SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Q AND A WITH BOOGAARD
WWW.KANSAN.COM
100
THURSDAY,FEBRUARY 7,2008
TRACK TEAM'S MEET RESULTS
》FOOTBALL
PAGE1B
Mangino uses strong season to build recruiting class
BY ASHER FUSCO
afusco@kansan.com
It has been more than a month since Kansas last won a football game, but the residual effects of the team's 12-1 campaign may have brought the program another victory: a recruiting class made up of junior college standouts and highly toted prep stars.
Kansas signed 20 players to national letters of intent Wednesday. The team signed three junior college transfers, one major college transfer and 16 high school players, including four in-state prep prospects.
"We are pleased with our class overall." Kansas coach Mark Mangino said in a press release. "We have been able to meet
some immediate needs and some long-range needs."
Because of graduation and some early departures for the NFL Draft, the team's most pressing needs are at offensive tackle, running back and punter. Kansas looked to the collegiate ranks in attempts to fill those holes by signing running back Jocques Crawford, offensive tackle Nathan D'Cunha and punter Alonso Rojas.
At the positions already filled by veteran Jayhawks, the coaching staff started building for the future. One of those building blocks could be quarterback Kale Pick, Pick, from Dodge City, decommitted from Arkansas in the middle of the 2007 season in favor of Kansas. The 6-foot-1, 200 pound prospect played just two games this season because of an injury but recorded 1,779 passing yards as a junior. Pick, along with in-state defensive tackle Darius Parish, committed to Kansas after the Jayhawks started piling up victories last season.
"If Kansas was .500, I don't think Kale Pick would have changed his commitment from Arkansas to KU". Rivals.com recruiting analyst Jon Kirby said.
Parish, from Wichita North High School, could see the field early in his collegiate career. With defensive tackle James McClinton out of eligibility, the 325-pound Parish - originally a Nebraska commit - could play in 2008.
Other freshly signed jayhawks that could make contributions early include tight
ends Tim Biere, Tanner Hawkinson and Nick Plato, and wide receiver Daymond Patterson. Four signees - D'Cunha, Pick, Plato and wide receiver Rod Harris - are already on campus for the spring semester.
Mangino's signing day press conference was originally scheduled for Wednesday afternoon but was cancelled because of inclement weather conditions.
—Edited by Samuel Lamb
Dodge City High school senior quarterback Kale Pick walks off the field during the Watermelon scrimmage, in this Aug. 24, 2007 file photo taken at Memorial Stadium in Dodge City. Pick was one of the most highly touted recruits Kansas announced as part of its 2008 signing class Wednesday.
PHOTO COURTESY OF DODGE CITY DAILY GLOBE
》 COMMENTARY
Rush makes a strong comeback after surgery
It was June 1, 2007, weeks before the NBA draft, when junior guard Brandon Rush underwent surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. The injury resulted in Rush withdrawing his name from the NBA draft and returning to Kansas.
On Monday, the men's basketball team defeated Missouri 90-71. Rush had just tied his season high 19 points and 6 rebounds. With the exception of the giant black brace that protects his knee, it's hard to imagine that Rush ever got hurt, but it has been eight months of continuous recovery.
"I'm starting to get back to 100 percent. I'm gonna try and take off the knee brace this week," Rush said after the game. Rush is hoping to take the brace off during practice this week and play without it for Saturday's game against Baylor.
BASEBALL
On media day at Allen Fieldhouse, Rush sat in a chair on the basketball court as reporters swarmed around him. It was several hours before "Late Night in the Phog," and reporters drilled the 6-foot-6 guard with questions on when he was expected to return. Rush had not even fully healed from the injury and was already a preseason All-Big 12 player.
SEE WHEELER ON PAGE 4B
Junior guard Brandon Rush grabs an offensive rebound in the first half of the game against Missouri at Allen Fieldhouse.
Jon Goering/KANSAN
Preston Land earned himself All-Big 12 preseason honors after he demolished pitchers in his freshman season, but struggled greatly in his sophomore campaign. After taking the summer off, Land expects to return to his freshman form this
Rachel Sevmour/KANSAN
Making good on lost potential
KU infielder works to regain stellar form after struggling in sophomore season
BY SHAWN SHROYER
shroyer@kansan.com
Baseball has always been a redemptive game.
Each new day brings with it the opportunity to exorcise yesterday's demons. A 3-for-4 game with a home run and five RBI puts an 0-for-4, three-strikeout performance the day before in the rearview mirror for any hitter.
However, when Kansas' 2007 season
ended with a 4-2 loss to Nebraska, there was no tomorrow to improve its 28-30 record or improve its 9th place ranking in the Big 12 standings. Nor was there another game for first baseman Preston Land to receive salvation for a woeful season. Land went 0-for-1 that day and his average dropped from an already underwhelming .208 to .206.
"He really had a disappointing sophomore year and I don't think anybody was more disappointed in his performance than
For the season, Land had the lowest batting average and RBI total (27) of Kansas' regular starters. He was next-to-last in home runs (4), strikeouts (53), slugging percentage (.355) and on-base percentage (.346) among Kansas starters. But things hadn't always been so rough for Land.
he was," Kansas coach Ritch Price said.
As a freshman, Land started 49 games for the Jayhawks and — with just four more at bats than he had last season — hit
.314 with nine home runs, 33 RBI, a .572 slugging percentage and a .422 on-base percentage. Having posted such impressive numbers for a freshman, Land was named preseason All-Big 12 by Baseball America in 2007. However, Land's sophomore season never got on track as he hovered around the Mendoza Line most of the spring.
SEE LAND ON PAGE 5B
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Foul trouble forces Arthur to work in limited minutes
BY MARK DENT
mdent@kansan.com
The lanky freshman forward scored on offensive rebounds, popped in a couple three-pointers and reminded Russell Robinson of Wayne Simien. He had 21 points that November night last season and that was just the first game for Darrell Arthur.
After that debut, people started to learn about his nickname, Shady. It was a shortened version of Slim Shady, and fans and teammates wanted to know if they'd seen the real Slim Shady.
More than a year later, has anyone seen the real Slim Shady? The best way to describe Arthur's game is well, shady, or at least inconsistent. Sometimes he scores at will. Sometimes he disappears for long stretches. Sometimes he attacks the offensive glass. Sometimes he doesn't grab a board. About
the only thing he does consistently is foul, and the foul trouble is keeping him from building consistency in all the other areas.
Arthur insists he's working at eliminating the fools.
Most of the buzz around KU basketball at the beginning of the season was about Arthur. Self called him the most improved player. Teammates were wowed by his offensive performances during workouts.
"I'm trying," he said.
"He's just amazing," junior guard Brandon Rush said. "He scores non-stop."
A breakout season seemed like a guarantee. Self even said that the offense would be at its best when it went through Arthur. But 23 games into the season, Arthur has yet to develop consistently into a consistent offensive or rebounding force.
Mindy Ricketts/KANSAN
SEE ARTHUR ON PAGE 4B
Players on the Kansas bench cheer during the Missouri game Monday night at Allen Fieldhouse. Sophomore forward Darrell Arthur has played limited minutes in two out of the last three games because of foul trouble.
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