KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2010 / SPORTS
7B
Serving it up
Tanner Grubbs/KANSAN
Tanner Grubbs/KANSAN Lam Tran, a senior from Wichita, goes up for a serve Monday evening on the campus tennis courts near Robinson Gymnasium. "It's a way to get your aggression out and just have fun,"Tran said.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Rumors follow Gonzaga's Few after tournament loss
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
Few gave the non-answer answer, as he has always done. And now begins the dance that takes place every year, as predictably as Gonzaga's 20-win seasons.
Mark Few has done this drill before. A few minutes after Gonzaga's Sunday clunker against Syracuse, he was asked by a Spokane TV reporter about his commitment to staying at the school.
Except this one could be different. And not only because he might really leave.
As the Stones sang more than four decades ago, when Few was a toddler, this could be
the last time. Few has become so choosy, so discriminating in mapping his future, that it's now realistically down to one option if he is to depart Gonzaga.
Few has become so choosy,so discriminating in mapping his future that it's now realistically down to one option if he is depart Gonzaga.
That would be Oregon, his alma mater.
Few has turned his back on a number of jobs in his 11-year tenure as Zags head coach, Washington among them. In doing that, he has made it clear he isn't just job-hopping, hoping to make a big score. Location and quality of life are transparent in his priorities.
So the planets have aligned, and now Ernie Kent is out of a job at Oregon, and a $200 million arena is blocking out the sky just east of the UO campus. As all that was taking place, the Ducks were nosing around to gauge Few's interest, if discreetly.
You'll recall this happened a year ago. Then-athletic director Pat Kilkenny talked at some length with Few to measure his willingness, in a Ripley's episode of headhunting. Kilkenny is a longtime Gonzaga booster, and annually kicks into a kitty that enhances Few's contract.
So here he was, attempting to separate the coach from a deal that he helps make possible.
Few said no. What could have changed, then, in a year?
Two things: The Ducks have offed Kent, whereas a year ago, it's believable that Few might not have felt comfortable helping to unseat a colleague.
Then there's this: "I don't think he feels quite as appreciated as he did three or four years ago."
said somebody familiar with Few. "People start bitching. They've gotten pretty unrealistic."
There are Zags zealots who have forgotten where they were a
dozen years ago. They had never won an NCAA tournament game in 1998, and now they've won 15. But the monster has a big appetite in college sports, and the buzz is, there was a good deal of grumbling
It's fair to assume those folks were more perturbed with the NCAA loss to Syracuse than they were pleased with the opening-round
when Gonzaga got whacked by Saint Mary's in the WCC final
Few doesn't have a lot of patience for that. Sunday, shortly after Syracuse, I postulated to him that the "trick" was for people to look at the big picture and see the 27 victories in a rebuilding season rather than dwell on the hell the Orange wrought.
victory over Florida State.
"He doesn't really want to put that energy into something new," said the aforementioned source. "When you're out meeting new boosters, you're not fishing. It takes so much of your family and free time."
Of course, Oregon has boosters, too. And those advancing the notion that the Ducks can unleash millions on Few should know that upping the ante will also dial up the expectations on him, and quickly.
"That shouldn't be a trick." Few responded sharply. "That should be what everybody does. I don't know
There are those coaches caravans each May that Pac-10 programs conduct, parading their guys through golf rounds and dinners in whistle-stop towns for the purpose of raising dollars. Few would embrace those about like gastritis. At Gonzaga, he can come and go almost at his own whim.
why you'd identify a season-long journey with one game."
If that's a nuanced concept, this one isn't: Few would have a whole new set of glad-handers to deal with.
"I don't know why you'd identify a season-long journey with one game."
MARK FEW Gonzaga head coach
Now there's the added uncertainty around Oregon's athletic director, with the Friday surprise that Mike
WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Bellotti is off to ESPN. While we all recognize Phil Knight as the godfather of all things green and yellow, and Kilkenny remains a key figure there, you'd think you'd want to know who the
boss down the ball is, assuming it's not Kilkenny.
