SPORTS
FOOTBALL SAFETY INJURES LEG
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE 2B
PETER KIMBELLE
Thornton
SOFTBALL TEAM CONFIDENT
WWW.KANSAN.COM
FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2008
PAGE 3B
PAGE 1B
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Team discusses flaws over lunch
BY MARK DENT
mdent@kansan.com
Darrell Arthur devoured a basket of hot wings, Russell Robinson nibbled on shrimp and Sherron Collins plowed through a turkey club. Sasha Kaun didn't eat anything — he wasn't hungry.
Welcome to the season's first basketball luncheon.
The Kansas men's basketball team celebrates its 2007 Big 12 Championship. The team held a players-only meeting at Henry T's on Thursday to discuss energy at practices.
A day after the Jayhawks lost to Oklahoma State two weeks ago, the team called for a players-only meeting over some lunch. All 17 met at Henry T's to discuss energy problems that they hoped to fix in time to make a run at their fourth consecutive Big 12 title, which they'll play on Saturday at Texas A&M.
"We figured we had to do something," Robinson said, "and we wanted to be in the best environment as possible."
In between bites, the players opened their mouths to talk. Well, except for Arthur. The hot wings kept his vocal cords from working
"My mouth was spicy," Arthur said. "I was spraying a little bit."
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
With that in mind, Arthur made just a couple of comments. The seniors did most of the speaking, Robinson, Jeremy Case, Darnell Jackson, Kaun and Rodrick Stewart all talked about how this was their last season, and they wanted everything to be perfect. Kaun noticed how they lacked intensity at practice. He called for his teammates to focus as much during practice as they do during games so the energy would carry over.
Collins admitted during the meeting that not all of the players had brought enough
energy to practice or games during the weeks leading up to loss to the Cowbvs.
"I wouldn't say we're taking teams for granted," Collins said, "but we just weren't going into the game how we should have been, aggressive and all that."
The meeting's worked so far. Kansas showed toughness in winning at Iowa State, then played with what Bill Self called high energy levels in blowouts against K-State and Texas Tech.
This is the second season in a row the Jayhawks participated in a players-only meeting. Last year, the Jayhawks met in the hallway outside their hotel rooms before they played against Florida.
"It's better when it's a players' meeting because the coaches can be a little intimidating," Robinson said. "But when it's just us, we can say what we want to say and say it freely."
Kansas beat the Gators after that discussion and later won the Big 12 title. The Jayhawks have the same goal this season, and they can do it on Saturday at Texas A&M. A victory would give Kansas at least a share of the conference title. If Texas loses to Oklahoma State on Sunday, the Jayhawks would win it outright.
Kansas' large amount of conference titles
Kansas' large amount of conference titles — four in a row, eight of the 12 since the Big 12's inception and 50 all time — just makes the team care more. Robinson said the team makes it an emphasis every year and that Self plans his practices and even his level of strictness the team can peak when a conference title is on the line. Self doesn't think fans understand how important conference
championships are.
"That's always a goal of ours," Self said. "Not the ultimate goal, but each season you set goals to win and league championships are great goals."
To win this one, the Jayhawks will have to get fired up for the third straight game in a row. They'll have to match the energy of the Aggies, who can likely clinch an NCAA Tournament berth with a win. But energy
shouldn't be a problem. It hasn't been since that day at Henry T.'s.
"Our locker room will be pretty juiced going out," Self said. "This should be the most competitive we've felt all year long."
team. They were among 20 players honored. Case graduated in communications last year. Robinson is scheduled to graduate with a communications degree this spring, along with Kaun, who is a computer science major. Rodrick Stewart and Darnell Jackson, the team's other seniors, are on pace to graduate with degrees in African studies.
Note: Seniors Kaun, Case and Robinson were named to the Academic All-Big 12 Men's Basketball Team. Kaun and Case made the first team, while Robinson made the second
— Edited by Samuel Lamb
BIG 12 BASKETBALL
Texas A&M coach returns to Kansas for game against alma mater
BY MARK DENT mdent@kansan.com
Back when Texas A&M head coach Mark Turgeon played high school basketball at Topeka Hayden High School, he dreamt of a career in the NBA.
After averaging 3.4 points a game in four years at Kansas, Turgeon realized hed have to find a different job. Fortunately, Kansas coach Larry Brown gave him an idea.
"He was the first guy who said, 'I think you'll be a pretty good coach someday so why don't you start preparing yourself,' " Turgeon said.
