Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
JAYHAWK BULLPEN BOASTS EXPERIENCE
The setup men and closer will lead the young club. BASEBALL I 9A
TUESDAY,FEBRUARY 17,2009
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BIG 12 PLAYERS USE SIZE TO WIN GAMES
The best teams have the biggest players. MORNING BREW19A
COMMENTARY
PAGE 10A
ON THE BALL
Might someone give Vick a chance?
The Atlanta Falcons have announced they want to trade Michael Vick as his 23-month prison sentence comes to a close. Vick was indicted in July 2007 and has spent most of his sentence in the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavemouth.
Taylor: I'm not going to condone anything that Vick did or said in retends to Bad Newz Kennels.
With that said, once he's released from prison, I would be more than happy for my favorite NFL team, the Chicago Bears, to take a chance on him.
I never thought Vick was much of a quarterback. But just imagine Vick taking snaps out of the Wildcat and running the option with Devin Hester. That thought alone is worth the bad press that would inevitably come with giving Vick another chance.
His legal troubles are well documented,but are they really that much worse than someone who killed someone drunk driving such as Leonard Little?
Andrew: The issue with bringing the best rushing quarterback of all time back to the NFL is not what you call bad press. It's the media horde that would threaten to derail just about any training camp he finds himself in.
Taylor: That's a legitimate concern, but it doesn't really matter if your team doesn't have a chance to do anything without him.
I think Vick deserves another chance, but any team that decides to take a flyer on his freakish athletic abilities better be confident its players can handle playing second fiddle to the inevitable comeback stories his return would generate.
Michael Vick is a mystery box,
and anybody who's seen "Family
Guy" knows that you can't choose
the boat — even if it's exactly what
you want — over the mystery box.
I know what I get from Kyle Orton, and it's rather mediocre (and drunk). Vick could end up being a complete bust, but his skills are worth the distraction.
Andrew: But what skills are we talking about?
Sure he can beat people with his legs, but you mentioned the word quarterback before. If Vick can still be an average NFL quarterback after almost two years in a prison cell, he is even more physically gifted than anyone originally thought
I think the real possibility — if Vick is willing to do it — is for him to transition to running back or receiver. Something to take advantage of his prodigious athletic ability. But to think he can be an NFL quarterback is pretty hopeful if you ask me
Taylor: I didn't ask you, but I also never said he would play every down.
Vick is such a great athlete that even if his speed has deteriorated it would be enough to burn most defensive backs. He was a glorified running back at Virginia Tech and he could step back into that role pretty easily.
Andrew: Maybe so. I guess we will find that out once, or even if, he finds himself in a NFL training camp. Either way, I'm dreading the 24-hour continuous coverage ESPN will no doubt hit us with when that time comes.
Morris shows 'the real Marcus'
Edited by Susan Melgren
Weston White/KANSAN
Freshman forward Marcus Morris drives under the basket for a reverse layup. Morris finished with 15 points, shooting four-for-seven from the field and six-for-eight from the free throw line, during the Jayhawks' Feb. 14 85-74 victory over Kansas State in Manhattan.
Self and team saw Morris perform closer to his potential against Cats
BY CASE KEEFER ckeefer@kansan.com
Marcus Morris felt relief after Kansas' 85-74 victory at Kansas State Saturday.
Not because he rebounded after being benched for the final 19 minutes of the defeat at Missouri last Monday and not starting for the first time in seven games against Kansas State. And not because he broke out of a slump with 15 points, seven rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Morris had one air ball in each of Kansas' last two games before Saturday and numerous others this season. It gnawed at him. The guy hates air balls.
Think simpler.
"Good thing I didn't shoot an air ball this game," Morris, a freshman forward, said. "I think I'm on a roll for air balls every game."
But he tried not to think about it against the Wildcats. He didn't want to think at all. Morris tried to attack and not worry about anything else.
That's what Kansas coach Bill Self wanted him to do. That's why Self said Morris was the difference in the game.
"I think he's played safe up until this point." Self said after the game. "He's played not to screw up, but today he went out and made plays."
He made a lot of them. Marcus drained a three-point shot from the top of the key to tie the score at 38 in the first half.
By the time the game was in its crucial stages in the second half, Morris was asking teammates for the ball. He scored four points during a 10-2 run in the final minutes that pulled the Jayhawks away from the Wildcats.
