Section B
The University Daily Kansan
Trivia question
What team earned the nickname "the Gashouse Gang" during the 1930s?
See page 2B.
Trivia question
Sports
Inside: Iowa State will cut both its baseball team and its men's swimming and diving team.
SEE PAGE 2B
Inside: Freshman Matt Tribble's quiet demeanor is speaking volumes for the Kansas baseball team.
SEE PAGE 3B
TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2001 For comments, contact Shawn Hutchinson or Shawn Linenberger at 864-4858 or sports@kansan.com
Associate Sports
Editor
Shawn
Linenberger
sports@kansan.com
KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
University riots not likely to find their way to Lawrence
Our country is in shambles after Sunday night's social unrest and rioting in ... West Lafayette, Ind.?
Students lit fires on the Purdue campus after the Boilermakers lost to Notre Dame 68-66 in the Women's Final Four in St. Louis. Although no injuries were reported, five people were arrested.
State police officers were even called in and used tear gas to break up students who threw rocks and launched bottle rockets at officers. Police said the largest group of rioters numbered about 1,000, and roughly 200 police officers from local, county and state agencies were called to the scene.
I had been under the impression that Nebraska fans take sports more seriously. Although professional counseling might be a norm for "Husker fans after football losses, mad riots down O Street in Lincoln, Neb.. aren't."
This isn't a new concept at Purdue. Police fired tear gas into a crowd of students after the Purdue men lost to Wisconsin in last year's NCAA West Regional finals.
It's also hard to believe people would be rioting after a women's basketball game, not because it's not worthy of attention, but the women's national championship occurs on a sleepy Sunday evening on ESPN while the men's title game is reserved for a big Monday evening on CBS.
Unfortunately not too many people in our vicinity pay as much attention to a sport involving Southwest Missouri's Jackie Stiles and Notre Dame's Ruth Riley.
But it actually goes beyond crazed fans. Perhaps Boilermaker fans had a few too many Boilermakers. Alcohol plus anger equals burning furniture at Purdue. One student said the rioting was kind of a tradition. A bonfire during homecoming is tradition. Letting someone's La-Z-Boy go up in flames is not.
The incident in Indiana isn't a new fad. A dozen bonfires were set on the Maryland campus in College Park after Duke beat the Terrapins in a men's national semifinal game Saturday.
Rioting isn't just for European soccer fans anymore. Along with the Maryland and Purdue incidents, rioting occurred in Montreal after the Canadians won the Stanley Cup, in Chicago when the Bulls won the NBA Finals regularly in the '90s, and in Los Angeles after the Lakers won the title last year.
- not exactly a reason for the Lawrence Police to send in the National Guard.
After Michigan State lost in the 1999 NCAA Tournament, 136 arrests were made near the Michigan State campus in East Lansing, Mich., after much vandalism. Property damage exceeded $500,000.
Although not every university has riot problems, it's nice to know that this university doesn't have problems and won't anytime soon. We hope.
The Spartans' loss Saturday night to Arizona led to just 33 arrests in East Lansing. Hundreds of police officers on campus appeared to deter any major problems.
Lionberger is a Washington, Kan., senior in Journalism.
As much of a religion Kansas basketball is in Lawrence, people are pretty laid back after big Kansas losses. I don't remember reading about bonfires on Jayhawk Boulevard.
Luckily these have been the only major setbacks in the area in the last two decades. Heck, when the Jayhawks lost to Duke in the 1991 National Championship, Kansas fans were chanting "We're No. 2."
The only excitement came in the '80s when Manhattan's Aggieville had riots after Kansas-Kansas State football games. Remember this was the '80s, when the Jayhawks and Wildcats mustered a combined 2.2 wins a season. But Aggieville is a concentration of bars. Once again, alcohol plus violence equals bad times. Jayhawk band members who went to Columbia, Mo., in 1988 would agree after dodging Jim Beam bottles during the Kansas-Missouri football game.
Hill leads capable wide receivers
By Jeff Denton
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Harrison Hill needs only 28 catches and 753 yards to rewrite the Kansas receiving record books in both categories, but that is the last concern on the fourth-year junior's mind. All he wants from his last year in Lawrence is for the team to change its losing ways.
