Sports
1B
The University Daily Kansan
Tuesday, March 2, 2004
Padgett recovers, won't be starter
By Ryan Greene rgreene@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
While talking to the media following Sunday's game, Kansas coach Bill Self jokingly said that the Kansas coaching staff would spit on David Padgett's ankle, cover it in some tape and it would be all better.
Whatever the trainers did do, the freshman forward's body appeared to be moving faster than expected.
Padgett was in uniform at yesterday afternoon's practice, but did not participate. The good news is that he walked onto the Allen Fieldhouse court without the assistance of crutches, and had no boot or brace on his sprained right ankle.
"He's responded to treatment much better than we originally thought he would." Self said.
Padgett left the fieldhouse following
the Oklahoma game on crutches, unable to put pressure on his right foot. On his weekly teleconference yesterday morning, Self said he thought Padgett would be on crutches for a while, but he was surprised at the
Padgett
was surprised at the speed of the freshman's healing process. Even though his recovery has been rapid, Padgett, who has started the Jayawks' last eight games, will probably not play in tomorrow night's home finale against Nebraska. With that in mind, Self will need a good show from senior forward Jeff Graves, who will start in Padgett's place, as well as his reserve platoon consisting of senior forward Bryant Nash and junior forwards Moulaye Niang and Christian Moody.
Self said that he was tentatively planning on starting Bryant Nash in his final game at Allen Fieldhouse in place of freshman guard J.R. Giddens. The players with the biggest presence off the bench, however,
SEE PADGETT ON PAGE 6B
Self
"With the way Nebraska plays, we need someone who can defend the low post," Self said. "They killed us up
could be Moody and Niang. Moody has seen an unexpected amount of minutes this season, but, along with Niang, a defensive presence will be needed against a Nebraska team whose players were able to score at will in the first meeting, a 74-55 Cornhuskers' victory.
Kansan File Photo
Freshman center David Padgett dunked against Oklahoma Sunday.
From a new perspective
Former player Ballard sees the game and his life in new ways
By Jesse Newell
jnewell@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
It's five hours before the game, but the man can't help himself. He never grows tired of this place.
grows tired of this place.
With gray baggy sweat pants and a pair of basketball shoes, the man lightly treads on the word "Jayhawks" below him, making his way to the tunnel he knows so well. This is where they screamed his name. This is where he signed autographs.
This was where he once was a hero.
This was where he once was a hero. Arriving at the curtain that separates James Naismith Court from the lower concourses of Allen Fieldhouse, the man slowly stops. But the whistles inside are too much for his curiosity. Like a child, he peeks around the corner, watching the blue jerseys — the ones he once donned — before him. He can never go back, but he still can't get away.
back, but he isn't there. Herein lies the dilemma of Brett Ballard.
"I hear people say all the time say that they have no regrets and they'd do everything the same," Ballard said. "I don't really have any regrets, but if somebody gave me an opportunity to play one more game on that court, I would give my pinky for it — I really would. It means that much and is that special."
Brett Ballard simply can't get away.
In his first season as student assistant at Kansas, Ballard, a Hutchinson native, has learned the value of video.
Brett Ballard gets ready to cut down the net after a victory over Oregon during the 2002 NCAA tournament. The former men's basketball player is a graduate assistant for this year's team. Ballard also dabbles in color commentary for men's basketball games.
His job consists of video taping the Jayhawks' games from a perch among the rafters in Allen Fieldhouse. He also records every college basketball game
This especially comes into play during the NCAA tournament, when
Kansas has little time to prepare for a team it most likely has not seen.
SEE PERSPECTIVE ON PAGE GB
sports commentary
Kellis Robinett
krobinett@kansan.com
Opinions differ on Kansas' NCAA seed
The seed the Kansas men's basketball team will receive from the NCAA Selection Committee for this year's NCAA tournament is anyone's guess.
ESPN.com's Joe Lunardi projects Kansas as a five seed in his latest Bracketology. CBS.sportsline.com says the Jayhawks will be a four seed according to its latest poll. Bracketography.com has Kansas listed as a six seed.
The experts are having trouble agreeing because the selection committee uses an inexact science of seeding that can confuse anyone.
seeting that can be used. The committee uses a computer ranking system of RPI (Ratings Point Index) rather than human polls. It also considers a team's strength of schedule, road and neutral court victories, record in the last 10 games, RPI top-25 and top-50 victories, and RPI bottom-200 losses.
