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Volume 128 Issue 59
kansan.com
Tuesday, December 9, 2014
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
COMMENTARY
Svi showing he's college ready early in season
A late addition to recruiting class than featured blue-chip prospects Cliff Alexander and Kelly Oubre Jr., 17-year-old Sviatloslav Mykhailiuk was, predictably, a bit of an after-thought for many entering the season.
Now, seven games into basketball season, the freshman from Cerkasy, Ukraine, is arguably the team's biggest surprise. He leads all Jayhawk newcomers in minutes per game and is the only freshman to start more than one regular season game thus far.
Though, in hindsight, maybe we should have seen this coming.
After all, as coach Bill Self noted before the season, Mykhailuk has likely seen the stiffest competition of any current Kansas player during his time as part of the Ukrainian national team.
"When you stop and think about who has played against the best competition? [Svi] may have," Self said. "And who has played against the strongest men? [Svi] may have."
Still, like most freshmen,
Mykhalliuk hasn't been without his share of bumps in the road.
He's gone cold from long range at times and appears to still be shaking off some early-season litters.
Both factors have likely contributed to Self's apparent reluctance to use Svi in pressure situations; he saw only four minutes of second-half action in the jayhawks' comeback win against Florida and only five minutes against Tennessee the week prior.
For one, Mykhailiuk resoundingly passes the "eye test."
But for a freshman whose ability to provide an immediate impact was often questioned in the preseason, the positives vastly outweigh his minor early-season struggles.
Toss in an impressively quick release and silky smooth stroke from behind the arc, and it's hard not to get excited about Mykhailluk's potential.
Concern over his capability to physically match up with opponents has quickly been quelled. He moves his feet and body as well as any Kansas player — on both offense and defense. And though he clearly has room to grow strength-wise, it hasn't been nearly the bugaboo that many imagined it to be prior to the season.
Last week, CBS Sports' Gary Parrish wrote a piece titled "Is Svi Mykhalliuk the real prize of Kansas' heralded freshman class?" In it, he talks to several NBA scouts concerning Svi possible future in the league.
"What NBA scouts told me is that Mykhaliuk is the best long-term prospect on KU's roster," Parrish wrote. "He's a 6-foot-8 wing who is a good-enough player, a willing defender, and a top-shelf shooter even though he hasn't actually shot the ball well through six games."
For now, SvI remains somewhat of an enigma — albeit, an intriguing and talented one.
Edited by Alex Lamb
New Kansas head coach David Beaty addresses the crowd during the basketball game against Florida on Dec. 5.
BEATY'S BEGINNING
David Beaty begins new role as head coach
BEN LIPOWITZ/KANSAN
SHANE JACKSON
@jacksonshane3
Quarterback Michael Cummings knew the drill, or so he thought. The soon-to-be senior quarterback was about to meet his third head coach (not counting Clint Bowen) during his Kansas career.
"I was actually early, sitting in the regular meeting room," Cummings said. "I was looking at the clock and looking around like, where is everyone at?"
But what Cummings didn't realize is new head football coach David Beaty, who was hired on Dec. 5, had a different plan for the setting of his first meeting with the team.
"We went down to the weight room for our first meeting." Beaty said. "The reason I did that is because I want to send a message real quick of where we are going and how we are going to get there. Championships are won in weight rooms."
It can be difficult for a new coach to make a connection with his players, particularly soon-to-be seniors like Cummings and linebacker Jake Love, who are experiencing their third different head coach. But from the moment they met, Beaty made it clear he wanted to have a relationship with his players.
Beaty even plans to visit his players' homes to build that relationship.
"He just came in and told us that he is here for us," Love said. "He told us his door is always open for us. He might have the big office in the corner but if we got questions on anything he said he is there for us."
"I will start meeting with them individually," Beaty said. "For some if not all, I'm going to see where they live. I learn a lot about who they are, just by walking into their place."
"Our number one priority will be getting the best players from the state of Kansas to stay here in the state of Kansas."
DAVID BEATY
Football coach
For now, Beaty's attention will turn to adding talent to the Kansas program. The former wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator out of Texas A&M will now have the tough task of adding the best available recruits to a program, a daunting task for anyone. But if anyone was capable of completing this tough task, it would be Beaty. He is viewed as one of the best recruiters around, which is one of the many reasons Kansas decided to name him its 38th head coach in program history.
