Volume 125 Issue 62
kansan.com
Thursday, January 24, 2013
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
COMMENTARY Border War good for Kansas fans
It was probably the biggest game of Kansas' regular season. The Jayhawks traveled to the Octagon of Doom to take on a red hot Kansas State team who was itching to beat its bitter rival. The stakes were enormous as both teams were undefeated in conference and battling for first place in the Big 12. Kansas State's only losses were to Michigan and Gonzaga while Kansas' only loss was a nail biter to Michigan State.
This game was obviously the headliner of the night, right? It must have been the featured game on ESPN.
Wrong.
The game was on the Big 12 Network.
The Big 12 Network. The biggest game of the Jayhawks season, and its viewership was the Midwest.
That's why Kansas needs to swallow its pride and play Missouri again.
No disrespect to the Wildcats. They are an excellent team that plays solid defense and if they can knock down their outside shots, they are capable of beating any队 in the nation. Yes, even the Jayhawks.
But writing kind words about the Wildcats did not make me cringe. It did not leave a sour taste in my mouth. However, if I had complimented the Missouri Tigers, I would be desperately seeking the nearest shower to wash away my shame. The hate for the Wildcats is just not there. And it is because of the hate for the Tigers that the Border War would never be televised on the Big 12 Network. Television executives would circle that game immediately and feel confident people all over the country would switch off Here Comes Honey Boo Boo and watch the game.
If the Jayhawks started playing them again, the Jayhawks are the jilted man who crawls back to his former paramour, despite her leaving him for a man who drives a Rolls Royce and has a nice, full mustache. And you know what? That's true.
I understand that the Tigers, in layman's terms, dumped us. They were offered a nice contract with a thriving football conference and pranced out the door without so much as glancing over their shoulders. It seemed they barely even considered that they were walking away from one of the storied rivalries in basketball.
But it's about more than just pride. It's about the fans. It's about tradition. It's about being the bigger man. When Thomas Robinson blocked current Missouri junior Phil Pressey, and Allen Fieldhouse registered a decibel that hadn't been heard since the Manhattan Project. It showed how much both sides care about the rivalry. It showed how every Border War has the potential to become a classic in the making.
Maybe it won't be next year or even the year after that. However, the Border War must continue. The Missouri game was always highlighted, underlined, and circled on the schedule of even the most casual fans around the United States.
The Kansas State game couldn't even make it on national television. It's a mantra that's often forgotten in college basketball, but it rings true.
It's about the fans.
Edited by Tyler Conover
KANSAS 76, TEXAS 38
BACK ON TRACK
Women's team snaps losing streak with victory over Texas
MAX GOODWIN
rmgoodwin@kansan.com
It had been 18 days since the last Kansas victory.
"What, you didn't think I was counting?" Bonnie Henrickson said after her team beat Texas by a score of 76-38.
It was almost the exact situation that Kansas found themselves in last season when they faced Texas at Allen Fieldhouse, feeling the desperation of having lost three games in a row, and once again, Kansas ended its losing streak.
Henrickson's team played with a sense of urgency after three straight Big 12 losses. After one half of play, the Jayhawks went into the locker room with a 46-12 lead after shooting 53 percent from the field and 50 percent from the three-point line.
The sense of urgency was shared by the Longhorns, who entered Allen Fieldhouse on an eight-
game losing streak. Texas was playing without its two top scorers, Chassidy Fussell and Nenka Enemkali, who did not make the trip to Lawrence because of team violations.
Senior Angel Goodrich showed off her shooting skills, which she has been working hard on in practice, going 5-of-7 from long range against Texas. She has become a real three-point threat.
"We had a shot to end it at [Texas] Tech," Henrickson said. "We wanted to make sure we took care of that business tonight."
Goodrich led the nation in assists per game last season, but she has focused recently to become a more aggressive shooter. The senior point guard is not just looking to add points to her career scoring; she is thinking about the reaction of defenders once they figure out that she can shoot.
"I want to change my game to where, if their hands are down, 1
can hit an open shot," Goodrich said. "Then they would have to put more pressure on me, so then I can drive and dish."
