2B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"I always turn to the sports section first. The sports page records people's accomplishments; the front page has nothing but man's failures."
— Earl Warren
FACT OF THE DAY
Kansas has scored 100 points or more in three consecutive exhibition games.
Kansas Athletics
TRIVIA
Q: How many consecutive exhibition games has Kansas won?
A: 35, dating back to 1995.
Kansas Athletics
MEN'S BASKETBALL C.J. Henry to return to practice on Wednesday
"I think he said he may do a few things today." Self said.
"Probably not full court but maybe do some half court stuff today, see how he feels."
Self said he isn't a believer in putting players into games when they haven't practiced, so it may be a while before Henry sees some game action.
- Corey Thibodeaux
NHL
NHL Tucker activated from Avalanche iniured list
DENVER — The Colorado Avalanche have activated forward Darcey Tucker from the injured reserve list.
He was activated in time for the game Wednesday night against the Blackhawks
Tucker missed eight games after suffering a concussion Oct. 23, when he was checked into the boards against Carolina.
He has four goals and two assists in 10 games for Colorado this season.
The Avalanche also said Wednesday that defenseman John-Michael Liles was placed on the injured reserve list because of a shoulder injury.
Associated Press
Jayhawk football season is dead
MORNING BREW
D early beloved, we gather here today to say our goodbyes to the 2009
Kansas Jayhawk football season.
Just four weeks ago it was a season full of promise, but fate cruelly took it away all too soon. With last weeks fall to intrastate rival Kansas State, we realized it was time to commemorate the remnants of Todd Reesing's awe-inducing ability to create miracle plays out of nothing and send them into the beyond. With that ability, we learned, go the Jayhawks' chances.
The bard William Shakespeare once wrote: "When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions." And so it was for this year's Jayhawks. It started with the plethora of off-the-field problems in the offseason. There was the bizarre Jocques Crawford-Ben Leuken-somebody-hit somebody-with-a-car-W.T.F.-just-went-down situation. There was Dezmon Briscoe's early one-game suspension. There was Jake Sharp's early season injury.
But the Jayhawks prevailed. It seemed as if they couldn't
be stopped early. Reesing was his usual spectacular self. The defense was inspired in Mark Mangino's new 4-2-5 package. Toben Opurum helped us quickly forget that Jake Sharp once existed.
So, for awhile, there was prosperity. Until the sorrows piled on once more. There was the mid-season fight with the basketball team. Reesing, the unflappable, infallible leader of the Kansas football revolution, was suddenly human. His miracle scrambles ended in sacks or interceptions.
His sure-handed receivers — led by Dezmon Briscoe and Kerry Meier — suddenly weren't catching everything. The defense couldn't stop the Browns, let alone a Big 12 offense. And Mangino — once Manganius — was coaching admittedly bad
But this is not a time for grieving. Let us forget the four consecutive losses. Let us forget the inglorious end to Reesing's career. Let us instead celebrate what Reesing accomplished in his time as a Jayhawk. He was the best quarterback at the school since John Hadl — maybe the best ever. He turned a laughing-stock football program into one that does not accept losses to intrastate rivals. Into a BCS bowl champion. Into a North division contender.
Let us remember Kerry Meier and his hands. The hands that caught that beautiful pass from Reesing that smote the Missouri Tigers in last year's Border Showdown. The hands that caught everything.
Let us remember Dezmon Briscoe and his raw athleticism and pray that he may revive for one more year in college.
Let us remember Darrrell Stuckey, the hustle and heart of the Kansas football revival.
Let us remember Jake Sharp and his ability to hit a seam that wasn't really there.
won't be the same without the Reesing-led Jayhawks. But, dear friends, rejoice! For with death comes rebirth. Tomorrow a new sun will rise. A sun that will shine brightly on the bronze statue of Phog Allen that sits outside of his church of basketball. And tomorrow, mass will be held for the first time this year.
Let us also look forward. Life
Tomorrow, we baptize a new Kansas basketball season. May it's life be filled with joy and wonder and live up to all the promise it brings.
Follow Tim Dwyer at twitter.com/timdwyer.
Edited by Sarah Kelly
THIS WEEK IN KANSAS ATHLETICS
TODAY
No events scheduled
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
Men's Basketball vs. Hofstra, 7 p.m.
BOOK REVIEW
Football
vs. Nebraska;
2:30 p.m.
Volleyball vs. Baylor, 11 a.m.
Cross Country NCAA Regional Championships, Springfield, MO
SUNDAY
SUNDAY Women's Basketball
vs. Oral Roberts,
2 p.m.
Biography closely examines the life of b
BY MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
The year was 1891 and James Naismith was simply doing what he did best - his job.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: ROB RAINS
He is a former National League beat writer for USA Today's Baseball Weekly.
For three years, he covered the St. Louis Cardinals with the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.
Assigned by Luther Gulick, dean of the physical education department at the YMCA in Springfield, Mass., Naismith's challenge was to find a game that would entertain a class of 18 rigid students and could also be played indoors during the long frozen months of the New England winter.
He is the author/co-author of autobiographies and/or biographies of several famous sports heroes ranging from Ozzie Smith to Marshall Faulk.
He is a graduate of the University and wrote for The Kansan and the Lawrence Journal-World.
Naismith nearly gave up on his task after failing to enthuse the group for nearly two weeks of ineffective experiments. However he loathed the idea of conceding to failure, and continued his search for a gym-friendly game for grown men.
His son, B.J. Rains, also attended KU and wrote for the sports section of The Kansan.
He currently lives in St. Louis with his wife, Sally Tippett Rains, and teaches in the school of communications at Webster University.
