UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, April 2,1993
9B
THE BENCH
CALVIN RAYFORD
5-6 155 Guard Milwaukee, Wis.
righam Young shooting guard Nick Sanderson and Indiana point guard Damon Bailey share one thing in common. They both have been victories of Calvin Payne.
victims of Calvin Ray-
Two weeks ago in the dayhawks second round game, Sanderson was on his way to an easy layup. But on his way in, Rayford snatched the ball from his hands for a steal.
Saturday against Indiana, Rayford picked Bailey clean in the same manner and drove for a layup.
"Both times I just saw that they were dribbling a little high. 'Raydon said, "So I took it."
Rayford is averaging less than two points a game. But his limited playing time — 8.5 minutes a game — has been productive and helpful for starter Aaron Jordan.
"Calvin's really stepped it up," Jordan said. "He's really been an exciting player, and he helps out by coming in to give me a rest."
Against the University of Missouri-Kansas City, Rayford scored a career-high eight points. He also banked a pass off the backboard for Darrin Hancock, who finished the play with a slam.
Against Indiana, Rayfort played just three minutes for Jordan. In those three minutes, he collected his steal from Bailey which led to his only points of the game. He also had two assists.
Career notes
1991 McDonald's High School
All-American
1991 Parade High School All-
American
1991 Wisconsin Player of the Year
Year
Roy's remarks
SEAN PEARSON
"Calvin is very good at creating havoc and turmoil defensively which means the other team is always looking around for where he's coming from next. He's very quick and very good at penetrating the ball to the basket."
6-4 195 Guard LaGrange Park, Ill.
he first thing Sean Pearson did when he made his Kansas basketball debut was shoot a three-pointer.
The shot, which came during the Jayhawks'
second exhibition game, hit nothing but net.
Pearson proved his shooting ability was no fluke during the regular season opener. He made three of three three-pointers and scored nine points in Kansas' 76-65 victory against Georgia.
In the Kansas City Golden Harvest
Classic, he scored a career high 19 points, leading the Jayhawks to a 108-62 victory against the University of Missouri-Kansas City.
Since then, his production and playing time have gone down to 3.5 points and seven minutes a game, but the freshman said he understood his role. He said it helped knowing that he had three seasons remaining to improve.
Pearson sat out last season when the NCAA declared him academically ineligible. A rule was changed and he was granted an extra year of eligibility.
Two weeks ago, Pearson, from LaGrange, III, played against Ball State and hit a jump shot in the closing minute. "It felt good to return home," Pearson said. "I'm glad my family got a chance to see me play."
Pearson's mother, two sisters, a brother, two uncles, a cousin, a niece and a nephew attended the game.
Career notes
Averaged 24 points and nine rebounds at Nazareth Academy Won the Kansas intramural basketball championship last season Can squat 460 pounds 33.5 inch static vertical leap, second on team to Rex Walters
"Sean is a skilled hand-eye coordination, ballhandling shooter where everything looks smooth. He could develop into a great shooter."
T.J. WHATLEY
Roy's remarks
6-4 190 Guard Glen Rose, Ark.
J. Whatley said he knew the possibilities of playing in big games were slim. But just being on the Kansas roster has accomplished one of his goals.
Whatley said he wanted to play Division I basketball. And despite logging just 31 minutes this season, he said that practicing with the Jayhawks was an honor.
"There were a lot of Division III schools that wanted me." Whatley said. "I had the choice of going to a smaller school and playing a lot of minutes or coming here and improving while not playing so much."
while not playing so much. Whatever said that his favorite game that he has played in this season was against the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Whatley played a career high seven minutes and scored five points. He connected on his first three-point attempt. Percentage wise, he is the byjahaws' most accurate three-point shooter. The shot against UMKC was one of just two career attempts.
or just two can take it. But I "I really felt like a contributing factor in that game." Whatley said. "I was out there with the starters like Rex and Adonis."
Whatley, a non-scholarship player, earned a spot on the roster as a walk-on in November. He had worked out with the players during pickup games and conditioning last summer and fall.
Career notes
Glen Rose (Ark.) career leading scorer and rebounder Made first five field goal attempts of college career 1992 Arkansas All-State Team 1991 Arkansas All-State Team
Roy's remarks
"The team accepted him immediately. I liked the initiative that he had, and he's not a bad basketball player. He understands his limitations and works hard to overcome them."
