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The University Daily Kansan
12A
Wednesday, December 10,2003
sports commentary
Ryan Greene
rgreene@kansan.com
Women's basketball team hides rising star
Talk about a start to a Kansas women's basketball career.
Lauren Ervin is second on the team in scoring, averaging 9.6 points per game. Lauren Ervin shoots a team-high 69 percent from the floor. Lauren Ervin leads the Jayhawks in rebounding and is tied for the top mark in blocked shots.
In 30-plus years as the coach at Kansas, it has been hard to fault Marian Washington for very much. But if Ervin continues to play like she has been, keeping her out of the starting lineup, or at least not giving her more minutes, could stick out like one of those annoying girls wearing pink T-shirts in the front row at the student section of Allen Fieldhouse.
Oh yeah, one more thing.
Lauren Ervin doesn't even start. In fact, she is playing just 18 minutes per game, which is sixth on the team.
for all to year olds to show you "I think anytime you've been so highly touted, the expectation is sometimes unreasonable, so I'm always trying to be careful." Washington said. "The positive thing for Lauren is that she doesn't have to carry a team like that."
Most college coaches have some concerns about throwing highly-recruited freshmen into the mix too fast. Now Lauren Ervin was made out, mostly by the media, to be the one who was going to save the Kansas program, as well as Washington's job. That's a lot of pressure for an 18-year-old to handle.
Had that pressure been too much for Ervin to handle, then it would be understandable why she is not starting. But in her first five games as a Jayhawk, Ervin has proven something no one thought would come this early.
She is the best player the Jayhawks have, and doesn't seem to be intimidated by it.
Everyone at the games knows it. A friend of mine saw her make a move this weekend, taking the ball coast-to-coast with one hand while fending off a defender with the other.
The end result was Ervin going up going up with one hand and dropping in two points. His only response to the play was "That's something Nick Collison used to do."
Kansas won twice this weekend in the Jayhawk Holiday Inn Classic by a combined score of 160-110 over Cal-State Fullerton and UTEP. Both were convincing victories, but in a way, this team is in a state of emergency right now.
With the schedule they have played so far, the Jayhawks are 3-2, but should be 5-0, or at worst, 4-1. Kansas lost to a decent Oregon team on the road and suffered a sad defeat on the road at UMKC.
In the loss at UMKC, Ervin played just 16 minutes, but was the only Jayhawk to score in double figures with 14 points. She also led the squad with seven rebounds. Ervin said the coaches told her they were simply expecting more from the starting five.
SEE GREENE ON PAGE 7A
High scoring helps Hays
By Chris Wintering cwintering@kansan.com Kansan sportswriter
Fort Hays State coach Mark Johnson spent his Saturday afternoon cheering on Kansas, despite his team playing the Jayhawks at 7 tonight in Allen Fieldhouse.
After Stanford beat Kansas 64-58 at the John Wooden Invitational in Anaheim, Calif. Johnson started to worry.
"We didn't want to play them after a loss," he said.
Looking at the size of the two teams, Fort Hays State looks to be outmatched. The Tigers don't have a player over 6-foot-7 while the Jayhawks have four. Their biggest starting post player, senior Ryan
Shriver, is giving up 4 inches to Kansas starting freshman David Padgett and 25 pounds to starting junior Wayne Simien. Despite this, Johnson remains cautiously optimistic about tonight's game.
"You have to believe you have some sort of chance," he said.
His team has given him some reason to believe that this year. The Tigers are 4-0 and have shown an ability to score. They have six players averaging more than 9 points per game. They have an averaged more than 93 points per game and won by an average of more than 32 points this season. Granted, they were doing all of this against Panhandle State, Central Christian College, Mid-American Nazaren and Bethany College. Those are impressive numbers nonetheless.
Fort Hays State's style of play may be just what Kansas needs after its loss to Stanford. Kansas coach Bill Self said his players' style of play against Stanford was not what he coached them to do.
"By no means is it a design of ours to play slow — it is certainly not strategy." Self said on his weekly radio show Monday. "We've never once talked about slowing it down."
Self said that the slow style was not the reason for the loss. He said it was his team's poor passing, poor shooting and its inability to get the ball inside that caused the loss.
Fort Hays State is part of a rotating schedule of Division II teams in Kansas to visit Allen Fieldhouse. In addition to
Kansas Basketball Notes
the tigers, Kansas took on Pittsburg State during the exhibition season.
It was an idea that started during the Roy Williams era, but Self said he liked it. However, he would prefer the games took place in the preseason.
"From their perspective, they would rather play them as exhibition games than regular season, too," Self said. "Then they don't count on your win-loss record."
This is becoming even more likely with the ongoing legislation in the NCAA to keep team's from playing exhibition games against AAU teams. That would eliminate teams like EA Sports that Kansas has played in the past during the exhibition season.
Toomey juiced up for game
By Ryan Greene
rgreene@kansan.com
kansan sportswriter
The Dec. 22 trip to the Tangerine Bowl is a new experience for everyone on the Kansas football team.
It's even new for sophomore linebacker Gabe Toomey, who as a redshirt at Oklahoma traveled with the Sooners to the Cotton Bowl in 2001 to face the Arkansas Razorbacks.
