FOOTBALL Missouri has the edge in tomorrow's Border Showdown against Kansas in Columbia, Mo. PAGE 8A
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 19,2004
www.kansan.com
Homecourt games rule schedule
BY JESSE NEWELL
jnewell@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWITTER
It's now or never for a group of Kansas seniors, and expectations have never been higher. Forward Wayne Simien and guards Keith Langford, Aaron Miles and Mike Lee enter the season knowing there won't be a next year in their collegiate careers.
"I would say the hunger level this year is better than it was last year, no doubt about that." coach Bill Self said.
The seniors, along with sophomore guard JR. Giddens and a talented freshman class, earned Kansas the No. 1 spot in both major polls.
The media has created lofty expectations,but nothing above what the seniors believe they can accomplish.
"I believe all four of us have that same mindset," Miles, a guard, said. "We need to work hard to win the national championship."
Self said he wouldn't let the team get caught up in the rankings.
"Those things are irrelevant early in the season," Self said. "We'll get our guys'
attention. We won't let them get hung up on what people have us, because really that is just a great recruiting help."
Simien said the players were much more adjusted to Self and his style this season in the coach's second season.
"Now that we have a year under our belt, we have a better feel for each other and the system." Simien said.
Self said he was pleased with the 2004-05 schedule.
"The positive is there's a lot of home games. The negative is that there's a lot of home games," Self said. "The biggest negative I see is that we don't play our first road game until January."
The following are some highlights of the 2004-05 schedule:
Tonight. home vs. Vermont
Season opener against a team that finished 22-9 last season and lost in first round of NCAA tournament to eventual national champion Connecticut.
Nov. 23, home vs. St. Joseph's
This game would have been more entertaining last season when the St.
Courtney Kublen/KANSAN
SEE SCHEDULE ON PAGE 9A
Russell Robinson, freshman guard, dribbles past a defender during last weekend's game against Washburn. He, along with the rest of the Jayhawks, will face a lot of home games this season, beginning with tonight's matchup against Vermont. The team will not play a road game until January.
Recruits to make impact
Five signees could help team to Top 25
BY NORA KELLAM
nkellam@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRIVER
July 1 marks the official date the NCAA permits a college coach to contact a prospective athlete in person off the college campus. On July 2, Kansas swimming and diving coach Clark Campbell was on his way to freshen up the Jayhawks. Campbell went straight to the home of Molly Brammer, one of the top swimming recruits in Missouri. After only a short visit, Brammer made her decision to become a Jayhawk.
"As soon as I talked to coach Campbell, I knew KU was where I wanted to be," Brammer said. "I have only heard great things about this program."
Brammer is currently a senior at Blue Springs High School, where she swims distance freestyle races and the individual medley. She is also a member of the
Kansas City Dolphins club team
Brammer's coach, Robert Sturman, is a University of Kansas alumnus. He said Brammer was a privilege to train.
"The only way to describe her is old school," Sturman said. "She trains hard, she listens and is a coach-pleaser. KU will be proud to have her."
Brammer's talent and strength will add a new dimension to the Kansas team, Campbell said.
"She will come in and make an immediate impact in the 500, 1,000 and 1,650 free, as well as the 400 IM," he said. "Molly is also a dynamite student and will really contribute to our program's academic goals as well."
In addition to Brammer, four other signees want to make an impact for the Jayhawks next season. Kansas received national letters of intent for the 2005-06 season from Jessica Brozek of Great Bend, Ashley Leidigh of Merriam.
"As soon as I talked to coach Campbell. I
Molly Brammer Swimming team recruit
Rhynn Malloy of Holden, Mass., and Kendall Matous of Overland Park.
Brozek joins the team from Great Bend High School and is a member of the Western Kansas Swim Club team. She will swim middle-distance freestyle races at Kansas. Campbell called Brozek a diamond in the rough and was confident of her potential.
"Her best swimming is still in front of her, and we feel she will really develop in college," Campbell said. "Her work
ethic is second-to-none, and in our environment she will greatly improve.
Leidigh attends Shawnee Mission North High School where she swims the butterfly and sprint freestyle races. She is also a member of the Kansas City Dolphins. Campbell will call on Leidigh to fill the hole senior Amy Gruber will leave next season.
"Ashley was one of the most improved swimmers in our region last year," Campbell said. "It is going to be exciting watching Ashley develop into one of the top swimmers in the Big 12."
Malloy is currently a swimmer at Wachusett Regional High School, where she swims the breaststroke and individual medley events. She is a member of the Magnus Aquatic Group club team, and her coach is Don Lemieux.
