INSIDE SPORTS
P
Before the Jan. 1.3 Kansas vs. Iowa State game, some students pushed, shoved and cut in front of student campers who were waiting for seats. Camping rules have been posted to restore order for the next game. Page 3B
KANSAS
18-0, 4-0
RANKED NO. 1
CONNECTICUT
11-4, 2-2
UNRANKED
R S I T Y D A I L Y K A N S A N
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JAYHAWK BASKETBALL
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21. 1997
Basketball facts
SECTION B
Men
Kansas is the first team since the 1991-92 season to receive all first-place votes in the Associated Press poll. Duke was the last team to receive this honor.
The Jayhawks are the only unbeaten team in Division I basketball.
Kansas holds the longest current home winning streak in Division I at 37 games. Kansas earned the title after Coppin State, which held the longest home streak at 42. Lost on Sunday at home.
With five assists against Connecticut, senior guard Jacque Vaughn became the Kansas and Big Eight Conference career assist leader. Vaughn has 688 career assists. The record was held by former Kansas guard Cedric Hunter (1983-87) at 685 assists.
Women
The women's team. No.15 this week, has been ranked in the Associated Press poll every week this season and for 15 consecutive weeks, beginning Feb.19, 1996.
Kansas has shot 50 percent from the field in only two games this season.
Kansas is 0-3 vs. ranked teams this season.
Men's AP Top 25
Tyler Wirken / KANSAN
The Top Twenty Five men's teams in The Associated Press college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Jan. 19.
Other teams receiving votes: Iowa 92, Illinois 90, South Carolina 75, UCLA 73, Pacific 53, Tulane 61, Georgia 46, Temple 45, College of Charleston 34, Mississippi 28, Connecticut 26, Oregon 24, Miami 19, Rhode Island 16, Pennsylvania 14, New York 15, Old Dominion 4, Princeton 4, E. Michigan 2, Fresno St. 2, Vanderbilt 2, Washington 2, Illinois St. 1, Southern California 1, Virginia 1.
Women's AP Top 25
rank team rec pts prv
**1. Kansas (71)** 18-0 1,775 1
2. Clemson 16-1 1,688 3
3. Kentucky 16-2 1,587 5
4. Wake Forest 13-1 1,579 2
5. Utah 12-2 1,397 9
6. Louisville 15-1 1,383 10
7. Maryland 15-2 1,319 11
8. Minnesota 16-2 1,300 7
9. Cincinnati 12-3 1,280 4
10. Duke 14-4 1,084 13
11. Arizona 10-4 902 6
12. Villanova 14-3 892 16
13. Michigan 13-4 840 18
14. Iowa St. 11-3 838 8
15. New Mexico 14-3 731 12
16. Xavier 12-2 719 14
17. Stanford 11-3 585 15
**18. Colorado** 14-3 585 —
19. North Carolina 11-4 480 22
**20. Texas Tech** 12-3 396 25
21. Indiana 15-4 362 17
22. Boston College 12-3 226 17
**23. Texas** 9-5 195 23
24. Tulsa 14-4 155 —
25. Marquette 12-3 94 —
The Top Twenty Five women's teams in The Associated Press college basketball poll, with first-place votes in parentheses, records through Jan. 19.
Other teams receiving votes: Michigan St. 12, illinois 103, Nebraska 48, Maryland 33, San Francisco 29, Colorado 28, Southern Cal 28, Tulane 11, Mississippi 10, Portland 10, Arizona 7, Oregon 7, Memphis 3, Penn St. 3, Colorado St. 2, Toledo 2, George Washington 1, Utah
rank team rec pts prv
1. Connecticut (38) 16-0 1,044 1
2. Old Dominion (2) 14-1 1,003 2
3. Stanford (1) 18-1 973 3
4. Alabama (1) 15-2 923 5
5. Georgia 12-3 859 4
6. Louisiana Tech 15-2 840 6
7. Virginia 13-3 732 8
8. Tennessee 13-6 730 9
9. North Carolina 14-1 727 10
10. Clemson 14-2 600 10
11. Vanderbilt 12-4 577 7
12. **Texas** 10-3 **Suffolk** 16-1
13. Arkansas 13-3 527 13
14. **Texas Tech** 11-4 **Aquila** 14-9
15. Kansas 12-3 **443** 11-0
16. Wisconsin 12-3 373 20
17. N. Carolina St. 12-6 269 15
18. LSU 14-1 698 17
19. Florida 13-4 266 24
19. Notre Dame 15-4 266 21
19. Auburn 12-4 231 22
22. Stephen F. Austin 14-2 206 14
23. W. Kentucky 11-5 140 18
24. Duke 11-6 125 19
25. DePaul 11-2 124 25
Confidence of a champion
Kansas senior guard Jacque Vaughn stares down Connecticut's Monquencio Hardnett. The Jayhawks won Sunday's game at Connecticut, 73-65.
