Volume 126 Issue 55
kansan.com
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
COMMENTARY Three-point shooting a concern
Down in the Bahamas, the sun blazed, the waves lapped against the glistening sands of Paradise Island and fans congregated to drink, gamble and watch college basketball
The scene sounds downright enchanting.
However, within the grand ballroom of Atlantis Resorts, the Jayhawks found it difficult to enjoy their weekend trip to utopia. Three grueling games against Wake Forest, Villanova and UTEP exposed several key weaknesses.
One weakness that towers over the others was the shockingly mediocre outside shooting. Kansas shot so many bricks over the weekend that construction workers could have used them all to raise the ballroom ceiling another 30 feet.
Over the course of the tournament, Kansas shot 3-15, 2-11 and 5-19 from behind the arc. Combined, the Jayhawks made 10 three-pointers and missed 35. Specifically, Andrew White was 0-5, Frank Mason was 2-11 and Andrew Wiggins was 2-8. Nadir Tharpe led the team in percentages with a 36.4% success rate from downtown.
To put that in perspective, 107 teams have better three-point shooting percentages than 36.4%.
the season is still young, but overall Kansas is shooting 30.7% from downtown. Only ten teams from power conferences shoot at a worse rate. Kansas State, who is shooting a remarkable 26.6%,is the only team worse in the Big 12.
Bill Self has criticized the team for shooting too many threes. When you miss at the rate Kansas does, any amount of three-point attempts seems like too many, especially when you have slashers Wayne Selden and Wiggins and post presences Perry Ellis and Joel Embid at your disposal
However, when opponents don't respect outside shooting, everything becomes more difficult near the basket. Ellis and Embid were doubled nearly every touch in the post. The players providing the double were usually perimeter defenders. They didn't worry about the kick to the unguarded shooter because Kansas never proved it could consistently make the open shot.
Improved outside shooting will not only benefit the posts. Wiggins and Selden, already dangerous players, could be virtually unstoppable. Improved shooting by the pair would prevent defenders from playing off them at the perimeter. Both have explosive first steps that are negated when the defender is sagging a few feet away. Once Wiggins and Selden begin making shots, opponents will have to respect a whole other facet of their arsenal.
Mason is another player who would enormously benefit from more touch behind the arc. Often, UTEP was begging Mason to shoot. At 5-foot 11', Mason won't survive as just a driver. The congestion in the lane is often too much for a sub-six-foot player to overcome. However, if Mason could be an outside threat, that congestion would diminish.
The two shooters Bill Self recruited, Conner Frankamp and Brannen Greene, are having problems of their own. Frankamp rarely misses in warm-ups, but seems to overthink it in game situations. Greene struggles defensively, which keeps him planted firmly on the bench.
Bill Self may not like it, but to be the best team in the nation, you must have outside shooting threats.
Right now, Kansas is sorely lacking in that department.
Edited by Lauren Armendariz
VOLLEYBALL
Coach Ray Bechard speaks with junior outside hitter Chelsea Albers before Kansas' match against Texas Tech on Nov. 23rd. Bechard won 2013 Big XII Coach of the Year.
KING OF THE CONFERENCE
Coach Ray Bechard earns Big 12 Coach of the Year in back-to-back seasons
BLAIR SHEADE
bsheade@kansan.com
Ray Bechard entered his 16th season at KU as the reigning Big 12 Conference coach of the year. He enters the postseason with the same title.
On Monday, Kansas earned numerous conference awards, including four Jayhawks on All Big 12 First Teams, head coach Ray Bechard for coach of the year and senior Erin McNorton for setter of the year. Bechard's winning the 2013 conference coach of the year makes him the only coach in Kansas history to earn that honor in back-to-back seasons. This
Beachard, who is the winningest coach in Kansas' program history, becomes just the fifth coach in Big 12 conference history to win the coach of the year award back-to-back. The Jayhawks are a special squad with senior leadership and one of the most successful teams Beachard has coached, Beachard said after the victory at Iowa State on Oct. 20.
year marks Bechard's third overall award-winning season.
The team success starts with McNorton, who has assisted the Jayhawks to a .260 hitting percentage this season and Big 12 leading 12.6 assist per set. The .260 hitting percentage is the best in Kansas
volleyball history. McNorton, who said earlier in the season that she takes pride in her hitter's success and distributing the ball, ranks sixth all-time in Kansas' history with 2,955 assists.
