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Volume 128 Issue 55
kansan.com
Tuesday, December 2, 2014
COMMENTARY Jayhawks heating up thanks to Ellis, Mason
Ellis has taken the reins of Kansas' offense since the Kentucky game. He is averaging 15.3 points per game and 7 rebounds this season.
Kansas is coming off of an impressive showing at thee 2014 Orlando Classic. Kansas went 3-0 and won the title in three strong victories.
"There is no doubt Perry Ellis is KU's best player right now" Gary Parrish of CBS Sports writes.
Junior Perry Ellis really stepped up his game in Orlando, being named both tournament MVP and Big 12 player of the week.
The Jayhawks will have to ride that momentum into their second hardest test of the early season against Florida. This will be Kansas and Florida's second match-up in as many seasons; Kansas is coming off of a loss last season in Gainesville.
One of Kansas' strong points in Orlando was the play from sophomore point guard Frank Mason. Mason struggled against a larger Kentucky team, but has had an easier time getting to the basket since. One of the keys to Kansas' success this season is Mason's ability to drive to basket and find the open shooter on the perimeter.
Kansas will need to continue its strong nonconference play in order carry momentum into the Big 12 schedule. The Big 12 is a strong as it has been in recent memory, and Texas looks as ready as ever to challenge Kansas for the Big 12 title.
Texas freshman Myles Tuner is averaging 11.2 points per game with 6.7 rebounds and has 18 blocks on the season. The Longhorns are ranked sixth in the country and are a perfect 6-0.
In comparison, Kansas' freshman big man, Cliff Alexander, is starting to come into his own. He's averaging 9.7 points and 6 rebounds in 18.7 minutes per game. The matchups between Alexander and Turner will be intriguing going forward, as they are set to face each other at least twice in the regular season, with another possible matchup in the Big 12 Tournament in March.
Alexander's minutes will likely increase as the season presses on, as long as he can stay out of foul trouble. Against Kentucky, Alexander committed fouls on his first two possessions of the game. If he is going to be an important piece for Kansas going forward, he's going to need to stay on the floor.
The Jayhawks have a few more tough tests before conference play starts, but come January, Bill Self and Kansas will be focused on one thing: an 11th straight Big 12 title.
Edited by Brian Hillix
The Kansas football team walks off the field after Clint Bowen's first home game as interim coach. One of the Kansan football writers nominated Bowen for Biggest Surprise this year.
JAMES HOYT/KANSAN
The Kansan Presents:
KU FOOTBALL AWARDS
continued on page 8
Most Valuable Player
Michael Cummings
There were multiple players who had good individual seasons, but there is not a player that was more valuable to the team than junior quarterback Michael Cummings. He was given the starting position against Oklahoma State on Oct. 11 and made an immediate impact. Since starting, he got the tight ends and wide receivers involved and overall improved the team's passing threat. He took control of the offense and really helped the Jayhawks build drives, especially at home.
Ben Heeney
Stella Liang
There is little doubt the best player to put on a Kansas uniform this season was Ben Heeney, Captain Ben Heeney's conference-best 21 tackles against Texas Tech alone was enough to win this award. Every Saturday fanc knew exactly what you were going to get out of the senior linebacker. Heeney recorded double-digit tackles seven times, and currently leads the nation in solo tackles per game. He's made a strong case to be considered an All-American and could very likely be playing on Sundays next year in the NFL.
Ben Heeney
-Shane Jackson
the defense was the consistent force of the Kansas football team and the leader of the defense was senior linebacker Ben Heeney, who led the Big 12 conference averaging 11 tackles per game. Heeney had 83 solo tackles, the next best in the Big 12 had 65 solo tackles. The MVP of the team set a career-high against Texas Tech with 21 total tackles and 17 solo tackles, which are both Kansas school records.
Blair Sheade
Winner:
BEN HEENEY
Michael Reynolds
Most Improved Player
Senior linebacker Michael Reynolds provided energy on the field and never gave up in his pursuit of the quarterback. He ended the season with 45 tackles, 14.5 tackles for a loss and seven sacks, all up from last year. His biggest contribution this season came from forcing fumbles, which he did five times and is top in the Big 12. His tackles for a loss and sacks are good for fourth in the league in both categories. He did a little bit of everything.
— Stella Liang
Jimmay Mundine
To be fair, Mundine did come into this year with higher expectations after being named to the 2014 Mackey Award Watch List, an award for the nation's best tight end. He had 20 receptions for 229 yards and five touchdowns last year. This year Mundine took tremendous strides catching 45 balls for 584 yards and three touchdowns. He became one of Cummings' favorite targets, particularly on third down. He wound up being named a semifinalist for the Mackey Award.
Michael Reynolds
Shane Jackson
Last season, senior linebacker Michael Reynolds had 37 tackles and 6.5 sacks, which ranked sixth in the Big 12. This season Reynolds improved in both categories. The senior ranks fourth in the Big 12 in sacks and tackles for a loss. Reynolds sacked the quarterback seven times and had 13.5 tackles for a loss. Reynolds also had 45 total tackles this season, 35 of those were solo tackles, and caused a team-high five forced fumbles.
Blair Sheade
Nick Harwell
Clint Bowen
After sitting out last season due to transfer rules, Harwell proved to be a huge contributor to the offense in his only year of eligibility at Kansas. He was one of Cummings' top targets, finishing third on the team in receiving yards with 470. He finished first on the team with five receiving touchdowns. His teammates showed trust in him by naming him captain, even before seeing him in a game.
— Stella Liang
Biggest Surprise
Winner:
MICHAEL
REYNOLDS
It surprised a lot of Kansas fans when they woke up one Sunday morning following a 23-0 loss to Texas to the news of Charlie Weis' firing. It surprised even more when Clint Bowen — not John Reagan — took over as interim head coach. While expectations were low, Bowen surpassed them in just a couple weeks. Although he will only have one win on his resume, you could see the difference in this team with Bowen in charge. Players wanted to play for this guy, something no one ever saw with Weis at the helm.
Michael Cummings
-Shane Jackson
At the start of the season, all the attention was on sophomore quarterback Montell Cozart. After the loss to Texas, newly appointed interim coach Clint Bowen gave the starting job to redshirt junior Michael Cummings. He led Kansas to its only Big 12 win against Iowa State and threw for 332 yards against TCU, which was the most passing yards in a game since 2012. Cummings finished with 13 total touchdowns and 1,715 passing yards.
Blair Sheade
Winner: TIE
herefore
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