Student ticket pickup begins today from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.at the Allen Fieldhouse Ticket Office and will continue all week. Students who purchased a sports combo pass may pick up their football tickets by showing a valid KUID. Each student must claim his or her own tickets.Football tickets may also be purchased without buying the combo. Those tickets are available for $10 per game or $45 for the season at the ticket office.
TUESDAY, AUGUST 22, 2006
WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
PAGE 10A
VOLLEYBALL
Natalie Uhart, junior middle blocker, injured her knee Saturday. She struck the referee stand so hard the referee was almost knocked off.
Injury sends Uhart out indefinitely
Newcomer of the Year kept out by injuries once again
BY DREW DAVISON
Natalie Uhart, a junior middle blocker who transferred to the University of Kansas from Long
Beach State University, is out indefinitely after injuring her knee during Saturday's KU Alumni Scrimmage.
In the first match, Uhart dove for a ball and kicked.
Uhart
referee stand.
The referee said he thought Uhart fell first, then slid into the stand. He added that the stand shook so much, he had to hold on to stay balanced.
Uhart, named Big 12 Conference Preseason Newcomer of the Year, was scheduled to fill in for Josi Lima at the middle blocker position this season.
granted Uhart a medical waiver conferring junior eligibility because of nagging injuries.
"You hate to see that," coach Ray Bechard said of Uhart's injury following Saturday's game. "We'll hope for the best."
Recently, the Big West Conference
"With everything she's been through, with the transfer situation and not having played much the last year or two," he said, "it's really unfortunate she didn't get to go a
little bit longer tonight."
Bechard said Uhart's injury was not related to her previous injuries. He will update Uhart's status today at the University's Fall Olympic Sports Media Day.
Kansan sportswriter Drew Davison can be contacted at ddavison@kansan.com.
— Edited by Natalie Johnson
» "HORN BORN; "HAWK BRED
BY TRAVIS ROBINETT
Fate of Kansas football in the hands of NCAA
In a few weeks the NCAA will make its final decision about how to punish the University of Kansas for its recent rule violations, and fans should pay close attention because it could be more serious than they realize, especially for the football program.
Anything short of a bowl ban and the football team should survive the ordeal. Most likely, the team will only lose scholarships and recruiting visits. But what if a bowl ban is implemented? What about a two-year ban? As bad and unlikely as it seems, it is a possibility KU fans should worry about
BY TRAVIS ROBINETT
KANSAN COLUMNIST
TROBINETT@KANSAN.COM
Without a post-season, more recruiting battles would be lost. Not many talented recruits would come to a non-football school in a BCS conference without the possibility of going to a bowl game. And what if Mangino loses his job? No good coach would want to step into that kind of situation.
be devastating.
KU football crawled out of the toilet Terry Allen left in it with the help of coach Mark Mangino and needs consistent success
KU football crawled out of the toilet Terry Allen left it in with the help of coach Mark Mangino and needs consistent success to build a big-time program.
Without as much talent and good coaching,
Kansas would win fewer games, fans would buy
fewer tickets,
and the foot-
to build a big-time program. That means consecutive bowl berths instead of sporadic success. At this point, the program seems to be on the fast track toward the former. The exposure that bowl games provide is essential for a team working its way up in the world of NCAA football, like Kansas, and a ban from post-season play would
lowa running back Dana Brown, right, runs with the ball during football practice Saturday, Aug. 19, 2006, in Iowa City, Iowa.
ball program could end up back in the toilet bowl, which would probably take at least five years to get out of.
The football team wouldn't be suffering alone. The rest of the Athletics Department would take a hit because of lost revenue.
SEE NOTE ON PAGE 9A
Cyclones not worried by tough early scheduling
BY SHAWN SHROYER
As daunting as Iowa State's offense can be for opposing defenses, its schedule is every bit as menacing.
Iowa State opens its Big 12 Conference schedule on the road at defending National Champion Texas. Then, after a nonconference game against Northern Iowa, the Cyclones face Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas Tech in consecutive weeks.
.
BIG 12 FOOTBALL
In total, nine of Iowa State's 12 opponents in 2006 reached postseason play in 2005.
