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Volume 128 Issue 119
kansan.com
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
COMMENTARY
Kansas recruiting needs to focus on quarterback
Five seasons have come and gone since Kansas football cracked the
top 90 out of only 120 college football offenses.
You can chalk up the disappearance of a passing offense any way you want: inconsistent coaching, lack of playmakers, or empty stands. But the passing game deficiencies can all be traced back to one place: the dearth of success at the quarterback position.
Of course, the defense hasn't been perfect either — when you win only three games in one season, no facets of the game are perfect. But in recent history it's been better than the offense. The Jayhawks had three members of last year's defense drafted this weekend to prove that.
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Last year, the quarterback was the main snag on the Jayhawks' squad.
All four of quarterback Montell Cozart's interceptions against Texas last season put the Longhorns within 30 yards of the end zone, dooming the defense each time. The Jayhawks would have easily won that game and coach Charlie Weis may have kept his job for one more week if not for Cozart's performance.
Weis may have even kept his job through the West Virginia game, too, if the quarterbacks
— Cozart, Michael Cummings and T.J. Milweard — hadn't combined for only four yards per attempt and 111 passing yards on the day. The worst part of this game was the time of possession for each team; West Virginia possessed it for almost two-thirds of the game, making it impossible for the Kansas defense to catch its breath.
In this fast-paced, custom air-raid offense implemented by Likens, he's going to need an athletic quarterback who can make quick decisions, keep his energy level up, and make the easy throws.
Filling the quarterback position is what the Jayhawks should be coveting as their coaches set out on their recruiting journeys over the coming weeks. It's been three years since Kansas recruited Cozart from Bishop Miege, and with new coach David Beaty eyeing a long stay at Kansas, it's of the utmost importance that he and offensive coordinator Rob Likens get their guy.
Although stars and ratings aren't everything when it comes to recruits, the team hasn't had a four-star quarterback since it hit the top 90 college football passing offense in 2009 under Kansas legend Todd Reesing. That paid off pretty well, and it's probably not a coincidence.
Though this staff has been very animated about getting out there and recruiting, this spring, they need to be looking for one thing: the next player that will wear the crimson and blue under center.
ANNA WENNER/KANSAN
Edited by Miranda Davis
Sophomore infielder Marcus Wheeler attempts a hit during the last half of the game against Wichita on April 21. The Jayhawks will travel to Evanston, Ill., to play Northwestern tonight.
KYLAN WHITMER
@KRWhitmer
Kansas baseball (20-28) will travel to Evanston, Ill., to play its final nonconference series of the regular season against the Northwestern Wildcats (15-31).
The two-game series starts tonight followed by a game Wednesday. Coach Ritch Price and his players plan to utilize the additional game to prepare for their toughest test in Big 12 conference play, Texas Christian University.
"The reason I scheduled this series is because TCU has the best pitching in our conference and maybe one of the three or four best pitching
staffs in America," Price said.
stants in America, Price said. The Jayhawks will travel to Fort Worth, Texas this weekend to square off against the league-leading Horned Frogs. The series against TCU will be crucial for the Jayhawks as they will likely need to avoid a sweep to be able to qualify for the Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City.
Typically, Price prefers playing a single game series during the week, saying the mix of seeing game speed pitching along with practice is best for his players.
"I coach at a place where we have to develop our guys every day," Price said, "We have to compete, and we have to grind."
However, since the Jayhawks have such an important matchup against the best team in the conference, he scheduled a two-week series so the team could have more practice before the weekend matchup.
"The reason for the two game series is to play Tuesday and Wednesday to see more game speed, more reps at the plate, and more at bats to prepare for the velocity were going to see this weekend." Price said. "It's that pro mentality that if you play every day you can hit 93 [mph], 94 [mph] and you can stay behind the breaking ball."
The Jayhawks have won every game in the history of
the Kansas—Northwestern matchup. Kansas is 5-0 all time against the Wildcats and will look to continue their perfect record.
Both squads are coming off similar weekends, where they put themselves in positions to win their respective matchups, but faltered in Sunday's games with double-digit losses.
The Wildcats managed a rubber match against the No. 12 ranked Nebraska team (in RPI rankings) but were shut out in their final game of the series, losing 11-0.
