KANSAS BASEBALL Results from the weekend action, Page 3. WOMEN'S BASKETBALL NCAA championship results, Page 4.
SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY. APRIL 1.1996
Defeat is painful, but tears dry
Welcome back, campers. If you're like me, you spent spring break drowning your sorrows after the Kansas loss. Actually, I did more than mourn the Jayhawk defeat.
But first, let me trace the tracks of my tears.
My Lenten resolution of no cussing, which I faithfully kept for 31 days, was put to the test when Kansas almost couldn't seem to finish off Arizona. But during the Syracuse loss — more specifically when
Billy Thomas couldn't handle the ground ball alone under the basket — the resolution got thrown out the window.
But during all the cursing and crying that followed the loss, I came to one basic realization — we're all spoiled rotten.
ASSOCIATE
SPORTS
EDITOR
KANSAS BASKETBALL
As far as an analysis of the game, I really don't know what to say about it, except what U2 sang in the song, ironically titled, *Sunday Bloody Sunday*, — "wish I could close my eyes and make it go away."
How many schools in the
But a bare-bones breakdown tells me that Kansas should have won period. The Jayhawks were more experienced, bigger, stronger, deeper, quicker and flat out better than Syracuse. And to top it off, the Orangemen did everything at the end of the game to hand the Jayhawks the victory.
nation get aggravated when their team only reaches the Elite Eight, but doesn't make the Final Four? Heck, there are a lot of colleges in the nation that would parade its players through the campus if they reached the final eight.
I guess that's why the Final Four is the greatest show on earth. Mediocre teams like Syracuse (pre-season ranking No. 41) can overcome powerhouses like Kansas (pre-season No. 2).
Don't be surprised if the Orangemen win the national championship tonight. I planned on saying Kentucky would blow Syracuse off the court until Dick Vitale — the same guy who promised to clean the Allen Field House floor with a toothbrush if Coach Larry Brown left Lawrence — said the Wildcats would smoke the Orangemen. Anything can happen.
■ Despite spending my spring break 12 hours from Lawrence, I've heard the rumors concerning the future of Jacque Vaughn at Kansas. Although Jacque is ready to move to the next level and make a killing in the pros, let me offer college hoops' Michelangelo with a basketball two examples.
John Wallace — After nearly going pro after his junior season, the second team All-American player decided not to rob himself of his senior year. So tonight, instead of sitting at the end of the bench in, say, Boston or Cleveland, he is playing for the national championship.
I spent my spring break skiing in Colorado, going up against a mountain that beat me up and down its incline. And I learned that skiing, from lift tickets to 60 mph wipe-outs, can cost you an arm and a leg. But I was in great company and had a great time.
Scotty Thurman — Instead of getting national attention and playing for a team that could have been a contender, Scotty is spending his time in the CBA with the has-been and never-was likes of Darryl Dawkins, Manute Bol and Arkansas teammate Corey Beck.
Finally, I've faced a 93 mph fastball, played cornerback against a future Division I (West Virginia) quarterback, covered Greg Gurley in an intramural hoops game, but all of this was nothing compared to the opponent I faced last week.
C'mon Jacque, you fit in with the Kansas system like peas and carrots — and that's all I've got to say about that.
Matt Flickner/ KANSAN
Kansas junior point guard Jacque Vaughn tumbles into press row after throwing the ball off the legs of Syracuse senior point guard Lazarus Sims in the West Region Finals of the NCAA Tournament.
Matt Flickner / KANSAN
Kansas sophomore forward Reef LaFrentz collisions with junior center Scot Pollard.
SECTION B
Matt Flickner / KANSAN
Richard Devinki / KANSAN
Syracuse basketball players celebrate after a clutch free-throw.
Kansas junior forward Shelly Canada looks up court against Tennessee on March 23 in Charlottesville.
