Wednesday, Aug. 19, 2015
SPORTS | KANSAN.COM
11C
Feilhaber unlikely to rejoin men's national team
Skylar Rolstad
@SkyRolNews
As the United States heads toward World Cup qualifying, one of the biggest questions on the mind of Kansas City fans pertains to whether or not Sporting Kansas City midfielder Benny Feilhaber should make the team.
Although the center mid-fielder has already doubled his goal and assists totals from 2014, posting eight goals and 13 assists this year, you will not see him in a national team kit ever again, and it's no secret as to why: national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann will never select him.
Simply put, the ship has sailed on Feilhaber's chances to ever play again for the United States Men's National Team.
Feilhaber was controversially not selected for the preliminary 35-man Gold Cup roster last June, although he had already won April's Major League Soccer Player of the Month. At 30 years old, Feilhaber's international career is over, but it's already been solid. He made three substitute appearances in the 2010 World Cup, among 41 total appearances.
While the decision to keep Feilhaber out of the team is baffling, it is no secret; nor has it ever been. Feilhaber has constantly been pessimistic about his national team chances, and, for that reason, he chooses to focus on his career in Kansas City.
"As unfortunate as it is for me to not get that opportunity, because I'd love to have it, you know it's probably not going to happen," Feilhaber said after Sporting Kansas City's 2-1 win over the Montreal Impact. "I don't pay too much attention to it. It still fun to watch those games, but [playing for the national team] is not something that I realistically look at as an opportunity."
At this point, it's apparent that Klinsmann does not hold Feilhaber in the highest regard. In fact, in late July, Klinsmann even told mlsoccer.com "there are other [players] ahead of" him when it came to who would be called up.
However, Klinsmann isn't necessarily wrong, considering the players currently on the team.
Fellahber is a center midfielder, which just happens to be the deepest position for the team. The team has three more-than-capable players who all can hold down that position in Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones and Clint Dempsey. It's also where 18-year-old rising star Gedion Zelalem will inevitably play when he is ready for the senior national team.
One could argue that Feilhaber could slide in and replace Mix Disketud, a 24-year-old midfielder for NYCFC who is having a down year. But even that doesn't really make sense when it comes to Klinsmann's history.
Klinsmann is a coach who constantly tries to push young players to their potential with playing time, rather than play a more experienced player who's best at the moment. This is especially evident when looking at his decision to play a Gold Cup back line of John Brooks and Ventura Alvarado — 22 and 23, respectively — instead of Matt Besler and Omar Gonzalez, who are 28 and 26 respectively.
At the end of the day, there are only two people that aren't too optimistic about Benny Feilhaber's national team chances: Feilhaber and Jurgen Klinmann.
So, really, it's time to quit the Feilhaber-to-national-team conservation. It's an overdone argument. It's not happening,
and it's time to move on.
FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
Wayne Selden drives against Team Canada's Jahmal Jones at the Sprint Center on June 23.
World University Games: How KU fared
SCOTT CHASEN
@SChasenKU
Over the summer, the Kansas Jayhawks took to the court, but this time there was a different name on the front of their jerseys.
The Jayhawks were chosen to represent Team USA in the World University Games following a disappointing 2013 campaign where a Doug-McDermott-led U.S. squad finished ninth. And with a few players unavailable to the team due to either having non-U.S. nationality or injury, Kansas coach Bill Self and company turned to the famed Kansas coaching tree, adding players from SMU and Florida Gulf Coast University — colleges that have head coaches, Larry Brown and Joe Dooley, respectively, who were once a part of the Kansas basketball program.
EXHIBITIONS IN KC
Before the Jayhawks left for South Korea, they had their first chance to play with their new roster at Sprint Center, and they did not disappoint. The Jayhawks won both games against Canada, which set the tone for the World
University games, especially for one player in particular: Frank Mason III.
In the first exhibition game, Mason took over the game down the stretch, scoring 17 of the team's 25 fourth-quarter points, putting on a performance for the ages. There would be no letup in game two, as Mason posted 15 points and 11 assists, adding five rebounds and four steals in 35 minutes.
