Jayhawks hope to continue offensive sizz

By Chris Wristen     Apr 2, 2004

Kansas University’s baseball team accumulated 181 runs — an average of 12.07 a game — in its first 15 games at Hoglund Ballpark this season.

That offensive explosion came at the expense of non-conference mid-majors, so don’t expect the Jayhawks to continue scoring at such a scorching pace.

“I don’t think that’s possible,” KU coach Ritch Price said. “Our players understand that when you get in the Big 12 Conference you’re now playing at the national level. It’s something we’re all excited about, but at the same time the image of the games change, too.”

Kansas will play its first league games at home this weekend against Oklahoma. Game times are 6 p.m. tonight and Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday.

Senior left-hander Ryan Knippschild (5-3, 3.73 ERA) will start on the mound for Kansas (22-11 overall, 1-2 Big 12) in tonight’s series opener.

The Sooners (16-10, 4-2) arrive at Hoglund Ballpark on a four-game winning streak, having come from behind for one-run victories in all four games. They swept Baylor last week to open conference play and are tied with Texas for first place in the Big 12.

OU pitchers surrendered just 23 runs during that stretch — fewer than six a game.

“They’re on fire a little bit,” Knippschild said. “We’ll try to put that out. It should be a good one Friday — quarter dog night, hopefully a sellout, and maybe break the attendance record finally. We’ve just got to go out and do our thing.”

KU’s strength at Hoglund Ballpark is scoring, however, and, despite tougher pitching, Price expects the Jayhawks to continue swinging hot bats. His goal is to average seven runs per game, a level he believes should be enough offense to win most league games.

“We feel like if we can do that over the course of 27 Big 12 games, we’ll have a chance to have 15, 16, 17 wins in the league when it’s over,” Price said.

This weekend’s series could go a long way toward determining KU’s status in the rugged conference.

“I think we’ve taken a big step forward,” Price said. “We’re right on the verge now of being a legitimate Big 12 contender.”

Jayhawks hope to return home happy

By Gary Bedore     Mar 25, 2004

Bill Self and his Kansas University basketball players marched through a human tunnel of 100 grade schoolers, slapping five with the youngsters before boarding a charter bus Wednesday afternoon outside Allen Fieldhouse.

The well-wishers — many from the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence — hope to be back in the fieldhouse Sunday night, possibly celebrating two weekend victories in St. Louis and a spot in the Final Four.

“I hope so, but I will not make any bold predictions,” Self said of KU defeating Alabama-Birmingham on Friday and either Georgia Tech or Nevada on Sunday for the right to advance to San Antonio.

“We’ve got to win another two-game tournament. I think it’s what everybody is hoping for.”

Self’s concern this time of year is not only ninth-seeded UAB, Friday’s 6:10 p.m. foe at the Edward Jones Dome, but also injuries.

“We’re beat up,” Self said, noting power forward Wayne Simien is about 50 percent healthy after practicing a bit Wednesday, but should be ready to go Friday. “We need this time off to get our bodies charged. Health is always a concern this time of year. Guys will usually fight through everything.”

David Padgett, who re-sprained his tender right ankle Tuesday but is expected to play. The other injuries remain the same — J.R. Giddens and Bryant Nash are not 100 percent because of foot injuries, while Keith Langford has not been practicing because of a knee injury.

As promised, Self has had his first team practicing against seven players at a time in preparing for UAB’s full-court press.

“We’ve got to be tough. We’ve got to be strong with the ball,” Self said. “We’ve got to be able to handle pressure. We’ve got to be mature and not let distractions outside the lines bother us. These guys have been doing that the last month or so.”

Self is hoping KU has a bundle of fans in the Jones Dome on Friday night.

“We’re still a lot closer than anybody else,” Self said of St. Louis’ proximity to KU’s campus compared to UAB, Georgia Tech and Nevada. “Even though it’s a neutral-site game I think it’s great the proximity will allow our fans to be there.”

  • Take it easy: The five-hour bus ride to St. Louis was expected to be a relaxing one, KU assistant Tim Jankovich said.

“You sit back and watch a movie and hope it’s a good one,” he said.

Added Self, “It’s the same time as flying. When you come back and are flying you need to be on a schedule. The bus it’s always your schedule. It’s a lot easier this way.”

  • Practice slate: The Jayhawks will practice from 2:10 p.m. to 3 p.m. today at the Jones Dome. The practice is open to the public.
  • Self on Gillispie, Roberts: Former Self assistant Billy Gillispie was named Texas A&M coach Wednesday.

