NSAN
2009
---
KANSAN for the filled 169 on
YOUTH NOT A PROBLEM IN JAYHAWKS' HOT START
orson
pect andi think ifics they integ-
Coach Bill Self not surprised with 7-0 Big 12 record. MEN'S BASKETBALL I 4A
MEDLEY RELAY TEAM PREPS FOR NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
Swimmers excel at individual strokes and continue to win. SWIMMING 11A
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 2009
WWW.KANSAN.COM
SIGNING DAY
Ryan McGeenev/KANSAN
Jayhawk football coach Mark Mangino speaks with reporters during a press conference held in the Anderson Family Football Complex Wednesday afternoon. Mangino discussed some of the team's new recruits for the fall 2009 season, as well as the effects of 2008's Orange Royl victory and the new facilities on recruitment.
Mangino hauls in best class yet
Kansas'recruiting class ranked 31st nationally, includes four four-star recruits among 24 total
smontemayor@kansan.com
BYSTEPHEN MONTEMAYOR
Keeping his decision under wraps until Wednesday, wide receiver Bradley McDougald of Dublin, Ohio, was the first to fax his letter of intent to Kansas on National Signing Day.
Despite the rankings — Rivals
corn has Kansas' class ranked 31st
nationally — Mangino introduced
McDougall, a four-star signer, became the first of 24 recruits to sign with Kansas and the fourth four-star recruit in this year's class — more than any in coach Mark Mangino's tenure.
@KANSAN.COM
itching for more Kansas football recruiting news? Watch yesterday's press conference with coach Mark Mangino at www.kansan.com/video.
PAGE 1B
his latest recruiting class in usual fashion.
"I'll tell you today what I have everyyear that I've been here at this program, that we think we've got some talented kids but you never know until they get on a Big 12 field what they're going to do." Mangino said.
Kansas received letters of intent from six defensive backs and five defensive linemen following a season in which five of the nations top 10 scoring offenses hailed from the Big 12. The Jayhawks finished seventh in the Big 12 in total defense last season.
"We went out to find some people
McDougald fourth four-star signee
in the secondary that can change direction well and help in the short term," Mangino said "Some of these kids have the ability to be outstanding players in the Big 12 on the defensive side of the ball."
McDougald
His college choice unknown until Wednesday morning, wide receiver Bradley
McDougald
of Dublin, Ohio immediately jumps to the head of this year's class with his decision to sign
with Kansas.
McDougald was initially classified at safety — where he was ranked 11th nationally by Rivals.com — but coach Mark Mangino has him penciled in at wide receiver.
"He is very talented, has good range, runs well and is very athletic," Mangino said.
McDougald's letter of intent made it four-four-star signees for Kansas this year — most
MARK MANGINO Kansas coach
"...we think we've got some talented kids but you never know until they get on a Big 12 field..."
Mangino said cornerback D.J.
Beshears — a three-star signee from Denton, Texas — is good enough to also contribute at receiver if needed. Four-star signee Prinz Kande of Euless, Texas, joins Kansas product Darian Kelly of Girard and Dexter Linton of Arlington.
Texas, to comprise one of the
ever in the Mangino era.
McDougald saw playing time all over the field at Scioto High School. He recorded 37 tackles and one interception in seven games as a senior. On offense he rushed 87 times for 432 yards and six touchdowns and caught eight passes for 135 yards and one score. He also returned punts and kickoffs.
nation's top safety classes. Kande drew Mangino's attention as an asset in combating Big 12 offenses.
"I like everything about Prinz," Mangino said. "He closes to the football like a rocket. His instincts are great. If he's playing zone or man or run support, he's going to be on the ball."
Mangino said he and his staff believe they've helped themselves on the defensive line in this class as well. Four-star defensive end
Quintin Woods of Flint, Mich., is one of three junior college players to sign and is among the players Mangino expects to contend for immediate playing time.
"His frame reminds you a little bit of Charlton Keith," Mangino said. "He comes off the ball with quickness, and he's an athletic kid."
Mangino also believes the two
SEE FOOTBALL ON PAGE 4B
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Kansas overcomes slow start to defeat Colorado
Danielle McCray scores 24 points to help the Jayhawks collect second conference victory
BY JAYSON JENIKS
jienks@kansan.com
At the first media timeout, four minutes and one second into Kansas 65-54 victory against Colorado on Wednesday night, the layhawks jogged to the berch with coach Bonnie Hendrickson displaying a stare of complete disbelief.
True, Kansas trailed by only one point at the time. But the Jayhawks' sluggish and uninspired start left Henrickson shocked.
