Section:
B
The University Daily Kansan
Sports
Carpe diem
"I told our team that life is so precious and sometimes we can take it for grant. One thing, they must understand is they better live every day like it might be the last." — Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton, speaking to the media for the first time after a plane crashed killing 10 people associated with OSU basketball.
Inside: Nebraska is hoping to upend the Kansas women's basketball team tonight in Allen Fieldhouse.
SEE PAGE 8B
Inside: The intramural basketball season began this week at Robinson Center.
For comments, contact Shawn Hutchinson or Shawn Linenberger at 864-4858 or sports@kansan.com
SEE PAGE 3B
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31, 2001
KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
Missouri loss won't faze Jayhawks
By Chris Wristen sports@kanson.com Kanson sportswriter
After 10 straight victories, it appeared the Kansas basketball team was poised to run the table in the Big 12 Conference.
But arch-rival Missouri smudged that pretty picture and suddenly the conference is blurry near the toon.
No. 3 Kansas is one game ahead of Missouri and defending Big 12 champion Iowa State. Close behind are Texas and Oklahoma State. In a race this close, the road won't get any easier for the Jayhawks (17-2, 6-1 Big 12). They play Texas (15-5, 4-2) on Saturday and then No. 15 Iowa State (17-8,
5-2) on Monday.
Oklahoma State then visits
Allen Fieldhouse
Saturday Feb. 10.
Kansas coach Roy Williams said his team would be fine, even after the hard loss to the Tigers.
"I think we're in good shape, but we've got to play better," he said. "We didn't show much poise and we've gotta play the full court."
Williams: The Jay-awks need poise.
We've got to execute better and have more enthusiasm on the defensive end."
Williams said his team lacked poise and cited numerous first half examples, including missed layups, bad passes and a missed dunk by sophomore forward Drew Gooden. He was equally frustrated with his team's free-throw struggles. The Jayhawks made just seven of 18 free throws while Missouri made 17 of 23.
Nick Collison shared his coach's frustrations, but said the team would not dwell on the loss.
"I don't think we'll get too down on it," Collison said. "We've proved to ourselves that we're a good team. We just need to execute the things we've been doing all year and do it better."
Kansas was way off the mark in the first half Monday, hitting just 35 percent of its shots in the first half. The Jayhawks finished the game at 42.9 percent shooting, their second-worst performance of the season.
Regardless of the poor shooting, Williams said Monday's loss didn't even compare to Kansas' 84-53 loss to Wake Forest on Dec. 7, 2000.
"I was very proud of what we did early in the second half," Williams said. "Last year if we got behind we never could come back, and these kids did show some toughness and poise at that time, but they were too keyed up early in the game."
The Jayhawks will try to rediscover their winning ways when the Longhorns come to town. Sophomore guard Kirk Hinrich said that would be the perfect opportunity to see what the team had learned from the Missouri loss.
"We won't let this affect us because we've got a big game on Saturday," Hinrich said.
—Edited by Sydwyn Wallace
WHAT'S UP NOW, BIG 12?
Back on the bubble
Parity could limit NCAA tourney berths
Bv Zac Hunter
Despite Monday night's 75-66 loss to Missouri, the Kansas Jayhawks are still favored to win the Big 12 Conference.
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
But after Kansas, the picture gets blurry. There are five teams jockeying for second place in the Big 12, all of which have two conference losses. Though still early in the conference season, this parity may cause heartaches once the NCAA starts passing out tournament bids in March.
Last season, the conference sent six teams to the NCAA tournament, with Iowa State leading the charge. The Cyclones lost in the Regional Finals to eventual national champion Michigan State. Texas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma also made the tournament.
Now, nearly midway through the conference season, the Big 12 once again
could send half its teams to the Big Dance.
The Big 12 has never sent fewer than four teams to the tournament. The conference peaked last year with six teams.
While the competition in the league is high and can be good for the league, it could also limit the number of NCAA berths the conference will receive.
Underdogs have managed to knock off some of the teams in the upper half of the conference standings — something that could come back to haunt teams that don't hit the NCAA's safe harbor of 20 victories.
There are three teams sitting on 13 wins, but there is a minimum of 10 games left
Last season, Missouri advanced to the tournament with 18 victories, the fewest of any Big 12 school to make the tournament. But this season, there could be several teams in the conference that finish with 18 or 19 victories, which by no means guarantees a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
for each team to play.