“That was a very, very good hire by Texas A&M,” Self said. “He’s a great guy, great person, terrific communicator and not a good recruiter, but a great recruiter.”

Of going against his friend, a former Illinois assistant, Self said: “I don’t think anybody likes coaching against a buddy. Since we play them one time a year, I know he will be trying to beat my butt, so I’ve got to be ready to try to beat his.”

KU associate head coach Norm Roberts met with SMU officials for the second time this week Wednesday. SMU officials also talked to Oklahoma assistant Jimmy Tubbs, the other finalist for the job.

Roberts had no comment.

Of possibly losing his longtime aide, Self said: “I’m not worried at all. If it happens, it happens. He deserves an opportunity. If that’s what he wants, that is what I want, and I certainly hope he has the opportunity to get it.

“He is a best friend. Things didn’t take off for us until Norm came on board,” Self added of his assistant at KU, Illinois, Tulsa and Oral Roberts. “If I was an AD, I’d hire him.”

  • March Madness or insanity?: The Washington Post quotes an unnamed scout saying KU’s J.R. Giddens would be a lottery pick in this year’s NBA Draft.

“If a guy like him comes out, he’s going to go in the Top 15,” said an anonymous scout. The NBA’s official stance is no scout can be quoted about underclassmen in college, but scouts regularly make statements anonymously.

“I’m taking him over some of those high school kids without battling an eye.”

Giddens, who told the J-W last week he wasn’t ready for the NBA, reiterated that stance to the Post.

“Athletically I might be able to go, but that’s not what I’m trying to do,” he said. “It takes four years to get a degree and that’s what I’m trying to do.”

Jayhawks hope to get bounce back

By Gary Bedore     Dec 4, 2002

Kansas University definitely could use one of those “feel-good” men’s basketball victories tonight.

You know, a win where lots of KU players force lots of turnovers and score lots of points against NCAA Div. II Central Missouri State.

Tipoff is 7 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse with a telecast on channels 13 and 38.

“I’m not going to say ‘swagger,’ but we’ve got to get some of the bounce back,” KU coach Roy Williams said of his 2-2 Jayhawks, who are coming off double-digit losses to North Carolina and Florida last week in New York.

“We were shook after the North Carolina game. I don’t think there’s any question about that,” Williams added, referring to the 67-56 loss. “We played like it in the first half of the Florida game (a 83-73 setback). We felt better about the way we played the last 15 minutes.

“I still think we’re shook a little bit, yet it’s so early in the season it’s not time to be shook. There’s nothing to gain from being that way. What you have to do is try to do the best you can every possession. If we do that, it’ll be fine.”

The Jayhawks, who will be without Kirk Hinrich (back strain), are not 100 percent physically, but are OK mentally after some soul searching at a team meeting after a turkey and ham dinner Sunday night at Williams’ house.

“We just talked. I was trying to make sure our players don’t overreact and our coaches don’t either,” Williams said. “It’s not like we’ve fallen off the top of a bridge or forgotten how to play basketball.

“I talked to a bunch of coaches yesterday reminding me we lost to some good teams. You look at some schedules around the country : if we played Alvamar Tech four times we’d be 4-0.

“(At the meeting) I asked them one question specifically: Tell me or tell yourself what was your thought process before the Carolina game or the first six to eight minutes of the Carolina game?

“That was it,” he added. “We’re not having any closed door meetings or players’ meetings without coaches. We’re not panicking.”

When: 7 tonight.Where: Allen Fieldhouse.Television: Channels 13 and 38.Records: Jayhawks (2-2), Mules (4-0).

Senior Nick Collison said he believes the Jayhawks were simply shocked the Tar Heels, who run many of the same plays as the Jayhawks, started in a spread offense, throwing KU’s players out of whack mentally.

“We were caught up in how spaced out (on the floor) they were,” Collison said. “We prepared for more of the type of game we play :quot; pound it inside, play the passing lanes. Buy it wasn’t all that. We had plenty of time to get used to it. We just need to focus and play a lot better.

“We don’t have our identity right now. What will be successful for us? We have to find out.”

Of the team meeting, Collison said: “We watched a little tape. We obviously didn’t play well. We talked about the commitment we need every single day at practice. It was a couple people talking about how we have to focus. It was a reminder not to panic, but it is time to get going.”

Collison said he believes the team meeting has been a bit overblown in the press. He says the meeting was nothing like some others held earlier in his career.

