THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 19.2005
WWW.KANSAN.COM
UNSPORTSMANLIKE
PAGE 1B
CONDUCT
MZILLMAN@KANSAN.COM
Mangino left with few QB options
Kansas football coach Mark Mangino may have four players to choose from at quarterback, but in reality his options are limited.
The Jayhawks banked on junior quarterback Adam Barmann leading the charge this season and were left with an IOU. Now, in his fourth season at the helm, Mangino is forced to turn to a fifth-year senior who is also a Terry Allen recruit.
The failure of the Jayhawks to recruit another junior college quarterback as an insurance policy for Barmann has proven to be costly. The most successful quarterback of the Mangino era has been junior college transfer Bill Whittemore, who ranks fourth in career total yardage at Kansas.
Senior Jason Swanson could be a nice supplement to the quarterback carousel, but this season he has worn a baseball cap more than a helmet. Last year's prized recruit, freshman Marcus Herford, who some labeled as the KU quarterback of the future, is now a backup wide receiver. That has left Kansas with Brian Luke, a senior quarterback who showed some flashes of brilliance last season but has struggled this year.
Next season, it appears that redshirt freshman Kerry Meier will have to shoulder the load. Using Oklahoma's Rhett Bomar as a measuring stick, Meier will need time to learn a Division I system. Keep in mind that Bomar was the No. 1 quarterback prospect in the nation two years ago, but the redshirt freshman is currently dwindling at 11th place in Big 12 passing vards.
Quigley, like Meier, is taking a redshirt. When looking ahead to next season, the Jayhawks' backfield contenders will likely consist of junior Jon Cornish, freshman Gary Green, and Quigley. There is good potential in that group, but the Jayhawks need a star.
The running back situation is also bleak for the Jayhawks next season. They will lose dependable Clark Green, who is currently seventh in career rushing yards at Kansas. The Jayhawks tied for second to last in the conference for the smallest number of running backs in a recruiting class. Angus Quigley was the only running back signed.
Making matters worse, the Jayhawks will be able to sign only three junior college players for next season and the 2007 season because of self-imposed sanctions.
Three junior college recruits would be the lowest total of any Mark Mangino recruiting class. With Kansas obviously needing immediate offensive help for next year, along with the losses on the defensive side of the ball, the three-junior-college-player limit will be devastating.
Mangino has taken great strides in upgrading the talent level at Kansas. Nevertheless, because of the lack of junior college help this season and the restrictions for the next two seasons, the jayhawks won't have the luxury of junior college transfers to back up Kerry Meir and the running game next season.
- Zillman is a Leavenworth senior in journalism.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Sophomore guard Rodrick Stewart sat out part of last season after transferring from USC. He will be eligible to play for the Jayhawks on Dec. 16.
Stewart's on the ball
After a year, sophomore guard ready to play for Jayhawks
BY MIRANDA LENNING
mlenning@kansan.com
KANSAN SENIOR SOCCER WRITER
Sitting in class, it's hard for Rodrick Stewart to pay attention to what the professor
is saying. Visions of himself in a white No. 5 Kansas jersey, throwing down a monster dunk in front of a packed Allen Fieldhouse crowd, flash in and out of his mind. These days, Stewart always thinks about basketball.
For someone in the prime of his college career, a year without playing ball is a long time.
"I think about it every day, just sitting in class or in my room," said Stewart, sophomore guard. "I just doze off and think about when my time is going to come that I get to step on the court for the first time."
That time will come when the Jayhawks tip off against Pepperdine on Dec. 19. The NCAA's transfer rule requires athletes such as Stewart, who transferred to Kansas from Southern California at the end of the fall semester last year, to sit out a full academic year. After sitting out the spring semester of 2005, Stewart can become eligible at the end of the fall semester. The last day of finals is Dec. 16.
One year ago, Stewart went through the motions as a member of the Trojans basketball team. After starting 17 of 27 games and averaging four points and two rebounds his freshman season, Stewart said he got into a slump.
He weighed his options in the offseason. Staying at USC meant he would get to be close to his
twin brother, Lodrick, who also plays for the Trojans. Transferring might give him the opportunity to start over again.
Immediately after Stewart announced that he would transfer after the Trojans' exhibition season, the recruiting began. Stewart visited Kansas for its game against St. Joseph's on Nov. 23 and immediately knew he wanted to be a jav Hawk.
