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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2011
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
BASKETBALL
Johnson struggles with focus, still developing
KORY CARPENTER
kcarpenter@kansan.com
Not unlike a few of his teammates this season, and not unlike many players coach Bill Self has had at Kansas, Elijah Johnson spent his first two seasons as more of an apprentice than a stat-sheet stuffer. Those roles went to guys like Sherron Collins, Xavier Henry or Tyrel Reed. Johnson's performances the last two seasons were neither a concern for fans nor vital to a Kansas win or loss. That would change this year. Senior point guard Tyshawn Taylor was the only returning guard with much experience and he knew he would need a sidekick this season.
"I don't think he understands how important he is to this team winning," Taylor said of Johnson.
Of this year's guards, Johnson's 13.7 minutes per game last season were second only to Taylor. With a decent amount of experience and enough athleticism for two men, Johnson seemed like a ripe candidate to team with Taylor on the perimeter this season. However, through eight games he's been more of a solid role player than a partner with Taylor on a team that's eyeing its eighth consecutive Big 12 regular season championship.
Taylor's stat line has been all over the place in this early season, from a 23-point performance against UCLA in the Maui Invitational to an abysmal 1-for-8 performance from behind the three-point line against South Florida last Saturday. Johnson is connecting on three-pointers
just 27.3 percent of the time this season.
"I'm not as much worried about his shot," Bill Self said. "I'm worried about his shot affecting his other play and losing aggression in other areas."
That aggression, teamed with his first-rate athleticism, could wreak havoc throughout the Big 12 this season. Of course, having the tools and putting them all together are not always one and the same. As Self noted, certain players lose focus when their shots aren't falling. Complete players, he said, don't let bad shooting nights affect the rest of their game.
Self called Johnson a complete player but said he just hasn't been able to separate those bad performances this season. He compared shooting to a golfer's swing, saying you can have the same swing twice but encounter two completely different results. Tying that uncertainty to every other aspect of your game, such as defense, could lead to bad results. Self said. Taylor shares a perspective similar to Self's on Johnson's focus.
"He's not all the way in tune all the time," Taylor said concerning Johnson on defense.
Taylor said the struggles are nothing more than bumps in the road, something that most players go through at one time or another.
"It's a lot easier said than done to not get down on yourself when you know you're not playing your best," Taylor said.
- Edited by Jennifer DiDonato
MIKE GUNNOE/KANSAN
Junior guard Elijah Johnson dribbles past a Long Beach State defender Tuesday at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas won the game 88-80.
TRACK AND FIELD
Keep an eye out for these six athletes in the new season
MAX GOODWIN
mgoodwin@kansan.com
The first meet of the indoor track and field season is already in the books, the new renovations to Anschutz Pavilion have been discussed, and some are still wondering which athletes to keep an eye on this season. With All-Americans returning, high expectations for freshmen and multiple athletes who are sure to be breaking records all season long, this will be a very interesting season for the Jayhawks. Here are a few athletes to watch this season:
Diamond Dixon Sophomore, sprints
Diamond Dixon had an incredible freshman year at KU on the track.
She was named as
Dixon
the Midwest Region Track Athlete
of the Year by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) last season and set the women's 400 meter school record. At the Big 12 Outdoor Championships last season, Diamond Dixon took home the 400 meter title and after the season was named the Big 12 Female Outstanding Freshman of the Year. Dixon finished what was already a great year by winning the U.S. junior national title in 400-meters.
Dixon also was a member of the 4x400 meter relay team that broke the school record last season, along with Shayla Wilson, Danesha Morris and the now graduated Kendra Bradley.
Andrea Geubelle Junior, horizontal jump
The junior horizontal jumper returns
this season as an All-American in the triple jump. Geubelle had first place finishes in both the long and triple jump competitions last season and became one of only three women in school history to record a 43-foot triple jump. Andrea began the season by taking second place to junior Francine Simpson in the long jump at the Bob Timmons Challenge. Simpson is another jumper who is likely to have a great season for Kansas.
Geubelle
Alisha Keys Freshman, sprints
Winning the 2011 6A Kansas State Championship in the 100 and 200 meters was not enough for Alish
meet as a Jayhawk, Keys finished third in the 200 meter race at the Bob Timmons Challenge. It will be exciting to see how fast this young sprinter really is as the season progresses.
Keys. She actually ran the fastest 100 meter time ever recorded in high school by a woman in Kansas with a time of 11.52. In her first
Keys
Mason Finley Junior, shot put
Finley has compiled a sce m i ng l y endless list of achievements in just two years at Kansas. He has been an A-Ime
can in the shot put both years. Finishing second in both the Big 12 Championships and NCAA National Championships, his biggest achievement came earlier in the season. In the Border Showdown against Missouri, Finley's 20.71 meter shattered all kinds of record. The throw qualified for both the 2011 World Championships and the 2012 Olympic Games. The sky
Finley
is the limit for Mason Finley this season in the shot put.