"Rhynch is simply one of the most gifted breaststrokers I have ever recruited. She is still relatively new to the sport and has only begun year-around
SEE RECRUITS ON PAGE 9A
SPORTS COMMENTARY
FRED A. DAVIS III
fdavis@kansan.com
Kansas football going strong
Last Saturday's heartbreak to Texas served as one of the most painful losses in Kansas football history. In fact, the four-point setback is only the latest among a host of narrow defeats that have defined the 2004 campaign.
Sure, the Jayhawk's 3-7 record is not a reliable indication of how good this team actually is. Offensive deficiency and inopportune defensive lapses have attributed to Kansas' ninth consecutive losing season.
However, do not let the agony of this season make you think that Kansas football has regressed from last year's unexpected success. Thinking such a notion would cloud the reality that Kansas football is in the midst of a turnaround that has invigorated an otherwise stagnant program.
To fully appreciate the depth of such a turnaround, one must familiarize with the futility that has cloaked Kansas football. As Kansas concludes its 115th season tomorrow, the Hawks stand a mere two games above 500 through 1,112 games. Since 1890, they have been to nine bowl games and last won a conference championship in 1968 as a member of the Big 8.
Since the Big 12 formed in 1996, only Baylor's conference record of 6-65 is worse than Kansas' 16-55. Outside of such football greats as John Hadl, John Riggins, Gale Sayers and a couple of Orange Bowls, Kansas football has been traditionally bad. A turnaround has been in order for some time. It finally started in 2002 with football coach Mark Mangino.
Mangino and his staff arrived in Lawrence to a program going nowhere and an Athletic Department in disrepair. Now in year three, with a bowl berth, victory over Kansas State and a tenacious commitment from a revamped Athletics Department, Kansas football is moving in the right direction.
Jim Marchiony, associate athletics director. agrees.
"Coach Mangino and his staff are doing an excellent job building a football program and we need to do what
SEE STRONG ON PAGE 9A
Righting their wrongs
Jayhawks learn from exhibition mistakes before regular season begins
BY BJ RAINS
brains@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
The exhibition season has come and gone for the women's basketball team, and now the games are for real. The Kansas Jayhawks begin their regular season against the Texas-Arlington Lady Mavs this weekend. Tip-off is scheduled for 1.p.m. Sunday at Allen Fieldhouse. For Kansas to come away with a victory, it will need to learn from Tuesday night's exhibition defeat against the West Coast All-Stars.
"If we don't play any better we will lose on Sunday, and these kids understand that," said Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson.
Some positives can be taken out of the loss. If nothing else, the game's close ending will help the Jayhawks prepare for the pressure of a close game.
"That was great late game situation that you can't create in practice. We will look at this and be able to break it down," Henrickson said. "If we learn from our mistakes, and don't make them again, then the game was not for nothing."
PROBABLE STARTERS
KANSAS
Name Pos Yr Ht PPG RPG
40 Crystal Kemp F Jr 6-2 13.4 5.8
34 Alicia Rhymes F So 6-0 .3 .3
4 Kaylee Brown G Jr 5-8 2.4 0.3
11 Aquanita Burras G Sr 5-9 10.1 5.8
23 Erica Hallman G Jr 5-8 6.9 1.6
The Kansas players and coaches said that the exhibition season was for practice.
KANSAS
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS-ARLINGTON
| # | Name | Pos | Yr | Ht | PPG | RPG |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 33 | Rola Ogunye | F | Sr | 6-0 | 15.2 | 7.8 |
| 30 | Melanie Lane | F | Jr. | 6-2 | 2.5 | 3.9 |
| 3 | Tojijinay Thompson | G | So | 5-9 | 5.2 | 2.8 |
| 14 | Krystal Buchanan | G | Sr | 5-7 | 7.2 | 3.0 |
| 22 | Terra Wallace | G | So | 5-6 | 7.1 | 2.4 |
*stats are from 2003-2004 season
UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS-ARLINGTON
Sources: Kansas women's basketball media guide and utemavs.com
"It was an exhibition game. You play exhibition games to see what you do good and to see what you do bad," junior guard Kaylee Brown said. "We'll see what we did wrong, and work on it for the rest of the season."
Kansas will need to correct those wrongs when Texas-Arlington comes to town. The Lady Mavs return four
starters from last year's that finished 19-12. It was first time since the 1981-1982 season that Texas-Arlington had reached the 19-victory mark and only the fifth time in the program's history.
Texas-Arlington went 11-5 in the Southland Conference to finish third.
SEE RIGHT ON PAGE 9A
Ginny Weatherman/KANSAN
Senior guard Aquanita Burras takes a shot over a defender during Tuesday's game. Kansas will play its first regular season game this Sunday against Texas- Arlington.
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