Additionally, Mason's backcourt teammate Wayne Selden Jr. showed out as well. Selden posted 22 points and 10 rebounds in the second game and would certainly make his fair share of highlight plays as the games carried on into July. Even though they were playing without Brannen Greene, Devonte' Graham, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and Cheick Diallo, the Jayhawks still had more than enough talent to go toe-to-toe with any other team, and that was apparent early on.
Pool play was up next for the Jayhawks, as they faced Turkey, Brazil, Chile, Serbia and Switzerland to determine whether or not they would
GROUP STAGE
be moving on to the quarterfinals of the medal rounds, which the 2013 USA World University Games team had failed to do.
Kansas got off to a shaky start in its first game against Turkey, as it fell behind 18-7 right away. However, Mason and company battled back again, as they proceeded to rattle off a 50-29 extended run. The layhawks would go on to win by nine, thanks in part to 24 points, eight assists and six rebounds from Mason. Ellis and Selden chipped in a combined 36 points, and the team was off and running.
That momentum would carry over throughout pool play. In the next game against Brazil, it would be Selden who carried the load with 23 points, while Hunter Mickelson held down the paint with 11 points and eight boards.
The emergence of Selden and Mickelson would be recurring themes throughout the tournament, as Self went to them time and time again. The duo would combine to score 91 points in the team's remaining three games of the group stage, as the Jayhawks finished 5-0 heading into the medal rounds.
MEDAL ROUNDS
In the quarterfinals, the Jayhawks squared off against Lithuania in what was a close game until the fourth quarter, as the Jayhawks outscored their adversaries 25-6 in the last period. For Mason, it was another dominating performance, as he led the team in points (18), assists (4) and field goal percentage, adding seven rebounds; only Landen Lucas had more (9).
The semifinal matchup was equally as close, at least through three quarters. However, 23 points from Perry Ellis and 22 from Selden were more than enough to get the job done, as the Jayhawks withstood a 20-point outburst from Russia's Ivan Strebkov to grab the victory.
However, the finals were a completely different story for the Jayhawks.
The layhawks jumped out in front of Germany right away, but with Mason in some early foul trouble, the lead slowly slipped away. It would eventually take not one, but two overtime periods for the Jayhawks to get the win. Mason hit game-tying shots at the end of regulation and the first
overtime period to keep the team alive, while Selden finished the Germans off with a huge three-pointer in the second overtime.
SMU's Nic Moore, who joined the team as a replacement, also made a couple of crucial plays down the stretch, especially on defense. His final stat line wasn't pretty, but it didn't need to be, given that Mason, Selden and Ellis combined for 59 points and 28 rebounds.
On the other side, four German players reached double figures in scoring, but with both teams gassed, the shooting numbers were not pretty. The Germans shot just 38.0 percent from the field and 37.0 percent from three, while the Jayhawks actually fared worse, shooting just 31.8 percent and 21.7 percent in those categories respectively. However, the Jayhawks were able to make up the difference by committing seven fewer turnovers and grabbing 20 offensive rebounds, compared to eight for the Germans.
After the tournament, Frank Mason III was named the MVP of the Games.
Busy summer spent in recruiting circuit
EVAN RIGGS @EvanRiggs15
The competition for the best recruits keeps coaches busy during the offseason months. Despite only receiving two commitments, the Kansas basketball team was all over the place on the summer recruiting circuit.
In late May, LaGerald Vick committed to Kansas and played for the Jayhawks in the World University Games. The guard from Memphis, Tenn., may struggle to find playing time this season with the Jayhawks' depth, but he will be a valuable asset moving forward.
Dwight Coleby, a transfer from Ole Miss who will be eligible for the 2016-2017 season, was the Jayhawk's second commitment. The forward will likely see a big role with Hunter Mickelson, Perry Ellis and Jamari Trayler all graduating and the possibility that Cheick Diallo will leave after his freshman season.
