kansan.com
Volume 126 Issue 36
Monday, October 28, 2013
COMMENTARY
Tarik Black key to non-conference success
A lot is being said of what this Kansas basketball team can do this year.
Andrew Wiggins can be the best player in the NCAA. Perry Ellis can lead the team in scoring. Joel Embid can be the next great post player to come out of Lawrence.
And until the freshmen adjust to the college game and the veterans figure out how to lead, a lot will be asked of Tarik Black.
It's true, all of this can happen But even if it does, it likely won't come together in one contest. The safe bet is that it doesn't happen before conference play.
At Memphis, Black nearly averaged eight points and five rebounds. At Kansas, he'll be expected to do a whole lot more – he's going to have to be the guy Bill Self doesn't worry about.
While Self fiddles with the lineup and tinkers with the playbook, Black will have to remain the constant, he'll have to assume the role as Self's rock. Especially with how tough the Jayhaws' non-conference schedule is.
"We're going to make mistakes and we'll struggle in some areas." Self said at Big 12 media day. "I assume closing close games out could be a struggle until you learn how to win and that kind of stuff."
But Black can't be the one making those mistakes. As a senior, he should already know how to win. We already know he can show up for big games.
When Memphis matched up against the eventual National Champion Louisville Cardinals last year, Black came out with one of his best performances of the year - 21 points, two rebounds and two steals.
Because Self will spend as much time as he can getting his young guys ready for Big 12 play, and if all goes according to plan, it won't matter who's taking the shots.
With Kansas facing Duke, Colorado, Florida, San Diego State and Georgetown early in the season. Black will have plenty of chances to prove the Louisville game wasn't a fluke.
This much was made obvious when Self announced Black would have an opportunity to play as much as he wants this season. He'll likely have the ball as much as he wants to - at least early on this year.
still, his presence on the team means more than that. If the Jayhawks want to take advantage of the plethora of teaching moments coming their way, they're going to need a safe way to score points and getting the ball to a veteran big man in Self's offense is about as safe as it gets.
"The games that we play non-conference," Self said. "If that can't get a freshman ready to become a sophomore by mid-season, I'm not sure there is any schedule out there that can."
Edited by Evan Dunbar
DEFENSELESS
BAYLOR BEATDOWN
FRANK WEIRICH/KANSAN
Baylor wide receiver Tevin Reese dives across the goal line to score his second touchdown of Saturday's game. The Kansas secondary had no answer for the Baylor passing attack, which gained 437 yards
Skewed Kansas game plan leads to defeat
I MAX GOODWIN
mgoodwin@kansan.com
The layhawks trailed by 45 points and the Baylor back-up players had been on the field for half of the the third quarter.
At the start of the fourth quarter there were a couple hundred dedicated fans left in the student section.
In the end it was a 59-14 mauling that could have been worse.
At halftime, with Kansas down 38-0, Charlie Weis called his team out.
"Are we going to lose 200 to nothing? Or are we going to be competitive?" Weis asked his team.
In the second half, the Jayhawks managed to halt the beat down
and score two touchdowns.
"You don't get awards for playing it close in the second half, but you do evaluate by how you play in the second half," Weis said.
Weis saw most of his players fight back, but it was in front of a nearly empty Memorial Stadium.
Baylor spread its offense from sideline to sideline, as they are known for doing, and engulfed the Kansas defense with strike after strike to the end zone. The biggest issue for Weis with the defense was missed tackles, and the players agreed.
"If you tackle that bad you can't win," defensive lineman Keon Stowers said.
But when he got on the field against the Bears, he realized just how fast and deceptive they are.
that he thought his team could avoid.
"If you tackle that bad you can't win."
KEON STOWERS Kansas football defensive lineman
"They are a well coached team, they are a dynamic offense and they do a good job of adjusting," Stowers said.
When the Kansas players tried
to keep the receivers in front of them and avoid big plays, Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty threw the ball underneath. When the jayhawks adjusted, he went deep
"That's their offense, you take away one thing and here comes another thing." Stowers said.
