PAGE 6
TUESDAY, APRIL 10, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
BASEBALL
Pitching inconsistency leads to struggles
ANDREW JOSEPH
ANDREW JOSEPH
ajoseph@kansan.com
The Kansas baseball team (12-19) will host Wichita State (19-15) Tuesday as the pitching staff and offense look to bounce back from a disappointing weekend in Stillwater.
The Javahawks will play today at 6 p.m. at Hogland Ballpark and then travel to Wichita for Wednesday evening's return-matchup with the Shockers. Freshman pitcher Robert Kahana will take the mound tonight, and freshman pitcher Drew Morovick will follow up Wednesday.
After losing four-straight games - one at Creighton and three at Oklahoma State - the Jayhawks will need a solid pitching performance from Kahana. The entire pitching staff struggled against Oklahoma State; the Jayhawks allowed more than seven runs per game during the three-game stretch.
"We need to get a better starting pitching performance what
we've been getting," coach Ritch Price said. "We've had three bad starts in a row on three consecutive Tuesday night games."
Kahana enters today's start with a 2-1 record and 3.03 ERA in 32.2 innings pitched, but he is coming off his first loss as a Kansas pitcher. Kahana allowed the go-ahead run in Oklahoma State's 7-6 victory against Kansas Friday. Price said that the bullpen will get plenty of work the next two days, but he needs his starters to step up early for the layawhacks.
"It all starts with the starting pitcher on Tuesday," Price said. "We also have to break the game up. We will send out five or six pitchers both games because obviously Kahana will start Tuesday night, but we'll need him in relief on Friday."
The Jayhawk offense was even worse this past weekend, as the pitching staff struggled against Oklahoma State. Kansas scored just three runs a game during the series, and six of Kansas' nine runs came in Friday's loss.
Senior catcher James Stanfield acknowledged that the team is in the midst of an offensive slump, but the team's mindset remains positive.
"Baseball is a game where you can't go too high, and you can't get too low," Stanfield said. "We're ready to get back on the field and get something going offensively."
Stanfield's .315 batting average is best among Kansas' everyday starters, but the layhawks rank toward the bottom of the Big 12 in nearly every major offensive category. With Kansas playing five tough games this week, the layhawks will need to break out of their offensive slump to have success.
"It'll be an interesting week, starting with rivalry week," Price said. "Our guys will be excited to play Wichita State and then face the challenge of a top-five team coming here in Texas A&M."
Edited by Taylor Lewis
Junior infielder Jake Marasco runs out of bounds to catch a foul ball during Friday night's home game against Texas Tech.
ASHI FIGH LEF/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
FOOTBALL
Jayhawk running back suspended after DUI
Charlie Weis has suspended James Sims for the first three games of the 2012 season for a violation of team rules. Early Sunday morning, Sims was arrested for operating under the influence.
"Every player on our team knows and understands our rules and regulations." Weis said in a release from Kansas. "They also know the consequences for violations."
Sims was listed as the first string running back for Kansas in Weis' first spring depth chart. He led the Jayhawks in rushing in both 2011 and 2010, with 1,469 yards and 18 touchdowns in both seasons.
Mike Vernon
FROM JOURNEY PAGE 8
15 points and 13 rebounds (then a career high). The Jayhawks built an early lead against archrivals Missouri and held on for a 70-66 win in Columbia.
MAUI MANHANDLING (NOV. 21-23. 2011)
(DEC.6,2011)
Robinson answered skepics about his ability to lead the 2011-12 Jayhawks with a masterful three-game performance at the Maui Invitational. Kansas narrowly lost to Duke in the final, but Robinson brought home tournament MVP honors, averaging 17 points and 14 rebounds in Hawaii.
STROLL ON THE BEACH
Against a dangerous Long Beach State team that had just won at Pittsburgh, Robinson scored 20 first half points and finished with 26 (10-of-14 from the field), 11 rebounds and 3 blocks. He followed up with two consecutive 21-point outings—one against No. 2 Ohio State — and entered the National Player of the Year conversation by Christmas.
30-20 (DEC. 31, 2011)
On New Years' Eve, Robinson became the first Kansas player since 1961 to score 30 points and snare 20 rebounds in a game. His 30 points and 21 boards in Kansas' 84-58 win over North Dakota were career highs, and would not
be topped the rest of the season.
