Free agent quarterback Neil O'
Donnell agreed to a five-year, $25 million contract with the New York Jets yesterday.
SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY. MARCH 1. 1996
SECTION B
Tvler Wirken / KANSAN
Kansas junior guard was named the Big Eight Conference women's basketball player of the year Tuesday. "I couldn't believe it," she said.
Award comes as total surprise to Tamecka Dixon
Junior guard named player of the year
Tamecka Dixon was sitting quietly in study hall Tuesday, when she received unexpected news from Javhawk teammate Nakia Sanford.
By Evan Blackwell
Kansan sportswriter
"Nakia came up to study hall screaming and hollering," Dixon said. "That's how I found out."
The Kansas junior guard is the
winner of the Big Eight Conference women's basketball player of the year award.
WEEKEND
Sanford,
a freshman center,
was not joking.
The honor has
been a welcome
"I couldn't believe it," Dixon said. "I thought she was playing with me at first."
reward for Dixon, the point guard who has helped guide No. 21 Kansas to an 18-8 record and the finel Big Eight Conference championship.
Dixon said she was honored to receive the recognition, but individual awards have never been her goal.
"I think this award is a reflection on what this team has accomplished." Dixon said.
Dixon leads the Jayhawks, and is second in the Big Eight in scoring at 17.5 points a game.
She also finished among the top 10 in the Big Eight in field goal percentage, free throw shooting, assists and steals.
In addition, Kansas women's basketball coach Marian Washington said that Dixon provided leadership when the team needed it at midseason.
"I knew that we just didn't have that leader on the floor, someone who could be an extension of myself, someone the players could respect and listen to," Washington said.
"Tamecka came in to let me know that she wanted to be that player, and I think she's been working very hard to do iust that," she said.
Matt Flickner / KANSAN
This season has been special to Dixon, because of her complete transformation to the point guard position.
Dixon, who was a shooting guard until she came to Kansas, now considers herself a true point guard.
"I can say that's my natural position now," Dixon said. "I've played it for two years."
Washington said she was pleased to see consistency in the coaches voting.
Washington said Kansas was surprised last year when point guard Shelley Sheetz of Colorado won the award instead of Angela Aycock of Kansas.
For the second consecutive season, the point guard and leader of the regular season champions, was given player of the year.
As far as Dixon goes, she said her priorities remain the same.
"I don't think there's any way I can feel that this makes up for what I thought Angie earned last year," Washington said.
"The only individual goal I've had was to be consistent with whatever I was doing to help my team," Dixon said. "As far as winning player of the year or anything like that, I never really thought about it."
Kansas eager to avenge last year's loss to Sooners
Tomorrow's game ends regular season
By Jenni Carlson
Kansan sportswriter
Scot Pollard remembers last year's loss at Oklahoma for all the wrong reasons.
Kansas coach Roy Williams throwing a jug across the locker room at halftime. Williams wanting to punch the chalkboard attached to a concrete wall. Oklahoma forward Ernie Abercrombie hitting a three-point goal late in the game that sealed the Jayhawks' fate. The then-No. 1 Jayhawks losing on the same day they were awarded the top ranking.
"It's very vivid in my memory as one of my biggest dis- appoint.
men's BASKETBALL
ments," Pollard said. "It really sticks out in my mind, I guess for negative reasons."
Pollard doesn't remember much about one part of the game, though. Kansas guard Jerod Haase dove after a loose ball and ended up in the Oldahoma student section.
Williams thought Haase was being touched, charged off the bench and picked up a technical foul.
Pollard had his back turned the entire time.
"I turn around, and all of a sudden Jacque Vaughn is sprinting the length of the floor after he saw what was going on." Pollard said. "After that, I got really fired up."
Kansas sophomore forward Reaf LaFrentz (45) reaches over a Kansas State player for a rebound as junior guard Jacque Vaughn looks on. The No. 3 Jayhawks finish the regular season tomorrow.
It wasn't enough to propel Kansas to a victory. Getting a victory in tomorrow's game, which starts at 3 p.m. in Norman, Okla., may not be much easier.
"We know we've got a challenge," Williams said. "We know we're going to catch a crowd that's really ticked off."
The Sooners will try to rebound after a 89-67 loss Wednesday at Oklahoma State and improve their chances of getting an at-large bid in the NCAA tournament.
Although Oklahoma has all the motivation in the world, No. 3 Kansas has to be aware of a leet-down. The Jayhawks won the Big Eight Conference title on Saturday and have virtually secured a ticket to post-season play with a 24-2 record.
But the Jayhawks don't foresee any drop offs.
"We're staying hungry," Pollard said. "I don't think we're fat and happy by any means. I don't think we're set up for a letdown."
Effort has seldom been a problem in Kansas' 26 games or 81 practices this season, Williams said. Concentration may not have been there in all the practices, though.