Kansas' victory a close one
Jayhawks win,but not without a fight
By Bill Petulla
Kansan sportswriter
HARTFORD, Comm. — In its final nonconference game of the season, the Kansas men's basketball team (18-0 overall, 4-0 in the Big 12 Conference) outlasted Connecticut 73-65 Sunday at the Hartford Civic Center.
But aside from defeating a traditional powerhouse, Kansas senior guard Jerd Hosae said that Sunday's victory would aid the Jayhawks in their 12 upcoming Big 12 Conference games.
"I think this is a great game and a great preparation," Haase said. "With the hostile crowd and the quality team out there, that's a great preparation for any Big 12 road game."
Connecticut, behind the sharp shooting of sophomore guard Rashamel Jones and freshman guard Richard Hamilton jumped out to a 23-7 advantage early in the first half. Jones and Hamilton combined scored 17 of the Huskies' first 23 points. On the other end of the court, Kansas got off to a sluggish start, making only
ATTHE GAME: More photos and scenes from Sunday's contest. Page 2B
"They came on out fire," junior forward Rafel LaFrentz said. "Some people might say we were flat, but the bottom line is, they took it to us."
After its slow start, Kansas was able to cut into the margin. Six points by LaFrentz and five by senior guard Jacque Vaughn helped bring the Jayhawks to within three points at the intermission, 31-28.
one of its first five shots.
Kansas picked up in the second half where it had left off, attacking the Connecticut zone defense. Two minutes into the second half, Haase put the Jayhawks ahead 35-34 with two free throws. Kansas was able to hold off a late charge by UConn (11-4 overall, 2-2 in the Big East Conference), capturing the Jayhawk's 18th victory of the year.
Despite overcoming a 16-point Connecticut lead, Kansas sophomore forward Paul Pierce tipped his hat to the UConn players.
"They fought the whole way through," Pierce said. "We took the lead, then they made some tough shots. Fortunately of our teammates stepped up. Billy Thomas made some
big shots for us."
Junior guard Billy Thomas scored eight of his 11 points in the final 3:35 of the game. Thomas' shooting not only gained him the game's most valuable player, but it also earned him praise from Connecticut men's basketball coach Jim Calhoun.
Billy Thomas
"Do you know what all of us [coaches] in the country would trade for Billy Thomas?" Calhoun said.
Calhoun also lauded the performance of the Javahawks on Sunday.
"They're the best team in the country," Calhoun said. "They have as good a coach as they come in Roy Williams. They do it with energy, and they do it with dignity."
The Jayhawks also did it with Vaughn, who broke the Kansas and Big Eight Conference all-time assist record in the first half, playing on a sore knee. Vaughn injured his knee in practice on Friday and was listed as questionable for the UConn game. Also, early in the first half, Vaughn suffered a laceration above his right eye.
Vaughn's left knee, which was heavily wrapped during the game, is not considered seriously injured. Kansas men's basketball trainer Mark Caims said he didn't think the injury needed to be X-rayed. Vaughn spent yesterday receiving attention to his knee by both Caims and physician Kenneth Wertzberger.
Kansas men's basketball coach Roy Williams said he gave Vaughn little to no chance of playing in Sunday's game.
"I told our staff in pregame that there's a 20 percent chance that he can play," Williams said. "I didn't know if he could play or not."
Vaughn started the game and played 30 minutes.
In addition to Vaughn's injuries, senior center Scot Pollard played on a sore ankle, and Pierce suffered a bruised thigh.