True, the Ducks probably have a bigger upside than Gonzaga (though the Zags' ceiling would be higher if they didn't keep bumping into No. 1 seeds in the tournament). But the new Oregon coach better be exploring that territory relatively soon; the Ducks probably won't be into five-year plans.
Tennessee routs Dayton Lady Vols make 28th Sweet Sixteen appearance
ASSOCIATED PRESS
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — After a rare early loss in the NCAAs last year, it's back to business as usual for Tennessee.
Alicia Manning scored a career-high 17 points and had 10 rebounds to help No. 1-seeded Lady Vols beat eighth-seeded Dayton 92-64 in the second round of the tournament on Monday night.
The Lady Vols' lone absence from the round of 16 in the tournament's 29-year history came after last season's loss to 71-53 to Ball State in the opening round.
Tennessee (32-2) will make its 28th appearance in the regional semifinals Saturday, this time playing 350 miles from home in Memphis.
Dayton (25-8), which managed
to rally from an 18 point deficit in its 67-66 win over TCU in the first round, was tasked with playing only its second NCAA tournament game in front of about 10,000 orange-clad fans on the court named for Tennessee coach Pat Summitt.
A three-point play by Shekinna Stricklen launched a 17-2 scoring run for Tennessee. The Lady Vols had their way under their own basket, hitting wide-open shots from the perimeter and slashing the lane to take easy layups.
Manning cut through the paint to hit a layup that gave Tennessee a 19-4 run with 13:31 left in the first half. Taber Spani, who was 4 for 4 in the first half, sank a smooth 3 from the sideline to push Tennessee's lead to 23 points, and the Lady Vols entered halftime with a 50-30 lead.
every category except rebounds — something Summit emphasized in the first round game. The two teams each had 20 at halftime.
At the break, Tennessee led in
But the Lady Vols didn't need the boards as they took care of the ball on offense and scored 13 off seven Dayton turnovers in the first half.
Justine Raterman led the Flyers with 17 points.
Tennessee scored the first 10 points of the second half, and Manning reached her career high on a fast-break layup that put the Lady Vols ahead 73-44 with 12:11 left. She also had a career-high seven assists.
The Lady Vols hit 53.9 percent of their shots as their lead ballooned to 34 points off a layup by Glory Johnson with 14.59 left. The Flyers hit 41.5 of their shots.
WOMEN'S COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Late surge helps Duke defeat LSU
DURHAM, N.C. — Jasmine Thomas scored 15 points to help Duke pull away late and beat LSU 60-52 on Monday night in the second round of the NCAA women's tournament
Bridgette Mitchell scored 12 points for the Blue Devils (29-5).
who went ahead to stay on Thomas' layup with 31/2 minutes left. The typically sure-handed Tigers (21-10) matched a season high with 22 turnovers and had one field goal in the final 4 minutes.
with 3:49 left to give the Tigers their last lead at 47-46.
Allison Hightower had 19 points and LaSondra Barrett added 12 for LSU. Katherine Graham hit two free throws
Thomas drove the lane for a left-handed layup, and Keturah Jackson added a stickback to start the 10-2 run that put the Blue Devils on their way to their 12th regional semifinal berth in 13 years.
Associated Press
MLB
Meche injured as Royals beat Padres
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Gil Meecre pitched three innings Monday before leaving the Kansas City Royals' 9-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox with a sore
right shoulder.
and 10 hits.
Jake Peavy was hit hard during his three innings for the White Sox, yielding seven runs
Mche allowed three runs and four hits, struck out one and walked one. He threw 31 of his 56 pitches for strikes.
Bobby Jenks followed Peavy and struck out one in a perfect inning. It was the closer's first spring game since March 12 because of a calf injury.
Associated Press
Just for kicks!
Kickball
TOURNAMENT
Noon-6 p.m.
April 18
Lyons Park, Lawrence
$10 (includes T-shirt and snacks)
This kickball tournament is designed to bring KU students and alumni together in the spirit of good healthy competition! Proceeds from the event will go toward Student Programs at the KU Alumni Association.