Volume 124 Issue 58
kansan.com
Thursday, November 10, 2011
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PAGE 14
KANSAS TIPOFF
STARTERS
TYSHAWN TAYLOR GUARD
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2011
Taylor's return will start to answer all the questions about his game and dedication. Taylor needs to harness his immense talents and focus on nothing but a Big 12 title and a strong run in the NCAA Tournament in March. He has the ceiling of a first round pick if the NBA ever returns and his floor is most of what we have seen. Expect at least 30 minutes played and a healthy stat line.
ELUAH JOHNSON GUARD
Johnson also returns from suspension and steps right into the shooting guard position after playing point guard in seasons past. He has the awareness to hassle opponents as a defender and the speed and athleticism to thrive on fast breaks. He will also play heavy minutes tonight, but with senior guard Conner Teahan射击 at a顷 pace, Johnson can't play the whole game.
THOMAS RORINSON FORWARD
TRAVIS RELEFORD, FORWARD
THAT IS KEEL OLE, I FORWARD
Despite going without a rebound on Tuesday, Self said that Reelford played a better game than his 14-port season defeat against Pittsburg State. Reeford will stay in the starting lineup, but move to a more traditional small forward role. He will be relied on more rebounds and should continue to contribute as a defensive stopper. He could lose some minutes to Teahan, sophomore forward Justin Wesley and possibly junior forward Kevin Young.
Robinson's left knee was not an issue in his super start to the year on Tuesday. He was the best player in the exhibition and the force that Self will continue to run the offense through. Robinson's quick maneuvers to the hoop follow with crowd-pleasing dunks and trips to the free throw line. The return of Taylor and Johnson to the lineup won't change this team's game plan. The ball will touch Robinson's hands on most possessions in the half-court offense.
IEFF WITHEY. CENTER
Withey played just 17 minutes on Tuesday after three quick fouls. He wasn't needed much as Robinson took the game over, but another solid outing could back up his triple-double against Pittsburgh State. When Robinson is double-teamed, Withey will have opportunities to score in the paint. If She goes with a smaller lineup that includes Taylor Johnson and Tharpe on the floor together, Withey may take a seat. His main goal should be to stay out of foul trouble.
COUNTDOWN TO TIPOFF
At a Glance
MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
The exhibitions are past Kansas and the regular season is finally here. Coach Bill Self said that the team is focused on tonight's game, but with Tuesday's Madison Square Garden showdown against Kentucky looming, tonight's game could be overlooked. Senior guard Tyshawn Taylor and junior guard Elijah Johnson begin their season after serving a suspension in both exhibition games. Junior forward Thomas Robinson scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in his return against Fort Hays State in Tuesday's 101-52 blowout. If the Jayhawks break the game open early with their full lineup assembled, Self can rest his leaders and prepare for a trip to New York City.
Player to watch
TYSHAWN TAYLOR
Fans had to wait through Taylor's yearly suspension, but he's back after an off-season of maturation and jump shooting. Self has said that Taylor's demeanor has changed and that he's prepared to lead this team. He'll do so down the court as a point guard and on defense with attention to detail. Taylor's knock has always been his shooting. With agility and a quick first step, he drives to the hoop at will. Taylor has been running with the first team in practice and that won't change tonight.
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Breaking down the teams KANSAS VS. Towson 7 p.m., Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Thomas Robinson has a huge night. Last week's injury only raised the anticipation from Kansas fans regarding Robinson heading into his junior campaign, and a big debut would send the Kansas faithful home with a smile.
ALLEN FIELDHOUSE WILL ROCK IF ...
THE TIGERS WILL ROAR IF .
Taylor and Johnson return in a sloppy fashion and surrender turnovers the entire night.
Prediction:
Kansas 92
Towson 65
KORY CARPENTER
kcarpenter@kansan.com
At a Glance
Towson finished up its exhibition season with a 1-1 record after it 50-43 loss to Division II Virginia State on Sunday. Coach Pat Skerry is entering his first season at Towson after coaching at Pittsburgh as an assistant last season. He coached at nine different schools before accepting the job at Towson. The Tigers start just one upperclassman and look to have experience problems at times this season, as seen in their exhibition defeat. Recruiting started off great for coach Skerry in year one, as ESPN ranked next season's recruiting class sixth in the nation out of non-BCS conference schools. After opening the season against Kansas, the tigers play two more BCS schools. The travel to Ann Arbor to take on Michigan Monday, followed by Oregon State at home on Nov. 26.
Player to watch
ROBERT NWANKWO
With a starting five consisting of four underclassmen, Nwankwo is the loner senior in the group. First year coach Pat Skerry will look to Nwanko for leadership, and Towson's success or failures this season might depend on just that. A fifth-year senior and former walk-on who missed all of last season, he has all the experience needed from a starting forward. He was named to the Colonial Athletic Association's All-Defensive team two seasons ago and had eight double-doubles. The 6-foot-8, 220-pound native of Hyattsville, Md., finished the 2009-2010 season in the top 50 in the country in rebounds and top 10 in blocks. He needs just 17 rebounds to move into Towson's top-ten of all-time, and he's already third on the school's all-time blocked shots list with 146.
