kansan.com
Wednesday, September 14, 2011
COMMENTARY
Legends kind of a big deal
To hear the public address announcer boast the words, "From Inglewood, California, number 34 Paul Pierce!" one more time, is a very big deal.
In case you didn't already realize this, the Legends of the Phog game is a big deal. Like a very big deal.
Like a once in a lifetime, big deal.
I barely remember the days when the number 34 stretched across the chest of Paul Pierce's Kansas jersey. I don't remember Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson patting Pierce'rearend as he trotted down James Naismith court with his bands raised in the air.
I never got to see Paul Pierce play in Allen Fieldhouse, and in all likelihood, you didn't either. Actually, aside from the Morris Twins and Josh Selby, haven't seen any of the other 19 players currently listed as participants play.
I was born 10 years after Darnell Valentine, a three time All American played his last game for the Kansas. Yes, I have heard stories about who Valentine is and have seen stats and bits of video, but the opportunity to see him play with the letters K-A-N-S-A-S stitched into his jersey — that's a big deal.
Sure, I've seen and heard Scot Pollard's entertaining antics. I've seen his wild hair and sideburns entertain NBA fans when he was still in the league. I've even seen him dressed in a suit at Allen Fieldhouse. But my memory begins to trickle in just as Pollard put on his Pistons hat in the 1997 NBA Draft.
THE KANSAN FEATURES A LINE-UP OF LEGENDS Six former players are profiled as part of a series for the upcoming Legends of the Phog game PAGE 10
A name nearly every student at Kansas knows, Wayne Simien, is a name that Bill Self once called the best he's ever coached. His jersey is the most recent to be lifted into the rafters at Allen Fieldhouse, and to see him play in it once again is a big deal.
I vaguely remember watching Ryan Robertson and Nick Bradford on television in their time at Kansas. I attended, and barely remember, the game in New Orleans in which Robertson scored 31 points in a second round NCAA tournament loss to Kentucky.
Speaking of the three-point shot, Billy Thomas once held the Kansas basketball record for career three-pointers made with 269. He was, apparently, my favorite player at the time. Do I remember ber him, though? No. But I know who he is, and the opportunity to see an apparent childhood favorite of mine is a big deal.
The Big O — Greg Ostertag — is certainly a legendary name. I've heard stories about his false teeth and remember his days as a backup center in the NBA. Seeing the Big O roar the paint in the Phog, that's a big deal.
Ron Kellogg, alongside Danny Manning, went to the final four in 1986. I know Kellogg is known for his long-range sharp shot, before the days the three-point line existed. To see Kellogg potentially hit a three at Allen Fieldhouse — yeah, that's a big deal.
Nick Collison, Jeff Graves and Jeff Hawkins are all names that I can clearly remember. Cole Aldrich, Darrell Arthur, Xavier Henry, Mario Chalmers, Darnell Jackson, Brandon Rush and Julian Wright are names that most students at Kansas have heard at one time.
And that is what makes this a once in a lifetime event. We students have the opportunity to witness multiple generations of layhawks playing together, on James Naismith Court, for the first time — ever.
Edited by Jonathan Shorman
Yeah, it's kind of a big deal.
FOOTBALL PLAYER FACES LEGAL ISSUES PAGE 8
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A UNIQUE OFFENSE
MIKE GUNNOE/KANSAN
Senior linebacker Steven Johnson brings down Harold Turnage of McNeese State Sept. 3. Johnson and the rest of the Jayhawks have prepared for Georgia Tech's dizzying offense without a football on the practice field
MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
As the Kansas Jayhawks prepare to take on a unique spread option offense run by Georgia Tech, they'll be doing something unique themselves — practicing without a football.
The Georgia Tech offense is a triple option attack, in which they can run the ball up the middle, run an option, pitch it outside, or pass the ball. They often put a player in motion before the snap, giving the Yellow Jackets another player to give the ball to before the snap.
In other words, it's very hard for the opposing defense to know where the ball is going.
Defensive coordinator Vic Shealy and the Jayhawks' defensive line have been preparing for the often confusing Georgia Tech offense by going back to the basics. They had the Kansas scout team simulate the Yellow Jackets offense without a football.
"It really allows each person to do their job," senior linebacker Steven Johnson said. "When there's no ball, you're like okay, this person has the dive, this person has the pitch, this person has the quarterback. It just helps
people to understand where you fit when they run certain plays. It really makes you assignment sound."
