Sports
Hail to the Huskies
Connecticut claimed victory against Georgia Tech last night in the NCAA Tournament finals by a score of 82-73 PAGE 2B
The University Daily Kansan
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Tuesday, April 6, 2004
Amanda Kim Stairrett/Kansan
Bruce Ringwood. No. 51, freshman, led the linebackers through a drill involving trash cans at spring practice yesterday. It was the second of two open practices
No holds barred for Jayhawks
By Kevin Flaherty kflahery@kansan.com Kansan senior spwriter
A large group of children sat by the football practice fields yesterday, waiting anxiously for the practice to kick off.
Mark Mangino, Kansas football coach, walked up to the children and told them that it took a dedication to schoolwork to be a great Kansas football player. After talking about the need to stay focused on school, Mangino walked off.
"I got to go to work now," Mangino said to the kids. "If I don't go they might fire me."
With that, the second open practice
of the spring season began. The session was the first open to the fans when the players were in full pads and the last time fans will get to see the team before the spring scrimmage on April 18.
The fact that the players wore pads led to some extra hitting, but Mangino said the game was mostly mental at this point in the spring.
"We're throwing a lot of stuff at our kids," Mangino said. "When we come out and practice, we don't put any limitations on what the offense can execute or what the defense can. They can do whatever they want to each other, and I like the way they are reacting."
SEE JAYHAWKS ON PAGE 6B
All-American football player switches it up
By Kevin Flaherty
kflaherty@kansan.com
Kansan senior sportswriter
The do-it-all Freshman AllAmerican has played both cornerback and wide receiver through the spring. He could rotate positions all the way through two-a-day practices in August.
Charles Gordon never could pick a position.
"We just haven't figured out what to do with him," Kansas football coach Mark Mangino said. "He's a playmaker at both positions."
In fact, Gordon may be one of the most dangerous punt return men in the Big 12 Conference, and he is a true fulltime player. When he came to Kansas, Gordon said he expected to only play offense, but that doesn't mean he wasn't prepared to play multiple positions.
After all, he played wide receiver, free safety, returned kicks and was even his team's kicker in high school.
Gordon said that he had no preferences, but he did get ribbed by the other wide receivers a bit when he lined up at cornerback.
"They call me a traiter sometimes, just a lot of little iokes." Gordon said.
Both positions have its advantages. At cornerback, Gordon is a natural athlete with the quickness and size to cover most receivers. He had a couple of highlight hits and even got a sack in the Oklahoma State game. But it's at receiver that helped to propel him onto the Freshman All-American team. After a redshirt season, Gordon led Kansas in receptions last season with 57 catches and tied for the team lead with 769 yards.
SEE ALL-AMERICAN ON PAGE 6B
Woodard selected for Hall of Fame
By Jonathan Kealing
jkealing@kansan.com
Kansas sportswriter
The Naismith Memorial Basketball
An eventful year for University of Kansas' former interim coach and standout player Lynette Woodard has ended with basketball's highest honor: A spot in the Hall of Fame.
Hall of Fame announced its six honorees for induction. Woodard will now join her mentor and the woman she replaced as coach, Marrian Washington, in the Hall.
The Hall is locat ed in Springfield, Mass. and dedicated to James Naismith, founder of basketball and first Kansas men's coach.
Woodard
Woodard, who was the Women's Committee nominee, is in her first year of eligibility.
She holds the record for most points scored by a player in women's college basketball and the University's records for field goals and field goal attempts.
A native of Wichita, Woodard was former coach Marian Washington's most successful recruit. After leaving Kansas, Woodard played professionally in Italy before returning to the United States for the inaugural and second season of the WNBA.
Woodard played basketball from 1978-1981, before women's basketball became an NCAA sport.
Woodard also had the distinction of being the first female Harlem Globetrotter.
Woodard, who has been on the coaching staff for five years, may or may not return to Kansas next year.
At a news conference that announced Bonnie Henrickson as the new coach, athletics director Lew Perkins indicated that Woodard's role was still being evaluated.
Reports in The Kansas City Star indicated that Woodard had interviewed for the coaching position at the Phoenix Mercury WNBA team.
Clyde Drexler, Bill Sharman, Maurice Stokes, Drazen Dalipagic and Jerry Colangelo will join Woodard in the Hall of Fame on Sept. 10 this year.
— Edited by Cindy Yeo
BASKETBALL ANALYSIS
Kansas could sign two more high school stars
By Mike Norris
mnorris@kansan.com
Kansan sportwriter
The men's college basketball season ended last night. But don't tell that to college coaches.
Recruitment for the 2004-05 freshman class is still in full swing as coaches around the country do what they can to nail that one prospect who might be the missing piece to the championship puzzle.
In the case of the Jayhawks, there might be two missing pieces. Kansas thought its recruiting process was all but wrapped up when it signed Brooklyn point guard Russell Robinson, the No. 32 overall high school senior on Rivals.com. It also signed center Darnell Jackson and the No. 33-ranked player center Alexander "Sasha" Kaun.
That was until last week, when it learned that two high school stars were considering Lawrence.
Malik Hairston, the No. 2-ranked high school senior shooting guard in the country according to Rivals.com
Hairston
Giles
said he would decide this week if he would become a Jawhawk.
Hairston scored 11 points in the McDonald's High-School All-American game last Wednesday and followed a junior season in which he averaged 22 points, 12 rebounds, six assists and three blocks with a similar senior campaign.
Hairston said he was considering Kansas, UCLA, and possibly one other school he won't identify. But Jackson, a 6-foot-9, 240-pound forward from Midwest City, Okla., said he had a feeling Hairston will accompany him to Lawrence.
Another possible recruit, 6-foot-11
center Seattle native C.J. Giles, said he may want to continue his basketball career in Lawrence.
Giles' situation is more complicated because he has already signed a letter of intent to play at the University of Miami.
That was before former Hurricane coach Perry Clark was fired. Now Giles is asking for his release from Miami so he can choose between Kansas and Arizona. If Jayhawk fans are looking for an edge, they can find it in the fact that Giles' dad Chester played for Kansas from 1798-1980.
But Miami isn't quite giving up on Giles yet. Athletics director Paul Dee was unavailable for comment, but the Miami athletics department said it won't even entertain Giles' request until a new coach had been hired.
Unfortunately for Jayhawk fans, Miami has no timetable for finding a coach, leaving Giles hanging for the moment.
What would it take to bring either Giles or Heirston to Kansas?
First, someone would have to leave. All of Kansas' allotted scholarships
SEE KANSAS ON PAGE SEE
Abhv Tillerv/Kansas
Kansas falls to Oklahoma
Ashley Filberth, Kansas City, Mo., freshman, played tennis against Oklahoma yesterday afternoon at home. Fibreth finished the fall season with a 3-6 record. The team (5-11 overall, 3-3 Big 12) lost to No. 15 Oklahoma (14-3 overall, 3-2 Big 12), 6-1 on Monday, April 5, at Robinson Courts in Lawrence. The Jayhawks will return to action on Saturday, April 10. at 1 p.m. against No. 45 Baylor, which will be held at Robinson tennis courts.
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TALK TO SPORTS: Contact Henry C. Jackson or Maggie Newcomer at SPORTS@KANSAN.COM
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