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TOWSON TIPOFF STARTERS
KRIS WALDEN. GUARD
KRHS WALDEN, GUARD
A true freshman from Richmond, Va,
Walden led the Tigers in minutes in the exhibition finale against Virginia State. He finished with a team-high 12 points in the 50-43 loss.
In high school, Walden led the state of Virginia in scoring his senior season with 17.4 points per contest. He looks to be Towson's primary ball-handler and will be tasked mainly with breaking the Kansas defensive pressure.
ROBERT NWANKWO FORWARD
Nwankwo is the tone senior in the Towson starting five. A former walk-on who earned a scholarship before the 2009-2010 season, he led the Colonial Athletic Association in field goal percentage (.565) rebound (9.2) and blocked shots (3.2). He finished the 2009-2010 campaign in the top 10 nationally in blocked shots and is the defensive anchor for the Tigers.
DEON JONES, FORWARD
Another true freshman in the starting five, Jones had four points and four rebounds in the exhibition loss to Virginia State. At Sanford School in Hockenheim, Del., Jones was named the state's best player his senior season after averaging 18.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. He led his team to back-to-back Delaware state championships before heading to Towon.
ERIQUE GUMBS FORWARD
ENTIQUE BOMBS, FORWARD Entering his third season for towson as a redshirt sophomore, Gumbats started four games last season and appeared in all 30 contests where he averaged 3.6 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. He missed most of the 2009-2100 campaign after suffering a season-ending knee injury against University of Maryland-Baltimore County. He was also a finalist for the 2007-2008 Delaware Gatabreater Player of the Year.
MARCUS DAMAS FORWARD
Damas is entering his first season at Towson after transferring from Westchester Community College in New York state. He averaged 14.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game at Westchester, earning a spot on the All Mid-Hudson Conference team. He was a McDonald's All-American candidate at Bay Shore High School in Bay Shore, N.Y. He played 25 minutes against Virginia State with two points and four rebounds.
to "prove they don't care reveal their bluff.
Kansas officials and coaches have said they have no interest in playing Missouri beyond this season, and many fans feel the same way. There's probably a lot of truth in that, too. Kansas certainly doesn't benefit financially from playing Missouri in basketball, where an annual game in Kansas City would mean a 50-50 split of ticket ronney. Kansas will make much more than that when they play Davidson there next month.
But in seven or eight years, when both schools are settled in their respective conferences, some business will try to sponsor a reunion in Kansas City of football, basketball, or both. It will be just enough time to cool off from the messy divorce, and both sides will realize hating someone else isn't quite the same.
Paterno, Spanier fired after Sandusky scandal
— Edited by Mandy Matney
MCCLATCHY TRIBUNE
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — The longest and one of the most distinguished coaching careers in college football history ended suddenly with the firing of Joe Paterno by Penn State's Board of Trustees on Wednesday night. Paterno, who offered his resignation in the morning but said he wanted to finish this season, was joined on the unemployment line by university president Graham Spanier.
The move was in response to the arrest on Saturday of Paterno's longtime former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky and the release of a grand jury report alleging he sexually abused at least eight young boys. Although neither Paterno nor Spanier has been charged with any criminal wrongdoing,
Paterno received an eyewitness report of one alleged sexual assault in 2002 and just passed it up the chain of command. No one at Penn State pursued a criminal prosecution of Sandusky for that incident.
Speaking for the board, vicechairman John Surma said, "The past several days have been terrible, but the outrage we feel is nothing compared to the physical and psychological abuse that allegedly took place."
Surma was pressed repeatedly for an explanation of why Paterno, who is tied with Amos Alonzo Stagg for most games ever coached at 448, was not given a chance to coach the final home game against Nebraska on Saturday at Beaver Stadium. Instead, defensive coordinator Tom Bradley was appointed to replace Paterno on an
interim basis.
"With the difficulties engulfing this university — and they are grave as you all have documented," Surma said, "it was necessary to make a change now."
Speaking at his house to students, Paterno said, "Right now, I'm not the football coach, and that's something I have to get used to"
Perhaps fearing the worst, the 84-year-old Paterno, who has a record 409 wins, attempted to make an end run around the board of trustees in the hope of going out with a shred of dignity. In his statement, which was released through a Washington-area public relations firm as opposed to being approved by Penn State, Paterno expressed regret that he didn't do more to prevent Sandusky's alleged crimes.
MATT ROURKE/AP PHOTO
1
Penn State football coach Joe Paterno arrives home yesterday in State College, Pa. Paterno and university president Graham Spanier were fired yesterday evening, brought down by their failure to do more about an allegation of child sex abuse against a former defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, who is accused of molesting eight boys over 15 years.