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Some players on the Kansas men's basketball team find escape from the pressures of school and basketball by playing video games. PAGE 5B
sports commentary
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The University Daily Kansan
Wednesday, September 10,2003
Joey Berlin jberlin@hansan.com
Mangino recklessly disregards best asset
If you know or ever happen to meet Kansas football coach Mark Mangino, don't trust him with your valuables. He has a hell of a time taking care of his own.
has a hit of a time in
In the final minutes of the Jayhawks' 46-24 victory over UNLV last Saturday, Mangino — for the second time in two seasons — showed reckless disregard for the health of his best player, quarterback Bill Whittimore.
Last year, after Whittemore tore the medial collateral ligament in his knee, Mangino didn't seem too concerned about Whittemore's future." If I can convince our medical staff," Mangino said after the following week's loss to Kansas State," I'd wheel him out there next week if I could."
With two games left, Mangino didn't seem to recognize that the 2-8 Jayhawks needed to heal Whittemore, last season's Big 12 Newcomer of the Year, for meaningful games in 2003. Apparently, the medical staff held its ground, because Whittemore didn't take the field again in '02.
But in the final minutes Saturday, Mangino's play calling suggested he hasn't learned anything about protecting his best players. With four minutes left in the game, Kansas got the ball back, nursing a 22-point lead. It was the perfect time for Mangino to pull his fragile quarterback and get sophomore backup Brian Luke some action.
some action.
Instead, Whittemore returned to the huddle. No big deal, — Kansas was just going to run the clock out, right?
going to run the clock out. It three plays later, on 3rd-and-2 at the Rebels' 39. Whittemore lined up in the shotgun, with two backs flanking him. It was hard to believe the 'Hawks would throw on a 3rd-and-2 at the end of a blowout; surely, Kansas had called a draw play to a running back.
Nope. Whittemore dropped back to throw, leaving himself open to one more pass rush — and giving him another chance to re-tear his MCL, or suffer some other long-term injury that could turn Kansas football back into a train wreck. Fortunately, no Rebel defenders touched Whittemore, and he completed an eight- yard pass for a first down.
yard pass for a minute.
Less than two minutes remained on the clock. OK, so now Mangino was done endangering his star quarterback on meaningless plays. Or maybe not. Incredibly, Whittemore again went back in the shotgun.
in the snoutgun.
This time, Mangino made damn sure Whittemore gave that MCL a real test. Instead of a passing play, where he may or may not get hit, Whittemore took the snap and ran up the middle, ensuring contact with a pile of defenders.
touch with a pile of deterrents.
Despite what may have been history's first quarterback draw by a team up 22 with 1:30 left, Whittemore escaped uninjured. Then, after a time-out, Kansas finally ran the clock out.
many ran the clock out.
For Kansas to make strides this year, Whittemore has to be in the game when it counts. When Mangino leaves him in a game that's already been decided, he unnecessarily maximizes the chance that in future games, the new-and-improved Jayhawks will look like last year's team — as Whittemore watches atop a pair of crutches.
Berlin is a Leawood senior in journalism.
Banks Floodman, sophomore linebacker, stopped Northwestern's Brett Basanez, sophomore quarterback, in the first quarter of the game Aug. 30. The Wildcats defeated the Jayhawks 28-20 in a rainsoaked game.
Healed' Hawk leadsteam
By Ryan Greene
greene@kansan.com
Kansan sportwriter
From the time he was recruited out of Wichita Collegiate high school, expectations have been high for Kansas linebacker Banks Floodman.
This season, as he is becoming a destructive force at outside linebacker, the struggle he has endured for his success on the field makes him appreciate it even more.
As a freshman in 2001, Floodman's 41 tackles and explosiveness on special teams gave fans a taste of what he was capable of. Expecting a breakthrough year as a defensive starter in 2002, all that Floodman had been working towards got sidetracked in one play.
