Volume 125 Issue 55
kansan.com
Thursday, November 29, 2012
COMMENTARY
Big 12 in good shape
Edited by Ryan McCarthy
If not, the already-slim margin for error for Kansas football just shrunk.
I wrote about four leads for this column so I would not sound like some Jason Whitlock ripoff, saying things just to get a rise out of people while laughing all the way to the (metaphorical, in my case) bank.
But with the storm of conference realignment swirling again and rumors spreading like a junior high lunchroom, it seemed like as good a time as any to say what I've been thinking as the Big 12's position in this chaos becomes more clear each day.
The Big 12 is in a pretty good spot. Once proud conferences like the Pac-12 and the Big Ten added teams like Utah and Rutgers. The SEC grabbed Missouri and Texas A&M — two schools that don't fit into its culture whatsoever — just to get to 14 teams. The Big East and ACC are just trying to survive. The Big 12 has 10 schools to split revenue with and its 13-year grant of rights ensures no team is leaving until 2024 to 2025 at the earliest.
These words may all be for naught. Conference and school officials could be actively pursuing 11th and 12th members to get the conference back to two divisions, giving Kansas a reasonable path to bowl games most years.
But if that stability equates to complacency, Kansas football is in trouble. Big trouble.
Because as good as Charlie Weis or any other coach could get the football program, playing a roundrobin schedule every year is a death sentence for momentum.
And that sounds great and all, but history tells us the Jayhawks rarely beat the best. They rarely beat the average, either.
This is usually where the die hard fans say something like, "If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best," or something like that.
Remember 2007? That never would have happened in the new Big 12. Kansas had one of its greatest teams in decades, and it wouldn't have sniffed an Orange Bowl with Oklahoma standing in its way.
With the grant of rights signed, Kansas is in a great spot compared to a year ago. Rumors about being relegated to the Big East or Mountain West seem foolish now when they seemed likely then. The conference is secure.
Since the formation of the Big 12 in 1996, Kansas has seven victories against conference teams in the old Big 12 south: Texas, Texas Tech, Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. But with the way the old Big 12 was set up with north and south divisions, that was OK. Teams like Kansas, Kansas State and Missouri could survive with a good game plan: play easy non-conference games, beat the teams you're supposed to beat, get lucky with conference scheduling and go to a bowl.
But it might be too secure.
That's no longer possible.
KANSAS CITY, HERE THEY COME
RELEFORD'S RETURN
With his third game of the season in his hometown, senior guard hopes for solid last game
ETHAN PADWAY
epadway@kansan.com
Travis Releford's forearms are a canvas. Wrapped around them in ink are the fountains, buildings and landmarks that dot the landscape of his home: Kansas City.Mo.
Wherever his travels have taken him in his five years as a member of the Kansas basketball team, from Maui to New York City, the senior guard can look down and for a moment, he's home.
"I always want to represent where I'm from," Releford said. "It always reminds me of where I'm from."
Releford returns to his home for the third game this season when the Jayhawks play Oregon State at the Sprint Center on Friday.
In his last trip, he created more fond memories of the place. His play sparked Kansas to the championship in the CBE classic, and he was named the most valuable player in the tournament along the wav.
In addition, Releford's scoring outburst, where he's averaging 17.7 points over the past three games, has helped open up senior center Jeff Withey down low, helping the center to a 25-point outing in the championship game and a triple-double in their first game after the tournament last Monday.
"Just from excitement of being able to play back home and my family and friends supporting me, it was a great feeling," Releford said. "I think that had an impact on why I played so good."
"My teammates are finding me and getting me open lots of
the times. It's not me making the moves; it's them finding me and easy buckets for me," Withey said.
But outside of Releford's twogame performance when he brought the Sprint Center to its feet with his play, the Jayhawks have had difficulty consistently creating offense.
Part of the lahaywks' issues on offense stem from the guards inability to penetrate the paint and draw fouls, getting them to the free-throw line.
