8B THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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SPORTS
FRIDAY, MARCH 10. 2006
BIG 12 MEN'S BASKETBALL
Kansas State trims away the Wool
BY DANIEL BERK
dberk@kansan.com
KANSAN SENIOR SPORTSWRIETER
"You know folks, there has been some good
DALLAS—Everything about Jim Wooldridge's day on Thursday looked uncomfortable.
You know folks, there has been some good things happening within the program. I know it's easy to feel beat up. You want to do that because we didn't get to postseason play. The immediate reaction is negative."
From the neck brace he was wearing during the game to the post-game press conference where he was squirming in his chair avoiding questions about his job security, Wooldridge wouldn't say much except that Athletic Director Tim Weiser would hold a press conference at which time he would make an announcement.
ence that Wooldridge's time as Kansas State coach was over.
Jim Wooldrige
Kansas State Basketball coach
Immediately following the game, Weiser pulled Wooldridge aside and the two had a short conversation.
Weiser made the official announcement at a press confer-
"The bottom line is that we have very high expectations for our men's basketball program, and we believe that a change in the direction of the program is warranted at this time in order to achieve those goals." Weiser said.
Weiser said during the press conference that Wooldridge's job would have been saved if Kansas State were to win the Big 12 tournament championship and qualified for the NCAA tournament. Wooldridge was in his sixth year as coach of Kansas State and did not make an appearance in either the NIT or the NCAA tournament while at Kansas State. Wooldridge leaves Kansas State with a record of 83-90, including a 1-13 mark against Kansas. Wooldridge wouldn't talk about
"You know folks, there has been some good things happening within the program," Wooldridge said. "I know it's easy to feel beat up. You want to do that because we didn't get to postseason play. The immediate reaction is negative."
his firing after the game, but talked about the overall disappointment of the season.
The high point this season for Wooldridge and maybe his career at Kansas State was the
team's four-point victory at Kansas earlier in the year. It was the first time Wooldridge defeated Kansas and it snapped a 31-game KU winning streak.
Kansas coach Bill Self said he was disappointed Wooldridge wouldn't be roaring the sidelines for Kansas State anymore.
"We all around the league think Jim is a good coach and hate when this sort of thing happens around this league, and wish him the very best," Self said. "He
carried himself with such dignity dealing with the rumors about his job and also undergoing the health problems he had."
Wooldridge isn't the first coach in the conference to lose his job this season. Earlier in the year, former Missouri coach Quin Snyder resigned after being told he wasn't going to be retained after the season. Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton also had to take a leave of absence after being involved in a car accident and was given a citation by the Stillwater Police Department for driving under the influence of alcohol.
Weiser he would like to have a new coach in place as soon as possible. He said he would prefer to hire a coach with previous head coaching experience at a Division I school, but that was not a requirement. Weiser will enlist
the help of Eddie Fogler to select a new head coach.
Fogler is the former coach at Wichita State, Vanderbilt and South Carolina. He also served as an assistant under Dean Smith and next to Roy Williams at North Carolina. Weiser said he has a long-standing relationship and friendship with Fogler.
Wooldridge released a statement in a press release given at Weiser's press conference.
"I am grateful for the opportunity Kansas State gave us to coach and lead this program," Wooldridge said. "We wish we could have accomplished more, but it was a great experience and I appreciate the players, staff, administration and our great fans for all they have done to support us."
Edited by Meghan Miller
BIG 12 MEN'S BASKETBALL
Louis DeLuca/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Baylor's Tommy Swanson, left, scrabbles after a rebound but loses to Colorado's Julius Ashby, second from left, after a missed free throw late in Baylor's 65-81 loss to Colorado on Thursday afternoon at the Big 12 tournament in Dallas.
Louis DeLuca/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Big 12 tournament kicks off in Dallas
Texas Tech's Jarris Jackson scores over Kansas State's Akeem Wright during the second half of the Bio 12 tournament game Thursday in Dallas.
Texas Tech 73 Kansas St.65
DALLAS — Jarrius Jackson scored 21 points and Tanner Ogden added 14 points as Texas Tech defeated Kansas State 73-65 in the opening game of the Big 12 tournament.
Ogden, a junior forward, was averaging just six minutes a game, but provided a spark for the Red Raiders, going 5-7 from the field and dishing out three assists while playing a season-high 23 minutes.
Texas Tech coach Bob Knight said it was a easy decision to leave Ogden in for the majority of the second half.
Missouri's Marcus Watkins, front, drives around Nebraska's Jamel White in the first half of the men's basketball Big 12 Championship first-round game in Dallas. Nebraska won the game, 71-64. It was the team's first victory in the Big 12 tournament since 1999. Nebraska will play Oklahoma in the quarterfinal game tonight.
"This isn't nuclear science. When he made a three, I left him in a little longer," Knight said. "And then he hit another three and I said, goddamn, I left him in a little longer. Then he made a helluva drive and I said damn, stay in there."
Three minutes later, with Kansas State leading by three points, Ogden drove to the basket and was fouled. He hit both free throws to bring Texas Tech within one point.
One minute later, Ogden hit another three-point shot that gave the Red Raiders a twopoint lead. It was a lead that Texas Tech would not give up the rest of the game.
Ogden scored eight of the first 12 points for Texas Tech in the second half. He connected on a three-pointer to open the half. Texas Tech forward Darryl Dora drove to the basket and kicked it out to an open Ogden who hit the shot.