"We're the all-Medicare team right now," Kansas assistant men's basketball coach Neil Dougherty said. "Everybody's limping or bleeding."
As Kansas enters a solid month-and-a-half of Big 12 Conference basketball, Williams said he has come to expect poised and steady play from the Jayhawks in rocky situations.
"We're a veteran club. We've been through a lot of things," Williams said. "But to be honest with you, I expect that."
Longhorns defeat Jayhawks 82-72
Kansas loses despite Dixon's performance
By Tommy Gallagher Kansan sportswriter
Despite a tremendous performance by senior guard Tamecka Dixon, No. 15 Kansas stumbled on the road as they were defeated on Saturday by No. 12 Texas, 82-72.
Dixon scored a game-high 32 points and added four assists, four steals and three blocked shots. She tied the game at 8 with 3 minutes, 38 seconds left to play, but Texas (10-3 overall, 4-1 in the Big 12) pulled away from Kansas (12-3 overall, 3-1 in the Big 12) down the stretch by connecting on nine of 10 free throws in the game's final 1:13.
Texas reserve guard Angie Jo Ogletree led Texas with a career-high 20 points. She helped seal the Texas victory by making six of six free throws in the game's final minute.
The last time Kansas and Texas played was last March at Allen Field House in a second-round NCAA tournament game. The Jayhawks won 77-70.
Both teams had success shooting the ball in the first half. Kansas shot 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range. The Longhoms shot 62 percent from the field and 63 percent from three-point range.
This time, the game's location, and its winner, changed.
"We knew coming in that we would
have to get an early jump on them," Dixon said. "We were successful with that goal."
While the Jayhawks seized the early momentum, the Longhorns were able to control the boards for the remainder of the first half and entered halftime with a 45-40 lead.
"Texas hurt us early with its ability to penetrate and pull some of our players off the block," said Kansas women's basketball coach Marian Washington. "They hurt us with their drive, and their players were able to create other opportunities. In the first half, we gave up too many second-chance points and allowed them to gain momentum."
Texas center Angela Jackson had two points, two rebounds and five blocked shots in the game's first eight minutes. She would finish the game with nine points, seven rebounds and a career-high six blocked shots before fouling out with less than five minutes to play.
The backcourt team of Dixon and Halbleib has accounted for nearly 45 percent of the Jayhawks' offense throughout the year. Against Texas, they combined for 45 points and 63 percent of Kansas' offense.
Kansas played without sophomore forward Suzi Raymant, who is ineligible to play because of an NCAA investigation concerning her time playing in the Australian Women's Basketball League.
Geoff Krieger / KANSAN
Both teams played better defense in the second half, and Kansas continued to rely on Dixon and senior guard Angie Halibble.
The Kansas Women's basketball team practices yesterday in Allen Field House for their upcoming game at Texas A&M Wednesday.
Probe stalls play for Raymant
Bv Tommv Gallagher
Kansan sportswriter
Upon landing in Austin, Texas, Friday night to prepare for its game against the Longhorns, Kansas women's basketball coach Marian Washington learned that sophomore forward Suzi Raymant would not be able to play because of a possible NCAA violation of amateur regulations.
Washington announced to her team Friday that Raymant was not eligible to play. Kansas lost to Texas 82-72 Saturday afternoon.
Raymant, a native of Melbourne, Australia, played in the Australian Women's Basketball League before attending Kansas. She did not receive a salary but was reimbursed for various travel expenses, which is the focus of the investigation. NCAA rules prohibit athletes from accepting money for traveling expenses.
Several other college players across the country are under investigation by the NCAA for playing in the Australian league.
Raymant will be out indefinitely, and there is no set time for the inquiry to be completed.
Suzi Raymant
Washington and her coaching staff had no comment about Raymant and will not discuss the issue until the NCAA has concluded its investigation.
Raymant averaged 8.2 points and 19 minutes a game. She had nine points and a career-high nine rebounds in her last game, Jan. 11 against Baylor.
Teammates missed Raymant's presence against Texas.
"Obviously, we were disappointed because she could have made the perimeter a little bit better," said senior forward Shelly Canada. "It would have been great to have her in the game, but we cannot use what happened to Suzi as an excuse for the loss."
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