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Volume 126 Issue 1,000,000
kansan.com
Tuesday, April 1, 2014
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
COMMENTARY
Soft schedule to blame for tournament loss
By Teddy Fiddles sports@kansan.com
D disappointed and frustrated after another early tournament exit, Bill Self pondered what he could have done to change things. Self knew the answer was obvious.
"I don't feel like we prepared ourselves for March," Self said. "Our schedule was just too easy."
Kansas notably played Louisiana Monroe, Towson and Iona. Self said he was embarrassed that he even played teams that did not play in the NCAA Tournament.
"Look at our schedule," Self said. "We played TCU twice. We played Texas Tech twice. How do you justify that?"
Even some of the more difficult games on Kansas' schedule failed to adequately challenge the Jayhawks. The "prize" of the schedule, Duke, failed to even advance past the first round of the tournament.
"Before the season, we called Mercer," said Athletic Director Sheahon Zenger. "They refused to schedule us. They wanted to know what we brought to the table. Instead, we had to settle for the Blue Devils."
According to sources, Mercer demanded that Kansas assistant coach Jerrance Howard teach its players how to dance the "Nae Nae." Howard adamantly refused.
Self was not the only one to decry Kansas' lackluster schedule. Many respected minds across the nation agreed.
Madden was asked to elaborate, but became distant and ornery after failing to complete the word search.
"In order to have a schedule, you've got to play people," Madden said as he teetered back and forth in his rocking chair, all the while filling out the puzzles on the back of a Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal box. "You've got to have an opponent in order to have a game."
"Kansas' schedule was too easy," ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith said. "I have many friends in the industry. I have more friends in the industry than you probably have friends total. And they all think Self needs to schedule harder games."
Former NFL coach and color commentator John Madden weighed in, too.
id disagree was Dick Valine.
"Kansas scheduled Duke.
What more can you ask?" Valine said. "Duke saved my life. Duke saved my marriage. Duke finally taught me what it meant to love."
"The Jayhawks seemed afraid to play the power teams," Skip Bayless proclaimed, scantily clad in a cut-off Tim Tebow jersey. "Did they play Kentucky? Did they play Syracuse? No they did not. Quite simply, they were afraid."
The only notable sportscaster to disagree was Dick Vitale.
Self and Zenger have been involved in close conversations to see that history does not repeat itself. For the 2014-15 season, Kansas has already scheduled Arizona, Kentucky, Michigan State, North Carolina, the 1996 Chicago Bulls, and the MonStars from "Space Jam."
Kansas also deleted TCU from the schedule. Upon TCU coach Trent Johnson's protest, Self reportedly replied, "What are you going to do about it, Trent?" Johnson had no response. Self hasn't made a decision with regard to Texas Tech, but is screening coach Tubby Smith's calls anyway.
Self has made one thing clear: If Kansas disappoints next year, it will not be because of a soft schedule again.
SUNSHINE MAGEE/KANSAN
Freshman guard Wayne Selden Jr. brushes off Oklahoma State sophomore guard Marcus Smart resulting in a technical foul during the second half. Smart announced Monday that he will transfer to the University of Kansas to play for the Jayhawks next season. "I didn't want the rest of my college career to be a flop," Smart said.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
FLYNN GREY III sports@kansan.com
"There's nowhere better to play basketball than the University of Kansas," Smart told reporters. "I just want to finish up my college career wherever gives me the best chance to win."
Few were surprised when Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins announced his intentions to enter the NBA draft on Monday, but no one could have anticipated the announcement that would follow. Sophomore Marcus Smart held a press conference only hours later, publicizing his decision to transfer to Kansas for the following season.
Smart's mother, told the Kansan on Monday night that
Marcus had grown discontent with his situation at Oklahoma State after being benched for an altercation with a fan in February. Smart's mother said Marcus would call her almost nightly during his suspension to express his frustration with the team's handling and lack of support after he was seen pushing a Texas Tech fan on national television.
It was at this time that Kansas coach Bill Self developed his relationship with Smart. To avoid NCAA recruiting violations, the two communicated primarily through Snapchat.
