4B THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
MONDAY. AUGUST 15, 2005
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Squad faces hard schedule
Young roster, tough match-ups combine to challenge Self's Jayhawk.
BY MIRANDA LENNING milenning@kansan.com KANSAN SENIOR SPORTSWITHER
This year's Jayhawk squad may be young and inexperienced, but they will have to learn quickly. For the second year in a row, Kansas has landed one of the most difficult schedules in college basketball.
"It was a very difficult schedule last year," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "But we probably play more high-profile teams this year than we did last year. Once again this will play out to be one of the best schedules in the country."
Kansas will play Arizona in the first round of the Maui Invitational in Hawaii over Thanksgiving break, Nov. 23-27.
They will then face Connecticut or Arkansas. Gonzaga, Maryland, Michigan State and Chaminade will also compete in the tournament.
On Dec 1, Kansas, who returns just one starter from last
year's team,
will face Nevada,
a team that advanced to the second round of the
NCAA tournament last year.
Two days later,
Kansas will suit up against Western
Illinois before
against Colorado on Jan. 11.
They will close the season March 4 at Kansas State.
"The good thing is that we are going to play hard all of the time."
jetting off to Madison Square Garden to play St. Joseph's on Dec. 6.
After playing California at Kemper Arena, Kansas will play four straight non-conference home games against Pepperdine, Northern Colorado, Northern Arizona and Kentucky before the start of conference play.
Co-champions of the Big 12 Conference, Kansas will open the Big 12 season on the road
Jeremy Case
Sophomore guard
Games at Missouri (Jan. 16), at Iowa State (Jan. 28), versus Texas Tech (Jan. 30), versus Oklahoma (Feb. 5), at Oklahoma State (Feb. 13) and at Texas (Feb. 25), highligh* Kansas*
Texas, Texas Tech, Oklahoma Oklahoma State and Iowa State all competed in last year's NCAA tournament.
conference schedule.
"It sounds like a good schedule," said sophomore guard Jeremy Case, who didn't seem worried about the young Jayhawks competing against at least eight NCAA Tournament teams.
"There are goods and bads
to being so young and playing such a tough schedule," he said. "The good thing is that we are going to play hard all of the time because we won't know any better. The bad thing is in a close game situation we won't have the experience we had last season."
The Jayhawks will play on ESPN's Big Monday three times: at Missouri (Jan. 16), versus Texas Tech (Jan. 50) and at Oklahoma State (Feb. 13).
The Big 12 Men's Basketball Championship will be played March 9-12 at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
The Jayhawks will play another nonconference game in December; however, details about that game have not been announced.
Kansas was originally scheduled to play at Georgia Tech on Dec. 17, but the game has been postponed until next season.
Edited by Becca Evanhoe
Hope
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
up where they left off last season. Giles, a 6-10 center, averaged 14.5 minutes, 6.8 points and four rebounds for the Javahawks last season.
Giles started five games for the Jayhawks last season in the absence of an injured Wayne Simien.
Jackson and Kaun, who have each added about 15 pounds of muscle over the summer, are expected to compete with Giles and senior Christian Moody for minutes in the paint.
Self said it was too early to tell who would win out, but that he wanted to play more guys for less minutes to create a more athletic type of game.
"I believe that Sasha and
C. J. have a g, have a big impact," Self said. "Darnell Jackson is a guy that will be fighting Christian for minutes.
So much depends on practices and how well the freshmen develop."
Sophomore guard Russell Robinson, senior guard Jeff Hawkins
reat chance to for minutes $p$
believe that Sasha and C.J. have a great chance to have a big impact. Jackson is a guy who will be fighting Christian for minutes. I think all of them have a good chance,but it is too early to tell."
and Chalmers will compete
Bill Self
Bill Self
Kansas Men's Basketball coach
Transfer
"I am just excited to have the chance to get out there and show the coaches what I can do," Case said.
guard. Redshirt sophomore Jeremy Case had an entire year to mature on the hardwood and said he is ready for the challenge of competing for playing time this year.
"Hopefully I can help the team out."
art, who will be eligible after Christmas break, will add athleticism on the perimeter. Stewart transferred to Kansas from the University of Southern California last December, but had to sit out for a year because of NCAA rules.
"I want this team to be as good as it can possibly be," Self said.
Roderick Stew-
Despite its youth, Self said he still had high expectations for this team. $ ^{9} $
"With as many young people as we have, I want our team to be patient and understand that there is going to be some good and bad early on. We'll be inconsistent early on but by the time conference gets here, I hope we become a consistent team that is tough for everyone to deal with."
Edited by Erick R. Schmidt
The Associated Press
Philadelphia Eagles' wide receiver Terrell Owens does sit-ups in front of his home, last Wednesday. Owens did not attend offseason drills with the rest of the team.
Owens kicked out of camp Eagles' future questioned
DT DAN GELSTON
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BETHLEHEM, Pa. — With Terrell Owens seemingly bound for his Atlanta home and taking a break from blasting the Eagles, Donovan McNabb figured it was time to welcome potential replacements.
Philly fans, this is what you could be left with if Owens never returns to the Eagles;
"I'd like for all of you to introduce yourselves to Greg Lewis, Billy McMullen, Brian Westbrook, Reggie Brown," McNabb said after Friday's practice.
That's not exactly Owens and Todd Pinkston. Heck, that's not even Pinkston and Freddie Mitchell.
Whether Owens ever plays for Philadelphia again is anyone's guess.
With Owens banished for a week and Pinkston out for the season with a torn Achilles' tendon, the Eagles go into Monday's preseason opener against Pittsburgh with Lewis and rookie Brown as their starting wide receivers.
"It's a lot being put on a lot of the younger guys," said Lewis, who caught a TD pass in the Super Bowl.
Not much experience, true, but not much drama either. The receivers joined McNabb for his annual offseason drill session in Arizona where they studied the playbook, worked out and shared meals and movies to build camaraderie.
The results have paid off with a crisp training camp.
kansan.com
"Now you look at it and you say, 'These guys seem to have their timing together. Why is that?' Because we spend time together," McNabb said.