Volume 128 Issue 104
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
THE UNIVERSITY DAHY KANSAN
kansan.com
COMMENTARY Kansas junior college coach should be hired
Knowing that a powerhouse in women's junior college basketball is in your state means a good coach is just a few hours away. The school is Hutchinson Community College.The coach is John Onties.
Last week in the Kansan, an article was published about four other possible candidates. Dr. Sheahon Zenger should have Onties as his number 1 choice.
The Kansas coaching vacancy has been voided for the past month and no list of possible candidates have been released by Kansas Athletics.
Onjies, who just finished his eight season as the Blue Dragon's coach, has lead his team to the NJCAA National Tournament every year since 2012. Onjies has an impressive overall record of 257-26 and has only lost five games in the last four years. Four of those losses came in the National Tournament, the other on Feb. 6, 2013 in Garden City in overtime. The Blue Dragons have been ranked No. 1 several times during the past three years.
The Blue Dragons have finished second in the national tournament three times in the last four years with a thirdplace finish in 2013.
Onjies has been named the Jayhawk West Division Coach of the Year from 2011-13.
With this impressive of a resume, there's no doubt that Ontjes is a solid candidate. During his eight years at Hutchinson, he has a home record similar to Bill Self's in Allen Fieldhouse. In 147 games in the Hutchinson Sports Arena, Ontjes has only lost three games. Self has nine losses total in Allen Fieldhouse, meaning he has two more conference titles than lost home games.
Ontjes can recruit as well. His program at Hutchinson consists of both in-state and international players. On his team this past year, he had players from Cameroon and New Zealand. Kailani Purcell, a player from New Zealand, was named an NJCAA All-American and committed to BYU.
Ontjes is also familiar with Allen Fieldhouse, as he played for the Oklahoma Sooners from 1993-96.
With the way Ontjes has been coaching the Blue Dragons, he is bound to make the transition to Division I. He can recruit out-of-state and Kansas players well, and with only one Kansan on last year's Jayhawk roster in senior guard Natalie Knight, some home-state players will be welcome.
If Ontjes takes this Kansas job, it'll be a hard move for him leaving his hometown for the job in the Big 12 Conference. Expect big changes out of the Kansas program and the change that will put Kansas Women's Basketball on the map, just like Kansas men's basketball.
Edited by Garrett Long
Jayhawks rally in eighth, defeat Lobos
I WESLEY DOTSON
@WesleyDee23
After a late-inning outburst, the Kansas Jayhawks defeated the New Mexico Lobos 10-9 on Tuesday night. The offensive explosion saw Kansas erupt for 14 hits, including home runs from both Connor McKay and Dakota Smith. Both teams had plenty of production at the plate, with New Mexico tallying 15 hits as well.
The starting pitchers failed to find any type of rhythm Tuesday night. In his first career start, Kansas pitcher Brandon Johnson struggled mightily, lasting only two innings. He allowed five hits, walked one and gave up three earned runs in a forgettable starting pitching debut. New Mexico starter Carson Schneider wasn't much better though, allowing nine hits and six earned runs.
After the Lobos jumped out to a 4-0 lead, Kansas reliever Colin Toalson limited the damage of their offense. He
ended up pitching a careerhigh four and one-third innings, allowing only five hits while striking out two batters.
Kansas tied the game in the bottom of the second inning. Dakota Smith jump-started the offense with a home run to right, cutting the lead in half, 4-2. The game would then become tied after a single by Joe Moroney and a double by Connor McKay.
Freshman pitcher Brandon Johnson was the starting pitcher in the close game against New Mexico on Tuesday.
The Jayhawks took the lead in the third inning on a Dakota Smith single up the middle. Smith was a key factor Tuesday for the offense, going 3-of-4 with a homerun and three RBIs. The Jayhawks led at this point 5-4.
New Mexico regained the lead in the fourth, as right fielder Luis Gonzalez tied the game with a single, and Danny Collier grounded out to the right side to put the Lobos on top, 6-5.
But in the bottom of the fourth, Connor McKay tied the game once again on his solo homer to right field, his third of the season.
All that action led up to the eighth inning, where the game was decided. Kansas closer Stephen Villines was called on after Sam Gilbert allowed three batters to reach base to begin the inning. Gilbert allowed the potential go-ahead run to score before being pulled, as the Lobos took a 9-6 lead.
However, the Jayhawks
rallied in the bottom of the eighth, and kept the lead for good. Big 12 Newcomer of the Week Matt McLaughlin singled through the right side to score Owen Taylor and tie the game. The four-run eighth inning was capped off by a Michael Tinsley single to right field that scored Colby Wright and turned out to be the game-winning run.
Reliever Stephen Villines stayed in the game and sealed the victory for the Jayhawks in the ninth. Villines ended up pitching one and two-thirds innings, while striking out two batters.
The Jayhawks (12-20) look to sweep the Lobos Wednesday afternoon. First pitch is at 3 p.m.
