THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2008
SPORTS
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
3B
Bears remain Big 12 standout
BY ANDREW WIEBE
awiebe@kansan.com
Here are Big 12 women's basketball reporter Andrew Wiebe's Big 12 power rankings. Every Tuesday the Kansan will rank Big 12 teams based on last week's performance and the next week's schedule. Last week's ranking is in parentheses.
ONE (1)
No. 8 Baylor 23-3 [11-2]
Last week: at Iowa State (W)
This week: Colorado, at Texas A&M
Baylor went to Hilton Coliseum and came away with a victory, something not many teams have done this season. The Big 12 regular season championship is theirs to claim as long as the Bears take care of business on the road.
No. 10 Oklahoma 20-5 [10-3]
Last week: at Kansas State (W), Oklahoma State (W)
This week: at Texas Tech, Texas
TWO (3)
Oklahoma is the hottest team in the conference. Last week the Sooners avoided a sweep by in-state rivals while also grabbing a win in Manhattan over a stumbling Wildcat squad. If Oklahoma can keep the streak going, they could end the season as conference champions.
TEN (11)
Texas Tech 16-11 [4-9]
Last week: Kansas (W), Nebraska (W)
This week: Oklahoma, at Oklahoma State
Teams go to Lubbock and they tend to leave with a loss, but Oklahoma is a different squad from the ones who have lost in southwest Texas. Transfer forward Dominic Seals won her third Big 12 honor of the year, and she will continue to be crucial to the Lady Raiders' chances for victory.
ELEVEN (8)
Two losses to teams from the bottom of the Big
Kansas 15-11 [4-9]
Last week: at Texas Tech (L), at Missouri (L)
This week: Texas, at Iowa State
Two losses to teams from the bottom of the Big 12 isn't an encouraging sign as the Jayhawks look to close the season out strong. Kansas is a prime example of how difficult it is to play on the road in the conference as they've lost all seven games away from Lawrence.
TWELVE (12)
Missouri 8-16 [2-10]
Last week: at Nebraska (L), Kansas (W)
This week: Iowa State, at Kansas State
The relief on the Tigers' players' faces after beating the Jayhawks Sunday was noticeable. At this point their season is about building confidence to carry into 2008. Guard Alyssa Hollins went off for 22 points in the second half against Kansas. She will have to continue that form to get Missouri a third victory.
THREE (4)
No. 17 Oklahoma State 21-5 [9-4]
Last week: Texas (W), at Oklahoma (L)
This week: Texas A&M, Texas Tech
Despite the disappointing loss in Norman, the Cowgirls are still one of the Big 12's most dangerous teams. It will be difficult to get wins over Texas A&M and Texas Tech, but playing in Stillwater works to Oklahoma State's advantage.
FOUR(2)
No. 21 Kansas State 18-9 [10-3]
Last week: Oklahoma (L), at Colorado (L)
This week: Nebraska, Missouri
Although the loss to Oklahoma wasn't disastrous, losing to Colorado may have ended Kansas State's chances of winning a Big 12 Championship. It's not over for the Wildcats, though, as their remaining schedule is much easier than the other contenders.
FIVE (5)
Texas A&M just keeps winning, which isn't
unsurprising considering the wretched
Gary Blair's team. Junior forward/guard Danielle Gant was last weeks Big 12 player of the week and she will have to continue to perform at an all-conference level this week against two tough Big 12 South opponents.
No. 20 Texas A&M 19-7 [8-5]
Last week: Iowa State (W), at Texas (W)
This week: at Oklahoma State, Baylor
SIX (6)
The Cornhuskers found out the hard way how difficult it is to win in a backhack. Nebraska is onl
Nebraska 18-9 [7-6]
Last week: Missouri (W), at Texas Tech (L)
This week: at Kansas State, Colorado
difficult it is to win in EUBUDK. Nebraska is perilously close to a losing conference record, and if it wants to hold onto a NCAA tournament spot, getting at least one victory this week will be key.
SEVEN (6)
Iowa State 16-10 [5-8]
Last week: at Texas A&M (L), Baylor (L)
This week: at Missouri, Kansas
After a nightmare schedule last week, things get substantially easier for the Cyclones this week with matchups against two conference bottom teams.
Kansas is a completely different team at home, and Missouri's only two wins are in Columbia so Iowa State will have to play well to emerge unscathed.
EIGHT (7)
Texas 16-11 [4-9]
Last week: at Oklahoma State (L), Texas A&M (L)
This week: at Kansas, at Oklahoma
A week brand playing in Boulder certainly worked wonders for the Buffaloales. This week's schedule won't be so kind. Colorado will be lucky to pick up a victory in Waco or Lincoln, but stranger things have happened.
A week on the road doesn't bode well for the Longhorns. Kansas is no pushover and winning the Red River Shootout in Norman will take the performance of the year for Texas.
NINE (10)
A week off and playing in Boulder certainlylv
Colorado 15-11 [4-9]
Last week: Kansas State (W)
This week: at Baylor, at Nebraska
Tennessee moves to No.1 in AP poll
》 NCAA BASKETBALL
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Tennessee surged to the top of The Associated Press college basketball poll for the first time Monday on the strength of its victory over Memphis in a Nos. 1-vs. 2 matchup.
The football team at Tennessee has been ranked No.1 during four seasons, including two national titles. The women's basketball program has been a regular atop that poll since 1977, winning seven national championships under coach Pat Summitt.
Now it's the men's turn
The Volunteers (25-2) were a runaway choice, receiving 69 first-place votes and 1,797 points from the 72-member national media panel after a 66-62 victory at Memphis. Tennessee is the 53rd school to hold the No. 1 ranking since the poll began for the 1948-49 season.
