JAYHAWK
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Basketball
Pro Baseball
Kansas City pitcher Tim Belcher was picked as the Royals' pitcher of the year yesterday by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Belcher was 13-12.
Yesterday's game - Kansas vs. Rice
KANSAS
2-0
RANKED NO. 2
SECTION B, PAGE 1
RICE 61
0-2
UNRANKED
WWW.KUBASKETBALL.COM
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 18, 1997
BOX SCORE
RICE (0-2)
Kelly Sanni 11-24 3-10 25, Michaelis 2-
9 0-0 5, Bougainville 1-5 0-0 2, Johnson 3-
1 7-4 1 8, Wilkins 4-9 2 4 11, Armstrong 0-
1 1-3 1, Tynell 3-6 0-1 6, Matthews 0-0
0-0 0, Thomson 0-1 4-6 4, Stringer 0-2 0-
0 Totals 24-64 11-28 61.
NO.2 KANSAS (2-0)
Pierce 6-12 2-2 16, Lafrentz 10-15 5-11
26, Pugh 1-3 0-1 2, Robertson 2-3 1-1 6,
Thomas 5-10 0-0 12, Nooner 0.1 0.0 0,
Gregory 3-8 1-4 7, Bradford 2-5 0-0 4,
Janisse 0.0 0.0 0, McGrath 0.0 0.0 0,
Martin 0-0.0 0.0, Chenowith 6-10 3-5
15. Totals 35-67 13-24 88.
Halftime: Kansas 45, Rice 25, 3-Point goals: Race 2-10 (Michaelis 0.4, Johnson 1.2, Wilks 1.2, Tydell 0.1, Stringer 0.1), Kansas 5-15 (Pierce 2.3, Robertson 1.7, Thomas 2.7, Nooner 0.1, Gregory 0.2, Bradford 0.1). Fouled out: Michaelis, Boughieff. Rebounds: Rice 34 (Kelly Sanni 11), Kansas 53 (Chenowith 12).
Assists: Rice 13 (Wilks 8), Kansas 22 (Robertson 10.) Total foul's: Rice 22, Kansas 20. A: 16,000.
MEN'S AP TOP 25
the top 25 teams in The Associated Press' men's basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Nov. 16, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote, and previous ranking:
rank team rec pts pvs
1. Arizona (30) 0-0 1,685 1
2. **Kansas** (28) 1-0 1,669 2
3. Duke (7) 1-0 1,592 3
4. N. Carolina (5) 1-0 1,558 4
5. Clemson 1-0 1,352 5
6. S. Carolina 1-0 1,284 7
7. UCLA 0-0 1,282 6
8. Purdue 1-0 1,259 9
9. Kentucky 1-0 1,248 8
10. Xavier 0-0 1,050 10
11. New Mexico 0-1 1,046 11
12. Connecticut 1-0 881 12
13. Fresno St. 0-0 783 13
14. Iowa 2-0 741 15
15. Stanford 0-0 702 14
16. Utah 0-0 643 16
17. N.C. Charlotte 0-0 560 18
18. Temple 2-0 539 24
19. Oklahoma 1-0 437 20
20. Rhode Island 0-0 313 21
21. Mississippi 0-0 305 23
22. Louisville 0-0 230 25
23. Indiana 0-1 174 17
24. Illinois St. 1-0 158 —
25. Georgia 1-1 135 19
Other receiving礼es: Cincinnati 121, Maryland 96,
Princeton 92, Minnesota 91, St. John's 91, Florida St.
