SPORTS
MEN'S BASKETBALL TRAVELS TO OSU
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PLAYS AT MIZZOU
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PAGE 4B
FRIDAY,FEBRUARY 22,2008 PAGE1B
BASEBALL
Rachel Anne Seymour/KANSAN
From left, the Kansas baseball batting line up, Nick Faunce, Robby Price, John Allman, Preston Land, Ryne Price, Erick Morrison, Buck Afermian, Tony Thompson and Jimmy Waters. The team begins its season in Kona, Hawaii with five games against the University of Hawaii-Hilo at Rodgers Field. Game times are 5 p.m. on Friday, 2 p.m. on Saturday with a doubleheader and 2 p.m. on Sunday with another doubleheader.
Right-handed hitters provide edge for team this season
BY SHAWN SHROYER
shroyer@kansan.com
There's no doubt Kansas has depth this season. The question is: Do the Jayhawks have balance?
On the mound, five of the six jayhawks in line to start a bulk of the games are left handed. In Kansas' everyday lineup, six of
the nine hitters bat from the right side.
The hope for coach Ritch Price is that a mainly southpaw staff will give Kansas an edge in a number of ways, and a right-hand-heavy lineup will give the Jayhawks a home field advantage.
The few left-handed hitters Price plans to use - freshman catcher Jimmy Waters, senior right fielder Ryne Price, sophomore
second baseman Roby Price and senior first baseman Justin Ellrich - will suffice as far as Price is concerned.
"I'm a big fan of left-handed hitters," Price said. "We don't have as many as we've had in the past, but I think with Waters, Ryne, Robby and Ellrich, there're four pretty good left-handed hitters in that mix."
Ryne and Robby figure to be in the lineup
at all times, but Waters and Ellrich will share time at designated hitter and may sit out some games in favor of a right-handed teammate. Price said having so many right-handed hitters could be advantageous at Hoglund Ballpark because the wind often blows out to left field, where right-handed hitters pull most pitches.
"It's actually more conducive at our place
to be a right-handed hitter than a left-handed
hitter most of the time'. Price said.
That being the case, even more importance will be placed on the left arms of Price's starting pitchers. opponents will already be inclined to stack their lineups with right-handed hitters against an all-lefty rotation.
SEE BALANCE ON PAGE 3B
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Self returns to alma mater for game
BY RUSTIN DODD
dodd@kansan.com
Four years ago Kansas coach Bill Self walked into Gallagher-Iba Arena. Self - a 1985 Oklahoma State graduate - was returning to his alma mater for the first time as the coach at Kansas. Self saw old friends, toured new facilities and was showered with adulation.
Then the game started.
"The first time I went down there I did a terrible job," Self said. His Jayhawks were crushed 80-60.
Self, who played at Oklahoma State from 1982-85 and coached as assistant from 1986-93, returns to Stillwater, Okla., again on Saturday.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
In 2004, Self had to deal with the distractions that go along with going home.
"I put myself in position to see a lot of people." Self said.
This time around, Self has to deal with other issues.
The Jayhawks will go up against the Cowboys Saturday in Stillwater, Okla., bringing Kansas coach Bill Self back to his alma mater of Oklahoma State University.
Oklahoma State's Sean Sutton replaced his father, Eddie, during the middle of last season, and so far, the results have been mixed. Sutton is 13-12 in his first full season, after coaching the Cowboys to a 5-6 record last season during the absence of his father.
Oklahoma State fans are curious. Would Bill Self ever want to return to his alma mater?
With Oklahoma State struggling, the blogs, rumor-mills and fan message boards were flooded with speculation about the future of the Oklahoma State head coaching position.
It's not surprising Oklahoma State fans would be interested in Self. After leaving Oklahoma State, Self led three different programs — Tulsa, Illinois and Kansas — to Elite Eight appearances, and gained a reputation as an excellent recruiter. It's also not surprising that the speculation would grab the attention of Kansas fans, after Roy Williams returned home to his alma mater, North Carolina, in 2003.
"It's not something that is even worth talking about," Self said yesterday at his weekly press conference. "It's a dead issue. It's not gonna happen."
But Self said he hadn't paid any attention to the rumors.
He said he wasn't much for reading blogs, but he had newspaper writers from Oklahoma request interviews to ask about the speculation. Self respectfully declined.
"I really think its an injustice to their present staff." Self said.
Self served as assistant coach for Eddie Sutton for three years — coaching Sean
injury watch
Collins has sore knee
Bill Self said Sherron Collins hadn't been able to practice this week. Collis is still suffering from a bruised knee he aggrivated in practice last week. Collins said he was expected to play on Saturday.
