4D THE WICHITA EAGLE „ SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2008 WWW.KANSAS.

COM/SPORTS

New coach keeps team busy BEASLEY

From Page 1D

S
hel Silverstein wrote the
book “The Giving Tree”
and the song “A Boy
Named Sue.”
One of those works is
required reading for members
of the Wichita State women’s
basketball team this summer,
and it’s not the one involving a
deadbeat dad and a bar fight.
New coach Jody Adams can’t
work with her team on the
court this summer; she is
keeping them busy in other
ways.
The reading list is one of her
attempts to get know her play-
ers and help
them prepare
for a season
with a new
coaching staff
and new
expectations.
It’s been hec-
tic since she
was hired in
Adams late March.
July is a busy
recruiting month. In August,
Adams will make an in-home
visit to each of her players.
Among other items, they will
talk about the books and a
journal the players are keeping.
“It provides great communi-
cation back and forth,” Adams
said about the journals, an idea
borrowed from Texas coach
Gail Goestenkors. “It gives me
a little bit more insight into
them.”
The other required books are
“The Choice is Yours” and
“Teamwork Makes the Dream
Work” by John Maxwell, who
writes about leadership. The
Shockers will need intangibles
working in their favor to
progress after a 9-22 season in
2007-08.
“You have choices,” Adams
said. “The choices right now
are, are we going to stay at the
bottom or are we going to
make the choice to work and
move this program?”
The Shockers will all be in
town in July for class, condi-
tioning and pickup basketball.
That’s a requirement, and a
different policy than the
previous coaching staff’s laid-
back attitude toward summer
vacation.
The month starts with a team
meeting Friday. Among the
items on the agenda are
Adams’ 12 non-negotiables and
five fundamentals of a great
program. They will discuss the
importance of promptness,
dress and academics. They
will discuss cell phones and
iPods (off in meetings and
the training room), Facebook
and MySpace pages (allowed
and monitored by staff mem-
bers) and fake nails (not
allowed).
“Being a member of this
team is not an entitlement,”
Adams said. “It is earned.”
Players will work with train-
er Jackie Ansley for two days in
late July. Ansley, from
Knoxville, Tenn., works with
numerous WNBA players and
college teams on strength and
agility drills.
“She’s basketball specific,
and I think the greatest
improvement you can see in
this group of women is in their
strength and conditioning
level,” Adams said.
Adams plans two or three
additions to the roster,
although she will not release
Conference titles and two relatives reconnecting on such a joyous occa-
NCAA appearances. sion — almost like a barbecue, or reminiscent
“Everybody thought for sure of some weddings, at least those weddings
I was the guy at Iowa,” he said. more or less organized by parents for their own
The BCS schools offer more benefit.
money and higher profiles. Again, that was Smith’s idea.
That doesn’t make them a Beasley had his own.
PAUL SUELLENTROP dream job for Lamb. Big
budgets for basketball and
His 4-year-old sister, the precocious Tiffany,
sips lemonade well into the evening, the neces-
football doesn’t necessarily sary sugar to fuel a rare late-night romp. Some
WSU NOTES mean volleyball is a high adults should have done the same, unable to
priority. stifle their yawns.
their names until everything is “I’ve got a lot of friends at “We can’t find Mike,” his mother says.
final. If it all falls into place, the shiny places, and they’re not It’s almost 12:30 a.m., and the ESPN Zone
roster will grow with two comfortable with their own manager, or someone who looks as if he were
guards (one a transfer who will boss,” he said. “I’m starting to in charge, hovers. Closing time is near, but the
sit out a season) and a power realize how important that is.” main draw hasn’t showed. Associated Press
forward. Smith peers out one of the large windows Michael Beasley poses for cameras with
“We’re still having to work Baseball stuff _ WSU short- overlooking Broadway, looking for her son. NBA commissioner David Stern on Thursday
with some academic things,” stop Dusty Coleman went 1 for Earlier, a family member alerted Smith to the night after being selected by the Miami Heat
she said. “We want to make 3 in his Cape Cod League debut neon scroll across the street — “MIAMI TAKES with the No. 2 pick.
sure everybody is here and aca- for Bourne (Mass.) on BEASLEY SECOND” — and, being the senti-
demically fit.” Thursday. mental type she probably won’t admit she is, uation” was messed up. Truth is, Beasley
Coleman, a junior, was she smiled. secured the use of a Mercedes Maybach, a lux-
She knows the way — WSU not selected for the U.S. She’s not smiling now, though. She’s on her ury vehicle listed at $415,000. Actually, he’d
will open Adams’ first season National team after playing in cell phone, concern all over her face. A room reserved two, but one was dinged in an acci-
against Colorado State on Nov. its two-week trials earlier this full of relatives is still waiting for Beasley’s big dent during the day. So, he had to settle for a
15 at Koch Arena. month. entrance, and a party isn’t quite a party with- couple of Rolls-Royce Phantoms.
CSU coach Kristen Holt may „ Two walk-ons are expect- out the guest of honor. His pal, Kevin Durant, all long legs and
know the building better than ed to join the Shockers this fall, The buffet trays, where everyone helped limbs, strides in. The reigning NBA Rookie of
Adams. She spent four seasons both from junior colleges. themselves to chicken wings, pasta and other the Year receives some applause, but, oddly, he
as a WSU assistant under Jane First baseman Mike Williams, assorted munchies earlier in the evening, are isn’t quite a household name here, despite
