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Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Basketball injury update
A look at the injuries affecting the men's team. BASKETBALL 16A
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10,2009
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MAINTAINING MOMENTUM
PAGE 10A
Kansas hopes to apply early lessons
Taylor, Jayhawks work out kinks before Pitt State
BY COREY THIBODEAUX
cthibodeaux@kansan.com
For sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor to be the leader the Jayhawks envisioned, he needs to keep last week's momentum going into tonight's game against' Pittsburg State.
Taylor was not in the starting lineup during the 107-68 victory against Fort Hays State because he spent much of practice in Kansas coach Bill Self's doghouse.
"I've been going through a little bit on the court with Coach," Taylor said. "I haven't been doing what I'm supposed to be doing."
In the first preseason game, Taylor played 21 minutes, scored 15 points on 4-for-7 shooting and added four steals and a couple of dazzling assists.
Taylor started in 33 out of 35 games his freshman year and, after his showing in the Under-19 Tournament this summer, was expected to play a major role for the Jayhawks. Instead, he came off the bench in the first game of his sophomore season.
"I just keep making the same mistakes," Taylor said. "I don't purposefully do it; it's just how I play. I'll be all right."
Self said Taylor would most likely start Tuesday when the Jayhawks play host to Pittsburg State for the second and final exhibition game. Overall, Self said he was not worried about his young star's troubles.
"Tyshawn will be fine," Self said.
"He just goes through periods with me where he's careless. I'd rather him get it out of his system now."
Self said he hadn't studied the schedule that closely, but said he learned enough in the first exhibition game to know what to work on for the team's next game.
"We didn't trap in the post," he said. "We need to work on more in-game situations."
Self said one of the main goals this season was to get junior center Cole Aldrich more touches.
SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE 6A
KANSAS VS.
PITTSBURG STATE
WHEN: 7 p.m.
WHERE: Allen Fieldhouse
WATCH: Jayhawk TV
LISTEN: KLWN 1320 AM
Sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor drives to the basket for a layup against Fort Hays State Nov. 3. Tavlor and the lavhawks face Pittsburg State tonight at Allen Fieldhouse
Weston White/KANSAN
No one factor to blame for recent Jayhawk losses
FOOTBALL
BY JAYSON JENKS
jjenks@kansan.com
COMMENTARY
The layhawks slowly filtered out of the locker room at Bill Snyder Family Stadium, and remained rather quiet. They grabbed a box of food and headed toward the buses to return to Lawrence after a 17-10 loss to Kansas State.
It marked Kansas' fourth consecutive loss, and it certainly wasn't a feeling many predicted the Jayhawks would have experienced before the season started.
"We couldn't get the ball in the end zone," senior quarterback Todd Reeing said, "and turnovers killed us again."
Saturday's loss to Kansas State was summarized rather simply.
No individual aspect has led to each of Kansas' four losses this season. Instead, they have been characterized by a variety of factors. With that in mind, The Kansan breaks down Kansas' biggest problems during its four-game losing streak.
At the beginning of the season Kansas' offense was supposed to pick up the slack for a questionable defensive unit. And early in the season — remember Iowa State? — that appeared to be the case.
But that trend has completely flipped in the last four games. The defense has played well enough to give the Jayhawks a chance to win,
OFFENSE, DEFENSE NOT ON SAME PAGE
"Defensive effort probably would have been good enough to win the game," coach Mark Mangino said. "Our offense, we moved the ball up and down the field but we could rarely punch it into the end zone. That was a problem for us."
That's a recipe for losing close football games.
but the offense has struggled to hold up its end of the bargain.
Reeing has played a large role in the Kansas football program over his four seasons at the University. He was a big reason why the
REESING'S UNCHAERISTIC PLAY
Weston White/KANSAN
Senior quarterback Todd Reesing sits on the ground after a seven yard rush that resulted in his second fumble against Kansas State. Reesing now has 10 turnovers in his last four games picking up three Saturday.
SEEFOOTBALL ON PAGE 6A
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Scouts keeping tabs on Stuckey
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receiver Brandon Banks rounded the corner on a double-reverse play Saturday, eyes downfield seeing two blockers and only an open field between him and six points. Somehow, 15 yards into the run, senior safety Darrell Stuckey split two Kansas State blockers with his arm and spun the racing Banks off of his course and out of bounds.
Stuckey's strong arm in this play was possibly the only one seen in the game at Kansas State. And now, with the 2009 season winding down, many are looking at Stuckey's talents and judging whether he will make an impression in the NFL.
Speedy Kansas State wide receiver Brandon Banks
Stuckey has many qualities NFL scouts look for. His six-foot, one-inch frame and 205 lbs. are average for strong safeties in the NFL. Scouts think his reach is long enough to break up passes without interference calls and is quick enough to recover if he makes a false step defending a receiver, according to www.nfldraftscout.com. As Kansas fans have seen countless times, when an opposing player breaks through the second level of the Kansas defense, Stuckey has been able to chase the runner down with relative ease.
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One of the most memorable of these moments came against Missouri in Arrowhead Stadium when Stuckey chased down Chase Daniel like a hound on a hare in the 2008 Border War and tomahawked the football out of Daniel's arm.
Then again, the NFL is mostly concerned with football, and Stuckey delivers on that angle as well. He is a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award this year for his efforts on the field. Given to the best defensive back in the country, the Jim Thorpe Award would be an immense draft booster for Stuckey, who is already listed as the number one strong safety in the 2010 draft by www.nfldraftscout.com.
As of now, Stuckey is projected to be an early pick in the second round. Although some have doubted his ability to contribute to the NFL because of his size, Stuckey continues to make strides to improve his personal game. Scouts for www.nefldraftscout.com say that Stuckey needs to improve his tackling technique. This can happen here at Kansas in the last few games if Stuckey stays down to earth, unlike the rest of the defense, which, for some reason, already has its head in the clouds.
Yet, Stuckey has done more with his college career than prepare for the NFL. Stuckey is involved in the KU Student Senate and has been named to the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which recognizes 11 student athletes for their important contributions off the field. His roles working with youth groups, and working with the Special Olympics and Habitat for Humanity has really projected Stuckey into one of the nation's elite student athletes.
The intangibles that come with Darrell Stuckey are what add to his draft stock. Scouts see great leadership abilities in him, as well as a professional mindset lacking in many NFL players today.
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Follow Nicolas Roesler at twitter.com/nroesler8.
Edited by Jonathan Hermes