SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8. 2006
2B THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TODAY
Softball vs. Missouri State, 2
Baseball vs. Baker, 3 p.m.
Holland Park
Softball vs. Missouri State, 4 p.m.
Arrocha Ballpark
THURSDAY
THURSDAY
Diving, Zone Diving, all day,
Columbia, Mo.
Player to watch: Shelby Noonan. The junior is making her return to the regional meet after finishing in 12th in two events last season. With a strong performance, Noonan could qualify for the NCAA championship.
Noonan
Freshman guard Mario Chalmers, right, tangles with Kansas State's Dramane Diarra for the ball during the first half of the game against Kansas State in Manhattan. Chalmers said the key to the Jayhawks' turnaround was the team's defense.
AP Photo/The Kansas City Star, Rich Sug
FRIDAY
Softball vs. Eastern Michigan,
Jayhawk Classic, 2 p.m., Arrocha
Ballpark
Baseball at Clemson, 3 p.m. Clemson, S.C.
Softball vs. Minnesota, Jayhawk Classic, 4 p.m., Arrocha Ballpark
Track, NCAA Indoor Championships all day Favetteville Ark
Diving. Zone Diving, all day,
Columbia, Mo.
Women's golf, "Mo'mal invitational, all day, College Station, Texas"
Men's basketball vs. winner of
Mens basketball vs. winner of
ISU/OSU, Big 12 Championships, 6
p.m., Dallas
SATURDAY
Tennis vs. Iowa, 11 a.m., Robinson Courts
Baseball at Clemson, 1 p.m., Clemson, S.C.
**Softball vs. Portland State, Jayhawk**
**Classic, 2.pm. Arrocha Balloak**
Softball vs. Eastern Michigan,
Jayhawk Classic, 4 p.m., Arrocha
Ballpark
Track, NCAA Indoor Championships,
all day, Favetteville, Ark.
Diving, Zone Diving, all day Columbia, Mo.
- Women's golf, "Mo" morial invitational, all day, College Station, Texas
SUNDAY
Baseball at Clemson, Noon,
Clemson, S.C.
**Softball** vs. Minnesota, Jayhawk Classic, Noon, Arrocha Ballpark
Hawks revamp defense, energy
- Women's golf, "Mo'morial Invitational, all day, College Station, Texas
MEN'S BASKETBALL
BY DANIEL BERK
dberk@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORT SWRIETER
DALLAS — After starting the season 3-4 and going 1-2 in the Maui Invitational the first week of the season, Bill Self knew his team needed to make major adjustments.
As the victories started piling up for the Kansas men's basketball team, a number of things changed along the way. Kansas started playing with more energy and had better defense.
"I thought our chemistry was fine, but I thought our morale was pitiful coming back from Maui," Self said. "I thought we wasted two weeks coming back. We were just an average team, at best. Our guys didn't have any energy or focus."
When Kansas returned from Maui it lost two of three games. The team lost by two points at home against Nevada, and then by three points in New York against St. Joseph's University.
Self said the team played without energy or desire in the game against Nevada. Freshman forward Julian Wright and freshman guard Mario Chalmers barely played. Wright logged only three minutes, and Chalmers played only 15 minutes. Chalmers came off the bench and scored four points.
Self said the freshmen weren't coming along like he hoped early in the season. The team leaned on two seniors to pull the freshmen out of their slump.
"The other thing that needs to be said about chemistry is that it's not the easiest thing being a senior starter and then have your role diminished and go to the bench." Self said. "I think Hawkins and Christian both gave us a chance to have great chemistry because they accepted a role that was different than what they started with."
Hawkins started the first 11 games before Self moved him to the bench in favor of Chalmers, who has started every game since.
Chalms played more minutes once he started turning the ball over less and playing more aggressive defense. In the three games in Maui, he turned the
ball over seven times against Arizona and shot 4-of-11 from three-point distance.
Chalmers was then moved from the point guard to shooting guard. This freed him up and allowed him to shoot more instead of having to handle the ball so much. Although his offensive numbers improved, Chalmers said the key to the Kansas turnaround was its defense.
"We weren't as good defensively then as we are now, and our experience hurt us." Chalmers said. "Our defense is really helping us stop the other team and making them shoot a low shooting percentage."
Kansas' defense really took off after the Nebraska game in late January. During a six-game stretch, Kansas held all of its opponents to under 40 percent shooting from the field. Kansas won all six games.
Both Chalmers and sophomore guard Russell Robinson were named to the Big 12 All-
Self did something else that helped lead the mid-season turnaround. He shortened practices.
Defensive Team for their play this season.
— Edited by Kathryn Anderson
"We've had a lot of shorter practices because we go harder." Self said. "Last year or the year before it seemed that we had to go longer just to get it right. This year we can do what we need to do in shorter periods of time."
SOFTBALL KU returns home for first games at Arrocha
The Kansas softball team (9-10) will open up the home portion of its season at Arrocha Ballpark with a doubleheader against Missouri State (11-5) today at 2 p.m.
Kansas is coming off a 4-1 showing at the Best Western Airport Festival in Tulsa, Okla., where it captured its first tournament crown of the season.
Kansas, despite a vigorous 60-game regular season sched ule, will only play 22 games in Lawrence.
Jonathan Anderson
Settlemier holds the Kansas career home run record with 31, while Frankenstein is close behind her with 30. Moppin has hit 26.
Pitcher/designated hitter Serena Settemier, shortstop Destiny Frankenstein and second baseman Jessica Moppin have provided senior leadership this season for the Javhawks.
MEN'S BASKETBALL Postseason awards continue for Kansas
Kansas freshman guard Brandon Rush was named to The Associated Press All-Big 12 Second Team on Tuesday.
Freshman guard Mario Chalmers
Rush
was named to the Third Team and freshman forward Julian Wright and sophomore guard Russell Robinson were Honorable Mention selections.
On Monday the Big 12 Conference released its AllBig 12 Teams, with Rush making FirstTeam and Chalmers and Wright making Honorable Mention selections. The AP has not named its selection for Big 12 Coach of the Year.
— Rvan Colaianni
TALK TO US
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