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Sports
The University Daily Kansan
No more #26
Minnesota Vikings running back Robert Smith announced yesterday he was retiring after eight seasons in the NFL. Smith, 28, played only one full 16-game season during his career and had his third knee operation last week.
SEE PAGE 5A
Inside: Kansas senior forward Brooke Reves scored her 1,000th career point last night at Allen Fieldhouse.
Inside: Missouri beat Kansas State last night in Big 12 Conference men's basketball action.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 2001 For comments, contact Shawn Hutchinson or Shawn Linenberger at 864-4858 or sports@kansan.com
SEE PAGE 5A
Allen optimistic about recruits
KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
Bv Jeff Denton
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
After three strenuous months that ended with a seven-day geography lesson, the Kansas football staff signed a deep recruiting class yesterday that left its coach optimistic.
Finding many of these talents required traveling. Last week alone, Kansas coach Terry Allen made personal visits to Oakland, Calif., Phoenix, Dallas and Orlando. Fla.
"We stacked up some frequent flier miles," Allen said during his first press conference since the end of the season. "I think with the disappointment in the conclusion of this year that this was a really good recruiting class. This group is an excellent fit."
In all, 19 players signed letters-of-intent with Kansas yesterday. All but two signees are current high school students.
In addition to the players who signed, seven junior-college transfers are already at Kansas taking classes and practicing with the team.
Dan Lewis, Brock Teddleton, Jawad Pearson and John Harvey are four big-bodied offensive linemen who enrolled at semester break.
"We needed some help immediately in beefing up the offensive line," Allen said. "I think the smallest guy on the offensive line is 6-foot-6 and
Allen: Likes Kansas' recruiting class
weighs 295 pounds."
Allen said he was also pleased with his high school players' desires to become Jayhawks. He especially raved about Marshall Chiles, a running back from El Reno, Okla., and Banks Floodman, a defensive back from Wichita.
"The guy who jumps out at me is Banks Floodman," Allen said of the 6-3 safety from Wichita Collegiate. "He was committed to Kansas very early. But just by watching
Chiles' stats and size had many college coaches calling, but the player who riveted Allen most was relatively anonymous in the intense recruiting game.
"Marshell Chiles scored 44 touchdowns his senior year in high school," Allen said of the 5-10, 200-pounder. "He was the class 5A state player of the year in Oklahoma, and we all know the caliber of Oklahoma football."
him and having him at camp, I think he is going to be an outstanding football player."
The only player to withdraw his orignal commitment to Kansas was Derrick Ming, a versatile two-way performer from St. Louis who will play linebacker at Missouri.
Louis who will play linebacker at Missouri. Now that the recruiting battles have ceased, Allen and his staff can concentrate on immediate football matters, such as finding a defensive coordinator. Leading candidate Kurt Schottenheimer was named the defensive coordinator of the Washington Redskins last week.
"Blood runs a little thicker than water." Allen said. "There are a lot of great coaches out there and I would like to get the best person for the job. With all the recruiting going on, I thought time was not as important. But I would like to get it taken care of within the next week."
Chenowith: 'I'm doing great for us'
By Chris Wristen
sports @kansan.com
Kansas sportwriter
Eric Chenowith used to hang his head.
Eric Chenowith used to hang his head. He'd turn the ball over and trot down the court, frustrated with himself. He was discouraged as fans' boos rained down on him.
That was last year.
This year's Chenowith has a new mentality and a new message: If you don't like him, so what?
"I don't care what fans think about me," said Chenwouch, Kansas senior center. "I used to and it started to bug me so now I don't care. I just sit back and laugh."
"All of those people that are saying bad things about me probably grew up in Kansas and it was their lifelong dream to play here," he said. "I get to play here and they don't, so I win."
No. 5 Kansas has been winning with him, too.
He's averaging 10.8 points and 8.4 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game for the Jayhawks (18-3,
7-2 Big 12 Conference),
up from his 8.6 points,
5.6 boards and 1.5 blocks of a year ago during his junior slump.
On the outside his comments might breed pure arrogance, but in
Chenowith: Doesn't care if fans don't like him.
context the remarks may be merited. The senior center doesn't hate fans — he just doesn't care to hear people screaming "Dunk it!" when he's 15 feet from the basket.
"I think it's fun to piss those people off." Chenowith said. "Last game I made a good drop step and got fouled. You could hear stuff from the crowd, like, 'Come on.' That's tough to play here if you make a good move and draw a foul and people are still on you. The next play I made a drop step and made the layup and I still heard stuff. It's like, 'Whatever, I don't care.'"
What Chenowith does care about is helping the Jayhawks win, and his role is playing defense and rebounding. He doesn't have to score, that's what sophomore forwards Nick Collison and Drew Gooden are for. Chenowith is fourth in the Big 12 in rebounds and second on the team in blocked shots.
During the last two games he's tallied 19 points, 19 rebounds, five blocks and hit seven of 10 free throws, a line Chenowith is pleased with.
He will try to help Kansas get its 19th victory of the season when Oklahoma State comes to Lawrence on Saturday. It will be the Cowboys' third game since two of their players died on a plane crash on a return trip from a loss at Colorado. Chenowith said he expected a respectful mood in Allen Fieldhouse.
"I think I'm doing great for us," Chenowith said. "I'm pretty efficient for us. When I'm in the game I do things for our team to help us play better. Whether it's setting a screen, rebound, finish a shot or make free throws I try to do something when I get in there to help our team."
"We have good fans." Chenowith said. "I don't think they're going to be taking any shots at them on anything like that."
Kansas coach Roy Williams said his team would be prepared and wouldn't let up.
"I want them to have a great deal of concern and care for the people involved at Oklahoma State and the basketball family," Williams said. "But when the game starts, you have to think about the game. If not, we shouldn't play them."
