SPLITTING THE SERIES
The softball team split its weekend series against No.11 Texas.The Longhorns are the highest ranked opponent the Jayhawks have defeated so far this season.
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MONDAY, APRIL 9, 2007
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MEN'S BASKETBALL
Wright likely to declare for NBA today
One Jayhawk basketball player could declare for the NBA Draft today — but it's not the obvious one
BY MICHAEL PHILLIPS
Sophomore forward Julian Wright, who has repeatedly maintained that he would return for his junior season, may have changed his mind.
Wright will announce his intentions at a press conference this afternoon. Those intentions reportedly include hiring an agent and declaring himself eligible for the NBA Draft.
If chosen, Wright would almost
Sophomore forward Julian Wright is likely to announce this afternoon that he will skip his junior and senior seasons and head to the NBA.
The allure of a big payday may be too much for Wright to resist, as well as the risk he would run next season if he were to get injured or go through a slump. Throughout this year, he said he would come back to finish his degree. He is on pace to graduate next May in his third year at Kansas and promised his mother he would get a college diploma.
Prior to Sunday's news, nothing had indicated that Wright might leave. Speculation focused on sophomore guard Brandon Rush, who is continuing to weigh his options and has yet to make a decision about the draft.
certainly be among the top 10 players selected, guaranteeing him a two-year contract for millions of dollars.
If Wright were to leave for the
NBA, it would have an impact on several other players. Freshman forward Darrell Arthur would be assured of a starting spot, giving him further incentive to return for another year. Incoming freshman Cole Aldrich would also have the opportunity to contribute immediately.
In addition, Kansas would no longer be responsible for Wright's scholarship. Due to NCAA sanctions, the team was one scholarship above the limit for next season. That would no longer be the case.
Neither Wright nor coach Bill Self could be reached Sunday evening. Self was on the West Coast recruiting but will return from that trip today.
NBADraft, a Web site that tracks how NBA scouts are rating
players, had Wright projected to be the fifth pick overall in the draft. However, the site took his name off the board after his repeated assertions that he would stay in school.
One option for undergraduate college players is to declare for the NBA Draft but not hire an agent or accept any endorsement money. If a player did this, they would be able to withdraw from consideration before the June 28 draft. As soon as a player accepts money or hires an agent, his NCAA eligibility expires.
Kansan senior sportswriter Michael Phillips can be contacted at mphillips@kansan.com. For updates on this story, visit Kansan.com.
》 ONE LOVE
- Edited by Rvan Schneider
Departing coaches damage Big 12
BY MARK DENT
BY MARK DENY
KANSAN SPORTS COLUMNIST
MDENT@KANSAN.COM
The past always looks so
good. Baby boomers talk of the days when you could see the Saturday picture show for only a nickel. Four TV channels play old shows and movies. And I swear the chicken sandwich at Burger King used to be bigger than it is now.
SEEDENT ON PAGE 3B
For the Big 12 Conference, the past has never looked better. In 2002 and 2003, the conference got six teams in the NCAA tournament and two in the Final Four each season. Those two years seem further away than Model T's and rotary telephones after this week of chaos.
With the departure of Bob Huggins at Kansas State and Billy Gillispie at Texas A&M, the big 12 will struggle in the near future. Assuming Kevin Durant leaves Texas, only Kansas and Kansas State will likely make the NCAA tournament. The Longhorns have a chance if their players can develop without Durant.
The Wildcats aren't a lock yet.
Not with Frank Martin.
Martin does have head coaching experience at the high school level. He coached Miami High in the mid-1990s. Again, Kansas State praises his three state titles and especially his 1998 season. That year the Stingarees went 36-1 and finished No. 2 in USA
K-State's new head coach has the experience of a bellboy. Oh wait, according to the official Web site of Kansas State Athletics, he did more than just buy suitcases and book travel plans last year as Huggins' assistant coach. Martin was responsible for the "daily development of the program's big men." He did a great job too.
Martin turned freshman center Jason Bennett from a top-50 recruit into a stiff, whose successful games were ones in which he didn't throw a temper tantrum. K-State's other highly touted big guy, Luis Colon, averaged two points per game.
BASEBALL
Kansas drops series to Texas
Pitchers can't contain Longhorn star
BY ALISSA BAUER
Coach Ritch Price revealed the scouting report after the 6-5 series finale loss against No. 7 Texas (28-10, 9-3) on Saturday.
"Don't let Russell beat you," Price said, reciting the report.
Longhorn right fielder Kyle Russell entered the weekend leading the nation with 18 home runs. The Kansas (18-20,4-8) pitching staff was successful in keeping the sophomore in the park in the games one and two.
He couldn't be contained in game three.
In the top of the fifth, sophomore lefty Andy Marks put two runners on via walks, bringing Russell to the plate with two on and one out. He put an 0-1 delivery over the right field fence to put his team ahead, 4-1.
Russell continued to pester Marks, who needed one more out to escape
the seventh with the 5-4 lead when Russell sent a solo shot out to tie the game at five. He was the last batter Marks faced.
When Marks was lifted for closer Paul Smyth in the top of the seventh, he had given up only four hits to Texas (28-10, 9-3). Unfortunately for Kansas, three of the four were home runs.
“It's really frustrating,” Marks said. "I can't say which one of those would've been home runs if the wind wasn't blowing. A couple of them I didn't think were going to be out
Sophomore Buck Afenir agreed with his sentiment. He went 3-for-4 and scored a run as the designated hitter Saturday. As the Jayhawks usual starting catcher, Afenir knows first-hand how the wind can affect Kansas pitchers.
— I think the wind definitely got a hold of them."
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 9B
》 ROWING
First varsity eight wins race, team takes regatta
BY CATHERINE ODSON
Starting to sprint shortly before Kansas State made the difference for Kansas' first varsity eight boat. The layhawks' come-from-behind victory clinched the Kansas Cup for the first time in four years.
The Jayhawks fell behind early in the race and trailed in the regattas point standings. The first varsity
eight boat — led by senior coxswain Samira Naji and rowed by seniors Lindsey Miles, Jelyna Da Silva, Tiffany Jeffers, LlynnAnn Laugesen and Tricia Sawtelle; juniors Kara Boston and Elisheva Patterson; and sophomore Carrie Selden — used two strong pushes in the second half of the race to make up the deficit and ultimately win by less than two seconds.
Naji said the race was unlike any she had been in.
Kansas finished in 5 minutes
50.86 seconds; K-State followed at
5:52.06.
"Coming from behind, you never know if you can push hard enough to win, and the way they pushed, we've never raced like that ever," she said.
After crossing the finish line,
"That was one of those very few and far between finishes that's an awesome feeling," she said. "It's kind of like angels come along, pick you up and move back. You just dig deep
some of the Kansas rowers leaned back in their seats or crouched forward. Da Silva described the end of the race as "painful" as the boat continued to push despite being behind.
and find it and go."
Kansas faced a 10-4 deficit entering the final race. The Jayhawks won the novice four, worth one point, and varsity four, worth three points, but fell behind in the novice eight and second varsity eight, which were each worth five points. The first varsity eight race was worth eight
SEE ROWING ON PAGE 3P
CONTRIBUTED BY KANSAS ATHLETICS