6A
---
Sports
The University Daily Kansan
He's heating up...
Blue-chip basketball recruit Dajuan Wagner became the first high school player in 22 years to score 100 points in a game Tuesday night. Wagner, who was 42-of-61 from the field, has signed with Memphis.
Inside: New York forward Marcus Camby was suspended for five games after throwing a punch at San Antonio's Danny Ferry.
SEE PAGE 5A
Inside: Basketball upsets were a common theme in the Big 12 Conference.
THURSDAY JANUARY 18 2001 For comments, contact Shawn Hutchinson or Shawn Linenberger at 864-4858 or sports@kansan.com WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
SEE PAGE 5A
Return to Allen big for Kansas
Senior forward Kenny Gregory and sophomore forward Drew Gooden get fired up from the crowd's cheers after a Gooden dunk. The Jayhawks beat Nebraska 84-62 last night at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug/KANSAN
By Chris Wristen sports@kansan.com
Konsen sportswriter
For a team that appeared to be pulling everything together during the last two weeks, Nebraska self-destructed and No. 5 Kansas shucked the Cornhuskers 84-62 last night in Allen Fieldhouse.
It wasn't as if the "Huskers gave up either. Kansas (14-1 overall, 3-0 in the Big 12 Conference), simply hounded them with menacing double teams and pressure that forced 23 turnovers.
"Everyone was real fired up," said sophomore forward Nick Collison after Kansas' first game in the fieldhouse since Dec. 16. "It's been 31 days since we've been in here and it was just real fun to get another win here."
A blowout didn't look likely during the game's first two minutes when neither team scored. Collison and senior forward Kenny Gregory forced the turn of events when, after two Collison free throws, Kansas opened the flood gates and went on a 20-7 run with both players scoring six points.
The opening burst was capped by back-to-back steals by Kansas freshman point guard Mario Kinsey, one for an uncontested layup and the other a reverse jam by Gregory.
"I emphasize on my defense because that's what I want to do well," Kinsey said. "Their ball-handling was not that good. When we double-teamed they started to panic."
When Nebraska (8-8, 1-2) wasn't throwing the ball away, Kansas was taking it from them. The Jayhawks had eight steals, as Collison and senior center Eric Chenowith joined Kinsey with two each.
Sparked by its defense, Kansas continued to roll and sophomore forward Drew Gooden began to heat up. He scored six points in the final two minutes of the half, including a turn-around jumper that
pushed the lead to 20. Kansas led 38-20 at halftime, something that had coach Roy Williams all smiles.
"At times in the first half we were real good defensively," Williams said. "We had a stretch there where we got real good shots and made them. We got them to turn it over and passed it in on our offensive end."
That first half defense was so good, in fact, that Kansas held Nebraska's leading scorer Cookie Belcher to four points in the half and 10 for the game. Inside forces Kimani Friend and Steffon Bradford also were limited in scoring chances as Gooden and Collision denied them the ball.
"They really didn't get many touches," Collison said. "We were getting so many steals and pressuring the ball so well on top that they really couldn't get the ball. They had to try to do it with their perimeter guys."
Gooden's magic continued early into the second half as he had two dunks in the opening minutes. Kansas then scored on its next three possessions, which included five points by Boschee and a lay-in by Collison that pushed the lead to 23 points.
That's when the 'Huskers finally found their mark. More specifically, guard Cary Cochran found it. After hitting one threepointer in the first half, Cochran torched the Jayhawks for four treys in Nebraska's next nine possessions.
"Cary can really shoot the ball from outside," Williams said. "We've just got to get to him. He had some wide-open looks."
Kansas basketball notes
- Tensions flared during the first half on numerous occasions. Chenwith and Ffriend became entangled and were whistled for a double foul.
Following the play, Ffriend and Bradford began shoving each other and the teammates had a temporary "stare down."
Then Boschee was whistled for a technical foil after he said some choice words to an
official for a late call against Nebraska's Rodney Fields.
NEBRASKA (8-8)
Bradford 6:10 1:3 13, Friend 6:9 2:6 14, Cochran 5:11 2:2 17,
Augustine 0:1 1:0 1, Belcher 4:12 2:2 10, Thomas 0:1 1:0
Robinson 0:2 0:0 1, Booker 0:0 0:0 1, Ford 0:0 0:0 1, Fields 1:3
0:0 2, Conklin 0:3 0:2 0, Wortmann 1:3 3:4 6, Totals 23:55 10:20
62
KANSAS (14-1)
**Garden 7.12-3 3-5 17**, Collison 7.4-4 14, Hirsch 7.4-2 4-0,
Boesch 6.3-2 6-9, Gregory 10.19-2 0-2, Kinsay 2.4-4 0-5
Ballard 0-0 0-0 0, Mesh 0-1 0-0 0, Carey 2-2 0-4 6, Harrison 0-1 0-0 3, Astebel 0-1 0-0 3, Zene 0-1 0-0 3, Chemwauk 0-4 0-0 2.
