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SPORTS
in Austin. That's basically what you're going to be doing all year."
The players also understand the challenging season. Senior setter Andi Rozum said they will be ready every night.
"We know that every Big 12 match we go into will be tough." Rozum said.
This match-up could be a pivotal one for the final league standings.
Last season, Kansas and Texas both finished in the top half of the league. This year, Texas was picked to finish third, and Kansas was selected fifth by the Big 12 preseason coaches poll.
"Every team is just so good," Lima said. "We have to be ready every game."
Senior middle blocker Josi Lima said the Jayhawks would have to be on top of their game if they wanted to be at the top of the league.
— Edited by Becca Evanhoe
"They'll pull for the other guys to do well, but at the same time, they are thinking 'This is my time too.' So I think it is going to make for some pretty competitive practices."
Chalmers said the biggest knock on him is that he hasn't played against tough competition, as some of his teammates have.
As a freshman, he also doesn't have the leadership qualities that the older players do, which could hurt him at the beginning of the season.
"The Big 12 is a physical conference, so I just need to get stronger," Chalmers said. "Coming out of high school, people here are a lot stronger, a lot quicker than what I played against in Alaska."
Chalmers said the coaches were always on him to get in the gym and get stronger.
Self agreed that the talent level surrounding Chalmers would be different from what he is used to.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 5B
with other good players," Self said. "And learning how to get those guys involved will be a process for him; one that he will catch onto, but not one he will catch onto overnight."
"He's probably never played
Chalmers knows the game from a player's and a coach's perspective.
Chalmers' dad coached in the Air Force and later took a high school coaching job in Alaska.
By the time Chalmers reached high school, his father, Ronnie, was the coach at Bartlett.
"That has helped me a lot," Mario Chalmers said. "We knew how to balance the father-and-coach relationship."
Recently, Ronnie Chalmers was named director of basketball operations at the University of Kansas — something Mario doesn't think will be difficult for his dad, considering that Ronnie has been his coach since he was in sixth grade.
makes me better."
"It's not that much different, because he was my high school coach too," Mario Chalmers said. "But it does make it a little harder, because most of the time he is on my back. But that
Chalmers is just now getting used to the weather thousands of miles away from his native Alaska.
Back at home, there are 24 hours of daylight in the summer, so he's still adjusting to darkness.
He's also missing a lot of the possessions he shipped from Alaska.
For the most part, though, Chalmers is fitting in well.
Even though he sent them two weeks after he left for Kansas, a lot of his clothes and his TV still haven't arrived.
Chalmers and Wright have stepped into Aaron Miles' shoes as the team jokesters and have made their mark off the court by playing pranks on their teammates.
Chalmers and Wright even like to get each other now and then.
Wright said his prank on Chalmers was telling him that he was a good dancer.
"He just keeps dancing," Wright laughed. "And he still has no moves."
— Edited by Becca Evanhoe
MLB
Cardinals lose more than a game
BY JOE KAY
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CINCINNATI — The St. Louis Cardinals are hoping their latest injury is gone by the time the playoffs arrive.
Rich Aurilia drove in three runs with a homer and a single last night, rallying the Cincinnati Reds to a 6-5 victory over the NL Central champions in a game that had little meaning for either team.
Until Mark Grudzielanek hit the ground, that is.
The Cardinals have won 95 games even though the everyday lineup has been battered by injuries. They suffered another yesterday when their second baseman twisted his right ankle in a collision with Reds first baseman Javier Valentin while running out a grounder.
A few hours later, it appeared
the cardinals would get lucky this time.
"It stung a little bit, but I'm fine now, really," Grudzielandek said. "I don't see it swelling."
Grudzielanek has missed games in the last month because of a sore back and knee. He smacked into Valentin — who was trying to field an errant throw — and spun around before landing awkwardly. He sat on the field with a grimace for several minutes, then walked off slowly.
With two weeks left before the playoffs, manager Tony La Russa wants to keep his regulars sharp by keeping them in the lineup most of the time.
The Cardinals reached the World Series last year but were sweet by Boston.
La Russa was relieved that Grudzielanek's injury didn't appear to be serious, leaving him listed as day-to-day.
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