Volume 124 Issue 92
kansan.com
Wednesday. February 8. 2012
If Taylor finishes the season the way he played the last seven games, the Bob Cousy committee will have to get over something else: leaving an All-American point guard off their list of the 20 "best" point guards in the game.
He turns the ball over a lot, so maybe some of the 30 committee members couldn't get over his 11-turnover mess in Maui.
- Edited by Gabrielle Schock
Taylor not a part of the final 20? Duke's Seth Curry, who averaged 12.6 points and 2.6 assists per game, made it. I figured Dick Vitale somehow influenced the committee to put a Blue Devil on the list. (I kid.)
COMMENTARY
So why isn't he a finalist? Probably because passing the ball isn't his biggest strength.
Tyshawn robbed of award
But the members of that committee will look foolish if Taylor keeps up his current play.
Also, the final candidates were announced on Jan. 4, before Taylor started scoring at will and cut down on unforced turnovers. Maybe the committee watched his 11-turnover performance against Duke in Maui and just couldn't put a guy with that many turnovers on the list.
Ken Pomeroy, a college basketball statistical analyst, ranks Tayler ninth in his player-of-the-year standings. He ranks Thomas Robinson first.
usually don't take sports awards too seriously.
Maybe the Bob Cousy committee was right. Maybe Taylor wasn't one of the 20 best point guards on lan. 4.
Everyone who votes for Most Valuable Player in the MLB, NFL or NBA has a different definition of "valuable." For example, in November a blogger for the Washington Post wrote that Peyton Manning should've been this year's MVP, despite Manning standing on the sidelines all season because of an neck injury.
Despite not playing all that well against Long Beach State on Dec. 6, Taylor nearly matched Ware's production. He had seven more assists than Craft, but also four more turn-overs and two fewer points.
But when I found out senior guard Tyshawn Taylor wasn't one of 20 finalists for the Bob Cousy Award, given to the top point guard in the country, I figured there had to be a mistake.
Those are just four games in a season of 30 or more, but Taylor has proven that he can hold his own against other players on the Cousy list.
Taylor outplayed Jackson, scoring 28 points and six assists on 10-for-14 shooting against Jackson's 11 points, 11 assists and 3-for-9 shooting. He also outplayed Pressley, putting up 21 points and dishing out six assists while Presley had just two points and three assists.
But that's not Pomeroy's point guard list — that's guards, forwards and centers. The only point guard Pomeroy rates higher is Wisconsin's Jordan Taylor, who is on the Cousy list.
The Cousy list was cut down to 11 players on Thursday. Taylor has matched up with four of them: Baylor's Pierre Jackson, Missouri's Flip Pressey, Ohio State's Aaron Craft and Long Beach State's Casper Ware.
MAX LUSH
mlush@kansan.com
Players on the Kansas baseball team must find a way to balance schoolwork with practice, off-season workouts, weight training and a 56-game regular season.
For senior infielder and captain Chris Manship, that balance is elusive. Manship not only captains the baseball team, he also majors — and excels — in engineering.
Though he was selected to the Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll twice, balancing engineering with baseball remains difficult.
"It's extremely hard," Manship said. "It's never really in balance; it's always kind of fluctuating."
Luckily for Manship, coach Ritch Price understands that Manship's schedule is demanding.
"A year ago, he was coming to practice late and leaving early in order to make his afternoon labs," Price said.
Price selected Manship to be a captain of the team this season because of his character, rather than his performance.
"Just the fact that he would nominate me not necessarily on performance, but for other attributes, I thought was very commendable," Manship said.
Manship doesn't like to do anything the easy way. After finishing high school in Cave Creek, Ariz., he chose baseball over football before college because he thought the objective of football was too
Price said he chose Manship because he works so hard and has earned everybody's respect in the program.
simple: Just use brute force. Manship prefers the mental wherewithal of baseball and the feeling of success after doing something right on the field.