Much like their opponent, the jayhawks had an opportunity to take the series against Baylor at home but were beaten 14-4 while giving up three
home runs.
The layhawks hope to shake off the weekend loss and gain some momentum as they prepare for their final stretch of the season.
"We need to prepare for [TCU's] pitching because they have the best pitching in the conference," Price said, "I hope it pays off because obviously we're going to have to score to win."
The first pitch of the series against Northwestern is scheduled for 3 p.m. today at Rocky Miller Park in Evanston, Ill.
Edited by Miranda Davis
Freshman guard Lauren Aldridge shoots a layup against Texas Tech on Feb. 4. The Big 12 and the SEC announced the expansion of the Big 12-SEC Challenge to 10 games, with Kansas playing at Alabama in 2016.
ALI DOVER/KANSAN
Women's Big 12-SEC Challenge announced
The Big 12 and the SEC has announced an expansion and extension of the Big 12-SEC Challenge to a total of 10 games each year starting next year. Kansas will play at Alabama in 2016 and host Arkansas in 2017.
In 2016, the round of games will take place Dec. 1 through Dec. 4, with more details on the matchups to be released later.
"We're excited to be a part of the
This will not be like the Big 12-SEC Challenge on the men's side, where each team plays a home-and-home game with just one team.
big 12-SEC Challenge," Kansas coach Brandon Schneider said in a University release Monday. "The opportunity to play quality opponents during the non-conference season."
The Big 12-SEC Challenge was formed in 2014 and held in Little Rock, Ark. Last year, No. 3 ranked Texas took on No. 4 ranked Texas A&M, and Oklahoma played
Arkansas as well. Each conference won in challenge last year.
The 2015 challenge will be held in Oklahoma City on Dec. 20, with Texas playing Arkansas and Oklahoma taking on Texas A&M.
In the 2013 season, Kansas played Arkansas and fell 64-53. This season, the Jayhawks played Crimson Tide in the Naismith Hall of Fame Challenge held in Allen Fieldhouse with Crimson Tide edging out at 85-80.
Dylan Sherwood
Tim Melia shows promise as goalie in Sporting KC win
When you see "The Play," you think one play, one moment, which defined a game. It wouldn't be overly difficult to find a moment that could describe Sporting KC's 1-0 win over Chicago Fire. Maybe it's Sporting KC Paul Nagamura's goal, or Chicago Fire David Accam's red card, or the near-goal early on which was delected painfully off of the crossbar.
But the story of this game goes beyond a single moment. It would actually be more accurate to call this story "The Player."
GRIFFIN HUGHES
@GriffinJHughes
Luis Marin was the man between the sticks for Sporting KC all year, playing every minute of every game. But amidst questions about his decisiveness and distribution, manager Peter Vermes decided to give him a break. The man he replaced him with was Tim Melia, a 28-year-old American. In his last outing, he received a red card with Chivas, and he hadn't started in a year.
Melia established himself in the first minute of the game, flying out of his goal and clearing a lofted shot with his head 20 yards away from his line. He made a jaw-dropping diving save, reading the downward angle of a knuckled shot to narrowly block away an attempt by the Fire.
rie laid himself flat in the air to deflect a cross that was sure to end in the back of the net. In a corner, he soared
And that was in the first 20 minutes.
Not only did he make tremendous saves on his line, he proved just as effective off of it. Several times he found himself 20, 25, even 30 yards away from his goal clearing long passes or saving potential breakaways. He played at center-back depth when KC was on offense, and was decisive and aggressive when his number was called.
above the line of white and blue to punch the shot away, then he warded away a quick shot before diving on the rebound to save a goal.
His teammates weren't even bothered by it, with Roger Espinoza saying "he's my teammate," and he was never worried that Melia could make an error when he was so far out of his goal.
Decisiveness from your goalie is crucial as a field player. You know what he's going to do because he commits 100 percent, and you can adjust your game accordingly. A goalkeeper is like a tone setter — an emotional backbone — his calmness and collectivity sets the tone for the game. Melia certainly set the tone for a team that got its winning goal from the most unlikely of sources.
It would be easy to point to any one of Melia's saves as "The Play," but the hard part would be picking which one. In doing that, you lose what makes the game truly special: he did it all after not starting for 365 days.
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— Editod by Valerie Haag
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