CHIEFSTRADEHALL
The Kansas City Chiefs traded kick and punt returner Dante Hall to the St. Louis Rams for a fifth-round draft pick.
THURSDAY, APRIL 26, 2007 WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
PAGE1B
>> WAITING TO GRADUATE
Rush can't be blamed for draft temptations
BY JONATHAN KEALING
KANSAN SPORTS COLUMNIST
JKEALING@KANSAN.COM
At least once a day for the past week - and usually more frequently - I've discussed with someone the merits of Brandon Rush declaring for the NBA.
For some reason, probably the two years I spent covering Jayhawk sports for The Kansan, I've taken a rather dispassionate, analytical view of the declarations for the draft.
Once it started with sophomore Julian Wright, I knew it was only a matter of time till the departure started to add up. If not this year, then next.
In terms of Rush, it only makes sense for him to enter his name into the NBA draft. It would have even made sense for him to do that last year.
What wouldn't make sense is for him to hire an agent. Barring a miraculous performance in the pre-draft camps, Rush isn't going to go in the lottery.
Without being a lottery pick, Rush isn't guaranteed the major payday he can rightly hope to make. If he's staring at a late first round or an early second round selection, it makes sense for him to come back to school.
If he comes back to school, he should focus on improving his scoring. Not to the detriment of the team, mind you, but to the point where the team can depend on him as their go-to guy.
None of this is rocket science. And, really, I only say this because so many fans seem convinced that for Rush to even dabble in the draft is a major mistake.
It's just not. You have to respect a guy who has the basketball talent and skills that Rush possesses. If you could leave school now and make millions, you would. Even more likely, if you could take a month off of school and examine the odds of you making millions with almost no penalty, to say you wouldn't be certainly to be disgenuous.
Don't hold basketball players to a standard you can't observe yourself.
The men's basketball team was called to the Athletics Department offices Wednesday for some type of meeting. While I still don't know what was said in that meeting, the most valid assumption is that Rush told his teammates just what his plan for next year will be. For my money, Rush let his teammates know that he's about to test the NBA waters.
The dream circulating after the Elite Eight loss of returning the entire Kansas team was nice, but it was just that. A dream. Kansas recruits players that are good enough to play in the NBA after a year, maybe two. Players will come and go, and it doesn't mean you should scorn or ridicule them on message boards.
It's just the territory with a team that is expected to compete for a
SEEKEALING ON PAGE 2B
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Coach Bonnie Henrickson has reportedly signed a five-year contract extension and raise. An announcement could be made this week. Henrickson is one of the highest-paid Big 12 coach.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Coach signs extension Reports say Henrickson receives five-year deal, raise
BY ASHER FUSCO
Henrickson has held the head coaching position at Kansas for three seasons. She previously coached at Virginia Tech where she made seven postseason appearances. On the surface, Henrickson's 40-49 record at Kansas does not look very impressive. However, she inherited a program that was wallowing in mediocrity under her predecessor, Marian Washington.
Several media outlets have reported that Kansas women's basketball head coach Bonnie Henrickson has agreed to terms on a contract extension.
In the three seasons prior to Henrickson's arrival, Kansas won a total of five conference games. In the past three seasons under
According to reports, an announcement should come in the following days.
The deal is reportedly for five years and will result in a pay raise for Henrickson, who is already one of the highest-paid coaches in the Big 12 conference.
Henrickson, the Jayhawks have won 14 conference games.
Last season the team posted only four conference victories, the worst showing of Henrickson's career at Kansas. But the graduation of All-Big 12 honorable mention guard Erica Hallman and All-Big 12 First Team center Crystal Kemp were partly to
BASEBALL
A LONG WAY FROM HOME
Ryotaro Hayakawa came to Kansas unfamiliar with campus, language
BY ALISSABAUER
Boston Red Sox pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka made his Major League debut in Kansas City, Mo., against the Kansas City Royals on April 5. The media frenzied around Matsuzaka, a Japan native, as he launched his career as a big-leaguer. Still unable to speak English, Matsuzaka needed an entourage of helpers.