"We have a lot of other commitments beside what is on the basketball court that we need to take care of, whether it's media or academics or whatever," Kansas freshman guard Ryan Robertson said. "Our priorities may get a little lost in the shuffle sometimes."
Getting into the NCAA tournament is one priority that hasn't gotten lost, but being a No. 1 seed in the tournament is not of the utmost importance to the Jayhawks.
To be a top-seeded team in one of the tournament's four regionals is important to Williams,
though, because it means the team has kept winning.
"But is it any more important that you're the No. 2 or No. 3 seed once you get in the tournament?" Williams questioned. "I'm not so sure."
And he's not sure if winning tomorrow's game is a must for beating a No. 1 seed.
"I don't really know, and I really don't care," he said. "I want to win Saturday's game because it's Saturday's game."
Roy's boys earn academic honors
Kansan staff report
The Jayhawks claimed three of the eight spots on the first team.
After repeating as Big Eight Conference champions last weekend, three members of the Kansas men's basketball team became repeat champions in the classroom.
Junior guards Jerod Haase (3.76 grade point average) and Jacque Vaughn (3.70) and sophomore forward Raef LaFrentz (3.14) were named to the 1996 Phillips 66/Academic All-Big Eight first-team.
Vaughn became a three-time first-team member.
Also honored from Kansas were freshman forward T.J. Pugh (3.79), freshman guard Ryan Robertson (3.75) and sophomore guard C.B. McGrath (3.75). They were named to the honorable mention team.
During Roy Williams' eight years at Kansas, 13 players have been members of the Academic All-Big Eight team.
Shoulder injury shouldn't slow Minor
Big Eight's leading scorer plans to play against Kansas
The Associated Press
STILLWATER, Okla. — Oklahoma senior forward Ryan Minor, the Big Eight's leading scorer, missed the final nine minutes of Wednesday night's 89-67 loss to Oklahoma
State because of a shoulder injury.
The preseason All-American injured his left shoulder when he collided with Oklahoma State's Jason Skaer while chasing a loose ball. He stayed in the game a few moments longer and then left for good with 9:01 remaining.
Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson would
n't speculate on the severity of the injury.
"But is it a concern? A little bit," he said.
Minor said he planned to play tomorrow when the Sooners finish the regular season at home against No. 3 Kansas.
"Ryan's a tough kid," Sampson said. "Our trainer came up and said he thought Ryan broke a bone in his left hand during the first half. I asked Ryan about it and he said, 'I'm fine.' So I don't know."
He scored 12 points a,aint the Cowboys,
10 below his season average.
Bitter cold may jeopardize baseball team's first homestand
Kansas ready for Iowa if the weather permits
By Dan Gelston
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas baseball team has been battling a cold this week, and there's no remedy in sight.
The cold front that swept through Lawrence already forced the cancellation of the Jayhawks scheduled home opener against Missouri Western on Wednesday.
Today's game against Iowa has been moved to 1 p.m. tomorrow, part of an
Iowa has yet to play this year, but Kansas baseball coach Bobby Randall said the Hawkeyes would be ready.
But if the temperatures continue to hover in the 30's or below, the series may be in jeopardy.
unexpected opening day doubleheader.
Kansas has reason to be excited after getting off to a 5-4 start. Solid starting pitching has been a big reason for Kansas' early-season success.
"I think they'll be excited," he said. "I know what they're bringing back. They have good pitching and good hitting. But we'll be excited too."
But the Jayhawks will be venturing into some unknown territory this weekend.
After senior Josh Belovsky (2-1, 6.08 ERA) starts the first game, freshmen Chris Williams (0-0, 13.97 ERA) and Les Walrond (0-0, 8.59 ERA) will get the next two starts.
Both Williams and Walrond have yet to start a game, but Randall said he had his reasons for the move.
Josh Kliner
"Both of these guys are young and have really earned the opportunity to start," he said. "We want to give them a chance to
Belovsky will pitch the second game of the Oklahoma series. Randall plans to limit Belovsky's time on the mound this weekend, putting him on a pitch count for his start.
Randall said he also wanted to hold senior Clair Baird, who has been Kansas' best pitcher this year, for Tuesday's Big Eight Conference opener at Oklahoma.
Kansas senior second baseman Josk Kliner said that although those outside the team might be pleased with the 5-4 record, players and coaches knew there was still more to accomplish.
develop."
"We haven't done probably as well as we'd like," he said. "But it's good that
"Everybody's looking forward to this weekend," he said. "It's great to play in front of the home fans and show maybe we're a pretty good team."
1
we're playing a lot better on the road than last year. We're just doing the little things."
Kansas sophomore pitcher Casey Barrett said the team was looking forward to finally playing at home.
Kilner said the team's good start hopefully got the attention of Kansas' fans.
After three weekends on the road, Randall said he was looking forward to not havin' to get on a bus or plane after Sunday's name.
"I hope people come out and see us play." he said. "They should like what they'll see."