Sports
One more year?
One more year? A column in tomorrow's University Daily Kansan looks into Wayne Simien's tough offseason decision: to stay at Kansas his last year or to leave early for action in the pros.
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The University Daily Kansan
'Hawks look to end losing streak on road
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Pitching problem needs to be overcome to win today against Nebraska
By Jonathan Kealing
jkealing@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas softball team will try to stop a six-game losing streak today when No. 22 Nebraska (22-11, 2-0 Big 12 Conference) comes to town.
The game starts at 4 p.m. at Arrocha Ballpark.
Annie Bernethy/Kansan
Kansas (20-15, 0-2 Big 12) spent its spring break on the West Coast, where it played six games, and then continued to Waco, Texas, to play two games against Baylor.
Kansas won its first two games, both against Portland State, before dropping two games each to No.16 Oregon State, No.17 Oregon and No.21 Bavlor.
Many of its struggles were because of pitching. Freshman pitcher Kassie Humphreys was out with an undisclosed injury, which required senior Kara Pierce to pitch consecutive games.
The team has also traditionally relied on sophomore designated player Serena Settlemier. She has been a pitcher for most of her career, but offseason surgery to regain function in her arm reduced her pitching effectiveness.
Despite her injuries, Settlemier made important contributions. She was named Big 12 softball player of the week for the time that the team was in Oregon. Settlemier had five hits and three home runs, which brings her season total to a team-leading ten homers.
The surgery involved removing four millimeters of bone from the middle of her arm and attaching a metal plate to the bone. The plate binds the bones together, and would normally have been removed. Because she is involved in a sport that exerts such force on her arm, the doctors have elected to leave it on.
Dani May, senior catcher, slid for third base against Southwest Missouri State March 9. The Jayhawks will face Nebraska today at 4 p.m. at Arrocha Ballpark.
"We're going to Oregon because of Serena. She's a west coast kid, originally from Kelso, Washington," coach Tracy Bunge said before the team left. "We're going to be playing about 45 minutes away from her home, and this trip was designed for her to go home."
Settlemier was also the motivation for the trip to Oregon.
The Big 12's pitcher of the week while the Jayhawks were in Oregon was Nebraska's Peaches James, who was important to help the Cornhuskers defeat Oklahoma State Sunday. James threw a one-hit game shut-out as Nebraska cruised to a 5-0 victory. They beat OSU 10-2 on Saturday.
Nebraska will be the fourth consecutive ranked opponent that the Jayhawks face. Today's game will also be the start of a stretch where the team will play five home games in five days.
The Jayhawks, who have been off since Saturday, will try and stop their skid with strong pitching. Humphreys and Pierce are both expected to be available to play.
—Edited by Abby Mills
Brant Carter Kansan
Catching some air
Matt Ostmeyer, Stillwell senior, practiced handle passes yesterday on the lawn in front Stauffer-Flint Hall. Ostmeyer was promoting an informational meeting for the University of Kansas' wakeboard and waterski team, which is 7:30 tonight at the Centennial Room in the Kansas Union. "We want to get as many people as possible into wakeboarding because it is fun and it's what we like to do, and a lot of people don't have access to a boat as nice as ours." Ostmeyer said.
Bill Self answered questions yesterday afternoon during an end-of-the-year press conference at John Hadl Auditorium. Self discussed Sunday's game, Kansas players and the upcoming Final Four.
Kit Leffler/Kansan
Final Four for Self
Kansas coach heads to championship game despite loss
By Ryan Greene greene@kansan.com kansan Senior Sportswriter
Talk about a give-and-take relationship.
Even though Bill Self's team fell just a mere eight points from reaching the Final Four on Sunday, he's still going to be headed to San Antonio to watch the college basketball season's final three games.
So why is he going?
"My wife wants to go, so we will go. She likes San Antonio," Self jokingly said in a news conference yesterday. "I am not looking forward to going at all. If I didn't have a ticket, I probably wouldn't go at all."
As painful as it may be to watch the National Semifinals Saturday night at the Alamodome, it will be Self's final break before a long offseason.