"It's just a little nagging injury and I'm trying not to get it hit again," Collins said. Kansas didn't practice Sunday, Collins was held out of practice Monday and Tuesday, and Self gave the Jayhawks Wednesday off, too.
Collins
the game dies Saturday,'Self said. Self said Collins hadn't been able to participate in any drills, run or ride the stationary bike. Still, Self didn't
Right now the focus isn't on returning home, but rather make sure Kansas stays atop the Big 12 Conference. Kansas is tied at 9-2 with Texas. A loss at Oklahoma State would damper Kansas' hopes for a fourth consecutive regular season Big 12 title.
"Hopefully he'll be able to go before
"They deserve every chance to do as well as they possibly can do." Self said.
Sutton for two of those years.
Those 11 years that Self spent in Stillwater - those are behind him.
lins doubtful for Saturday's game at Oklahoma State.
"We'll know more, but he won't be 100 percent," Self said.
"That hasn't been home for me in a long
time," Self said.
In the end, Self, who will coach his fifth game at Gallagher-Iba Arena as the visiting coach, said Saturday was just another road game. The old friends, the lunch dates, even his relatives — they can wait.
"You need to focus to do the job, as opposed to making sure that you're friendly with everybody," Self said. "There won't be any social things for me until after this game is over." Self said.
—Edited by Jared Duncan
COMMENTARY
It all started in the Allen Fieldhouse for Sutton. The Cowboys came to Kansas last January as hot a team as anyone in the country. Coming into the game they were ranked No. 10 in the AP poll with a 15-1 record. Sutton was halfway into his first season as a head coach after his father Eddie Sutton stepped down and deemed his son successor. It looked as if Sean was well on his way to establishing himself as a coach, just as his father had done.
The last two games for Oklahoma State may have come as a sigh of relief for coach Sean Sutton. After coming off its worst start in over two decades, the Oklahoma State men's basketball team finally won at home against a then-AP No. 16 ranked Texas A&M. Oklahoma State's victory over Texas A&M was its first regular season road victory in two years, and first road victory for Sutton.
But things turned around really quickly for the then-rookie coach. The Jawhays
cruised to an 87-57 victory. They were beat fundamentally in every aspect of their game. Whether it was rebounding, field goal percentage or turnovers, the Cowboys struggled. As a team, Oklahoma State turned the ball over 20 times. The Jayhawks, on the other hand, had 17 steals combined and 9 blocked shots. There was no way to sugar coat things for Sutton.
"That was an old-fashioned butt kicking," he said after the game.
After this, things would become worse before getting better. the Cowboys finished 22-13 (6-10) in the 2006-2007 season. The final loss of the season came to Marist in the first round of the NIT 64-67.
A team that was ranked No. 10 in the country had completely fallen apart. In the three seasons before Sutton took over for Oklahoma State, the team had gone 74-26 including a Final Four appearance in 2004.
Sutton came into the 2007-08 season optimistic.
But things did not get better for Sutton and the Cowboys. Oklahoma State started the season 10-11 in its first 21 regular season games, which is the team's worst start since
"I'll be better this year than I was last year and hopefully next year I'll be better than I was this year," Sutton said on Big 12 media day.
SEE WHEELER ON PAGE 2B
SOFTBALL
Catcher leads team
KELLY BRECKUNITCH
kbreckunitch@kansan.com
A catcher has a lot to do with the outcome of any softball game. They position
themselves behind home plate, where they can see the entire field and be part of all the action. Elle Pottorf, junior catcher, takes pride in that and tries to contribute as best she can as a team leader for the Kansas Jayhaws
Pottorf
"I was always really big into sports because I had four other brothers and I was the only girl." she said.
Potorf has played softball for a long time. She said she started when she was about 6 years old.
Potterf said that after she began playing softball, her stepfather to see
Potterf continued to play through high school and to perform well. Potterf said she verbally committed to Kansas very early, in her sophomore year of high school. She said the University of Missouri, the University of Nebraska and the University of South Carolina were all still trying to recruit her after she had committed to Kansas.
Potterf said her stepfather put together a competitive traveling team after noticing her talent.
her talent.
"My stepdad saw that me and some of my other friends had potential," she said.
But there was a reason she chose the Javhaws.
"I met with the coaches and just had an instant connection with them and felt very comfortable with them," Pottorf said.
SEE POTTORF ON PAGE 2B
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