Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN CRESSY NAMED TOP DEAF FEMALE ATHLETE USA Deaf Sports Federation honors KU freshman. SOCCER I 9A GET A GLIMPSE OF LITTLE, MORNINGSTAR The two give insight into their lives, opinions. GRIDLOCK I 11A
FRIDAY, JANUARY 23, 2009
WWW.KANSAN.COM
COMMENTARY
Briscoe will be your new Superman
PAGE 12A
He may not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound or stop a speeding locomotive, but Dezmon Briscoe may be the Jayhawks' Superman next season.
Briscoe will be the best wide receiver in the Big 12 next season. Yes, the season ended not quite a month ago, but it's never too early to get excited for next season, and Briscoe is one big reason for that.
Briscoe is rewriting all the receiving records in the KU record book. He shattered the KU record for receiving yards in a season this year with 1,402 yards and he is within 500 yards of breaking the KU record for career receiving yards. He set the record for touchdown receptions by a freshman with seven. Briscoe is also only 40 receptions away from the KU career receptions record.
GUESSING GAME
With Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree and Missouri's Jeremy Maddux.
Ryan McGeeney/KANSAM Freshman Center Markieff Morris slams the ball through the net during the first half of the Jayhawks' Jan. 13 game against the Kansas State Wildcats. Morris is one of five players that coach Bill Self has started this season in the power-forward position.
banned the NFL draft,
Briscoe faces little competition in the Big 12. Maclin and Crabtree were hardly competition themselves.
Briscoe had more receiving
Briscoe
yards and averaged more yards per catch than both. He also had more touchdown reactions than Maclin. That speaks volumes about Briscoe, considering that in ESPN NFL. Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr's latest mock draft on ESPN.com, Crabtree is the fourth overall pick and Maclin is the seventh pick.
The Big 12 first-team receiving corps consisted of Crabtree, Maclin and Oklahoma State's Dey Bryant. Briscoe easily could have been there, but he ended up on the second string. Next year Briscoe will be a definite first string Big 12 player. Bryant is the only competition Briscoe has left in the Big 12. Bryant bested Briscoe this season in every statistical category except receptions, and he's a threat in the return game.
Briscoe has the size to dominate any defensive back, and with most of the offense returning for the Jayhawks next season, Briscoe could be the most powerful weapon in coach Mark Mangino's arsenal. The Big 12 can't ignore his talent next season and he may even turn some heads on a national level.
Yes, the quarterback is the most glorified position on a football team and Todd Reesing will get his due, but Briscoe could be the biggest impact player on the roster next season and help the Jayhawks make a third consecutive bowl.
Edited by Chris Hickerson
top receivers
Catches Yds TD
Michael Crabtree (TTU)
97 1,165 19
Jeremy Maclin (MU)
102 1,260 13
Dezmon Briscoe (KU)
92 1,402 15
Ryan McGoonov/KANSAN
Self shuffling starting lineup
BY CASE KEEFER ckeefer@kansan.com
He isn't drawing straws or holding a round of musical chairs at the end of practice. But even if he was, Self said it shouldn't matter.
Kansas coach Bill Self has a method for choosing who will be in his starting lineup.
"I think people make way too big a deal out of that," Self said. "I don't think it makes one difference who starts."
Four of the five starting spots for the Jayhawks appear to be filled. Junior guard Sherron Collins, sophomore center Cole Aldrich and sophomore guard Brady Morningstar have started in all 18 games and freshman guard Tyshawn Taylor has started in the past 17 in a row.
The fifth starter, however, has changed frequently. Self has used five players — freshman forwards Marcus and Markleff Morris each seven times, junior guard Mario Little twice and freshman forward Quintrell Thomas and senior forward Matt Kleinmann each once as the starting power forward this season.
Lately, it's turned into a guessing game and will be once again leading up to Saturday's 1 p.m. game against Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum.
Three games ago, Markieff made his sixth start in a row. Mario Little took over for the layhawks' first two conference games against Kansas State and Colorado. In Monday's 73-53 victory against Texas A&M, Self inserted Marcus into the lineup
he "just feels whoever is playing better in practice that day or during the games." Morningstar said. "He'll give them the starting role."
Ah, so maybe Self cares a little more about the starting lineup than he leads on. He just doesn't care for the scrutiny that surrounds the decision.
Scrutiny that Self says is specific to Kansas. He can't remember it ever being an issue during his stint as the coach at Illinois.
"The Big 10 Player of the Year at Illinois, Frank Williams, I didn't start him five or six times," Self said. "It was never talked about. Why
didn't you start him? Didn't want to. End of discussion. Here, it's news."
And Self never announces any changes before a game. He has, however, offered a few hints about who will hold the power forward spot in the near future.
Self said it was better for the team if the 6-foot-8 Markieff Morris came off the bench because he was the second-tallest rotation player. This way, Self doesn't have to worry as much about Markieff getting into early foul trouble and
leaving Aldrich vulnerable.
For the time being, it looks as though Little or Marcus will hear his name announced over the PA system. Neither of them have a strong preference on starting or relieving.
"If I don't start, I don't care," Marcus said. "I just want to play. I want to be on the team. I want to contribute to the team."
Little said he enjoyed starting but was still getting back to full speed and learning Kansas' systems after missing two months with a stress
fracture in his lower left leg and a broken left hand.
Perhaps Self's attitude has rubbed off on his players. He wouldn't want players who are too concerned with starting, anyway.
"It if it deflates them, we probably aren't going to win with them anyway." Self said. "It means nothing to me who starts."
Edited by Liz Schubauer
Check Kansan.com for extended coverage of this weekend's game against Iowa State and more basketball-related content at "Blog" Allen and the Jay Report.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
McCray bounces out of slump
KU languishes in a losing streak despite her 30-point game against Nebraska
Junior forward Danielle McCray struggles unsuccessfully for a layup against Texas Tech's Kierra Mallard during the Jayhawks' Saturday game in Allen Fieldhouse.The Lady Raiders defeated the Jayhawks 57-49.
.
BY JAYSON JENKS jjenks@kansan.com
In a few minutes, McCray and the Jayhawks will begin watching tape on Saturday's opponent, 15th ranked Kansas State — a team Kansas lost to by 33 points earlier this season.
Behind them are two straight losses and a 1-3 record in the Big 12.
Standing in the hallway outside Kansas' locker room before practice, junior forward Danielle McCray leaned against a wall and wondered aloud.
"These couple of games, these losses we've had, it makes you think, 'Are we that bad?' And the answer is we're not that bad," McCray said. "That's what's frustrating, just how we do in practice and how we talk about things.
"It's a total turnaround on game days. We're not that bad. We're just killing ourselves right now. We have to find a way to do something different."
For almost two weeks simi-
SEE WOMEN ON PAGE 9A
SWIMMING & DIVING
The Jayhawks lost a close meet to No. 19 Arkansas on Thursday by a score of 165-135.
Abigail Adams, Hendersonville, Tenn., freshman, said the team swam well together despite the loss. Adams was pleased with her individual performance and said she would be ready for the team's home meet on Saturday.
Arkansas narrowly defeats Jayhawks
BY HALLIE MANN hmann@kansan.com
Adams said the coaches and the team knew what they needed to work on before the next meet and the conference championships.
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"The championships are based on power rankings and our coaches are trying to get in those final good swims," Adams said.
SEE SWIM ON PAGE 9A