“I think there were chemistry problems then, guys were arguing with each other,” he said of moments in his freshman year when KU was blown out at Oklahoma State and lost 10 games. “It’s nothing like that. It’s pretty obvious we all have to get better. There’s nobody pointing fingers. Everybody is pointing the finger at themselves realizing we haven’t done everything we can. There’s really no chemistry problems. We are not playing well together yet, but there’s no guys upset at each other. It was not a big deal.”

As far as some players being late or right on time for the bus or team meetings in New York, Collison said, “Little things like that are possible signs of people not being as committed as they should be. Those issues have been addressed. We’ll see how people act and how we play the rest of the season.”

As far as on-court issues tonight, Williams said both Jeff Hawkins and Michael Lee have been spending some time on the blue team, or first team, at practice.

“We’ve got to find somebody to come in as the sixth or seventh man,” Williams said. “We need some of those guys to come in and help us by not hurting us. Jeff Carey was a prime example of what we need. He very seldom got in the game and hurt us. He had very few games where he scored in double figures :quot; one in his career :quot; but when he came in, the effectiveness of our defense didn’t go down and he was very unselfish passing and setting screens and our effectiveness on offense didn’t go down, either.”

:quot; Assistant sports editor Gary Bedore can be reached at 832-7186.

Jayhawks hope to turn it around tonight

By Andrew Hartsock     Jan 31, 2001

Kansas University women’s basketball coach Marian Washington never met Murphy, but she knows all about his law.

The Jayhawks’ anything-that-can-go-wrong-has-gone-wrong season will resume tonight against Nebraska. Tipoff for KU-NU is 7:30 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse, with a live telecast available locally on cable channel 50.

Washington came into the season knowing she’d have to rely heavily on newcomers, especially a trio of junior college transfers. What she didn’t know was that veteran but oft-injured center Nikki White would be further hobbled, backup point guard Kristen May would require off-season knee surgery, starting guard Jennifer Jackson would continue to be slowed by bad ankles and forward Sharonne Spencer, who sat out last season as a partial qualifier, would be lost to a knee injury before the season began.

NEBRASKA (9-11, 1-6)

F Greichaly Cepero, 6-2, Fr.F Monique Whitfield, 6-1, Sr.C Casey Leonhardt, 6-5, Sr.G Amanda Went, 5-9, Sr.G Shannon Howell, 5-10, Fr.

KANSAS (8-10, 2-5)

F Brooke Reves, 6-0, Sr.F Jaclyn Johnson, 6-1, Sr.C Nikki White, 6-3, Jr.G Jennifer Jackson, 5-10, Sr.G KC Hilgenkamp, 5-10, Jr.

Tipoff: 7:30 tonight, Allen FieldhouseLive telecast: Cable channel 50

“It’s amazing,” Washington said. “Sometimes I think about it, and you can’t explain why all these things have happened. You try to do the best you can with what you have. That’s all I’m trying to do, but our challenges are very real. No matter how you try to patch things up, they are all very real.

“We’re still very competitive. It’s not just a situation where I’m going to stop trying, but it keeps you up at night, always thinking, ‘What else can you do? How can you get a player to be more effective?'”

As a result of the injuries and dependence on newcomers, the Jayhawks, predictably, have struggled. They’ll head into tonight’s game with an 8-10 overall record, 2-5 in the Big 12. Nebraska is 9-11 and 1-6.

Both of Kansas’ Big 12 victories came over Kansas State, and they’re KU’s only victories in the last nine games.

“I think every practice you just constantly remind each other there’s still some season left,” Washington said. “We have to continue to get better. We’ve had our challenges this season, and for our seniors, especially, it’s been very difficult, but they’ve been remaining as positive as you could expect.”

There are several negatives. Beyond the won-lost record and likelihood Kansas would need to win the Big 12 tournament to play in its ninth straight NCAA Tournament, KU tied then set the school record for most lopsided home loss. And Kansas already has lost four home games; the ignominious school record for home losses in a season is five, set in 1988-89.

“It hasn’t been a problem just because of the number of losses,” Washington said. “It weighs heavily on you. But we’re committed, these players are committed, to working hard to improve. It’s good to see KC (Hilgenkamp) and Dalchon (Brown) coming along. If we continue to make some good progress, by the time we get to Kansas City, we could be playing our best basketball.”

First comes Nebraska, however, which is coming off a 65-58 loss to Missouri.