"Baseball always seemed to be the calling and the one I wanted to play." Manship said. "There's just so much to it."
Baseball runs in Menship's genes. His father, Jim Manship, played baseball in college. Two of his cousins, Jeff and Matt Manship, were drafted by Major League organizations. Jeff is currently listed on the Minnesota Twins' 40-man roster.
Even with a baseball family, the sport never came easy to Manship. His cousin Jeff always told him baseball is a grind that he has to stick with.
"I don't know if baseball has
ever clicked for me." Manship said. "I think it's always kind of been my enemy."
Manship constantly works to improve his game. He spent the summer of 2010 playing baseball in Anchorage, Alaska, and he spent last summer playing for the Duluth Huskies in the Northwoods League, where he was named a post-season all-star. Manship said he feels like he turned a corner playing in the Northwoods League and that he's more comfortable than he used to be when he's in the game.
Manship came to Kansas as a non-scholarship player with a guaranteed roster spot. He eventually improved enough to earn the starting designated hitter spot by his sophomore season.
Senior infielder and co-captain
Jake Marasco said that Manship sets a great example for the younger players.
"As an engineering major, he has to be on top of his stuff about as much any one," Marasco said. "It's nice to have guys who are determined to get things done on and off the field."
Baseball hasn't always come easy for Manship, which is why he likes to play for Kansas. He said even though Kansas has talent, the team is always seen as an underdog by its competition.
"It's more motivation to show people what you can do," Manship said. "It's nice to prove people wrong."
Edited by Caroline Kraft
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Waco will test Jayhawks' improvements
KORY CARPENTER
kcarpenter@kansan.com
The Jayhawks are looking to rebound from their heartbreaking 74-71 defeat at Missouri Saturday, as they travel to Waco, Texas, tonight to face the No. 6 Baylor Bears.
The Jayhawks handed the Bears their first loss of the season, a 92-74 drubbing in Allen Fieldhouse, on Jan. 16. Baylor has gone 4-1 since then and is tied with Kansas for second place in the Big 12, half a game behind Missouri.
Unlike the 80-74 loss to Davidson on Dec. 19, Self felt better vibes leaving Columbia, Mo., on Saturday.
"It's a totally different feel than when we played Davidson," Self said "I see a lot of positives leaving Missouri. I didn't see any positives leaving Kansas City versus Davidson."
One thing Self said will need
to change is the performance of junior center Jeff Withey, who failed to score for the first time all season while grabbing just four rebounds against Missouri. Self plans to show Withey the game tape of the first meeting with Baylor, in which he had a double-double.
The Jayhawks are looking to avoid dropping back-to-back games for the first time since the 2005-2006 season.
"If our guys don't play well, or if we don't win, it won't be because of what happened Saturday," Self said. "One thing about kids - coaches are a little bit different - coaches don't let things go. Kids have girlfriends, they get to go to class and they have other things that occupy their mind."
Not only would a loss to Baylor be the Jayhawks' second consecutive defeat, it would be three out of the last four for the team. Senior guard Tyshawn Taylor isn't
Junior forward Thomas Robinson said the team will have to come out stronger and be more aggressive to bounce back against Baylor. Robinson had one of his best games of the season against Baylor in January, finishing with 27 points and 14 rebounds. The National Player of the Year candidate is eager for the last regular-season meeting with the Bears tonight in the Ferrell Center.
"It's just a feeling of not wanting to lose again," Robinson said. "You still have that bad taste from the last game. So going into the game after that, you want to get that taste out of your mouth."
"I know our schedule is tough," Taylor said. "It was a tough loss Saturday, but it isn't the end of the season. It's not even the end of the Big 12 race."
worried, however.
Edited by Corinne Westeman
CHRIS NEAL/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Junior guard Travis Releford tosses a ball down court to a teammate during Kansas' first game against Baylor on Jan. 16. The team will play at Baylor tonight at 6.
1