77, Arkansas 63, Syracuse 55, UNV 48, St. Joseph's
46, Wake Forest 46, Michigan 39, Texas Christian 26,
19, Mississippi 19, UW 19, Iowau 15, Illinois 15,
18, Long Island U, 15, Texas 13, Georgetown 12,
N Carolina St, 12, New Mexico St, 10, Pacific 9,
Tennessee 9, West Virginia 9, Marquette 6, California 4,
Colorado St, 3, SW Milwaukee St, 3, Micha-
ligan St, 2, Alabama 62, Missouri 1, Ohio State 1,
Vanderbilt 1
WOMEN'S AP TOP 25
The Top Twenty Five teams in The Associated Press' 1997-98 women's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Nov. 16, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and last ranking:
rank team rec pts pvs
1. Tennessee (33) 0-0 945 1
2. Louisiana Tech (5) 0-0 905 2
3. Old Dominion 0-0 848 3
4. Stanford 0-0 821 4
5. N. Carolina 0-0 791 5
6. Connecticut 2-0 761 6
7. Illinois 0-0 716 7
8. Texas Tech 0-0 688 8
9. Florida 0-0 673 9
10. Vanderbilt 1-0 540 10
11. Iowa 1-0 507 12
12. Virginia 1-0 470 13
13. Georgia 0-0 428 14
14. Arizona 0-0 381 15
15. Alabama 1-1 351 11
16. W. Kentucky 2-0 308 16
17. Stephen F. Austin 0-0 299 17
18. Colorado 0-0 290 18
19. Duke 0-0 289 19
20. Auburn 0-0 209 20
21. Nebraska 2-0 192 —
22. Tulane 1-0 188 21
23. G. Washington 0-0 172 22
24. Kansas 1-0 113 24
25. Texas 0-0 93 23
Others incoming voters: Wisconsin 64, Arkansas 53, Marmor
39, Oregon 31, UCLA 27, Drake 26, Colorado St. 22,
N. Carolina St. 19, Purdue 18, Notre Dame 17,
Northwestern 14, Washoula 12, wawa St. 6, Clemson
4, Indiana 4, LSU 4, Montana 4, Maryland 3, New Mexico
2, DePaul 4, Michigan St. 1, Tulalo 1
Basketball gets back to basics
Forward Paul Pierce struggles with rice guard Mike Wilks for possession. Pierce grabbed 10 rebounds to go with his 16 points in Kansas' 88-61 victory. Photo by Steve Prupe/KANSAN
88-61 win against Rice focuses on fundamentals
By Tommy Gallagher tgallagher@kanson.com Associate sports editor
Emphasizing fundamentals on offense and defense, the No.2 Kansas men's basketball team defeated the Rice Owls 88-61 last night in Allen Field House.
Guards Ryan Robertson and Billy Thomas were effective shooting and dishing the ball, while the Jayhawks' interior players pounded the Owls inside the paint.
Thomas said the team made vast improvements toward becoming a better team.
"I think we took a giant step tonight," Thomas said. "I think this was a game when anyone can see that one team was better than the other. We needed to work on some things tonight and that will make us be a better team in the future."
The Kansas frontcourt dominated the game and out rebounded Rice 53-34. But perhaps even more telling about the dominance were the statistics of forwards Raef LaFrentz and Paul Pierce and center Eric Chenowith.
LaFrentz finished the game with a season-high 26 points and 10 rebounds. Pierce had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Chenowith scored 15 points, 12 rebounds, five blocked shots and two assists.
In the first half, LaFrentz and Pierce helped Kansas to a 19-7 lead. The Owls countered with an 8-2 run which narrowed the Kansas lead to six points, but it was the closest Rice would get.
With a 32-20 lead and less than five minutes before halftime, Kansas went on a 13-5 run. That run was punctuated by one of Robertson's 10 assists, an alley-oop to Thomas with four seconds left in the half.
"We had Nick (Bradford) and Billy on the court but that play usually goes to Paul." Robertson said. "I looked to Nick's side and decided to go to Billy. A lot of people don't realize how great of an athlete he is, but he showed it there."
Kansas big men leave Rice crispy
Kansas basketball coach Roy Williams said the team looked better than before but still had to work on defense.
"I think we moved ahead, but it was not pretty," Williams said. "This is the worst defensive team since I've been here. We're not as good as we want to be, but we are improving."
LaFrentz, Chenowith and Pugh burn Owls
By Harley V. Ralliff
sports@kanson.com
Kanson sportswriter
Minutes after his team fell to the Kansas Jayhawks 88-61, Rice Owls forward Jarvis Kelley Sanni appeared from the visitors' locker room and in two words perfectly summed up the dominating performance of the Kansas frontline.
"They're big," Kelley Sanni said with a slight chuckle.
Against the Owls, they were huge. Although Kelley Sanni managed to score a career-high 24 points and grab 11 rebounds, the Rice frontcourt never proved much of an opponent for the Jayhawks' big men. The Kansas frontcourt, led by All-American forward
Raef LaFrentz's 26 points and 10 rebounds, controlled the paint. Forwards LaFrentz and Paul Pierce, along with center Eric Chenowith combined to haul in 32 rebounds and score 57 points.
"They ran a lot of big guys at us tonight — Raef and T.J. and Chenowith coming off the bench," Kelley Sanni said. "That's a hard combination to compete with."
