Section:
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The University Daily Kansan
Turn that racket off...
Sports
Before the start of the second half of last night's Georgetown-Arkansas game, the arena horn became stuck and everyone had to endure the ongoing sound for 10 minutes. The horn was fixed and Georgetown won 63-61 on ironically, a buzzer beater.
. .
Inside: AP columnist Jim Litke warns Texas Tech to keep short-tempered Bobby Knight in check.
SEE PAGE 3B
Inside: The men's golf team looks for more consistency in its upcoming tournament Aiken, S.C.
SEE PAGE 3B
FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2001 For comments, contact Shawn Hutchinson or Shawn Linenberger at 864-4858 or sports@kansan.com
KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
Recruits offer new optimism for Washington
Marian Washington must have found it odd that she had enough time yesterday afternoon to catch updates of NCAA Tournament games on the television in her office.
You see, normally at this time of year Washington wouldn't have time to catch updates of men's games — she would be too busy preparing her own team for the women's tournament, which begins today.
It's been that kind of season for Washington, who just finished her 28th year as coach of the Kansas women's basketball team. Her team limped to the finish line of the Big 12 Conference regular season with a 5-11 record, managed to muster an upset in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament, then was squashed by Oklahoma in the second round. 80-61.
So Washington spent a rainy afternoon yesterday in her office discussing how to make things right.
That dropped the Jayhawks' record to 12-17 and assured that, for the first time since 1991, they wouldn't be a part of NCAA Tournament festivities.
This much she knows about next year's team — the Jayhawks will lose their top three scorers, and they won't be easy to replace.
Seniors Jaclyn Johnson, Brooke Reves and Jennifer Jackson accounted for 59 percent of Kansas' offense this season. The Jayhawks will also lose junior forward Nikki White, who decided not to return for her senior season.
"it's been a long time since I've had a class like them." Washington said.
Washington would like nothing more than to add another recruiting class just like them for next season.
Kansas' recruiting classes the past several seasons have been filled with more misses than hits. Junior college transfers who haven't quite panned out, athletes who have been riddled with injuries and others who seemed to disappear into the scenery in Allen Fieldhouse.
"We're looking for much more quickness and athleticism," she said. "I think for the last two years, we've missed it."
Hutchinson is an Overland Park senior in journalism.
This recruiting period, the Jayhawks need to corral some athletes, and Washington knows it.
Kansas has seven scholarships to give for next season. Three have already been filled.
In the early signing period, Kansas signed Blair Waltz, a 6-foot-2 guard from Blue Valley North in Overland Park, and Chelsey Thompson, a 5-10 guard from Louisville, Ky. The Jayhawks also have one other known verbal, nonbinding commitment.
Although NCAA rules won't allow Washington to talk specifically about players that she is recruiting, it's easy to figure out who those players are — quick athletes who will allow the Jayhawks to keep pace in the Big 12.
"This is not something I want to get used to," Washington said. "Being home at this time."
"What we see for next year is still a very young team, and yet I feel excited about the players we have coming in," Washington said. "It will be a lot of fun to watch them develop and grow over the next four years.
"The main focus for me now is to get us back to where we need to be."
This year, it's a different story.
Washington said she will hit the recruiting road again in the next couple of days to try to find that diamond in the rough. But she'd prefer to still be playing, especially at this time during March.
Last year at this time, the Jayhawks were preparing to face Vanderbilt in the first round of the tournament in Ruston, La.
Familiarity fuels competition
'Hawks, Matadors meet in first-round of NCAA tourney
By Chris Wristen sports@kansan.com Kansan sportwriter
DAYTON, Ohio — Buddies, pals, amigos — however you say it, Kansas and Cal State Northridge have some pretty close relations.
Those ties will be put on hold at 6:40 tonight, when the teams square off in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Dayton Arena. The No. 4 seed Jayhawks (24-6 overall, 12-4 in the Big 12 Conference) will have to keep the elbow-rubbing with the Matadors (22-9) to a minimum.
Senior center Eric Chenowith said there would be plenty of contact in the post because Northridge had a dangerous offensive threat in Brian Heinle — and Chenowith would know.
