kansan.com
Volume 126 Issue 45
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
COMMENTARY All foul and no play
A duck steps onto the basketball court and the ref cries "fowl!" The duck looks inquisitively at the ref and responds, "I didn't even touch him!"
Cringe-worthy jokes aside, at times it seems that, like this duck, players are being called for fouls simply for being on the court.
In Kansas' closer-than-expected victory over Louisiana-Monroe, the refs called 58 fouls. Thirty one went against ULM, while 27 were called on Kansas. For those of you who are into statistics, that's 1.45 foul calls a minute. If we assume that possessions last about 20 seconds on average, that would suggest there is a foul every other possession.
Redshirt sophomore Jamari Traylor was whistled for three illegal screens within a five-minute span. Freshman Joel Embel got two over-the-back calls on rebounds, seemingly just for being taller than the opposition. Freshman Frank Mason was called for a litany of hand checks that made his first regular season game an under-whelming experience. Fans booed incessantly.
The overall offensive performance in the NCAA was subpar last year, and the NCAA was right to make adjustments. Fans would rather watch a documentary about grain than sit through low-scoring basketball games. But instead of making a reasonable change (lowering the shot-clock to 30 seconds), the NCAA decided to crack down on hand checking.
The NCAA probably envisioned a perfect world where players just stopped putting their hands on opposing players. In this world, there is no crime and Nickelback broke up in 1998. In reality, players play the same kind of defense and get whistled for breathing on the opposition. This leads to games like the Seton Hall and Niagara contest this past weekend, in which the teams endured 74 fouls and 102 free throw attempts.
"There were some [fools] that happened off the ball that didn't have anything to do with anything." Self said. "I don't see how you could have a pretty game when you have 58 fouls. It's fragmented."
This does not seem like an improvement. Coach Bill Self would agree with that sentiment.
This is an especially difficult conundrum for Kansas. Self has always espoused a physical brand of basketball, eschewing zone defenses for a more in-your-face style of man-to-man. Self constantly pressures his team to be aggressive. Now, that strategy may have to change.
"It's kind of an oxymoron. Be aggressive but don't foul." Self said.
"It's kind or an oxymoron. Be aggressive but don't foul," Self said. Instead, Self will need to preach aggressiveness on the offensive end. Once again, this will represent a change to his overall philosophy. Self prefers for his players to create shots for their teammates, rather than for themselves.
Freshman Andrew Wiggins and Wayne Selden have NBA-ready bodies. In order to prevent them from scoring on their drives, defenses will inevitably have to use their hands. If Self makes the proper adjustments, Wiggins and Selden, simply by driving more, could average around 15 free throw attempts combined. For this to be beneficial, Selden cannot emulate his 1-6 performance at the line.
The rule changes are going to slow down the games, eliminate any flow and alienate fan bases.
The silver lining is that Self may be able to use them to his advantage.
Edited by Heather Nelson
GRIDIRON
MICHAEL STRICKLAND/KANSAN
Junior halfback Tony Pierson runs by an Oklahoma State player at Saturday's game in Stillwater. Kansas lost 42-6.
COMEBACK KID
Halfback Tony Pierson returns from head injury
mgoodwin@kansan.com
MAX GOODWIN
Pierson has been out with concussion symptoms since the first conference game of the season against Texas Tech on Oct. 5.
Saturday's game against Oklahoma State marked the return of offensive playmaker Tony Pierson for Kansas.
Three weeks later, against Baylor, Pierson returned but was forced to leave the game early when he said he felt dizzy after a long pass play down the sidelines. There didn't appear to be any plays that could have aggravated the head injury.
"Maybe I'm overly concerned, but when the kid is out there for three plays and he feels dizzy
Despite missing four of the nine
"That's where we get our chunks," Weis said of getting the ball to Pierson in open space. "For other people that's throwing the ball. That's our form of throwing the ball downfield."
Pierson was one of the only bright spots in a Kansas offense that had been struggling even before the injury. Without him on the field, the Jayhawks have had only a few plays of 25 yards or more.
when he hasn't been hit, you better be concerned." Weis said a few days after that game.
Weis remained cautious and kept Pierson out of the next week's game at Texas.
CHARLIE WEIS Football coach
yards after the Oklahoma State game.
Pierson's speed is a weapon that not every team has on its roster.
"Tony's a really focused player, but he's been out for a while."
Weis went through an offseason of planning a new role for Pierson in the Kansas offense. He is a running back that has lined up as a slot receiver more often than in the backfield.
games the Jayhawks have played this season. Pierson is the only player on the team to have more than 200 receiving yards, with 321
The plan was to find as many opportunities to get Pierson the ball in the open field as possible.
Weis said Pierson's speed and agility give him the potential to turn any play into a big gain, even though he can't sustain the same workload as a player like running back James Sims.
"Tony can't touch it as much as James touches it, but when he touches it and we get him in space that's like our passes," Weis said after the Oklahoma State game.
In his first full game after returning from the concussion Pierson rushed for 80 yards on six carries. He also managed to break a 50-yard run for the Jayhawks' biggest play of the game.
However, Weis said Pierson is still adjusting to being back on the field.
