2B THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
▼ WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
SPORTS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2006
IOWA STATE VS. KANSAS 1 P.M. SATURDAY AT ALLEN FILLDHOUSE
Kansas Jayhawks, (13-6, 1-6 Big 12)
Player to watch:
Season in review:
Kansas has struggled on defense all season long, and will have to stop Iowa State's three-point shooters to win. Currently the Jayhawks rank last in the Big 12 in scoring defense, a problem that has become more evident during the past week.
Forwards not named Crystal Kemp. The position has been shared by sophomores Taylor McIntosh and Jamie Boyd as well as freshman Marija Zinic. McIntosh has played well in the past two games, but foul trouble on Wednesday kept her from making a big impact. Boyd is bouncing back from an injury two weeks ago.
Key to victory:
- Michael Phillips
After losing on Wednesday, this game becomes a must-win for Kansas to protect its tournament chances. With a record of 2-6 in the conference, the Jayhawks will have to win all their remaining home games in addition to two on the road to finish with an 8-8 conference record.
A game that was supposed to be an easy victory for the Jayhawks instead turned into a 77-71 loss to Colorado. The Buffaloes have only two wins in the Big 12 this season, both against Kansas. Brown led all scorers with a career-high 24 and was able to lead a late charge, but ultimately the Jayhawks couldn't make it back.
Last time out:
Player to watch:
Key to victory:
Brittany Wilkins. The senior forward/ center is the Cyclones deadliest three-point shooting threat. For the season, she has knocked down 42.9 percent of her three-point shots on the season. Wilkins should get several open looks against a Kansas defense prone to giving up shots, especially three-pointers.
Iowa State must be aggressive on offense against a Kansas defense going through its worst stretch of the season. Cyclone guards must be aggressive in attacking the basket and taking pressure off post players. The higher the score, the better chance the Cyclones have of taking advantage of a frustrated Jayhawk squad.
After winning nine games in their non-conference schedule, the Cyclones
have struggled in the Big 12 Conference. Iowa State has dropped three straight games and now sits at 3-5 in the conference. Unfortunately for them, the toughest stretch of the season lies ahead with more than half of their remaining games on the road. The Cyclones and Jayhawks will meet up again exactly two weeks later in Ames, Iowa.
Season in review:
Last time out:
Iowa State dropped its third straight game Wednesday night at Nebraska, 54-42. The Cyclones played without leading scorer, junior point guard Lyndsey Medders, for the first time this season, snapping a streak of 67 consecutive games played. Half-court pressure by Nebraska forced Iowa State into 21 turnovers and just 15 field goals. Junior guard/forward Megan Ronhovde paced the Cyclones with 19 points and five rebounds.
— Ryan Schneider
SOCCER
Jayhawks sign two All-Americans for '06
BY MARK DENT
mdent@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
The Kansas soccer team signed six new players Wednesday, which could help to replace the loss of five starters, including the school's all-time leading scorer, Caroline Smith.
"Every one of these girls can come in next year and help," coach Mark Francis said. "Each one of them has a lot of potential and can utilize it to get to where we want them to be."
Of the six recruits, Dolinsky and McCabe have garnered the most accolades for
their play, as both players were named NSCAA High School All-Americans.
Dolinsky, a forward and midfielder out of Carmel Ind., was named all-state, all-district, and all-city. She also played for the Indiana Regional team for four years, an experience that Francis said would help her adapt easily to the college game.
Also a forward, McCabe earned individual honors similar to Dolinsky in her last year at Jenks High School in Tulsa, Okla. She is a lefty, a quality that Kansas had been lacking the past couple of seasons. She was named Oklahoma Player of the Year
and led her team to a state championship. Francis said she was part of a recruiting class the program could be proud of.
"We are very excited about this class," Francis said. "They are all team players and understand what it means to put it all on the line for the benefit of the team."
According to coaches, signees Kim Boyer, Meredith Monson, and Estelle Johnson have been known for their quickness on the field.
"Kim will probably be our fastest forward next season." Francis said. "We want to utilize her speed so she can beat players and cause problems."
