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Duke's Shane Battier and Southwest Missouri State's Jackie Stiles were chosen players of the year for men's and women's basketball by ESPN the Magazine on Wednesday.
Sports
Simply the best
The University Daily Kansan
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Inside: The Kansas rowing team has its only home regatta of the season against five teams tomorrow and Sunday at Clinton Lake.
Inside: The Kansas men's golf team hopes to continue its good fortunes in California.
SEE PAGE 6A
For comments, contact Shawn Hutchinson or Shawn Linenberger at 864-4858 or sports@kansan.com
Running back just wants to win
Kansas redshirt freshman running back Reggie Duncan is brought down at the goal line after pulling off a long run against Colorado last October. Duncan is the projected No. 1 running back for next season. Photo by Justin Schmidt/KANSAN
By Jeff Denton
sports@kansan.com
Kansas sportwriter
Two Kansas defensive linemen had running back Reggie Duncan cornered at the line of scrimmage, but the redshirt freshman was not going to be stopped.
He spun off the would-be tacklers, cut back right to get past a linebacker, and used his sprinter's speed to separate himself from a converging defensive back.
If the first day of spring practice is any indication of next year's season, the dynamic Duncan could do some damage out of the backfield.
KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
"We think Reggie can be the guy for us," said Kansas coach Terry Allen. "If you talk to strength coach Fred Roll, Reggie probably had the best off-season of any of our players."
Roll is the man behind the scenes for the Jayhawk football team. It's the coaches' responsibility to put the right guys on the field, but it is Roll's job to get the players ready for battle. He said he thinks Duncan is as prepared as anyone.
"I told Reggie last year that you are going to do something to be better than average, and he's done that," Roll said. "Everything he has done has been done with a purpose. He leads by example."
four years ago. Working as Duncan's specialist coach, Salmon thinks that his No. 1 back will do special things next season.
hopefully be able to see that next season."
Duncan is a monster in the weight room. According to Roll, Duncan squats 600 pounds and bench presses 400 pounds with ease. He has also made changes in his diet. This has accounted for a significant decrease in his body fat, leaving only 7 percent on his chiseled 5-foot-8, 210-pound frame. Duncan is appreciative of Roll's guidance.
"He knows how to carry the football and is tough to bring down," Salmon said. "He's always been able to make some plays. We'll
Running backs coach Bill Salmon came with Allen to Kansas from Northern Iowa
"I am in the best shape of my life," Duncan said. "Getting in the weight room has been important, and I give Coach Roll all the credit."
The Killeen, Texas, native followed one of his hometown buddies, senior David Winbush, to Kansas in 1998. He watched his elder statesman get the majority of the carries last season, but still managed to rack up more than 200 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. His breakout game came against Nebraska, when he rushed for 96 vards and a score.
hopefully be able to see that next season." Duncan said he doesn't think that the starting running back job already belongs to him. He knows, though, that if he stays healthy, works hard in the weight room and listens to the coaching staff, good things can come out
of the Kansas backfield when the season starts Saturday, Sept. 1.
"I'll do whatever it takes," Duncan said
"All I want to do is win."
— Edited by Sydney Wallace
Softball team looks to prolong streak
The Kansas softball team will find itself on the road tomorrow fresh from a week-long homestand. And what a hostage it was.
Kansas' homestand included a two-game sweep of the Texas Longhorns last weekend, polishing off Missouri-Kansas City in a two-game sweep on Tuesday and splitting a doubleheader against Arkansas on Wednesday.
The Jayhawks went 5-1 at Jayhawk Field, upping their record to 17-16 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12 Conference.
The Jayhawks' lone loss of the week came in the second game of the twinbill against the Razorbacks.
Arkansas pitcher Heather Schlitchman kept the 'Hawks at bay by scattering four hits in seven innings and registering the 3-0 shutout.
The winning streak put the Jayhawks above the .500 level for the season. Yet, despite the victories, Kansas coach Tracy Bunge
knows there is always room for improvement.
The Jayhawks will get the chance to improve this weekend.
"We are going to have to keep getting better," Bunge said after her team's two victories against Missouri-Kansas City.
The 'Hawks take on No. 20 Texas A&M at 3 p.m. tomorrow at the Aggie Softball Complex in College Station, Texas.
Texas A&M features junior first baseman Kelly Ferguson, who leads the team in batting average (.383), hits (65), doubles (14), RBI (32), total bases (62) and is tied for the team lead in home runs (four). The Aggies complement Ferguson with Hollee Hayden, a senior outfielder who is batting
The two teams will finish off the two-game series at 1 p.m. Sunday.
The Aggies, who are coming off a doubleheader split with Texas Tech yesterday in Lubbock, Texas, are 24-9 overall but only 1-3 in the Big 12.
.378, and Crystal Martin and Angie Shetler, who are hitting .357 and .345, respectively.
The Jayhawks counter with senior outfielder Erin Garvey, who is batting .370 with a team-high 37 hits. Junior third baseman Megan Urquhart (.344) and junior second baseman Amy Hulse (.310) are the other Jayhawks batting above .300.
The Jayhawks won't play at home again until April 13, when they face-off with Big 12 rival Baylor at Jayhawk Field.
Kansas softball note
Scattered in that time span are the two games against A&M, a doubleheader matchup with Southwest Missouri State, a twogame series against Texas Tech, a doubleheader against Wichita State and a game against Washburn in Topeka.
— Brett Briggeman
— Edited by Melissa Cooley
Kansas junior second base woman Amy Hulse eyes first base after fielding a ground ball against Arkansas. The Jayhawks will take on No. 20 Texas A&M in a two-game series this weekend in College Station, Texas. Photo by Joanna Fewins/ KANSAN
Tournament hopes rely on weekend wins
Ryan Malashock
sports@kansan.com
Kanson sportswriter
The Kansas baseball team stood at 6-1 on Feb. 18 and headed into the Big 12 Conference season ready to make a strong run at its first-ever appearance in the Big 12 Tournament.