Or, in English, the committee looks at a team's ranking, whom it has played and whom it has defeated to determine its seed.
As of now, Kansas has an RPI hovering about 20. The Jayhawks are helped by four victories against RPI top-50 teams Missouri, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Michigan State.
The Jayhawks' chances of receiving a high seed are seriously hindered because most of their losses have come toward the end of the season They are 6-6 on the road and have no victories against RPI top-25 teams.
The best Kansas can hope for is a four seed. This would qualify the Jayhawks for local placement in Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo., for the sub-regions. The worst seed Kansas is looking at is a 10, which would send it to any site in the country for the first two rounds.
How the Jayhawks play in the next two games, plus the Big 12 Conference Tournament will be the determining factor.
The most likely path for Kansas, based on recent results, is defeating Nebraska at home, losing at Missouri, and winning one game in the Big 12 Conference Tournament. This would likely result in a seven or eight seed
Winning at Missouri, or twice in the Big 12 Tournament, could move the Jayhawks to a six seed, and doing both might get them a five seed.
SEE ROBINETT ON PAGE 6B
Students lose vote on KUAC board, will advise
By Joe Bant jbant@kansan.com Kansan staff writer
A new structure for the University of Kansas Athletics Corporation Board of Directors will trim the board's membership to five, and won't include a voting student.
The board met Friday and voted in support of a proposal to restructure itself, but narrowly rejected two amendments proposed by Student Body President Andy Knopp that would have given students a vote on the new board.
"I don't think we necessarily lost power," Knopp said. "I think we missed a major opportunity for a real increase."
The student body president will still be represented on the board as a non-voting member. Board members who voted against Knopp's amendment said students would still have a voice, even if they didn't have a vote.
Knopp said he was disappointed with the results.
An alumni representative won't be included on the board, either.
Knopp
"The notion of having a vote or not doesn't change the ability to have an effect," said board member Mike Maddox.
The 23-member KUAC board voted to reduce its membership to five after realizing its policies were
out of date with no pro-. For years, the board has operated mostly in an advisory role even though its articles of incorporation state that it has policy making authority, said Reid Holbrook, chairman of the subcommittee charged with the KUAC restructuring. He said the new changes would clear up that discrepancy.
Being to permit out of date with its practices.
The new five-member board will be responsible for setting Athletics Department policy.
Department policy The current board will become the Chancellor's Advisory Committee for Intercollegiate Athletics. It will include all the groups represented in the current board, including three students' votes.
Both the board and the committee will answer to the chancellor, who will continue to have ultimate authority over athletics in accordance with NCAA rules.
The new board will include the athletics
Hemenway
director, the vice provost for student success, a senior University administrator, the University's chief business and financial planning officer and the faculty representative to the Big 12 Conference.
The student body president will also serve on the board as a non-voting member. The changes will go into effect June 30th, 2004.
June John, 2016. Knopp wasn't alone in supporting the proposal to give students a vote. A number of University professors also favored the idea, including Don Green and John Ferraro.
and John Ferraro. Ferraro, chairman of the hearing and speech department at University of Kansas Medical Center, said it would
"I don't think we necessarily lost power. I think we missed a major opportunity for a real increase."
The board rejected the idea for a number of reasons. Holbrook expressed concern about the position of student body president turning over every year and the inconsistency that might create in the KUAC board. Other board members were reluctant to allow a student vote because of the sensitive issues, such as hiring and firing, that the board might deal with.
present a more unified image to the University if a student was included as a voting member. Green, professor of engineering, said students had served on committees in his department for years with positive results.
Andy Knopp Student body president
SEE KUAC ON PAGE 6B
Proposed members of the Chancellor's Advisory Committee for Intercollegiate Athletics
KUAC Board of Directors
Six faculty members from the University of Kansas Lawrence campus elected by the Faculty Senate
One representative from the full-time staff of the KU Medical Center appointed by the Chancellor
Five alumni appointed by the University of Kansas Alumni Association Board
Three members of this seasort
Senior Women's Administrator
Three members of the student body
Senior Women's Administrator
Three student athletes appointed by the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (non-voting)
Treasurer of the Student Senate (non-voting)
---
Source: KUAC Board