KANSAS BASEBALL The Jayhawks hit the road again today against Southwest Missouri State in Springfield, Mo. Page 3.
SPORTS UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 1996
Game locale pleases Williams
KANSAS BASKETBALL
Kansas coach was seeking warm weather in first round
Matt Flickner / KANSAM
By Jenni Carlson Kansan sportswriter
Kansas coach Roy Williams professes that he didn't care where the larkvavs were seeded in the NCAA tournament.
"I decided I wanted to go to Orlando, Fla., or to Tempe, Ariz., because it was warm," Williams said. "But I didn't give a flip who we were playing. Those were my two favorite sites."
But on Thursday night, he did look at the first-round sites for the first time.
Williams' wish was granted as the second-seeded Jayhawks, who fell into a three-way tie for the fourth spot on this week's Associated Press Top 25 poll, drew an opening round game against South Carolina State in Tempe.
CBS announced yesterday that tipoff is scheduled for about 4:10 p.m. Friday at the University Activity Center. The game will be broadcast 30 minutes after the completion of the Maryland-Santa Claire game, which begins at 2:38 p.m.
Before the Jayhawks leave Lawrence tomorrow, they will have spent several days preparing for the Bulldogs. One could bet that some rebounding drills will be included in those practices after Kansas was outrebounded in all three of its Big Eight Conference tournament games.
This was a team that spent much of the season ranked in the top 20 nationally in rebounding margin.
"We'll be working on our rebounding, and we'll box out Allen Field House if we have to," Williams said. "We haven't played our best vet. Hopefully, I won't be saying that in June."
Kansas certainly didn't play its best Sunday against Iowa State. That 56-55 loss has the Javahays itching to play.
"Right now, I'm just ready to get out there and start playing again and get things rolling," Kansas junior guard Jerod Haase said.
SECTION B
Williams echoed those sentiments after his team failed to win the final Big Eight tournament crown.
"That's the kind of game that makes you feel like someone reached in and ripped out your heart and then made you look at it for a while," he said. "Td rather play tomorrow to get rid of this feeling I've got now."
Three other Big Eight teams will get their chance to play in the NCAAs later this week, too.
Oklahoma, a No. 10 seed in the Southeast, will play Temple at 11:25 a.m. Friday in Orlando, Fla.
Iowa State landed a No. 5 seed in the Midwest regional and will face California at 7 p.m. Thursday in Dallas.
"I was somewhat surprised that Oklahoma State didn't get in because they played well down the stretch," Williams said.
Kansas junior Jerod Haase dives after a loose ball in Saturday's Big Eight Conference tournament semifinal game in
The fourth Big Eight team invited was Kansas State. The Wildcats are also a tenth seed and will square off against New Mexico at about 2 p.m. Thursday in Richmond, Va.
The Cowboys were not extended an invitation to the National Invitation Tournament either, most likely because coach Eddie Sutton had previously said he would not accept one.
Nebraska and Missouri, however, were offered and accepted NIT Invitations on Sunday.
Other than Williams' surprise about Oklahoma State, he had nothing but good things to say about the tournament field.
Kansas City, Mo. The No. 4 Jayhawks will face South Carolina State on Friday in the NCAA tournament.
ing to make this a better process and get equity in each bracket," Williams said. "I'm sure every coach thinks his bracket is the toughest and which ever team they're playing is the toughest fourth seed or 12th seed or 15th seed. That's just the way coaches go."
"I congratulate the committee for each and every year try-
Four teams were chosen in the women's bracket
NCAA gives Big Eight deserved respect
By Evan Blackwell
Kansan sportswriter
In its final year of existence, the Big Eight Conference seems to have gotten some respect.
The Big Eight will send half of its teams to the NCAA women's basketball tournament this season, and No. 19 Colorado and No. 20 Kansas will be at home in their guaranteed first- and possible second-round games.
Kansas women's basketball coach Marian Washington was in a festive mood after the pairings were announced yesterday.
ington said. "It's the last year of our conference, but we're finally getting the respect that I think we've earned."
The Jayhawks, who were the regular-season champions in the Big Eight, are the No. 4 seed in the East region. Kansas will play No. 13 seed Middle Tennessee State in the first round Saturday night in Allen Field House.
"It's a great day for the Big Eight." Wash
Colorado, which won the Big Eight post-season tournament, is the highest seeded team from the Big Eight at No. 3 in the West region. It's the third consecutive season that the Buffalooes will be a first-round host.
Kansas will play the second game, which will start about 8 p.m.
Oklahoma State will hit the road as the No. 7 seed in the Midwest region. The Cow-
They will play No. 14 seed Tulane Friday night in Boulder, Colo.
girls will play No. 10 seed Rhode Island in the first round in Athens, Ga. Friday night.
Oklahoma State coach Dick Halterman said the team felt a little anxiety when its bracket was the last one to be announced yesterday.
"We felt pretty confident that we were in," Halterman said. "But there's a little nervousness when they're down to the last bracket and your name hasn't been up there vet."
The one Big Eight team who appeared to be on the bubble was the Nebraska.
The Cornhuskers were the final Big Eight team announced, and they are the No.9 seed in the West region.
Nebraska will play No. 8 seed Colorado State on Saturday night in Palo Alto, Calif.