Richard Devinki / KANSAN
Kansas freshman center Nakia Sanford ties up the basketball with Tennessee senior guard Latina Davis during the Jayhawks 92-71 loss to the Volunteers.
Jayhawk squads fall short
Kansas cursed by flat shooting in Elite Eight
By Jenni Carlson Kansan sportswriter
DENVER — Reef LaFrentz crumpled down in a chair amid the eerie hush in the Kansas locker room.
A few feet away, Jerod Haase folded his arms across his chest and stared blankly at the floor as he answered reporters' questions.
Across the room, Ryan Robertson struggled to accept the Jahawks' 60-57 loss to Syracuse in the
Regional finals on March 24.
The hurt from the loss that ended Kansas' season and its run at its first Final Four appearance since 1993 was apparent as soon as junior guard Jacque Vaughn's last-second three-point attempt bounded off the back of the rim.
That was the Jayhawks' 21st miss from behind the arc. They hit just four of 25 for 16 percent from there. Vaughn, who scored a game-high 21
"I'm just really sick to my stomach," Robertson said. "Hopefully, you can always take something from a loss. I just really hurts right now."
See Men's Hoops, Page 3.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. The Kansas women's basketball team learned that Tennessee had too much size, too much quickness, and too much intensity.
Quite simply, the Lady Volunteers had too much of everything.
Tennessee ends Kansas'season in regional semis
The Jayhawks' season came to an end with their 92-71 loss to Tennessee in the East region semifinals on March
The defeat ended one of the best seasons in Kansas history. The Jayhawks finished 22-10.
Kansas women's basketball coach Marian Washington said the Jayhawks were never able to match the Lady Vols' level of play. Tennessee took the lead in the first 15 seconds of the game and held it to the final buzzer.
By Evan Blackwell
Kansan sportswriter
"It's been a great season for Kansas," Washington said. "We've been through an awful lot this year."
"They knew what it was going to take to win this game," Washington said.
23.
See Women's Hoops, Page 3.
Diver is national champion
Rojohn wins first title; swimmers also do well
By Dan Geiston
Kansan sportswriter
Rojoin became the first Kansas diver to win an NCAA Championship when she captured the three-meter event on March 22 at the NCAA Division I Women's Swimming and Diving, Champi
Kansas senior diver Michelle Rojohn made history when she did what no other Kansas diver, men or women's, has ever done.
and Diving Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich.
"I am so excited and
"I am so excited and
"Rojohn said. "This is
the biggest accomplishment
of my diving career."
Entering the penultimate round of dives in the finals, Rojohn trailed Cincinnati's Becky Ruehl by three points. But Rojohn came out of that round leading by three points.
In the final round, Ruehl put all the pressure on Rojohn when she hit her last dive. Rojohn would have to hit hers to win.
"I really wasn't paying attention to scores and who was doing what," Rojohn said. "I was just trying to do the best dive I could."
WOMEN'S THREE-METER DIVING TOP FINISHERS
Rojohn hit on her final attempt, winning the event
2. Becky Ruehl, freshman,
Cincinnati
1. Michelle Rojohn, senior,
Kansas
3. Jenny Lingamfelter.
freshman, Southern Methodist
4. Elizabeth Leake
4. Elizabeth Leave,
sophomore, Kentucky
5. Summer Brown,
freshman, Florida
Methodist
4. Elizabeth Loake
6. Carrie Zarse, senior,
Michigan
7. Sunday Lewandowski,
senior, Pittsburgh
8. Maria Romero, senior,
Southern California
by 15 points with a score of 567.950.
"Coach gave me a big hug, and my mom came out of the stands," she said. "Everybody was cheering and congratulating me. It was something I won't forget."
Kansas diving coach Don Fearon said he was very pleased with the national champion.
"She just had an outstanding performance," he said. "She kept coming back and kept getting better and better."
Fearon added he wasn't surprised with her performance.
At last year's championships, Rojohn was the first Kansas diver to earn All-American status by finishing 13th on the three-meter board.