Albright. She left WSU last from Kapaun Mount Carmel, deconstructed. Jackets are snatched off chairs growing up in the same neighborhood.
summer to become an assistant played last spring at Northern and wrapped around cold, bare shoulders. A “Now who’s that again?” asks Beasley’s
at CSU. She moved to the first Oklahoma-Enid. He hit a team- few people start to leave. cousin.
chair this spring after the best .415 with 12 doubles, But then. . . . Told Durant accomplished what Beasley
school fired Jen Warden after a eight home runs and 43 RBIs. “There he goes — right there,” an aunt says. accomplished but one year earlier, the cousin’s
4-28 season. He redshirted two years at Beasley saunters in, and he looks spent. In a eyes widen. How improbable, she says, failing
WSU also plays Oral Garden City Community contrast from a few hours before at the WaMu to take into account both Maryland natives
Roberts, Kent State and College and will be a sopho- Theater at Madison Square Garden, he refuses were also selected No. 2 in consecutive drafts.
Appalachian State and in a more at WSU. to smile — not because he isn’t happy, but But he’s not legal, either, which explains why
tournament at Memphis with Reliever Ryan Scoles, a because he can’t summon the energy. he was tagging along with Beasley, who could
Stephen F. Austin and junior from Hutchinson Bruce Shingler spent the past season as an have used a Red Bull. He could have been a
Jacksonville State. Community College, went 4-2 administrative assistant at K-State. He will (Chicago) Bull, but their choice was Derrick
“We plays six games in 15 with five saves for the Blue spend the next season as Beasley’s right-hand Rose instead. Then, it seemed like he wouldn’t
days, all in November,” Adams Dragons. He struck out 32 and man, the person who will handle most of the be a member of the Heat, either. He said
said. “It will tell us right off walked 12 in 24Ð innings. day-to-day details in the rookie’s life. He is Thursday he wasn’t sure what was going to
where we are.” Scoles went to Andover asked if Beasley is, in fact, as beat as he seems. happen, how he felt he’d worked out well for
Central. “He is,” Shingler says. the Heat but still couldn’t be sure until his
Popular choice — The col- „ WSU sophomore Ryan Beasley poses for a photo, which turns into name was called. How it was one of the longest
lege openings thread on the Engrav played three games in two, which turns into a line. More demands days of his life.
prepvolleyball.com discussion Cuba with the Santa Barbara from extended family follow, including bizarre And it wasn’t quite over.
board is 739 pages. Most of (Calif.) Foresters earlier this requests for Beasley’s autograph, specifically “I’m tired, man,” he says, signing yet another
them seem to include WSU month. Engrav is catching for on the cover of the recent issue of ESPN The autograph.
coach Chris Lamb’s name. the Foresters, who lost all three Magazine, where he’s captured lounging in a He lasts 15 minutes. Shingler signals to
He is seen as the perfect games to the Cuban national chair wearing a suit and untied Chuck Taylors. Beasley, who looks at Durant, and, after a
choice to move to almost every team. Engrav was hitting .344 The suit he wore earlier in the evening has quick embrace with his mother, he’s finished.
BCS school with a vacant job. through 12 games and was sec- been ditched in favor of a crisp denim suit, It’s all he can muster.
Georgia. Iowa State, which did- ond on the team with eight dripping with the requisite ice — the massive He’s gone, but his night isn’t necessarily over.
n’t even need a coach. Iowa, RBIs. diamond-encrusted watch on his wrist proba- Seems some situations, regardless of fatigue,
which seemed like a perfect fit bly cost more than his mother earned last year are simply unavoidable.
because his Shannon Lamb, his Worth noting _ Former WSU as the front-desk supervisor at the largest pri- “We’re going to the 40-40 Club,” Shingler
wife and assistant coach, is women’s coach Darryl Smith is mary care provider in Manhattan, Kan. Not to explains as he walks after Beasley, referring to
from the state. The latest one of five finalists for the job mention his fancy necklace, from which hangs the trendy nightclub owned by rap mogul Jay-Z.
rumor connects him to at NCAA Division II Alaska- a small, drum-like container that appears to
Arkansas. Recently, an Fairbanks. . . . Heptathlete feature tiny loose diamonds inside. Jeffrey Martin covers Kansas State sports. Reach him
Arkansas administrator called Chris Dickman (second team) Shingler says they’re late because “the car sit- at 316-269-6763 or jmartin@wichitaeagle.com.
him and they talked for a few and distance runner Scott Reed
minutes. (third team) were named to ©2008 Porsche Cars North America, Inc. Porsche recommends seat belt usage and observance of traffic laws at all times.
Nothing more. the ESPN The Magazine
“I’m not interested in it,” he Academic All-America
said. “They wanted me to send teams.æ.æ.æ. Evansville will play
in a resume, and I’ve never three games against North
done that. I don’t think I’ll be Carolina in the next four sea-
hearing from anyone in Pig sons. Evansville goes to Chapel
Sooie land.” Hill Dec. 18 and in the 2011-12
Lamb is used to the routine. season. In 2010-11, the Tar
He said he gets three or four Heels visit Evansville. North
calls each summer inquiring Carolina recruit Tyler Zeller is
about his interest in a job. So from Washington, Ind., and
far, he is happy at Wichita coach Roy Williams traditional-
State, where in nine seasons he ly schedules a game near the
has three Missouri Valley home of players.
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