THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, AUGUST 17, 2009
SPORTS
55
PERKINS (CONTINUED FROM 52)
Kansas University Athletics Director Lew Perkins sits inside his office. Perkins outlined plans for athlétics in the upcoming year, stating his excitement for women's basketball after the team's participation in the WNIT final.
Chance Dibben/KANSAN
will replace the MegaVision in the south end zone.
These renovations follow the team's opening of the practice facility, located next to Memorial Stadium, last year. Perkins said "probably about 10 to 15" universities had visited the practice facility, and that kids who committed to coming to Kansas said they were impressed with the facility.
Perkins said all of this contributed to an expectation of success in football, the newest tone-setter in Kansas sports.
"We have the community support,' Perkins said. "It's all up to us."
Edited by Ross Stewart
MEN'S AND WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
A piece of the most famous basketball court in the life of current Jayhawk basketball fans now hangs here.
The athletics department will open a new practice facility this fall in the Wagnon Student Athlete Center, a result of the space gained by the football program's move to the Anderson Family Football Complex. Hanging from a wall in this new spacious hall is a slice of the 2008 Final Four court, where the men's basketball team emerged as national champions. And now following the women's program's run to the Women's National Invitational Tournament final, both have big expectations.
Perkins said the Jayhawks' participation in the WNIT final was a
building block for both community and student support. Perkins said the WNIT experience was "very positive" for the program.
"Our kids got an opportunity to play for a national championship," Perkins said. "To me, that's pretty desirable. That's pretty meaningful."
Perkins said the women's basketball team should be better this year because last year's team is still intact and will be adding talented players.
"Coach Henrickson and her staff have done a magnificent job of recruiting," Perkins said.
Perkins also pointed to the success of senior forward Danielle McCray in the Women's World University Games, in which McCray was the second-leading scorer for Team USA in its gold medal performance. Perkins said the tools were there to have success for women's basketball.
"I think we're going to see a real push toward women's basketball."
Perkins said that the men's program was one that "a lot of people have a lot of high hopes" for, and that the focus should now turn toward winning games to get to where experts and fans alike have the team placed — the Final Four.
"We think this could be one of our best years ever," Perkins said. "I think we're going to see a real push toward women's basketball."
LEW PERKINS Athletics director
"You don't win on reputation, you win on playing." Perkins said. "I think we have all the necessary tools to be a great team."
Perkins said sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor's performance for Team USA in the Under-19 World Championships, in which Taylor led the team in scoring, proves that
the more great players a team has, the better a team is going to be.
"I think everybody's going to contribute on this basketball program," Perkins said. "Being one of the elite programs in the country, you can never have enough players."
Perkins said Kansas coach Bill Self did a great job of recruiting, and that includes senior guard Sherron Collins and junior center Cole Aldrich staying on the team.
"The two best recruits we got were two veterans, Cole and Sherron," Perkins said.
Perkins described the team for the upcoming year as "very, very exciting".
"I think we have all the necessary tools to be a great team," Perkins said.
TRACK & FIELD
Edited by Jason Baker
Coach chosen to work with Team U.S.A.
BY JASON BAKER
jbaker@kansan.com
The U.S. Track and Field team named its coaching staff July 6 for the World Championships in Berlin next month, and a Jayhawk made it
onto the roster.
Coach Stanley Redwine was named as men's distance coach for Team USA.
"Any time you get to represent your country in
Redwine
track and field is an honor," Redwine said.
Redwine will be working with athletes in events such as the 800 meter run, the 5000 meter run and the marathon. Redwine said he would know who would be competing in the distance events at the end of July.
Redwine competed as an athlete for Team USA in Berlin in various distance events annually from 1983 to 1996.
"I took it as an honor whenever I was selected as an athlete," Redwine said.
USA Track and Field selected Harvey Glance, men's track and field coach at Alabama, as men's coach
for the World Championships. The organization selected Chandra Cheeseborough, women's track and cross country coach at Tennessee State, as the head coach for the women's side of Team USA.
Cheeseborough also had previous experience as an athlete competing in Berlin and said she remembered having Redwine as a teammate.
"I remember him being a gentle- man on and off the track," she said.
Redwine said USA Track and Field had a selection committee made up of coaches and athletes that chose the staff to compete in the World Championships, the Pan American Games and the Olympics.
Redwine was selected as an assistant coach for Team USA for the Pan American games in 2003 and named men's coach for the Pan American games in 2007.
Redwine said that he hoped being an assistant for Team USA would bring notoriety to Kansas track and field, and that he wanted to represent Kansas along with Team USA.
He said he would like to wear Jay-hawk gear while in Berlin.
"USATF may have some things on what you can and can't wear," Redwine said, "but anything and everything I do, I always have Kansas at heart."
— Edited by Jesse Rangel