"Before the game, coach told me to get ready, so you never know," Ogden said. "Some days he tells me to get ready and I don't ever come in. You just always have to be prepared."
Tony Gutierrez/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jackson went a perfect 10-10 from the free-throw line in the last minute of the game to secure the victory for Texas Tech.
Kansas State was led by sophomore guard David Hoskins, who had 25 points and seven rebounds. Senior forward Dramane Diarra added 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Texas Tech will play the No. 1 seed Texas today at 11 a.m. The winner of that game will advance to the semifinals. Kansas State will await word on a possible NIT bid.
Colorado 65 Baylor 61
Daniel Berk
DALLAS — Colorado set up a bracket-busting match-up against Texas A&M, but only after squeaking by Baylor 65-61 Tuesday afternoon.
"I just couldn't get in a rhythm." Roby said. "I didn't want to force anything, but at the end I had to find a way to get the ball in the basket, because I knew my team needed me to score."
shots, but then sophomore guard Richard Roby hit his first basket and the floodgates were opened.
After trailing by two at halftime, Baylor opened the half with 10 unanswered points. Colorado missed its first 12
Despite fighting off a cold, Roby was still able to play 35 minutes of an intensely physical game.
The team missed 19 of its 24 attempts, including an uncontested shot by junior forward Tim Bush that would have tied
For Baylor, the glaring problem was an inability to make the long ball.
the game in the final seconds.
The Buffaloes' victory set up a game today at 2 p.m. against the Texas A&M Aggies. Both teams are considered on the bubble for the NCAA tournament. Colorado coach Ricardo Patton took a different view.
"I would be shocked if we weren't already getting serious consideration from the NCAA tournament," he said. "I think that this team has shown that it is worthy of an NCAA bid."
Michael Phillips
Nebraska 71 Missouri 64
Jamel White made a tiebreaking three-pointer with 1:15 left and followed that with a key rebound, lifting Nebraska to a 71-64 victory over Missouri in the opening round of the Big 12 tournament Thursday night.
The Cornhuskers blew a 12-point lead in the second half, but White's three-pointer from the right wing broke a 64-all tie. When Thomas Gardner missed a three-pointer at the other end, White grabbed the rebound and Missouri didn't score again.
Nebraska won its first Big 12 tournament game since 1999. The Cornhuskers also ended a three-game losing streak that included a 64-63 loss to Missouri (12-16) in the regular season finale Sunday.
the opening round of the Big 12 tournament finally ended the school's 100th season of basketball, one that didn't provide any reason for celebration.
Jason Dourisseau led Nebraska with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, including a slam dunk and a free throw after being fouled with 24 seconds left. Aleks Maric finished with 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting.
Nebraska plays No. 22 Oklahoma in a quarterfinal game tonight.
Jimmy McKinney had 15 points and Gardner 13 for the Tigers, who have consecutive losing seasons. Before last year, they had finished under 500 only once since their last back-to-back losing seasons in 1978-79 under coach Norm Stewart.
Coach Quin Snyder resigned Feb. 10, a day after he vowed to finish his seventh season — the first four ended in the NCAAs before NIT appearances the last two years.
Missouri's first-ever loss in
He said he was told by an athletic department employee that his contract would be terminated after the season.
In what was likely the last game for interim coach Melvin Watkins, the Tigers trailed by as many as 12 points in the second half.
The Associated Press
Rematch
They extended the lead again and defeated the Iowa State Cyclones 79-70. The victory gave Oklahoma State the right to face Kansas tonight at 6.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
Self said that he remembered the Oklahoma State team that he faced just less than a month ago in Stillwater, Okla. Kansas won 64-49, but Oklahoma State led with more than 10 minutes to play. Since that loss, the Cowboys have played better on the offensive end
"I think they have played well, really ever since we played them," Self said. "Obviously they are scoring the ball a lot better than they were. They are as athletic as any team in our league."
Oklahoma State sophomore guard JamesOn. Curry, who scored 14 points Thursday night, remembers his team's loss too.
"If the game was a 30-minute game we would have won," Curry said. "The only thing we need
"They have a great point guard in Mario Chalmers, a defensive stopper in Russell Robinson," Curry said. "They have a lot of weapons and a great coach in coach Self. We just have to go out and play as hard as we can."
to address is play 40 minutes of basketball. Just go out and play hard and execute."
Curry said he knew about the youth that has led Kansas this season.
Kansas has not played a game
in nearly a week. Oklahoma State will be playing its second game in 24 hours, but Self said he did not expect fatigue to be a factor for the Cowboys.
Oklahoma State is looking for a victory to keep its hopes alive for an NCAA tournament birth. The Cowboys will likely need to win the conference tournament if they wish to play in the NCAA tournament.
"We are having more fun playing defense and running the floor," Curry said. "We are just
looking forward to a great opportunity. This is the time for character to be built."
"Oklahoma State and Kansas has always been a great game and I think our guys are excited to be a part of it tomorrow night,"
This game will mark the second straight season that the Cowboys and the Jayhawks will square off in the conference tournament. Last season, Oklahoma State came out on top, 78-75 in the Big 12 tournament semifinals.
Sutton said, following his team's victory Thursday night.
The Jayhawks arrived in Dallas on Thursday following four practices earlier in the week.
"I think that we will be excited to play, no question," Self said. "Of our practices, we have probably had three of four days that were really good. Hopefully we play like we did those days and not like the one day that wasn't very good."
- Edited by John Jordan