Halftime — Kansas 38, Nebraska 20, 3 point goals — Nebraka-6
18 (Coach Tromboski, 1.1 Field 1, Corkin 0.1, Robinson
0.2, Leibner 0.5), Kanaa 3-10 (Boschee 4, Kiney 1.1, Hinn-
1.0, Gregory 0.1, Hash 0.1, Anstall 0.2, Foulden 0.2, Outchow-
nth. Rebounds — Nebraka 36 (Friend 10), Kanaa 42 (Gregory 9)
Assists — Nebraka 14 (Belcher 5), Kanaa 23 (Hinn 9). Total
fourth — Nebraka 22, Kanaa 23, Technical—Boschee, A—
16,300.
- Edited by Melinda Weaver
Senior forward Kenny Gregory throws down a dunk in the first half. Gregory led the Jeyhawks with 20 points. Photo by Nick Kruga/KANSAN
Defense stifles'Huskers
Bv Zac Hunter
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
For the second straight game, the Kansas frontcourt took center stage in an 84-62 victory against Nebraska last night in Allen Fieldhouse.
Led by senior forward Kenny Gregory, the Jayhawks played inspired defense for the first 20 minutes and shut down one of the league's best frontcourts long enough to put the game out of reach.
That came on the heels of Kansas' victory against Oklahoma on Saturday where they clamped down on the Sooners' leading scorer Aaron McGhee
Last night, although Nebraska senior forwards Kimani Friend and Steffon Bradford combined for 27 points — just one point lower than their season average — they were unable to keep Nebraska in the game.
Kansas coach Roy Williams was disappointed, however, that Friend was able to get some easy looks under the basket. Ffriend continued his torrid shooting pace, going 6-for-9 from the
field, which was four percentage points below his nation-leading average of 70.2 percent coming into the game.
"They threw it to Ffriend and we just turn around and let him spin inside," Williams said.
Perhaps the greatest example of Kansas' first half defense was the job Gregory did on Nebraska senior Cookie Belcher. Belcher leads the 'Huskers with 16 points per game, but was held to just 10 last night and had only four at the half.
On the offensive end, the Kansas forwards were unstoppable. Whether it was Gregory gliding to the hoop for two of his 20 points or sophomore Drew Gooden getting position on Friend and throwing down a one-handed jam, the 'Huskers had no answer.
"I think Cookie is a magnificent player," Williams said. "Our defense in the first half was good. He probably missed some shots that he thinks he should have made."
Gooden and Gregory's antics ignited an explosion of energy from the crowd.
"It was the first time in a while we've played here in the Fieldhouse." Gooden
said. "The crowd got me pumped up. The crowed really kept me into it. Everybody was on their feet yelling, chanting. It was a great night of basketball."
Sophomore forward Nick Collison was also in the scoring mix, hitting six of his seven shots for 16 points. He was also active on the defense end, blocking six shots and collecting six boards.
"I don't count that as his greatest skill," Williams said. "We're not a shot-blocking team, but they kept putting it in his face. His hand kept finding the basketball. If you block six shots you're really doing something."
Williams said any time he could get Collison, Gooden and Gregory with better than 50 percent shooting, he would take it. The three combined for 23-of-38 from the field, good for 60 percent. The trio proved to be the end of Nebraska, as they were 10 points away from outsourcing the entire 'Husker team.
In other Big 12 games...
No. 24 Texas 76, Texas A&M 58
Oklahoma State 76, Baylor 65
- Edited by Kimberly Thompson
Unity eludes Kansas women in loss
By Jessie Meyer
sports@kansan.com
Kansas sportswriter
For the first time in nine meetings, the Oklahoma State Cowgirls (9-7 overall, 1-4 in the Big 12 Conference) corralled the Jayhawks (7-8, 1-3), snapping a four-game losing skid and capturing their first conference victory.
STILLWATER, Okla. — There were five players in blue on the floor last night, but a united Kansas women's basketball team didn't show up to play. As a result, the Jayhawks fell to Oklahoma State in Gallagher-Iba Arena, 61-53.
"We just have to get more people stepping up for us," said Kansas coach Marian Washington. "That's been our struggle this season. We just haven't had five players."
The Jayhawks, struggling for team unity throughout the game, faced an even greater challenge early in the second half.
