Sports
Tomorrow A preview of Kansas' game with Iowa State.
Cyclone KU
12A
The University Daily Kansan
Thursday, January 29, 2004
Megan True/Kansan
'Hawks struggle to victory
Junior Keith Langford jumped up for a rebound during the first half of the basketball game in Manhattan last night. Langford was the leading scorer with 19 points. The Jayhawks beat the Wildcats 78-70.
Jayhawks win 28th straight over Wildcats
By Ryan Greene rgreen@kansan.com kansan sportswriter
MANHAITAN — Kansas State sophomore forward Marques Hayden walked alone with a ball in hand an hour before the doors opened to the public at Bramlage Coliseum.
lage consent.
A cameraman passed him and asked about his team's rematch with Kansas.
about his team's remainder. "This is our year man," he said. "I can't take it no more."
All of Manhattan appeared ready for what the Wildcats came so close to just two weeks ago in Lawrence: a huge upset.
Unfortunately for Hayden, he was forced to "take it" for the fourth time in his Wildcat career, as Kansas (13-3 overall, 5-0 Big 12 Conference) defeated Kansas State (9-7, 1-4) 78-70. The victory extended the Jayhawks' overall winning streak against the Wildcats to 28 games.
Wildcat to 20-gallon crowd, rowdy With a near sellout crowd, Wildcat fans gave the Jayhawks a boost of adrenaline before tip-off.
While the Jayhawks were able to build a lead as big as 11 in the first 20 minutes, Kansas State repeatedly answered Kansas' spurs. Junior guard Aaron Miles hit a three-point field goal with just seconds left before halftime to give his team an 11-point lead at the break.
or adhere them above up.
"I think we were all just chill, and then the fans started talking," freshman forward J.R. Giddens said after the game.
"We were like, alright, let's see how loud they are when the final buzzer rings. And that's what happened tonight."
Sophomore forward Christian Moody played a major role in Kansas' first half success. Though Moody only contributed two points and three rebounds, he provided valuable minutes after the team's top four forwards combined for seven fouls in the game's first nine minutes.
The close score and physical play in the first half closely resembled the two teams' first meeting on Jan. 14 in Lawrence.
Kansas started the second half with a scoring rush.
"I'm glad we've got him because in foul situations he gave us seven minutes we had to have," Kansas coach Bill Self said.
NO.15 KANSAS 78, KANSAS STATE 70
Behind quick points by freshman forward David Padgett and junior guard Keith Langford, the Jayhawks built their lead up to 21 points at 60-39.
SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE 8A
KANSAS STATE (9-7)
FG/FA FT/FA TP REB
Diarra 0-1 0-2 0 1
Hayden 2-6 1-1 5 5
Willingham 0-4 0-0 0 1
Ellis 4-12 2-2 11 10
Hart 5-12 1-3 13 4
Harris 1-5 0-0 3 3
Massey 9-13 2-3 21 12
Martin 1-4 0-0 3 1
Richards 1-4 2-2 4 1
Canby 0-0 0-0 0 0
Williams 3-4 4-8 10 4
Totals 26-65 12-21 70 45
NO.15 KANSAS (13-3)
FG/FA FT/FA TP REB
Simien 7-12 2-3 16 8
Graves 3-3 1-2 7 2
Langford 6-10 5-5 19 6
Miles 3-7 6-11 13 4
Giddens 2-7 0-0 5 1
Hawkins 1-2 0-0 3 0
Lee 2-7 0-0 5 1
Nash 0-0 0-0 0 0
Moody 1-4 0-1 2 3
Padgett 4-5 0-0 8 4
Totals 29-57 14-22 78 33
Freshman recovering from injury
By Mike Norris
mnorris@kansan.com
Kansas sportwriter
MANHATTAN — Eight points and four rebounds in 23 minutes of play may not light up a box score, but for Kansas' freshman center Padgett, it was plenty.
"I just felt really comfortable out there, getting in the flow early," Padgett said after playing the most minutes in a game since a hairline fracture in his left foot caused him to miss games against Kansas State and Texas A&M.
State and Texas 4-6 Padgett shot 4-5 from the field, and said his injured foot didn't bother him.
His biggest contribution came in the second half during a one-minute and thirty second span where he scored six straight KU points. The three baskets inside ignited an 11-5 Jayhawk run that stretched their lead from 45-32 to 56-37.
"I thought David played great," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "By far the best he's played since he's been far."
In the two games before last night's game against K-State, Padgett played just 19 minutes, while recording 11 points and eight rebounds.
Self was pleased by the amount of minutes Padgett was able to play. It was the most for the freshman since playing 27 minutes in a Jan. 2 home win against Villanova.
Padgett's importance was underscored when Kansas forwards J.R. Giddens and Jeff Graves picked up two fouls each in the first eight minutes.
The freshman center committed two fouls in the first half, but stayed out of foul trouble in the second half, where he played 19 of his 23 total minutes.
played 19 of his 25 points Giddens, who hit a key three pointer in the second half during a 10-2 Wildcat run, was also happy to see the center back on the court.
"It's big time," Giddens said. "Anytime you have a seven footer in your lineup — because he's not 6-foot-11, he's seven foot — it helps."
Padgett has come off the bench in all three games since he returned to action last Thursday, and downplayed any talk of returning to the starting lineup anytime soon.
"I'm not really worried about that right now," he said. "Starter, coming off the bench, it doesn't really matter. Just as long as I get a chance to plaw."
long as I get a chance to play Padgett will have three days to rest his foot and see how it responds to the extender playing time before Kansas takes on Iowa State at 3 p.m. Saturday in Ames, Iowa.