Morris got to the free-throw line four times and made six of his eight attempts. Calling his performance "a complete game" would be an understatement.
"That's the real Marcus,"
junior guard Sherron Collins said. "Aggressive, making plays, hitting threes, hitting jumpers, posting, doing it all."
Self and Collins always believed Morris was capable of contributing at this level, but had personal obstacles to overcome. At the beginning of the season, Self complained that Morris didn't exert enough effort at practice.
Although Self is pleased with the progression of Morris' practice habits, Marcus still thinks he can get better.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
"Every day I talk to coach when we're in practice and he tells me I don't go hard and I need to make more plays." Morris said.
Morris still started six of the Jayhawks' first eight games before Self opted to insert Markieff Morris in the lineup instead. Self said Marcus didn't understand his role on the team.
At times, he focused too much on getting open shots and not on grabbing rebounds or playing defense. But Morris still showed flashes of improvement, such as in the first Kansas State game when he had seven rebounds. He was inconsistent.
"He kept teasing us a little bit, showing us glimpses of it," Collins said. "But I think he's coming around, turning the corner. Look forward to see more of that from him."
Collins said he thought Saturday's game could be a turning point in Morris' season. Morris agreed and said the key would be to play with more motivation on the defensive end.
Of course, it will also help if Morris continues to be aggressive and forgets about potential miscues such as air balls.
"Marcus Morris is a really talented player, but we've been waiting for this;" Self said. "Today was almost like, forget it I'm going to go play."
Edited by Sonya English
Sutherland's growing maturity shows against top players
BY JAYSON JENKS
jjenks@kansan.com
For a few brief seconds on Saturday, the hype, the accolades and all the publicity showered on Oklahoma senior Courtney Paris overwhelmed freshman forward Aishah Sutherland.
But, once the action began, the normalcy of any other game quickly replaced those feelings of mystification.
"You can't have time to think about it," Sutherland said. "You go in there and you better play. There's not anything overwhelming, you just have to play."
Three weeks ago, a younger, greener Sutherland may have balked at her ability to compete with Paris or any other top-tier player.
In the world of women's college basketball, it doesn't get much bigger — or better — than Paris, a two-time Big 12 Player of the Year and consensus first team All-American.
On Saturday night, though,
Sutherland not only showed
increasing confidence; she proved
More than any statistic, that sentiment reflects Sutherland's maturation process.
that she's fully capable of competing against the best the Big 12 has to offer.
"Now, I just know what I can use against them and its easier," Sutherland said. "It gets easier."
In Kansas' last four games, Sutherland averaged 7.5 points and eight rebounds while playing nearly 25 minutes a game. And she did so against a variety of players: Texas' posts were long and athletic, while Colorado's were big and bulky.
So it appears.
Sutherland made just 2 of 10 attempts, including many near the
Yet Sutherland and coach Bonnie Henrickson were quick to point out that there was room for improvement.
Still, not much compares — both physically and skill-wise — to Oklahoma's frontcourt. Paris is joined by her sister, Ashley, who may be just as talented. Against two of the best post players the Big 12 has to offer, Sutherland scored six points, grabbed 10 rebounds and had a highlight-worthy block.
"She went at them; she wasn't scared of them," junior guard Sade Morris said. "There were times when she fell away from the shot, but she was like 'Whatever, they're post players just like me. I can go at them.'"
"She's a taker; I need her to be a maker," Hendrickson said. "She takes shots, but she doesn't make a lot of shots because she alters them and shoots it just to shoot.
Indeed, Sutherland has demonstrated a smooth shooting touch. Late in the first half on Saturday, Sutherland received a pass on the baseline, squared to face the basket and calmly knocked down a mid-range jump shot.
"When she sits down and is on-balance, she can make shots. I mean, she's skilled. It's not like she's throwing a shot put up there."
For Henrickson, that's the approach Sutherland must employ on every shot.
Part of correcting the problem is simply developing more confidence against the best teams and players in the conference.
But by playing more minutes — and contributing regularly in Kansas' last six games — Sutherland seems to be building toward that point.
"That's a good thing for our team," junior forward Danielle McCray said. "She's feeling better, she has to get better and she's been committed to getting better."
basket.
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN
— Edited by Brandy Entsminger
Freshman forward Aisha Sutherland attempts a shot inside the paint during the Jay-hawks' 24 game against Kansas State. She played a bigger role in recent games.
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