Memphis (26-1), which lost for the first time this season when Tennessee ended its 47-game home winning streak, had been ranked No. 1 for the past five weeks, the last three as a unanimous choice. The Tigers were No. 2 and received 1,682 points.
"The response has been overwhelming here," Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said Monday. "The game Saturday, there'll always be a lot of talk of where were you when they beat Memphis to become No. 1? It was that kind of event so it will have some staying power, but for us there will be little staying power because we have to go play at Vanderbilt on Tuesday where they have won 17 straight games.
"The fact that men's basketball was able to get to this point just brings us in line with the other sports here, men's and women's, like softball and track and field This is the expectation at Tennessee and that you can point to those different sports is why Tennessee is one of the finest athletic programs in the country and this only adds to that."
North Carolina (26-2), which was No.1 in the preseason poll and for the first 10 weeks of the regular season, stayed third after wins over North Carolina State and Wake Forest. The Tar Heels received two
first-place votes, while UCLA (24-3), which jumped from sixth to fourth after wins over Oregon State and Oregon last week, was No. 1 on one ballot.
There was some history made near the bottom of the rankings as well Monday with Kent State (23-5) moving into the 'Top 25 for the first time. The Golden Flashes were No. 23 after their 65-57 victory at Saint Mary's, Calif., on Saturday night.
Texas moved up two spots to fifth. Kansas, which lost at Oklahoma State on Saturday, and Duke, which snapped a two-game losing streak with a win over St. John's on Saturday, both dropped two spots to sixth and seventh, respectively. Stanford, Xavier and Wisconsin rounded out the top 10.
Georgetown moved up one place to 11th and was followed by Indiana, Louisville, Butler, Connecticut, Purdue, Notre Dame, Vanderbilt, Michigan State and Drake. The last five ranked teams were Marquette, Washington State, Kent State, Gonzaga and Saint Mary's.
Gonzaga (21-6) was the week's other newcomer. The Bulldogs, who were 14th in the preseason poll, returned after a nine-week absence. They have won 12 of their last 15, with the losses coming to Tennessee, Memphis and Saint Mary's.
Kent State entered the poll having won nine of 10, the loss coming at Toledo. Two of the Golden Flashes' losses this season were to North Carolina and Xavier.
Texas A&M (20-7) dropped out from 23rd, its first time out of the poll this season. The Aggies, ranked as high as No. 9 this season, have lost three straight — Oklahoma State, Texas and Nebraska, the first and last at home.
Kansas State (18-8) was ranked for eight weeks this season, including the last four in a row. The Wildcats fell out from 24th, having lost three of four, including losses to Nebraska and Baylor last week.
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Colorado Rockies' Jayson Nix, right, and Marcus Giles chat during baseball spring training Tuesday, Feb. 19, in Tucson, Ariz. Giles, who played last year with the San Diego Padres, signed a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training with the Rockies, who lost free agent Kaz Matsui to Houston. On Monday Rockies manager Clint Hurdle told Jeff Francs he would get to pitch on opening-day on March 31.
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Rockies announce new starting pitcher Jeff Francis gets to open the season
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TUCSON, Ariz. — The timing of the announcement was the only surprise.
Rockies manager Clint Hurdle, who usually keeps players guessing until mid-March, pulled left-hander Jeff Francis aside before Monday's workout and informed him he'd get the opening day start March 31 at St. Louis.
"What else do we need to go through this spring before we decide to give Jeff the ball? He doesn't need to compete. Without a doubt, for everybody internally that I talked to, he's our guy," Hurdle said. "Basically, from the second half of the season all the way through the playoffs he was our No. 1 guv."
The 27-year-old Canadian went 17-9 with a 4.22 ERA last year and then went 2-1 in the playoffs.
"It just the next proper step for him." Hurdle said. "He's earned this opportunity. I really felt good about giving him this opportunity. It's another first
for him and he's just very deserving."
Francis said he was surprised when Hurdle informed him of his decision 48 hours before the team's first exhibition game.
"I really felt good about giving him this opportunity. It's another first for him and he's just very deserving."
4. 68 ERA in four major league seasons, called it a great honor but insisted it wouldn't go to his head.
Hurdle said the usually even-keeled Francis was excited by the news.
"As I've said before, he's more like a lava lamp, but this had some significant meaning to him," Hurdle said.
Francis, who is 47-34 with a
"He totally deserves it. It couldn't happen to a better guy," Cook said. "And I told him I
"When your career is over, you think back and you can say you were the opening-day starter," Francis told The Associated Press. "But we're trying to do greater things. And once the season gets going, it's just one guy going out there every fifth day."
"I guess it's nice to get it out of the way, there's not going to be speculation, you guys aren't going to be speculating for the whole month," Francis said. "So, it's nice to know."
Last spring, Francis narrowly lost out on the first-day start to right-hander Aaron Cook, who said last week he was anticipating Francis getting the nod this time.
CLINT HURDLE Rockies manager
Cook said he was thrilled for Francis, who matched the club's single-season record for wins in '07.
"He gave me a big hug, the same way I did for him last year," Francis said. "That's the way we work together. Whoever wants to be labeled the ace, we really don't look at it that way."
look forward to sitting and watching that first game instead of having to pitch it. I think he's really excited. One of your goals as a starting pitcher is to finally work your way up
to get the opening-day start.
It's just awesome. I know how it feels."
Francis is scheduled to pitch two innings Wednesday when he starts the Rockies' spring training opener against the Chicago White Sox.
"It'll be nice." Francis said "You can only throw so many bullpens until it gets old."