Kansas senior guard Jennifer Jackson drives around Colorado guard Mandy Nightingale. The Jayhawks fell to 9-12 after a 70-60 loss to the Buffaloes last night at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Louie Sisk/KANSAN
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Edited by Kimberly Thompson
Colorado too consistent
Bv Jessie Mever
Poor outside shooting and little bench support bury 'Hawks
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
While the clock was running, the Jayhawks did almost everything right last night.
The Buffaloes (16-5, 7-3 Big 12 Conference) buried 22-of-26 shots from the line and knocked off the Kansas women's basketball team 70-60 at Allen Fieldhouse.
Free-throws aside, the Jayhawks (9-12, 3-7) outplayed the Buffaloes in many aspects of the game, including interior play and ball handling. But poor outside shooting and lack of production from the bench plagued the Jayhawks all night, and squeled any opportunity to take the lead.
But No. 19 Colorado took control of the game with the clock stopped.
"We did a really great job in every place except the free-throw line," coach Marian Washington said. "If our outside game was on, I thought it would have been a closer game."
advantage.
K an s as
outscored
Colorado 40-
24 in the
paint.
The Jayhawks dominated the inside game, despite Colorado's height
" O u r
 i n s i d e
More information
For more about Kansas'
game against the Colorado Buffaloes
See page 5A
game, they had no answer for it." senior center Jaclyn Johnson said. "We were in the game the whole time."
Johnson tied her career-high with 25 points and added six rebounds, but it was not enough to fend off the aerial attack the Colorado backcourt generated.
Colorado's junior guard Jenny Roulier buried three 3-point baskets and finished with a team-high 13, while sophomore Sabrina Scott shot 2-0-2 from 3-point range and ended with 11 points.
Down but not out, Kansas continued to battle, capitalizing on the Buffalooes' 22 turnovers and attacking the offensive boards. The Jayhawks pulled down 13 offensive boards, scored 11 second-chance points and
converted Colorado's turnovers into 20 points.
"I don't think it was a lack of aggressiveness." Washington said. "There are occasions when I think we are being very aggressive, but we're not always getting the call."
Senior forward Brooke Reves scored her 1,000th point with 14:49 to go, tying the game at 39:39 — the closest the Hawks came to taking the lead after the early minutes.
Reves, who turned in her fifth double-double of the season with 10 points and 13 rebounds, became the 16th Kansas women's basketball player to break the 1,000-point mark.
Game notes
"I look back at that list and it's just an honor," said Reves, a Denver, Colo., native. "I would have rather scored no points and won the game. This was a really big victory for me to have. I really wanted this game."
Senior guard Jennifer Jackson needs 12 points to become the 17th Kansas women's basketball player to score 1,000.
—Edited by Jacob Roddy
Sometimes good recruits come in pairs
whether it's finding Super Bowl tickets or filling an ark with animals, it's always better to grab things in pairs. From the Blues Brothers to Batman and Robin, twosomes have always been great to have on your side.
Most of you have probably heard the old expression "two heads are better than one." This common saying is often true, but it isn't limited strictly to "heads." It actually applies to many things in life.
The same holds true for blue-chip college basketball recruits. Just ask Kansas coach Roy Williams.
Williams spoke yesterday about two of his prize recruits for next year, Aaron Miles and Michael Lee — a backcourt tandem from Portland, Ore.
"Both kids have played together for a long time and they know each other," Williams said. "They're very, very, competitive kids. They're really good."
When Miles and Lee committed to Kansas last fall, the Jayhawks solidified their backcourt for the next few years. Miles is a 6-foot-1 point guard who some consider one of the top 15 recruits in the nation.
Though less heralded than Miles, Lee should also bring a lot to the table for Kansas at shooting guard. Lee is 6-2 but is a bulky 210 pounds and has shown great ability on both sides of the floor. Lee is an excellent defender and can also score from the outside. He's a tremendous athlete who could have easily played Division I football as well—he played six positions on the high school gridiron.
Very little has changed this season for Miles and Lee. They dropped a couple of games to nationally-ranked teams, but still are No. 1 in the state and looking good at 16.2. Lee is averaging 20.3 points, while Miles is putting up 19.6 and dishing nine assists. This backcourt tandem goes together like peanut butter and jelly and will make a great package deal for Williams next fall.
"Obviously, they're pretty good players individually, but when you put them together, they're as good as any backcourt combination in the entire nation," said Marshall Haskings, Miles' and Lee's coach at Jefferson High.
Recruiting in pairs has paid huge dividends for several college basketball powerhouses, and you don't have to look far to find them. Two of the best programs in the Big 12 Conference have had recent recruiting classes that included high school teammates.
Former Missouri coach Norm Stewart got a sweet deal in 1988 when he landed two kids from Dillard High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., instantly rejuvenating the Missouri program after a couple of down years. The Tiger tandem was Kevon Dooling and Clarence Gilbert.
A year earlier in 1997, Texas welcomed two Austin natives to join the Longhorns' program. They had previously played together at Westlake High School, and though the honeymoon didn't last long, it was still a great recruiting class. Texas had landed Chris Mihm and Luke Axtell.
While Mateen Cleaves, Morris Peterson and Charlie Bell all went to different high schools in Flint, Mich., recruiting the familiar three known as the "Flint-stones" helped bring a national championship to Michigan State.
The additions of Miles and Lee alone are not likely to bring the national title back to Lawrence, but they do help comprise what looks to be another great recruiting class for Williams. The fearsome twosome from Portland will remain intact, and by now we all know the power of a pair.
Just as Batman and Robin helped to make Gotham City a better place, Miles and Lee will do the same for Allen Fieldhouse.
Hanni is a Topeka junior in journalism.