NEWS
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 18,2004
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
3B
Fieldhouse draws coach, players
Vermont's Brennan wants to experience 'Rock Chalk' before he retires
BY MIRANDA LENNING
mlenning@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
He has coached college basketball for 24 years. He has won 291 games, back-to-back America East Championships and made two NCAA tournament appearances. And coaching college basketball isn't Tom Brennan's only job. He is also the host of a morning radio show in Burlington, Vt.
It appears that the Vermont coach, who will retire at the end of the 2004-05 season, has done everything. But he said there was one more thing he wanted to do before he left the game.
"I have always wanted to coach at Allen Fieldhouse," Brennan said. "I have coached at Kentucky and Carolina, but I want to see what the 'Rock Chalk' is all about."
Brennan said his desire to coach at the fieldhouse was the main reason for tomorrow night's match-up with the Jayhawks. He called about scheduling the game at the end
BRENNAN
of last season, when he knew this season would be his final year at Vermont.
Coach Bill Self was a guest on Brennan's morning radio show yesterday. He said Brennan told him he was ecstatic about coaching in the fieldhouse. But Self said he joked with Brennan that his interest in the arena was not the only reason he wanted to come to Lawrence.
"I know he's excited about playing at Allen, but he wouldn't
There are high expectations for this Catamounts team in the America East Conference. Coming off back-to-back conference championships, the Catamounts are the favorite to win the AEC championship this season.
be calling wanting to come here and play if he didn't think he had a good team that could represent Vermont well," Self said.
Self and Brennan coached against each other when Self was at the University of Tulsa. Self said the veteran coach was full of energy and personality.
"He has a great time doing what he is doing, and he has been doing it for a long time." Self said. "He is going out coaching Vermont's best team ever. That is kind of a neat ending."
"The game is in slow motion to him," Self said of Coppennath. "He could be a first team all-leaguer in our league. He is really, really good."
The team had two outstanding players, T.J. Sorrentine and Taylor Coppenrath, Coppenrath being the most exceptional, Self said.
Coppenrath and Sorrentine combine for an average of 36 points per game. Brennan said that with those two on his side, he is in good position to have success in his final season.
"Those two are good players, they are real key components to our team," Brennan said.
Brennan also said his team was excited about coming to what he described as one of the ten best places in the country to play basketball.
"But on Friday night at 8 p.m.
we will be read," Brennan said.
Tomorrow's game will begin at 7 p.m. CST.
Edited by Marissa Stephenson
This weekend: destination Columbia
BY JENNIFER SHER
jsher@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Editor's Note: Each Thursday Kansan sportswriter Jennifer Sher will profile a recreational hot spot. If you know of a fun or interesting place or activity, email jsher@kansan.com.
Columbia, Mo., is a place that lavhawk fans love to hate.
The heated rivalry between Kansas and Missouri has roots that trace back to pre-Civil War days. Recent meetings have been just as intense as the bleeding battles of the 1850s.
Last fall, the Kansas football team beat the Tigers 35-14 in a stunning upset at Memorial Stadium, giving students an excuse to rush the field and tear down the goalposts.
The football team travels to Missouri on Saturday for a
rematch and the final game of regular season play. Tiger fans are ready to go, so Jayhawk fans need to pack their bags and head for the border.
Student Union Activities and the Kansas Alumni Association are sponsoring a spirit bus package, which includes a ticket and transportation to the game for $50 with a KUID.
St. Louis graduate student Sarah Pfeifer went to the game in Columbia two years ago and is taking the spirit bus this year.
"The rivalry is so great," Pfeifer said. "This will be my last Mizzou-KU game while I am a student and I felt I have to go to support the team to victory."
This is one of the most anticipated games of the year for Tigers fans. Ryan Bosworth and Landon Althoff, students at Missouri, said the town is abuzz.
"All week everyone has been talking and getting ready to watch
the team redeem from last year's loss in Lawrence," Althoff said. "We are looking forward to it."
The whole town takes on a different attitude the week Kansas comes to town. Bosworth said.
"If you attend only one football game in a season it has to be the KU game, whether in Lawrence or in Columbia," he said.
Though they don't want a bunch of Jayhawks in their town, Bosworth and Althoff had plenty of suggestions for preand post-game activities for visitors in Columbia.
Downtown Columbia offers an array of bars, most notably Harpo's and Shiloh. The most popular place to eat is Shakespeare's Pizza, located just off of campus. And many fans forgo the crowded bar scene to tailgate with friends.
Whatever goes on outside the game, the final score is what matters in games against
Missouri, said Shawnee senior Jeremy Giles.
"I think many freshman, particularly those from western Kansas, walk on to campus thinking K-State is our biggest rival," Giles said. "For myself, being from the Kansas City area, you grew up either a KU or a Mizzou fan. There was no middle ground. They don't like us, we don't like them."
Former Missouri football coach Don Ferout once said: "The two games you must win in order for a coach to keep his job at MU are homecoming and KU."
Attitudes like this will make for a heated game Saturday.
Missouri lost its homecoming game to Oklahoma State last weekend. With hard work from our team and enough fan support on Saturday, Missouri coach Gary Pinkel could be out of a job.
- Edited by Janette Crawford
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