—Edited by Kevin Flaherty
Baseball team primed for season
By Ryan Colaiani
rcolaiani@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
When Ryan Baty and Matt Tribble walked off the field after their season ending loss to Missouri last year, both believed that it was likely their last game as lawhaws.
The two sluggers were passed over by the pros, so they will return to the Kansas baseball team this year.
That's good news for Kansas coach Rich Price. In his second year in charge, the kansas coach said Baty and Tribble's return was crucial to continuing the Jayhawks' success this season.
The pair wasn't graduating. They expected to be taken in the Major League Baseball draft during the summer.
"You are trying to take steps forward," Price said, "and if we had lost them we would have been taking a step back."
Though plans on playing in the pros are on hold for now, Baty and Tribble have been noticed by numerous collegiate publications. They received a variety of accolades including spots on the All-Big 12 first team for the pre-season. Last year, no Kansas players received preseason honors.
If the team is to reach its goal, Baty and Trible will need to put up strong offensive numbers. They'll need to make up for the loss of graduated Casey Spanish who led the club in home runs, batting average, triples and runs.
Price said the team's goals have changed. Last year the team wanted to make the Big 12 tournament. This year Price said, the team is after an NCAA Tournament bid.
"This shows that our program has turned the corner." Price said.
"Offensively we can be better this season. But we have some big shoes to fill." Price said. Along with Spanish, the team also has to replace Kevin Wheeler, another key contributor to the team last year.
Price said he was optimistic his team would make up for the loss of Spanish.
Baty should be able to match Spanish's home run total from last year as Baty finished with 11, one behind Spanish. Baty also set a school record for hits in a single season with 97 last year.
Through the first seven games this season, Tribble is hitting .481 with a teamleading 13 hits. Baty is hitting .393 with a team leading three doubles.
In earlier games, Tribble and Baty picked up exactly where they left off last season.
Baty
During the seven games against Hawaii-Hilo last week, junior college transfer Sean Richardson emerged as a new solid hitter. Richardson hit .579 with a grand slam and has a team leading 13 RBI.
Tribble
"He is a quality player who has been
drafted twice", Price said. "He is very fast, which is rare for a catcher. He is simply a great athlete."
Leading the Jayhawks on the defensive side is third baseman Travis Metcalf and shortstop Ritchie Price, coach Price's first. Baseball America named them both pre-season top defensive players at their respective positions in the Big 12.
"I think it is outstanding for those two players to be recognized as some of the best in the Big 12," coach Price said. "Those two individuals are the best players at their positions that I have coached my entire career."
Metcalf and Ritchie Price aided the Jayhawks last season as they led the Big 12 Conference in team defense. Price was named honorable mention All-Big 12 last year and became the second freshman in school history to receive such honors. Metcalf hit .288 last season, including 10 home runs, while Price hit .319.
The Jayhawks return to action Saturday in Houston to face Texas Southern University.
Edited by Guillaume Doane
Ticket plan for faculty and staff in progress
By Joe Bant
jbant@kansan.com
Kansan staff writer
Last Tuesday the Faculty Executive Committee released a preliminary draft of the seating and ticket plan it will use next year at home men's basketball games.
games. The plan outlines a method of distributing the 1,822 seats reserved each game for retired and current University of Kansas faculty and staff.
It is not related to the points plan the Athletics Department released earlier this month. The points plan is a revenue plan for regular season ticket holders.
At the committee's weekly meeting it spent much of the meeting debating details of the proposal to determine what would be included in the final copy.
The more points they earn, the better seats they receive. Donating money, being a member of the University of Kansas Alumni Association or graduating from the University are some of the ways to earn points. The new proposal deals only with the seats allocated to University faculty and staff.
The committee did not reach complete consensus, but Ray Davis, University of Kansas associate professor and chairman of the committee, said he hoped a final draft would be finished by next week.
"This is a grand experiment," Davis said. "We're going to run into some difficulties."
Under the proposal, faculty and staff who currently have season tickets are each entitled to two tickets for next year.
The original proposal stated that surviving spouses of retirees may continue to purchase half-season tickets for five years, but committee members discussed reducing the time limit to three years and removing the clause altogether after 10 years.
The current plan awards priority seating
Committee member Jill Kleinberg disagreed with any changes that would keep deceased faculty and staff's spouses from acquiring tickets.
They can purchase these tickets in four-game, eight-game and full-season packages. If they choose less than a full season, they cannot pick the specific games included in their packages
"Something's been taken away from them that's very important, and now something else is being taken away from them." Kleinberg said.
according to four seniority groups. Faculty and staff who have been with the University for more than 30 years constitute the highest seniority group. Those who have been with the University for less than 10 years are the lowest.
The committee also tentatively agreed to limit the tickets available in the lottery to four-game packages. This would allow more people to have access to tickets, said Joe Sicillian, committee member.
The committee agreed to debate the issue further, intending to reach an agreement, next week.
Most of the seats will be in the first and second tiers of Allen Fieldhouse.
Some points of the plan that caused disagreement within the committee dealt with the availability of tickets to the spouses and partners of deceased faculty and whether eight- and 16-game ticket packages would be available in the lottery.
The proposal reserves 200 seats for faculty and staff who do not have tickets. A lottery will be used every two years to determine who gets these seats.
committee reached Davis said the committee would submit the final plan to the University Council when it was finished.
The plan will be effective for five years, beginning its term next year and ending with the 2008-2009 academic year.
TALK TO SPORTS: Contact Henry C. Jackson and Maggie Newcomer at SPORTCONANSAH.COM
-Edited by Ashley Arnold