Sports
Jayhawks get first victory The Kansas women's basketball team traveled to Oregon and won its first game of the season against Sacramento State in the Oregon Classic. PAGE 7A
The University Daily Kansan
12A
Monday, December 1, 2003
Tangerine bound
story by Ryan Greene
Lew Perkins said Saturday.
Kansas (6-6, 3-5) ended both its regular season and a four-game losing skid on Nov. 22 with a 36-7 victory against Iowa State.
The victory was the Jayhawks sixth of the season, making them bowl eligible for the first time since 1995 when Kansas defeated Brigham Young University in the Jeep Aloha Bowl.
"Playing a bowl game in the state of Florida has been a long time coming for our program," coach Mark Manuel said Saturday.
"There's been a certa t of anticipation among o and coaches hoping opportunity would come
McLendon However, McLendon missed four games because of an injury,and an underachieving defense led to five losses.
McLendon.
The Jayhawks final opponent of the 2003 season, North Carolina State (7-5,4-4), will be one of its toughest to prepare for.
The Wolfpack still sports one of the nation's best passing attacks. Rivers has thrown for a career-high 29 touchdowns, and senior receiver Jerricho Cotchery has caught 73 passes for 1,198 yards and seven scores.
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SEE BOWL ON PAGE 8A
Volleyball wins first NCAA bid
Members of the Kansas volleyball team celebrated after learning of their first ever NCAA Tournament berth. The team will play Thursday against Long Beach State in Malibu, Calif.
By Mike Norris
mnorris@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Kit Leffler/Kansan
With two sweeps during Thanksgiving Break the Kansas volleyball team locked up its first NCAA Tournament berth in school history.
The Jayhawks finished 21-10 overall, and 13-7 in the Big 12 Conference, a school record.
On Wednesday the Jayhawks disposed of Baylor in Waco, Texas, 3-0, sweeping the Bears on the season.
On Senior Night Saturday the team continued its hot November play with a 3-0 victory against Texas Tech in Lawrence.
The victory gave Kansas a 7-1 record in November, and a third place finish in the Big 12.
"It's been quite a journey," Kansas coach Ray Bechard said. "We had a lot of obstacles to overcome."
Injuries to two starters during the season were the biggest hurdles for the team. Sophomore setter Andi Rozum missed the first two weeks of the season with a hip injury, and freshman outside hitter Jana Carea injured her knee halfway into the season. But the team still managed to have arguably its best season ever.
"It's been awesome how this team has overcome so many obstacles," Rozum said. "I don't think a lot of teams have had to do that."
In their last two matches of the season, however, the Jayhawks didn't have many obstacles to overcome. In the victory
"It's been quite a journey. We had a lot of obstacles to overcome."
Ray Bechard volleyball coach
against Baylor, sophomore outside hitter Josi Lima had 11 kills, helping the 'Hawks to the victory. Kansas was never challenged as it won 30-20, 30-24 and 30-22..
In Saturday's match the Jayhawks jumped out to a 7-1 lead on the Red Raiders. Senior outside hitter Sarah Rome tallied the first kill of the match, which gave her the all-time school record. She finished her career with 1,275 total kills.
Bechard took Rome out with the Jayhawks leading 28-17 as the crowd gave her a standing ovation as she walked off the Horejsi Family Athletics Center court for the last time.
"It wasn't something I've done very often, but I just thought it was appropriate," he said.
Beachard said Rome was a player who hasn't gotten the credit she deserved, but was a great leader and competitor.
By the end of the match Lima led the Jayhawks again in kills with 15, and Kansas wrapped up its season by winning 30-26, 30-23 and 30-21. The victory allowed two other seniors, middle blocker Jordan Garrison and outside hitter Abbie Jacobson, to walk off the Hore-
jsi court for the last time as winners.
Jacobson said she didn't want to think about playing her last match in Lawrence.
"I put it out of my head all week because it made me cry every time," she said. "But I think this is the best place in the country to play."
Garrison, who like Jacobson and Rome fought back tears during her senior speech, was sad to end her career, but ready for the post-season.
"I was a little nervous before the game, which doesn't usually happen," Garrison said. "I'm going to miss this place, it's a fantastic place to play, and the crowd is absolutely wonderful."
As 7 p.m. approached last night, Jay hawk coaches, players and family members huddled in a Memorial Stadium suite to find out if the team would be playing in its first ever tournament.