"It was like we were in a corn," Henrickson said. "Both ends of the floor we were terrible and not executing. I was irrited. I just didn't understand why."
Neither did Kansas' players Coming off their best performance on the road this season at No. 10 Texas A&M on Saturday, the
layhawks turned the ball over and looked out of sync on the offensive end.
For a team attempting to snap a tour-game losing streak, that's not what Henrickson or her players expected.
"It felt like we were in shellshock or something," junior forward Daniele McCray said "I don't know what was happening. It was just slow and we were missing shots and coming late to
Midway through the first half,
though, Kansas began playing more
"Man, I feel like when we play defense, that makes our offense so much easier."
While Kansas never trailed by more than five at any point, the Jayhawks struggled early with offensive consistency.
things. After that media timeout, I
think we got things going."
SADE MORRIS junior guard
During the game's opening four minutes, Henrickson pleaded with her team to pick up the intensity.
like a team desperately in need of a win. Sparked by two players who combined for six points in Kansas' last two games, junior guard Kelly Kohn and sophomore forward Nicollette Smith, the Jayhawks outscored the Buffaloes 21-4 to end the first half.
-
Kohn hit two three-pointers and Nicollette Smith added another in helping Kansas to a 32-18 halftime lead.
like a must win game," junior guard Sade Morris said. "We knew if we want to make the tournament, we had to win this game. We were like 'look, let's put this behind us, play some defense and get up in them.'"
Kansas' defense created turnovers and forced Colorado to settle for bad shots in the first half. The Buffaloes made just 29 percent of their first-half shots and committed 21 turnovers.
"We knew that this was kind of
That's exactly what Kansas did.
And during Kansas' run to end the first half, defense provided a spark.
Weston White/KANSAN
"Man. I feel like when we play defense, that makes our offense so much easier," Morris said. "We get in a really good flow and then everything goes right for us."
SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE 6B
Junior guard Sade Morris takes the ball to the basket for two points Wednesday against Colorado. Morris put up 13 points in Kansas' 65-54 win over the Buffaloes.
COMMENTARY
Even the unheralded recruits find their place
Here's hoping you have a half dozen or so grains of salt on hand today
It's a doozy. Best of coach Mark Mangino's career, they say. And why shouldn't it be? This is the first class recruited on the heels of Kansas' 2008 Orange Bowl victory. The completion of the $31 million Anderson Family Football Complex last summer also made Kansas competitive over the Notre Dames, Nebraskas, Floridas and Michigan's of the recruiting world.
when examining this year's football recruiting class.
Were looking at the nation's third ranked fullback. One prostyle and one dual-threat quarterback. Two towering receivers in the mold of former Jayhawk Marcus Henry.
Somewhere lies one of college football's great conundrums. Look closely. It's in the stars.
Notable 3-star recruits from 2002-07: Nick Reid, Mark Simmons, Bill Whittimore, Brandon McAnderson, Scott Webb, James McClinton, Mike Rivera, Marcus Herford, Kerry Meier, Darrell Stuckey, Todd Reesing, Jake Sharp, Dezmon Briscoe.
Notable 2-star recruits since
2002-07: Cornish, Derek Fine,
Charles Gordon, Cesar Rodriguez,
Joe Vaughn, Ryan Cantrell,
Anthony Collins, Dexton Fields,
Joe Mortenson, Aqib Talib, Russell
Brorsen, James Holt, Lake Lantad
In sports we tend to enjoy measuring athletes and accomplishments with comfortable numbers. Five hundred home runs are good for a slot in baseball's Hall of Fame. A three-and-a-half point spread in Vegas can end a life, a marriage or just as easily lead to early retirement. High school athletes are assigned star rankings by recruiting services to forecast future success in college.
Four-star fullback Toben Opurum could bowl over Big 12 linebackers from day one. Four-star safety Prinz Kande has the potential to break up a play in the backfield or cover the spread offenses of the Big 12 into oblivion. But Mangino and Co's recruiting history circa 2002 suggests we may also want to take an equally close look at this year's pair of two-star recruits; offensive linemen Tom Mabry and Riley Spencer.
With example No. 3 in mind, it is as strange to declare that the class of 2009 could be better than any of the recruiting classes Todd Reesing or Aquib Talb were on as it would have been to predict seven years ago that Mangino would mold two- and three-star recruits to be among the best to wear crimson and blue.
Say what? Let's go to the books.
Hype all you want, but Mangino and his staff lead the nation in recruiting categories that don't fit so conveniently in charts and graphs. That is in the categories of character, discipline and intelligence. It just so happens Kansas' coaching staff is adept at turning overlooked athletes into champions.
We all have potential — it's what is made of it that counts.
Edited by Carly Halvorson