The teams three starting guards, Releford, senior Elijah Johnson and freshman Ben McLemore, are averaging just over eight trips to the free-throw line combined per game — far too few for Kansas coach Bill Self's liking.
"That to me is probably as telling of a stat to me as why we've been pretty inconsistent," Self said.
Attacking the paint will be important, as Oregon State is one of only a handful of teams that can roll out a lineup featuring multiple players that stand at least 6-foot-10.
Kansas can attack the paint and get to the free-throw line by forcing the Beavers' big men to foul, both by getting them off the court and onto the bench in foul trouble and by forcing the defense to collapse, opening up shots for easy Jayhawk baskets.
"We watched film yesterday, and it's shown us a lot of things that are correctable and showing us ways that we can put ourselves in position so we can get to the line." Releford said.
Edited by Ryan McCarthy
SOUL EIGH LEE/KANSAN
Senior guard Travis Releford dunks the ball against South East Missouri State in Allen Fieldhouse, where the Jayhawks won 74-55. Releford had nine points during the game.
FOOTBALL
Slowing Austin will be vital Saturday
Senior safety Bradley McDougald motions for the Kansas fans to make some noise as the football team makes its way into the Sunflower Showdown earlier this year.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
FARZIN VOUSOUGHIAN
fvousoughian@kansan.com
Although West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith has snagged all of the attention this season, he couldn't have earned it without the help of wide receiver Tavon Austin. Austin is a triple-threat player who has troubled many defenses this season.
Kansas knows that defensively this is the player Smith will throw and hand the ball off to this Saturday. Austin's speed and elusiveness has helped him succeed this season. Kansas coach Charlie Weis said Austin ranks high among players Kansas has faced this season.
"Most small guys are quicker than they are fast, and what you have to worry about more is them as slot receivers, them having that wiggle and not being to tackle them," Weis said. "Not only is he quick, but he is just blazing fast too."
Austin became a household name after his performance against Oklahoma two weeks ago. Despite a onepoint loss for West Virginia, Austin caught four passes for 82 yards. The most impressive part of the game was Austin getting 21 carries and lighting up the Sooners for 344 yards on the ground.
"If he can make Oklahoma's defense look silly running the ball, then that is a scary proposition," Weis said. "So he runs with toughness, he runs with power and
somebody forgot to tell him he weighs 170, because that is not the way he plays."
Out of eight conference games, Austin leads the Big 12 for all-purpose yards with 2.040 after handling duties on offense and special teams. He amassed 1,670 yards this season
on offense alone.
Kansas defensive coordinator Dave Campo said Austin is similar to Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson. Campo coached the Dallas Cowboys secondary unit and had to prepare his players for Jackson twice per season.
Campo finds himself in a similar position as he's arranged a game plan against Austin.
"That guy is scary," Campo said. "He's not only quick, but he's fast. This guy can do it. When he touches that ball, there will be a lot of people holding their breath."
Bradley McDougald admitted that this is one of the more explosive teams he's gone up against and he credited Austin for that offense. Even though McDougald and his teammates in the secondary have to keep a close eye on him, the entire defense has to follow suit because of Austin's versatility.
The toughest part for Kansas is that the defense has to be prepared for Austin to get the ball at any time.
"We've got our work cut out for us," McDougald said. "Not just the defensive backs, but the linebackers and the defensive line because he will go back into a running back. He definitely has made his point."
It's no secret that West Virginia offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen will use Austin a lot in Saturday's match. He's averaged 23 touches for 300 yards offensively in the last two games against Oklahoma and Iowa State.
Smith's success as quarterback can carry over against Kansas by taking advantage of his supporting cast. And for Smith, Austin is his top go-to guy.
"He is just a dynamic player," Weis said. "You can throw his size right out the window, because at running back he is as good as I have seen there. At wide receiver he is good there."
Edited by Lauren Shelly
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