The first three-pointer of the game gave Goodrich 1,000 career points, joining Monica Engelman and Carolyn Davis as the third current Jayhawk to reach the mark.
Goodrich and Davis both struggled against Texas Tech, combining for 18 points. On Wednesday, against Texas, Davis scored 18 points on her own while Goodrich was the leading scorer with 20 points.
Bonnie Henrickson can prepare her team for its game against Oklahoma State without counting the days in between. Her team will play Oklahoma State this weekend, hoping to begin a new streak.
Edited by Sarah McCabe
A trainer wraps freshman guard Lamaria Cole's fingers after an injury sustained in Wednesday's game against the texas Longhorns. Cole appeared to be in pain during the repair. She returned to the game to play the last few minutes of Kansas' 76-38 win.
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
Sophomore forward Bunny Williams pushes her way past two defenders on her way to the basket in Wednesday's game against Texas.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Phog consistent with great moments
RYAN MCCARTHY mmccarthy@kansan.com
Basketball history is everywhere in Allen Fieldhouse. You can sense the ghosts of Wilt Chamberlain and "Phog" Allen anytime you curl your feet around the wooden bleachers or tilt your head up to the rafters filled with banners. The halls are bursting with shining trophies, gigantic murals and, above all, memories. Memories from games only seen in bits on the flashy video board or grainy video clips online. It's the 800th regular season men's basketball game in Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday against Oklahoma. Here's a few memorable moments from the past 799.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
- After three years of construction, the Fieldhouse opened on March 1, 1955, with a Kansas victory over Kansas State. The Jayhawks came out victorious against the Wildcats with a 77-67 win.
- Before Danny Manning, the school's all-time leading scorer,
left to have a career in the NBA, he squeezed out a few indelible performances. One of the best for Manning came against Digger Phelps and the Fighting Irish on Feb. 8, 1987. Manning dropped 40 points that game as Kansas beat Notre Dame 70-60. It was Manning's best performance in the Phog behind a 42-point effort against Missouri State that year.
- 150 points is a major accomplishment in college basketball. But it means even more when Kansas played a team like powerhouse Kentucky. The Jayhawks dropped 80 points in the first half and went on to put another 70 points to set the school record for most points in a game. The final score: Kansas 150 Kentucky 95.
- In his first varsity game inside Allen Fieldhouse, Wilt Chamberlain started off his career with a bang on Dec. 3, 1956. The Jayhawks crushed the Northwestern Wildcats behind Chamberlain's 52 points. That record still stands as the most points scored in a single game by any Kansas Basketball player.
- In one of the more memorable Final Four runs for Kansas, no game was bigger than Nick Collison's 24-point, 23-rebound performance that led the Jayhawks over Texas by the score of 90-87 on Jan. 27, 2003. For those who watched on television, this was the game ESPN commentator Dick Vitale gave Collision a standing ovation. Also Kansas great Kirk Hinrich scored 25 points in his final game at Allen Househouse.
- It was a day full of record-setting accomplishments on March 3, 2007 when Kansas cam back from a 12 point deficit to win 90-86 over the Texas Longhorns. On that day Kansas won its 1,900th all-time game and clinched its 50th conference title. However, what is still remembered most is Texas' Kevin Durant's 25 point first half. He finished the game with a total of 32 points.
- Raef Lafrentz, Billy Thomas,
and Kansas won 83-70 over
Oklahoma on Feb. 23, 1998, completing the careers as Jayhawks
as undefeated at home. There was also a man by the name of Paul Pierce who impressed
Oklahoma coach Kelvin
Sampson with his 31-point performance that night.
- With the Border War appearing to be on hold for the near future, Kansas' 87-86 overtime victory over Missouri proved to be one of the greatest games in the rivalries history while also adding to the lore of the Fieldhouse. As you might remember, The Jayhawks overcame a 19-point second half deficit to force overtime and the eventual victory.
Edited by Tyler Conover
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Senior guard Tyshawn Taylor shoots over Missouri's Matt Presley during the first half of the game at Allen Fieldhouse on Feb. 25, 2012. Taylor scored a total of 24 points for Kansas during the border war against Missouri.