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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2013
MEN'S BASKETBALL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Johnson, Tharpe accept guard roles
BLAKE SCHUSTER
bschuster@kansan.com
However you choose to classify it, there's an issue with the Jayhawks point guard situation.
In the last four games, backup sophomore guard Naadir Tharpe has shot 37 percent, averaging 8.25 points and four assists with no more than two turnovers per contest. In that same span starter Elijah Johnson is shooting 22.6 percent, averaging 7.75 points and one turnover per assist.
Kansas coach Bill Self has repeatedly said that he will ride his senior starter, regardless of his recently poor stat line. It's a decision that's been magnified with the emergence of Tharpe, but it's also a similar
circumstance to one Self has dealt with in the past.
"Whatver's comfortable out there, I'm all right with it. Whatever we've got to do to win, I'm down for it."
And Self's choice led to success.
And Sein's choice led to success. During the Jayhawks march to the NCAA championship in 2008, senior Russell Robinson and junior Mario Chalmers were starters, but Sherron Collins had the ability to create offense more easily than Robinson.
Still, Self wouldn't bench his senior and in turn Collins played most of his minutes off the bench.
There's no questioning that Tharpe is better at creating offense than Johnson. Even Self has admitted this, but like Collins in 2008. Tharpe needs to work with less playing time.
Against Kansas State, Tharpe proved he could do just that.
"Naadir played great," Self said. "That's the best half of basketball he's played since he's been here. He's one of our key performers."
Johnson has graded himself this season on his ability to get the ball to Ben McLemore. Using that criteria, you'd have to think Tharpe set a
The sophomore assisted on nine of McLemore's first half points and played with more control than he has in recent games, evidenced by his single turnover against the Wildcats.
new curve on Monday night.
"Coach has been getting on us about being fast a lot." Tharpe said. "We were just out there playing together and the game was flowing."
Yet Self has been judging Johnson on wins and losses. Given that Johnson has 20 wins and only four losses, it's not a surprise that he
keeps going to his veteran.
ELIJAH JOHNSON senior guard
That leaves Johnson in an interesting spot. It's widely known that he's not a natural point guard — after the loss to Oklahoma State Self said this team has no no.
guard — but his decision-making is invaluable.
Moving over to shooting guard, or two-guard, when Tharpe enters is Johnson's best option to stay productive.
Of course that doesn't bother
johnson at all.
"A lot of people make it seem as if I'm out of the game," Johnson said after defeating Kansas State. "I can go to the two. Whatever's comfortable out there I'm all right with it. Whatever we've got to do to win, I'm down for it."
In the end, Johnson's willingness to compromise may be the key to Kansas' offense. As often goes with point guards, sometimes it's about the plays you choose not to make.
"I love my teammates," Johnson said. "They're coming to me and telling me it's all right, it's cool we're still with you whether the fans turn or not. We know on the court stuff is not happening when you're not in the game."
Edited by Dylan Lysen
Senior guard Elijah Johnson tries to get the ball above his opponent's head during Monday's game against Kansas State in Allen Fieldhouse where Kansas won 83-62.
Johnson scored five points.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
Coach Price moves Eldredge to catcher
FARZIN VOUSOUGHIAN
fvousoughian@kansan.com
In his first two years with the Kansas baseball team, junior Ka'iana Eidredge impressed his coaches and teammates on the field with his defense. Kansas coach Ritch Price likes what he's seen from Eldredge and decided to switch him to a new position.
Eldredge will be the team's top catcher after he started 43 games at second base last season.
BASEBALI
"I think the first thing that is going to jump out at you when you see him play is he not your standard big-body catcher," Price said. "He's a little more in the [Craig] Biggio body type, who obviously had a fabulous career with the Astros."
Eldredge fills the spot previously owned by James Stanfield, who played his final season with the Jayhawks last year.
and he's got really good hands." Price said. "I've been fortunate enough to one catcher in my career that played in the big leagues and three others that have made it to triple-A and he throws better than anybody I have ever coached."
"The transition has been more complex because I'm a full time catcher now and there's a lot more things to catching than I thought there were," Eldredge said. "During my senior year, I thought it was just about catching 85 mph fastballs. But when you come to the collegiate level, especially in the Big 12, it's a lot different."
Although he's making the shift from second base to behind home plate, Eldredge has experience as a catcher that
Price said that he needs to see development in his receiving skills and knows that he's going to throw the ball a lot because of his tremendous release. As Eldredge continues to receive more reps as a catcher, Price praised him for his throwing ability and has high expectations out of him this season.
Eldredge will make his debut as catcher this Friday when Kansas visits Nevada for the season opener in Mesa, Ariz. He will receive pitches from junior pitcher Frank Duncan, who looks forward to working with Eldredge and has high hopes for him in his new role.
"I've never seen anybody throw the ball the way he does behind the plate," Duncan said. "He's improved so much on his receiving skills that I don't have any worries about that anymore. He's a great guy to throw to and he's definitely going to throw a lot of guys out this year."
During offseason practices, Eldredge worked on making the adjustment and learning new skills to be successful this season as the team's catcher.
Edited by Dylan Lysen
goes back to his playing days in high school for Punahou High School in Honolulu and for Cedar High School in Cedar, Utah.
"He's a good runner, he's athletic