"I went home and talked to my dad, and he had watched Kansas and coach Self, and we decided it would be the best thing for me." Stewart said.
Although it was difficult for Stewart to leave his brother, he
decided that it was best for both of them.
"I thought it would be good for me and my brother to split up and grow into two different people," Stewart said. "Plus, this is what was best for me. I needed a school that was better fit for me."
Stewart, who has been friends with sophomore center C.J Giles since the seventh grade in Seattle, already knew most of the guys on the team before he transferred. In addition to Giles, he had played ball with Aaron Miles and Mike Lee since he was little.
SEE BALL ON PAGE 3B
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Jared Soares/KANSAN
Junior college transfer Shaquina Mosley is a preseason Newcomer of the Year in the Bg 12 conference.
'Shaq' wins award
Junior point guard Shaquina Mosley was named Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year in a poll of the Conference basketball coaches.
Her team won the National Junior College championship last year. Mosley was named the junior College/Community College Player of the Year.
Mosley transferred to Kansas from Central Arizona Community College.
Kansas women's basketball coach Bonnie Hendrickson said Mosley was initially worried about whether she would be able to fulfill expectations.
Mosley will share time at point guard this season with freshman Ivana Catic.
"I don't need her to live up to any title," Henrickson said. "I need her to run an offense
and work to be one of the best defenders we have."
Senior forward Crystal Kemp was also selected as preseason All-Big 12 Conference.
Senior forward Sophia Young, who plays for defending national champion Baylor, was the preseason Player of the Year.
Kemp is one of three seniors returning to the team. She said she was pleased at the talent of this year's recruiting class, and that it would allow her to rest more.
-Michael Phillips
VOLLEYBALL
Player says losing must end
Season-ending injury causes readjustments on the fly
BY MATT WILSON
mwilson@kansan.com
KANSAN STAFF WRITER
Since a season-ending injury to junior outside hitter Jana Correa, the schedule has been anything but kind to the Jayhawk volleyball team and its record shows it.
K an s a s record has dropped to 12-6 overall and 4-5 in the Big 12 Conference.
Kansas just concluded a brutal part of its conference schedule, in
which they lost to nationally ranked opponents Kansas State, Nebraska and Missouri.
Senior outside hitter Paula Caten said the Jayhawks still thought they could be a factor in the conference and national championship picture, despite their recent swoon.
"Hope is the last thing that we are going to lose," she said.
Kansas volleyball coach Ray Bechard said his team needed improve on serving and passing in order to stop its losing skid and achieve the goals it set at
the beginning of the year.
"It's been difficult for us to maintain consistency all around," he said.
Iowa State comes to town as one of biggest surprises in the conference.
Under new coach Christy Johnson, it defeated 18th-ranked Texas back in September and has won on the road at Oklahoma and
Oklahoma and Baylor.
After finishing last in the league a season ago, the Cyclones are 12-8 and in fifth place in the Big 12 with a 5-4 conference record.
The five conference victories are an alltime high for the Cyclones program.
"We've got to work to improve on our serving and passing. It's been difficult for us to maintain consistency all around."
Ray Bechard KU volleyball coach
worried about where it would finish in the Big 12 standings as much as making a push into the NCAA tournament.
Iowa State is led by its defense. It has held opponents to a 191 hitting percentage this season.
"They will be a tough team," Caten said. "All of the teams in the Big 12 are hard to play. We have to respect everyone, but we have a lot of confidence."
Iowa State appears to be in position to make the tournament as well.
The Cyclones are second in the Big 12 with 3.14 blocks per game.
The Jayhawks can tie the Cyclones in the conference with a victory.
Caten said the team was not
Reputation, however, may keep them on the outside when the season is finished.
The Cyclones have only
have only qualified for the NCAA tournament once in school history
— a 1995 appearance that ended with a second-round loss.
Caten said the Jayhawks haven't had a chance to get used to the new lineup the injury to Correa forced.
The quality
or the opponents the Jayhawks have faced since her loss have made it difficult to adjust on the fly.
"It's a new team, basically." Caten said. "I'm playing Jana's position, everyone is moving around. It's been hard."
She said it was time to get it figured out before the season slipped away.
"We have to forget about the injury and keep working," she said. "We really want to beat Iowa State. We can't lose anymore."
- Edited by Jonathan Kealing