Casey Leonhardt, a 6-foot-5 senior, leads the Huskers with 13.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. NU’s other four starters average between 6.7 and 8.3 points per game.

“We have to play hard,” Washington said. “If we go out with the attitude we’re going to outwork them, we’ll be fine. They’re real physical, and they get most of their scoring from the paint.”

Washington especially is wary of Greichaly Cepero, a 6-2 freshman forward who joined the team after playing on NU’s national championship volleyball team. Cepero contributes 6.7 points and 5.7 rebounds a game.

“They picked up a great volleyball player who helped them immediately,” Washington said. “She’s been an impact player for them immediately, and they run a lot of things just for her. But it’s not so much them as us. We don’t have a lot of numbers, so everyone has to play at a high level of intensity. If we get everybody playing with great effort, half of our battle is over.”

Kansas will travel to Texas on Saturday.

Jayhawks hope to stop four-game slide against KSU

By Andrew Hartsock     Jan 13, 2001

Jennifer Jackson never before has suffered through a four-game losing streak.

“Never in my life,” said Jackson, Kansas University’s 5-foot-10 senior basketball guard. “It’s not very fun. It weighs on you a little bit. Everything feels bad. We just need to get through it.”

KANSAS STATE (10-4, 0-3)

F Andrea Armstrong, 6-2, Fr.F Kristin Rethman, 5-9, Jr.C Nicole Ohlde, 6-4, Fr.G Shalondra Booker, 5-4, Jr.G Kim Woodlee, 5-8, Sr.

KANSAS (6-7, 0-2)

F Brooke Reves, 6-0, Sr.F Jaclyn Johnson, 6-1, Sr.G KC Hilgenkamp, 5-10, Jr.G Jennifer Jackson, 5-10, Sr.G Selena Scott, 5-6, Jr.

Tipoff: 3:05 p.m. today, Allen Fieldhouse.Live TV: cable channel 50.

The Jayhawks losers of four straight and six of seven will get a chance to play through it today. Kansas (6-7 overall, 0-2 Big 12) will play host to rival Kansas State (10-4, 0-3) at Allen Fieldhouse.

Tipoff is 3:05 p.m., with a live telecast available locally on cable channel 50.

“We look forward to playing Kansas State just because they’re our rivals,” Jackson said. “We’re in a tough losing streak, but throw out the records. We have to take care of our home floor, and that’s something we haven’t done very well.

“You get in a losing streak and you get discouraged. But we’re trying to fight through it. We’ve been in a lot of games. As soon as we find out what’s missing, we’ll be tough to stop.”

K-State is struggling, too, having lost three straight.

“We’ve got to get over this hump, and I think we have a great opportunity,” KU coach Marian Washington said. “We’ve got a great in-state rivalry, a great matchup and we’re at home. We have everything in place.”

They might also have a big crowd on hand. A local bank is sponsoring the game and sold discounted tickets for $1.

“I didn’t even know that,” Washington said. “We had a good crowd for the Baylor game. Hopefully people will keep coming out. This is a young club. We continue to work hard with a positive attitude.”

The Jayhawks will have to work hard beyond the three-point arc today. Kansas State enters as the third best three-point shooting team in the Big 12 after hitting 40.4 percent of its treys. K-State ranks second behind Iowa State in threes made and attempted.

KU is coming off a 67-48 loss to ISU, which beat K-State, 84-58, in the Wildcats’ Big 12 opener.

“In the first half, we held (ISU) to one three-point shot,” Washington said. “In the second half, they got five off. So we’re OK there, but we have to be concerned about their three-point shooters.”

Like ISU, KSU has an inside-outside threat. Nicole Ohlde, a 6-4 freshman, leads the Wildcats with 16.5 points per game, while Kim Woodlee, a 5-8 senior, adds 13.1. Forward Kristin Rethman is right behind at 11 points per game.

Senior forwards Jaclyn Johnson (17.5 ppg) and Brooke Reves (14.5 ppg) lead the Jayhawks.

“We have to be concerned about Woodlee and Rethman, and their freshman center has really done a nice job for them,” Washington said.

Regardless, Jackson likes the head-to-head outlook.

“We match up pretty well,” she said. “We outsize them at every position. We just have to play tough defense. We’ve always started with defense. Once we get back to that, we’ll be OK. Once we get all five people on the floor playing hard for 40 minutes, we’ll be hard to beat.”


Probable Starters

KANSAS STATE (10-4, 0-3)

F Andrea Armstrong, 6-2, Fr.

F Kristin Rethman, 5-9, Jr.