Even though the Jayhawks haven't received any commitments in the class of 2016 or 2017 from incoming freshmen, the coaching staff put in a lot of work on summer recruiting circuit.
2016
Josh Jackson, Terrance Ferguson and Marques Bolden are the three prospects that have been recruited the hardest and longest by the Kansas coaching staff, although one of them, Ferguson, is now off the board.
According to Rivals.com, Jackson is the top prospect in the 2016 class, and the talented wing recently told Zagsblog.com Arizona and Kansas were recruiting him the hardest. Jackson also told Zagsblog.com he loves Self and the way the Jayhawks play. There have been rumors of Jackson taking his talents overseas, but he has denied those rumors. All indications point to Jackson waiting until the late signing period before he makes a decision.
Ferguson, who is ranked 11th on Rivals.com, was also a top priority for the Kansas coaching staff. Alabama, who was considered the Jayhawk's biggest threat in landing him, eventually received a commitment from the recruit on Aug. 17. Ferguson was upbeat after a visit to Tuscaloosa early August, but was still supposed to attend Late Night in the Phog. However, it appears that will no longer be the case.
Due to the potential loss of four big men next year, Kansas will also need post players in the 2016 class. Marques Bolden, the 14th ranked player on Rivals.com, has been one of the coaching staff's top priorities. Bolden will make an official visit to Duke in September according to ESPN.com. The center from Dallas visited Late Night in the Phog last season and will take an official visit in Lawrence sometime during the school year.
Bolden is also considering Alabama, Baylor, Florida, Louisville, Texas and others. If Bolden visits Late Night in the Phog, he will be joined by Braxton Blackwell, a wing ranked 38th by Rivals.com.
Wenyen Gabriel, another big prospect Kansas is recruiting, is currently ranked 84th on
LaGerald Vick at Team USA's first exhibition game against Team Canada at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., on June 23. Team USA won 91-83.
Other big men the Jayhawks are in on include T.J. Leaf, who decommitted from Arizona at the beginning of August, Thon Maker, Udoka Azubuike, Kassoum Yakwe and Isaac Humphries. They're all in Rivals.com's top 60.
Rivals.com but is expected to take a big leap forward given all the offers he has received from other blue bloods of college basketball such as Duke and Kentucky.
Gabriel is 6-foot-9 with guard skills and said he patterns his game after NBA star Kevin Durant.
FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
The Jayhawks are also looking at Rawle Alkins, a Rivals, com top 20 guard, and DeAaron Fox, a Rivals.com top 10 point guard. However, the Jayhawks aren't considered favorites for either player.
2017
It seems far too soon to start talking about the 2017 recruiting class, and it's definitely too soon to know who most of the top guys are favoring. However, at the moment, one thing is certain; the layhawks are definitely in the mix for some of the most talented high school prospects in the country.
DeAndre Ayton is considered the top high school prospect regardless of class. The Jayhawk coaching staff saw a lot of the 6-foot-11 big man this summer, and he certainly impressed. Ayton's athletic ability, coupled with his elite footwork, makes him a can't-miss prospect.
Michael Porter Jr. has made a strong case to pass Ayton up over the last couple of months. Porter is a 6-foot-10 and lanky, a small forward
who can do everything on the basketball court.
He and Trae Young, a 6-foot-1 point guard, will both attend Late Night in the Phog. They have expressed their desire to be a package deal and attend the same college. Young told si.com that there's an 80-85 percent chance that it will happen.
"We fit each other's games perfectly," Young added.
The Jayhawks are also recruiting seven other players in the Rivals.com top 10: Wendell Carter, Mohamed Bamba, Trevon Duval, Billy Preston.
Troy Brown, Jarred Vanderbilt and Gary Trent Jr.
With the potential for a lot of players to leave the program over the next two seasons, the next two recruiting classes are both extremely important. That means a lot of work for the coaches, but they appear to be off to a strong start.
Edited by James Hoyt
4.