"Ten years ago, I thought we did a poor job of non-conference scheduling as a conference," Halterman said. "I think that has changed now when you look at Kansas and Colorado and the rest of us."
Kansas junior guard Angie Halbleib agreed that strength of schedule allowed the Jayhawks to get that first-round home game.
conference schedule.
Halterman said he thought the key to conference success had been strength of non-
Halterman said he thought all four Big Eight teams had great chances to win their first-round games.
"I think the committee really did look at who we played this year," Hallebib said. "I think six of our nine losses were to ranked opponents."
"I think that would speak very well for the conference if we had four teams in the final 32," Halterman said.
Gina Thomburg / KANBAN
Kansas senior Kristi Kloester won an NCAA championship in the 800-meter run last weekend in Indianapolis. She became just the second woman in school history to win a national title.
Kloster wins NCAA title in 800-meter run
Kansas senior overcomes adversity to earn a place in athletic Hall of Fame
By Adam Herschman Kansan sportswriter
Kansas senior Kristi Kloster expected only her mother and father to greet her at the airport on Sunday night.
She was wrong.
When Kloster walked off the plane she saw balloons, banners, family and friends. Her brothers Gary and Jake, and sisters Ann and Sarah held up two banners that read "We're the proud brothers and sisters of the NCAA 800-meter champion," and "Kristi, you rock our word."
Kloster's parents, grandparents, and siblings all showed up to meet her after she won the
Past and present members of the Kansas track and field team were also there, holding a 30-foot long banner that read, "Welcome home Kansas All-Americans and national champion Kristi Klosterman."
800-meter dash at the NCAA Indoor Championships in Indianapolis.
Kloster and five other Jayhawks competed at the national championships and earned seven All-American awards. Kloster won two, including a national title.
Kloster became only the second woman to win a national track and field title for Kansas. Shella Calmese did it in 1978.
"We felt it was appropriate to greet Kristi and the team at the airport because this is something that doesn't happen everyday," former Javahawk David Johnston said.
Calmese was the only woman track and field member in the Kansas Athletic Hall of Fame
See KLOSTER. Page 4.
I'm still combing over the men's and women's NCAA tournament brackets, so there will be no predictions here. Today I want to pick on an old friend — the Missouri Tigers.
History not kind to Tigers
Believe me.I did.
When I talked about the Kansas men's team and its tradition of losing the conference tournament last week, I failed to mention that I thought Missouri would win the whole thing.
BELIEVE ME, I DID.
I was reminded of the 1993 Big
Eight tournament, when the Tigers had a terrible team, yet won a guarantee trip to the Big Dance — only to lose in the first round to Temple.
The 1992-93 Tigers entered the conference tournament with a 16-13 record, and had to win it to get an NCAA invitation.
This season, Missouri rolled into Kemper Arena with that same 16-13 record — and a five-game losing streak.
Doesn't history repeat itself? I thought it would, giving Missouri coach Norm Stewart another chance to embarrass himself with an early NCAA exit. But this "Jekyll and Hyde" Tiger team wouldn't let old Norm get the chance.
Since I thought Missouri would win the tournament, I wasn't shocked when it defeated Oklahoma in overtime on Friday. I didn't tune in to its second round game with Iowa State until the second half, and again there was no surprise to see the Tigers keeping the game within reach.
But just as Missouri was about to deliver the knockout punch and set up a championship game date with Kansas, the old demons came back.
As Iowa State guard Dedric Willoughby attempted a layup with his team down 51-48 and 2:46 remaining in the game, Missouri guard Jason Sutherland leaped up in the air and fouled Willoughby hard — so hard that the Cyclone junior crashed to the floor and grabbed his head.
Until that point I no longer thought the Tigers would win the tournament. Instead, I knew it. After being up and down all season long, Missouri finally had its chance to show the great potential it possessed but had yet to turn out on the court.
Sutherland thought otherwise, as did Stewart.
Instant replays showed that Sutherland didn't just crash into Willoughby, but with his elbow firmly pointed at Willoughby's head. I'm not a referee, but such an action sounds like an intentional foul.
But a cheap foul and poor sportsmanship changed all that in a blink of an eye. Willoughby then made one of two foul shots and a jumper in the next possession to tie the game at 51, and the Cyclones took over from there, winning by four.
I won't go in to detail about what Stewart said and did following the game. Let's just say he is becoming more and more like Indiana coach Bob Knight, who has a reputation for cursing like a sailor and storming out of press conferences after a tough loss.
Before the Big Eight tournament, the Tigers said a bid to the NIT wasn't in their plans. Yet, they accepted their invitation on Sunday night.
I guess that is a fitting end for one of the biggest group of underachievers ever assembled on one team.
Missouri had its chance to be *Cinderella*. It too bad the Tigers threw the glass slipper at their opponent rather than triving it on.
The incredible season for the Kansas women's basketball team just keeps on going.
When it looked like the Jayhawks wouldn't be hosting first and second round games in the NCAA tournament, the selection committee turned around and did just that.
So here's the deal — be there on Saturday. Tickets are $3 for students, and the men's team will have already played the day before, so there is no excuse to stay home. I'll see you there.
I'll see you there.
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