Volume 126 Issue 49
kansan.com
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
COMMENTARY
Sims should be remembered as Kansas great
Failing to win a conference game this year wouldn't have been fair to the Kansas fans who have maintained loyalty in the face of mockery from opposing fans. It wouldn't have been fair to coach Charlie Weis, who despite poor results has labored to get his team to improve.
It especially wouldn't have been fair to senior running back James Sims, who has been one of the rocks of the team from the moment he laced up his sneakers for the first time four years ago.
To put it in perspective, Kansas' last conference victory prior to beating West Virginia was November 6, 2010. At that juncture, many of the people reading this column were still in high school, making questionable haircut decisions and skipping class to go make out in the back of their 1992 BMW 3-Series.
On that date, Sims, a freshman at the time, rushed for 123 yards on 20 carries and scored four touchdowns. With 12 minutes remaining in the game, Kansas trailed 45-17. Everyone seemed ready to make another inevitable mark in the loss column. That is, everyone except James Sims.
Sims put the team on his back and scored three touchdowns in the final quarter, including the game-tying and the game-winning scores.
Without Sims' performance, Kansas last Big 12 victory would have been Iowa State on October 10, 2009, 39 conference games ago.
Fast forward to this past Saturday. Faced with the prospect of having a legacy of playing during three consecutive winless Big 12 campaigns, Sims decided to write a more suitable ending.
Sims rushed for three touchdowns and 211 yards. In the first half, he had more runs of 60 or more yards (2) than runs of less than three yards (1). On the 68-yard touchdown scamper, Weis showed trust in his senior running back, as many coaches would opt to take a knee that close to halftime.
Always one to play with pride, Sims has been a bright spot for four years. With a revolving door of mediocre quarterbacks, including Jordan Webb, Quinn Mecham, Dayne Crist, Michael Cummings and Jake Heaps, Sims always showed the will to win, even if his team didn't. In his junior year on a one-win team, Sims rushed for 100 yards in six-straight games, including 176 yards rushing against Texas and 180 yards from scrimmage against Oklahoma State. In every one of those games, Kansas managed to lose, despite his contributions.
Casual fans may remember Sims as the starting running back on a stream of unsuccessful teams, but that would be a disservice to all Sims has done for the Kansas football program. Saturday's game showed how important Sims has been. He is a back deserving of national attention. Playing for Kansas prevented him, for the most part, from achieving stardom, but no one ever saw Sims complain. Instead of gripping or wallowing in self pity, Sims put his head down and focused on how he could help the football team.
Remember Sims as a workhorse as a glue guy and as a stud running back. After all he has accomplished, it is what he deserves.
Edited by Heather Nelson
LOOKING FORWARD
FOUL FIXES
Bill Self emphasizes the need for defensive improvements
Sophomore forward Perry Ellis goes up for a layup against Duke's Jabari Parker. Kansas beat the Blue Devils 94-83 in Chicago Nov. 12.
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
BLAKE SCHUSTER
This has been the case for Tarik Black, who has run into foul trouble in each match this season. Self said a reason for this is Black has been pressing too much on defense.
bschuster@kansan.com
"It's just because he's excited and that kind of stuff," Self said. "I do think you'll see a much
Bill Self stepped to the microphone in Allen Fieldhouse on Monday unsatisfied with his team's play. He spoke of Duke exposing the Jayhawks, and although they pulled out a victory, Kansas' coach doesn't feel his team is playing a complete game yet.
"I'm excited about where we're headed," Self said, "I'm not thrilled about where we're at."
Most noticeably, Kansas has struggled to guard without fouling. Through two games, the layhawks have amassed 56 fouls. While the new hand-check rules have played a role in the high total, through two games in 2012 Kansas combined for 32 calls. In 2011 that number was 45.
Moments later Self was informed the Jayhawks ranked No. 2 in the Associated Press' latest poll. Not a bad spot to be in, but technically it can still get better.
One adjustment the Kansas defense struggles with is not having Jeff Withey on the floor. With the shot-blocking machine off in the NBA, opposing teams haven't been as afraid to drive the lane on the layhawks.
With a week between games, Self had more time to clean up the defense. The matchup with Iona tonight will show how much it's helped.
The Gaels' starting lineup features three players who are 6-feet-5 or shorter. Their tallest starter is 6-foot-9.
"They're small." Self said. "We'll be having bigs guard on the perimeter."
