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The Kansas Jayhawks volleyball team falls to the Kansas State Wildcats in the final game of the season.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2006 WWW.KANSAN.COM
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE 1B
SPORTS
KANSAS 82 FLORIDA 80
GATOR SLAYERS
Julian Wright, sophomore forward, goes for a dunk against No.1 Florida during the final round of the Las Vegas Invitational. Wright scored a career-high 21 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for Kansas. The Jayhawks defeated the Gators in overtime 82-80.
Jared Gab/KANSAN
BY SHAWN SHROYER
LAS VEGAS — For five games,
Kansas searched for an identity.
Late Saturday night, it found one.
Eat Saturday night, it is best to "Our guys were ready, focused, they played with a free mind, they weren't up tight and weren't trying to hang onto something. They went out and tried to take it," coach Bill Self said.
What No. 10 Kansas took away was No. 1 Florida's perfect record and any doubt that the Jayhawks could be one of the elite teams in the country this season, winning 82-80 in overtime and taking home the Las Vegas Invitational title.
Considering all that Kansas had been through, the upset against the defending national champions gave the impression that the Jayhawks recent struggles might be behind them. Kansas shot well, rebounded well and defended well against the best team it'd played in the Bill Self era.
"We could have been 0-5 and we still would have come out and played hard against Florida," junior guard Russell Robinson said.
But, as well as Kansas played as a team on Saturday, one player set the tone for Kansas — tournament Most Valuable Player, sophomore forward
Julian Wright.
In the first six minutes, Kansas' frontcourt was struck hard with early fouls committed by freshman forward Darrell Arthur and junior center Sasha Kaun. Wright picked up the slack beyond belief. When there was any question as to who would make a play for Kansas, he answered.
"Julian, in the first half, was just as good as a guy can be in college," Self said. "I thought he was fabulous."
Wright refused to let the Jayhaws fall behind in the first half. At one point, he scored six straight points for Kansas, and of the Jayhawks' last eight points of the half, he had five. He finished the half with 17 points and Kansas went into intermission up 37-31.
Wright's performance left Florida coach Billy Donovan feeling lucky that his team was still in the game at halftime.
"To be honest with you, I thought we were down by 20 with the way we played in the first half." Donovan said. "I was shocked it was only a six point game."
Far from out of the game, Florida came roaring back in the second half.
SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE 5B
Players-only meeting motivates increases 'Hawks' game intensity
BY MICHAEL PHILLIPS
LAS VEGAS — After Friday's 64-46 victory against Ball State, the Kansas players got closer as a team.
They all crammed into the hallway outside freshman forward Darrell Arthur's hotel room for a players-only meeting.
"I just felt a lot of guys had a lot to get off their chest," junior guard Russell Robinson said. "They just wanted to get it out in the open, and last night was their opportunity to do that."
All-Tournament Team
Sophomore forward Julian Wright kicked off the meeting, with Robinson joining him in addressing the group. For the next 15 minutes, the other teammates voiced their frustrations, something they said helped them focus for Saturday's
Las Vegas Invitational All-Tournament Team:
Kanjas forward Julian Weihrt (MVP)
Kansas guard Russell Robinson
Kansas guard Mario Chalmers
Florida guard Taurean
Florida forward Al Horford
FOOTBALL
game against No.1 Florida.
Kansas' bowl hopes slip away
"Everybody was pretty much angry and upset with a lot of things." Robinson said. "But it got
BY RYAN SCHNEIDER
SEE MEETING ON PAGE 5B
A blowout loss to Missouri Saturday ended a disappointing season filled with what-could-have-beens.
COLUMBIA, Mo. — This was only fitting.
Kansas had opportunities Saturday — and all season long — to make plays that would get the team to a second-straight bowl game. They couldn't, and the Jayhawks will most likely be home for the holidays as a result.
All that hype about back-to-back bowl games can now almost certainly end as well.
Missouri took out three years of pent-up frustration against Kansas
Saturday, blowing out the Jayhawks 42=17.
"They outplayed us in nearly every facet of the game," coach Mark Mangino said. "They out-coached us and outplayed us. It was a clean sweep for them."
It's easy to see how it happened, considering the number of mental mistakes that hurt Kansas. Perhaps the worst instance was a third quarter penalty against the Jayhawks that kept a Tiger drive alive.
Kansas had just scored on the previous possession to cut Missouri's lead to three points. That touchdown seemed to give the Jayhawks the momentum for the first time all day.
The Jayhawk defense had the Tigers in a fourth down and three at their own 27-yard line, lined up to punt the ball. Just moments before the ball was snapped, Kansas was flagged for lining up in the neutral zone.
The 5-yard penalty gave the Tigers a first down and the momentum. Missouri ended that drive with a touchdown that increased its lead to 10 points.
It didn't last long though.
"That penalty right there, we just kept shooting ourselves in the foot," junior defensive lineman James McClinton said. "You keep doing that constantly and you start to lose your leg."
Just like that, the lajhayas essen- tially eliminated themselves from
Numerous 6- 1 teams, such as Oklahoma State, Florida State and Alabama are likely to be selected for bowl games ahead of Kansas. The Cowboys are likely headed to the Big 12 lowest bowl, the Houston Bowl.
There are only 64 bowl berths available, and only a few bowls are expected to have at-large spots and Kansas certainly doesn't rank high on the list of the 70 teams with at least six victories, 66 of which are ranked higher than Kansas. Add to that a rule that forces bowls to select teams with a winning record first and its easy to see that the Jayhawks bowl hopes are a long shot at best.
bowl contention.
SEE FOOTBALL ON PAGE 8B
Rvan McGoeney/KANSAN
Dexton Fields, sophomore wide recover, attempts to escape a teckle from a Missouri player during the game in Columbia, Mo., on Saturday. Fields had 37 receiving yards and rushed for 7 yards. The Jayhawks fell to the Tigers 42-17.
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