what we heard If the Dream Team didn't go, maybe he wouldn't have half his players. Maybe they'd be playing soccer or something else. That makes me sick." Former Jayhawk and Olympic basketball coach Larry Brown on Dallas Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban's stance against his players playing internationally.
2B the university daily kansan
off the bench
tuesday, february 10,2004
Rick Garesche, St. Louis freshman, practiced last night on a snow-covered field between Robinson Center and the Computer Center for a frisbee tournament in San Diego. Garesche is part of the ultimate frisbee team.
BASKETBALL
Winter catch
Rush finds his place on team following disappointing start
ORLANDO, Fla.—Kareem Rush, once in charge of the very end of the Los Angeles Lakers' bench, was actually giving somebody grief.
"Rookie," Rush cracked as Luke Walton walked past.
The visitors' locker room in Orlando's TD Waterhouse Centre was a pretty serious place. Shaquille O'Neal made a joke or two, but mostly everyone was trying to figure out exactly when the wheels fell off.
There are so many possibilities. Kobe Bryant accused of rape. Karl Malone missing more games in a row than he had missed in an entire 18-year NBA career. Shaq dropping F-bombs on live television. Kobe cutting his finger on a window.
Yesh, it's not the greatest time to be a Laker. Unless, of course, you're Kareem Rush, in which case you're having possibly the best month of basketball of your life.
your life.
Since mid-January, he has gone from being a (small) role player to a legitimate offensive threat. Consider this: He was in double digits nine times in January, or three more than the rest of the season combined. He's doubled his scoring average, surprising a lot of people — teammates included. "Even people in LA didn't know I could play," he says. "A lot of people who saw me at Mizzou knew."
He can't talk for long now. Kareem slipped on his uniform, which actually needed to be washed after a game these days.
"I'm starting today," he said
Out of the 14-time world champion Los Angeles Lakers' locker room, he grabbed a few shots and looked over some plays. All the work actually — finally — meant something.
A year ago, Kareem sat by himself in a room much like this one. The Lakers had gone to Memphis to play the Grizzlies, where former Kansas star (and current Orlando Magic reserve) Drew Gooden was catching fire. Rush was catching nothing. Stuck behind Bryant, he spent less time on the court than the Laker Girls.
Laker Girls. When he did get in the game, his once-trusty shot bricked again and again. The Lakers had signed him to be a sharpshooter, the guy who lit up Big 12 teams when it mattered most. He wanted each shot to go in so bad, he began to force things.
This year started off the same. Then the injury bug hit the Lakers. With Kobe missing time for myriad physical and legal reasons, minutes opened up. Rush has been on a tear ever since. He averaged about 16 points in his first six games as a starter.
games as asteroid.
Although he missed two games recently because of a sprained knee, Rush came back emphatically Sunday afternoon in Orlando. He played 35 minutes, finishing with 17 points. And these weren't garbage buckets. It was his 3-pointer that kicked the Lakers' dramatic fourth-quarter comeback into overdrive. Los Angeles, after being down 18, won 98-96.
Soon, Bryant will be back in the lineup, and Rush's minutes will go down. In his short time in the spotlight, he has shown his coaches, teammates and a whole lot of opposing general managers that he belongs in the NBA.
A year ago, he was an impressionable NBA rookie with money burning a hole in his pocket. He bought a car and lived in a party-pad in Venice Beach. Young
and a Laker, Los Angeles was his oyster. It took him almost a year to figure out that the "Laker" part was more important than the "young."
Kareem Rush gets that now. He just bought his first house. Brother JaRon, a noted partier, moved back to Kansas City. Kareem is serious about his job, and it's showing.
"Sometimes, you've got to move on." Rush says. "I've grown up."
tant than the young.
"You go out there and do your spending," he says, "but in the end, you're here to play basketball."
The Associated Press
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
On Friday, immediately after her appointment to the investigative panel by the university president, Lawrence told a reporter: "The question I have for the ladies in this is why they are going to parties like this and drinking or taking drugs and putting themselves in a very threatening or serious position."
Woman refuses to quit after drawing fire for comments
DENVER — A woman leading an investigation into recruiting practices at the University of Colorado said yesterday she would not resign, despite suggesting that women put themselves at risk of rape by attending alcohol-fueled sex parties.
sex penultimate "I was under fire in the Legislature and we didn't crawl up in a little ball," former lawmaker Joyce Lawrence said in a telephone interview from her home in Pueblo.
Yesterday, Lawrence said she had not
Lawrence and another former lawmaker, Peggy Lamm, were chosen to investigate allegations that the university used alcohol and sex parties to entice top recruits. Three women filed federal lawsuits against the school,saying they were raped at or after a December 2001 off-campus party attended by football players and recruits.
meant to suggest alleged victims bore some responsibility.