The Yellow Jackets love to hide the ball and keep the defense guessing where the run is going until the last second. If the Jayhawks get caught up in keeping their eyes where the ball goes, they'll be tricked and end up looking the wrong way and it'll be too late.
"We've got to make sure that we harp on them this week that their eyes have to be really good," said defensive line coach Buddy Wyatt. "A lot of times we don't even use a
football in a lot of our drills. Guys won't have to worry about who has the football. You do things like that to make them train their eyes and not look for the football."
overwhelming the ball, giving the coaches a better idea of how their defense is performing.
Running an unorthodox offense often makes it tough for the scout team to play with their normal speed, due to a lack of comfort within the offense. Shealy said that because of this, the defense can often overwhelm the offense in numbers, which can often give a defense a false sense of confidence.
When the ball is taken away, Shealy said the defense has to stay horizontally assigned instead of
While the Jayhawks won't be defending against a football-less offense all week, for now, that's the plan as they prepare for an offense that is anything but ordinary.
"We've worked on it for a day back in mid-August, about 45 minutes on the option and we worked 30 minutes Sunday, and we have yet to put a ball in the drill yet," said Shealy.
Edited by Stefanie Penn
SPORTS
Jayhawks finish eighth in first golf tournament
Team to host Kansas Invitational in Lawrence Monday
LAUREN DRUMMOND
idrummond@kansan.com
The men's golf team competed in the Mark Simpson Invitational at the Colorado National Golf Club in Erie, Colo. on Monday and Tuesday. After the first two rounds of play, Greenwood Village, Colo. junior Alex Gutesha was tied for 15th overall after he shot a 69, one under par. He finished out his round with a consecutive birdie and eagle.
As a team, the jayhawks finished the first round ranked ninth out of 15 teams with a two-round collective score of 589 strokes. Host Colorado finished with a team total of 560 strokes
Gutesha led the Jayhawks with a first round score of 69 strokes. He was tied for
"Alex got off to a really good start and was four-under through nine holes," said Kansas coach Kit Grove. "He made a couple of bogeys and one more birdie, and finished up
15th overall after the first day of play. He had a strong finish, with a birdie and eagle on each of the last two holes.
Two new Jayhawks made their debuts during the tournament. Justin, Texas freshman Dylan McClure and Oneonta, Ala., freshman Paul Harris were ranked in the top 100 players after the first two rounds. McClure posted a team-low 72 at the end of the second round and Harris shot a 75 and tied at the end of the first day. McClure tied for 48th.
things we made a "
"Dylan's a grinder, which is good," said Grove. "You need that in your No. 4 and No. 5 golfers. You need them to keep
KIT GROVE men's golf coach
the morning round with a 69,
so that's a good way to kick the
season off for him."
plugging away and keep fighting. There are always those first tournament jitters as a freshman, so for him to come back and shoot even par in the aftereffects were mutt
pleased with that."
"We did a lot of things goo today, but we made a lot of mistakes," said Grove. "I know it's 'early in the year,' but these guys play golf every day."
On the second day of play, Kansas gained some ground on the competition. While Gutesha struggled on Tuesday, the
"I was a lot happier today compared to yesterday. My putting was under control and I finished off my round pretty well today," said Gilbert. "The greens were pretty fast compared to yesterday, and that's not what I'm used to, but I adjusted and finally got it going."
When he was asked if he was happy with his play, he responded that he was happy, but not satisfied.
Coach Grove was pleased with how his team played throughout the tournament.
team made up for lost ground and moved up one spot in the standings to place eighth out of 15 teams. Semi Valley, Calif., junior Chris Gilbert, played very well for the lavwhaws.
"We got better and better each day. We didn't have any great rounds, but any time you shoot under par, you have to be pretty pleased with that. Overall, eighth is not what we're striving for, but when it's all said and done, I think it was okay," said Grove.
The Jayhawks will host the Kansas Invitational, the only home tournament of the season, here in Lawrence at the Alvamar Golf Club, starting Monday Sept. 19.
Edited by Stefanie Penn
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MIKE BUNNEO/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Junior Alex Gutesha chips the ball onto the green. The Jayhawks will compete next Monday and Tuesday in Lawrence in the Kansas invitational.
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