Pro Basketball
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sports
Thursday October 2,1997 Section: B
Kevin Garnett signed a reported six-year, $123 million contract with Minnesota hours before the signing deadline yesterday.
Pro Soccer
The Kansas City Wizards will play the Colorado Rapids on Saturday in the MLS playoffs.
SEE PAGE 3B
Page 1
College Basketball
Several high school basketball players have Kansas on their short lists. Some will visit for "Late Night."
SEE PAGE 3B
WWW.KANSAN.COM/NEWS/SPORTS
Contact the Kansan
Sports Desk:
Sports Fax:
Sports e-mail:
Sports Forum:
(785) 864-4810
(785) 864-5261
sports@kansan.com
spftforum@kansan.com
Volleyball falls to K-State
Junior outside hitter Moira Donovan has a spike blocked by two Kansas State players. The Jayhawks fell to their in-state rivals in three games last night at Allen Field House. Photo by Dan Elavsky/KANSAN
By Matt Gardner sports@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas volleyball team continued to struggle in Big 12 Conference play, losing its fourth-consecutive match at home, 12-15, 10-15, 0-15, against Kansas State last night.
"We played hard the first couple games," Kansas volleyball coach Karen Schonewise said. "It almost sounds like a broken record from the Nebraska match. After the break we came out, and we were just flat."
Kansas fell to 7-9 on the year and 0-3 in Big 12 play. Schonewise said her team needed to get on the right track now, before it's too late.
"We have to come in tomorrow and play hard," Schonewise said. "We've got to be upbeat at this point and not let ourselves get down. The end of the season is here really fast and we've got to work hard now."
The Jayhawks shot back from an 11-4 deficit in the first game to get within 13-12, before the Wildcats scored the final two points.
In the second game, it was Kansas who pulled out to an early 4-0 lead before K-State rattled off 11 consecutive points and eventually won.
K-State embarrassed the Jayhawks in the third and final match by holding Kansas scoreless. The last time Kansas suffered a 15-0 defeat was against Texas A&M last October. The last time the Jayhawks were shut out in a home
game was Sept. 10, 1993, at the Kansas Invitational against McNeese State.
Kansas has now lost five consecutive matches to K-State and has reversed roles with the Wildcats from previous years. In the early '90s, the Jayhawks defeated K-State in eight consecutive contests.
Outside hitter Moira Donovan faired well against the Wildcats. After missing the Nebraska contest with an injured left leg, Donovan felt good enough to play against Colorado last Saturday, but was slowed in her performance against the Buffaloes.
Yet against K-State, Donovan looked more like her former self, recording a team-high 14 kills and finishing with a .303 attacking percentage.
Mary Beth Albrecht, an outside hitter, finished with 12 kills and a 429 high attacking percentage.
Schoonew found a few things the Jayhawks needed to work on before their trip tomorrow to Norman, Okla.
"We need to pass better; we didn't pass well tonight," Schonewale said. "We need to work a little bit on our serving. We had way to many service errors again."
many set pieces for it. If history repeats itself, Kansas might expect a win this weekend in Oklahoma.
Last year, Kansas opened Big 12 season with losses at Nebraska. Colorado and K-State before defeating the Sooners at home. This year, however, Kansas takes its act to Norman.
Women's soccer starting to shine
By Harley V. Ratliff
Kansan sportswriter
"We've been knocking on the door," he said. "We've been knocking on the door all season long."
Kansas soccer coach Dan Magner knew it was just a matter of time before his team finally put it all together.
But on too many occasions, Magner has seen his squad play exceptionally well at times, only to allow a combination of missed shots, blown opportunities and lackadaiscal play doom its chances.
put them to work.
"You create opportunities for yourself," he said. "We've been in several games where we just haven't been able to finish. We couldn't seem to put the ball away when we needed to."
However, the Jayhawks (3-7 overall, 1-4 in the Big 12 Conference) finally may be putting their collective together - and at the right time.
With a 4-3 victory against Big 12 rival Colorado on Sunday, Kansas not only snapped its seven-game losing streak, but positioned itself for a run at the Big 12 tournament.
quality of the position. The Jayhawks must win four of their next five conference games to make the tournament. And with games against Iowa State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and
The top six teams in the conference will qualify for the postseason.
missouri left, they have already weathered the most strenuous part of their conference schedule.
"Beating Colorado was vital," Magner said. "It really puts us in a positive position, and you need that to succeed. The rest of the season is in our hands. We will take each game one at a time and try to take care of business."
The Jayhawks' renewed sense of confidence could be a factor down the stretch.
"Winning against Colorado was huge," junior midfielder Jackie Dowell said. "We all knew we were playing well, but we just haven't been able to get over the hump. The Colorado victory reassured us of what we're canable of achieving."
A defensive stalwart her first two seasons at Kansas, the new coaching staff moved Dowell up to center-midfielder. However, last weekend she returned to defense and responded with one of her best games of the season.
Dowell, who scored a goal and had two assists this weekend, will be an integral part of the Javahaws' success.
"We had really hoped to get her more into the attack," he said. "And not that we haven't been pleased, but I think that she will benefit from playing with more of the field in front of her. She is a thinking player, and I think that playing her at defense will put her skills to the best use."
Magner said that he planned to keep Dowell at the position where she is most comfortable.
