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Quote of the week
The University Daily Kansan
"It wasn't like we beat Duke or North Carolina. It was only Kansas." — Baylor forward Terry Black after his team beat the Jayhawks on Monday night.
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Inside: Derrick Thomas will be inducted into the Kansas City Chiefs Hall of Fame.
SEE PAGE 6B
Inside: The Kansas women's tennis team is hoping to build off a successful start to its season.
SEE PAGE 3B
For comments, contact Shawn Hutchinson or Shawn Linenberger at 864-4858 or sports@kansan.com
KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
Athletes give their best love advice
"Roses are red,
Violets are blue, We Valentines Day
It's Valentine's Day.
So what should I do?"
If the romantic prose you're cooking up for your honey sounds similar to the one above, then let's face it — you're no Casanova.
But even if your plans for this evening still have something missing, there's no need to worry. Help is on the way. I'll admit, I'm not "Dear Abby," and Ann Landers can write circles around me when it comes to dishing out relationship advice, but I do have some friends who might be of service.
I've stolen a few pages from the playbooks of several Jayhawk athletes, and with any luck, their love advice will aid you in last minute Valentine's Day planning. So here's a look at some memorable Valentine's Days courtesy of your favorite 'Hawks on the Hill:
"Id just gotten back from a baseball trip to Arizona, and I tried to call my girlfriend but she wasn't home," he said. "I was disappointed that she wasn't there, but when I got back to my place she was waiting for me there. She cooked me dinner, and we stayed in and watched a movie together. That was definitely a great Valentine's Day surprise."
Senior pitcher Pete Smart is the ace of Bobby Randall's rotation on the Kansas baseball squad. Smart is rarely away from the pitcher's mound this time of year, which makes Valentine's celebrations a little difficult. Despite his busy Februarys, Smart got a pretty special surprise a couple years ago on Valentine's Day.
Another Jayhawk pitcher has a fond memory of Valentine's day. Junior Dan Olson, however, was on the other end of this unexpected treat. Last year Olson surprised his girlfriend with a fish tank full of some very special fish.
"They were Valentine's Day fish because they were angel fish, and she's my angel," he said.
The gift was a big hit with Olson's girlfriend, who happens to play for the Kansas softball team. His girlfriend is junior second baseman Amy Hulse, and she thought his surprise was the best she had ever seen.
"Dan's gift was the best ever because it wasn't traditional," Hulse said. "It was definitely not your typical gift of flowers. I loved it."
- Another Jayhawk second baseman has a different take on flowers when it comes to Valentine gifts. Sophomore Casey Spanish said roses were the key to a romantic holiday evening.
"You've got to go all-out and spend at least $40 on roses," he said. "Roses with a card and a nice dinner make for a great night with your valentine."
Hanni is a Topeka junior in journalism
kansas junior point guard Selena Scott said candy was the quickest way to a girl's heart. Life is not like a box of chocolates for Selena though she prefers Tropical Starburst as her Valentine's Day treat of choice. Selena also has some advice to share on what singles should do on Valentine's Day.
"When you're alone on Valentine's Day, you have to treat yourself the way you'd want somebody to treat you," she said. "I go out to dinner with the other single girls or go shopping and buy myself something."
Scott's backcourt mate on the women's basketball team is senior Jennifer Jackson, who also had some suggestions for making this Valentine's Day a memorable one.
"It doesn't matter how much you spend,
"it's special so long as you put a whole lot of
thought into it," she said. "Plus, it's great to
be surprised out of the blue."
So there you have it. Some tips for a Valentine's Day to remember from some pretty interesting Jayhawk athletes. If after hearing their stories, you're still banking on getting those tiny candy hearts that say "Be My Icon," then I guess you're beyond help.
As for my own advice, I'd say that whatever you decide to do, make sure it comes from the heart and you can't go wrong. And if all else fails, go with the tank full of angel fish.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
'Drew'-or-die
Whether Gooden returns could define Kansas' season
By Zac Hunter
sports@kansan.com
Kansas sportwriter.
They may not want to admit it, but the success of the Kansas Jayhawks' season may rest inside the cast of Drew Gooden's right hand.
The 'Hawks announced Saturday the sophomore forward would be out for three games, but there is no guarantee he will be back for a home game against Colorado on Feb. 21.