Edited by Victoria Kirk
FACE OF THE STREAK
Andrew Wiggins vs. Josh Selbv
PPG: 17.1
RPG: 5.9
APG: 1.5
ANDREW WIGGINS
Wiggins excelled as an elite defender and used his dynamic athleticism (44" vertical leap) to score easy buckets in transition. Wiggins was also a better shooter than many critics expected, as he recorded a true shooting percentage of 56 percent and knocked down 43 three-pointers in his freshman season. Wiggins earned Big 12 Freshman of the Year honors in 2014 and earned second-team Consensus All-American honors in 2014. Wiggins' biggest moment as a Jayhawk came in a loss, recording 41 points, 5 steals, 4 blocks and 8 rebounds against West Virginia
JOSH SELBY
Although considered one of the most disappointing players in Kansas basketball history, Josh Selby was far more than just a black-mark on the University. After serving a suspension to start the year, Selby exploded on the scene, scoring 16 or more points in four of his first five games, including a 21-point outburst that saw him hit a game winning shot. While Selby's one year at KU was widely considered a disappointment, the initial excitement he provided shouldn't be forgotten.
- Scored 41 points at West Virginia in 2014,the most ever for a Kansas or Big 12 freshman
PPG: 7.9
RPG: 2.2
APG: 2.2
- Big 12 Freshman of the Year in 2013-14
- 2010-11 Preseason Big 12 Freshman of the Year
- Ranked No.1 in the final Rivals.com rankings for the class of 2010
Zusi out again, Marin needs to be better
CHRISTIAN HARDY
@HardyNFL
Sporting Kansas City's dramatic 3-2 comeback victory in the final minutes against the Philadelphia Union was one of the most exciting games ever played at Sporting Park. Captain and center back Matt Besler even said it himself.
Sporting KC's Krisztian Nemeth hits a clean header in the first half of the game on March 28
But the result, along with the two goals in stoppage time, doesn't mean Sporting Kansas City is where they need to be five weeks into the season.
"The result was great," Besler said. "But I think we have to be realistic and look at the game as a whole, and we didn't play as well as we would have liked."
BEN BRODSKY/KANSAN
With new players still getting a feel for manager Peter Vermes' system, it's coming along, but there's still room to improve.
Even after a three-goal evening on Sunday, Sporting Kansas City is still struggling to get great chances in the run of play. Five of the team's goals have come either on a set piece or off of a rebound of a set piece. Only Roger Espinoza's goal from long range against FC Dallas has been scored in the run of play.
Though the shots in the run of play aren't getting into the back of the net, Vermes isn't concerned.
Sporting KC still struggling in the run of play
"I don't think it's concerning. What it is, is it's frustrating." Vermes said. "It's easily solvable . We're not giving up goals in the run of play, so a lot of the
Part of that is not getting service to Dom Dwyer on his runs into the box, as a lot of his chances are coming from distance at this point in the season. He has had only four shots inside the box in the run of play over the last three weeks. Vermes sees Krisztián Németh, who opened his account against Philadelphia, as a solution in the front.
things we're causing are on ourselves: giving up free kicks in the areas of the field that we shouldn't, loss of possession in a very dangerous area, or because of a stupid foul that we create."
"Let's be honest, we weren't good last week in regards to certain aspects of our game," Vermes said. "(Nemeth) was very good when he came on, we was very dangerous, he was good with the ball ... There's no doubt he brought on another quality to the game."
Most importantly, though. Sporting Kansas City found a way to win on Sunday, as cliché as that sounds. Even when the squad wasn't playing its best, it pulled through in the final minutes for its second-straight win.
"It was big for us, just the way that we won, the buzz in the stadium was unbelievable," Besler said. "For the rest of the year, we're going to have the attitude and the believe that no matter what the score is, no matter what the time is, we have a chance at winning. We just proved it."
Marin has to be better
just five games into the season, it's quite clear Chilean goalkeeper Luis Marin hasn't
"He struggled in all of his distribution, to be honest with you," Vermes said. "It caused us some headaches in that, we gave away the ball in some really silly situation when we didn't have to. It wasn't the level of play that he can play at, and that we expect."
quite settled into his role with the squad. Although he had notched two back-to-back clean sheets before Sunday's two-goal effort, he hasn't distributed the ball well in the Vermes' system.
However, the distribution should come along in due time. Vermes scouted and brought in Marin based on specific qualities, now it's implementing those qualities in the system Vermes wants to run. That starts with familiarizing himself with the league, and, only five weeks in
"It's going to be a progression," Vermes said before the Philadelphia game. "If they're foreigners, they have to still get used to the league, and that means all the things that go with it ... on the other side of it as well, they're still getting familiar with the way we want to play, and what's the role and individual responsibility for every player."
Zusi not likely for Saturday Benny Feilhaber — who notched two assists on corner kicks on Saturday — will likely continue taking the set pieces for Sporting Kansas City for at least one more week. Vermes said winger Graham Zusi has a "99 percent" chance of being sidelined for the second
and still learning English, he hasn't been able to come full circle on that.
week in a row against Real Salt Lake on Saturday.
"It's kind of week-to-week," Vermes said. "He's better, and today and tomorrow he's going at it a little harder, and they're going to see what his reaction is from there."
He likely won't get on the training field this week, as the squad tries to get him fully healthy before he returns.
Defender Seth Sinovic finished Sunday's game a bit banged up, but Vermes acted as if it's nothing to be worried about. The left-back did work inside on Tuesday, but I'd expect him to get on the pitch before the end of the week.
"He just had a little bit of an impingement." Vermes said. "He was just sore after one of the plays that happened in the game."
Edited by Jordan Fox
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