GOING DEEP Shane Kucera talks with men's golfer Kevin Ward about life on the golf course. PAGE 8B
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2004
www.kansan.com
JESSE NEWELL jnewell@kansan.com
Lessons from Canada
After a crazy, entertaining, stressful, getting-lost-at-every-point-in Vancouver trip, here are 13 things I learned in Canada after following the men's basketball team on its exhibition tour.
1. There was not one player on the trip that could stop Wayne Simien. In fact, British Columbia coach Kevin Hanson said he didn't believe anyone in Canada could. Simien shot incredibly, making 12 of his 14 shots in the final game. He also seems to have extended his range farther, making two three-pointers out of the four he attempted.
2. Coach Bill Self will have to find a way to put Russell Robinson and Aaron Miles on the court at the same time. Self would love to groom Robinson into a point guard for next year but he might have to alter his plans after seeing Robinson and Miles perform so well on the court together. In one game, the duo combined for four straight steals, which all led to points on the other end. The two brought a new level of backcourt defensive intensity to this year's team.
Junior defensive end Charlton Keith congratulated junior linebacker Kevin Kane after he intercepted a pass at the Tulsa 20 yard line at Memorial Stadium last weekend. Kane ran with the intercepted ball for 18 yards.
3. Freshman Robinson plays like a sophomore now. His stated goal to Self last month was to become a sophomore by December, but he looks like one already. Robinson is a polished player who is very similar to the Aaron Miles of three years ago. The guard from New York showed stifling on-the-ball defense, good passing skills in traffic and an ability to hit the outside shot. He had a tendency to force shots and passes at times, but showed the most potential of the freshmen — if we still want to call him that.
4. McDonald's is good food in any country.
5. C.J. Giles has the inside track to start alongside Simien in the forward position. Self said Giles and Darmell Jackson impressed him the most of the freshmen big men, but Giles looked to be the farthest along of the three. Fans will love his athleticism and shot-blocking ability, but Giles also showed strong defensive instincts and a good touch around the rim. He performs his role well, which is mostly to play tough defense, and he doesn't try to do more than he is capable of.
Courtney Kuhlen/KANSAN
6. Sasha Kaun has work to do, but shows Collison-like qualities. Kaun is the farthest behind of the freshmen big men, with Self saying the game is currently too fast for him. This aside, he scored 20 points and had nine rebounds against Langara, not a bad line for someone still adjusting to the speed of the college game. Most impressive was his ability to use both hands in the post. He looks as comfortable using his left hand for hook shots as former Kansas All-American Nick Collison did his freshman season.
7. Keith Langford's knee could be key. Self said the only negative of the trip was that Langford's knee does not seem to be at full strength. Self held Langford out of the last game after the senior guard scored 21 points against Fraser Valley. The key to the season may be how healthy Langford will be, especially come tournament time when he tends to save his best play for last.
8. If you attain legal drinking age on a flight to Canada and have ID ready in hand to buy a drink, the flight attendant will not card you. This will be frustrating,because you have waited 21 years of your life to be carded.
Linebacker Kane steps up
SEE LESSONS ON PAGE 4B
BY JONATHAN KEALING
jkealeng@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRIETER
Rockhurst High School is known as one of the football powerhouses in the Kansas City area. Only one Rockhurst alum is on the roster at Kansas, but junior Kevin Kane represented well with an outstanding performance in Saturday's 21-3 victory over Tulsa.
In just one defensive series against Tulsa, Kane contributed a sack, was part of a tackle and then intercepted a pass at the Tulsa 20-yard line and returned it to the two-yard line.
After the game, Coach Mark Mangino poked fun at Kane's inability to reach the end zone, with his blistering "5.5 forty" speed.
"I just like to think I was looking at the scenery," Kane said.
As nice as the touchdown would have been, it would have been only icing on a cake that was already several layers high.
"Kevin Kane is a good football player because he works at it," Mangino said. "He made himself a better player through hard work."
When Mangino unveiled his depth chart for the first game of the season, he turned some heads by listing four linebackers, while his defensive scheme calls for only three. Mangino said that he intended to use Kane in addition to previously projected starters Banks Floodman, Gabriel Toomey and Nick Reid, all juniors, in a rotation.
"It helps keep us fresh. If someone gets tired, we can put in someone just as good." Kane said.
For Tulsa, Mangino elected to start Kane, Toomey and Reid, but defended that as nothing more than one example of a starting scheme.
"You all get too hung up on the eleven on the field to start the game," he said to the media after Saturday's game.
He explained that all four linebackers would take a fairly equal number of snaps and have an equal chance to start. Kane relished his chance to do so.
"It was great to be out there on the first plau." Kane said.
Coming out of last season, Kane was determined to set himself up for success.
those other guys."
All of the success Kane had this week is not going to allow him to rest. Right now, he's focusing on giving the same performance, week after week.