C Nicole Ohlde, 6-4, Fr.

G Shalondra Booker, 5-4, Jr.

G Kim Woodlee, 5-8, Sr.

KANSAS (6-7, 0-2)

F Brooke Reves, 6-0, Sr.

F Jaclyn Johnson, 6-1, Sr.

G KC Hilgenkamp, 5-10, Jr.

G Jennifer Jackson, 5-10, Sr.

G Selena Scott, 5-6, Jr.

Tipoff: 3:05 p.m. today, Allen Fieldhouse. Live TV: cable channel 50.

Jayhawks hope to bounce back against UCSB

By J-W Staff Reports     Dec 31, 2000

? Kansas University’s women’s basketball team is hoping to make some noise in the Thunderdome today.

The 6,000-seat Thunderdome is the home of Cal Santa Barbara’s basketball teams, and the Jayhawks will face a surging UCSB team at 4 p.m., CST.

KANSAS (6-4)

F Brooke Reves, 6-0, Sr.F Jaclyn Johnson, 6-1, Sr.C Kristin Geoffroy, 6-6, Jr.G Jennifer Jackson, 5-10, Sr.G Selena Scott, 5-5, Jr.

UCSB (5-5)

F Nicole Greathouse, 6-2, Sr.F Rachelle Rogers, 6-0, Sr.C Kayte Christensen, 6-3, Jr.G Jess Hansen, 5-8, Soph.G Debby Caine, 5-7, Soph.

Tipoff: 4 p.m. today, Thunderdome, Santa Barbara, Calif.Radio: Jayhawk Network.

The Gauchos are coming off a 78-66 home win last Thursday over No. 23-ranked Virginia. In that game, 5-foot-8 sophomore guard Jess Hansen scored a career-high 26 points. Hansen made six three-point goals.

Kansas (6-4) is coming off Friday’s 81-73 loss to Arizona in Tucson. The Jayhawks made just a little more than a third of their shots. Starters Jaclyn Johnson and Jennifer Jackson were both 3-for-12 from the field.

Cal Santa Barbara (5-5) has also played Arizona. The Gauchos bowed to the Wildcats, 71-63, earlier this month at home.

Kansas played UCSB last year in the championship game of the Jayhawk Classic, winning 76-73. At the time, the Gauchos were ranked No. 9 in the country.

After today, KU will be off until it opens the Big 12 Conference portion of its schedule at 2:05 p.m. next Saturday against Baylor in Lawrence.


MORE:www.kusports.com

Jayhawks hope to bounce back

By Andrew Hartsock     Dec 21, 2000

Mississippi Valley State might be just what Kansas University’s women’s basketball team needs.

Still smarting from a 76-54 loss to Creighton last Saturday tying for the worst margin of defeat in school history the Jayhawks (5-3) will attempt to rebound against MVS (1-5) tonight.

Tipoff is 7:05 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse. A tape-delay broadcast will air at 10:30 tonight on cable channel 6.

Curiously, the Devilettes came to town last year just after the Jayhawks lost to Creighton, and Kansas bounced back with a 97-53, bench-emptying rout.

“There’s no question we need to win,” KU coach Marian Washington said. “But more importantly, we’ve got to play well. It’s even more important that we work hard. We have to maintain our intensity level and make sure nobody outworks us again. We need to get that bad taste out of our mouths.”

The loss to the unranked Bluejays was a bitter pill. The Jayhawks hit just 36.4 percent of their field goals, had 21 turnovers and were outrebounded, 47-32.

“Hopefully, this will be a game we can do a better job defensively,” Washington said. “Mississippi Valley State is similar to some of the teams we’ve already played. They don’t have great size, but they have a lot of athleticism. Hopefully we’ll be more effective on the offensive end of the floor, but defense, especially, hurt us in the last game. We didn’t come back as effectively as we normally have.”

For that, Washington blamed injuries, the Jayhawks’ long layoff and the distraction of finals.

“It helps that we’re coming to the end of finals,” Washington said. “Our schedule wasn’t necessarily the best in terms of the number of games we had to play early, and then we had a game in finals. And we have all these injuries we’re dealing with. But we simply didn’t respond. That’s one thing we’ve been talking about, that we have to be ready to play every game.”

If recent practices are any indication, they’ll be ready tonight.

“They responded very well,” Washington said. “These kids really do want to do well. We just have to respond every game.”

