Volume 125 Issue 57
Tuesday, December 4, 2012
kansan.com
COMMENTARY
I believe that when Weis opened up the Jayhawks' game against West Virginia by rotting out senior Dayne Crist at quarterback, he showed he might not have what it takes to turn the Kansas program around.
If you're a coach, your responsibility is to put your team in the best situation to win the game; against West Virginia, Weis didn't do that. When facing a fast-paced offense, you don't want to get in a shootout, especially when your quarterbacks haven't thrown a touchdown to a wide receiver all season.
So why did Weis think it would be any different this time around?
But I do watch a lot of football.
Weis hasn't shown he's got the chops
I am not a football coach, nor have I spent extensive time with legends Bill Parcels or Bill Belichick like Kansas coach Charlie Weis has.
Weis showed that he is not the new, humbled coach he presented himself as in his introductory press conference. Instead, he is just as stubborn as ever, and may not be the solution to the Jayhawks football woes.
The best way to shut them down and take away their momentum is to rely heavily on the ground game, milking the clock and keeping your opponent's high-octane offense on the sidelines.
Yes, the team has improved from last year, being competitive at times, but it was a joke how many times this season Weis returned to playing the proven bust known as Crist in games when he underwhelmed whenever he stepped foot on the field.
Instead, Weis stuck with Crist as his offensive 'wrinkle' and after two drives, the game was all but over.
Weis can talk about recruiting—which is important—all he wants, but at the end of the day, he'll never win at Kansas on talent alone, the victories will only come if he's finally able to out-coach his opponent.
Maybe Kansas gets its first conference win since 2010.
— Edited by Whitney Bolden
If Kansas comes out on its first possession and rips off an extended scoring drive, taking time off the clock, it's a whole different ball game.
Kansas has the pieces to do this. Between running backs James Sims, Tony Pierson, Taylor Cox and Brandon Bourbon there's no reason to try to keep pace with the Mountaineers through the air.
Not only did the Jayhaws have a whole two weeks to install a unique offense, but West Virginia would've spent their week preparing for the wrong offense, leaving them scrambling to make adjustments.
If Weis truly wanted to be 'revolutionary' or original, he could change up his attack and used a different ground approach—the triple-option.
Not the spread-option or 'read' option that has overtaken college football recently, but the good ole' triple-option with the quarterback under center where everyone knows you're going to run the ball, they just don't know who will be carrying it.
It relies on deception to move the ball forward on the ground and employs multiple runningbacks on the field at the same time. It isn't a viable long-term solution in the current college football climate, but for one game it could've taken West Virginia by surprise.
When the defense is guarding the edge, Cox takes the ball up the middle. When they squeeze in, the quarterback, preferably Christian Mathews or the forgotten about Kale Pick—an effective runner out of the quarterback position as a freshman—takes it outside and options the end by pitching it to either Sims or Pierson.
Cox would've been perfect as the dive back and the prospect of Sims and Pierson sharing a backfield would make any football fan salivate.
RISE AND FIRE
SHARP SHOOTER
Andrew White III looks to offensive stars before him for inspiration
ETHAN PADWAY
epadway@kansan.com
As a shooter, freshman guard Andrew White III has spent numerous hours studying the great NBA shooters and trying to mold his games after the best parts of his game.
From his favorite player, Miami Heat guard Ray Allen, White likes how quickly he gets his feet set before a shot. With Dirk Nowitzki, White appreciates his high followthrough.
Because of his father, White also grew up studying former Indiana Pacer guard Reggie Miller.
"Reggie was just a cold killer," White said before the Jayhawks game against Oregon State. "Out of Reggie Miller, I think his mentality, his cockiness, I think that was the best part about him. He knew he was the best shooter in the world at that time and I think that's a lot of what made him such a good player."
And then there's five-time NBA champion Kobe Bryant, who White says most young players look up to. He said he admires how Kobe knows how to create separation with his body and his shoulder movement.
"That's something that I always look to do better," White said.
White first made a name for himself as a shooter in a Kansas uniform when the team traveled to Europe over the summer to play four exhibition games.
In Europe, White led the team in scoring by averaging 11 points per game and knocking down eight of his 18 3-point attempts on the trip.
The Richmond, Va. native realized he had a gift for shooting towards the end of middle school. Rather than move outside to start putting up as many 3-point attempts as he could, he stayed within 15 feet of the basket and waited until he was older and stronger to start shooting threes.
"I actually didn't shoot a 3-pointer until my 11th grade
year," White said. "I think that paid off in the long run because I was always trying to perfect the mid-range game."
White had a breakout game last Friday against Oregon State. And more important to his development as an all-around player and as a contributor to the Jayhawks, he did it not just with scoring, but by pulling down six rebounds in 13 minutes of play.
"He turned it over a couple of times, but at least he got in there and fought," Self said in his postgame
leading
rebound-
er from a
big guard
spot, you
know he's
not nervous
to get his nose
dirty"
Through the first seven games of the season, White is averaging only 6.2 minutes per game, so he knows he has to take full opportunity of every chance he gets on the court.
"I know defense is something you have to do to stay on the court," White said. "So when I'm out there for that minute or two, I'm trying to keep my head on a swivel, trying to move quickly, and concentrate on what I do best, which is shooting the ball."
Coming off the bench also means that White won't have many opportunities to get out of cold streaks, and he must capitalize on every 3-point attempt he gets.
To avoid cold streaks, he gets into the gym to put up shots whenever he can.
"I don't have the gift of just keep shooting myself into a hot streak," White said. "I just get into the gym on my own a lot, I just enjoy putting up shots on my own, that's what keeps me confident."
Edited by Luke Ranker
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
Freshman guard Andrew White III spins down the court toward the Kansas basket in the second half of the Nov. 19 game against Washington State. Kansas won 78-41.
4
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Jayhawks earn new ranking at No.17
NATHAN FORDYCE
nfordwce@kansan.com
After seven straight victories, coach Bonnie Henrickson and the women's basketball team find themselves ranked No.17 in the Associated Press Top-25 coaches poll. This is the highest ranking since Dec. 6, 1999 when they were ranked No.14 in the nation.
After a victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Sunday, the Kansas Jayhawks find themselves at 7-0 for the third straight season.
Kansas is one of 19 unbeaten teams in Division I basketball. Of those 19, five are from the Big 12: No. 3 Baylor, No. 12 Texas, No. 16 Oklahoma State, No. 22 Iowa State and Kansas.
Kansas' defense has been key—they have to allow a team to score over 60 points. Jayhawk opponents have averaged just over 51 points per game while
shooting 34.8 percent from the field.
The Jayhawks' start has been fueled by seniors forward Carolyn Davis and guard Angel Goodrich. The duo is averaging a combined 27.3 points per game.
The Kansas bench has also contributed to the team's early success. In particular sophomore forward Chelsea Gardner. She found her shot during the past week in Jayhawk victories over Grambling State and Minnesota scoring 26 and 14 points in the respective games.
The Jayhawks face another test Thursday as the team travels to Fayetteville, Ark., to face the Arkansas Razorbacks. The Razorbacks are 7-1 on the year, Rheir sole loss was to No. 13 Oklahoma on Nov. 23.
Edited by Hannah Wise
TYLER ROSTE/KANSAN
Senior forward Carolyn Davis looks to attack the rim. Davis had six points in the Jayhawks victory Wednesday night winning with a final score of 101-47.
1