BAYLOR BEATDOWN (JAN. 16, 2012)
Robinson's explosive performance against No. 2 Baylor in mid-January cemented his status as frontrunner for conference player of the year. Kansas' 92-74 Big Monday victory over the Bears was highlighted by what was possibly the play of the season: Tyshawn Taylor dashed down the right side of the court and lobbed the ball toward the rim. Robinson finished emphatically with a tomahawk alley-oop slam, sending Allen Fieldhouse into a frenzy.
ROBINSON'S REJECTION (FEB. 25, 2012)
Robinson made the greatest play in what was arguably Allen Fieldhouse's greatest game. In the final Border War matchup for the foreseeable future, Kansas had erased a 19-point deficit to the Missouri, 75-75. With under 5 seconds remaining, Missouri point guard Phil Pressey drove to the rim and threw up a shot. Robinson rose and mercilessly swatted the ball away from the basket. Volume levels at Allen Fieldhouse reached a record-setting 127 decibels, and the Jayhawks proceeded to win, 87-86 in overtime.
BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE YEAR (MARCH 4)
In the span of one year, Robinson went from averaging 7 points and 14 minutes per game to Big 12 Conference Player of the Year.
During league play, he averaged 18.2 points and 11.7 rebounds and earned Big 12 player of the week honors three times. He and Kentucky forward Anthony Davis were in a two-horse race for national player of the year.
THE FIGHT TO THE FINAL (MARCH 16 - APRIL 2, 2012)
The Jayhawks fell just short of a fourth national title, losing 67-59 to Kentucky. But the run Kansas made to get there was truly special. Robinson, of course, was integral throughout the tournament. Although he labored in the final, he still finished with 18 points and 17 boards.
Edited by Jeff Karn
MEN'S BASKETBALL
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
Junior forward Thomas Robinson and senior guard Tayshawn Taylor receive the Danny Manning "Mr. Jayhawk" Award during Monday evening's award banquet for the men's basketball team at the Holidome.
Last gathering for 2011-2012 team
MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
Bill Self stood in front of the audience to honor the 2011-2012 basketball team. While the Kansas basketball awards ceremony was a celebration, coach Self led a moment at the Holiday Inn Holidome in Lawrence Monday night.
"This may be the last time we're all together." Self acknowledged.
Self said that Manning's 1988 team has never fully been together since its championship season ended. He said the championship winning 2008 team has never had been in the same room again, either. And for the 2011-2012 Jayhawks, it's likely that all of the players, managers, coaches and staff members will never be in the same room at the same time again.
But for the most part, Monday night was a review of the Jayhawks championship run that will leave the team forever recognized with a banner in Allen Fieldhouse.
And a player who will soon gain specific recognition in Allen Fieldhouse, Thomas Robinson, got his
opportunity to speak and thank the fans in attendance for the support they showed him during his three years at Kansas.
"Go be a top three pick," Self said to Robinson. "Go make a lot of money."
"Ive been a part of some great teams, but this team was special," Taylor said. "It was because of the uuws involved. I love y'all."
Robinson had declared his intentions to enter the NBA Draft earlier in the day. Self then said Robinson was the fourth senior on the team, and let him speak along with other seniors — Tyshawn Taylor, Connor Teahan and Jordan Jueneman.
The only award handed out Monday night — Self joked that former coach Roy Williams gave everybody an award — was the Danny Manning award, for the player who best represented Kansas on and off the court.
"This one was a no brainer," Self said.
There would be co-award winners in 2012. Both Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson were awarded a gold cup to symbolize their years of hard work at Kansas.
Self said Elijah Johnson is one of the two best guards he's recruited at Kansas, along with Sherron Collins. But the coach held his biggest praise for the team's tallest player, Jeff Withey.
Self said by the time Withey is done at Kansas, he could be considered one of the best big men in the last half century at Kansas. Withey, who set a record for most blocks in a season by a lajhawks, could only smile at the praise.
And while most of the talk centered on this past season for Kansas, Self and the Jayhawks couldn't help but look ahead to next year.
"He said I was going to do blocks," Withey said. "I hope to do what he says again."
While this year's Kansas team came into the season with low ex-petations, Self already made sure that won't be the case next year.
"Don't think for a second we're not going to be good." Self said. "If these guys can learn from this year's team, anything can happen. Somebody's got to do it, it might as well be us."