The Jayhawks aren't the first team that Baylor has done this to. The Bears have scored more than 70 points in four games this season, and 69 in another.
In comparison, the Jayhawks defense wasn't so bad.
Petty threw for 430 yards, three touchdowns and ran for another.
But, two Bears running backs still ran for more than 100 yards, and a third ran for 55. In all, Bay lor ran for five touchdowns and more than 300 yards.
And that was all in just two and a half quarters of play before Seth Russell came off the bench.
1
Defensive backs rotated in and out in the Kansas secondary, hoping to keep up with the Baylor receivers, but no matter who was in on defense the receivers gashed them down the field, play after play.
Despite the 59 points scored, Baylor's offense was on the field for 15 minutes less than Kansas.
The only time the up-tempo Baylor offense slowed down was when the back-up players had come onto the field.
If there is a better offense in college football, Weis said he would have a tough time finding it.
Edited by James Ogden
SOCCER
Weekend losses jeopardize playoff berth
STELLA LIANG sliang@kansan.com
The quest to stay out of the bottom of the Big 12 standings became more difficult after a disappointing weekend for the Kansas soccer team. The Jayhawks lost 0-1 to Texas Tech on Friday and 0-2 to Oklahoma State on Sunday, both on the road.
In each match, the Jayhawks' opponent scored in the first 20 minutes, and the Jayhawks couldn't build a comeback.
"We played well, and battled hard," Coach Mark Francis said. "I thought we came out in the second half, and we were going at them. It just wasn't meant to be."
The Cowgirls' first goal came off the foot of midfielder/forward Allie Stephenson. She was assisted by forward Krissi Killion on a long through ball into their attacking third of the field. Francis said his team lost track of Stephenson, and she was wide open. The Cowgirls put the game away for good with another goal in the 65 minute by midfielder Madison Mercado. Mercado was assisted by forward Courtney Dike.
Estrada received a red card — the first Kansas red card in four years — in the 57th minute. She earned it by receiving her second yellow card of the match, which results in a red card. On that play, she collided with an Oklahoma State player.
Freshman defender Aurélie Gaznet guards the ball against Baylor on Oct. 20. This was the Jayhawks' last win in conference.
"They just got tangled up," Francis said. "It didn't look deliberate
Both teams in Sunday's match were aggressive. Kansas freshman defender/midfielder Tayler
EMILY WITTLER/KANSAN
"I thought we came out in the second half, and we were going at them. It just wasn't meant to be."
MARK FRANCIS
Kansas soccer coach
by either player."
While Francis said he thought the call was too harsh, he said the referee had a better view of the play. Estrada's ejection forced the Jayhawks to play shorthanded one player for the rest of the match. Kansas and Oklahoma State also combined for six yellow cards, three for each team. Kansas' cards went to Estrada, freshman defender Aurélie Gagnet and junior midfielder/forward Jamie Fletcher.
The Jayhawks had many opportunities to find the back of the net. They were even with the Cowgirls in shots, 15-15. Fletcher led the team with four shots. Sophomore midfielder Liana Salazar and sophomore forward Ashley Williams had three apice.
On Friday, Kastor and Fletcher
Senior forward Caroline Kastor was limited Sunday while battling an illness. The team's leading scorer did not start the match and played only 32 minutes.
combined for all 10 of the team's shots against Texas Tech. They each had near goals. In the first half, Kastor had two headers off corners that were saved by the Texas Tech goalkeeper. In the final minute of the match, Fletcher's shot bounced off the crossbar.
e the conference tournament.
The 0-2 weekend makes Kansas' final game this Friday against Oklahoma much more important. The top eight teams, out of nine, make the conference tournament.
If the Jayhaws had won on Sunday, they would have clinched a spot. Instead, Oklahoma and Kansas will battle for the final spot during their match. Kansas will earn the spot with a win or a tie. With a loss, the Jayhawks' season would be over.
Edited by Paige Lytle