"They may decide to put (the cast) back on or they may decide that it will be fine," Kansas coach Roy Williams said. "The doctors will make that decision."
After Saturday's victory against Oklahoma State, everything seemed like it would be fine. The 'Hawks won without Gooden, the Big 12 Conference leader in double-doubles, and were poised to take control of the top spot in the conference standings with a victory against Iowa State on Saturday.
The Bears slapped a 25-point lead on the 'Hawks at halftime of an 85-77 victory — Baylor's first against the Javahays in school history.
But those shoes weren't filled when the Jayhawks were sidedwins by Bavlor on Monday night in Waco, Texas.
"I'm not the team," Gooden said after the victory against the Cowboys. "We have guys who can pick it up and fill my shoes."
Although it wouldn't be fair to say Gooden is the entire team, he is argably the most consistent post player the 'Hawks have. He ranks 10th in the conference in scoring, with 15.6 points a game, and is third in rebounding at 8.4.
Gooden has paced the Jayhawks in scoring eight times this season, and has led the team in rebounds nine times.
The Jayhawks were able to survive without Gooden on Saturday against the Cowbies. Williams challenged all of the Jayhawks to step up and fill the hole left by Gooden, and the Jayhawks responded to beat the Cowbies 77-61.
But the Jayhawks desperately missed Gooden's presence in the lineup Monday night. Kansas senior center Eric Chenowith had one of his best efforts of the season against Oklahoma State, scoring 17 points and pulling down 12 rebounds in 37 minutes. But against Baylor, Chenowith was nonexistent. He tallied just four points, four rebounds and had four turnovers in just 26 minutes.
Earlier this season against Wake Forest, the Jayhawks ran into a similar predicament when they were without the services of senior forward Kenny Gregory, and went on to lose 84-53 to the Demon Deacons.
"We talked about what happened at Wake Forest and how it sort of deflated us," Williams said. "And I challenged them to make sure that didn't happen."
Despite the 'Hawks not having Gooden, Williams said he would not use that as an excuse for any losses that occurred in his absence.
"I told them there's nothing we can do about it," he said. "If we win or lose, they're not going to say in the paper 'They lost, but the poor little old guys, they didn't have Drew Gooden'. It's going to go down as a win or a loss." — Edited by Sutton Wallace
Kansas sophomore forward Drew Gooden shoots against Texas forward Chris Owens on Feb. 5. The Jayhawks have gone 1-1 with Gooden out of the lineup because of an injured wrist. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
Jayhawks beating themselves
Women have shown flashes of greatness, but must stay focused
By Jessie Meyer sports@kansan.com Kansan writerwriter
The Kansas women's basketball team has found ways of taking itself out of close games through turnovers, missed shots and failed opportunities. And in tonight's 7:05 match with No. 14 Texas Tech (18-4, 9-2 Big 12) in Allen Fieldhouse, Kansas (9-13, 3-8) looks to overcome its self-inflicted setbacks with a complete team effort.
The Big 12 Conference is tough this season — five teams are ranked in the Top 25. But, despite their opponents, the Jayhawks' greatest battle has become overcoming themselves.
"We shoot ourselves in the foot," junior guard Selena Scott said. "It's not that our opponents are so good, it's that we have mental lapses at the wrong times. We've just got to play 40 minutes."
And tonight, it will take a 40-minute effort from the 'Hawks to sneak by the Lady Raiders, a team that has.won. as many games in the conference as the 'Hawks have all season.
"I've been very fortunate in that I know that every game they will come back and they will find a way to get out there and put their best on the line," Kansas coach Marian Washington said. "There's not a lot of teams that will do that."
Kansas junior guard KC Hilengkmap drives against a Colorado defender. The Jayhawks will take on No. 14-ranked opponent Texas Tech at 7:05 tonight in Allen Fieldhouse.
Photo by Larek Sisk/KANSAN
Don't count the Jayhawks out just yet. They have shown moments of greatness in each game this season — moments that prove they should not be taken lightly.
Kansas led by nine at the half Saturday against Missouri, hung tough with No. 19 Colorado, and swept Kansas State. Kansas also upended No. 21 Texas and defeated No. 24 Illinois earlier this season.