"I worked out with one Brian Heinle all summer, and he is a really good player," he said. "He shoots the three very well. He's a really athletic four-man. He is big, athletic and can really shoot."
Chenwishot's not lying — Heinle is ranked 26th in the nation in rebounds with 9.4 boards per game and 21st in scoring with 20.4 points per game.
Northbridge also has a proven point guard in Markus Carr, who leads the nation in assists with 8.7 per game.
Kansas' sophomore point guard Kirk Hinrich ranks fifth nationally with 7.1 assists per contest.
Kansas sophomore forwards Drew Gooden and Nick Collison will have the hard job of containing Heinle. But
more importantly, both will try to regroup from their poor showings in the 62-57 loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Tournament.
"It's like a new season," he said. "The first game's going to be tough, the second game's going to be very tough. From here on out, it's all good teams. We'll have to play well to keep standing in our bracket. We will play well and make some noise."
The coaches' ties go back 13 years to Williams' days of recruiting former Kansas point guard Adonis Jordan. Braswell was Jordan's high school coach and had Jordan well prepared for the Division I competition. Williams said that Braswell's Northridge squad would be more than ready to put a muzzle on Kansas' shooters.
Collison said that although he was disappointed in the way he and his team had played, the NCAA Tournament was an opportunity for redemption.
Coach Roy Williams said that Northridge would be eager to silence the Jayhawks early based on what he knows from Matadors coach Bobby Braswell.
"Bobby Braswell teams are coached as well as you can be coached," Williams said. "They play extremely hard and aggressive. My guess is we will face a team that is very hungry and a team that believes, and rightfully so, that they will make a name for themselves by beating Kansas."
Beating a high-ranked team isn't anything new to the Matadors, and that's what Chenowith is aware of.
"They beat UCLA earlier in the year and they will be a team to be reckoned with," he said. "They will come out with something to prove."
Edited by Courtney Craigmill
Kansas senior center Eric Chenowith shoots against Oklahoma defenders in the Jayhawks' 62-57 loss in the Big 12 Tournament. Chenowith will take on a familiar face against Cal State Northridge: the Matadors' Brain Holte worked out with Chenowith during the summer. Kansan file photo
Jayhawks deal with weather delays
Leah Tabb, Oklahoma City junior, takes batting practice. The women's softball team practiced in the Anschutz Sports Pavilion yesterday in preparation for the Holiday Inn Invitational Softball Tournament, which starts here today. Photo by J. E. Wilson/KANSAN
Brent Brigganem
sports@kanson.com
Kansas sportwriter
After traveling more than 4,400 miles and playing one of the nation's toughest schedules, the Kansas softball team was looking forward to finally playing its first game at Jawhawk Field.
So what happens? The skies open up and the cold winds blow.
That's the way the season has gone to this point.
"We definitely don't like what we're seeing right now," said Bunge, as she watched the snow fall yesterday evening. "We'd love to get out there, but we'll have to see what it looks like in the morning."
"It's not even frustrating," said junior catcher Leah Tabb. "We just pretty much expected it. The weather's always bad when we play at this time in the season."
Teams from Tulsa, Western Michigan and Loyola-Chicago have already
Coach Tracy Bunge agreed.
Two of the four games scheduled for today in the Holiday Inn Invitational have already been pushed to the end of the weekend. More determinations will take place this morning.
"You learn to deal with it." Bunge said. "We play an outdoor spring sport. Weather problems are just a reality."
bused into Lawrence, so Bunge said all attempts would be made to make the field playable.
A tarp has been keeping the infiltr dry and the outfield was built to allow water to run off, so games will likely take place as long as snow doesn't accumulate and the temperatures don't get too cold.
Ultimately, Bunge said, it's in the hands of Mother Nature.
With the visiting teams a combined 8-28, this weekend could provide a chance for Kansas to work out some of its frustrations. That hasn't been the case to this point as the Jayhawks have mounted a 9-12 record, including a 2-7 showing against ranked teams. A total of 13 Kansas opponents are currently ranked in the Top 25, with five of those teams appearing among the nation's top six.
