2B SPORTS
BIG 12 MEN'S BASKETBALL COMMENTARY
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2007
Durant makes wise choice leaving Texas for NBA
Jack Plunkett/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Texas forward Kevin Durant, left, announces he will enter the June NBA draft during a news conference in Austin, Texas, on Tuesday. Texas basketball coach Rick Barnes, right, joined Durant for the public announcement.
BY CODY HALE
DAILY TEXAN
AUSTIN, Texas - C'mon, be honest with yourself. You'd be lying if you said you're shocked that Texas' Kevin Durant has declared for this year's NBA Draft.
And for a while, it seemed like that could have been a reality.
In a way, we all knew it was coming. Sure, there was a little hope that the most electrifying player in college basketball would return for his sophomore season at Texas.
But after Tuesday's press conference in which Durant formally announced his decision to turn pro
And neither should you.
— where he'll likely be the No. 1 or No. 2 overall pick — it's now official. I can't blame him.
Hedidn't make his decision based on the $20 million-plus endorsement deal with Nike, though I'm sure that didn't hurt. In fact, I honestly believe him when he says that a guaranteed NBA contract and the endorsements weren't the defining factors in making his decision.
He's leaving college after one year, because he's ready to take his skills to the next level. Durant is ready to make an impact. True, he'll need to get better, especially on defense, and he knows that. He's the type of player who will continue to work
hard every day until he reaches a level of greatness.
The passion and attitude he has on the court is what is going to help him become a superstar at the next level. He doesn't mind putting the entire team on his back with the
game on the line.
The 18-year-old from Suitland, Md., is as fearless a basketball player the NBA Draft has seen in a long time. When it was brought up that Durant would be going against players such as Shaquille O'Neal,
Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant, all Durant could be was smile.
"What are you trying to do, are you trying to scare me?" Durant asked. "It's going to be a tough challenge, but I'm looking forward to it. It's been my dream for a while, and
I felt like I was ready to take my game to the next level."
Truth is, there's really nothing that scares him on the basketball court. Durant started college as a 17-year-old, and as the season progressed, he raised eyebrows across the entire nation and brought some spotlight to the entire Texas basketball program.
Everyone wanted a glimpse of the kid from Texas, a look at the guy who has enough skills to one day do things in the NBA that no one else can. People will ask if it was really worth it for Durant to have played at least one year in college. The answer is a simple one. Yes.
He matured both personally and physically. He developed a low-post game, his defense came along tremendously and he got to act like a normal 18-year-old teenager one year longer.
"I never thought about skipping college, I was always going to come to college," Durant said. "And I will always be a Longhorn."
"As a coach, your job is to help people realize their dream, and very few people get to see their dream come true so early in their life," Texas coach Rick Barnes said. It was a hard decision because he's fallen in love with his teammates and the UT family."
MLB
Brewers win completion of first suspended game
MIAMI — Prince Fielder singled in the go-ahead run in the 13th inning, the seventh time he reached base, and Milwaukee won the completion of the first suspended game caused by Major League Baseball's rules change.
The game was suspended with the score 2-2 after 10 innings and three rain delays Tuesday night. Under the rules change made during the offseason, it was picked up where the teams left off.
Fielder finished 4-for-4 with three singles, a double and three walks.
Renyel Pinto (0-1) relieved to
start the 13th and took the loss. Elmer Dessens (1-0) pitched a scoreless 12th for his first victory for the Marlins.
Erstad's sacrifice-fly wins game for White Sox
OAKLAND, Calif. — Darin Erstad hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the ninth after Jermaine Dye connected for a tying two-run homer an innings earlier, and the Chicago White Sox beat the Oakland Athletics 6-3 on Wednesday.
The A's scored all of their runs in the first inning off Mark Buehle, who settled down to hold Oakland to four hits in, retiring 17 of his final 18 batters. David Aardsma (1-0) pitched a perfect eighth and Boby Jenks finished for his second save.
Associated Press
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Running backs annoy Meyer No set starter means position is open for Gators
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — It's been Urban Meyer's pet peeve since he arrived at the University of Florida.
The running back position has annoyed, disappointed and frustrated the Gators' coach the last two seasons.
It hasn't been how it will replace wide receivers Dallas Baker and Jemalle Cornelius.
It's who will receive carries.
The biggest concern for the offense during spring practice hasn't been how quarterback Tim Tebow is maturing.
That's been a problem for a while.
Those receivers, Percy Harvin and Andre Caldwell, are back to steal carries from Moore and his backfield mates. So is Tebow, who led the team with eight rushing touchdowns last season.
"We've always been on the downfall with Coach Meyer," said running back Kestahn Moore, the first stringer who will miss the rest of spring practice with a sports hernia. "He really hasn't seen anything from us. We're trying to prove ourselves to Coach Meyer. Last year, he had receivers running the ball."
It's been the same story during spring practice.