"I was thinking, if I get an opportunity, I'd make the most of it," Kane said. "I thought I was just as good as
"Just consistency, just doing it week in and week out. Becoming a better player each week, will make me better overall." Kane said.
Toledo, Kansas' opponent this week,
amassed 406 yards in its lopsided 63-21
loss to Minnesota last weekend.
Kansas had just more than 200 yards in its victory.
For Kansas to win, the defense will have to perform as well or better than it did last week. And Kane will have to be a big part of that.
"There's always room for improvement." Kane said.
If that's the case, Kane better find himself with the ball in the end zone against Toledo.
Edited by Janette Crawford
Soccer co-captain Leeper wants little recognition
By Kellis Robinett
krobinet@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRIVER
It is hard to call a team captain an unsung hero, but when a team has as many individual stars as the Kansas women's soccerc team, it's the label senior defender Stacy Leeper has to endure.
Kansas' defense has not allowed a goal in its first four games, and Leeper is a big reason why. But unlike sophomore defender Holly Gault, senior goalkeeper Meghan Miller or sophomore midfielder Nicole Cauzillo, Leeper has not been
LEFPFR
honored by the Big 12 Conference.
Even though Leeper has not received any awards, she is the first person to tell you that she doesn't feel overlooked.
"We're a team, and if one person on our defense gets honored that's great." Leeper said. "But there are six of us back there and it wouldn't work if we weren't all there, and it doesn't matter who gets the recognition as long as we stop the other team from scoring."
As the only senior on the defense, Leeper acts as a coach by directing her teammates on the field.
"I know my teammates look to me to start the talk," Leeper said. "Everyone out there at different times is giving me information. They ask me what to do in certain situations and look to me because they know I've been here four years."
Her performance on the field shouldn't be ignored. She tackles well, gets the ball back to the offense quickly and isn't afraid to sacrifice her body to make a play. Unfortunately, none of
those qualities show up on the stat sheet.
Forwards score goals, midfielders collect assists and goalkeepers rack up saves. As a defender, the only stats that Leeper has compiled in her career are two goals and four assists.
But compiling statistics is not a concern to Leeper. Of all the defenders on the team, she spends the most time in the backfield protecting the goal.
"Those things don't really matter to me," Leeper said. "My biggest statistic is the number of times I've talked. I always joke with people that I don't do anything. I just tell everyone else what to do. My strength is organizing and telling everyone else where to go."
It's that kind of leadership her coach and teammates recognize, and is a primary reason why she was named the team's co-captain, along with senior midfielder Lauren Williams.
"We've got a good nucleus on defense with Gault, Leeper and Miller." Francis said. "I think the young players will learn from Leeper and won't have any problems playing."
Coach Mark Francis has so much confidence in her that he wasn't even worried about his young backfield coming into the season.
As a team captain Leeper also helps her teammates off the field by reminding them what to do between games, and what clothes and equipment to take for road games.
She doesn't think she deserves any credit for being a captain.
Leeper has been to two NCAA tournaments, and has started 46 games, second most of anyone on the team.
"It's not that big of a deal." Leeper said. "Everyone on this team is important, it's not like people look at me differently because I'm a captain."
Kansan File Photo
Stacy Leeper dribbed the ball during an Aug. 26 practice at Ray Evans field in Anschutz Sports Pavilion. The senior defender is team captain this year.
The extra experience she has is an advantage for the soccer team, but the urgency she plays with knowing that this is her last season may be what makes her the most dangerous.
"All of the seniors have a countdown of how many games we have left," Leeper said. "I definitely want to maximize the time I have left."
— Edited by Jon Ralston
Softball finds its new ace
Unless a newcomer puts on a performance similar to to one Kassie Humphreys turned in her freshman season. Humphreys will be the anchor to a pitching staff in definite need of one.
BY MATT WILSON
mwilson@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRIVER
The program graduated Kara Pierce, the team leader a year ago in games started, wins, strikeouts and innings pitched. Beyond Humphreys, the Jayhawks' only returning pitcher who started a game last season is redshirt junior Serena Settlemier. Settlemier made only one start last year after coming off injury, which brings into focus how important Humphreys will be to a team that finished seventh in the conference a year ago.
The 'Hawks should not be too worried about laying such a burden on Humphreys.
There was room for argument last softball season as to who was the ace of the Kansas pitching staff. This year, chances are there will be no such debate.
She racked up impressive numbers as a true freshman, leading the team in earned run average while posting 14 wins. She finished in the top 10 among Big 12 Conference pitchers in ERA, opponent batting average, strikeouts, wins, hits allowed and earned runs allowed as well. Not bad for someone who didn't know quite what to expect when coming to the team.
"I came into last year knowing it was going to be a learning process," Humphreys said. "I wanted to soak up as much as I could."
SEE ACE ON PAGE 4B
6
44
]
16
---
---