tuesday,november 11,2003
basketball preview
the university daily kansan
5B
Simien shoots for full, healthy season
By Chris Wintering
cwintering@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
Junior Wayne Simien is ready for the regular season to start.
He's ready to see how his shoulder will hold up in real games and the exhibition season, not just practice. It's the same shoulder that he injured last year, which forced him out
Simien
of half of the team's games and eventually led to season-ending surgery. But most of all, he's ready to stop talking about it.
"Out on the streets everyone
asks about it, but answering the questions come with the territory, people want to know," Simien said.
So how's the shoulder?
"It ites good right now, playing with these guys full-go for the last two months and just getting back to my old self — explosive and aggressive basketball," Simien said. "I feel like I've been doing that, and I feel good."
Simien missed 22 games last year with his injury, including the entire NCAA tournament. On top of that, he was close to former coach Roy Williams. They were so close that Simien, a Leavenworth native and lifelong Jayhawk fan, was personally hurt when Williams left for North Carolina.
Simien was quoted in a number of newspapers at the time, saying, "I gave my right arm for that man."
"At the time, a lot of emotions were flared up, but they have definitely calmed down," Simien said. "We understand the game at this level is almost business-like, and guys have to do what they have to do."
He said that both the injury and the coaching situation would help him this year on the court.
"I should have more fire than anybody right now," Simien said. "I'm just going to use that to springboard the team into the season."
court, and I'm hungry to be back with him," junior Aaron Miles said.
Simien isn't the only one who is ready for his comeback; his teammates are also eager to get back on the court with him.
Simien said that playing in pickup games with the rest of team for the past two months has helped him to believe that his shoulder was ready. Coach Bill Self said Simien was still not completely recovered from the injury, but was on his way to getting there.
"He's hungry to be back on the
Self said it was important that Simien was mentally over the injury. He said he thought most injuries occurred when a player was always thinking about getting hurt.
"He has done a great job emotionally and mentally to get his mind right into thinking his body can go full speed," Self said. "He's not quite there yet, but he is close."
"I don't see treating Wayne different than we would if he had never been injured," self said. "When things are bothering him or anyone else, we will cut back and give him time off, but right now he feels very strong."
"You can never go into a season anticipating being hurt and missing games and I'm not doing that by any means," he said.
Simien said he was not thinking about the shoulder anymore and was focused on returning to the court this season.
Despite the injury, Simien has received a number of preseason honors for the upcoming season. He is a member of the Preseason Coaches' All-Big 12 Team and a candidate for the John R. Wooden Player of the Year Award, and he has appeared on many Web sites'
preseason All-American teams.
"It's definitely an honor, especially missing the amount of games that I did last year," Simien said. "People still consider me to be one of the top players in the country, but right now it's just preseason hype and hopefully I can carry it over to the postseason."
Simien is also an All-American candidate for CollegeInsider.com. The site's editor-in-chief, Joe Dwyer, said he had no issues about putting Simien on the list even with the injury.
"If you look at his talent, his presence on the list should go without saying," he said. "I mean, if he doesn't get hurt last year, it's very possible we're talking about a different National Champion right now."
Waltz aims to lead Jayhawks back to tournament
-Edited by Scott Christie
By Jessie Newell
jnewell@kansan.com
Kansan sportwriter
Blair Waltz knows her role as a junior is to help lead the Jayhawks. She might just not do it the way one would expect.
Waltz has taken on an additional responsibility this season: teaching those not from Kansas about Kansas.
"I think I need to lead by emphasizing how much tradition this program has, and how much tradition Coach has built for this program," Waltz said. "Just because I've had the advantage of growing up and knowing what Kansas women's basketball has been all about, I think that's a way I can lead."
Waltz, one of only two players from the state of Kansas, will be asked to do much more this season, as it attempts to improve upon last year's 11-18 record.
With only three combined jun
There might not be a better example, on or off the court.
"I'm an upperclassman, so I have to be a leader," Waltz said. "I have to not only lead vocally, but I have to lead by example."
iors and seniors returning to the squad, Waltz will be asked to guide Kansas while on the floor.
The 6-foot Waltz started 26 games for Kansas last season, averaging 7.5 points and 2.2 rebounds. She dished out two assists per game, and scored in double figures 12 times.
But that's just the beginning.
The Leawood native is a two-time Jayhawk Scholar and finished as a first team Academic All-Big 12 Conference selection. She was also the winner of the Adrian Mitchell Sportsmanship Award at the Jayhawks annual postseason banquet.
In addition, she put extra effort into the off-season, which, according to coach Washington, will make her a greater force for
the Jayhawks.
"Blair is a much stronger player this year," Washington said. "She is in better shape and I think if she stays healthy she will be a big help to us."
As a guard-forward combination, Waltz was the second-leading scorer during the team's trip to Mexico in August. Waltz averaged 14 points and three assists in the four-game stretch, while also making 4-of-8 three-point attempts.
Waltz said she felt the preseaon trip was beneficial to the team in its preparation for the season.
"I think we needed it in a sense just to help all of the newcomers be more comfortable," Waltz said. "It allowed us to get things taken care of now instead of until real practices start and having to deal with things then."
Waltz said the games were also an opportunity for the team to blend together and learn about each other.
"One thing that I noticed in Mexico was that every single person on this team is a good person," Waltz said. "Everyone has one common goal and that is to win. I think that is the thing that bonds us together most of all."
With the addition of highly-touted recruits Sharita Smith and Lauren Ervin, and junior college transfers Kaylee Brown, Larisha Graves and Kandis Bonner, Waltz said she was looking forward to the upcoming season and competitive scrimmages.
"Practice will be a battle everyday," Waltz said, "and how could you not love that because you know every single day you are going to get better?"
With that attitude, her teammates will no doubt learn all they need to know about Kansas basketball, and needing to look no further than Waltz to find their example.
Jared Sores/Kansar
— Edited by Jonathan Reeder
Junior guard/forward Blair Waltz, is one of three upperclass players returning to this year's team. Waltz wants the Kansas basketball tradition to motivate her teammates this season.
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