Scott McClurg/Journal-World PhotoSt. Louis ? Bill Self’s first two trips to the Elite Eight ended in heartbreak.
“As a young guy, I was absolutely crushed when it didn’t happen,” said Self, Kansas University’s first-year head coach, whose Tulsa team lost to North Carolina, 59-55, in 2000 in Austin, Texas, and whose Illinois squad fell to Arizona, 87-81, in 2001 in San Antonio.
Still relatively young, the 41-year-old Self hopes the third time is a charm today when his fourth-seeded Kansas Jayhawks (24-8) meet third-seeded Georgia Tech (26-9) in an NCAA Tournament Elite Eight game at 1:40 p.m. at Edward Jones Dome.
For Self, reaching the Final Four is a career goal.
“It would mean a lot, obviously,” Self said. “To all coaches it means a lot personally, because everybody busts their tail to put themselves in this position. I think it could do wonders just to be able to sell that, and I think you could really reap the benefits of that (in recruiting).”
The Jayhawks, who have blown out Illinois-Chicago (78-53), Pacific (78-63) and UAB (100-74) in the NCAAs and have won seven of eight games, are confident they can advance to the program’s third straight Final Four.
“We’ve been to the Final Four several times, but coach hasn’t been and he wants this as much as we do,” senior forward Jeff Graves said. “I expect him to be doing his dance in the locker room and doing his Jayhawk thing. And no, he can’t dance very well.”
Self already has accomplished a lot in his 11-year head-coaching career. He’s one of three coaches to have led three schools to the Elite Eight — joining Eddie Sutton (Arkansas, Kentucky, Oklahoma State) and Gene Bartow (Memphis, UCLA, UAB).
“I watched SportsCenter last night. Coach Self is the only coach to get three teams to the Elite Eight in five years,” KU junior Keith Langford said. “We all want to win. It’s not about getting a certain individual to the Final Four. A lot more is riding on this than individual accolades.”
Yet, the Jayhawks want to take care of their general.
“If he goes to the Final Four, it means I go back,” KU junior Michael Lee. “I do want to play hard for coach and get him there. I know he wants it.”
The Jayhawks realize it won’t be easy against Georgia Tech, which also has won seven of eight.
The Yellow Jackets, who have beaten Nevada (72-67), Boston College (57-54) and Northern Iowa (65-60) in the NCAA Tournament, are 16-1 against teams not in the ACC. The only loss to a non-league foe was an 83-80 double-overtime decision Jan. 3 at rival Georgia.
“Beating them would give instant credibility to the fact we are legitimate,” Langford said. “They beat the most talented team in the country in Connecticut (77-61 in Preseason NIT). They’ve accomplished a lot this season.”
Included is a 76-68 win March 3 over Duke that snapped the Devils’ 41-game home-court winning streak. Tech also busted Wake Forest’s 24-game home winning streak Jan. 20, 73-66.
“You’ve got to be tough to go into Cameron and win,” Self said of winning in Duke’s arena.
“I’ve watched them all along,” Langford said. “I’ve seen them on ESPN. I played with Jarrett Jack (sophomore guard, 12.2 ppg) during the summertime. They’ve got some of the best guards in the country. From a perimeter-guard standpoint, it’s going to be the best team we’ve played all year.”
B.J. Elder, a 6-foot-4 junior who sprained his ankle early in Friday’s Sweet 16 win over Nevada, had soreness but no swelling in his ankle Saturday and likely will play today.
“That could be a positive for their team,” Langford said. “He is one of their top scorers and they could have folded. They didn’t. It’s a sign of how deep they are and how determined they are.”
The Yellow Jackets also have a true center in 7-1 junior Luke Schenscher, who averages 8.7 points and 6.4 boards.
“We’ll probably start off with J.G. (Graves) and David Padgett on him,” Simien said. “If it comes down to it, I’ll guard him, too. I think the two teams match up evenly. This will be one of the toughest guard matchups we’ll have to face. I think it’ll be a great game.”
Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt said he wanted the game to be in the 80s, which is OK with the Jayhawks.
“That must mean they want it up-tempo,” KU’s Lee said. “We like that style, too. It should be a fun game if that’s what they want to do.”
KU coach Self sees it as perhaps KU’s toughest test of the season. Eight Wake players average more than 18 minutes a game.
“They are so athletic and they’ve got a big guy that can alter and block in the middle and then the perimeter positions are interchangeable,” Self said. “They have depth. They are a team that believes in not letting their opponent get in comfort zones. They are as athletic as any team around.”
HILO, Hawaii ? For the second straight year, the Kansas University baseball team will kick off its season on the Big Island against the University of Hawaii-Hilo.
The squads play a doubleheader at 9 CST tonight at Wong Stadium, kicking off a five-day, seven-game series.
“We’re trying to use that trip just like a spring-training trip would be for a professional club,” second-year KU coach Ritch Price said. “It guarantees that we’re going to get outside. It guarantees we’re going to play in warm weather. Our goal is to get better each of the seven days that we’re there.”
Keeping with that theme, KU’s strategy is largely unscripted. The team has not named a starting pitcher for any of the games. Price said many of the decisions would be made on game days during three-hour morning practices.
Although no starter has been named, all of the Jayhawks’ pitchers expect to see action.
