Volume 124 Issue 141
kansan.com
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Baseball power rankings
See how the team stacked up on page 8
COMMENTARY
In the two years under Turner Gill, the Jayhawks not only failed to win most games, but they also never gave a sometimes-fickle football fanbase a reason to believe improvement was on the way. With every ounce of momentum gone from the 2008 Orange Bowl title, it was time for a change.
Weis wants a fresh mentality
In the short time Weis has been at Kansas, there is an undeniable intrigue around Kansas football – something that rarely exists in April at Kansas. The Jayhawks have its first five-star quarterback in program history even if it is Dayne Crist, looking to resurrect a once-promising career.
We saw Weis dismiss 10 players from the team back in January as he held players accountable for the transgressions that Gill's regime ignored. We've heard the team say that it's never been worked this hard and can already sense improvement.
Without a full recruiting cycle, it will be difficult for Weis to field a team that can contend in the Big 12. Let's remember that Weis has a massive rebuilding job ahead of him at Kansas, so the fix will not happen over night.
Mission accomplished.
When the spring game kicks off on Saturday, it will be interesting to see the improvement this team has made. This program was at rock bottom, so there is really nowhere to go but up.
From the moment he arrived in Lawrence to take charge of the Kansas football program, Charlie Weis made it clear that Kansas needed a new mentality. Almost six months into his Kansas coaching tenure, Saturday's spring game will give fans a first glimpse of what to expect in 2012.
— Edited by Anna Allen
Now, I don't expect Saturday's scene at Memorial Stadium to approach a normal game atmosphere with 50,000 fans in the stadium — let's be realistic. If there is one thing the Kansas football team has going for it right now, it's that there is a definite buzz around the Jayhawks with 2012's kickoff 130 days away.
"I can tell you guys aren't used to winning." Weis said to the team. "Hey, Hey, fellas. OK. Winning a football game is not supposed to be an uncommon occurrence. I know that's a novel concept around here."
Considering that the Big Ten's Nebraska has a Big 12 victory more recent than Kansas, I'd think most Kansas supporters would agree with Weis. Kansas needs to change, and while I'm not sure practicing a celebration is necessary, it's nice to see some enthusiasm from the head coach and players.
Last week, Weis held an open practice at 6 a.m. that the media was permitted to attend. To end the practice, Weis had kicker Ron Doherty practice a game-winning field goal, so the team could celebrate. Doherty missed the first but made the second. However, when the team's celebration wasn't as enthusiastic as Weis wanted, he let the team hear it.
THE FUTURE OF FOOTBALL
The football team runs drills during its first spring practice on April 10. Coach Charlie Weis said the running backs, wide receivers and cornerbacks on the team have impressed him the most so far.
TYLER ROSTE/KANSAN
CHANGES ARE COMING
MIKE VERNON
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MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
FIXING THE DEFENSE
Charlie Weis has been pleasantly surprised by a few of the football team's positions this spring. During Monday's Big 12 coaches teleconference, Weis pointed to the running backs, wide receivers and cornerbacks as positions that have impressed him in one way or another so far.
While the running backs and wide receivers at least had some success last season, the cornerbacks along with Kansas' defense did not. The Jayhawks' passing
defense ranked 110th in the country last season, allowing 277.9 passing yards per game.
Weis admitted the secondary got exposed some last season, but he doesn't blame cornerbacks for all of the defense's struggles last season.
"They needed to get some bigger muchachos up front," Weis said.
Kansas will have some experience in the secondary next season. Senior cornerback Greg Brown and junior cornerback Tyler Patmon return next season and share 32 starts between them. And now Weis is bringing in six
defensive linemen this season to help the Jayhawks create more pressure up front.
Weis chose the third week of Kansas' season, September 15, to host TCU in Lawrence.
But the influx of new players can also be a disadvantage when it comes to spring practice for Kansas. Weis said he has players playing on his defensive line in practice right now, who likely won't be when the season starts. This creates a mismatch between the defense and the offense in practice.
"Players are creatures of habit," Weis said. "When you look at the big picture, once you get going into the season, you want to get going, you want to get in the same routine."
For now, Weis will have to wait for all of his recruits and transfers to come in before he can start having true competition in practice on the defensive line.
SCHEDULING TCU
Weis said it was about the mentality he's been trying to build at
Kansas had a choice of when its first Big 12 game would be. The Jayhawks could have either played TCU on September 15, or two weeks later on September 29.
Kansas. He said playing TCU will never be easy, and that the whole goal is to try to build momentum early in the season, following back-to-back home games to start the season.
"You're going to play good teams in the big 12 and your going to play them on a regular basis," Weis said. "So rather than waiting till the fifth week of the year to go ahead and play one, you might as well get your feet wet and get going."
— Edited by Max Lush
TRACK AND FIELD
Wasinger, Dixon shine on the track
Kansas Relays athletes set records
MAX GOODWIN
mgoodwin@kansan.com
Senior Donny Wasinger from Winona, Minn., finished the meet with the fastest men's 1500-meter time; it was the third consecutive year at the Kansas Relays that he had won the event.
"I will always remember KU," Wasinger said, holding his third straight Kansas Relays trophy.
Wasinger said he knows the University's track and field traditions well. He said he hopes his name will be added to the list of distance runners hailing from Kansas, including Jim Ryun, Wes Santee, and Glen Cunningham.
Meanwhile, Diamond Dixon, a sophomore sprinter from Houston, ran the 400-meter dash in 51.8 seconds. The only woman faster than that was Olympic goldmedalist Dee Dee Trotter, who set a new meet record at 50.94 seconds.
In the 4x400-meter relay, Dixon and her teammates set a meet record of their own. The team completed the relay in 3 minutes, 31 seconds. "I saw the time and I was pushing for it," Dixon said.
Edited by Gabrielle Schock
Another fast female was Alisha Keys, a freshman from Junction City. Keys ran the fastest 200-meter time of the week: 24.1 seconds.
TARA RRYANT/KANSAN
Junior Kyle Clemons sprints to the finish of the Men's 4x400-meter Relay Saturday afternoon at the Kansas Relays. The KU men won the event with a time of 3:08.67.
FOOTBALL
Two players dismissed after rule violations
Kansas coach Charlie Weis announced the dismissal of two football players, Colin Garrett and Chris
Robinson, for violation of team rules Monday afternoon.
Robinson
Sophomore linebacker Collin Garret played in six games last season, including a four-tackle performance against Oklahoma. He also recorded one
Garrett
tackle against Kansas State, Baylor and Missouri.
Freshman cornerback Chris Robinson redshirted for the Jayhawks this past season. The cornerback was ranked in the top 100 players in the state of Florida out of high school.
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Mike Vernon