40 MONDAY, AUGUST 18, 2008
AROUND CAMPUS
Incoming freshman travels abroad before KU
Travis Releford, incoming freshman for the men's basketball team, sits with a fellow teammate while watching a basketball game. Releford played in China and Germany before coming to the University.
BY RUSTIN DODD
dodd@kansan.com
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Travis Releford sightings have been scarce this summer at the Releford household in Kansas City, Mo.
Releford, an incoming freshman on the Kansas basketball team and one of seven newcomers to the program, settled into the Jayhawker Towers in June, enrolled in summer classes and started preparing for his first season of college basketball. Releford's younger brother, Trevor, has hardly seen him since.
Of course, that's partly because Releford spent the last three weeks playing for USA Basketball at the 2008 FIBA Americas Under 18 Championship in Formosa, Argentina. The U.S. won the silver medal.
Let's see: 18 years old, athletically gifted and traveling in Argentina. Sounds like a pretty nice way to spend the summer, huh? But according to Trevor, going to Argentina wasn't the real thrill.
"He's played in China and
Germany before," Trevor said, so big brother wasn't easily awed by international travel.
No, the real joy came from surviving the team's tryout camp in Washington, D.C., earlier this month. Releford proved himself against some of the best young players in the country.
"He made it over Lance Stephenson," Trevor said. "So he was real excited about that."
For the uninitiated, Stephenson is one of the top high school players in the 2009 recruiting class.
Releford and his teammates won their first four games at the championships, advancing to the gold medal game. But they had to settle for silver after losing 77-64 to Argentina in the final. Releford scored 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting against Argentina, and averaged 7.2 points per game during the tournament.
Releford returns home this week, but Trevor still might not be seeing much of his older brother. Growing up in Kansas City, it didn't take much for Releford to say no to a list of schools that included Missouri and Oklahoma amongst others.
Releford's mother, Venita Vann,
said Releford leaned toward Kansas.
"There were other choices, but he was going to go with KU all the way," Venita Vann said in January while watching her son finish up his high school career at Bishop Miege in
Kansas Citv.
And thanks to the departure of five Kansas guards from last year's team — Russie Robinson, Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers and Roderick Stewart — Releford, a 6-foot-5 guard, should get ample opportunity for
playing time this season.
So if the Releford family wants to see Travis this winter, the best place to do it might be on the floor of Allen Fieldhouse.
Edited by Matt Hirschfeld
Freshman has a lot to live up to Incoming guard Appleton was a former national champion
BY CASE KEEFER ckeefer@kansan.com
Incoming guard Tyrone Appleton and the eight Jayhawks returning
from last year's team have something in common they're all former national champions.
Appleton led his junior college team, Midland College, to a national championship his freshman year. Now, the junior joins a team defending the Division I national title next season.
"It's a big adjustment." Appleton said. "But if you're a basketball player, you've got to get used to it."
Appleton
Championships aren't where the similarities between Midland and Kansas end. Much like the Jayhawks last season, the Chaparrals relied on a number of players to score equally instead of following the lead of a superstar.
Appleton was the second leading scorer on the team with 13 points per game. He also dished out five
assists and grabbed nearly two steals per game. Kansas coach Bill Self said he thought Appleton would fit right in as a Jayhawk.
"Tyrone has won big at the junior college level and certainly has sacrificed individual statistics for the betterment of his team," Self said when he signed Appleton. "We were sold on Tyrone when we first came into contact with him."
Self also likes that Appleton's game is versatile. Appleton can play any
appleton can play any guard position on the floor.
But he prefers playing point guard. His only weakness is said to be his jump-shot. Appleton, however, said his shot was fine. He said he gained the reputation because hed rather penetrate the lane than pull up for a shot.
Fellow junior college transfer Mario Little agreed that Appleton could shoot if he had to. Little played
"I can shoot it." Appleton said. "But I'm more of a drive-first type guy. Look-first, pass-first."
against Appleton in junior college and the two have played regularly this summer.
They also grew up near each other. Appleton comes from Gary, Ind., less than an hour away from Little's native Chicago.
"He's a tough city kid," Little said. "He'll bring toughness to the team."
And Appleton is just getting tougher. He said the biggest adjustment from junior college to Kansas so far was the sessions in the weightroom.
Strength coach Andrea Hudy is keeping Appleton busy between attending classes and playing pick-up basketball this summer.
"As a JUCO, you hit the weights a little bit," Appleton said. "But our strength and conditioning coach here — she's real tough."
Appleton is hoping the hard work will pay off. As a junior, he's one of the only veterans on the team and Self said he expected Appleton to serve as a leader. He's got a championship to prove he's capable of it.
Edited by Matt Hirschfeld