Sports
Hail to the Hawks
The University Daily Kansan
Kansas football players receive All Big-12 recognition. Joe Vaughn is named Offensive Newcomer of the year. PAGE 7A
10A
sports commentary
Thursday, December 4, 2003
Kevin Flaherty
kflaherty@kansan.com
When Mark Mangino took over coaching the Kansas football team, there were skeptics who claimed he couldn't get the job done.
Players respond to Mangino's coaching
As offensive coordinator for the Oklahoma team, Mangino was accused of losing a chance at the national championship in 2001 because of a lack of a consistent offense. And everyone ranging from newspaper columnists to anonymous callers to The University Daily Kansan's Free for All questioned how athletes would respect someone who had weight problems.
Yet today the Jayhawks are 6-6 and bowl eligible because of the job Mangino has done as a coach. He has done a fantastic job as a recruiter and surrounded himself with a talented staff. Even more than that though, Mangino was the perfect hire for the Kansas job because he is a good players' coach.
It's not often the word good is used with the term players' coaches lately. The term carries a sort of negative connotation that implies a lack of team discipline. Case in point: former Jayhawks coach Terry Allen was considered a players' coach too.
Several coaches have attempted to change their image to a more discipline-oriented focus because of that connation. John Makovic, generally considered to be a great players coach, tried to become harsher, but was recently fired for his rough ways and salty language at Arizona.
Make no mistake about it, Mangino runs a tight ship. If a player skips class, he has to face the consequences. If the player is a trouble-maker, like former Jayhawks Reggie Duncan and Mario Kinsey, he's off the team. If the player doesn't want to work, he can forget about play time.
But there is a softer side. At press conferences after the team's six losses, Mangino stayed upbeat and focused on the positives. He refused to let the team
SEE FLAHERTY ON PAGE 6A
Self: Team toughening
By Chris Wintering
cwintering@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Despite being 3-0 and having the No. 1-ranked team in the nation, Kansas coach Bill Self said he thought his team had a long way to go before they were what he deemed as tough.
"We're not what I would consider a team full of pit bulls, although I think we're gaining on it," he said.
After the team's biggest victory of the early season, an 81-74 victory over then No.3 Michigan State,junior guard
Aaron Miles did not want to hear about toughness.
"I don't know who questioned our toughness." Miles said. "We just go out there and give it our all, that's all we can do."
But Self is not questioning his players' toughness as much as he is trying to mold them into his kind of team. For Self, that will always involve getting tougher.
Remember, this is the same coach that put his team through boot camp before this season's start. Self had his players attending two training sessions a day, with the first starting at 6:30 a.m., during
the two-week camp.
Self is also the same coach who showed up in full army fatigues and told his team, "It's time to go to war" at his first practice as the Illinois coach.
"Looking back since we started coaching, I've done some crazy things," Self said. "Thank goodness administrators didn't find out we were doing them as it went along."
SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE 6A
John Nowak/Kansan
Coach Bill Self yelled at his team during the first half of the Michigan State game Nov. 25. Despite the team's ranking as No.1, Self has said he didn't think the Jayhawks were tough enough.
'Hawks to make history
Courtney Kuhlen/Kansar
Kansas volleyball coach Ray Bechard talked to senior outside hitter Sarah Rome during Kansas' defeat of Texas A&M on Nov. 22. Kansas will play Long Beach State in its first NCAA Tournament match tonight at 6 p.m. CST at Pepperidge University in Mallibu, Calif.
Vollevball in NCAA match
By Mike Norris
mnorris@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
After 28 years of Kansas volleyball, the program will play in its first ever NCAA Tournament match at 6 p.m. CST tonight.
The Jayhawks will take on the Long Beach State 49ers on Pepperdine University's campus in Malibu. Calif
Kansas hasn't played a team from the West Coast this season. Since arriving in Malibu on Tuesday, the team has relied on game film to prepare.
"They are comparable to Texas or
Defensive specialist Jill Dorsey
said the 49ers heavily relied on defense.
Texas A & M," senior Abbie Jacobson said. "We know we can play with them."
"I'm going to try and match their defensive mentality," the junior said.
Dorsey leads the team with 3.49 digs per game. She will have to do at least that for the Jayhawks to be competitive. The 49ers have two players who average more than 3.8 kills per game.
However, the more balanced Jayhawk team has four players averaging more than 3.10 kills per game.
Kansas coach Ray Bechard said there weren't a lot similarities between the two teams. They play differently on the court and have different histories. But once the teams take the court, it won't matter.
If the Jayhawks advance, they will play the winner of Pepperdine and Manhattan at 6 p.m. CST tomorrow.
tournament and went 25-2 during the season. Manhattan was one of the last teams to squeak into the tournament with a record of 25-13.
The Jayhawks, however, have turned all of their attention to their first-round match.
The players echoed each other in saying they don't care who they are playing, but Long Beach State might.
Long Beach State junior setter Jillian Mazzarella has played against the Jayhawks before. She transferred from Baylor after her sophomore year. Freshman middle blocker Natalie Uhart is from Lansing and was recruited by the Jayhawks. She chose the 49ers and now has a chance to play against a team that recruited her.
But once the first whistle is blown, the two teams won't be thinking about anything but winning the first-round match.
They have forgotten about the beach and are focused on the hardwood floor.
"It's time to survive and advance," Bechard said.
