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TUESDAY, APRIL 18, 2006
PAGE 1B
WWW.KANSAN.COM
BASKETBALL
Plans for change under way
BY ERIC JORGENSEN
ejorgensen@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
At least one member of the Kansas Athletics department is excited about the possibilities a proposed rule change could bring to the basketball schedule.
If the NCAA approves the change, teams would be allowed to play in an early season invitational tournament every year.
if the rule change goes through, the start of the season would be moved back one week to the second Friday in November. The maximum number of regular season games a team could play before the conference games would raise to 31, according to a press release issued by the NCAA.
The NCAA Board of Directors will hold a meeting on April 27 to decide if the rule change will pass. If it does, the rule change will take effect on Aug.1.
Teams may play in two tournaments every four years. Kansas usually spreads its tournaments out so that it plays in one tournament every other year.
"That's our goal, to play in one every year," said Larry Keating, senior associate athletics director.
If the rule change goes through, the start of the season would be moved back one week earlier to the second Friday in November. The maximum number of regular season games a team could play before the conference games would raise to 31, according to a press release issued by the NCAA.
Staying in the hunt
Randall Sanders/KANSAN
Freshman infielder Preston Land laces an RBI double during the fifth inning against North Dakota State at Hoglund Ballpark Thursday. Land and the Jayhawks will take on the Missouri Tigers at 6. tonight.
Midweek game key for Kansas postseason
BY ALISSA BAUER
abauer@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Kansas will get a shot to clean up in a midweek game after a messy week when it plays Missouri State at 6 tonight at Hoglund Ballpark.
Fortunately for the team, Missouri State will hobble into tonight's match-up after an even more brutal weekend.
Dropping two of three games to Oklahoma State this weekend has the Kansas in search of much-needed midweek victories, which are vital for an NCAA tournament berth.
"We just need to continue to win and find ways to win series," Kansas coach Ritch Price said seemingly unfazed by Missouri State's weekend.
Missouri State (19-13, 5-4) traveled to Wichita State last weekend and was swept by the Shockers. The Bears haven't beaten the Shockers in their past nine meetings.
The Bears pulled out a respectable comeback, scoring four in the eighth and three more runs in the top of the ninth, but still fell to the Shockers 8-7.
Wichita State outscored Missouri State 23-10 in the first two games of the three-game series before jumping out to an 8-0 lead in the series finale on Sunday.
SEE MIDWEEK ON PAGE 8B
BIG 12 BASEBALI
'Horns, Huskers sweep in Big 12
BY SHAWN SHROYER
sshroyer@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Editor's note: Big 12 baseball reporter Shawn Shroyer writes a story every Tuesday about the previous week's Big 12 baseball action.
The Jayhawks received a huge lift this weekend with the return of senior infielder Jared Schweitzer and his .366 batting average. The team is still without sophomore second baseman Ryne Price, who went under the knife again last week to repair damage to his wrist. Coach Ritch Price said he expected the second baseman to be out approximately two weeks.
Kansas is coming off its first Big 12 series loss in three weeks, but with its victory on Sunday, the team moved up to a fourthplace tie in the Big 12.
Overall Big 12
1. Texas 27-12 12-2
2. Nebraska 28-5 10-2
3. Oklahoma 28-10 8-4
4. Kansas 25-15 7-8
5. Baylor 22-15 7-8
6. Texas Tech 25-14-1 6-7-1
7. Oklahoma St. 21-12 5-7
8. Missouri 16-18 6-9
9. Kansas St. 23-9-1 3-8-1
10. Texas A&M 19-20 3-12
BIG 12 STANDINGS
Source: Big12Sports.com
Randall Sanders/KANSAN
Senior shortstop Ritchie Price set two Kansas career records last the weekend.
SEE BIG 12 ON PAGE 8B
Sophomore infielder Ryne Price squares around to bunt in the sixth inning of the Jayhawks' series-clinching 9-6 victory against the Missouri Tigers on April 3 at Hoglund Ballpark. Price had surgery and will miss about two weeks of playing time.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
A glimpse into the future
2006-07 Jayhawks have familiar faces
BY RYAN SCHNEIDER
rschneider@kansan.com
KANSAN SENIOR SPORTSWRIVER
Editor's note: Women's basketball writer Ryan Schneider predicts, by class, who will return to the team next season and what kind of contributions these players will have.
Shaquina Mosley: Mosley played her best basketball
SENIORS:
Mosley played her best basketball of the year in the season's final three games of the Big 12 Tournament and the WNIT. She scored a career-high 11 points in the season-ending loss to Mississippi in the WNIT. Against the Rebels, Mosley slashed through the lane and got to the free-throw line on numerous occasions. Mosley, 2005 National Junior College Player of
the Year, spent the beginning of the season adjusting to play at the Division I level. It was her first season at Kansas after two years at Northern Arizona. Look for Mosley to see significant minutes next season alongside point guard Ivana Catic.
Sharita Smith: Throughout the season, Smith proved
herself to be the best defender on the team. She held several of the Big 12's best guards to single-digit point totals. Smith, however, struggled to find a rhythm offensively for most of the season. Her most notable shot was a half-court three-pointer that she banked in with the clock expiring on the first half in the victory
against New Orleans. Smith could work her way into the starting rotation next season if she improves her scoring ability.
JUNIORS:
acIntosh started nearly every game for the second consecutive season in the paint for the Jayhawks. Though not the focus of the Kansas offense, she scored in all but three games, including four games in double-figures. The junior forward's presence was mainly felt on the defensive end with her defense and rebounding. She averaged nearly six rebounds a game on the season.
McIntosh's solid defense and rebounding ability should make her an everyday starter for Kansas next season.
Jaime Boyd: Boyd, along with Marija Zinic, saw
action off the bench this season. She tied her career-high with six points against Baylor. Along with McIntosh and former Jayhawk Crystal Kemp, Boyd was named to the Academic All-Big 12 First team. Boyd could see minutes off the bench next season with continued offensive and defensive development.
SOPHOMORES:
d. She was able to come off the bench and give Kansas much needed size at the guard position. Sallard was also able to defend many of the Big 12's taller guards. Sallard did not play in the season's final seven games with an undisclosed medical condition. If healthy, Sallard could be a difficult match-up for opponents next
season because of her height. At 5-foot-10, Salard handles the ball like a guard, but can also score in the paint.
Ivana Catic Catic suffered through growing pains in her first season as Kansas' point guard. Despite being a pass-first guard, Catic was also able to score in all but three games. At times, she struggled defensively against some of the Big 12's more experienced guards. She will be the Jayhawks only returning starter in the back court.
SPE WBB ON PAGE 80