Prosecutors declined to file assault charges, but have since decided to reexamine the case. Prosecutor Mary Keenan gave a deposition in one of the lawsuits, saying the school ignored her demand to halt the parties.
Gov. Bill Owens, speaking on a radio talk show, said Lawrence and Lamm were good choices to lead the commission. He also said Lawrence, a fellow Republican, raised a reasonable question.
Regina Cowles, president of the National Organization for Women, questioned the selection of Lamb and Lawrence before Lawrence's comment because neither woman was an attorney or a victims' advocate.
ney of a victim's "The comments she made are unacceptable," Cowles said. "They show an unreasonable bias against victims of assault and rape. CU should shake her hand, thank her for her time and send her away."
Peter Steinhauer, chairman of the Board of Regents, did not return a call or e-mail seeking comment. He has said the board will monitor the committee, including appointments of its remaining members. It is expected to total from five to eight members.
The Associated Press
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Overtime gives Seton Hall victory over No.4 Pittsburgh
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Andre Barrett made one free throw with 9.6 seconds left in the second overtime to give Seton Hall a 68-67 victory over No.4 Pittsburgh yesterday night, the second loss of the season for the Panthers (22-2, 8-2).
Barrett had five of the seven points the Pirates (16-5, 6-3 Big East) scored in the second overtime.
Pittsburgh and No. 5 Connecticut enter their matchup for first place in the conference on Sunday coming off a loss. The Huskies, who handed Pitt its other loss, fell 80-74 at Notre Dame earlier yesterday.
her yesterday. Pittsburgh and Seton Hall came into the game ranked 1-2 in the Big East in scoring defense and both lived up to that stat, finishing regulation tied at 57.
Notre Dame victorious against Connecticut
SOUTH BEND, Ind. — Notre Dame's Chris Thomas scored 22 of his season-high 31 points in the second half and Chris Quinn added 16 points, helping the Irish win their first game against a ranked team in six tries this season.
Thomas was 7-of-13 shooting in the second half to pace the Irish (11-9,5-5 Big East). What made the victory even more surprising was that UConn had won five straight, while the Irish had lost three straight and five of their last seven. Final score: Irish 80,UConn 74.
The Associated Press
Free for All
Call 864-0500
All I have got to say is that if Christian Moody can score seven points against a ranked team they do not deserve to be ranked.
Everyone says that we are classy fans. I think that we should be loud, obnoxious and in their face. That sounds like more fun.
APTOP25
The top 25 teams in The Associated Press' men's college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Feb. 8, total points based on 25 points for a first-place vote through one point for a 25th-place vote and previous ranking:
rank team record pts pvs
1. Duke(43) 20-1 1,765 1
2. Stanford(27) 20-0 1,753 2
3. Saint Joseph's(2) 20-0 1,659 3
4. Pittsburgh 22-1 1,502 4
5. Connecticut 19-3 1,499 5
6. Mississippi St. 19-1 1,405 7
7. Gonzaga 19-2 1,392 8
8. Kentucky 16-3 1,281 9
9. Louisville 17-3 1,189 6
**10. Oklahoma St.** 17-2 1,166 **13**
**11. Texas** 16-3 1,156 **11**
**12. Kansas** 15-4 879 **20**
**13. Cincinnati** 16-3 846 **10**
**14. North Carolina** 14-6 723 **17**
**15. Georgia Tech** 17-5 705 **15**
**16. Arizona** 14-6 667 **12**
**17. Wisconsin** 15-4 646 **14**
**18. Texas Tech** 17-5 415 **19**
**19. Utah St.* 19-1 349 **24**
**20. Wake Forest** 13-6 333 **16**
**21. N.C.State** 14-5 327 _
**22. Florida** 14-6 294 **21**
**23. S. Illinois** 18-2 219 _
**24. Providence** 15-5 215 **23**
**25. South Carolina** 19-4 200 **25**
Others receiving votes: Syracuse 187, Memphis 71, Air Force 62, Satton Hall 55, Dayton 184, Oklahoma 46, Michigan St 42, LSU 41, Florida St 40, Illinois 40, Charlottes 39, W.Michigan Vardenderville 24, Hawaii 23, Marquette 14, Maryland 14, Kent St 12, UTEP 7, Creighton 5, Boston U. 4, Vermont 2.
Kansas athletics calendar
TOMORROW
Women's Basketball vs. Kansas State, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY
Softball at UT San Antonio Tournament Track and Field at Tyson Invitational Track and Field at ISU Classic Baseball at Stanford, 8 p.m.
SATURDAY
Softball at UT San Antonio Tournament Track and Field at Tyson Invitational Track and Field at ISU Classic Baseball at Stanford, 3 p.m. Women's Basketball at Oklahoma, 5 p.m.