Rome said the attitude in the room was calm, different from last year when they didn't get in.
SEE NCAA BID ON PAGE 8A
Vitale toned down off-air
By Shane Mettlen
smettlen@kansan.com
Kansan senior sportwriter
It's Tuesday, Nov. 25 and Dick Vitale, the world's most famous college basketball analyst, is at Oread Books in the Kansas Union. It's 11:45 a.m. and Vitale is in town to work the Kansas-Michigan State men's hoops game later that night.
But first, he has a date at the bookstore, signing his latest book, Living a Dream.
It doesn't take long to figure out the title isn't a misnomer. Entering his 25th season on ESPN, the man has an unbridled enthusiasm for the game. It just so happens he gets paid very well to travel around the country watching and talking about roundball. He has experience as a former coach at Detroit University and with the NBA's Pistons, giving him as much credibility as any other sportscaster.
Vitale is a celebrity everywhere he goes in this country and in Lawrence, where college basketball is king, he's immediately surrounded by fans. Most want to know what he thinks about their team, and he appeases them before making his way to the signing table.
But, it's his unique delivery, irreverent to the rules of broadcasting, yet treating the sport like a religion, which sets him apart. It also brings him criticism, which he takes in stride, but today the crowd is almost exclusively admiring fans.
Hundreds of fans form a line that starts near the back of the store and winds around the book shelves to the cash register.
"The Jayhawks are gonna rock tonight."
They've come to get their books signed, some for themselves others for special Christmas and birthday gifts.
Super, Scintillating, Sensational
They already know he has declared Kansas freshmen David Padgett and J.R. Giddens "diaper dandies." They know he thinks the night's game is between two great teams, far from "cupcake city." What they don't know is what Vitale is like when the cameras aren't rolling.
But, they also have come to find out what the real "Dickie V." is like. They've seen him on television spouting superlatives and "Vitalisms."
What they find is that Rich Vitale, as he's called by his family, is similar to his on-camera persona Dickie V., but not quite the same. The Vitale spending his midday at the bookstore is just as enthusiastic about college basketball, but is a toned down version of what millions of viewers world-wide see via ESPN. More than once the line gets held up as Vitale discusses basketball with the crowd.
SFF VITALE ON PAGE 8A
ESPN broadcaster and basketball gadfly Dick Vitale signed autographs on the sidelines before the Kansas-Michigan State game. He visited the University of Kansas on Tuesday.
Kansas takes on TCU minus Mike Lee
By Chris Wintering
cwintering@kansan.com
Kansan sportwriter
The injury occurred during practice on Friday, when Lee ran through a screen set by senior Bryant Nash.
When Kansas plays Texas Christian University tonight in Fort Worth, Texas, it will do so without starting guard Mike Lee. The junior from Portland, Ore., broke his right collarbone and will be out six to eight weeks.
"This is a big blow to our team," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "Mike has done so well lately."
Lee averaged 6.5 points and 3.0 boards in 25.5 minutes per game so far this season. He is tied with junior Aaron Miles for the team lead in three-pointers made this season, with three.
"More than anything you lose toughness and experience and a guy, in my opinion, who is a serious threat from beyond the arc." Self said.
Lee was the last starter that Self decided on after a preseason competition for the final guard spot with sophomore Jeff Hawkins. However, Self said that he was leaning towards freshman J.K. Giddens in Lee's place tonight against TCU.
Giddens scored five points against Tennessee-Chattanooga and eight against Michigan State. Other than a three pointer against Chattanooga, all of Giddens' points have come on dunks. Among those were two slams on consecutive possessions last week against Michigan State.
Perimeter shooting is one of the team's weaknesses this season, Selfsaid. Through the first two games, the Jayhawks are shooting just over 23.1 percent this season from behind the three-point range.
"His two dunks gave the crowd and our team so much energy," junior Keith Langford said. "He has come so far, so fast."
While so far being the team's dunk specialist, Giddens could be one of the team's three-point threats as well. Self said. He is 1-7 this season from behind the arc.
"The thing about J.R. was he played great and didn't think threes," Self said of Giddens' play against Michigan State. "That's one thing he does really well."
TALK TO SPORTS: Contact JJ Hensley and Shane Mettlen at SPORTS@KANSAN.COM
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SEE TCU ON PAGE 8A