"At running back, we're not exactly knocking them dead," Meyer said.
pass team," offensive coordinator Dan Mullen said. "You're going to see Percy Harvin, Jarred Fayson run the ball.
"We're going to be a 50-50 run-
And our quarterback is a little bit more of a ball carrier than our quarterback was last year."
But somebody has to replace DeShawn Wynn, who averaged 10 carries per game in his senior season. Moore was the leader by default before the injury.
Mon Williams, maybe the most talented runner on the team, tore his ACL earlier in the spring, knocking him out for the season. Markus Manson, the only other back with substantial game experience, has moved to cornerback but could return to the backfield if Meyer remains displeased.
With Moore, Williams and Manson out of the picture, expect Brandon James and Chevon Walker to get the bulk of the Orange and Blue game carries Saturday.
"Size and all that stuff doesn't matter as long as you have toughness," running backs coach Stan Drayton said, "and (James has) shown me he has some toughness."
James, a 5-foot-6 speedy kick returner, stepped up to the No. 1 spot when Moore went down earlier this week.
But James and Walker could be out of the picture come preseason workouts.
Signee Chris Rainey could take the reigns upon arrival this summer.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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In the meantime, Meyer has approached Moore as the No. 1 option.
championship on Sunday, April 22, 2007 Lawrence Community Building 115 West 11th Street Lawrence, KS
"He's told me a couple times in the hallway that I need to come out and play similar to my freshman year," Moore said. "Freshman year, he saw a lot of me. Last year, Wynn played because he really didn't see as much intensity as my freshman year."
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Moore got a surprising start in Meyer's first game in 2005 and averaged 5.8 yards per carry for the year.
But he took a step back last season and fell out of Meyer's graces after fumbling three times in a span of 22 carries in the middle of the year.
Going into his junior season, Moore is the experienced leader of the backfield, and he knows it's time to quell Meyer's fears.
"It is my year to step up," he said.
MEN'S GOLF Woodland places second after rough first round
The men's golf team tied for fifth Tuesday at the Wyoming Cowboy Classic. Kansas recorded the top score in the final round.
Senior Gary Woodland tied for second place. He shot a 66 in the final round. It was his eighth top-10 finish this season.
"We played a lot better today," coach Ross Randall said in a press release. "Really if we had not dug ourselves such a big hole in the first round we very well could have won the tournament the way we played the last two rounds of play."
Kansan Staff Report
Senior Tyler Docking finished in a tie for 31st. Senior Barrett Martens finished in a tie for 46th and junior Joey Mundy tied for 56th.
WOMEN'S GOLF
Coster, Giangrosso named
Academic All-Big 12 team
Golfers Amanda Coster and Annie Giangrosso were both named the Academic All-Big 12 Women's golf team. They made the first team by keeping a 3.2 or higher GPA in the two previous semesters and having competed in at least 60 percent of Kansas' tournaments.
The Jayhawks next tournament is the Big 12 Championships on April 23-24 in Prairie Dunes.
Kansan Staff Report
Costner, a Claremore, Okla., senior, is on the first team for the third time in her career. She is majoring in applied behavioral science. Giangrosso, a Prairie Village junior, is on the team for the second time.
TRACK
Big 12 names Saunders third 2007 Athlete of the Week
After winning the Texas Relays' long jump competition with a leap of 25-10 feet last weekend, the Big 12 named junior Barrett Saunders its Male Co-Athlete of the Week.
Texas' Joseph Davis shares the award with Saunders, winning the Texas Relays triple jump with a nation-leading distance of 52-00.50.
Not only was Saunders' distance enough to qualify him for the regional meet at the end of the regular season, but it's also nearly 16 inches farther than his previous personal best and the farthest outdoor jump in the nation. The junior finished eighth in the event at the 2007 Big 12 Indoor Championships.
Saunders' honor makes him the third track and field athlete to be named athlete of the week during the 2007 season. Also receiving recognition were junior pole vaulter Kate Sultanova (Feb. 13) and sophomore hurdler Ashley Brown (March 27).
The Jayhawks travel to the John Jacobs Invitalian in Norman, Okla., this weekend.
— Taylor Bern
athletics calendar
FRIDAY
Baseball vs. Baylor, 7 p.m.
noglund Ballpark
Track at Sooner Invitational, all day Norman, Okla
SATURDAY
Softball vs. Texas A&M, 2 p.m.
Baseball vs. Baylor, 6 p.m.
ballpark
Track at Sooner Invitational, all
Camden, N.J.
Volleyball vs. TBA, TBA
Rowing at Knecht Cup, all day.
SUNDAY
Tennis vs. Colorado, 11 a.m.
Robinson Center courts
Softball vs. Texas A&M, 12
Baseball vs. Baylor, 1 p.m. Hogland Ballpark
**Rowing** at Knecht Cup, all day,
Camden, NJ.
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