Sports
1B
The University Daily Kansan
Thursday, March 18, 2004
Football practices for public
Tim Allen, senior defensive tackle, led a group of Kansas defenders in an agility drill during spring practice yesterday. The Jayhawks will hold their annual spring scrimmage April 18 in Memorial Stadium.
By Kevin Flaherty
kflaherty@kansan.com
Kansas senior sportswriters
sports commentary
The attire was shorts and T-shirts and contact was minimal as Kansas football players had their first open spring practice yesterday.
The players, after a winter in the weight room, will have to wait until tomorrow to break out the pads and begin tackling. For now, the team will focus on fundamentals, said Kansas football coach Mark Mangino.
Sunday.
"The kids were really more enthusiastic," Mangino said. "I think now they know what to expect. A lot of the new kids didn't know what to expect."
Four of the 2004 recruits are participating in spring practice and all of them are in major roles. Both Theo Baines, junior, and Rodney Harris, sophomore, are working out with the first team. Though Harris is listed in the media guide as a safety, he occupied the cornerback spot opposite Baines yesterday. Junior defensive end Jermail Ashley is practicing with the second team. Ashley and Baines were teammates at Tyler Junior College in Tyler, Texas.
Those fundamentals were honed with drills including hitting bags and footwork. About 50 fans watched as the team played in public for the first time since December's Mazda Tangerine Bowl. The team had its first private practice Sunday and is allowed 12 more practices before the annual Spring Scrimmage on April 18.
Mangino said the effort was better in yesterday's practice than it was Sunday.
Mangino said Harris and Jason Swanson, junior quarterback, both had growing pains, but for different reasons. Harris is switching to a new position on defense and Swanson must learn a whole new offense. Mangino said he expects Swanson to compete with Adam Barmann, sophomore, for the starting quarterback position.
Learning a new playbook is a difficult task, but Swanson has already proven to be a quick learner at another craft.
SEE FOOTBALL ON PAGE 6B
Kellis Robinett krobinett@kansan.com
Self's previous success helpful
We all know how the Kansas men's basketball team faired in the NCAA Tournament under former coach Roy Williams.
But the big question on everyone's mind is how will the Jayhawks perform under Bill Self?
If history is an indicator, Kansas will have nothing to worry about going into tomorrow's first round game against the University of Illinois-Chicago.
Bill Self has been to the NCAA Tournament five times, and has won his first round game each year.
But his success doesn't stop there.
but his success goes on. In fact, Self has never underachieved in his short NCAA Tournament career. All of his setbacks have come against college basketball's elite teams.
At Tulsa he bowed out of the tournament with losses to Duke and North Carolina. At Illinois he lost to Notre Dame, Kansas and Arizona.
Self can also beat the nation's elite. In 2000, Self had one of the most remarkable runs in recent tournament history. He led a seventh seeded Tulsa team to victories against Cincinnati and Miami on his way to the Elite Eight.
In 2001, he returned to the Elite Eight, this time with Illinois. Self's Illini, led by a deep group that included NBA players Frank Williams and Brian Cook, knocked
SEE ROBINETT ON PAGE 6B
Duke's Sean Dockery (15) took a shot over Virginia's Elton Brown (43) during its game in the ACC Tournament last Friday,
'Kansan' picks Atlanta
By Ryan Greene
rgreene@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Atlanta Region
1 Duke (27-5) vs. #16 Alabama State (16-14)
As many times as Duke has been a No. 1 seed over the past two decades, the one thing the Blue Devils always do is thrash their No. 16 seed opponents. This year should be no different, but Duke should still use good strategy. The Blue Devils are young and deep, so it may be wise to let senior point guard Chris Duhon sit this one out. Duhon had a nasty run-in with a television camera during the ACC Championship game last Sunday, and has some sore ribs right now. He should rest while he can since his leadership will be needed in the tournament's toughest region, which includes six Final Four coaches. Prediction — Duke 88. Alabama State 51
No. 8 Seton Hall (20-9) vs. #9 Arizona (20-9)
An interesting matchup between Seton Hall, a team that will try to lull its opponents into a defensive struggle and Arizona, a team that is as athletic as they come. Seton Hall revolves around senior point guard Andre Barrett, who must be focused for the Pirates to have a chance.
Arizona has the talent to be the nation's best team, but everyone has to be on the same page, a problem for the Wildcats this season. Six of the Wildcats average at least nine points per game. Swingmen Hassan Adams and Andre Iguodala are strong scorers and rebounders, while Channing Frye anchors the middle. However, the key for Arizona's success lies in the back-court combo of freshman point guard Mustafa Shakur and the volatile, yet
Now that the NCAA Tournament brackets have been set for next weekend, it's time to bust out the pencils and erasers to predict this year's National Champ. In the spirit of the season, the Kansan's Ryan Greene will take an in-depth look every day this week at a different region of the bracket.
Kansan Bracket
State (28-9)
Murray State has always been an upset-threat in the NCAA Tournament, but with its second-leading scorer suspended for marijuana possession, its upset hopes are now slim. The Racers are known as a team that can run the floor, but Illinois can strike right back. Point guard Dee Brown's passion helped the Illini out big-time last March, and now he has the hot-handed Luther Head and Deron Williams flanking him. Illinois is dangerous, and a definite sleeper as a No. 5 seed. They become even more lethal if big men James Augustine and Nick Smith can use their size to bully opponents.
Prediction — Illinois 69, Murray State 64
dangerous Salim Stoudamire. If Stoudamire focuses and is hitting his outside shots, Arizona's a lock. Prediction — Arizona 78, Seton Hall 70
No. 5 Illinois (24-6) vs. #12 Murray State (28-5)
Breakdown
TALK TO SPORTS: Contact Henry C. Jackson or Maggie Newcomer at SPORTS@KANSAN.COM
No. 4 Cincinnati (24-6) vs. #13 East Tennessee State (27-5)
You've got to love Cincinnati's brand of basketball. Coach Bob Huggins' group is always gritty and
season.
The Tar Heels are dangerous, with all five starters averaging double figures in points, and solid contributors off the bench. Sophomore point guard Raymond Felton is the nation's best pure point, Rashad McCants is the ACC's top slasher and one of the nation's most consistent scorers at 19.9 points per game and Sean May is a beast in the paint. May averages a double-double.
Air Force won't impress, but it runs the Princeton-style, slowed-down offense, which will cramp Roy's style. If Williams can get out of the first round, which has been a struggle the past few years against lesser opponents, the Tar Heels will make a run, guaranteed. Prediction North Carolina 74, Air Force 67
deep, with this year being no exception. The driving force for the Bearcats is forward Jason Maxiell. The junior leads the team in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots.
He also has very capable veteran scorers around him, including Florida transfer James White, Kansas State transfer Nick Williams and Tony Bobbitt. East Tennessee is not very big, but it is quick. Cincinnati has slipped and fallen early in tournaments passed, but this will be a rout. Prediction — Cincinnati 71, ETSU 57
No. 6 North Carolina (18-10) vs.
Air Force (22-6)
Every analyst in the world is whining about how North Carolina lacks depth, and it will hurt the Tar Heels in the tournament. However, wasn't it Kansas who lacked depth last year, yet still made a miraculous run? Never doubt coach Roy Williams when it comes to managing talent in the post-season.
SEE ATLANTA ON PAGE 6B