Senior forward Jaclyn Johnson left the game with a left ankle sprain, leaving a hole in the paint the Jayhawks could not fill.
hurt us, Washington said. "I think the big difference in the game, for us anyway, was the offensive boards and turnovers. I thought they did a great job pounding the offensive glass, and it really hurt us when we weren't able to control the interior."
"Jaclyn having to leave the game really
But the trouble didn't stop there. Three minutes after Johnson left the game, Kansas suffered another blow when senior guard Jennifer Jackson, who had a game-high 21 points, left the game after picking up her fourth personal foul with 13:24 to play.
Johnson
The 'Hawks had trouble hanging onto the ball, turning it over 26 times, and were unable to get the shots they wanted. Kansas shot 45.7 percent but took just 46 shots the entire game.
"Tonight we didn't have a whole lot going for us," Jackson said. "Give Oklahoma State credit, they came out tonight and outlaughed us."
With Jackson and Johnson out of the game, the Cowgirls took control of the game on both ends of the court, stunning an already deflated Kansas team.
Sports Columnist
"We didn't shoot enough times." Washington said. "You can't shoot only 46 times when you're shooting 48 percent."
But regardless of the lack of offense, the fire that Kansas had Saturday when it defeated Kansas State in Allen Fieldhouse was nowhere to be found. The 'Hawks were outstulted and outplayed for most of the game.
"I think against Kansas State we had a fire that we didn't have tonight," Jackson said. "We've got to find it and it's going to be
there every game to do well in this conference."
Senior forward Brooke Reves carries the load for the Jayhawks, scoring 1 points and grabbing 12 boards in a season high 39 minutes of play. Yet even with he leadership and Jackson's intensity, the team never united in the second half.
"They just really outrebounded us, outworked us the whole game." Reves said. "We tried to rally as many people on the team as we could, but we have to count on some other people to come along, too. We just weren't a team tonight."
Sarah Warren
Game notes
Jackson needs four more assists to move past Tamecka Dixon into fourth place in Kansas history. Dixon had 337 assists in her career that spanned 1994-97.
— Edited by Melinda Weaver
when Kansas trails at the half, as it did last night, 30-23, the Jayhawks are 1-7. But when the Jayhawks lead at halftime, they are 6-1.
sports@kansan.com
Fred Roll is a muscle-maker.
Roll keeps Jayhawks in tip-top form ready to play
He's the man behind the brawn and the bodies of many Kansas athletes on the men's basketball and the football teams.
He spells out for each athlete under his instructive aegis what, when and how much to lift. He's a man of percentages and pounds, mathematically structuring each session's weight and conditioning workout.
Let's face it, we all wish that we could have our own personal trainer, telling us what and how much to lift to achieve certain goals. I wish I had someone I could turn to to plan a program to keep me fit, strong, injury-free and to just plain feel like She-ra.
But Fred Roll is no personal
But Fred Roll is no personal trainer.
His job is a thankless one that isn't something any certified gym rat can handle.
He's in his Allen Fieldhouse office at 6 a.m. and doesn't peel out of the parking lot for dinner until almost 7 p.m. He attends conferences, writes articles on strength training and conditioning and is constantly updating himself on new training information.
So I'm just going to let you know who Fred Roll is and what he does. So, stick with me because the guy deserves your full attention and the full length of my column.
And although Roll has received many awards from his peers through the years, it's about time that he receives recognition in the public eye.
And although Roll is currently the director of strength and conditioning for the football and basketball teams, he's worked with every single one of the 22 sports that field Jayhawk teams, as the former head of strength and conditioning for all sports at Kansas.
The Durham, N.C., native had also headed up programs at Clemson and Tulane before taking the reins of strength and conditioning at Kansas 12 years ago. He was the head of the strength and conditioning department for all sports for the first nine in his 12 years here before deciding to head up just football and basketball.
However, even if Roll doesn't win the award when it is announced in July, he already has a Big Eight Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year award on the wall (circa 1996) and a reputation as an "innovative" professional.
However, it doesn't matter if Roll is heading up every sport or just football and basketball, he's darn good at what he does.
Earlier this month, Roll was nominated for the 2001 College Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year Award by the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). He's one of 14 nominees for the award who are nominated by their peers in the collegiate muscle making industry (otherwise known as members of the NSCA).
Every Jayhawk knows about coach Allen and coach Williams. But what about coach Roll?
Coach Roll deserves at least a tiny space for his accomplishments in every true Jayhawk's brain. He's not the type of guy who would really want a fan club or groupies shouting his name and mimicking his big and bald Mr. Clean-type appearance.
All I ask, if you got this far in my column, is to just remember the name and cross your fingers in hopes that he'll bring home another award to the University of Kansas.
Warren is an Overland Park sophomore in journalism and Spanish.