Sports
BIG 12 CONFERENCE
Monday
Coverage and analysis of Kansas' Big 12 tournament performance. PLUS: An NCAA tournament breakdown.
The University Daily Kansan
1B
Friday, March 12, 2004
Jayhawks to battle Tigers
By Ryan Greene
rgreene@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
DALLAS, Texas — The Kansas men's basketball team would love to duplicate plenty from the 2002-03 postseason this year.
That includes solid and consistent production from senior forward Jeff Graves, outstanding individual performances from the team's veteran leaders and a return to the National Championship game. Not included is the loss in the Big 12 Conference Tournament semifinals to Missouri.
For the second straight year, the
Jayhawks (20-7 overall, 12-4 Big 12) will
face the Tigers (16-12, 9-7) in the conference tournament. Just like last season, Kansas
KANSAS vs. MISSOURI 8:20 P.M.
T.V.- ESPN2
Radio - 1320 KLWIN
Both this season and last, the Jayhawks defeated the Tigers in nailbiters at the Hearnes Center to end the regular season. This season, it was Missouri's final game in the 32-year-old building, and it did major damage to the Tigers' NCAA Tournament hopes. Even if tonight's opponent is a familiar one, the emotion the Jayhawks still feel from
last Sunday should transfer to the floor
"You'd like to play against the teams from the South because you only get to play them once," junior forward Wayne Simien said. "But it's a rivalry game, so we'll be up for it nevertheless."
The game last Sunday at Missouri was a must-win not only for the Tigers, but also for the Jayhawks in a way. Kansas needed to remember how to win on the road before postseason play began. The victory in Columbia was the Jayhawks' first triumph outside Allen Fieldhouse since Jan. 28 and halted a four-game losing streak on the road.
"We hadn't won on the road in what seemed like forever," freshman guard R.J. Giddens said. "I think that was
good as a confidence-booster"
If the Jayhawks want to win tonight, they will need a performance from Wayne Simien to match his 22 points and seven rebounds in the game at Columbia. Simien scored 16 of those points in the second half, and his physical presence was needed to help slow Missouri's Arthur Johnson. The senior center scored a career-high 37 points in the last-second loss and will need to establish similar dominance for the underdog Tigers to make the third time against KU a charm.
Toward the end of the regular season the Jayhawks were able to give a boost to players who needed it most.
SEE JAYHAWKS ON PAGE 3B
Missouri's Rickey Paulding and Texas A&M's Antoine Wright leapt for a first-half rebound in Dallas yesterday.
Eric Braem/Kansan
LAST LINE OF DEFENSE
Goalies possess 'special weirdness'
Kit Leffler/Kansa
By Nikki Overfelt
overfelt@kansan.com
Kansan senior writerwriter
n opportunity to win every game, they do it alone.
Brandon Schultz admittedly couldn't handle the pressure.
The defenseman for the Kansas club hockey team and Apple Valley, Minn., junior has played hockey since he was 3 but has never been a goalie.
But, for 20 minutes of a pick-up game, he gave it a try earlier this season. As if standing in 40 pounds of gear didn't make him sweat enough, trying to stop a six-ounce piece of rubber flying at him at about 70 miles per hour was too much.
"I envy goalies," Schultz said. "I couldn't do it — all the pressure."
Growing up in Minnesota, Caroline Smith, leading scorer for the Kansas women's soccer team, tried playing hockey goalie once. But she found the position was not for her.
Smith said she had fun, but she was bored when the action didn't involve her. She said she liked the consistency of her forward position.
"If it's a good team, I'm going to see the ball," she said. "And if it's a bad team, I'm going to see the ball."
"They don't have that special weirdness," she said. "Goalie is probably the most insane position ever. I just have a calling to be insane."
"You're on a team, but you're kind of your own player," said Dave Wiley, the Kansas women's lacrosse coach who was a goalie for 17 years. "You're in your own world."
This special weirdness is the love of a position that is unlike any other. The pressure is overwhelming, but the action is limited. Goalies have no fear of rubber objects flying at their heads at more than 50 miles per hour. It is a solitary position, but the team is nothing without it.
Pressure of perfection
It was the biggest game in the history of the Kansas women's soccer program.
Kansas faced second-ranked UCLA in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament last November. Miller said it was the most pressure she had ever faced.
Kansas lost 1-0, but Miller finished with eight saves, only one shy of tying her career high.
"I feel like I rise to the challenge when there's pressure like that," she said. "In
big games like that I feel like I step up."
Although not every game involves that much pressure,goalies always face the pressure of making or breaking a game.
If a forward commits a turnover or a defender blows coverage, it probably won't cost the team the game because it still has the goalie to back it up. Smith said.
But no matter who commits the mistake, a goal is blamed on the goalie.
Goalies have no one to back them up. "You have to demand perfection every time." Miller said. "Because if you screw up, it's a goal."