KANSAS' SIX NEW SOCCER SIGNEES
Monica Dolinsky Forward Carmel, Ind.
Kim Boyer Forward Arvada, Colo.
♦ Shannon McCabe
Forward
Tulsa, Okla.
Megan Jensen Defender Lincoln, Neb.
Meredith Monson Midfielder Lone Tree, Colo.
Rounding out the group of six was Jensen, an allstate performer who Francis said was known for her toughness and ability to play well with the ball in the air.
- Estelle Johnson Defender Fort Collins, Colo.
Francis, though, said she saw no reason why the group wouldn't be able to keep Kansas at its presently high level.
— Edited by John Jordan
BASEBALL
Colorado pitcher's salary downsized
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Colorado Rockies defeated Sunny Kim on Thursday in the first salary arbitration case of the year, and the pitcher will earn $600,000 rather than the $800,000 he had asked for.
The decision was made by arbitrators Stephen Goldberg, Gil Vernon and John Sands, who heard the case Wednesday.
A 28-year-old right-hander, Kim went 6-3 with a 4.90 ERA in 10 starts and 14 relief appearances last year for the Washington Nationals and the Rockies. Colorado claimed him off waivers on Aug. 5.
Kim made the $316,000 minimum last year.
The Associated Press
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Kansan file photo
Freshman guard Mario Chalmers goes up for a shot against Missouri on Jan. 16 in Columbia, Mo. Chalmers' father, Ronnie, is the director of basketball operations at Kansas.
For highly-touted recruits college a father-son affair
BY ERIC JORGENSEN
ejorgensen@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
In December 2004, former Kansas basketball player Micah Downs pondered a jump to the NBA. His father, Steve, told media outlets that he wanted his son, then in his senior year of high school, to go to the NBA. He later said he wanted his son to play for Kansas.
It's not uncommon for fathers of today's high-profile men's basketball players to become deeply involved in determining which schools their sons choose. Two KU basketball players, however, said players leaned more on themselves than on their fathers when it came to recruitment.
Though Steve Downs' influence on Micah's transfer from Kansas last week is relatively unknown, freshman forward Julian Wright said he knew the influence Steve had on Micah's departure.
cause of his dad," Wright said. Ronnie Chalmier, director of men's basketball operations and the father of freshman guard
"I met Steve once. I thought he was funny." Mario said. "I never came across an instance where a dad was picking the school."
"I know for sure it wasn't because of his dad." Weight read.
Mario didn't speculate on why Micah left. He said Micah just didn't seem comfortable at Kansas.
"When we went out, he didn't ever go with us. He kept to himself." Mario said.
Mario and Wright played in last year's McDonald's All-American game. The best basketball talents in the nation crammed into one building to display their talents. Neither came across a player who said his dad made the decision for him.
He went on to say that Mario was first interested in Kansas. When Self called Mario to recruit him, Kansas became a quick favorite.
Ronnie Chalmers spent a lot of time with the families and fathers of those highly recruited players. He said he never heard a father
But it doesn't always work that smoothly.
There was an instance just this Wednesday — NCAA football signing day — in which Vidal Hazelton, rivals.com seventh-ranked football player and second-rated wide receiver, signed a letter of intent to play at the University Southern California. Hazelton's father did not sign the letter, saying he wanted his son to play at Penn State. Hazelton cannot play football anywhere until his father signs.
"I would do the research on the program, all the schools that recruited Mario, and the availability of scholarships," Ronnie said. "I told him, 'Wherever you go, it is your decision. It's you who is going to love it or hate it.'"
Mario Chalmers, said players thought independently when choosing a college. Downs was no exception. Ronnie said that in the few times he spoke with Steve, he never got the impression that Steve dictated Micah's decision of choosing college or the pros. Mario said he agreed with his father.
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making all or most his son's decisions. Using himself as an example, he explained the role he played in Mario's recruitment.
Ronnie Chalmers, director of basketball operations and father of freshman guard Mario Chalmers, joins the team during a time-out at a men's basketball game against Iowa State last Saturday.
Edited by Frank Tankard
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