2B THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
THURSDAY, MAY 4. 2006
FRIDAY
ATHLETICS CALENDAR
Baseball at Texas, 6:15 p.m.
Austin, Texas
SATURDAY
Softball vs. Iowa State, 2 p.m.
Arrocha Ballpark
Baseball at Texas, 2 p.m., Austin,
Texas
Player to watch: Erik Morrison. The sophomore third baseman went 1-for-2 with two runs scored and an RBI in a 8-victory against St. Mary (K.) Tuesday.
Morrison
Track, Ward Haylett, all day. Manhattan
WEDNESDAY
Baseball vs. Missouri State, 7 p.m.
Springfield, Mo.
Softball vs. TBA, TBA, Oklahoma City,
Okla.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL Kansas State to play Xavier in Cincinnati
MANHATTAN - New Kansas State basketball coach Bob Huggins has at least two more games to coach in Cincinnati — but not against the Bearcats.
On Tuesday Kansas State announced a three-year contract with Xavier, Cincinnati's cross-town rival. The two teams will play at U.S. Arena in Cincinnati the next two seasons, then at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan the following year.
"Cincinnati has been great to me," said Huggins, who coached Cincinnati for 16 years before agreeing to leave in August 2005 following a drunken driving conviction and a clash with the school's president. "We are very excited to play a top-notch program as Xavier. I would like to thank Xavier and U.S. Bank Arena for giving me the opportunity to return to Cincinnati. The fans there have always supported me, and it will be my honor to coach in front of them once again."
The Associated Press
Mavericks coach's diligence pays off
THE COLUMN
BY JIMMY CHAVEZ
Dallas Mavericks coach Avery Johnson has to feel proud of himself as much as he should feel proud of his team. But that's never been his style. Otherwise, he wouldn't be the subject of any column. That's because that would indicate complacency, something that makes the former player turned coach cringe.
Around these parts, Johnson's exploits aren't that well documented, and that's too bad. But his story serves as an example of how one person can persevere, even when everyone says you're not good enough.
To start, Avery Johnson wasn't given a fair chance to begin with. Standing at 5-foot-11, Johnson went undrafted out of tiny Southern University. Faced with the prospects of never playing professional basketball, he played in the old United States Basketball League for a couple of years before signing a free agent contract with the Seattle Supersonics and later with the San Antonio Spurs in 1990.
Today, he is heralded as a hero in San Antonio. You could imagine how hard it is to believe that he went from San Antonio, Denver, Houston and back to San Antonio. Every time he was cut, he was told it was because he wasn't good enough to play in the NBA. In 1994, he signed with Golden State and from there, his career began a metamorphosis; he became a student
He learned from experienced players and hall of fame coaches.
Johnson soon became a fan favorite, because of his tenacity and never give up attitude. He became the vocal, spiritual, and floor leader on a team that perennially won between 55 and 60 games.
of the game.
NBA guard Damon Stoudamire, then with the Portland Trail Blazers, said in 1999 that no team with Avery Johnson would ever win an NBA Championship. In that year's Western Conference Finals, Johnson led the Spurs to a dominating four-game sweep of Stoudamire's Blazers. But his greatest vindication came late in June of that year, when of all people, he hit the winning shot that propelled San Antonio to its first championship.
He played a few more years, eventually being replaced by Tony Parker before retiring with Dallas in 2004 to become an assistant with the Mavericks. Last year, Johnson, who had been expected to one day become an NBA coach, saw that day come earlier than expected, when former Mavs coach Don Nelson stepped down and handed the reigns to Johnson.
This year, "The Little General" has come full circle. When Hurricane Katrina left Johnson's native New Orleans marred amidst billions of dollars of damage, he extended a hand to his high school coach to join the Mavericks as one of his assistant coaches.
Former teammates and coaches would say it is simply just Avery being Avery. Always a
leader off the court as much as he's ever been on the court, he is greatly admired in San Antonio.
This year, he was awarded the NBA's Coach Of The Year honor. Leading the Mavericks, Johnson has displayed the knowledge he's acquired from playing for Hall of Fame coaches such as Larry Brown, Don Nelson, and Gregg Popovich.
His story is unique in that it is a tale of perseverance, of defying the odds. Now, as his team awaits its second round opponent in this year's NBA playoffs, Johnson likely works as if Game 7 of the NBA Finals were to tomorrow night. Because after all, any differently and it would be guaranteed that no would know who Avery Johnson was.
Chavez is a San Antonio senior in journalism.
KENTUCKY DERBY Men given opportunity to win after tragedy
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Two accidents 16 days apart on their favorite types of horses forever altered the lives of jockey Alex Solis and trainer Dan Hendricks.
A horse named Brother Derek has changed things, too, giving both men a opportunity late in their careers to win their first Kentucky Derby. The colt carries a four-race winning streak and two families' hopes into America's greatest race Saturday.
Solis got tossed from the saddle when his horse clipped heels and fell in a race at Del Mar on July 7, 2004. Barely two weeks later, Hendricks came flying off a jump at his favorite California motocross course and crashed. The self-described "small" jump was one he had successfully made hundreds of times before.
Oh, say can you see...
The Associated Press
Randall Sanders/KANSAN
Members of the Kansas baseball team stand at attention during the national anthem before a game against Saint Mary on Tuesday. The Jayhawks shut out Saint Mary 6-0.
Kansan Classifieds... 20% discount for students
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