The Jayhawks’ injury situation hasn’t changed much. Nikki White, who did not play against Creighton, remains day-to-day with a pulled hip flexor. Point guard Jennifer Jackson remains hobbled with recurring ankle problems, and point guard Selena Scott still is battling stress fractures in her legs.

“We’re still on and off with Nikki,” Washington said. “We didn’t know until just before the game that she wouldn’t be able to go. That’s tough on her and tough on the team and certainly tough on me not knowing if she’ll be able to go. Hopefully with Jennifer and Selena, they’ll balance each other out. The good news is Dalchon Brown has had lots of problems with her back, but she’s getting stronger. We just have to have everybody playing their best with the challenges we have.”

Mississippi Valley State has its own challenges, specifically youth and absence of height. MVS will start three freshmen, including 6-foot-1 center Tanelia Grays, the only starter taller than 5-11. Grays averages 8 points and 5.8 rebounds a game. Letesha King, a 5-6 junior guard, leads MVS with 12.2 points per game.

The MVS roster lists eight freshmen, three sophomores, three juniors and a senior.


Probable Starters

MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE (1-5)

F Gwendolyn Johnson, 5-9, Fr.

F Beverlee Hill, 5-11, Fr.

C Tenelia Grays, 6-1, Fr.

G Letesha King, 5-6, Jr.

G Shacreta Stewart, 5-7, Sr.

KANSAS (5-3)

F Brooke Reves, 6-0, Sr.

F Fernanda Bosi, 5-11, Jr.

F Jaclyn Johnson, 6-1, Sr.

G KC Hilgenkamp, 5-10, Jr.

G Jennifer Jackson, 5-10, Sr.

Tipoff: 7:05 tonight, Allen Fieldhouse. TV replay: 10:30 tonight, cable channel 6.

Jayhawks hope to duplicate Iowa State’s turnaround

By Andrew Hartsock     Nov 20, 2000

Earl Richardson/Journal-World Photo
Iowa State's Atif Austin, front, and Doug Densmore tackle KU's Reggie Duncan. Kansas lost in its season finale Saturday at Ames, Iowa.

All through the week leading up to Kansas University’s football season finale, coach Terry Allen pointed to the similarities between KU and its final foe, Iowa State.

Immediately after the Cyclones beat the Jayhawks, 38-17, on Saturday at chilly Trice Stadium, Allen pointed to another similarity.

“That Iowa State team a year ago is a lot like we are,” Allen said. “They really rallied the forces. We need to accomplish what they did.”

The Cyclones of 1999 finished 4-7, just like the Jayhawks of 2000, and ISU coach Dan McCarney, who had just finished his fifth bowl-less season, was on thin ice.

Allen, who just completed his fourth bowl-less season, also must be feeling the heat.

By beating Kansas, the bowl-bound Cyclones improved to 8-3 and, with a victory in their first bowl since 1978, would become just the second nine-win team in ISU history.

Kansas can only hope for such a dramatic turnaround.

“Everybody’s gotta work 150 percent so we can beat the teams we’re supposed to beat,” KU junior cornerback Andrew Davison said. “A lot of guys not playing too much were ready to go home. A lot of guys’ minds weren’t where they should have been. All those guys not playing much you’ve got to give it all you’ve got and be on the same page.”

“I think we’re the better team, but a lot of guys weren’t focused. It’s easy to say if we had Iowa State’s schedule, we’d be going to a bowl, but we aren’t.”

Allen said the outcome of Saturday’s finale would be key to Kansas’ offseason, but the Jayhawks insisted the hangover wouldn’t last long.

“It doesn’t help any,” KU junior wide receiver Harrison Hill said. “But I don’t want to say it means bad things for the future. We just have to work like we’ve never worked before. We’re not going to accept losing like this anymore.

“I felt we were ready to play. I thought the guys took pride in the game. We felt decent about it. We knew this game meant something for the future. I didn’t think it would be like this. I thought we’d play better.”

Because they didn’t, the Jayhawks ended the season with a four-game losing streak, their worst skid since 1989.

Kansas lost at ISU because its offense sputtered against one of the worst defenses in the league and its defense surrendered 506 total yards.

“They won the line of scrimmage,” Allen said. “We thought we could run the football on them, but we couldn’t knock them off the ball well enough.”

Iowa State did the knocking on offense, clearing the way for two 100-yard ISU rushers Ennis Haywood (190 rushing yards) and Michael Wagner (102).

“We couldn’t stop the run,” Davison said. “I thought it was like a couple of years ago up here, a repeat of two years ago.”

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