wednesday, february 4, 2004
sports
the university daily kansan 3B
Team's no-hitter first for Kansas since 1980
Kansas in midst of three-game winning streak
By Shane Kucera skucera@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
University of Kansas baseball players are not suffering through the harsh weather like other students.
The team is beginning its 2004 season with consecutive trips to Hawaii; Houston; Edinburg, Texas and Stanford, Calif.
Practicing inside on AstroTurf has! hindered the layhawks.
The team has made the most of their warm weather trips, amassing a 7-2 record and a three-game winning streak.
winning
In the last two games, Kansas
outscored Texas Southern 17-1
and recorded a no-hitter.
Five pitchers combined for a staff no-hitter, the first for Kansas
in 24 years.
David Hicks threw a no-hitter on April 2, 1980, against Northwest Missouri State University.
Scott Sharpe, junior starting pitcher, pitched the first three innings of Kansas' no-hitter, was humble about the pitching staff's record-setting performance.
ance. "We're pretty good," said Sharpe.
The current win streak gives Kansas momentum heading into
Texas The Jayhawks will face the Lamar University Cardinals, last season's Southland Conference champions.
this weekend's series in Edinburg Texas.
The Cardinals recorded 40 wins last season and are favorites to repeat as conference champions.
Also on Kansas' schedule for the weekend series are Sam Houston State University and University of Texas-Pan American.
"The caliber of competition"
will be better this upcoming weekend," said Kansas coach Ritch Price. "We're looking forward to competition that raises the bar."
Sharpe said the team's short-term goal was to improve each week.
The Jayhawks will have to be at the top of their game if they are to win against traditional powerhouse Stanford Feb. 13-15.
—Edited by Amanda Kim Stairrett
Kansas Baseball Upcoming Schedule
1 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6 vs.
Lamar in Edinburgh, Tue.
5 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 7 vs.
University of Texas-Pan
American in Fallout
11 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 8 vs.
Sam Houston in Edinburg,
Texas
8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13 at Stanford
3 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14 at Stanford
Stanford
1 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15 at
Stanford
LeBron not picked for All-Star game
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — LeBron James didn't make the cut.
James was not among the 14 reserves announced yesterday for the All-Star game, the talented rookie getting outpolled in voting by Eastern Conference coaches who instead selected guards Paul Pierce, Michael Redd, Baron Davis and Jason Kidd.
Davis and justice said, "Not making it just tells me I've got to work harder," said James, one of only four players leaguewide averaging at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists. "I've been earning a lot of things this year — earning the respect of players, the respect of refs. That's another thing I've got to earn, to be a part of the elite group."
group:
Shaquille O'Neal of the Los Angeles Lakers was among the Western Conference reserves for the league's showcase event Feb. 15 in Los Angeles.
Other West reserves are Dirk Nowitzki of Dallas, Pae Shojakovic and Brad Miller of Sacramento, Sam Cassell of Minnesota, Andrei Kirilenko of Utah and Ray Allen of Seattle.
The other East reserves are Jamaal Magloire of New Orleans, Ron Artest of Indiana and Kenyon Martin of New Jersey.
"Not a bad thing to be on your
resume, All-Star in front of your name," said Martin, one of six players who will make their first All-Star appearance.
Other players having strong seasons who did not make the All-Stars include Mike Bibby of Sacramento, Latrell Sprewell of Minnesota, Chauncey Billups and Richard Hamilton of Detroit, Michael Finley of Dallas and Zach Randolph of Portland.
The selection of Allen was one of the most surprising after he missed the first 25 games of the season following ankle surgery.
"I would rather be in L.A. than any place in the country," said Allen, who had planned a getaway to Las Vegas with teammate Antonio Daniels. "It's a bragging right. ... I totally thought I had no chance."
James, the phenomenal 19 year-old rookie whose play has improved throughout the season, seemed to be the most glaring omission in the East even in a conference stocked with talented guards.
Redd is averaging 22.1 points for the surprising Milwaukee Bucks. Pierce is the league's sixth-leading scorer (22.9) for Boston, Davis of New Orleans had the league's fifth-highest average (23.2), and Kidd has led New Jersey to first place in the Atlantic Division.
"He's been phenomenal for this league and for our sport," Pistons coach Larry Brown said of James. "He's done everything a young kid can do, but I think the fact that his team was down so far early probably hurt him. I don't think it was a backlash. There are just a lot of talented kids at that position."
Starters for the league's 53rd All-Star game, selected in fan baloting, are Vince Carter of Toronto, Tracy McGrady of Orlando, Ben Wallace of Detroit, Jermaine O'Neal of Indiana and Allen Iverson of Philadelphia for the East; Yao Ming of Houston, Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, Kevin Garnett of Minnesota, Steve Francis of Houston and Tim Duncan of San Antonio for the West.
Minnesota's Flip Saunders will coach the West, and Rick Carlisle of the Pacers will coach the East.
James is averaging 20.8 points, 5.9 assists and 5.9 rebounds for the Cleveland Cavaliers, whose surge of six victories in eight games has moved them into contention for a playoff spot in the East.
They could not vote for their own players.
He is 13th in the NBA in scoring and 12th in assists, averaging 24.1 points since Cleveland traded Ricky Davis to Boston in mid-December. James, Pierce, Allen and McGrady are the only players averaging at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists.
Coaches had to choose a center, two forwards, two guards and two others regardless of position.
"I can't understand the reason he didn't make it," Cleveland coach Paul Silas said. "Maybe it was because of our record. But he certainly put up the numbers comparable to any guard that got picked.
"I feel that everything happens for a reason and that this will turn out for the best. He's going to make a lot of All-Star games before he's done, and this will keep him humble," Silas said.
keep him there.
There will be six All-Stars with international roots — Kirilenko (Russia), Stojakovic (Serbia and Montenegro), Magloire (Canada) Nowitzki (Germany), Yao (China) and Duncan (U.S. Virgin Islands) — which ties the record set a year ago.
James will play alongside Carmelo Anthony of Denver in the Rookie Challenge on Friday night against a team of second-year players that includes Yao.
"I wasn't part of the ones that they picked at first, so I wouldn't even like to be a part of the team if somebody didn't go," James said. "I'm an only child and I never want to be picked second. I don't come second."
NBA commissioner David Stern will select a replacement if any of the All-Stars withdraws because of injury, but James is not interested.
Courtesy of KRT
The Knicks' Keith Van Horn and the Cavs' LeBron James battled each other in the first half of their game in Gund Arena in Cleveland yesterday.
k a n s a n . c o m
News NOW
There are those who have respect for our campus. Unfortunately, others seem to have forgotten its worth.