Toomey has seen a bowl game on the sidelines, has helped his teammates prepare for the game and has experienced all of the off-field distractions. But now, as a leader of the Kansas defense, he must assume a different role from that of the observer that he enjoyed two years ago.
"It was fun, the whole idea of the gifts and the sponsors," Toomey said. "I've still got the Playstation 2 and the Palm Pilot. They spoil you, but you've got to stay focused and remember why you're down there."
Toomey doesn't have to prove his leadership qualities.
Toomey has more responsibility to his team this time around.
In his first season as a Jayhawk, he has become the emotional leader for an improved defense and resembles the blue-collar attitude Mark Mangino craves from his players.
He recalls joking around and having no curfews with his fellow redshirts from his trip to Dallas in 2001. Now he's going to be the one trying to keep teammates in check.
SEE TOOMEY ON PAGE 7A
Kansan File Photo
Kansas linebacker Gabe Toomey wrapped up Kansas State running back Darren Sproles during a fall 2003 regular season football match. The Jayhawks are gearing up for their first bowl game in almost a decade. Toomey and the team will head to Florida to play NC State in the Dec. 22 Tangerine Bowl.
Key Tangerine Bowl matchups
Tony Stubbs - Safety
5-foot-10, 200 pounds, junior
West Palm Beach, Florida
nemuise Johnson - Cornerback
5-foot-8, 170 pounds, senior
Bownton Beach, Florida
Jonathan Lamb - Safety
6-foot-2, 190 pounds, freshman
Lenoxa, Kansas
Stubbs was fourth on the team with 88 tackles and tied for the team lead with two interceptions.
Stubbs also led the Jayhawks in interception return yards. His demeanor is quiet, but he has been a big presence for Kansas.
Key Stats - After a dismal season in 2002, the Kansas secondary has improved with fresh faces, finishing the 2003 campaign ranked 29th in the nation in pass defense. The kingpin of the secondary is Tony Stubbs, who is in his first year as the team's starting strong safety.
Johnson has had an interesting season following his big year in 2002. Last season, Johnson led the Jayhawks with six interceptions.
But a torn rotator cuff cut short his progress during the offseason, and he had to earn his way back into the starting lineup. Johnson has responded with 44 tackles and one interception in 10 games.
Andre Maddox - Roverback
6-foot-1, 191 pounds, junior
Miami, Florida
Troy Graham - Free Safety
6-foot-3, 193 pounds, junior
Miami, Florida
Greg Golden - Cornerback
5-foot-11, 185 pounds, junior
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
SEE MATCHUPS ON PAGE 7A
Key Stats - Andre Maddox is the obvious star in this struggling secondary that ranks second to last in Division-IA pass defense.
Maddox led the team this season in tackles with 132, and ranked 29th in the nation with an average of 11 per game.
2003 was Maddox's second season with more than 100 tackles.
Graham, who roams the secondary with Maddox, also made an impact this season with 92 tackles. He was second only to Maddox on the team in solo tackles with 70.
Golden, who did not begin the season as one of the Wolfpack's starting corner-backs, wound up tied for the team lead in interceptions with two. He led the team in interception return yards with 71..
Accomplishments - Andre Maddox's second consecutive season of leading NC State in tackles earned him first-team All-ACC honors this year.
SEE MATCHUPS ON PAGE 7A
Hunt begins for new announcer of Kansas sports
By Ross Fitch editor@kansan.com Special to the Kansan
The Athletics Department is beginning its first search for a PA announcer in more than 20 years.
Howard Hill, the University of Kansas PA announcer for football and basketball games, has decided to leave his post as soon as his replacement is hired. Students and faculty who may not know Howard Hill the person can recognize his voice, known for his now-famous
introduction: "Welcome to the campus of the University of Kansas, and to Allen Fieldhouse, the home of the Jiahawks!"
"I get a rush of excitement every time I hear it," said Michelle Kreutzer, Loveland sophomore. "And I always gooose bumps
Hill had discussed the possibility of retiring with his friends and family since
for some reason.'
"Nobody in the past 20 years has had to face this situation," said Mike Lickert, director of video services. "Howard has been here every game."
fall began. In November, he agreed to make the decision public. That decision has left many members of the Athletics Department unprepared.
In large part because of the suddenness of Hill's decision, the process that will be used to find his replacement has not been formulated, nor has an official committee been formed, said Jim Marchiony, associate athletics director.
People interested in the job have emailed Hill since news of his retirement went public in November. Ultimately, he said his replacement was not his decision.
A major issue that will need to be addressed for any new announcer is whether the position will remain an unpaid volunteer, Hill said.
"We're just gathering names right now." Marchiony said.
"It's my opinion that they're going to have to pay the next guy," Hill said. "There's so much more money involved
TALK TO SPORTS: Contact JH Hensley and Shane Mettlen at SPORTS@KANSAN.COM
in college athletics these days than there was when we started."
For his 20 years as PA announcer, Hill received two tickets to every home game. The issue of pay has not even been discussed. Marchiony said.
The main qualifications for a PA announcer vary depending on whom you talk to. Background in announcing is important, and if the person has a KU background, that would save the new person some time, Hill said.
SEE ANNOUNCER ON PAGE 8A
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