8B
SPORTS / THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
Mike Gunnna/KANSAN
Senior running back Jake Sharp catches the ball at Kansas Pro Timing Day Wednesday at Anschutz Pavilion. "Overall, I came out and put down a good performance for the scouts," Sharp said. "I would have liked to run a little faster on the 40. Today I probably ran, in my opinion, the slowest I thought I would run, but that is OK — a high 4.3."
Career fair
Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN
Wide receiver Dezmon Bricsoe performs the long jump at Pro Timing Day Wednesday at Anschutz Pavilion. Bricsoe is among the juniors declaring early for next month's NFL draft.
Senior wide receiver Kerry Meier runs a route at the Pro Timing Day Wednesday at Anschutz Pavilion. Seniors and other players declaring for next month's NFL draft participated in events for NFL scouts.
Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN
SOFTBALL
Kansas hosts home series
Team played first 19 games on the road
BY ZACH GETZ
zgetz@kansan.com
twitter.com/zgetz
Freshman outfielder Rosie Hill said she was pumped to finally get to play her first collegiate softball.
ou game in her Kansas home jersey.
"It has been a dream for quite a while," Hull said. "I'm just so excited to make it a reality."
Hull
Hull, a native from Lawrence.
has played on the field many times for Free State High School,but she said this time it would be much more special for her.
"I've been rooting for the Jayhawks before 1 was born, so to be able to go out there and be wearing the jersey and to be surrounded by a community that I'm so familiar with makes me feel so lucky." Hull said.
Hull said she expected a lot of friends and family to root for her and her sister as Kansas opens the season at 4 p.m. today against Valparaiso. The Jawhaws are 6-0 in home openers since Arrocha Ballpark has been open.
Coach Megan Smith said the
team was happy about taking a break from its road trip, where the team played 19 games in four weeks away from way.
"We're excited about being here, sleeping in our own beds and having our own fans in the stands," Smith said.
Freshman pitcher and outfielder Alex Jones said that the games away from home had been somewhat of a drag because it's more difficult to balance schoolwork with so much travel, but that her teammates have been extremely supportive and helped her out whenever possible.
"It would be a much different story if I didn't have 17 other girls that I wanted to be with every single weekend." Jones said.
"Our goals aren't about the results but about the process," Smith said. "We want to work hard
KU INVITATIONAL
Although Kansas has started the season by going 9-10, Smith said she was more worried about making sure that the players give it their all.
TODAY:
4 p.m. Valparaiso (13-5)
FRIDAY:
2 p.m. Missouri State (2-10)
4 p.m. Valparaiso (13-5)
SATURDAY:
1 p.m. Valparaiso (13-5)
3 p.m. Missouri State (2-10)
and improve every game."
Jones said the team needed to continue focusing on progressively getting better and not so much about the early-season defeats.
"We want to focus on building on the small things and winning every out, every at-bat and every pitch." Jones said. "If we do that, it will lead to winning every game."
Edited by Jesse Rangel
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Marquette survives tough test
They listened. After trailing by as many as 14 points in the opening half, the Red Storm increased its first lead to 46-42 on a three-point field goal by D.J. Kennedy that beat the shot-clock buzzer, and a pair of dunks by Justin Brownlee. The pro-St. John's crowd was in frenzy.
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
NEW YORK — Marquette had St. John's right where it wanted. A close game and a hostile environment mean nothing to a team with ice in its veins.
It resembled a street game at times, with long-range threepoint shooting and fan-pleasing dunks. It also had its periods of ugliness, especially in the first half when St. John's shot 29 percent and fell behind, 27-17.
So nobody should have been surprised that the Warriors prevailed in another two-point game Wednesday. Marquette wouldn't have preferred it any other way.
basketball tournament.
"We're starting to learn how to play in close games." Lazar Hayward said after fifth-seeded Marquette held off the 13th-seeded Red Storm, 57-55, in the quarterfinals of the Big East men's
But as Norm Roberts, the former assistant under Bill Self at Kansas and current St. John's coach under siege, admitted afterward, the deficit could have been a lot bigger. Instead of berating his team at halftime, he merely told them that they had to make the extra pass on offense and continue to play hard on defense.
Marquette, true to form, was unfazed. Maurice Acker and Hayward (game-high 20 points), hit threes on consecutive possessions before another trey by David Cubillan with 1:10 remaining gave the Warriors the lead, back, 55-53.
Sign up to win basketballs autographed by Bill Self and Bonnie Henrickson to be given away at halftime during the SUA Big 12 Tournament Watch Party.
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