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COMMENTARY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2007
NCAA
leaves out chance for Cinderella
PAGE 1B
College football ranks unfair to underdogs
SOCCER
To see just how absurd Division 1 Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly Division I-A) football's process of picking a "National Champion" is, imagine if this year for the college basketball season, the NCAA decided to scrap the tournament system in favor of the Bowl Championship Series.
Instead of 65 teams batting their way to the Final Four, the teams with the best regular season records would fill the top slots and compete in games — one exhibition game each — to conclude their seasons.
Sorry, Gonzaga, your tournament efforts have been admirable the past several years but you play in a mid-major conference, a significant step down in status from the Atlantic Coastal Conference, Southeastern Conference or Big 12 Conference. Instead of getting a chance to play your way to the top in the tournament, we're going to send you to an exhibition game against Iowa in Detroit and call it the Motor City Bowl.
Kansas, North Carolina, UCLA and Getorgetown all have great seasons and, rather than having to prove themselves in a tournament, automatically get red carpet treatment and a spot in a "BCS bowl game." Forget about the winner of each game competing for a national championship. There will only be exhibition bowl games this year.
If, and only if, you manage to go undefeated, you might sneak your way into a Bowl Championship Series game against a big team from a real basketball conference. George Mason and Wichita State, you get the same treatment. There will be no need for you to get your hopes up and play your way to the Elite Eight or Final Four because you will get bowl games too.
Forget that the tournament is the only way to prove a real winner. We're going to switch to this BCS formula. Only the elite teams from marque conferences get a real shot at a top bowl game because it's the best way to find out who the cham
For fans who fill out brackets every year to predict who will make it to the Final Four, there will be no need for this because there will be 32 bowl games to replace the confusing tournament system.
At the end of the season, there will be controversy over which teams should have played in the "National Title game,"which will make much more sense than letting the best teams in the country battle for the championship in a tournament.
Now, to prove why this is going to be the best move for college basketball, we'll look at Division I-FBS college football to show the strength of having exhibition games, labeled as bowls, instead of a tournament.
Almost every season, there are two to three teams from respected conferences at the end of the year with undefeated records that fill the two spots in the "National Title Game." There are several other teams with a loss or two who, if not for their loss, would be a contender for the championship match-up.
The rest of the teams in college football that have few losses on their record can forget about competing in a tournament for the national title, and instead get a chance to play in an exhibition match.
Sorry, Florida State, you lost three games and will be sentenced to play in the MPC Computers Bowl, formerly known as the Humanitarian Bowl. Ever been to Boise, Idaho in late December? I heard it's nice, and apparently they have this blue football field, which is really cool. It's often mistaken by birds as a lake where they can land.
SEE WHEELER ON PAGE 5B
From left to right, Sara Rogers, junior midfielder/forward, Erin Ellefon, freshman midfielder, Geneva Magness, freshman midfielder/defender, Taylor Blue, freshman forward/midfielder, and Missy Geha, junior midfielder, played high school soccer at St. Thomas Aquinas High School under coach Craig Ewain. The women think their previous experience together will be beneficial to the team this year.
Jessica Crabaugh/KANSAN
High school teammates meet again
BY ALISON CUMBOW cumbow@kansan.com
The first of the mandatory four practices per week has ended for the Kansas soccer team, and the ritual cool-down stretches start. The women discuss their plans for the next few days, and with meeting times confirmed, they clear their throats and scream, "1, 2, 3, Hawks!" at the top of their lunes.
The team heads off the field, where the players have been guzzling water from their Gatorade bottles and strip their shin guards off. Few by few the field empties, and coach Mark Francis and the captains head to the sideline for a meeting.
The scene remains fairly typical of a soccer team practice, but one thing seems a little different. Through the sweat and
visible exhaustion that follow each practice. the team can still be seen laughing and joking with one another all the way to the car.
For five of the 32 teammates on the squad, their chemistry on and off the field has long been in the making. They were high school teammates.
Like most of the women, more than a decade ago junior forward Sara Rogers, known as "Rog" by her teammates, began playing soccer.
Before high school, she played on a club team, the KC Dynamos, where she met junior midfielder Missy Geha, who was then playing on a rival club team.
Before long, Rogers convinced Geha to move to her side of the rivalry, and since then, they have been inseparable both on and off the field.
Rogers and Geha entered St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park, as freshmen in 2001. Both made the prestigious varsity soccer team, and eventually, the school's soccer hall of fame.
St. Thomas Aquinas has produced many elite women's soccer players, most of whom move on to play at the college level. The St. Thomas Aquinas High School Web site lists women's soccer as having nine state championships, 11 league championships and 10 regional championships.
A large freshman class came to St. Thomas Aquinas when Rogers and Geha started their junior year at the school.
Three out of the four freshmen that made the cut for the varsity team that year
SEE SOCCER ON PAGE 5B
BYU at a glance
Location: Provo, Utah
Enrollment: 33,278
2006 record: 13-3-4
2007 record: 1-0-0
Conference finish (Mountain West):
Second
Starters returning/lost: 12/3
Head coach: Jennifer Rockwood (193-
61-18 in 13 years)
GAME NIGHT
Matchup: Kansas vs. BYU
Location: Jayhawk Soccer Complex (located west of Oliver Residence Hall)
Tickets: Free entry with KU.I.D.
BASKETBALL
Camp teaches Collins, Chalmers tricks of the trade
BY MARK DENT mdent@kansan.com
Steve Nash is a South African born, Canadian raised, two-time NBA MVP for the Phoenix Suns, Sharron Collins is a
Chicago-bred sophomore guard for a Final Four contender.
A little different? Uh, yeah. But Collins, who's listed at 5-foot-11, found a common link in their size.
"You see him on TV a lot," Collins said, "and you're like, 'man that's Steve Nash. He's so good.' Then when he's that close you see how little he is and still able to do the things he does. I'm not that big either so to meet
him — just a thrill."
Collins and fellow guard Mario Chalmers learned from Nash for three days in early July at the Steve Nash Skills Academy in Union, N.J. Both said they came back with more knowledge of the point guard position and newly-learned techniques they can show off while leading the lajawhaks this season.
At first, Collins and Chalmers didn't think they'd learn any new skills from Nash because Kansas coach Bill Self originally told them theyd just be working at the camp.
Later, Collins and Chalmers discovered they'd actually be competing and doing drills with eight of
the other top point guards in the country.
"Mario and I did a good job against those guys," Collins said. "We really made a name for ourselves and stood out."
Each day of camp started with drills that focus on passing, dribbling and jump shooting. Then the players would scrimmage each other five-on-five. On the final day, the college guards played against a group of the best high school guards.
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Chalmers, perhaps more than Collins, had something to gain from this camp. He hasn't been Kansas' main point guard since the middle
"It was a great opportunity to learn from one of the best point guards in the world."
NBA scouts watched almost all of it. That was particularly pleasing to Chalmers.
MARIO CHALMERS Junior Guard
of his freshman season. Self moved him to shooting guard where he's stayed since and excelled, averaging 12.2 points per game last season.
Chalmers said it's up to Self to decide where he'll play this season and that he'd be willing to play either guard position. But that won't be the case in the NBA. He'll have to play the point because of his 6-foot-1 height. The camp allowed Chalmers to learn the position and show
scouts he'll be ready for the pros.
"It was a great opportunity to learn from one of the best point guards in the world," Chalmers said. "This camp gave me some ideas of what it
SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE 5B