THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2007
3B
BASKETBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
received more than 700 messages on Facebook from people asking him about it or urging him to stay at Kansas. Collins was in Chicago last week, but he was there to help take care of his newborn child.
"People come up with stuff all the time that's not even remotely close to being true." Self said.
Collins will return for his sophomore season, but has yet to recover from a knee injury he suffered at the end of March. He is staying off the court, but still working out daily, and says the knee is about 90 percent healed. Even as he struggled through the final weeks, he said there was no chance of him missing the tournament.
"There wasn't anything that was going to stop me from playing in those games," he said. "It hurt pretty bad, but in a game like that your adrenaline starts rushing and you don't think as much about your knee."
Decision time looms for Rushi Sophomore guard Brandon Rush has until April 29 to decide if he's leaving for the NBA Draft, and he intends to use all of his time.
"I'm just going to wait and see," he said. "It's going to come down to the last few weeks, when I can get a feel for who is going to get picked."
If other underclassmen declare for the draft, Rush might be inclined to stay in Lawrence another year instead of going up against a strong rookie class. If fewer players declare, it would improve his position.
Rush said that even if he left, he
wouldn't immediately hire an agent. Right now he's gathering information about how different teams view him, as well as meeting with Self and talking on the phone with his brother, Kareem.
"I've been able to relax, but it's going to come to the point where I have to make a decision." Rush said.
His teammates said that they would encourage him to stay, but understand why he would want to leave for the NBA.
"It's all on Brandon right now," Chalmers said. "We all want him to come back, but it's his decision. He's going to do what's best for him."
A new addition? If Rush left, a scholarship would become available for next year that Self was not anticipating. Rumors are already swirling about whether he would pick up a junior college player so the team would remain at full scholarship capacity, but Self refused to speculate.
"Finding somebody, in large part, will more than likely depend on our roster status," he said. "If everybody's back, there's a great chance we won't. If somebody leaves, there's a chance we will."
Self said that he will be taking the weekend off, and will continue his offseason recruiting early next week.
Kansan senior sportswriter Michael Phillips can be contacted at mphillips@ansan.com.
— Edited by Lisa Tilson
>> MEMORIAL
Former Grambling coach remembered
BY MARY FOSTER ASSOCIATED PRESS
GRAMBLING, La. — They began arriving soon after the sun came up over the piney woods: football greats, government figures and everyday people — all of them there to say goodbye to former Grambling football coach Eddie Robinson.
"It's like coming to your father's funeral," said Robert "Big Bird" Smith, who played for Robinson and was an assistant coach during Robinson's final four years at Grambling. "He was like a father to
"Most coaches are rated by the players they recruit," the Rev. Jesse Jackson said as he waited for Robinson's funeral to start in the school's new assembly center. "Coach was known for how many players he graduated and sent on to successful lives."
About 5,000 people attended Wednesday's funeral — just across the street from the stadium where Robinson and his players made history.
everyone that ever played for him."
The funeral wrapped up three days of mourning that stretched across the state from Memorial Hall at the state Capitol in Baton Rouge to Memorial Garden, a cemetery two miles from the college.
A plywood sign hung at the Grambling exit off Interstate 20 read "Eddie Robinson, La." And for the people of this little city and school, it certainly seemed that way.
Robinson died last week at 88. He was widely admired as one of the nation's winningest college football coaches and as a mentor to the young black men whose lives he influenced for 57 years.
"He was the most influential person in my life," said Charlie Joiner, now a wide receivers coach with the Kansas City Chiefs. "His first lesson for all of us was to first become a good American, then a good football player."
The 26 pallbearers included at least 15 former NFL players, some of the more than 200 Robinson sent to that league.
Offense leads Blue Jays to victory
>> MLB
Kansas City Royals pitcher Jorge De La Rosa hurls home during first inning baseball action against the Toronto Blue Jays in Toronto on Wednesday The Royals lost 7-4 to finish their series with the Blue Jays with just one win and two losses.
Royals need to focus on details
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Troy Glau homered and reached base four times, and Aaron Hill had three hits and three RBIs to lead the Blue Jays over the Kansas City Royals 7-4 on Wednesday night.
TORONTO — The Blue Jays are well aware of how tough the AL East can be. If they keep hitting like they have been, they could make it a lot tougher.
Aaron Harris/ASSOCIATED PRESS
"We're built to score runs," said Toronto manager John Gibbons. "If our pitcher keeps us in the game, we'll get a lot of wins."
Gustavo Chacin (1-0) did just that, allowing three runs and five hits in five-plus innings as the Blue Jays won for the fourth time in five games.
"Bottom line is he kept himself in there and got himself a win," said Gibbons.
But it was another fine offensive effort that led Toronto to the win. The Blue Jays pounded out 12 hits, and scored more than five runs for the seventh time in eight games.
Glaus was 2-for-2 with two walks and three runs for Toronto (5-3), striving to overtake the New York Yankees and Boston in the AL East.
Glaus, who left Saturday's game with a sore left heel and also sat out Sunday, was replaced by John McDonald at third base to begin the eighth.
Glaus said he's still tender but expects to play on Thursday. He homered in the sixth, his second of the year.
He's the only Blue lay with a hit in every game this season. Glaus tried to score from first on the play but was thrown out on the relay from shortstop Tony Pena Jr.
Vernon Wells' RBI infield single made it 4-2 in the fifth, but Ryan Shealy's sacrifice fly pulled the Royals within a run in the sixth.
Esteban German pulled the Royals within 5-4 in the seventh with an RBI single case Janssen
that ended a 14-inning scoreless streak by Toronto's bullpen.
Hill hit a two-run double against Todd Wellemeyer in the bottom half.
"We kept scoring but they kept scoring." said Kansas City manager Buddy Bell. "We just couldn't get a goose egg up there after we scored a run."
B. J. Ryan pitched a perfect ninth for his third save in four chances.
we've got a great bullpen and those guys are doing a great job," said Chacin.
Jorge De La Rosa (1-1) gave up five runs — four earned — and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings.
David Deleusis homered for Kansas City (3-6), back in the AL
Central cellar, its usual home.
“It’s tough right now. We’re in a lot of games,” said De Jesus. “We’ve got to fix those little things, make a play here and make a play there. We’ve got to stay confident, stay together and be behind each other, want to make that play to get us back in the dugout and get us hitting.”
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