WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 8,2006
SPORTS
w we
auge
eded
nings
t bet
ly, it
mad Jordan to the
playas on hap points
NBA to come to KU
Nell Redmond/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
BY ERIC JORGENSEN
ejorgensen@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Former Kansas forward Nick Collison, right, of the Seattle SuperSonics,
fouls Charlotte Bobcats guard Raymond Felton Monday.
Something never before seen in Allen Fieldhouse could happen this fall; Nick Collison could block Kirk Hinrich's shot.
The former University of Kansas basketball players are slated to play opposite each other in an NBA preseason game tentatively scheduled for Oct. 15 in the fieldhouse. Hinrich and Collison currently play for the Chicago Bulls and the Seattle SuperSonics, respectively.
Hinrich's Bulls and Collision's SuperSonics are negotiating a contract with the Athletics Department to finalize the players' homecoming.
The Bulls are calling the marketing shots because the game is considered a Bulls home game. The Bulls invited the Super-Sonics to be the opponents at that game to unite Collison and Hinrich on their former home court, Jeff Wohlschlaeger, Bulls representative said. The Bulls last played in the fieldhouse in 1997.
"It was hugely successful," Wohlschlaeger said. "The number one reason we're doing this is to bring Kirk back."
Wohlschlaeger said the Bulls would work with local television and radio stations to get the word out and get fans to the game.
Ticket prices, availability of tickets to students and other game day issues were still being worked out, Wohlschlaeger said. He expected an agreement to be reached between the Bulls and the department soon.
Watching the Kansas basketball legends in person at their old stomping grounds could be a rare opportunity that fans won't plan on missing.
"I will definitely go," Chris Roberts, Merriam senior, said. "It will be cool to see the two play against each other."
What would the reaction be if Collison blocked Hinrich's shot?
"There would be cheers," Molly
Mulholland, Overland Park senior, said.
She also said there might be a few laughs.
The two players playing together again in the fieldhouse could conjure a slew of feelings for the players and fans alike. Hinrich and Collison both hail from Iowa, played together at the University and graduated together in 2003.
"I think it will be emotional for them," Liz Scheibler, Overland Park senior, said. "It would be interesting to see them go against each other."
Roberts, Mulholland and Scheibler are all members of the last graduating class to be enrolled at the University with Collison and Hinrich, which makes them part of the last class to have seen the two former Jayhawks play in the fieldhouse.
for all Kansas fans.
Jim Marchiony, associate athletics director, said he thought the potential match-up would be a treat
"It will be great for the fans. You'd be hard pressed to find two more beloved KU ex-players than those two. From a fan's standpoint, it will be great." Marchiony said.
Last season's Big 12 Player of the Year, first-tier All-American and former KU basketball player Wayne Simien will not have his jersey retired this season.
Iersev Retirement:
Simien, currently with the NBA's Miami Heat, is eligible under department protocol to have his number retired.
Marchiony said Simien's jersey would eventually hang in the fieldhouse rafters.
"We're going to institute a five-year waiting period," Marchiony said. "It will mean more to the former student athlete and to the fans if there is a waiting period."
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1B
Pairs
"I'd probably go across the lines before one of the conference games and beat him up a little bit," Don said.
Edited by Cynthia Hernandez
The Land family reunions are safe for now, but with Sean being a pitcher and Preston being a position player, brother vs. brother match-ups do arise from time to time and Sean usually comes out on top.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 3B
"Older brother, always wins," Sean said.
Preston conceded that his older brother owned the head-to-head history.
"I'm like one for six against him, or something like that, with a couple strikeouts," Preston said.
Both being pitches, the Czyz brothers said they didn't worry about getting hits off each other. Instead, they like to imagine Don coming into a ballgame that Nick started, with a chance to seal a victory for the Ivahawks.
"Hopefully we can do it this year because after this year, he's not going to be around any more," Nick said. "It's definitely a possibility."
Edited by Lindsey St. Clair
GETTING TO KNOW THE BROTHER
Name: Don
Cryz
Class: Senior
Position:
Right-handed
Pitcher
Height: 6'2"
Weight: 200
pounds
High School:
Blue Valley
Quick Hits: Team Captain; four saves shy of team career record; named to the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Stopper of the Year Award watch list.
Name: Nick Czyz
Class: Freshman
Position: Left-handed Pitcher
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 195 pounds
High School: Blue Valley West Quick hits: Recruited by Wichita State, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Missouri and Kansas State; played for the USA Junior National team last summer.
Name: Sean Land
Class: Junior
Position: Left-handed pitcher
Height: 8'5"
Weight: 230 pounds
High School:
Lee's Summit
Quick hits: Team's returning leader in starts from last season; played for the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox of the Cape Cod League with Ritchie Price last summer.
Name: Preston
Land
Class: Fresh-
man
Position: Infield
Height: 6"3"
Weight: 250
pounds
High School:
Lee's Summit
Quick hits: Recruited by Missouri State, Wichita State, Arkansas, Illinois State and Illinois; 2005 Kansas City Star Player of the Year
SPORTS BRIEFS
Rush receives two national accolades
Freshman Brandon Rush, who averaged 21 points per game last week was named Rivals.com National Freshman of the Week Tuesday. Rush was also named Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on Monday.
Basketball recruit to play in Jordan classic
Kansas men's basketball commit Sherron Collinson was named to the Jordan All-American Classic yesterday. Collins, a point guard from Chicago, signed his letter of intent to play for the Jayhawks in November.
Traditionally, the Jordan Classic has been surpassed by only the McDonald's All-America game in terms of future Division I players. Three other Big 12 commits were selected to play in the game.
Downs officially playing for Gonzaga
Gonzaga University sports information director Oliver Pierce said Tuesday that former Kansas guard Micah Downs was practicing with the Bulldogs. Downs was seen on the bench during Gonzaga's game against Saint Mary's Monday night.
Former Illinois coordinator hired as assistant
Former Illinois defensive coordinator Mike Mallory was hired
to become Kansas' new linebackers coach, Kansas coach Mark Mangino announced yesterday
Mallory spent five years with Illinois, three of which were with the team's secondary and two were as defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.
Prior to his stint at Illinois he coached at Maryland and Northern Illinois.
Mallory replaces former co-defensive coordinator and linebacker coach Dave Doeren, who left for Wisconsin in January.
"Mike is a highly respected coach that brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to our staff," Mangino said. "He is a perfect fit for our young linebackers and defensive scheme. We are very pleased to have Mike join our coaching staff."
Mallory played four seasons at Michigan and was an all Big 10 selection twice
Put your passion to work.
When this Garmin software engineer says she puts herself in the customer's shoes, she means it quite literally be it cycling shoes, running shoes, whatever. Her passion is to make the product better.As a leader in the design of Garmin's newest fitness devices, Claudette has found there's no substitute for hands-on testing and feedback.She even trained for her first triathlon using a Garmin product that was in development, leading her to develop a key feature for multi-sport athletes.
Want a job where working up a good sweat or test-driving a GPS in your car comes with the territory? We're rolling out up to 60 industry-leading products a year and we need more star players. Find out if there's a position for you by checking the employment section of our Web site, www.garmin.com.
Stop by Garmin's booth at the Career Fair 2/09/06,12:30 p.m.-5:00 p.m.in the Kansas Union Ballroom
Send your resume to: Garmin, Attn: Human Resources, 1200 East 151st Street, Olathe, KS 66062 (913) 397.8200 fax (913) 397.0835 engineering jobs@garmin.com
©2006 Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries