06
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
h unwhole sure
Bretz ny is mid con
weather y beetorms older older weather one.
severe
TUESDAY, MARCH 14, 2006
PAGE 1B
WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE COLUMN
Bucknell tragedy far gone
JIMMY CHAVEZ
jchavez@kansin.com
It may have triggered a series of events that shaped the team that today calls itself the Big 12 Conference champions.
A year later, I returned to the scene of the crime.
Trying to dodge Sunday's severe weather, I stayed the night in Oklahoma City Sunday night, fresh off calling the Big 12 tournament for the first time ever on KJHK. I walked past the Ford Center, where Bucknell changed the fate of a school with a rich basketball tradition forever.
I couldn't help but recall everyone's faces after the loss, from players to cheerleaders to fans, even to media. Kansas, which was expected to go to the Final Four, suffered a loss so embarrassing that it triggered a cloud of gloom that would last for months.
From the wreckage, a new face took shape. Kansas coach Bill Self entered his third year at Kansas with the same energy and optimism as he approached his first one.
Some may say there was a silver lining in the loss.
The criticism Self received was undeserved. A year ago, on a Friday night in Oklahoma City, the fans, the media, and a couple — if not all — of his seniors left Self marred in the depths of despair.
In May, former guard J.R. Giddens, a distraction to the team, got involved in a fight that left him with a stab wound. A couple of months later, he left for New Mexico.
In January, the "new" Jawhawk team, mostly comprised of freshmen and sophomores, stood at 10-6, coming off consecutive losses to Kansas State and Missouri. Self once again had to hear whispers that maybe he wasn't the man for the job at Kansas.
That's why he has what it takes to bring to this University what his predecessor could not — no matter how much some people still whine about how much they miss Roy Williams.
The foundation for this year's Kansas team was laid.
Chavez is a San Antonio senior in journalism.
A year later, Oklahoma City couldn't be further away. Lawrence couldn't look brighter, minus a few trees and shingles. And as for my car, which the storm left trapped under a giant tree ... four inches to the right and today, I'd be asking you for a ride.
Two months later, Self and his team are now standing above the rest of the conference with a big grin on their faces. A week after the Big 12 blatantly disrespected the Jayhawks and presented the Texas Longhorns with the regular-season trophy that Kansas earned a share of, the Jayhawks took down the mighty Longhorns with a Texas-sized chip on their shoulders, a few stitches and a couple of high-flying Julian Wright dunks.
Self could have easily looked at his critics and shouted "I told you so," along with a few expetives. But that's not My style.
And as Wright, freshman forward, 360'd his way to the exclamation-point dunk Sunday afternoon, a team and its coach finally came of age. Sunday saw freshman guard Brandon Rush, the man whom Giddens' departure essentially paved the way for, dance around the floor at the American Airlines Center.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
They're in the WNIT
Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson shouts instructions to her team earlier this season. The Jayhawks earned a bid to the WNIT Monday night and will play Northern Iowa on Thursday in Allen Fieldhouse.
Kansan file photo
Kansas in postseason for first time since '00
Monday afternoon, Kansas was a yellow.
BY MICHAEL PHILLIPS
mphills@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
With nothing to do except wait for an invitation from the WNIT, coach Bonnie Henrickson went through a list of all the Division I teams, circling in red the ones that she thought were in the NCAA tournament, and highlighting in yellow the teams hoping for WNIT selections, including Kansas.
She predicted correctly, and at 9:50 p.m. received the call. Kansas will open the WNIT against Northern Iowa Thursday night in Allen Fieldhouse. A game time has not yet been announced.
"I'm not shocked by any means that we got invited," Henrickson said. "I got a little anxious. I had way too much time on my hands and didn't have any film to watch."
"We have a couple common
Henrickson said she didn't know much about either team but had compiled tapes of Northern Iowa games during the season in case the Jayhawks played the team in the postseason.
Of the 40 teams picked for the tournament, the Jayhawks were one of the last 16, meaning they are part of the preliminary round. If they win on Thursday, they will play a first-round game on Saturday against Mississippi. That game would also be in the fieldhouse.
Of the 40 teams picked for the tournament, the Jayhawks were one of the last 16, meaning they are part of the preliminary round.
opponents," she said. "They beat Colorado in overtime, and lost to Iowa State in Des Moines."
Kansas did the opposite, beating Iowa State twice and losing to Colorado twice.
It is Kansas' first postseason appearance since 2000, when the team lost in double-overtime to Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
SEE WNIT ON PAGE 4B
Senior players have opportunity for postseason
BY RYAN SCHNEIDER
rschneider@kansan.com
KANSAN SENIOR SPORTSWRIVER
Kansas' three seniors will experience a first in their basketball careers this week — postseason play.
Raylee Brown, Erica Hallman and Crystal Kemp will make their first postseason appearance against Northern Iowa on Thursday in the first round of the Women's National Invitational Tournament in Allen Fieldhouse.
After three years of failing to qualify for postseason play, the Jayhawks' trio of seniors get one shot to make its mark in the WNIT.
Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson said the seniors were excited after hearing news of their selection late Monday night.
"It's the chance to wipe the slate clean," Henrickson said. "We're thrilled with the idea of continuing to play."
The selection marked the program's first postseason appearance since 2000 and one Henrickson said would be the legacy of this senior class.
"We talked about that with them at the end of last year and the beginning of this year for them to be able to say that when
SEE SENIORS ON PAGE 4B
FOOTBALL
Players 'intense' in second practice
Milte Rivera, freshman linebacker, runs a drill during the team's first practice on Monday afternoon at the practice field while coach Mark Mangino watches. The open practice was moved to Monday because of severe weather that hit Lawrence early Sunday morning.
Amanda Sellers/KANSAN
BY DREW DAVISON
ddavison@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Kansas football fans will continue seeing No. 3 in the defensive backfield next season — but it won't be former cornerback/wide receiver Charles Gordon. It will be sophomore cornerback Aqib Talib, who wore a No. 3 jersey Monday during Kansas football's second spring practice.
Gordon chose to forgo his senior season to declare for the NLA draft in April.
About 50 people attended the practice, which was open to the public. It was originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon but because of the storm, the practice was pushed to Monday.
"It's not a great environment to get tempo." he said.
Kansas football coach Mark Mangino said he only held practice indoors when absolutely necessary.
The football team hit the practice field Monday afternoon at the practice fields on the south side of Anschutz Sports Pavilion. Mangino said he liked the tempo
candidates include freshman Todd Reesing, who enrolled this semester, and freshman Kerry Meier, who took a redshirt last season. Mangino said both had natural abilities coaches looked for in a quarterback.
Two of the quarterback
of the practice.
of the practice. "It was a pretty intense atmosphere," Mangino said. "We're pretty pleased with the overall practice."
While there is no clear picture of next season's starting quarterback, Mangino said he believed the quarterback position was going to be OK and in good hands.
Two of the quarterback candidates include freshman Todd Reesing, who enrolled this semester, and freshman Kerry Meier, who took a redshirt last season. Mangino said both had natural abilities.coaches looked for in a quarterback.
SEE PRACTICE ON PAGE 4B
---
0