“Right now, we’re going to start out with alternating guys in there, platooning guys,” senior right-hander Chris Smart said. “For now it’s going to be a little mix and matching.”
“We need to get better (in Hawaii). I think that’s the whole thing. The coaches said it’s like our spring training, but it’s a spring training where the record counts, so each game we need to improve.”
In addition to pitching, KU will use the Hilo series to work out other kinks. The Jayhawks have three new starters in the field — left fielder Andy Scholl, center fielder J.C. Sibley and catcher Sean Richardson — who must jell with five starting fielders. Price also will juggle his batting lineup to find a cohesive group that can steadily produce runs.
“By no means are we underestimating Hilo, but we go down there and we know we’ve got some things we’ve got to work on,” senior first-baseman Ryan Baty said. “We’ve got to get those things done in game situations.”
The Hawaii trip last year quickly put the Jayhawks on the national map, and they used that momentum to create a buzz the rest of the season.
Ryan Baty, a 2004 Preseason All-American, was named National Hitter of the Week following the trip and continued his scorching streak throughout the season. Third baseman Travis Metcalf garnered the same honor the following week. The Jayhawks cracked the Top 25 two weeks later.
Price said he had similar expectations for this year’s trip.
“It’s certainly an opportunity to make a name for ourselves, to get off to a good start, and get a chance to get ourselves nationally ranked, too,” he said.
Reno, Nev. ? There’s one question on the minds of many Kansas University men’s basketball fans entering tonight’s KU-UC Santa Barbara game: What’s a Gaucho?
“I think it’s a Spanish cowboy, but I’m not totally sure,” KU freshman forward David Padgett said.
Almost.
Padgett, whose dad, Pete, worked as a UCSB Gaucho assistant during the 2000-01 season, nearly identified a Gaucho. According to the UC Santa Barbara Web site, it is a “Cowboy of the South American pampas.”
It’s something else, too.
A Gaucho is a basketball player for a Big West Conference school intent on shocking No. 6-ranked KU tonight.
Tipoff for the first game of the Wolf Pack Classic is 7:05 p.m. at Lawlor Events Center. The University of Nevada will play Alabama State at 9:30 p.m.
Sunday, the matchups change, and KU will tangle with Nevada at 9:30 p.m., after a 7:05 p.m. battle between Alabama State and UC Santa Barbara.
“I don’t know a lot about them,” KU junior Wayne Simien said of the Gauchos, “but I know they are one of the top teams in their league, and they will be fired up to play us. We’re one of the highest-ranked teams in the country. Everybody’s trying to make their season trying to beat us.”
  Jayhawks hoping to solve Gauchos Padgetts familiar with Kansas foes Roster Schedule Notebook Live updates via cell phone |
The Gauchos, the preseason pick to win the Big West Conference, certainly won’t be intimidated playing tradition-rich KU tonight.
That’s because UC Santa Barbara (5-2) defeated UCLA, 61-60, Wednesday night at tradition-rich Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles. A year ago, Santa Barbara beat Pac-10 member USC for the first time in school history.
“UC Santa Barbara has a good team,” KU coach Bill Self said. “They beat San Diego by 20 the other night. Coach (Bob) Williams does a great job with them.”
Williams’ Gauchos celebrated the return of Preaseason Big West player of the year Branduinn Fullove by pounding San Diego, 90-70, Saturday in Santa Barbara.
Fullove, a 6-4 senior forward from Simi Valley, Calif., averaged 14.6 points off 46.3 percent shooting a year ago. He hit 53 of 128 threes en route to winning conference player of the year and honorable mention All-America honors.
This year, Fullove, who was out with an ankle injury, has hit two of 12 shots while averaging just five points in two games.
“Branduinn is trying to take his game to a different level,” said Williams, who is in his sixth season at Santa Barbara. “He is a great passer. He’s not average. He’s great. He can affect a lot of games with his passing ability, and he is primed to step up and take off to the next level.”
UC Santa Barbara has double-digit scorers in Cecil Brown, a 6-4 sophomore and Casey Cook, a 6-8 junior, who average 11 and 10.6 points a game respectively.
The point guard is four-year starter Jacoby Atako, who averages 8.7 points and has 22 assists and 17 turnovers.
He was last year’s Big West defensive player of the year.
“I think Jacoby is the most confident he’s been,” Williams said. “He’s more comfortable than he’s ever been, and he seems to exude a comfort level that will allow him to excel more at both ends of the floor.”
The Gauchos have nobody taller than 6-9 on the roster. Nick Jones, a 6-4 senior, who averaged 12.4 points a game a year ago, is out until Sunday’s game against Alabama State for playing in an unsanctioned league in Mexico last summer.
Stepping up against UCLA was Cook, who scored a game-high 15 points, including two free throws with 18 seconds left. His steal with 2.4 seconds to play wrapped up the victory, UC Santa Barbara’s first against UCLA after 18 straight losses.
The outcome didn’t shock KU coach Self.
“I’ve watched them a lot on film. They are fundamentally sound, well coached, trap the post a lot, don’t beat themselves,” Self said of the Gauchos, who have beaten UCLA, Hawaii, Pepperdine, Westmont and San Diego and lost to Saint Mary’s and SE Missouri State. “They’ve been shorthanded without Fullove and will be even better as he gets healthy.”
Cell phone updates