NBA
The most recent suspension of forward Dennis Rodman may cost the Bulls a chance to set a record for victories. Page 6.
SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 20,1996
SECTION B
Meet the Pollard Bunch
Kansas junior center Scot Pollard doesn't mind being called small when he's around family members
By Jenni Carlson Kansan sportswriter
The news came from her daughter, Lynne.
Richard Devinki / KANSAN
Marlyn Pollard heard about her son Scot dying his hair Happy Honey.
"I was probably the last one to find out." Marlyn Pollard said, smiling. "He probably knew I had found out just like any mother would."
Even though Scot Pollard, junior center on the Kansas men's basketball team, went blond in the offseason, his mother and the rest of his family weren't surprised.
"Anything for a laugh," Pollard's brother Carl said as he, Marlyn, Lyne and brother Carl sat in the University Activity Center at Tempe, Ariz., waiting for Kansas' second-round NCAA tournament game. "That's the thing with Scot. It's a matter of being the baby in the family, I guess."
Pollard is the youngest of six children, but he never really has been a baby. He weighed 13 pounds, 8 ounces and measured 24 inches long at birth. To say
Kansas junior center Scot Pollard has five older siblings, three of which are taller than he is. But Pollard has stood tall for the Jahways this season, filling the shoes of departed center Greg Ostertag.
"He always laughs that he's never been shorter than two feet tall," Martyn Pollard said.
that Pollard always has been bigis an understatement.
Pollard's brothers and his late father, Pearl, played college basketball. Neal plays for Washburn University in Topeka.
Pollard, 6-foot-10, also jokes about being the short one in his family. Carl is 7-3, two other brothers, Mark and Neal, are 7-0, and Alan is also 6-10. His mother and sister are both 6-2.
Right now, it is Pollard's turn in the NCAA tournament spotlight. He is averaging 10.2 points and 7.6 rebounds as the Jayhawks enter their West Regional semifinal game against Arizona about 9:40 p.m. Friday in Denver.
One of Pollard's biggest contributions this season is a teamhigh 2.4 blocked shots a game. This comes in a year that the Jayhawks' block numbers were supposed to fall well short of 1995's total of 181 because of the loss of Greg Ostertag. He was the most proficient shot
See POLLARD, Page 3.
Fans give women's team a boost
Texas fans react to a call in Monday's NCAA tournament game in Allen Field House. Coaches from both Kansas and Texas were impressed with the intensity of the fans.
Steve Puppe / KANSAN
Coaches Washington, Conradt impressed with intense crowds
By Evan Blackwell Kansan sportswriter
For anyone who underestimated the effect the Kansas women's basketball team's home crowd at Monday night's NCAA second-round victory, Texas women's basketball coach Jody Conradt begs to哉
"They had a great crowd, and it shows well for the Big 12," Conradt said. "This was a fun atmosphere to play in."
"It was really nice to have the people behind us," Washington said. "That really helped us the whole game."
The impact of the crowd during the Jayhawks' 77-70 victory was also recognized by Kansas women's basketball coach Marian Washington.
The victory gave the Jayhawks their first berth in the Sweet 16.
No. 4 seed Kansas will play No. 1 seed Tennessee at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in Charlottesville, Va. The game can be seen locally on ESPN2.
The Jayhawks were quicker than the Longhorns all night before their win, which some analysts classified as an upset.
"I think a lot of people didn't expect us to get past the second round," Washington said.
The night that produced perhaps the biggest victory in Kansas women's basketball history turned out to be an intense and emotional one for the players.
"Coach kept telling us that we had nothing to lose, so we just went out and
"There's a lot more on the line in an NCAA game," Halbleib said. "The intensity is a lot higher."
Kansas guard Angie Halbleib said the team had to play with more desire at this point in the season.
played with all our heart," Kansas guard Charisse Sampson said. "We left it all out on the floor."
BRACKETS: Men's and women's
Sweet16 pairings. Page4.
That intensity carried over into the
game, and Washington said that was a kev.
"When you play against a great team like Texas, you have to maintain that intensity for 40 minutes," Washington said.
The reality of a history-making season began to set in with the Kansas players after the game.
"It means a lot to us, because we've never been there," Sampson said. "It's something we've never experienced and something we all wanted."
Washington said that there was no coincidence between the Sweet 16 berth and being a first-round host site.
"For years, I thought we never really got a break with the seeding," Washington said. "This year we finally got that break."
Both the 5,279-person crowd on Saturday night and the 4,450-person crowd on Monday night were among the top ten crowds in Kansas women's basketball history.
Washington said she hoped the weekend attendance would be a sign of future things to come.
"I certainly hope there will be a rollover to next year," Washington said. "I hope people will come out earlier to support us next season."
