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THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2011
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Morris twins drafted seven minutes apart
TIM DWYER
tdwyer@kansan.com
Markieff Morris was born roughly seven minutes before Marcus.
Some twenty-one years later, he was selected in the 2011 NBA Draft roughly seven minutes before Marcus. Funny how things work out sometimes. Markieff went No. 13 to the Phoenix Suns.
Marcus was the better college player, an All-American, the Big 12 Player of the Year. Based on college production, he should've gone first. But he didn't, and he couldn't have cared less.
"Man, it probably meant more to me than it meant to him when he went," Marcus said. "He's just my best friend, so I want him to do well."
The emotion wasn't far from the surface for Marcus as his brother was called. They shared a hug and
a secret handshake while both shed tears of joy.
Minutes later, Markieff sat with a headset on, in the middle of a radio interview when NBA commissioner David Stern stepped to the lectern and announced Marcus
as the next pick. He stood, raised a fist in the air and broke into a wide smile as his brother walked across the stage.
"Once I was called, I still had a little, you
guards, but light in the frontcourt. Markieff's strengths — defense, rebounding, stretching the floor — should get him in the rotation immediately. Maybe the best news for him, though, is the presence of a pair of established veterans in
know, a little pressure on me waiting for my brother to be called." Markieff said. "Once he was called, it just came off"
MARUCS MORRIS Forward, Houston Rockets
Both twins walk into situations where they can contribute immediately. Phoenix is heavy on
Steve Nash and Grant Hill.
"I hope they are ready for me to pick their brains, because I'm going to follow those guys around all day," he said.
Marcus won't have any vets
with the reputation of Nash or Hill, but he will have the tutelage of Kevin McHale, one of the alltime great NBA post players and the current coach of the Rockets.
"From Manning to Kevin McHale, two of the best," Marcus
said. "It's definitely amazing for me and amazing for my family, and I'm just ready."
With the twins going to separate teams in the Western Conference, they'll play against each other for the first time in their careers. And they'll play each other often, four times in the first season.
"I'm going to see him a lot," Marcus said. "I hope I don't have to guard him or he doesn't have to guard me, but basketball is basketball, and we are both competitive guys. We're both going to get after it."
Josh Selby, who had been projected as a late first or early second round selection, slipped all the way to the 49th pick, winding up in Memphis with former Jayhawks Xavier Henry and Darrell Arthur.
Edited by Mike Lavieri
JULI O CORTEZ/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Markieff, right, and Marcus Morris embrace each other after they were picked No. 13 and No. 14, respectively, during the NBA draft June 23 in Newark, N.J.
SWIMMING
Senior swimmer Stephanie Payne surges through the water in the women's 400 yard individual medley last season. Despite being hit by a car in the spring semester, Payne will compete in the 2012 Olympic trials.
CHRIS BRONSON/KANSAN FILF PHOTO
Senior qualifies for 2012 Olympic trials
SARA KRUGER
skruger@kansan.com
Senior swimmer Stephanie Payne adds to a line of Jayhawks that have enjoyed success this year
During the summer she qualified for the Olympic trials, which are June 25-July 2, 2012.
While it's impressive that she could have the opportunity to represent the United States next summer in London, her journey to get to that point is more impressive.
During the spring semester she was involved in a one-car accident, but she wasn't driving. She wasn't even in the car.
"I parked in lot 90 and was walking to class when I looked up and saw a car coming toward me," she said. "It was going too fast for me to get out of the way."
Breaking her sternum and contracting a concussion, Payne was forced to take an eight week hiatus from training that could later be attributed toward her recovery.
During her absence, Payne realized exactly how much she loves swimming. She hopes to never be away from the sport for that long again.
Coach Clark Campbell said she has been a pleasure to work with.
"I knew she would accomplish her goal this semester at some point, but to have her do it so close after her accident was remarkable."
She not only accomplished her goal, she shattered it. Payne shaved eight seconds off of her 400 meter individual medley. Campbell has never seen anything like this and believes her achievement is a testament to her strength.
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She is humbled, but nervous for the opportunity.
"I'm definitely nervous and excited, but this is every athletes dream and my 12 years of swimming finally paid off", Payne said.
But for her dream to become a reality, she will need to push herself to her limit for the next 11 months.
Campbell knows the way Payne trains is different than the way the rest of her teammates do. Campbell said that she thrives in a highly emotional setting.
"Every race she has done really well she has come up to me and said, 'Coach I'm really nervous,' it just works for her," he said.
Whether she is fueled through personal emotion or the encouragement of her teammates, she agrees that the emotions help her succeed.
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"I know I couldn't have accomplished this without my team," said Payne. "I feed off their energy."
Edited by Mike Lavieri
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