Jackie Dowell, Germantown, Maryland, junior, clenches her palms before head butting the ball a scrimmage. The Jayhawks practiced yesterday in anticipation of playing at Iowa St. tomorrow and at No. 10-ranked Nebraska on Sunday. Photo by Augustus Anthony Piazza/KANSAN
Coach Allen hopes special teams spark Jayhawks to victory against Oklahoma
By Kelly Cannon
kcannon@kansan.com
Kansan sportwriter
If practice makes perfect, the Jayhawks should be a week ahead of Oklahoma.
Kansas has its last day of practice today before it faces the Sooners on Saturday. The Jayhawks have gone back to the fundamentals of football in order to prepare for Oklahoma, Kansas football coach Terry Allen said.
"You have to tip your hat to the previous staff and the two wins against Oklahoma," Allen said. "They have good players at Oklahoma. We know that. They have a history of that."
The Kansas-Oklahoma series is one of the nation's longest, uninterrupted rivalries. The two teams have played 94 consecutive games against each other. Because of rotating schedules between
Allen: taking the Jayhawks back to the fundamentals.
Because of the roaring growth of the North and South Divisions of the Big 12 Conference, Kansas will not play Oklahoma next year, thus ending the series.
The Jayhawks defeated the Sooners 52-24 in Norman last year.
yesterday.
"The reason they won that game was outstanding special-teams play." Allen said.
Allen said he thought Kansas' special teams were capable of some big things.
"Hopefully we can take advantage of things at special teams play," he said. "We feel pretty good about our personnel, and that is another situation where the second week of preparation can help you."
In previous games Kansas' punt and kick returners have struggled. The Jayhawks only logged 22 return yards against Cincinnati on Sept. 20.
CMMBA Oct. 10.
"We haven't had any great plays out of them," Allen said.
"But then again that's a kind of system orientation, and I think we had some opportunities. We feel pretty good about the things we're getting from the kick-return team. We think we have some legitimate people back there."
Kansas senior punter Dean Royal averaged just 38.4 yards per punt last year. He is averaging more than 45 yards this year.
"Dean Royal has done a good job with the punting part of it." Allen said.
During the Missouri game, both of freshman place kicker Joe Garcia's extra-point attempts were blocked. Allen said the blocked kicks were a concern.
"The glaring blocked PATs made that a heck of a lot different football game than it potentially could have been," Allen said.
Garcia said he had never had a kick blocked before.
"I need to get the ball up faster and get it through the unrights," he said.
Kickoff for the Oklahoma game will be at 1 p.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium in Lawrence.
Senior linebacker Jason Thoren is questionable for the Oklahoma game. Allen said.
"With his brace, it's what he thinks he can do," Allen said. "I have only been here a short time, but Jason Thoren is a young man I have a great amount of respect for. He's not going to go out there and drag that leg behind him."
Thoren injured his left knee in the Cincinnati game. He was expected to return for the Oklahoma game.
"If he is physically not able to go (tonight), then it is not fair to throw him out there Saturday." Allen said.
Allen said the Kansas coaching staff would attend state high school football games for recruiting purposes tomorrow night.
"We will have our full allotment of coaches out locally in the state of Kansas, getting a first-hand, for the first time, look-see at these guys that we have been recruiting very actively."
Intramural program retires Hill Championship
By Sara Anderson sports@kansan.com Special to the Kansan
Lack of student interest reason for tourney's end
The best of the best intramural teams will no longer be crowned Hill Champions at the University of Kansas.
onsmp from its program because of a lack of student interest.
"With the exception of basketball, the Hill Championship was not something the students seemed interested in," said Jason Krone, intramural sport director. "Because of that lack of interest, we decided to stop the championship."
This year, the intramural program has eliminated the decades-old Hill Champi.
Krone said the last few years teams would not show up for the championship game or sent different teams or players in place of the official team.
"If a team is psyched for a game and your competition doesn't show up, it's kind of a pain and a letdown for the team that does," Krone said.
Krone said the Championship dated back at least 20 years. The earliest KU archive records show the Beta Theta Pi fraternity as 1971 champions.
Krone said he wasn't sure how the students would react to the demise of the tournament, but said he would evaluate their reactions to see how they felt.
"We want everyone to be interested," he said. "Td put it back in a second next year, but last year it just didn't seem it was that big of a deal to the teams."
Jen Cadmus, Omaha, Neb., junior, part of last year's Hill Championship flag-football team, thought the Intramural Program should keep the tournament.
"We always strive for the Hill Championship and have won quite a few times," she said.
"It's fun to compete for."
Holly Oglesbee, Wichita sophomore and Cadmus teammate, agreed.
In past years, intramural teams from sports such as football, soccer and basketball were crowned regular-season champions in their
"It takes away some of the competition," Ogliesbe said. "Our whole house got involved and that made it fun."
"Even if no one else cares, the teams should get their chance to prove they're the best," he said. "There should only be one champion."
Mark Messerly, Springfield, Mo., junior, said he understood ack of interest was a problem, but still thought the program should keep the championship.
uvisions - the residence hall division, the greek division and the open division. The top three teams and second-place team from the largest division were part of a single elimination tournament for the Championship.
This year, teams are separated into men's, women's and co-rec leagues. Teams from residence halls, the greek community and students living off-campus now play each other in the regular season, rather than only in the championship tournament. They are then separated into the three separate divisions, and each have a tournament.
A champion is then crowned in each of the separate divisions for both men and women. The co-rec teams have a separate division and do not participate with the men's and women's teams.
4
1