Puerto Rico as part of the U.S. team, said he wouldn't have re-signed with Indiana if he had known Thomas was going to be fired.
"Am I disappointed? Hell, yeah. I'm extremely disappointed for multiple reasons."
O'Neal said. "I was told he would be here before I resigned."
Bird said he didn't feel comfortable with the Pacers' direction after a second-half swoon that knocked them out of first place in the Eastern Conference and into third.
Bird also said there were other problems with Thomas.
"I spoke to him one day in a meeting, and I talked to him one day on the phone. The communication wasn't really there," Bird said.
Thomas described their conversations as "positive" ones about the players and the direction of the franchise.
Bird, however, said he had a "gut feeling this wasn't going to work" after only seven weeks on the job. He said he would have fired Thomas even if Carlisle wasn't available.
The Associated Press
Chang, Sampras leave Agassi after U.S. Open
NEW YORK — It's getting a bit lonely out there for Andre Agassi.
One by one, the generation of American stars who grew up playing junior tennis against each other in the 1980s and collected Grand Slam singles titles together for more than a decade is calling it quits.
Michael Chang lost his final match as a pro Tuesday at the U.S. Open in a far more muted farewell than Pete Sampras'
retirement announcement the night before.
And Agassi? He isn't done yet not by a long shot.
"It's a weird feeling. You just sort of expect to leave the dance with the ones you came with," Agassi said.
While Sampras waited a year after his last match, beating Agassi in the 2002 U.S. Open final to tell the world he was finished, Chang has been on a farewell tour since the beginning of the season and made clear the Open would be it for him.
And unlike the hait-hour tribute to Sampras replete with a choir and speeches, there was no big celebration of Chang's career Tuesday, although the U.S. Tennis Association has talked with him about doing something next week.
Only a few thousand fans were on hand for the start of his match against No. 15-seeded Fernando Gonzalez, but, as always, Chang gave it his all.
"On court, it would be nice to be able to be remembered as a person that gave his best — win, lose or draw," said Chang, whose
career highlight was winning the 1989 French Open at age 17. "It's going to be tough leaving tennis."
Chang used to be among highly seeded players, reaching No. 2 in the rankings. He would have made it to No. 1 had he beaten Sampras in the 1996 U.S. Open final.
But now, at 31, he's a step slower, and can't get to the shots he used to. He won just two of 12 matches this year.
Still, Chang showed plenty of fire Tuesday. He rocked back on his heels and pumped his arms repeatedly after a backhand passing winner down the line in the first game of the second set against Gonzalez.
against Government. However, Agassi is outlasting other members of his age group and outplaying most of the younger set, too. Never before had a man his age risen to No. 1 in the ATP Tour computer rankings.
"For me, I have to answer that question a lot: 'Is this still what I want to be doing?' I ask it every day, one way or another," Agassi said. "I have a strong sense of obligation to this game for everything it's given to me."
RECREATION SERVICES
WE HAVE A TEMPORARY OFFICE ON THIRD FLOOR BURGE UNION. DON'T FORGET ROBINSON CENTER WILL BE OPEN 5:30PM-8PM MON-FRI & 2PM-5PM SAT/SUN. ROBINSON POOL IS OPEN FOR USE 5:30PM-7:45PM MON-FRI.. 2PM-4:45PM SAT/SUN.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR A MID-SEPTEMBER OPENING!
1740 Watkins Center Drive·864-3546·www.ku.edu/~recserv
WE WILL GET YOU THERE
STUDENT
SENATE
• Convenient • Smart • 50¢
- Monday-Friday:
7AM-8PM
6AM-8PM
- Fare 50c
* Purchase a "T" sticker with your KU on wheels bus pass for$20/yr at the SUA office
785-312-7054
- Fare 50¢
- No Sunday Service
www.lawrencegrahssit.org
Leave 9th and 10th.
KU Union
22nd & Ousdahl
Four Wheel Dr &
33rd to 5 East
Arrive Four Wheel Dr.
& 33rd to 5 West
Depart Four Wheel Dr &
33rd From 5 East
22nd and Ousdahl
From 5 west
KU Union
9th & Mess.
06:43 AM 06:49 AM 07:03 AM 07:12 AM 07:24 AM 07:37 AM 07:43 AM 07:55 AM 08:00 AM
08:03 AM 08:09 AM 08:23 AM 08:32 AM 08:44 AM 08:57 AM 09:03 AM 09:15 AM 09:20 AM
09:23 AM 09:29 AM 09:43 AM 09:52 AM 10:04 AM 10:17 AM 10:23 AM 10:35 AM 10:40 AM
10:43 AM 10:49 AM 11:03 AM 11:12 AM 11:24 AM 11:37 AM 11:43 AM 11:55 AM 12:00 PM
12:03 PM 12:09 PM 12:23 PM 12:32 PM 12:44 PM 12:57 PM 01:03 PM 01:15 PM 01:20 PM
01:23 PM 01:29 PM 01:43 PM 01:82 PM 02:04 PM 02:17 PM 02:23 PM 02:35 PM 02:40 PM
02:43 PM 02:49 PM 03:03 PM 03:12 PM 03:24 PM 03:37 PM 03:43 PM 03:55 PM 04:00 PM
04:03 PM 04:09 PM 04:23 PM 04:32 PM 04:44 PM 04:57 PM 05:03 PM 06:15 PM 05:20 PM
05:23 PM 05:29 PM 05:43 PM 05:52 PM 06:04 PM 06:17 PM 06:23 PM 06:35 PM 06:40 PM
06:43 PM 06:49 PM 07:03 PM 07:12 PM 07:24 PM 07:37 PM 07:43 PM 07:55 PM 08:00 PM
1928 Massachusetts * (785) 843-0611
"The Ultimate in Luxury Living"
Call about our new specials
Luxury 1, 2, & 3 BR apts.
Full size washer and dryer.
24 hour fitness room
Computer Center
Pool with sudeck
1/4 mile west on Wakarausa
5000 Clinton Parkway
www.pinnaclewoods.com
785-865-5454
everyday
www.pipelineproductions.com TONIGHT!!!
SATURDAY 8.30
hoobastank
SUNDAY 8.31
ANDREW
W.K.
AT THE ROUTETREE
COMING SOON AT BOTTLENECH
737 NEW HAMPSHIRE LAWRENCE K.
9.5.6 SPLIT LIP RAYFIELD
9.14 EVAN DANDO
9.16 MASON JENNINGS
9.18 BOB SCHNEIDER
9.21 LOCAL H
9.25 BIG WU
9.29 LAKE TROUT
10.1 BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB
10.5 NADA SURF • OZMA
ALSO ON SALE...
LIZ PHAIR
POLYPHONIC SPREE
GRANDADDY
YO LA TENGO
UMPHREY'S McGEE
KMFDM
LEO KOTTKE
GOV'T MULE
www.pipelincproductions.com