"There's a lot of really big challenges, but it's a season of opportunity and that's the way we're looking at it and we're not going to duck and hide and we're going to hold our heads high and try and prepare for a great season ahead," coach Dan McCarney said.
If any team in the Big 12 North can handle that schedule, it's Iowa State. The Cyclones will return 11 offensive starters from last season's 7-5 team.
The Cyclone offense features two preseason first team AiBig 12 players, brings back five seniors on the offensive line and returns running back Stevie Hicks, the 1,000-yard rusher from 2004 who was injured last year.
So, it's no surprise that Big 12 media selected Iowa State to finish second in the Big 12 North, but
Cyclone players know best of all what this year's offense is capable of
"It can be phenomenal," senior offensive lineman Scott Stephenson said. "We should do some big things this season."
With a defense that returns only four starters, it may be up to the offense to keep the Cyclones afloat in the conference standings.
As quarterback, junior Bret Meyer is looking to live up to the preseason hype surrounding him after being named first team All-Big 12 by conference media.
Meyer started all 12 games for the Cyclones in 2005, completing
61. 7 percent of his passes for 2,876 yards and 19 touchdowns.Meyer also had a four-game stretch without throwing an interception.
Meyer's statistics have grabbed the media's attention, but his leadership has earned the respect of his teammates.
"He's got the ability to get everyone one going around him and he's got the ability to light a fire underneath people's asses," Stephenson said. "He can see the field, he can throw the ball well, he can run. He's all around the best quarterback in the Big 12, in my opinion."
SEE CYCLOMES ON PAGE 9A
FOOTBALL
Starting lineup not yet settled
BY RYAN SCHNEIDER
Linebackers:
With only a week and a half before the Jayhawks' season opener, coach Mark Mangino remains undecided about who will play at several key positions. Here is a look at some of the starting spots still up for grabs:
Entering preseason training camp, sophomores Mike Rivera and Joe Mortensen and senior Eric Washington were expected to be the three start linebackers. That lineup isn't such a guarantee anymore. Mangino has been impressed enough with redshift freshman Jake Schermer's performance at camp that he has earned significant time practicing with the first-team defense.
U
"Fiery and toughness is everything in football," Mangino said. "I don't care how talented you are, if you don't bring that element to the field, you don't have a chance. He has that."
Despite his lack of experience, Schermer believes he's ready to make the jump from the scout team to the starting lineup.
Sophomore James Holt, who was also expected to contend for one of the starting spots, suffered an undisclosed injury and will not be available for at least the season opener on Sept. 2 against Northwestern State.
"Whatever I have to do, if I have to go as hard as I can every play, then that's what I have to do to keep my spot and keep me motivated every time," Schermer said.
Wide Receivers:
Mangino used several different combinations of receivers in scriffages with the first-team offense.
Among those working with the offense are seniors Brian Murph and Dominic Roux, junior Marcus Henry and sophomores Marcus Herford and Dexton Fields. Murph and Henry are Kansas' top two returning receivers; each averaged more than 10 vards per catch last season.
Sharp's relatively small size, at 5-foot-10, 190 pounds, makes it easier for him to slip through holes created by the offensive line. His speed and athleticism is in contrast to the power running game of the 6-foot, 235-pound McAnderson.
"I think those kids are coming together and there's a lot of able-bodied kids there." Mangino said.
Herford, a converted quarterback, saw action last season at both wide receiver and quarterback.
With the undisclosed injury that ended redshirt freshman Angus Quigley's season last week, it's likely Mangino will employ a backup-bcommittee strategy. Freshman Jake Sharp is expected to split carries with junior fullback Brandon McAnderson. While senior Jon Cornish is a solid starter, expect both Sharp and McAnderson to see significant playing time.
Sharp displayed the speed and athleticism that earned him the backup spot in Friday's open practice. On several plays with the backup offense, Sharp was able to squirt through the defensive line and break downfield for long yardage.
Running Backs:
(2)
Secondary:
Injuries have also ravaged Kansas' depth in the secondary. Projected starters senior Jerome Kemp and redshirt freshman Darrell Stuckey both missed Friday's practice with undisclosed injuries. Mangino said Kemp might be healthy enough to play against Northwestern State, but Stuckey would not.
SEE LINEUP ON PAGE 9A
1