One reason it's tough to win in the Big 12 is the number of distinct styles teams play. Kansas and Iowa State have very balanced scoring attacks, and a number of players are able to score 20 points on any given night.
Six different players have led Kansas in scoring this season, with no player scoring a game-high more than two games in a row.
"I think it is more difficult to guard a team if they have balanced scoring," Kansas coach Roy Williams said.
And teams around the league know stopping one player in a balanced lineup will not get the job done.
"Each team, the game preparation is a little bit different," Colorado coach Ricardo Patton said. "A team like Kansas can hurt you at every position. They are balanced and they know how to win."
Contrasting the Kansas style of basketball is a team such as Missouri, which has two dominant scorers surrounded by role players.
Kareem Rush and Clarence Gilbert are ranked No. 1 and No. 4 in Big 12 scoring, averaging 21.9 and 17.9 points.
Big 12 Conference standings from this year and last year at this time:
Jan. 30, 2001
Kansas 17-2, 6-1
 Iowa State 17-3, 5-2
 Missouri 14-6, 5-2
 Oklahoma State 13-4, 4-2
 Texas 15-5, 4-2
 Oklahoma 15-4, 4-2
 Colorado 13-7, 3-4
 Baylor 13-4, 2-4
 Nebraska 9-10, 2-4
 Kansas State 8-9, 2-4
 Texas Tech 8-9, 2-4
 Texas A&M 6-13, 0-7
Jan. 30, 2000
Iowa State 18-3, 6-1
Texas 14-5, 6-1
Oklahoma State 16-2, 5-1
Missouri 12-6, 5-1
Kansas 16-4, 5-2
Oklahoma 16-3, 4-2
Nebraska 8-7, 3-4
Colorado 11-9, 2-5
Texas A&M 6-12, 2-5
Baylor 10-8, 1-6
Kansas State 9-7, 1-6
Texas Tech 9-8, 0-6
Big 12 teams selected to the NCAA Tournament since the conference was formed in August 1996:
1997 — Kansas,
Colorado, Iowa State,
Oklahoma, Texas.
1998 — Kansas,
Nebraska, Oklahoma,
Oklahoma State.
1999 — Kansas,
Missouri, Oklahoma,
Oklahoma State,
Texas.
2000 — Kansas, Iowa
State, Missouri,
Oklahoma, Oklahoma
State, Texas.
With a lot of focus on upsets, it is now time for the teams at the top of the conference to start taking shots at each other. In the next two weeks, Kansas faces Iowa State twice, Texas and Oklahoma State, all of which are in the upper half of the conference.
— Edited by Matt Daugherty
'Hawks eager to take on 'Huskers
By Jessie Mever
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The Jayhawks will look to do something tonight they haven't done since the beginning of December — win two games back-to-back.
Winning tonight would give Kansas its second victory in a row for the first time since Nov. 26-Dec. 1 — when the Jayhawks won three straight — and also extend Nebraska's losing streak to six.
Tonight's game is one the Jayhawks are taking personally. After dropping all three games to the Cornhuskers last season, including one in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament, the Jayhawks have some respect to regain and a score to settle.
The Kansas women's basketball team (8-10, 2-5 Big 12 Conference) will take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers (9-11, 1-6) at 7:30 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse.
"They're a team that I feel doesn't have as much respect for Coach Washington as some other programs do," said senior guard Jennifer Jackson. "I think that's something that really motivates me and it should motivate my teammates."
The 'Hawks are riding a confidence wave after pulling out Saturday's 65-62 nailbiter against Kansas State — a game that showed there were still signs of life in a team that had been stuck in a three-
game losing rut.
"We've got to come out really fired up on Wednesday night to get a good emotional victory," Jackson said. "We've got them in Allen Fieldhouse and we're really looking forward to playing Nebraska."
For much of this season, the Jayhawks have struggled to find players who consistently added points to the board. Seniors Jaclyn Johnson and Brooke Reves are two of the Big 12's top 10 scorers, but have had little help from their supporting cast.
Kansas senior guard Jennifer Jackson drives upcourt against Kansas State. Jackson is confident the Jayhawks can defeat Nebraska at 7:30 on tarmat at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansan file photo
To be successful against Nebraska, Jackson said the team would need to show the same intensity it used to take the Wildcats out of the game Saturday.