In the season opener at Iowa State, the brightest young stud on first-year coach Mark Mangino's defense went down with a season-ending knee injury. When it happened, Floodman
"Banks is a guy that reflects everything that we try to do here at KU in football."
Mark Mangino football coach
did not want to face reality, knowing that the worst-case scenario was imminent.
"It was devastation, I knew exactly when I did it what had happened," Floodman said. "I haven't experienced it before, but it's kind of one of those thinks you just know. I don't really think about it much anymore, I don't really want."
Instead of sulking, Floodman made the best of a bad situation.
While rehabilitating the knee injury, he hit the weight room, adding nearly 15 pounds of muscle to an already intimidating frame.
during frame.
During the process of bulking up for
the 2003 season, Floodman's biggest growth of all may have came mentally. The injury made Floodman a bigger man physically and gave him a chance to reflect on how rare his God-given talents truly are.
truly are.
"It just motivated me to realize what I have and what I am doing, and not taking it for granted," Floodman said. "I feel that in the past, maybe I took a game for granted. When you miss a year, you really realize how much you love the game and what it means to you."
This season, Floodman leads the Jayhawks in tackles with 22. However, when coach Mark Mangino evaluates Floodman, he looks well beyond the stat sheet.
Mangino loves the fact that Floodman now looks at things, such as going to practice, as fun instead of work. It's Floodman's attitude and leadership qualities that make him what Mangino wants in all of his players.
wants in all of his playtime.
"Banks is a guy that reflects everything that we try to do here at KU in football."
Mangino said. "See, those type of kids, no matter how good or bad or how indifferent anybody looks at them as football players, as football coaches, we see them as being successful in life, because everything they do they do with a great attitude."
As the Jayhawks head into their third game of the 2003 season with a 1-1 record, Floodman, now a redshirt sophomore, is anchoring one of the best linebacker corps in Kansas history.
tory. Along with fellow sophomores Nick Reid and Gabe Toomey, Floodman has helped instill the excitement that has long been missing from Kansas football.
"It's just extremely exciting to play every game, and just play with the guys that I'm around," Floodman said. "Everyone around here's excited, and that's something I haven't felt since I've been here."
Edited by Jonathan Reeder
Soccer escapes in tight victory
By Nikki Nugent
nnguent@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas women's soccer team narrowly escaped another loss last night.
Kansas defeated Southwest Missouri State 2-1 in a close game at Springfield, Mo.The Jayhawks extended their record to 4-10 while SMS drops to 0-3-2.
10 4 1 - 1 0 WHITE Kansas coach Mark Francis said the team did not play well and were lucky to come away with a victory.
by' Francis said.
The Jayhawks struck early, but the game's outcome would not be decided until the final minutes. Kansas forward Rachel Gillifan, Cottage Grove, Minn., junior scored on an assist from Amy Geha, Overland Park junior, in the 13th minute. The Jayhawks led 1-0 at halftime.
come away with it. "There were times that we looked good but for the most part it was pretty ugly." Francis said.
The Bears' Cassie Worley put a pass
from Mary Litvan past Kansas goalkeeper Meghan Miller, Seattle junior, in the 76th minute. With the final whistle closing in, Geha scored the game winning goal on an assist from Gilfillan.
The Jayhawks went into the game wanting to play more consistently, but Francis said consistency was a major problem despite the win.
problem despite the wil They worked harder than we did," Francis said.
Francis said the team would try to work on the mental errors that made the game closer than it should have been.
game closer than the The jahwacks host the KUStore.com Crimson and Blue Invitational Sep. 12 to 14. Kansas will play Florida State at 5 p.m. Friday at SuperTarget Field and Central Florida at noon Sunday.
The Jayhawks' first conference game is Sept. 26 at SuperTarget Field.
Edited by Katie Nelson
Courtesy of Southwest Missouri State's The Standard Freshmen defender Nikki Afvarez dribbled past a Southwest Missouri State player in the first half of play last night. The Jayhawks defeated the Bears 2-1 in Springfield, Mo.