Brown's prediction was correct. Turgeon has come a long way since his final game as a KU guard in 1987. He's coaching the 22-8 Texas A&M Aggies and will face his alma mater for the first time Saturday at 3 p.m.
"It's not going to be fun." Turgeon said.
"I'm not looking forward to it. It was really
the only downer of taking the job, but that's the way it's going to be."
Brown did more than help Turgeon find his calling as a basketball coach. He gave him his first job. Turgeon was on the bench as a graduate assistant for the 1987-88 season and saw Brown lead the team to a national title.
"That was probably the year I learned the most about coaching because I didn't have any pressure on me whatsoever," Turgeon said. "I just kind of sat back and watched him work and watched everything happen."
Coach Roy Williams kept Turgeon on his staff the next season, and Turgeon stayed as an assistant until 1992. After assistant jobs with Oregon
and the Philadelphia 76ers and a two-year stint as head coach at Jacksonville State, Turgeon became head coach at Wichita
State in 2000. In his seven seasons, the Shockers made three NITs and an NCAA Sweet 16. It was during that
Mark Turgeon
in the street. In 2000 that Turgeon thought he might stay at Wichita State forever.
enjoyed living in his home state and had a wife and two kids who were comfortable in Wichita. Then last
spring, former Texas A&M coach Billy Gillispie left for Kentucky. A&M Athletic Director Bill Byrne, who knew Turgeon from Oregon, was ready to hire Turgeon just two days after Gillispie
left.
Turgeon thought he'd be ready for the jump from the Missouri Valley to Big 12.
"I worked for Larry Brown," he said. "I worked for Roy Williams. They taught me to be ready for these situations."
But Turgeon might not have been prepared enough. The Aggies lost three of their first four conference games. Criticism piled with the losses. Earlier this season, Turgeon lashed out at reporters, saying he was in a no-win situation because Gillispie would get credit if they had a successful season, and he'd get blamed if they failed.
The situation calmed down slightly after A&M ran off a few victories, but the Aggies lost four of their previous five games before winning at Baylor Wednesday night. They're 22-8 and 8-7 in the Big 12. If the Aggies beat Kansas, they'll probably be assured of an NCAA Tournament bid.
Kansas coach Bill Self thinks the pressure
to win will make Turgeon forget about the emotions of playing against the Jayhawks.
"People down there are talking about, 'We need to kick Kansas' butt to accomplish what we want,'" Self said. "He's not going to be hung up by playing his alma mater."
Turgeon isn't so sure. He's not anxious to play the Jayhawks. This year, Kansas has a conference title at stake. He wants the matchup to mean that much to the Aggies in the future.
"I just hope it's a really big game every year," Turgeon said. "KU's proven that they're going to be a quality program every year. They've done it for a long time. Hopefully A&M can continue the success of the last three years and make the game mean a lot in the league race."
Edited by Russell Davies
BASEBALL
Kansas to face North Dakota
BY SHAWN SHROYER
shroyer@kansan.com
It wasn't pretty as Kansas got off to a 2-5 start. However, the Jayhawks now find themselves in prime position to reach 11-5 before Big 12 play begins.
But before Kansas (5-5) can worry about its series with No. 16 Texas, March 14 to 16, it has to get through its four-game series with North Dakota State (0-3) this weekend unscathed.
"We have to get it going on all cylinders," Kansas coach Ritch Price said. "We've got to play good defense, we've got to pitch good and then we've got to have better at-bats each and every day of the weekend, so that when we get to Texas we'll be game-ready to play"
While most college baseball teams were playing since Feb. 22, North Dakota State didn't play its first game until Tuesday at Oklahoma, losing 15-3. The two schools played a doubleheader Wednesday, which went no better for the visitors. The Bison were run-ruled 13-0 the first game and dropped the midweek finale, 9-3.
Kansas is coming off a 13-2 victory against Le Moyne College Wednesday. The game was one of 15 road games the Dolphins will have played before their first home game, but that's nothing compared to the schedule facing the Bison of North Dakota State.
Outfielder Kole Zimmerman managed to bat .500 in the three games while catcher Gavin Hofer hit.750 in two starts, but the rest of the team combined to hit.118.