McNorton's award-winning season helped four of her hitters earn First Team Big 12 honors.
Senior middle blocker Caroline Jarmoc, who is Kansas' all-time leading blocker and the only Jayhawk to record 100 or more blocks in all four years in Lawrence, obtained back-to-back first team honors and third consecutive selection. Jarmoc is the only All-American in program history and has a shot to become
an All-American in 2013, as well. Jarmoc is sixth in the Big 12 in hitting percentage (.314), ninth in kills per set (3) and sixth in blocks per set (1.19)
Jarmoc isn't the only Jayhawk be selected for back-to-back All-Big 12 First Team; junior outside hitter Sarah McClinton is a first team conference player, too. McClinton leads the team and is seventh in the Big 12 with 3.20 kills per set.
Junior right side hitter Chelsea Albers acquired her first all-conference award. The Nebraska native showed her versatility when she recorded a 300-kill, 200-dig and 100-block season. Albers was the first Jayhawk to post those
numbers since Cyndee Kanabel. Bechard said Albers' best performance was at Iowa State, when she recorded 14 kills, nine digs and six blocks.
blocks.
The Jayhawks, who were lead by seven seniors, had a freshman standout after veteran middle blocker Tayler Tolefree graduated. Freshman middle blocker Tayler Soucie earned All-Big 12 Freshman First Team. Soucie broke the Kansas freshman block record set by Jarmoc with 123. She led the Jayhawks with 1.21 blocks per set and fifth in the Big 12 conference.
Edited by Sylas May
FOOTBALL
Charlie Weis ready to recruit during offseason
MAX GOODWIN
mgoodwin@kansan.com
Charlie Weis said Saturday after his team's 31-10 loss to in-state rival Kansas State that he would be immediately hitting the road for recruiting the next day, and his confidence level was "pretty good."
There were questions, though, about whether the departure of offensive line coach Tim Grunhard would hurt the team in recruiting the position it most needed.
MICHAEL STRICKLAND/KANSAN
KANSAN Coach Charlie Weis stands on the sideline during Saturday's 31-10 loss against Kansas State. Kansas will be relying on recruits such as Keyon Haughton next year after going 3-9 this season.
On Monday that question may have been partially answered.
Weis landed offensive lineman Keyon Haughton from Georgia Military Academy. Haughton confirmed his commitment to Jon Kirby of jayhawkSlant.com.
Haughton had originally said that he would not commit until after his current team finished its season as it is scheduled to play in the juco national championship. But his commitment represents a step in the right direction for next season.
"I think that we have a pretty good plan in place and we've kind of earmarked where we're deficient at, you know, where we need a high school kid and where we need a junior college kid, and identify who they are. Now we
MICHAEL STRICKLAND/KANSAP
have to go and get them." Weis said on Saturday before leaving Lawrence for recruiting.
Weis called the departure of Grunhard, "a little bit of a bump in the road because there's some guys that get really close to you in recruiting." But Weis said he would be in all of those recruits homes this week.
Weis has about two more weeks to recruit this season.
"Well, we only can be on the road through the 15th. Because we get pulled off the road on the 16th. I'll get off on the 13th because we have the banquet on the 14th, so I think I'll show up for the banquet," Weis said. "It's possible I could go to a local guy that night too."
It's always possible that there could be changes in the Kansas coaching staff, but that's not something that Weis is thinking about at the moment.
This time will be used to add to the eight recruits Weis already has committed to Kansas for 2014.
"I'm not worrying about doing anything with our staff," Weis said. "I want to get through recruiting. I think if you're going to do anything, that's the more appropriate time frame. Right now it's full
Vo
speed ahead recruiting."
Along with Haughton, Kansas already has linebacker Kyron Watson, offensive lineman Apa Visinia, defensive lineman Austin Stevens, defensive lineman Dam-
ani Mosby, wide receiver Bobby Hartzog, offensive lineman Jacob Bragg, running back Traevohn Wrench and defensive back Joe Dineen committed.
Weis will not be seen much over
the next couple weeks in Lawrence, as he will be working to bring some new talent to the Jayhawks.
Edited by Lauren Aremdariz