"I've been around here for three losing seasons in a row, and we can't do that again," Hill said. "We have to have a winning season. We have to change how we work, and we have to change how we practice. I think we are starting off on the right note so far."
The 5-11, 195-pound Wichita native is coming off his best season as a Jayhawk. Starting every game last year, Hill had career bests in both receptions and
yards. He also contributed on special teams, averaging just under 11 yards per punt return.
"I feel that the strongest point of our team right now
Returning as a senior and ready to improve on those numbers, Hill should have a tremendous supporting cast of talented wide-outs — the top four receivers besides himself return from last year's squad.
Hill: wants to finish career at Kansas with winning season
is the wide receivers," Hill said "We have been around the longest and been the most productive. Most of the guys
are veterans who already know what they are doing. I think that this is the year that we explode."
Former junior college standout Roger Ross made a big splash in his first season at Kansas, leading the club with four receiving touchdowns and in yards per catch.
Junior Termaine Fulton's 11 career touchdowns place him in the school's all-time top five list. Sophomore Byron Gasaway has outstanding size (6-foot-4, 195) for a receiver, and J.T. Thompson hauled in eight catches while suiting up as a freshman. Sophomore Marcellus Jones and redshirt freshman Derick Mills will also push for playing time.
Kansas wide receivers coach Clarence James is one of the five new faces on Kansas' revamped staff. James has spent the past two decades coaching in the college ranks, making stops at programs
such as Texas and Oklahoma. He looks forward to working with such a fast, deep and skillful group of wide receivers.
"Roger is going to be productive for us," James said. "He might not have great 40 speed, but he has great football speed. Termaine and J.T. both run well, and Mills has excellent speed. It's a good group which should get better throughout the spring."
James has high hopes for all the receivers, but he has more faith in the hungriest and most experienced of the bunch. He has several options to work with in the five months before the finished product is put on the gridiron, but he doesn't want to overthink things.
"Harrison is a player," James said. "The thing I try not to do more than anything is mess him up."
Blue Devils capture NCAA title
The Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS — It's complete. Shane Battier's work is done.
"All that's left for me is to ride off in the sunset on a white horse," said Battier. Duke's all-everything
With a national title in his hand.
With a national title in his hand.
The top-ranked Blue Devils won their third championship — and second in the Metrodome — with an 82-72 victory against Arizona last night.
Even though
Dartier and Jewel All-American Jason Williams had off nights, sophomores Mike Dunleavy and Carlos Boozer picked up the slack, enabling Mike Krzeyzewski to move into impressive coaching company
Still well behind UCLA's John Wooden's 10 national championships, Krzyezewski was one behind Kentucky's Adolph Rupp and tied his college coach, Bob Knight, who won three at Indiana.
"All the emotions they had to go through and they withstood them
Krzzyewski celebrated by hugging Battier for what seemed to be an eternity, a farewell embrace for his national player of the year and team leader.
To get to this game, Duke (35-4) had to overcome a 22-point deficit in Saturday's semifinal win against Maryland. The last time the Blue Devils won it all, it was by 20 points.
The loss ended Arizona's bitter-sweet season and kept the Wildcats (28-8) from matching their own record of beating three No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, which they did when they won it all in 1997.
and did a great job to get to the final game," said Arizona coach Lute Olson. "It's tough. Someone's got to lose it. Duke is deserving. We gave them a good run and couldn't get it done."
Loren Woods led Arizona with 22 points. The Wildcats rebounded from a poor start to their season and overcame the death of Olson's wife on Jan.1 in reaching the championship game.
Battier had 18 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. Williams, saddled with foul trouble, had 16 points on 5-for-15 shooting.
Dunleavy had three three-pointers in an 11-2 run that put Duke up 50-39 four minutes into the second half.
Four times Arizona got within three points. Three times it was Battier, the outstanding player of the Final Four, who responded for Duke.
His dunk on a pass from Williams made it 77-72 with 2:31 left, and Williams hit a three-pointer with 1:45 left that gave the Blue Devils an eight-point lead.