Kansas is looking forward to getting back on the field after a disappointing showing last weekend at the Speedline Invitational in Tampa, Florida. The Jayhawks lost their first four games of the tournament by a combined two runs before defeating Hofstra in the final contest.
"That was frustrating." Bunge said.
"The good part is that, while we had our worst performance offensively, we still had a chance to win every game. From that standpoint I was pleased."
"We don't think about who we're
playing at all," said Tabb, who leads Kansas with 18 RBI. "Honestly, I didn't even know who were playing until (Thursday)."
Kansas may be competing with the weather as much as the opposition this weekend.
While the underhand pitching motion of softball causes less stress than an overhand baseball motion on the arm, Bunge expressed concern about her pitchers' reactions to the cold.
"We won't change the number of innings anyone throws," she said. "We'll have hot water bottles in the dugout, but they just have to be mentally tough."
The offenses will likely suffer the most in the cold. Softballs don't tend to hold in frigid temperatures, but batters' hands will be assaulted by blistering stings.
Still, Bunge thinks her team can be effective in the conditions.
"We have a fun team to watch," Bunge said. "When we can get the top of our lineup on base we can do a lot of things on the basepaths. We'll definitely be running."
Weather permitting, action will get underway this afternoon at 12:30 with Tulsa taking on Western Michigan. The Jayhawks will follow at 3 p.m. when they play Loyola-Chicago.
Edited by Sydney Wallace
California athletes excel on Kansas golf team
By John Domonev
envite@knaner.com
Kansan sportswriter
Kansas has snagged several top-nopth athletes from California in the past decade, and the women's golf team is getting into the act as two of its top freshman hall from the Golden State.
Jennifer Bawanan from Modesto, Calif,
and Chrystal Thayer from Danville,
Calif., are starting to develop into key
contributors and top players for the
Javhaws.
"They are my first recruiting class, and they see where I'm coming from and what I expect," said Kansas' first-year coach Nicole Hollingsworth. "With continued dedication to their game and the University of Kansas, it could be a great future."
Collegiate play has not fazed Bawanan,
who is accustomed to high finishes after
she completed her senior year in high school undefeated in her matches. Bawanan has followed up her impressive high school career with steady play at the college level, including a season-best tie for 22nd place at the Marilynn Smith/Sunflower Invitational in October.
As the team heads toward the final stretch of the season, Bawanan said she was happy with her decision to play golf at Kansas.
"When I looked at KU, I saw the golf program and the opportunity it gave me academically." Bawanan said.
However, when the wintry weather hit Lawrence, Bawanan and the rest of the team was forced to practice indoors, which was an inconvenience that Bawanan never had to concern herself with in sunny California.
"It was an experience, but it was fun.
and hitting inside was beneficial," Bawanan said.
Thayer also came to Kansas with a complete resume from high school. Playing on the boys' team for all four years of high school, Thayer earned several top honors, such as being the first female junior golfer to accomplish 500 points during the tournament season. Still, Thayer knew that collegiate and Big 12 Conference golf would be much more challenging.
"It has been challenging and a lot of fun," Thayer said. "It's been a good experience to come into a collegiate field to compete in."
Thayer continues to look toward the
Thayer has made the most of her collegiate career, placing solid scores and finishing high individually. At the Islander Invitational on Feb. 19-20, Thayer finished in a career-best tie for second place with a score of 234.
future as she sets her sights high.
"When I came to KU, I had a lot of expectations to do well for the team and myself." Thayer said.
Hollingsworth said she considered herself lucky to have such a talented pair to lead her team for the next several years. With these two California products, Hollingsworth said she also hoped she could continue to recruit players to the Lawrence campus.
"I look all over the country, and getting players from California is not an unusual thing," Hollingsworth said. "A lot of people will fall in love with this place."
Both Bawanan and Thayer will head to Myrtle Beach with the rest of the team next week during spring break for a week of practice and a match against the College of Charleston on Thursday, March 22.
Edited by Melinda Weaver
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