"I believe we found the man that has that 'it' factor, with a capital 'I'." Athletic Director Sheahon Zenger said.
will attract the top recruits
Beaty is viewed as one of the better recruiters around for many reasons. He plans to install a fast-paced offense that
"During my first stint here we ran the spread offense," Beaty said. "It was a lot of fun and the stadiums were full every week because of it. If we have an up-tempo offense, we will attract the top recruits."
He also plans to make a concerted effort in landing the best recruits out of Kansas' backyard.
"Our number one priority will be getting the best players from the state of Kansas to stay here in the state of Kansas." Beaty said. "We truly want to build a Kansas identity"
But the biggest strength to Beaty's recruiting is his emphasis on the importance of his relationship with his players and how to further develop them.
"This is a player-develment business, it's one of the things we want to hang our hats on," Beaty said.
Just ask Cummings, who not too long ago was sitting
in his living room listening to a similar recruiting message.
"Beaty actually helped recruit me when this thing started," Cummings said. "He is a good recruiter. He told me it was going to be a family atmosphere and that's exactly what I have experienced. For him to come back my fifth year, it's kind of like it came full circle, just funny how things work out."
Edited by Rob Pyatt
Future of volleyball looks bright despite loss
GEOURGE MULLINIX/KANSAN Junior outside hitter Tiana Dockery celebrates a point against Texas Tech on Oct. 25. Kansas lost to Arkansas-Little Rock in the NCAA Tournament, ending its season.
CHRISTIAN HARDY
@Hardy_NFL
As the Jayhawks' 2014 volleyball season finished with a five-set loss to Arkansas-Little Rock in the NCAA Tournament on Dec. 5, so did the careers of two of the greatest players to ever play for the club: senior outside hitters Chelsea Albers and Sara McClinton.
The two have been named to four All-Big 12 first teams four times and had more than 2,000 kills. McClinton ranks seventh all-time on the Kansas kill list, while Albers has contributed as a six-rotation player for four years, and is only the seventh Jayhawk to pick-up 900 career kills along with 800 career digs.
Unfortunately for coach Ray Bechard, both will have to be replaced in 2015.
"I love Sara McClinton, and I love Chelsea Albers," Bechard said after the loss. "I love what they've done of the last four years. That's going to leave a void in that. These two have been extremely productive."
Next year, Bechard's squad is set to return 12 players, including four who notched All-Big 12 honors in 2014. Those players, five of whom have experienced the NCAA tournament for at least two years, now have a feel for what's expected of them.
"We hope that, as we leave, we can leave to our under-classmen that they need to be in the NCAA tournament every year, and how hard they
nave to work to get here," McClinton said, failing to hold back tears in what would be her last press conference as a Jayhawk "Hopefully next year they'll have a lot more success when they get here."
Performances from the underclassmen Friday night gave the loss a bit of a silver lining. however.
Most promising is freshman setter Ainise Havili, who tabbed 54 assists — her fourth-highest total of the year — just days after she was named to the All-Big 12 Freshman Team. She has totaled more assists than any other freshman in Jayhawk history.
"She's just a stud." Bechard said of Havili. "She wasn't full speed tonight, but you
But Havili wasn't the only one. There was a cluster of productive underclassmen in the loss, and all season long, too.
wouldn't have known it the way she played ... I'm really proud of her. We're in good hands for the next three years with her leading our team."
Freshman middle blocker Kelsie Payne tied McClin-
ton with a team-high 15 kills against Little Rock and posted a team-high attack percentage (250). Sophomore All-Big 12 blocker Tayler Soucie claimed the team's second-highest attack percentage and knocked down nine kills. Junior outside hitter and All-Big 12 honorable mention Tiana Dockery downed 14 kills in the loss, good for third on the team.
RAY BECHARD Volleyball coach
"You've got to play better, longer in this league. Our newcomers got a good sense of that."
Those players are the reason why Bechard and the jayhawks can keep their heads high after a season-ending loss. While 2014 was a bright season, 2015 is set to be every bit as bright with the class of players who are returning.
"We lose two really outstanding players, but we bring 12 kids back who obviously will learn from this and get a sense for the level we're going to have to compete and train at to be successful," Bechard said. "You've got to play better, longer in this league. Our newcomers got a good sense of that."
- Edited by Alex Lamb
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