Duke shot 47 percent from the field (30-for-64), well above the 38 percent Arizona's other opponents, including No.1 seeds Illinois and Michigan State, shot during the tournament.
BOX SCORE
DUKE 82, ARIZONA 72
ARIZONA (28-8)
Wright 5-9 0-1 10, Jefferson 7-13 1-3 19, Woods
8-15 6-8 22, Arenas 4-17 7-12, Gardner 2-11 3-
19, Duffel 0-0 0-0, Edgerson 0-0 0-0,
Watson 0-0 0-0. 4, Totals 78-12 11-19 72.
DUKKE 3144
Battier 7-14 3-6 18, Dunleave, Jr. 8-17 0 12, Sanders 0-1 0 0, Duhon 3-2 3 9, Williams 5-15 4-6 16, Bozer 5-9 2-3 12, James 2-3 2-3 6, Totals 30 64 132 82
Duke's Shane Battier holds the NCAA Championship trophy as he celebrates the Blue Devils' 82-72 victory against the Arizona Wildcats at the Metrodome last night. Battier was named tournament MVP.
Photo by Kirthmon F.
Dozier/KRT
Bat boy commits life to Kansas softball
Eight-year-old Ryne Bretz fulfills his duties by handing second baseman Amy Hulse her bat. Bretz pledged his eternal services to the Kansas softball team in a card presented at last spring's banquet. Photo by Joanna Fewins/KANSAN
By Brent Briggeman sports@kansan.com Kansan sportwriter
Although he's only eight years old, Ryne Bretz has the rest of his life figured out.
He announced his intentions to Kansas softball coach Tracy Bunge in a card at the team's annual banquet last spring.
Bretz, who was named after former Chicago Cubs second baseman Ryne Sandberg, obviously has sports in his blood. While most kids in his third grade class spend the afterschool hours trading Pokemon cards or watching television, Bretz races to watch the softball team practice or play.
The card read, "I am the Kansas softball bat boy for life."
First, though, he hits the books. If his homework isn't finished, his mother won't let him go.
"He loves it, and it's brought his grades up in school," said
Diana Bretz, Ryne's mother. "It's been a really big incentive for him, if he doesn't do well in school, he doesn't get to do this."
Bretz became the bat boy after meeting Bunge at a Junior Jayhawk softball clinic last year.
"I told him that if he was ever at a game and wanted to be the bat boy, then he just needed to come see me," Bunge said. "Well, he showed up at the next game and the next game and the next game."
hand when his parents are away.
In the fall, Bretz decided he'd like to start going to practices as well. He didn't miss a single practice during the fall season and only misses this semester when the team practices at hours that conflict with his school schedule.
He hasn't missed a home game in the last two seasons. He has even traveled with his mother to several road games, including the UNLV Classic in Las Vegas.
"I like watching the practices," Bretz said. "It's just fun to watch all the girls practice and work."
Bretz's duties as a bat boy aren't limited to his on-field work. He also meets the team bus as it leaves for away games, usually bringing baked goods for the players and coaches. Bretz and his mother also lend a hand in preparing the field when they can. They've helped drag the field and rake water off the playing surface.
"They've helped us out tremendously," Bunge said. "He's really become a part of the Kansas softball family."
"I think some of the other kids in my school were kind of jealous about that," Bretz said.
One of the highlights for Bretz came last summer when he staved at the "Softball House"
His job comes with perks, too. The team surprised him in school last year, giving him the most impressive show-and-tell in the school.
Babysitting is also no longer a concern for the Bretz family. The players graciously lend a
a house shared by players Christy and Shelly Musser, Leah Tabb and Megan Urquhart.
Not only did a water fight break out, but Britz was pleased to find that they had "a Nintendo and everything — even a DVD player."
When he's not helping the softball team, Bretz likes to play baseball. He's been playing in leagues since kindergarten and said he most enjoyed playing center field.
Though Bunge joked that she planned to hold Bretz to his lifelong commitment, other priorities will surely get in the way of his dedication to Kansas softball. But for now, the entire team is appreciative of their pint-sized bat boy, who is one of their biggest supporters.
- Edited by Melinda Weaver
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