Two divers advance to NCAA meet
Seniors Hoffman and Rojohn emerge with strong finishes
By Dan Gelston Kansan sportswriter
It's on to the NCAA Championships for two members of the Kansas men's and women's diving team.
Kansas seniors Kris Hoffman and Michelle Rojohn qualified at the 1996 NCAA Zone D Diving Championships Friday and Saturday in Fayetteville, Ark.
Rojohn qualified with a third-place finish in the one-meter diving finals with a score of 398.80. She also won the three-meter event.
After combining the scores, the top nine women and top six men qualified.
Hoffman finished fifth on the three-meter with a score of 476.250 and seventh on the one-meter.
He needed two
That's exactly what happened.
Arkansas divers to finish first and second to qualify.
That's exactly what happened.
Kansas diving coach Don Fearon was happy with Hoffman and Rojohn's performances and was pleased with the way they dove.
"It was very competitive and really tight diving," he said.
Brian Humphrey and Kenzie Zeller also competed in the zone meet but failed to qualify for the NCAA championships.
Fearon said Hoffman and RoJohn should be ready for the championships.
"It's a high-stakes meet," he said. "There's a lot of pressure. Some people can't handle it. Some people live up to it."
Thirty-five divers qualify for the championships on both the men and women's side. The top 16 are awarded All-American status. Rojohn earned that last year with a 13th place finish.
He said he was happy to reach the championships again but hopes to do better than last year.
Hoffman finished 21st on the one-meter and 26th on the three-meter at last year's championships.
"I've got to not put so much pressure on myself," Hoffman said. "I did that last year, and I think that really affected me."
Hoffman said he didn't see himself having that problem this year.
"I think being there before will help me," he said. "I know I can do the physical part of diving; it's just the mental part."
The women's NCAA Championship is March 21-23 in Ann Arbor, Mich. The men's championship is March 28-30 in Austin, Texas.
Weather shuts out baseball team again
Kansan staff report
The No. 7 team in the country can't slow down the Jayhawks, but the weather can.
The second game of the Kansas-Arkansas series was canceled because of inclement weather yesterday.
Weather permitting, the Jayhawks will play Pittsburg State at 3 p.m. today at Hoglund-Maupin Stadium.
Stress fractures give runners cause for both pain and strain
By Adam Herschman Kansan sportswriter
She had the look of a kindergartner stuck inside during recess, looking out the window and wishing to be outside playing with the other kids.
As the heat pack warmed up her injured leg for practice, Deveaux stared blankly into space while sitting on a treatment table in the training room.
Kansas freshman Deviveau rolled up the left pants leg of her black warmups and applied a heat compression pack to the area of her stress fracture.
After her treatment, Deveaux walked out of the training room, and went to her daily routine of stretching and riding an exercise bike.
KANSAS TRACK AND FIELD
Stress fractures are a common injury to members of the Kansas track and field team, especially distance runners.
makes it difficult Athletes are not allowed to participate in any impact activities such as running.
Consequently, it's tough to handle psychologically, because the athlete doesn't know when the injury will heal, and keeping in shape becomes a challenge.
"I'm frustrated, Deveaux said. "I want to be running and I know I can't. I know I just have to be patient with myself and my injury."
Only time heals this injury, which is what
For the past four months, Deveaux has been coming to the training room twice a day, and at least five times a week.
Lawrence Magee, coordinator of the sports medicine clinic at Watkins Memorial Health Center, said the most common development of a stress fracture was from the increase in the amount or intensity of running.
This injury has especially been tough because she had a very successful season on the women's cross country team.
She has not competed since the District V Championships on Nov. 11.
"Stress fractures happen when the break-
down of the bone exceeds the body's ability to repair it," Magee said. "Usually it's just a fracture on one edge of the bone. For example if they increase the total mileage they're running, that increases the wear and tear on the bone."
Deveaux has experienced three stress fractures and each one can be traced to an increase in intensity and volume in her running.
Doctors found her third stress fracture in her left tibia after she came to college.
"It was a lot higher intensity and I think my legs just gave out." Deveaux said about making this year's increase in running levels.
Changing running surfaces, such as from an indoor surface to an outdoor surface, can also cause a stress fracture.
Magee said that biomechanical factors help cause stress fractures, such as when one leg is longer than the other, flat feet and pronated feet. Feet become pronated when the foot rolls to the center of the body excessively.
An improper diet can cause the injury, Magee said.
See INJURY. Page 6.
Tvler Wirken / KANSAN
Kansas freshman Ann Deveaux rests while treating a stress fracture with a heating pad. Deveaux also spends time riding a stationary bike to help her leg heal better.
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