SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, MAY 10, 2006
WWW.KANSAN.COM
MEN'S BASKETBALL
PAGE
Verdict is in: Arthur picks KU
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BY RYAN COLAIANNI
rcolaianni@kansan.com
KANSAN SENIOR SPORTSWRIVER
After months of speculation, a canceled press conference and new schools entering the sweepstakes, Dallas high school star Darrell Arthur made his decision to attend the University of Kansas on Tuesday.
"Darrell is one of the premier athletes in America," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "He has excellent perimeter shooting skills and can certainly score in the post. His athletic ability and shot-blocking should make him a presence defensively. His versatility will definitely be a bonus for our team and will allow us to play with more interchangeable parts."
Arthur
Arthur, a 6-foot-9-inch forward
McDonald's. All-American
from South Oak High School, chose Kansas over Baylor and LSU at a press conference at his grandmother's house Tuesday. Arthur signed his letter of intent later in the day.
"I just like the coaching staff and the coaching environment," Arthur said at the press conference, according to ribals.com. "I woke up this morning, I prayed last night, I told my mom it was Kansas and then called my coach."
The decision ended one of the most bizarre recruits by Kansas since Malik Hairston, who chose Oregon against Kansas in 2004. Arthur was supposed to announce his decision on Monday but canceled it, postponing until Tuesday.
"The Kansas basketball family is extremely excited to announce the signing of Darrell Arthur," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "Shady" as he is nicknamed, we heavily recruited by schools across the country for the past two to three years. His decision to pick Kansas after such an intense recruiting period with
woke up this morning, I prayed last night, I told my mom it was Kansas and then called my coach."
many other good choices definitely will impact our program in an immediate way."
Arthur was the highest rated player that remained unsigned, according to rivals.com rankings. He is ranked 16th overall and the No. 3-rated power forward of the
Darrell Arthur Dallas high school student
class of 2006.
"I like how Coach Self works with his players and I like the program," Arthur said, according to rivals.com. "The coaching staff and program are great."
SEE ARTHUR ON PAGE 4B
BUNT 'EM OVER
Things to do at KU
MATT WILSON
mwilson@kansan.com
As my college career winds down, I realize I've been afforded the opportunity to do a lot of things I never thought I could experience. I've covered several sports for The University Daily Kansan and had a great time doing it. Working is a lot more fun if you can apply it to something you love. I'm glad I had an opportunity to work for your newspaper.
Before that there were a lot of great times as well, just as a regular Jayhawk fan and KU student. That is why I want to leave you with this list — the top five things you must do before graduating from the University of Kansas. And because this is the sports page, I'll stick to the best experiences you can have involving sports at the University.
The list (in no particular order, because they're all good):
1. Go to a Kansas-Missouri football game in Columbia, Mo.
I've been to two Border Showdowns in Columbia during my time at school, and the arch rivals have split those games. The atmosphere also is great, assuming you don't mind taking some heat from the home fans. After watching Mizzuo students tear down the goalposts after beating one of the worst teams in Kansas football history in 2002, the Jayhawks pounded the Tigers two years later in a game they had no business winning. Definitely one of the best times I've had, and football day is head-and-shoulders above basketball.
SEE COLUMN ON PAGE 48
2. Take a long road trip to follow a team, regardless if you go to the game or not.
OK, that wasn't my intention when some friends and I went to Lexington, Ky., in January 2005, but it turned out to be a blast. We thought we could get some reasonably priced tickets from scalpers outside Rupp Arena for the Kansas-Kentucky basketball game. We were wrong. We ended up eating and watching the game at Pazzo's Pizza Pub, a great place to catch a game if you're ever in Lexington. The Jayhawks won, so we were treated to a drink from the super-friendly locals. What looked like a bust turned out to be a great time.
BASEBALI
5. Go to a baseball game at Hoglund Ballpark.
Senior center fielder Matt Baty, left, senior right-handed pitcher Don Czyz, center, and senior shortstop Ritchie Price, serve as the Jayhawk baseball captains this season. The teammates have lived together for three years.
Play together, live together
BY ALISSA BAUER
abauer@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
No one in Division I baseball has more saves than Don Czyz. Before Matt Baty no Kansas baseball player had ever been named to the All-Big 12 First Team. Ritchie Price broke the 12-year long Kansas hits record after his 275th hit as a layhawk last month.
The trio of Kansas seniors
aren't simply record breakers, tem captains or the "big three." They don't only share more victories than any other Kansas seniors in program history. They also share the rent.
"It's three good guys living together in one house, not only talking about baseball but we experience everything together." Baty said.
Czyz, Baty Price and little brother Rye Price live together
off campus. Although Kansas coach Rich Price requires players to live on campus in the Jayhawker Towers during their freshman season, he allows them to move off campus into housing of their choosing after that.
Czyz, the East Coaster from Buffalo, N.Y., Baty, the Midwesterner from Wichita, and Price, the West Coaster from San Luis Obispo, Calif., have joined forces and stuck together.
er for the last three years. They said the culture clash was not just a myth.
"My mom always used to put the butter in the cabinet and they never did that," Czyz said. "So when I started doing that, they were like 'What's going on here?'
Czyz, who claims to still not know where the butter goes, said aside from minor fights about playing Halo, he and his roommates rarely disagreed — except
when it came to taste in music.
"I'll be sitting in the house doing homework or something and I will hear rap blaring, or Ritchie likes O.A.R., and I like neither," Baty said. "So 'Il blare my country as loud as they play their stuff."
All three seniors have had brothers on the team at one point.
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 4B
BASEBALL
Senior season brings big league hopes
BY SHAWN SHROYER
sshroyer@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRIVER
Last June, outfielder Gus Milner got a call from the Cleveland Indians organization informing him that he had been selected in the 47th round of the 2005 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. He turned it down.
Although contract negotiations didn't produce the money Milner wanted, pay wasn't the only incentive bringing him back to Kansas for his senior season.
"College baseball is only a one-time thing. You only get four years of it," Milner said. "It's team baseball at its best. Once you get to professional status, everybody is just trying to get to the 'The Show,' so it's more of an individual game.'
Other players in Milner's situation might have easily jetted off to the professional ranks, but Milner already felt a connection with Kansas and Division I play.
"I just wanted to come back and build upon last season." Milner said. "Improve every phase of my game statistically and see if we could just
do something special."
With 33 wins and seven games and the Big 12 tournament to go, a 40-win season and NCAA Regional bid could be within reach for Kansas — a
Personally, Milner's stats have improved since his junior season. He finished last season hitting .221 with 25 strikeouts against Big 12 competition.
feat that hasn't been met since 1994.
With three Big 12 games left this season, Milner is batting .287 against conference foes with just 14 strikeouts.
"I'd much rather win," Milner said. "I'm the biggest sore loser you'll ever meet. I take everything personal if we lose."
While Milner's improved stats also should improve his draft stock, he said the victories have been most important to him.
In his two seasons at Kansas, Milner has had many
memorable moments aside from being drafted.
Milner's most memorable moment, however, may be yet to come.
He was a Big 12 Honorable Mention in 2005 and has been named Big 12 Player of the Week twice and National Player of the Week once by CollegiateBaseballInsider.com.
"If we make it to a Regional, that would be easily my most memorable moment," Milner said. "But right now it's just hanging out with the teammates I've got right here. They're good friends and they'll probably be friends until the day I die."
SEE MILNER ON PAGE 4B