Once realizing that finesse, and not brute force, was the key to fluid indoor activity, Naismith knew that he was on to something. Shortly after, the first 13
rules of a new game were written and a peach basket was nailed to a railing ten feet high. The game of basketball was born.
This is what James Naismith is remembered for today. However "James Naismith: The Man Who Invented Basketball," by Rob Rains — the first definitive biography of the Canadian-born innovator — was written for more than just the
game he founded.
The book was also written to illuminate Naismith not just as an inventor, but as a good father and husband and a man with strong morals and a relentless and inalterable work ethic.
Compiled with the help of Naismith's granddaughter, Hellen Carpenter, and the 300 documents from Naismith's old files in her
possession, this biography is an insightful testament to a man that, as Naismith once said, was looking "to leave the world a little better than he found it."
Rains and Carpenter will make an appearance at the KU Bookstore in the Kansas Union tomorrow from 4:00-5:30 p.m. to discuss and sign their new book.
Today basketball is played and celebrated by both men and women worldwide.
Naismith, who once aspired to be a doctor and a minister, never envisioned his idea would snowball as it did.
The biography commences with a heartfelt foreword by former Kansas basketball coach Roy Williams and an introduction from a personal family perspective by Carpenter.
However the simplicity of the general rules and the lack of much required equipment makes basketball practical for any athlete, regardless of background.
Think of this book as a reminder
Contributed photo The authors of a book about James Naismith will appear at the KU Bookstore Friday.
of why Allen Fieldhouse will be stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey tomorrow night.
Follow Max Rothman at twitter.com/maxrothman
- Edited by Tim Burgess
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Woolridge signs with Jayhawks
BY COREY THIBODEAUX
cthibodeaux@kansan.com
High school senior Royce Woollridge signed a letter of intent in a ceremony at his high school Wednesday, making his commitment to Kansas official
Woolridge, a 6-foot-3, 175-pound guard from Sunnysville High in Phoenix, Ariz., averaged 28.5 points and 2.1 steals per game last season.
Woolridge said Kansas' rich basketball tradition and atmosphere made Kansas his ideal choice.
"I'm excited."
Woolridge said.
"There's history behind the school and the stands were crazy."
He verbally committed to Kansas in May 2008 after gaining interest from
This is the first signing for the jayhawks this year. Woolridge was a perfect recruit, Self said, because of his loyalty and commitment to Kansas.
"He liked how we played and we notified each other," Self said. "They got word to us, we went and watched him play, offered him a scholarship and, boom, it was done."
"He was the first one to jump on board and we'll always have a fond appreciation of that," Self said.
The interest in Kansas for Woolridge, coach Bill Self said, started right after the Jayhawks won the National Championship in 2008.
Woolridge was present for Late Night in the Phog and said he had great time, justifying his decision.
Currently, Rivals.com has Woolridge ranked at 117th over-
ROYCE WOOLRIDGE Men's basketball commit
other schools such as UCLA, Georgetown and Arizona.
"I'm excited. There's history behind the school and the stands were crazy."
Self said he was looking to see that number climb after his senior season.
all in the country and ESPNU 100 has him at 94.
"You watch."
Self said. "When
the rankings
come out at the end of the year, he'll be one of those guys that I would say definitely has a great chance to be a top 50-type player."
Follow Corey Thibodeaux at twitter.com/c_thibodeaux
Edited by Tim Burgess
Missouri coach Gary Pinkel argues a call during a game against Baylor on Saturday in Columbia. Mo The Bearwon 40-32
BIG 12 FOOTBALL
Losing streak discourages Mizzou
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The shock of losing at home to Baylor, and the frustration of losing four of the last five games, is weighing on Missouri coach Gary Pinkel.
"It's just one big ball of frustration," Pinkel said. "It's not a great feeling. It's not fun losing and our fans have a better expectation level than what they're seeing."
After an impressive win over Colorado on Oct. 31, Missouri (5-4, 1-4 Big 12) was a 14-point favorite to beat Baylor. Instead, Missouri blew an 11-point halftime lead and lost 40-23.
For the Bears, it was just the third win in their last 55 Big 12 road games and the first in Columbia since 1972.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
"I was just shocked," senior line-backer Sean Weatherspoon said. "So shocked."
The loss knocked Missouri out of the running for its third straight Big 12 North title, a goal that both players and fans had considered achievable despite losing the first three conference games.
The hardest part of the schedule is over, with only games at Kansas State on Saturday, a home game against Iowa State and a game against rival Kansas in Kansas City remaining.
Now, the Tigers have to focus on winning at least one of the remaining games to become bowleligible.
"Obviously, the goal now is to finish out the season winning."
center Tim Barnes said. "We want to win every game that's left, and if we obtain that goal we can go to a good bowl game."
One issue Missouri has to work out is the second-half performance. In Big 12 play, Missouri has yet to score a second-half touchdown and has been outscored 80-11 after halftime.
"We can't let these things continue to happen," quarterback Blaine Gabbert said. "They've happened more than once this year and we have to come out with a renewed
focus to make sure they don't happen again."
Pinkel discounted the notion that he and his staff were not making the proper halftime adjustments.
"I've always said that if you're waiting until balftime to make adjustments, you're not a very good coach," Pinkel said. "We make adjustments all the time, after every series, so I've always said that I thought that was very, very overrated."
That doesn't mean he isn't
.
searching for answers.
"You can stop practice, you can say this is the second half or this is the fourth quarter," Pinkel said. "But obviously, we're not doing a good enough job."
As surprising as Missouri has been on the down side, the Wildcats have been one of the success stories of the Big 12 in Bill Snyder's return as coach.
Kansas State (6-4, 4-2) is in the hunt for the Big 12 North championship.
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