"Coach Self was there for Marcus when no one else was," Smart's mother told reporters. "Everytime Marcus opened his phone, he could expect at least two or three
Self-ies with positive messages like, 'haters=motivators' and 'believe in usrself.'
While Self kept his praise of Smart private, he's never been shy about his frustration with his own point guards. After
"I just want to finish up my career wherever gives me the best chance to win."
MARCUS SMART Sophomore guard
Smart led his Cowboys to a victory over the Jayhawks in Allen Fieldhouse last year, Self famously said, "We don't have a point guard." Earlier this season, Ben benched his most
experienced guard, junior Naadir Tharpe. Self told his reporters that his team would never be successful without the right man at guard.
"Naadir, Frank and Conner all try their best, but I knew I'd never had a guard as good as Marcus." Self told the Kansan. "So I went out and got him."
Self said Smart visited him in Lawrence following Oklahoma State's first round exit in the tournament.
"We came right out and offered him a scholarship," Self said. "The timing couldn't have been better."
It wasn't a hard decision for Smart. His mother told the Kansan that Marcus had always been a closet KU fan. She said he was wowed by his first experience in the hallowed Allen Fieldhouse, so
overjoyed by the atmosphere that he performed a backflip on the jayhawk logo.
Smart will provide much needed experience to the still young Kansas team and is expected to debut at point guard for Late Night in the Phog.
Meanwhile, Smart's mother is just happy her son has finally found the right place to finish his college basketball career. Marcus has already made living arrangements in Jayhawker Towers with sophomore Tyler Self and is planning to major in theater. At his press conference, Smart seemed pleased with his decision.
"It's true what they say," Smart said. "There's no place like home."
QUIDDITCH
KU team receives genuine broomsticks
RACHEL SKATER
sports@kansan.com
Things were looking up for the Kansas Quidditch team last Thursday when an unmarked package was delivered during their practice.
Inside the package was a set of seven new Firebolt broomsticks. At first the team thought that the broomsticks were spectacularly-made fan pieces, but after one unfortunate incident they
"It just came out of nowhere," said junior keeper Rex Wesley. "I think it was too big for owls, so they used a couple condors instead."
"Nathan jumped on the broom and laughed and said, 'Hey look guys, I'm flying!' It was really funny, except that when he started running with it, he took off into the air," said senior seeker Harold Porter. "I guess some people aren't meant to fly after all, because he fell off about halfway to Allen Fieldhouse."
found out that wasn't the case.
Sophomore chaser Nathan Langfellow is recovering at Watkins Memorial Health Center with a minor head injury and a broken arm. Since that incident, no other mishaps have flown afoul of the sports team.
has been practicing with their new flying broomsticks since Thursday. As of Monday night, they thought that there was definite improvement.
"People used to laugh at me for joining the Quidditch team," senior chaser Alice Jackson said. "I admit, I never thought the sport would get off the ground. But look at us now!"
The KU Quidditch team
While it is currently unknown whether the Quidditch team will be allowed to use the broomsticks in the upcoming World Cup, Porter is hopeful.
"I mean, there's a lot of rules about the size of the broom we can use." Porter said, slowly
stroking his new Firebolt.
"But I feel like if they really fly,
an exception should be made."
"If you don't know where it came from you shouldn't use it," Hannah Gretchen, a junior from Detroit, Mich. "There are dangerous people out there. For all they know,
The Jayhawks are the first collegiate Quidditch team to receive flying brooms, and because the sponsor is unknown, there is debate about the legality of their use. While some suspect that the sender was merely a KU Quidditch fan, others suggested more nefarious purposes for the donated brooms.
whatever is making those brooms fly could wear off mid-air. It isn't safe."
Despite the controversy surrounding the brooms, as of Monday night it looked like the team will be allowed to keep them. While it is still up in the air about whether the brooms will be used in competition, Porter seemed to think that victory had already happened.
"Whether we win the World Cup or not, I think we all know who the real champions here are," Porter said. "No matter what happens, I guess we'll just keep on flying."
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