Look for him to compete for a NCAA title this year in the event and make sure to see one of his shot puts in person, for they will most likely be breaking records.
Donny Wasinger Senior, distance running
Wasinger missed the entire cross-country season because of an injury, but bit
achilles tendon healed just in time to begin the indoor season. With a strong recovery he won the 3,000 meter race and was a winning member of the distance medley team at the Bob Timmons Challenge. He was second team All-American in 1,500 meters last season and will try for his best season in his senior year. Look for him to be a leader
to some of the younger runners on the team.
Wasinger
Kyle Clemons Junior, sprints
Clemons has only been running track since his junior year of high school, but that has not stopped him fron
Clemons
competing with some of the best collegiate sprinters in the nation. In June Clemons said that his goal for this year is to be the 400 meter Big 12 Champion, which is a real possibility. He ran his best 400 meters last year in the NCAA National Championships at 46.11. That time is the sixth fastest in school history. Be sure to watch Kyle Clemons in the 4x400 meter relay race as he leads what could be a very young but fast relay group.
POLITICS
- Edited by Sarah McCabe
Obama makes time for Bill Self
HANNAH WISE/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
President Barack Obama flew to Osawatson Tuesday, where he was greeted by a familiar face; men's basketball coach Bill Self.
NATHAN FORDYCE
nfordyce@kansan.com
Self was invited to meet Obama — who was in town to give a speech on the economy — not by a phone call or someone coming to Lawrence requesting his presence, but rather through an email. However, the one problem that arose from this email invitation was the meeting time.
"I got an email yesterday inviting me to come meet the President," Self said in a news release. "It said that his speech would last until 2 p.m., and I thought, 'I can't do that,' because I have shoot-around. So I received an email back saying, he understands, he just wants to meet you."
Self knew he couldn't pass up the chance, so he drove 1 hour and 15 minutes to Osawatomie.
But the conversation that Self had with Obama didn't last long, as the President had other priorities.
"It is amazing what these people have to go through, because every second of their life is planned out."
President Obama waves to the audience after finishing his remarks Tuesday afternoon in Osawatomie. The President struck a populist tone in a speech that received wide-spread media attention. Hundreds of people stood in line for the chance to see the speech in person.
Self said. "He gave me, like, six minutes to talk, and I think he was only allotted five."
But in those few minutes that Self got to talk to Obama, Self realized the president knows his basketball
Self couldn't resist the temptation to joke around with the President about selecting Kansas in March Madness for two consecutive years.
"The talk about him being a big basketball fan is not just talk," Self said. "He legitimately knows a lot of what's going on in college athletics."
"I told him, 'With all due respect, Mr. President, just don't pick us to win anything ever again,' because he picked us two years in a row, so he had a good sense of humor about it," Self said.
Will Obama be tempted to take the Jayhawks for a third-straight year? He started asking questions about the current team, almost like he was scouting for when he analyzes his bracket with ESPN's Andy Katz.
"I told him that I like our guys because they try hard." Self said. "We are not quite as deep as we have been in the past, but I do believe that we have a chance."
The meeting on Tuesday marked the third time Self has met the president while at the University of Kansas. He met President Clinton in 2004 when he visited with Senator Bob Dole. Then in 2008, he met President Bush after he and the Jayhawks defeated Memphis to win the national championship.
"But meeting President Obama was a great treat and is certainly one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities" Self said. "It was a no brainer for me to go."
Edited by Mike Lavieri
Mitchell
FOOTBALL
Interim football coach Reggie Mitchell has been with the University of Kansas for a total of 10 years in two different stints. On Wednesday, Kansas Athletics confirmed that next season will be number 11.
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Interim coach to stay on staff for next year
speculate as to what position Mitchell will hold for the Jayhawks next season, and they will not do so until a new coach has been hired.
Mitchell, who previously held the position of running backs coach and recruiting coordinator for the Jayhawks, has been on the road recruiting. He began the search shortly after Kansas head coach Turner Gill was fired.
Mitchell has been recruiting with wide receivers coach
As the coaching search continues to provide uncertainty for Kansas football fans, they can at least know one thing for sure: Mitchell will be back on the Jayhawks sidelines next year.
Mitchell came to Kansas with Gill, who was hired in December of 2009, after spending five seasons as the recruiting coordinator and running backs' coach at Illinois. This has been Mitchell's second round with the Jayhawks, as he coached with former Kansas football coach Glen Mason from 1988-1996.
David Beatty and defensive line coach Buddy Wyatt. While Beatty and Wyatt's futures at Kansas remain unknown, they, along with Mitchell, have been recruiting in an effort to retain previous Kansas commitments. They've also been continuing their recruiting efforts for their previous targets who have not yet made commitments.
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- Edited by Stefanie Penn
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