"You could see he wasn't as sharp as he normally is," Weis said. "Tony's a really focused player, but he's been out for a while. I thought, for the first game back, based off being groggy and everything like that, I thought he held up pretty well."
Edited by Duncan McHenry
FOOTBALL
Recap, look ahead at the Big 12 this week
CHRIS HYBL
chybl@kansan.com
1. No. 23 Texas 7-2 (G-0)
Last Week Win 47-40 (OT) vs. West Virginia
This Week Home Win. No. 12 Oklahoma State
Texas was able to escape with a riveting overtime win at West Virginia on Saturday, earning a touchdown in overtime to preserve its place atop the Big 12 standings. But Texas has the toughest schedule remain with two ranked opponents in Oklahoma State, Baylor and Texas Tech in between. The throne is far from safe.
2. No. 4 Baylor 8-0 (5-0)
Last Week: Win 41-12 vs. No. 22 Oklahoma
This Week: Away vs. Texas Tech
When the dust settles, Baylor may be the biggest thing in Texas. Baylor will face the two best teams in the Big 12 with Oklahoma State and Texas ahead, but from the way they absolutely throtled Oklahoma, look out. If the opposing team isn't going to put up at least 30, forget it all. And with national title hopes still alive, Baylor will put everything on the line.
3. No. 12 Oklahoma State
8-1 (5-1)
Last Week. Win 42-6 vs. Kansas
This Week. Away vs. No. 23 Texas
Oklahoma State is still in a position to sneak up on the conference title, but they have the toughest路 of any conference team left. They face the other three best teams in the conference, Texas, Baylor and Oklahoma, all to close the schedule. The key for Oklahoma State will be to keep its offense rolling. They average 40 points a game, but have had the weakest Big 12 schedule up until now.
4. No. 22 Oklahoma 7-2 (4-2)
Last Week: Lose 12-41 vs. No. 4 Baylor
This Week: Home vs. Iowa State
The biggest task for Oklahoma is to look itself in the mirror after taking an absolute beating from Baylor. They've weathered the storm, but it's not exactly clear skies ahead. They do play one of the league's worst, Iowa State, at home this weekend. But a Kansas State team fighting to stay bowl eligible and playing at Oklahoma State, closing the season is nothing to shake a stick at.
5. Texas Tech 7-3 (4-3)
Last Week: Loss 26-49 vs. Kansas State
This Week Home vs. No. A Brayer
Texas Tech has fallen off the wagon.
Texas Tech, a team that started the season 7-0, has lost three in a row since With Baylor and Texas occupying the remaining part of the schedule, it's easy to bet that their slide could continue. Tech still throws the ball the best in the nation, averaging 408.2 yards per game but it's not getting them too far.
7. West Virginia 4-6 (2-5)
Last Week, Loss 40-47 vs. No. 23 Texas
This Week, Away vs. Kansas
6. Kansas State 5-4 (3-3)
Last Week: Win 49-26 vs. Texas Tech
This Week: Home vs. TCU
West Virginia has been beaten and bruised throughout its Big 12 conference stretch. A late win in September against Oklahoma State has kept West Virginia's bowl eligibility alive. West Virginia has the easiest schedule finish ahead, too. Facing the two weakest teams in the Big 12 to close the regular season, West Virginia can't mess up.
Kansas State made a statement over the weekend. A nothing-but-dominant win over formerly ranked Texas Tech came at a crucial time in the season and put the Wildcats back over 500. Kansas State definitely has the ability to finish the season off with a clean sheet, too. TCU and Kansas shouldn't pose much of a threat. The only real hurdle to avoid a no-name bowl game with is No. 22 Oklahoma in two weeks.
8. TCU 4-6 (2-5)
Last Week Win 21-17 vs. Iowa State
This Week: Away vs. Kansas State
TCU was able to keep its bowl hopes alive this past weekend. Iowa State put the game back in the hands of TCU after leading heading into the fourth quarter. Regardless, TCU still has something to play for despite a nasty slide from its national ranking. They have Baylor and I. Kansas State ahead. The odds won't be in their favor, but at least they have something to play for.
The Jayhawks were officially eliminated from bowl eligibility last week, and with that a few nasty streaks live on. Kansas has chance to end things on a good note after stumbling through a rough Big 12 conference start. The rest of the teams on the schedule — West Virginia, Iowa State and Kansas State — are all teams on the bottom half of the Big 12 table. But Iowa State is looking like the only potentially beatable team for Kansas. At least Kansas isn't last.
9. Kansas 2-7 (0-6)
Last Week: Loss 6-42 vs. No. 12
Oklahoma State
This Week Home vs. West Virginia
10. Iowa State 1-8 (0-6)
Last Week, Loss 17-21 vs. TCU
This Week, Away vs. Oklahoma 12-14
Iowa State had a real legitimate chance to pull off its first Big 12 conference win of the season, but they gave away the game. Kansas and Iowa State are likely to occupy the last two spots in Big 12 standings by season's end — they don't have much else to play for. One of them will get a long-awaited Big 12 victory on Nov. 23.
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—Edited by Heather Nelson
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