But things have turned around some in recent games. Jackson has added five points to her average since the start of conference play, and K.C. Hilgenkamp and Selena Scott emerged to add 20 points against the Wildcats.
Sports Columnist
"I just think that looking for my shot more will help the team out a lot more, so that's what I need to do," Hilgenkamp said.
With the Cornhuskers at the bottom of the Big 12, Kansas coach Marian Washington said this was a game the Jayhawks should win — a game that will be an important motivator while Kansas prepares for its last nine conference
games, four of which are against teams ranked in the Associated Press Top 25.
But the Jayhawks, who teeter near the bottom of the Big 12, see each game as its own challenge, regardless of the opponent.
"At this point it's almost like, throw the rankings out," Jackson said. "I think we're capable of beating any team on any given night and it's just that we've got to believe that we can do it."
- Edited by Megan Phelps
Brian Hanni
sports@kansan.com
Hyped-up NBA rookies can't deliver
The Super Bowl is behind us and the border war at Mizzou is unfortunately in the books, but that doesn't mean the sports parties have to stop.
Dust off the TV and call your friends: You've got less than ten days to prepare for the next big sporting bash! You won't want to miss this one, it's the craziest basketball party of the year. It's the NBA's Schick Rookie Game, and it's crazy because you'd have to be nuts to watch it!
This year's exhibition of young NBA talent rivals the attraction of a Los Angeles Clippers' intra-squadr scrimmage. The 2000 draft class has been the biggest flop since Crystal Pepsi. Top pick Kenyon Martin is just about the only bright spot in an otherwise incredibly weak group of players.
At the start of the week, Martin was leading all drafted rookies in scoring, averaging just less than 11 points a game. The best rookie in the league right now could be journeyman center Marc Jackson, who spent three seasons in Europe before finally catching on with the Golden State Warriors. Jackson was drafted in 1997 and is now 26 years old. If the season ended today, he would run away with Rookie of the Year honors because he has no competition.
Why is there such a weak crop of new talent? It's simple: With each year that passes, the league is getting younger.
As more and more underclassmen declare for the NBA draft, the talent in the league becomes even more watered-down. In the first round of last year's draft, 19 of the 29 players selected were early-entry players. Many were hyped to be sensational talents by draft gurus, but none have panned out vet.
No matter what the sport, potential doesn't guarantee production, and a quick glance at some of this year's box scores speaks volumes for that statement. The average scoring output per game of the 29 first round draft picks is a whopping four points, and their lack of production can be traced to inexperience. Kenyon Martin was the only player of the top ten picks who played four years of college ball.
So how do local hares heroes view the pro game's declining quality of talent?
"I think the league is just getting younger and younger," Kansas forward Kenny Gregory said. "You shouldn't go until you're ready to produce. A lot of guys go because people tell them, 'well you can be top five right now,' even though they're not really ready. I think since guys aren't really ready and teams are drafting on potential, you're getting less and less production."
Gregory later added, "I'm so satisfied that I'm here for my senior year."
Kansas forward Drew Gooden respects former Jayhawk recruit DeShawn Stevenson's decision to go pro because he thought Stevenson had very little choice because of his low scores on college entrance exam. Stevenson currently averages two points a game playing for the Utah Jazz.
Gooden also talked about his own future and any chance of him going early.
"I don't think you should leave until you're ready to play in the NBA," he said. "You shouldn't just sit on the bench and get paid. Education is key and my family always stressed that. I plan on staying four years, unless it's definitely the right time to go."
When next year's draft rolls around, there's no doubt plenty of players will leave school early to chase the big bucks of the NBA. For their sake, and the sake of any NBA fans who still remain, let's hope they take all the consequences into account.
If only every young player with the NBA on his mind could sit down with former UCLA forward JaRon Rush and ask him how he likes chipping in two points a night for the L.A. Stars of the ABA. Maybe they could talk with Wichita East's Korleone Young, Missouri's Albert White, or Kansas State's Mark Young, all youngsters who entered the draft early but failed to succeed in the NBA.
And if all else fails, I suppose they could watch the Schick Rookie Game.
Hanni is a Topeka junior in broadcast management.
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