BLAKE WEICHBRODT
6-2 200 Guard Norman, Okla.
lake Weichbrotd went from averaging 15 points a game as a junior varsity starter to averaging one point a game after being moved up to the varsity round.
But membership has its privileges. Weichrobt said.
"A lot of people dream about playing on the floor of Allen Field House," he said. "I get to put on a Kansas uniform and go out there almost every day. That in itself made it worth playing."
Weichbrot's home town is Norman Okla, home of the Oklahoma Sooners
Okla, home of the Oklahoma Sooners. He attended Oklahoma coach Billy Tubbs' summer basketball camps and openly admits to rooting for the Sooners—when they're not playing Kansas.
ers—where they may be playing. Weichbrodt has never scored more than three points as a Jayhawk. He was, however, part of a play that was shown on ESPN's "Sportscenter."
Against Oral Roberts on Jan. 14, he played a career high five minutes. On a fast break, Calvin Rayford fed Weichbrodt with a behind-the-back pass. Weichbrodt scored and was fouled. He converted the free throw for his career-high three points.
Weichbrodt said he realized his role on the team. Despite only playing when the outcome of the game had been determined, Weichbrodt said he enjoyed practicing and being coached at the college level.
"I push them as hard as I can in practice" he said.
Career notes
Played on undefeated and state champion Norman High School team
Two and a half season veteran of Kansas J.V. program Helped lead 1991-92 J.V. team to a 22-1 record
Roy's remarks
"Blake is a very physical player for his size. He works hard at his game and tries to make the other players better in practice. One of the ways he really helps us is by not hurting us."
Kevin Stallings Assistant Coach (Purdue '82)
Kevin Stallings has a degree in marketing from Purdue University. The marketing skills he has learned have carried over into basketball. One of his top responsibilities is recruiting.
Sports Illustrated listed Stallings as one of the top recruiters in college basketball. Bob Gibbons, a recruiting analyst, has already listed Kansas' recruiting class for next season as one of the top five in the nation.
Next season's class consists of Scot Pollard, B.J. Williams, Nick Proud and Jacque Vaughn. All of the them verbally committed to Kansas early and all of them signed early national letters of intent. Pollard and Williams each led their teams into U.S.A.Today's Top 25 high school basketball rankings.
Gibbons listed Vaughn as the second best high school point guard in the nation.
Coaching Experience
KU STAFF Mark Cairns Basketball Trainer
1982-88
1988-
Purdue University assistant coach University of Kansas assistant coach
wine not recruiting. Stallings assists with scouting the opposing team as well as coaching.
Stallings is no stranger to the Final Four. Aside from assisting Williams in 1991, he played in the 1980 Final Four for the Boilermakers.
Stallings, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard, played under coach Gene Keady for three seasons at Purdue. After graduating, Stallions assisted Keady for six years before coming to Kansas as an assistant to Roy Williams.
The Kansas players call him 'Doc'.
His real name is Mark Cairns, the Javhawks' basketball trainer.
Cairns said that this season, which has brought a variety of injuries, has been no more hectic than his other seven years. He has had the challenge of dealing with stress fractures, torn retinas and sprained knees as well as the normal bumps and bruises common to college basketball.
Six Jayhawks, including starters Eric Pauley and Darrin Hancock, have missed games this season with injuries.
"Every year we've had something big," Cairns said, referring to Ostertag's stress fracture that caused him to miss seven games in December.
to miss seven games.
Cairns graduated from Salina Central High School
before enrolling at Kansas. He received his bachelor's degree in organismal biology in 1984. He received a master's degree in kinesiology and sports psychology and worked primarily with the football and baseball programs before he joined the basketball staff.
Cairns said that he has had many uplifting moments this season but that last weekend's victory against Indiana topped them all.
Richard Scott and Darrin Hancock both twisted their left ankles in earlier games. Against the Hoosiers, Scott led the team with 16 points, while Hancock finished with 12.
"Richard must have turned his left ankle ten times in the last two weeks," Cairns said. "Then he steps it up and leads the team in scoring.
"And Darrin really had a painful left ankle the day before that game. And then he's flying around and doing the things that Darrin usually does."