"Twenty-four and nine, with the schedule we played, and going to the Elite Eight, that was a really good year for this team," Self said. "Especially with the injuries we have had. This is the most beat-up bunch of guys I have every been around."
First, junior forward Wayne Simien will be out for four to five weeks to let his groin heal. Then there is freshman guard JR Giddens, who re-agravated a stress fracture in his left foot this season, and will find out this week whether or not the injury will require surgery or just a cast. Either way, he should be sidelined for six to eight weeks.
Injuries will be the primary focus for the team, and will keep the Jayhawks from practicing as a team for quite awhile.
"My wife wants to go, so we will go. I am not looking forward to going at all. If I didn't have a ticket, I probably wouldn't go at all."
Bill Self
Kansas men's basketball coach
The longest absence could be that of junior guard Keith Langford. He will have surgery this week on his right knee.
Self said that depending on what the doctors find when they operate, Langford could be out anywhere from 1-3 months.
With those three on leave from basketball for the time being, the healthy team members will be the focus of the coaching staff. In particular, freshmen David Padgett, Omar Wilkes and Ieremy Case.
"David has to get stronger, which he will," Self said. "He has to spend a lot of time in the weightroom. Confidence will come with strength.
"David has to be able to hold his position and get people off their spots. David had a nice freshman year. I think for the first time, he is going to be able to devote more attention to his physical strength because he is not injured."
As for Wilkes and Case, Self is hoping that one of the two will develop into a solid backup point guard, as he is hoping to relieve the stress on Aaron Miles next season.
Miles' fatigue was apparent as he was breathing heavily towards the end of his 43-minute effort against Georgia Tech.
Another possible backup for Miles will be incoming freshman Russell Robinson. Self considers Robinson to be more of a combination guard, but feels he can develop into a solid substitute for Miles off the bench next season.
Self's other two recruits, Sasha Kaun and Darnell Jackson, will both be relied upon to grow up quickly and contribute valuable minutes next season.
"Sasha is a big body," Self said. "He has big hands and can come in and be an impact guy. Darnell has a great body. He has to learn to play a little bit."
Then there is the big NBA question. The most likely player to leave Kansas early for the draft would be Simien.
While Self said he will not try and encourage his leading scorer and rebounder in either direction, he wants to present him with all of the information for Simien and his family to make their own decision. And while it his highly unlikely J.R.
SEE SELF ON PAGE 8B
Schedule announced
Georgia Tech, St. Joseph's highlight next season
Kansas fans will not have to wait long for their Jayhawks to have another shot at Georgia Tech.
The Jayhawks will host the first game of a home-and-home series with the Yellow Jackets, likely in late December. The meeting with Georgia Tech stands out among an impressive home schedule that Kansas will navigate next season. The slate also includes conference home games with Texas and Oklahoma State, as well as a meetings with St. Joseph's and Nevada.
"It's a philosophy of the athletic director and the basketball program that we play the right mix of teams for national TV exposure," Jim Marchiony, athletics director for external affairs, said yesterday.
Other interesting games scheduled include home games against TCU and
The Georgia Tech and St. Joe's games are the non-conference highlights. Georgia Tech will enter next season as one of the nation's top teams, returning four of this year's starters. Among those returning is guard Jarrett Jack, who had 29 points, nine rebounds and six assists against Kansas on Sunday. St. Joe's will have one of the nation's best guards in Delonte West, who combined with senior Jameer Nelson to form the nation's leading backcourt this season.
Wyoming, plus a game on the road at Villanova and a showdown with California in Kansas City, Mo.
In addition, Kansas will play in the Coaches vs. Cancer tournament. If the Jayhawks win two home games to advance to New York, they could possibly face both Syracuse and Duke in the tournament's final two rounds.
Edited by Dantelle Hillix
Courtney Kublen/Kansas
Jeff Hawkins, sophomore guard, and Keith Langford, Junior guard, tried to contain Georgia Tech's Jarrett Jack, sophomore guard, during the first half of play. Jack scored 29 points.
TALK TO SPORTS: Contact Henry C. Jackson or Maggie Newcomer at SPORTS@KANSAN.COM
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