An upset tonight is not out of the ques-
"We're getting better for the most part, for about 85 percent of the game, but we lose games in that 15 percent we're not performing well," senior forward Jaclyn Johnson said. "We've got to have someone out there who's going to take care of the ball and run the team."
but the Jayhawks will have to stay disciplined and not panic. When the clock is running down and the game is on the line, Kansas has a tendency to lose control.
tion.
Senior forward Brooke Reves, senior guard Jennifer Jackson and Johnson have led the team throughout the season. Johnson averages a team-high 16.5 points and 7.6 reboundss, Reves adds 14.2 points and 7.4 boards, and Jackson chips in another 10.4 points.
Statistics aside, the seniors will add much needed experience in tonight's game against a youthful Texas Tech team.
Texas Tech, who recorded its second conference loss this season to Texas 63-57 on Saturday, has only one senior, guard Katrina O'Neal, who averages 11.3 points. But freshman guard Jia Perkins and sophomore forward Plenette Pierson lead the team, scoring 13.3 points each.
Even in the midst of all the backsacks the Jayhawks have encountered this season, self-inflicted or not, they are not backing down from anyone and are ready for tonight's challenge.
"When you're playing in a great conference like this is would be very easy to fold up and have all the excuses in the world." Washington said. "But this team is not like that. It would be nice for them to get a couple more wins because they fight so hard."
- Edited by Courtney Craigmile
Building the perfect athlete, Cosmo style
If you're a guy, skip to the end of this column. And if you're a girl, you'll probably have a big smile on your face soon.
Now, I'm not bringing back the Joneseys from the dead; those are gone and graduated with former Kansan sports columnist Seth Jones. Thankfully.
In honor of Valentine's Day, when no real man can live up to a girl's expectations, I'm creating the perfect male specimen — Cosmo style. Athletic ability along with eye-candy potential was taken into account to judge my six favorite body parts: eyes, smile, abs, arms, hands and derriere.
Now before you judge me for watching sports merely for the tight rear ends, you're half right. I like the bulging biceps, too.
So here we go from head to toe — I tried to diversify my selections, so a plethora of sports were represented. Sorry, no college athletes; they still have a few more years of maturing to do.
Eyes — Colorado Avalanche center Joe Sakic's baby blues always warm up the ice rink. Because of his cumbersems helmet, the only visible part of Joe's face is his eyes, which scorch through his hockey visor.
While leading the team in shots and points, No. 19 wasn't able to will his team past those pesky Dallas Stars in last season's Western Conference Finals. But Joe is still number one in my heart.
Smile — My secret boyfriend, retired Chicago Bulls forward Michael Jordan, has a smile that can make a woman's knees buckle with one glance.
He led the now-dilapidated Bulls to six NBA championships in the 1990s and still continues to influence young players by owning the Washington Wizards. Those pearly whites are absolutely perfect, just like the final jump shot he took against the Utah Jazz in the 1998 NBA Finals.
Abs — Boxer Oscar De La Hoya's ripling stomach muscles are perfect to wash clothes on — I've always wanted my own personal washboard.
He, recently lost his welterweight title last June, but don't worry. His new Latin CD was recently nominated for a Grammy — resulting in more TV time for the stud with the mean left hook. Even though I'm not too keen on chest hair, he can be my Latin lover any day.
One good thing about the All-Star shortstop's signing with Texas is that A-Rod will be around warmer weather. Translation: more tank tops. How about a hug?
**Arms** — Texas Rangers shortstop Alex Rodriguez and his guns were purchased for $252 million — that's thousands of dollars for each tiny bicep. Scrumptious.
Hands — Cart driver Dario Franchitti handles thousands of RPM daily as a driver for Team KOOL. He had seven wins and nine pole positions last year, and tied with fellow hottie Juan Montoya as the points leader. This Scotsman can handle those deadly curves with ease.
Butt — Kansas City Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez snapped 93 receptions last season and in the process caught my attention.
His position says it all — and the white pants are just a bonus to watching him leap through the air. Throw in a Pro Bowl nid a few weeks ago, and Tony G got my vote, too.
So that's my perfect guy from head to toe. Nothing like a little reverse sexism to brighten a girl's day.
Guys, start reading again. If you feel you can fill these slots, e-mail the sports desk, and I'll be the judge. And girls, happy hunting.
Kaushube is a Flossmoor, Ill., senior in journalism