After averaging just over four runs a game in its first seven, Kansas scored 34 runs its last three games. Embodying Kansas' change in offensive fortune Wednesday were senior
As for the layhawks, their early season hitting blunders appear to be behind them.
starting pitchers
North Dakota State's Projected Starting Pitchers
Friday: RHP Chad Berg (NR)
Saturday: RHP Matt Bowar (NR)
LHP Jake Laber (0-1) - 7.94 ERA, 5.2
IP, 11 H, 9 R, 5 ER, 1 BB, 1 SO
Tuesday: HBA
Price and Allman entered Wednesday batting .188 and .172, respectively. The two finished the game a combined 5-for-7 with two home runs, a triple, five runs and nine RBI. Allman's long ball was his first of the season while Price's was his second - and of the grand slam variety to boot.
However, the Kansas offense may still be without slugging junior catcher Buck Afenir Afenir tweaked his hamstring Feb. 29 legged out a triple and hasn't played since. Price has filled in behind the plate in Afenir's absence.
outfielders Ryne Price and John Allman.
But even though there's been very little drop-off, if any, defensively with Price at catcher, coach Price would still like to have Afenir back in the lineup for what he provides offensively.
"He's gotten better each week that he's been back there," coach Price said of Ryne's play at catcher.
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"It gives us a chance to put our best off-ensive team on the field," coach Price said.
In five starts, Afenir is hitting .389 and has a .611 sluggish percentage.
Regardless of who's behind the plate, Kansas' weekend rotation is starting to con-
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 6B
COMMENTARY
Mediocre Oklahoma downs Hawks
When Kansas players walked off the court in Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., Oklahoma State fans rushed the court in celebration of their 13-12 team beating the AP No.4 ranked team in the country 61-60. This was Kansas basketball at its lowest point this season.
Trying to rationalize Kansas losing its third game of the season, fans and the media alike even tried to compare the Jayhawks to last year's National Championship Florida team. After losing to Oklahoma State, Kansas went 4-2 in February. Last year's Florida team went 5-3 in February. Statistically, it could make sense. If the National Champions could have a rough month in February, then Kansas was just fine, right?
Bill Self didn't think so.
"It is like comparing apples and oranges because Florida had already won a national championship last year," Self said at his weekly press conference the Monday after the Oklahoma State game. "We haven't been down that road yet. It would be giving our guys and our team way too much credit to compare us to a team that has already done it."
Something happened, though from the
"When we lost to OSU and we had practice the next day, I think a lot of guys realized this is it," Jackson said. "We came together as a team and we just told each other that everybody needs to bring something to the table."
outside it wasn't apparent. Senior forward Darnell Jackson best explained it following Kansas' 109-51 stomping of Texas Tech on Monday.
traveled to Lawrence Saturday and Kansas had Senior Night on Big Monday, Self felt a lot better about things.
Kansas beat Iowa State on the road and then traveled home to Allen Fieldhouse. Considering ESPN's "College GameDay"
Self went as far as telling ESPN's Andy Katz that Kansas' losses to Kansas State, Texas and Oklahoma State were all part of his team overcoming adversity.
"Every team that wins in March goes
through some sort of crap during the season." Self told Katz.
After witnessing Kansas State and Texas Tech's troubles against Kansas, it was clear that the "Pay Heed, All Who Enter: Beware of 'The Phog'" showed that Kansas was not to be reckoned with at home. After the Texas Tech game, coach Pat Knight expressed how he thought his team felt about playing in Allen Fieldhouse.
"I had guys that I honestly thought
Every player except for freshman guard Chase Buford scored points. Even though Buford didn't score, he managed a steal and a block in two minutes of play.
Trying to rationalize Kansas losing its third game of the season fans and the media alike even tried to compare the Jayhawks to last year's National Championship Florida team.
This is a team that has intimidated opponents. In the Texas Tech game, Self played all 16 players on his roster. The Big 12 co-player of the week, junior guard Brandon Rush, played just 10 minutes.
looked scared when they got out there to play," said Knight.
As the Jayhawks venture out of the "Phog," future success will come only if they can maintain the intensity they
This came from a coach whose team had knocked off the then AP No. 5 ranked Texas just two days before. When Kansas plays with emotion and intensity, every player can thrive and outplay its opponents.
had against Kansas State and Texas Tech. Kansas has worked through a few rough spots on the road in Big 12 play. The team has also overcome this adversity and dominated opponents at home. Now it is time to continue that.
If they can do that, as the legendary rock singer John Fogerty said, "There's a bad moon on the rise."
Edited by Nick Mangiaracing
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