VOLLEYBALL NOTES
- Tonight's match-up will be the first ever meeting between the two teams.
- Kansas prepares to play its first ever postseason match, while Long Beach State has played in nine Final Fours and won five National Championships.
The Jayhawks head into the match having won seven of their last eight matches, while the 49ers have won six out of seven.
Pepperdine is the No. 4 seed in the — Edited by Nikki Overfelt
Tangerine Bowl 2003
Wide receivers proven, well-rounded
Jerricho Cotchery
6-foot-1,200 pounds Senior,Birmingham,Ala
Key Stats — For all of the success quarterback Philip Rivers has enjoyed the past two seasons for the Wolfpack, a lot of credit should go to Cotchery. At a school becoming known for producing outstanding NFL wideouts, Cotchery has put up huge numbers the past two seasons. Cotchery racked up just under 1,200 receiving yards in both 2002 and 2003, and is especially hot as of late. Of his six 100-yard performances this season, four of them have come in the Wolfpack's past four games.
Accomplishments — Cotchery is well on his way to becoming a two-time firstteam All-ACC performer in 2003. In 2002, Cotchery joined Torry Holt and Koren Robinson as just the third North Carolina State receiver to surpass receiving 1,000 yards in a season, and tied the school record with his seven 100-yard performances. His reception totals of 67 in 2002 and 73 in 2003 rank third and second on the school's all-time single season list, respectively.
Just In-The Nick Of Time — Everyone knows Philip Rivers is one of the nation's
top quarterbacks, but during the past two seasons, spelling him with tailback T.A. McLendon has made him more effective. In the four games McLendon missed with injuries this season, Cotchery has stepped up his play, averaging 144.5 vards in those
Cotchery
four games. That also includes a career high 217 yards on nine catches in a 47-34 victory against North Carolina Sept. 27. Cotchery has also been known to tough out his own injuries. Last season, he suffered a high ankle sprain in a loss against Maryland and was listed as "doubtful" the week after. However, he still suited up and caught eight balls for 108 yards.
A Respectable Intangible -- While wide receivers are sometimes viewed as the prima donnas of the football field, Cotchery enjoys doing the dirty work. In particular, he is one of the nation's top wide receivers for blocking. Cotchery set a Wolfpack wide receiver single-game record in 2002 with eight knockdown blocks in a victory over North Carolina.
—compiled by Ryan Greene
Charles Gordon 5-foot-11, 165 pounds Freshman, Carson, Calif
Key Stats — Where to start? First, as a receiver, Gordon led the Jayhawks with 53 receptions and tallied 696 yards with four touchdowns. Not bad for a guy who started the season as the No. 3 wideout. As a punt returner, Gordon was one of the Big 12 Conference's finest returnmen, averaging 13.1 yards per return in 25 attempts this season. Finally, as a defensive back in the season's final three games, Gordon made an immediate impression. In those three contests, Gordon had 13 tackles, one sack and two pass breakups.
Accomplishments — Gordon is a frontrunner to haul in the Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors. His 53 receptions set a new Kansas freshman single-season record. He continually impressed coach Mark Mangino with his toughness and athleticism. The ability to play three ways can be partly attributed to starring in high school basketball, baseball and football. He also became the first player in Kansas history to be named the offensive, defensive and special teams player of the game on separate occasions, all in the same season.
Gordon
Chicks Dig The Long Ball — No, that term is not just good for baseball anymore. It is impressive to pull in a hail mary pass, but three in one season is just plain ridiculous. That's just what Gordon did in 2003.
■ Filling The Gap — When senior quarterback Bill Whittemore went down against Kansas State, Gordon stepped up to aid freshman signal caller Adam Barmann over the next three weeks. Gordon's three highest single-game reception totals came in the three weeks of Whittemore's absence. Those games included nine-reception performances against both Oklahoma State and Texas A&M.
He Takes A Lickin', And Keeps On Tickin' — The one knock on Gordon this year is that he sometimes tends to not call fair catches on punt returns and pays the price with vicious hits. It hasn't cost Kansas a turnover so far, and it obviously doesn't get Gordon off track. The 165-pound freshman can take a beating with the best of them.
---compiled by Ryan Greene
Students worried about the costs of attending the Tangerine Bowl Dec. 22 in Orlando, received good news yesterday. Athletics director Lew Perkins announced that any KU student could receive the $45-dollar ticket for free, compliments of the athletics department.
Athletics Department gives free tickets to bowl-bound
For the first time since 1995, Kansas students can watch their football team participate in a bowl game, but unlike 1995, students will get into the game for free.
Those who wish to obtain the free ticket must go to the Kansas athletic ticket office. Students must fill out a form and present their KUID to receive a voucher, which is redeemable at the Kansas will-call window at the Citrus Bowl in Orlando. Students have until 5 p.m. Dec. 15 to pick up their vouchers. The same person who picks up the voucher at the athletic ticket office must pick up the ticket at the Citrus Bowl. The seats will be in the same section as the other Kansas fans.
The tickets were not given to the athletics department from the Tangerine Bowl.
Student Union Activities is offering a travel package with STA Travel. For more information, contact STA Travel or SUA in the Kansas Union. The trip include round-trip bus transportation and hotel fees, with packages starting at $255.
TALK TO SPORTS: Contact JJ Hensley and Shane Mettlen at **SPORTS@KANSAN.COM**
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Ryan Coloianni
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