Volume 124 Issue 147
kansan.com
Thursday, May 3, 2012
COMMENTARY
Special thanks to all
On Thursday, March 5, 2009 my friend and I took an eight-hour drive from
my friend and I took an eight-hour drive from the Twin Cities to Lawrence for the Kansas men's basketball game the following day against Texas. At the time, I was a freshman at the University of St. Thomas, unsure of my career aspirations.
My friend graduated from Kansas in 2008. He was eager to take me to a game at Allen Fieldhouse and to show me around Lawrence and KU campus. He knew how much I loved college sports. This three-day vacation in Lawrence, highlighted by the Kansas basketball game was life-changing.
Before my friend and I drove back to the Twin Cities, one of his friends, who I eventually befriended, asked me if I would transfer to Kansas. I said no because I was afraid transferring out-of-state was unrealistic.
As I was finishing my freshman year at St. Thomas, I pondered transferring to Kansas, but I had doubts that my family and I could make it work financially. After much contemplation and discussion with my friends and family, I decided to transfer to Kansas after my sophomore year to enroll in the school of journalism.
Transferring to Kansas was the biggest and best decision of my life
The Kansas men's basketball team and Allen Fieldhouse will always have a special place in my heart. Countless, indelible memories were created watching and covering the team, ranging from covering it in the Champions Classic and NCAA men's basketball Tournament to witnessing the stupendous final Border War game at Allen Fieldhouse.
I grew up during my time at Kansas. I learned to overcome my fears, my Asperger's Syndrome and the absence of my father.
Leaving my friends and family in Minnesota was difficult, but transferring to Kansas was in my best interest since I was serious about pursuing a career in sports journalism. Plus, I wanted to make the most out of my college experience.
I thank everyone in my life — my mother, sister, relatives, friends, colleagues, etc. — that supported me through good and bad times and sacrificed a lot to put me in a position to succeed. I owe a debt of gratitude to all of you as I embark on the next chapter of my life.
My greatest joy at Kansas was my sports journalism work and sharing my thoughts with you, whether it was sharing my University Daily Kansan Sports articles or my KJHK Sports articles, PJ 2 CJ podcast episodes and radio show archives. I thank all of you who took time to read and listen to my work, regardless of whether you agreed or disagreed with my opinions.
Edited by Jeff Karr
When I arrived in Lawrence at the start of my junior year, meeting people and forming friendships was imperative. I am incredibly blessed to have met many great people and to have made special friendships during my time at Kansas that I'll always cherish.
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
HOLY FOUNDER
SAINTLY COACH
KU professor Michael Zorgry has been awarded a sabbatical to work on how religion impacted James Naismith when he invented basketball.
LUKE RANKER
lranker@kansan.com
James Naismith could have been the Tim Tebow of his generation.
That's what Michael Zogry, director of Indigenous Studies and Associate Professor of religious studies, plans to explore in "Religion and Basketball: Naismith's Game": a book about Naismith's connection to Christianity. The University awarded Zogry an sabbatical for next fall to work on the book, which will focus on how religion influenced Naismith's life, his creation of basketball and his eventual legacy.
"His religious beliefs were foundational to the creation of the game," Zogry said.
Zogry said that Naismith originally wanted to be a minister but decided to teach physical education at the YMCA International Training College in Springfield, Mass. He said, apart from a basketball coach, the University hired Naismith as a chapel director and director of physical education in 1898. Zogry said it is not widely known that Naismith was a founding member of the Kansas School of Religion, which later became the University's department of religious studies.
Jim Marchiony, associate athletic director, said Naismith's connection to Christianity is not secrete among those who have studied him.
"Anyone familiar with Naismith would be well aware of the influence," Marchiony said. "He was universally known for his character."
Marchiony, who has read a few Naismith biographies, said he had read accounts that Naismith actually officiated games his
less well-known that Naismith sought to use the game to instill Christian values in young men.
team was playing in.
Zogry said the well-known story of Naismith's desire to create a game that could be played during the cold New England winters was certainly accurate, but he believed it was
He said Naismith belonged to a popular movement of the late 19th and early 20th Centuries called Muscular Christianity.
The movement strived to build character, instill Christian values and promote masculinity through rigorous athletics and other physical activities.
SEE NAISMITH PAGE 7B
FOOTBALL
Justin McCay's appeal denied, will not play
The NCAA Subcommittee for Legislative Relief denied Kansas sophomore wide receiver Justin McCay's eligibility waiver request. This means McCay is required to sit out the 2012 season and will be eligible to play in 2013 as a junior.