In the first two games, and preseason for that matter, the jayhaws' defense was at its most vulnerable when calling for help. Instead of playing the man, Kansas would often foul.
At least until freshman 7-footer Joel Embid learns how to take his place; it will take a team effort to make up for the loss.
"It doesn't bother me at all." Self said, after wondering aloud how Kansas was able to leapfrog Louisville. "You might as well be able to learn how to operate under a little stress."
more relaxed Tarik on Tuesday."
v
"There's no question we miss jeff," Self said. "I'm hoping Joel can become a more efficient rim protector."
Embid said the responsibility of making up for Withey's graduation falls on him. He's been working on changing his mindset to block every shot but still hasn't gotten the timing down. Embid has no trouble admitting that he's still learning. After all, he's only been playing basketball for three years.
- Edited by Lauren Armendariz
It's not from a lack of trying.
This is why Self isn't thrilled with where the team is. He sees too much room to improve in every facet of the layhawks' game. It's also why Self isn't too high on his team's new ranking.
Y
This is Embiid's homework Embiid can breakdown why and how Withey was so useful on defense with ease. Transferring it to his own game will take more time.
It's not like Self brings up
Withey's style of play to Embid
either. The coach just plainly told
Embid he needs to protect the
rim before handing him tape of
Withey's playing days.
"I'm always thinking 'If I jump now are they going to call a foul on me?' my defense is good but it's not great." Embiid said.
FOOTBALL
Weis analyzes offense after win, focus on Cozart as QB
MAX GOODWIN
mgoodwin@kansan.com
Coach Charlie Weis has talked about developing a formidable passing attack for the Kansas offense all season.
He's alternated wide receivers and offensive linemen. He's given the play-calling responsibility to assistant coaches, and now he's made the switch from junior lake Heaps at quarterback to freshman Montell Cozart, all in an attempt to stimulate the offensive production.
Those who watched Saturday's victory over West Virginia closely, may have noticed the Jayhawks' receivers stretched further across the field than usual, forcing the Mountaineers defense to do the same.
"When you go in on Monday morning and actually start game planning, you know everything changes, because now you're changing from a pure drop-back quarterback that's going to stay in the pocket, to a drop-back quarterback that is less experienced but has tons more athleticism." Weis said in his teleconference on Monday.
When Weis decided to start Cozart for the first time this season, he changed the game plan.
The team had to adapt in one week from a compact offense to a spread out offense.
Quarterback coach Ron Powls asked Cozart how he felt about running a spread offense early in the week before the West Virginia game.
"I said I love it. This is something I've been doing at Bishop Miege," Cozart said after the game on Saturday.
Three years ago, when Cozart stepped in as the starter at Bishop Miege High School, the same type of spread offense was put in place.
"A lot of the things they were asking him to do on Saturday were things he had to do with us," coach Jon Holmes of Bishop Miege said. "It's good to see things we did here with him, and he's able to do that at the next level as well."
Cozart gained comfort with the reads he has to make in the spread offense, and how to react in different situations.
The spread offense highlights Cozart's strengths as a dual-threat quarterback. The defense is forced to cover the length of the field horizontally, and Cozart can take advantage of that.
"He fits it great with the way he's able to run." Holmes said. "He's able to stretch defenses out and if they stretch too much he's able to run, and if they don't stretch enough I think these KU fans are going to see he can also hurt you with the run."
--when defenses aren't forced to consider the quarterback as another threat to run, it gives them a one-man advantage in coverage. Weis said.
A quarterback that is a threat to run on any given play eliminates that defensive advantage.
Rather than opening up the passing game, the spread offense opens up the running lanes. Cozart rushed for more yards (69) than he passed for (61), and senior running back James Sims had a game to remember with 211 yards and three touchdowns.
Just having Montell back there, a dual-threat quarterback, it helps out a lot," Sims said. "It takes pressure off of you because they have to worry about him as well."
Cozart played every snap of Saturday's game. Weis said that Heaps is obviously disappointed that he's not the guy at the moment, but that hasn't deterred him from helping Cozart prepare as best he can.
The future will tell if Cozart is the quarterback of the future for Kansas, and whether the receivers will remain spread from the sidelines going forward. The result of Saturday's game could be an indicator.
Edited by Heather Nelson
"I think Montell has a bright future and this was a good first step for him," Weis said.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
Charlie Weis observes his team Saturday against West Virginia at home. Kansas gained its first conference victory in three years, winning 31-19.