"If you let in a goal, no matter if it's a sweet goal or not, everyone's going to think it your fault." Schultz said.
On top of covering up other teammates' mistakes, goals often pay for them too. Power plays in hockey and men's lacrosse are the epitome of this. With a one-man advantage, it is often easier for the opposing team to shoot on the goal.
"You're supposed to be penalizing the team." Wiley, the lacrosse coach, said. "But you are penalizing the goalie. It's two minutes of hell."
Penalty shots are also hard on a goalie, Wiley said, but they get "hell" over with more quickly.
Then there are shootouts, which place the outcome of the game solely on the shoulders of the goalie at each end.
A simple glance at the score does not do goalies justice. Fans don't often take into account the number of shots the goalie faced in the game, how the goal was scored or if the goals were scored on power plays.
"Your team gives you glory, but the fans have no clue," said JoEllen Wang, University City, Mo., goalie for the women's lacrosse team. "They are busy counting goals."
One is the loneliest number
After a member of the club hockey team scores a goal, the players on the ice skate over to the bench to slap the hands of their other teammates. But this is when Ryan McGarry, a goalie for
SEE GOALIES ON PAGE 6B
Homestand helps 'Hawks
Baseball team looks to continue success at home this weekend
By Ryan Colaiani
rcolaianni@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas baseball team has enjoyed the surroundings of Hoglund Ballpark for the past nine games, going 8-1 over the long homestand.
The homestand will conclude this weekend with a three-game series against Arkansas-Little Rock.
The Jayhawks are 15-8-1 and are coming off a 15-1 victory against Tabor College on Wednesday.
Kansas' offense has flowed throughout its homestand. The team's offense has been led by sophomore Matt Baty, who is hitting .414 on the season. Senior Matt Trible has also contributed to the team's offensive output by continuing his now 15-game hit streak.
Kansas team members attribute the team's success at the plate to finally being able to practice outdoors. Earlier in the season, the team was only able to hit out of batting cages because the field was covered in snow.
"We have been having good practices, with live BP on the field and I
think that is what we lacked earlier in the season," junior Travis Metcalf said. "I think it is practice preparation and then just seeing the ball really well."
Cherry set a school record for strikeouts last year with 108. So far this season, Cherry is 1-1 with an earned run average of 5.38 and has 17 strikeouts.
Kansas faced Arkansas-Little Rock last season and split the two game set. The Trojans (6-4) are led by senior pitcher Brad Cherry. Kansas coach Ritch Price was impressed with his performance last season.
"I thought he was one of the best non-conference pitchers we saw a year ago." Price said.
Kansas defeated Creighton 5-1 in its only meeting of the season, while the Troians split a two game set.
Senior Ryan Knippschild will get the start today for the Hawks. Knippschild is 3-2 on the season with an ERA of 5.35.
Tribble said the team would need to be on top of its game to secure a victory.
"These guys are going to play us
The only common opponent for the two teams is Creighton.
Junior Travis Metcalf fielded a ball Wednesday afternoon at Hoglund Ballpark. The Kansas baseball team defeated Ballar 15-1. Today, Kansas takes on the University of Arkansas at 3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m.
hard," Tribble said. "We've got to play real hard and match their intensity."
First pitch is 3 p.m. today.
— Edited by Nikki Nugent
NCAA to examine endorsement rule
By Joe Bant
jbant@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
An NCAA subcommittee will look at the possibility of changing the rules regarding student-athletes and endorsements.
Currently, the rules prohibit college athletes from making money from endorsements, but the subcommittee may loosen those restrictions.
Bill Saum, NCAA representative on the subcommittee, said no proposals had been considered yet, but any number of outcomes could result from the process. He said the subcommittee's only intention at this point was to review the NCAA's rules on the subject and determine if they needed to be changed.
The subcommittee will discuss the issue at an NCAA meeting in June.
The review is coming in the aftermath of controversy involving Colorado football player and Olympic
"It's an issue that had not been reviewed in a long time." Saum said. "The NCAA needs to be responsive to the needs of student-athletes."
Bloom
skier Jeremy Bloom.
Earlier this year, Bloom was given the opportunity to get endorsements from skiing products, but NCAA rules prohibited him from accepting them because of his status as a collegiate football player.
Bloom protested
the rules, and other athletes support his position.
"Jeremy Bloom should have the opportunity to pursue those endorsements," said Maggie Mason, vice president of the Big 12 Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, which represents the conference's student-athletes.
Mason, who also plays soccer for Kansas, said Bloom's case was high profile, but was far from unique. She said this was a situation that the NCAA definitely needed to address.
Mason said it was her understanding that there were a couple of specific reform ideas being circulated.
SEE ENDORSEMENT ON PAGE 3B
TALK TO SPORTS: Contact Henry C. Jackson or Maggie Newcomer at SPORTS@KANSAN.COM
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