But entering this weekend's series with No. 22 Texas, the Jayhawks (14-15, 2-10) sit in last place in the conference and are in danger of once again missing the Big 12 Tournament. Only the first eight finishers in the Big 12 qualify for the postseason tournament.
Kansas coach Bobby Randall said he realizes the Jayhawks will not qualify if they don't start winning games soon.
"Right now, I'd say that we
need to win 10 out of our last 18 games to have a shot at it, and even then we might not get in," Randall said.
With 18 conference games to go, Kansas is chasing Iowa State (2-3), Kansas State (3-9), Missouri (5-7), and Oklahoma (5-7) in the Big 12. If the Jayhawks win 10 of their last 18, they would finish the conference season at 12-18.
When one or two wins could make difference, Kansas just might look back to the first half of the conference schedule in
dismay
Four of Kansas' 10 conference losses have been by just one run, and Randall said those close losses could come back to haunt the Javhawks.
"We lost two games to Oklahoma that we really could have won, and our loss to Missouri really hurt," Randall said. "Something that keeps hurting us is our inability to score runs. I don't know how many times we've stranded runners at second base, but it happens a lot."
He also said the Jayhawks need to show the ability to win games down the stretch.
Sophomore designated hitter Kevin Wheeler said although the one-run losses were costly, the team learned from the games and grew together.
"Hopefully, it'll turn out that those games won't hurt us and that they'll just build character," Wheeler said. "These games are crucial. It's the halfway point of the season, and we still have time to turn it around."
Kansas plays host to perhaps the hottest team in the Big 12 this weekend. Texas (21-12, 9-3) enters the weekend strong, following a three-game sweep of Oklahoma.
The Longhorns also have history on their side as they've defeated the Jayhawks 10 out of the last 11 games.
Randall said the Jayhawks would again see one of the best one-two pitching combinations in the country in Texas' Gerrit Simpson and Albert Montes.
"Their two top pitchers are
outstanding, and I think their team ERA is around two," Randall said. "We're going to have to score runs and pitch well out of the bullpen."
The Jayhawks also received some bad news yesterday about senior left fielder Doug Dreher. Dreher did not fracture his left wrist, which he injured in a collision with senior shortstop John Nelson in Kansas' Tuesday game at Arkansas, but he did sprain ligaments in his wrist.
Senior Pete Smart, coming off his first loss of the season against Baylor last weekend, will start in the 7 p.m. match-up against Texas.
Dreher is out indefinitely, but Nelson will be available for action today.
— Edited by Courtney Craigmile
Sports Columnist
Fans' cheers jeers enliven environment during games
When it comes to college basketball, it's the fans that give a team its edge.
Be it the banter that opposing fans deliver to players such as Eric Chenowith during road games or the "Roy, Roy, Roy" chant at home games, fans build their teams up and break their opponents down. They try to make the opposition feel worthless and treat their team like royalty.
Journalists can feel their wrath sometimes, too.
One particularly loyal group of KU students (the group known as Neil's Atomic Fireballs) took pride in its harassment of a certain Kansan sports reporter — me — during home games this year.
That special bunch, with whom I camped-out for games last year, lauded me with affectionate calls of "BOO" when I wandered past them to my seat on press row.
Jeers of "You suck, Wristen" and "Worst columnist ever!" nearly broke my writing focus, but I never caved to the pressure.
They showered me with "gifts" of wadded up balls of newspaper, coasters, the occasional ice cube and any other offerings they could toss in my general direction. That clearly knocked me off of my reporting game.
They drove nearly 700 miles to Dayton, Ohio, for the NCAA Tournament first- and second-round games to support their team and heckled me from the nosebleed seats in the process.
But things got better. The "Fireballs" pulled through and made the road environment feel friendly.
It was a sight to see and showed just how serious fans take their teams.
Back to those "Fireballs." Apparently, as the size of the venue gets bigger, these guys get louder. They elevated their volume level inside the 34,000-seat Alamodome and sat in a section within earshot of my seat.
Students weary from making the 12-hour road trip from Lawrence even came out for the event — one group had driven 22 consecutive hours to the Alamo City from Los Angeles for the game. Chants of "Rock, Chalk, Jayhawk" could be heard echoing throughout downtown San Antonio. It was a sight to see and showed just
The Jayhawks received tremendous support from thousands of faithful Kansas fans. I had no such luck.
This group of Wristen-basher joined thousands of Jayhawk fans at a pep rally in San Antonio before Kansas' game against Illinois last Friday.
I thought I was entering enemy territory when I strolled through the media tunnel toward my seat because they booed so loud.
Old-timers wore KU suspenders and babies had "Future Jayhawk" shirts on. Dozens carried stuffed monkeys — a la "Stank 'em" — and one fan even wore a gorilla costume.
They even brought a supportive poster. It read, "Wristen, BOOQ!"
Fans sitting near them must have wondered what this friendly and strikingly handsome young man did to deserve such treatment.
Despite the negative connotation of the sign, I was in good company. Fans also held posters for Kenny Gregory, Drew Gooden and Brett Ballard.
Despite the tone of the heckling, I still considered it supportive, regardless of what those Fireballs claim. The fact is, any sport is more fun when the crowd gets crazy.
The highlights on the court were always exciting — Gregory's dunks, Nick Collison's blocked shots and Kirk Hinrich's hustle — but without the fans it would not have been the same. They made it fun for me and themselves.
Writen is a Laewood junior in journalism and is the men's basketball reporter for the Karsan.