THE UNIVERSITY DAILY GANSAN
TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2009
SPORTS
5B
MEN'S (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
than Little and Kansas' six other newcomers — junior guard Tyrone Appleton, freshman forwards Marcus and Markieff Morris and Quintrell Thomas and freshman guards Tyshawn Taylor and Travis Releford.
"Being a young basketball player," Taylor said, "you always dream of playing in the NCAA tournament."
All seven newcomers realized that dream this weekend at the Metrodome. They all logged at least one minute in the 60-43 second round victory against Dayton Sunday.
Although their combined impact was minimal — the seven combined for only 13 points and 14 rebounds
Sunday — junior guard Sherron Collins knows Kansas' success for the rest of the tournament will continue.
with the production of the newcomers. That's why, as the Jayhawks' leader, he's attempting to keep them all comfortable.
"I'm talking to them, joking with them here and there and trying to
keep them loose. Collins said. "I'm not letting them get to nervous."
"I'm talking to them, joking with them here and there and trying to keep them loose."
Dakota "State. But they say it all goes away after the referee throws a jump ball to start the game.
Taylor and the Morris twins admitted they were nervous before the first round game against North
SHERRON COLLINS junior guard
Kansas coach Bill Self doesn't necessarily see the nerves as a bad thing.
"I think if you don't have a few butterflies, you're probably not human or it doesn't mean much to you." Self said. "I don't think
that's totally unusual — I don't want them uptight, but I think we usually perform our best when we're a little bit nervous or anxious."
Of course, there's not a much
better security blanket the newcomers could possibly have than Collins and sophomore center Cole Aldrich. So far, Collins and Aldrich have accounted for 65 percent of the Jayhawks' offense in the tournament.
While the media and fans are amazed at how the two can take over a game even when the rest of the team is laboring, the newcomers almost expect it.
"I see it every day in practice," Taylor said. "I know what they can do."
But Taylor says he's capable, too. Like Little, he's been waiting nearly his whole life for this opportunity.
That 2003 National Championship also inspired Taylor.
He counts Syracuse's run through the tournament as his finest NCAA tournament memory.
Stop for a second. Did a Jayhawk just say Syracuse's national championship was exciting?
"Watching Carmelo put Syracuse on his back and take them all the way was kind of exciting to me," Taylor said. "I can't remember what grade I was in but 'Melo was my favorite college player ever."
"I didn't even realize that," Taylor said. "It is kind of ironic. I wasn't a big Kansas fan back then. That's funny."
WRITERS NAME SELF COACH OF THE YEAR
One day after making his third-
straight Sweet Sixteen. Kansas coach Bill Self was named the Henry Ira Coach of the Year by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association.
After losing all five starters from his national championship team, Self led Kansas to a 25-6 regular-season record and its fifth-straight Big 12 regular-season title. Self beat out finalists such as Missouri's Mike Anderson, Oklahoma's Jeff Capel and Memphis' John Calipari, among others, for the award.
This is the second time a Kansas coach has received USBWAs annual coaching award. Roy Williams was honored with it in 1990.
— Edited by Melissa Johnson
Jayhawks look to keep focus for Western Illinois
BASEBALL
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Sophomore Tony Thompson follows a hit during the Jayhawks' March 22 victory against the Texas Longhorns in Hogglund Ballpark. Despite defeating Texas and facing an upcoming series against Texas A&M, the Jayhawks will stay focused on this afternoon's game against Western Illinois.
BY JOSH BOWE
jbowe@kansan.com
Neither of the two highly toured freshmen has played in a game since a 9-8 loss to San Diego State on March 18. Price was particularly concerned for Elgie, especially since starting first baseman Preston
TODAY Kansas vs. Western Illinois 3 p.m., Hoglund Ballpark Admission is free for students with a valid KUID.
After sweeping the No.1 team in the country, today's game against Western Illinois doesn't really matter, right?
"It's a developmental series for our younger players," Price said. "Obviously when you put yourself in a position towards Top 25 you have to make sure you don't have a setback against a midweek opponent."
Not if you talk to any of the Jayhawk players or coaches. While today's game could be forgotten following a weekend of success, the two-game series against the Leathernecks is still important for coach Ritch Price and his young team.
Price said he wanted to give playing time to younger players who didn't see action against Texas over the weekend. He specifically mentioned two freshmen, first baseman Zac Elgie and outfielder Jake Marasco.
Land's batting average has been up and down.The senior is currently batting .261, his highest point of the season.
Narodowski understood that sometimes it's harder to focus on these midweek games, but they still shouldn't be overlooked, even though No. 15 Texas A&M looms
"I need Elgie to make progress, so if Land struggles with the bat I can put him in the lineup." Price said. "I need Morasco to get more at bats, because he's in a little bit of a funk right now."
Starters like junior shortstop David Narodowski will most likely be spending a majority of the series in the dugout. Narodowski was actually supposed to receive a break last time the lajhawks played a midweek game, but junior Robby Price, starting second baseman and backup shortstop, was hurt.
this weekend.
"They're (Western Illinois) probably not going to be as good as Texas or Texas A&M," Narodowski said. "We just have to go out and be positive that we can beat them, be loose again and do what we do."
Freshman starter Lee Ridenhour echoed the same sentiments as Narodowski. Focusing on the game will be even more difficult for Ridenhour however, because he won't pitch again until the Texas A&M series.
"Definitely we got to win those two," he said of the weekend series. "We need to go in there and play how we've been playing."
Ritch Price said he will also use this series to get some of his pitchers some innings to work with. Juniors Cameron Selik and Brett Bollman will start the two games, with a plentiful amount of pitchers rested and ready to be used from the bullpen.
"We have really good arms that we haven't thrown yet," Ritch Price said. "Selik is going to start Tuesday and we'll use Bollman Wednesday and we still have (Kevin) Burk in the bullpen and (Thomas) Marcin in the bullpen."
Edited by Carly Halvorson
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