"I'm extremely disappointed that common sense did not prevail," coach Charlie Weis said. "I have read all of the information on this case and it is a shame that this case resulted in a rejection. I cannot release all of the details of Justin's case as it would be an invasion of his privacy. I can only say that the University of Kansas felt the evidence was overwhelmingly in his favor. I also do not understand why the NCAA had us appeal this case to the subcommittee only to have received the same answer with the same rationale."
McCay, who transferred from Oklahoma to Kansas in January, received the news Wednesday afternoon.
"This is a very disappointing day for me and my family," he said. "I was very hopeful throughout the process that I would receive a more favorable result, but unfortunately that is not how things turned out."
"I am so grateful to all of the people who worked so hard on my behalf throughout this process. First of all, I would like to thank the compliance staff at KU for all of the effort they put in to submitting my waiver request. I would also like to thank the Athletics Director at the University of Oklahoma, Joe Castiglione, for his assistance and support. Lastly, I would like to thank Coach Weis, the entire KU staff and all of my teammates in supporting me during this process."
"Despite the disappointment I am feeling today, I have no regrets. I am very happy to be at Kansas and I am going to go out and work hard every day to be the best teammate I can be. Even though I won't be playing in games this year I am going to take advantage of every opportunity I have to improve as a player."
— Max Rothman
GOLF
Kansas battles through tough season
TREVOR GRAFF
tgraff@kansan.com
In the pre-season, it was clear the Jayhawks had a talented roster that could compete with ranked Big 12 foes. The challenge was putting that talent together as a team on the course.
Although the Kansas Men's golf season featured inconsistent play, the Jayhawks found a wealth of talent in young players, and gained experience in several elite tournament.
The unusually warm spring dealt coach Kit Grove the opportunity for more practice time and two extensive 81-hole qualifiers.
Grove discovered two things early in the season. The team struggled to put together a well-grounded game on any given day, and found young talent in Dylan McClure. The freshman from Justin, Texas, started his season by leading the Jayhawks with a 17th place finish at Louisiana Classics. He followed that performance with more consistent play, often times recovering from rough first rounds.
"I'll give the young man credit," Grove said. "He's a grinder. He's getting better at making the most of the situation."
K
McClure started several rounds bogeying four of the first five holes this season.
Junior Chris Gilbert from Simi Valley, Calif., delivered the
best individual performance on the Jayhawks' biggest stage, The Western Intercollegiate. At two-over-par, Gilbert landed tied for ninth in what is equivalent to a major tournament in the college regular season.
"He played absolutely rock solid," Grove said after the tournament. "He's been great from tee to green. Now he's finally getting a little bit of confidence in the putter. It was a stacked field and he played shot-for-shot with them."
Gilbert's top-flight play occurred on a top-flight course in Pasatiempo Golf Club in Santa Cruz, Calif., which was designed by famous architect Allister Allister. Kenzie. Despite the added pressure of the tournament, he focused on what mattered.
"I just worry about thinking how I think on the course, and focusing on the course." Gilbert said. "The rest will take care of itself. I just try to hit a solid shot every time I stand up there."
The team's final tournament before Big 12 play happened on the toughest course.
"It's like nothing you're ever going to see." Grove said. "There's hole locations you just can't get it close. You hit some great shots and end up in bad positions, and it such a thinking golf course. That's where we got killed today as a team. Yesterday we were good at grinding out bogeys, today we were just awful at that."
Gilbert's mentality on the course keyed his solid play this season.
"I think the key was being decisive on every shot and knowing, if you didn't hit your target, where you wanted to miss." Gilbert said. "I thought if I could limit my double bogies, I could limit my shots and everyone was going to make bogies on this course."
For the Big 12 championships in Trinity, Texas, the team played on another tough course designed by MacKenzie featuring tough pin placements."It's just a difficult golf course," Grove said. "We aren't the toughest team mentally, and it's one of those deals where it can snowball. It's a very visually intimidating golf course that you have to get off to a good start on every day."
With the talent in place and most of the line-up returning the team will look to improve. The focus in the offseason will be on developing course management to gain that mental toughness Grove would like to see in pressure situations.
With Gilbert and McClure returning, along with juniors Paul Harris and Alex Gutesha and freshman David Auer, the Jayhawks will have only one spot open in the starting lineup. Senior Doug Quinones graduates leaving an open leadership role to be filled.
Edited by Tanvi Nimkar
CHRIS NEAL/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Junior Paul Harris takes a chip shot near the green during the first day of the Kansas Invitational, Monday morning. Harris concluded two of the Invitational five strokes behind the lead and tied for seventh place.