"I knew she had the ability to do that," he said. "But even though I believed in her, I think she had to believe in herself in order for her to accomplish this."
Rojohn's performance was shown on ESPN, and it meant automatic induction into the Kansas Athletics Hall of Fame. All of her accomplishments have led to a drastic change in Rojohn's life in the past week.
"Everybody wants to talk to me," she said. "There's been a lot of press coverage, a lot of old friends calling me an up. People want to talk to me, it seems, wherever Igo.
it's a big dream and it seems hard to believe I did it.
It's a big dream and it seems hard to believe I did it.
At the women's swimming championships, the Jayhawks placed 22nd, with three relay teams earning All-America status. Freshman swimmer Adrienne Turner was also named AllAmerica. Stanford won the overall team title.
It was a successful week for the men's squad, too. Kansas finished 34th at the Men's Swimming and Diving Championships at the University of Texas on March 27.
Kansas junior Eric Jorgensen earned All-American status by finishing 13th in the 500-meter freestyle. He earned his second All-American honor when he placed 11th in the 1650-meter freestyle.
Texas won the championship with 479.0 points.
Vaughn may forgo senior season, enter the draft
Junior point guard will explore options the next few weeks
By Jenni Carlson Kansan sportswriter
In the aftermath of Kansas' 60-57 loss to Syracuse, the Jayhawks might be facing an even bigger loss.
Kansas junior guard Jacque Vaughn said after the game that he would consider forgoing his senior season for early entry into the NBA.
"I definitely have two dreams — a dream of playing in the NBA and going to the Final Four and winning the championship," Vaughn said. "I'm going to do a lot of praying and maybe fans will do some for me."
The possibility of Vaughn entering
1
the NBA draft early was something Kansas coach Roy Williams mentioned might occur, Vaughn said.
Williams had not begun gathering information about where Vaughn might be drafted, what team might need a point guard or what his salary might be. He expected to start the process last week.
"He said we'd handle it if it did occur, " Vaughn said. "I guess since the season is over, it's time to talk."
"I'll get the job done," Williams said. "We'll sit and talk about it and see what is best for Jacque Vaughn."
In Bill Branch's opinion, the best thing for Vaughn is to stay at Kansas. Branch, director of scouting for Charlotte, said that the Hornets typically don't like players that leave college early.
"I hope that he's not an early entry, but he has to make his own decision," Branch said. "I think he would
have a better chance of being a real good player if he didn't come out."
Jacque Vaughn
There are various factors that weigh into a player's decision, including money, grades and fear of a
disappointing senior season. That fear is mostly unfounded, Branch said, because most players have benefited from an extra year in college. He cited Syracuse's John Wallace, who will be leading the Orangemen in the NCAA championship game tonight, as a prime example.
Branch said that was largely because the professional teams would get better players who have another year of development. Instead of players seeing a very limited playing time and little practice time, those who stay in school would likely get between 30 and 40 minutes a game.
Some early entrants even go bust,
including Arkansas' Scotty Thurman, who wasn't drafted and is now in the Continental Basketball Association.
"Obviously, there are kids that come out who pan out," Branch said. "There is a total misnomer that we want kids to come out early, though. I would be shocked if you surveyed any person from all other teams and found many going the other way. A majority think most guys should stay in school."
"Look at the guys that come into the league who don't get any better because they don't get to play."
Branch said. "When and where does he improve? He can't improve on 15 minutes a night."
If staying in school does spell improvement, Vaughn could make better his already impressive floor leadership, defense and ball handling as well as his shooting, which Branch identified as one of his weaker points.
Vaughn must declare his intent to enter the draft by May 12, though a decision is expected within the next several weeks. Even if Vaughn chooses the NBA over Kansas, Branch would not speculate where he might be drafted.
"I really, really hate to answer that," he said. "If I say he's going to be early first, mid first, late first, whatever — I don't want to be part of the system that tells him to leave."
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