Rice head coach Willis Wilson said that while his team had prepared well for Kansas, there wasn't much the Owls could do to stay competitive.
"Their inside guys are as good as there are," Wilson said. "We played a very, very good frontline against Florida State that we thought was pretty good preparation, but Raef LaFrentz is as good as there is. He's as good of a finisher as there is, not to mention the feel he has for the game."
While Wilson said that he was impressed with LaFrentz, he wasn't
short on praise for Chenowith. Against the Owls, the freshman led the Jayhawks with 12 rebounds and 5 blocks.
"Chenowith is going to be a very good player with time," the Owls' coach said. "We've played Kansas three times in the last four years, and every time they've had freshmen come in and contribute — that's the hallmark of teams that will contend for big honors."
Chenowith said that he attributed much of his early-season success to Kansas coach Roy Williams' offensive system and experienced frontcourt players like LaFrentz.
"Coach Williams put out such a good system for us that if you play hard and do what he says, you're going to get those numbers," Chenowith said. "I never really expected to be playing how I am, but I knew that I would be playing well. It's extremely helpful to be able to look over in practice and see two All-Americans whom you know are doing the right thing most of the time."
Forward Raef LaFrentz takes the ball to the basket against Rice guard Josh Stringer but is called for an offensive foul. Photo by Joe Krieger/KANSAN
Women set to return to exhibition play
The Starting Lineup
KANSAS
JAYHAWKS
0-0 Big 12, 1-0 overall
ATHLETES
IN ACTION
0-0 Big 12, 0-0 overall
G NICOLE LEVESOUE
NICOLE LEVESQUE 5-3
C SUE STEWART 5-11
F VINCEN LOUIS 6-2
BARB FRANKE 6-2
Allen Field House • Lawrence
TV: None
Radio: KLWN, 1320 AM
Game will be part of the 'learning year'
By Penny Walker sports@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
After winning its season opener, the Kansas women's basketball team switches back to exhibition play tonight against Athletes In Action, and coach Marlan Washington is happy to have a breather.
"It if was a year ago, with an experienced ball club, I would be very bothered by it." Washington said. "This year, I'm looking forward to every opportunity to play against competition that won't count against us."
The No. 24 Jayhawks may need every chance they can get. With seven newcomers, including two walk-ons, the team is scrambling to get some polished plays before, as Washington said, it counts.
"It's going to be a very learning year," Washington said. "One game we might be flying high, and we think, 'Wow, this is just a breakthrough.' And then the very next game, it could be that we look as though we've never seen each other."
The AIA team promises to offer the Jayhawks more than enough opportunities and challenges.
"Our game against the Athletes In Action will help us a great deal," Washington said. "This is a team that is made up of some former players — some former great players
—and I think those who have scheduled
this team have found out already how
tough they are."
Since its tour began Nov. 1, AIA has defeated prominent women's teams including Penn State, Iowa State, Illinois State, Colorado State and Air Force.
Two players on the AIA roster have faced the Jayhawks in college. Center Barb Franke had 16 points and five rebounds for Wisconsin in the 1955 game that knocked Kansas out of the NCAA Tournament.
Compared to their first exhibition game against the McDonald's Victorian All-Stars from Australia, the Jayhawks can expect a more American style of basketball, Washington said. She expects more inside play instead of the three-point deluge that led to the All-Stars' 79-56 victory against Kansas.
Guard Stacey Johnson also faced the Jayhawks in 1995. She had 32 points, eight assists and five steals for the University of
Houston. But it wasn't quite enough — Kansas won 99-98, giving Washington her 400th victory.
The point guard remains a tough spot for Kansas, but Washington said Jennifer Jackson was making strides as a starter.
Against shooters like that, the Jayhawks have their work cut out for them.
"You continue to see good things from her. The first play of the (Creighton) game, unfortunately, she had the ball taken from her," Washington said. "I'm laughing about it now, but it wasn't funny at the time. It was like, 'Welcome to the real world.'"
Center Koya Scott echoed Washington's thought that another exhibition game was welcome, saying it would help the Jayhawks improve.
Scott made six points and three rebounds in the season opener against Creighton.
But Scott was disappointed by the first exhibition game's results, in which she had two rebounds and no points.
"I called my dad after I played the Australian game," Scott said. "I was upset, and I talked to him. Then I called him yesterday after we got back on the bus, and he said he had prayed for me all day. I was like, 'Well, I guess it worked.'"
The Jayhawks will face AIA at 7:06 p.m. in Allen Field House.