Ryotaro Hayakawa was one such helper.
Although
Hay akaawa,
Narita, Japan,
senior, wasn't
Dice-K's translator, he was on hand to help out.
Hayakawa, a right-handed reliever for the Jayhawks, said he heard from friends that the
said. "He's set out to achieve a lot of goals. Not only on the athletic field, but academically, what he's done I don't know how he did it. It's not like I can go over to Japan and try to go to school and do what he's doing — no way."
Five years ago, Hayakawa didn't speak a word of English. There were no helpers, no Japanese-speaking media, almost no Japanese people period in Lawrence upon his arrival.
"Obviously his nature is very, very driven," pitching coach Ryan Graves
"At first me and my dad were
Unlike his professional counterpart, Hayakawa, known to his teammates and coaches simply as 'Yo,' wasn't ushered into the United States from Japan with a plane full of translators and assistants.
"He's set out to achieve a lot of goals. Not only on the athletic field, but academically, what he's done I don't know how he did it."
Red Sox were looking for someone who could speak both Japanese and English to help translate to the Japanese media in order for things to work smoothly in the press box and on the field.
"I was there, it was so cool. I was on the inside of the stadium when the national anthem was playing," Hayakawa said.
RYAN GRAVES Pitching coach
looking for schools on the west coast," Hayakawa said. "It would've been nice, close to Japan. There were many Asian people, so it would feel home-like. But I didn't want to feel home-like in my college
life because I chose to come to the United States and I don't really want to be right by the Asian communities 'cause then I wasn't changing anything."
In other words, a move overseas and thousands of miles away from home was still not the extreme change in environment the pitcher was looking for. His parents, Ryoichi and Yoko, weren't sold on the idea of their son being a world away, although his father did have a large part in Yo's going for it.
After spending some time at New York University, his father had a feel
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 4B
Sarah Leonard/KANSAN
Ryotaro Hayakawa, Kansas relief pitcher, ends his career as a Jayhawk this spring. Hayakawa learned English after he came to Kansas to experience a different culture from what he grew up with in Japan.
TENNIS
Postseason offers new chances
BY RUSTIN DODD
The words "postseason play" bring to mind an array of images.
But for a Kansas tennis team that suffered through a 4-16 regular season, and is currently riding an eight game losing streak, the Big 12 Championships will offer something more — a chance at redemption.
Postseason play means a fresh start, a rise in intensity, and a "winor-go-home" atmosphere.
Kansas' shot at redemption comes in the form of an opening
round match with Oklahoma, the same Oklahoma team that delivered Kansas a gut-punching defeat eight days ago.
The 11th-seeded Jayhawks will take on the sixth-seeded Sooners at 1:30 p.m. today at the Plaza Tennis Center in Kansas City, Mo.
"The girls are just pumped. They want them back again," coach Amy Hall-Holt said, "They want that match, I think we'll definitely step it up a notch."
The team has good reason to be motivated. Riding a six match losing streak, the lajhawks traveled
down to Norman, Okla. on April 18. Kansas jumped out to a 1-0 lead by winning two out of the three doubles matches and securing the doubles point. Kansas then looked in control of the match after straight set singles victories from junior Elizaveta Avdeva and sophomore Yuliana Svistun at No. 1 and No. 5 singles respectively.
But Oklahoma rallied to win the final four singles matches—three in epic three-setters—and squeaked out a 4-3 victory.
SEE TENNIS ON PAGE 3B
WEATHER
Rain cancels Wednesday's baseball,softball games
The softball game against Nebraska was rescheduled for 1:30 p.m. today.
The nonconference baseball game against Missouri at
Because of wet conditions, both the baseball and softball games scheduled for Wednesday night were cancelled.
After the game in Lincoln, the team will bus to Omaha to play a 6:30 p.m. game against Creighton.
Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City,Mo., was canceled and will not be made up.
The baseball team's next game is Friday night against Oklahoma in Norman.
That game is the first of a three-game series between the Jayhawks and Sooners.
Kansan staff report