kansan.com
Volume 125 Issue 33
Wednesday. October 17, 2012
COMMENTARY
Volleyball vaulting to the top
QUARTERBACK COMPETITION
The biggest sporting event for the University of Kansas this week is not taking place in Oklahoma on Saturday. And no, there is nothing going on at Allen Fieldhouse that requires your immediate attention either.
This week, today in particular, is about the 17-3 Kansas volleyball team — a team currently on pace to have its best record since the 25-10 team in 1991.
So on Thursday when you pick up the paper or glance at your Twitter feed and you see something on Kansas volleyball, it's worth taking a second glance to find out exactly what happened on Wednesday night.
Yes, this game is big. So big that it sold out and did so rather quickly for a Kansas volleyball match. Expect a raucous environment full of more than just KU fans. There will be plenty of purple in the house, too.
You know, 1991, when the Associated Press voted Colorado the national Champions in football, Michael Jordan won his first NBA Championship and "Seinfeld" made its television debut. To put it more plainly, it's been a long, long time since Kansas volleyball has been this good.
After all, you might not see this again for another 21 years.
And today provides what should be an all-out spectacle of a volleyball match in the Horejsi Family Athletics Center. For the first time in history, both Kansas (21) and Kansas State (14) will be playing each other when both teams are ranked.
Edited by Allison Kohn
A lot of these players haven't ever experienced a victory over Kansas State. They also haven't experienced a winning season like this before. A win could help catapult Kansas on its way to historic success.
It's also a priority of Zenger's to beat Kansas State — in everything.
Kansas hasn't beaten Kansas State on the volleyball court since 2009, when the Jayhawks swept the series, which is what could make this game so potentially sweet for Kansas.
Tonight's game has the potential to be the most important game in a long time for Jayhawks volleyball. For the past seven seasons, Kansas coach Ray Bechard and the Jayhawks have hovered right around .500 for the season. This year is their chance to break that mold. This year is their chance to change Kansas volleyball.
However, a loss to Kansas State combined with a looming Big 12 schedule could spiral the Jayhawks into another season finish with a mediocre record at best.
There is little doubt that Bechard hasn't felt at least a little heat from Athletics Director Sheahon Zenger for the team's consistently mediocre performance. One of Zenger's priorities is fixing the non-revenue sports in which Kansas has been underpreforming.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
STARTER UNANNOUNCED
Senior quarterback Davne Crist decides to run the ball before getting tackled during Saturday, Oct. 13 game against Oklahoma State University at Memorial Stadium where the Jayhawks lost 14-20.
Crist, Cummings to both play in Saturday's game vs. Oklahoma
FARZIN VOUSOUGHIAN
fvousoughian@kansan.com
Kansas coach Charlie Weis announced yesterday that quarterbacks Dayne Crist and Michael Cummings will both play in Saturday's game against the Sooners in Norman, Okla. Weis made the decision after Crist struggled to get Kansas on the scoreboard last week against Oklahoma State.
With 4:20 remaining in the third quarter against Oklahoma State, Weis pulled Crist and sent Cummings, a freshman, to finish the game. Crist finished with 10 of 22 completed passes for 146 yards while the Jayhawks went scoreless for three quarters.
Crist completed 49 percent of his throws and three touchdowns and seven interceptions in six games this season.
When Cummings went in as the quarterback, Kansas scored 14 points and almost came back to defeat Oklahoma State. Despite not being able to clench a win, Cummings did enough to catch Weis' eye.
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"I think Michael deserves an opportunity to play based off his recent performance." Weis said.
In the limited action Cummings received, he completed five passes and threw a 21-yard touchdown pass to tight end Jimmy Mundine. This gave the Jayhawks momentum on both sides of the ball. The defense caused a three-and-out and the offense scored on its next drive.
But during the final offensive play for Kansas, Cummings overthrew to running back Brandon Bourbon while he had other opportunities available on that play.
"I think there are a couple of things that experience would help him with," Weis said. "The last play, we were in it on offense. I've got guys open all over the place. We have an opportunity to win the game on that play right there."
Even though Cummings could not convert on the fourth-and-five play with under three minutes to go in the game, Weis said Cummings' learning curve will allow him to make better decisions next time he finds himself in that position.
To avoid distractions. Weis said
Weis is splitting the reps between Crist and Cummings in practice this week. Weis said that during the practice periods the team runs, Crist will be the primary quarterback one period and Cummings will do the same in the other.
Crist and Cummings will be unavailable to the media. Weis did not announce who the starter will be and may not decide that until closer to game time.
Kansas quarterbacks coach Ron Powlus said he is pleased with how the quarterbacks on the team have shown their knowledge of the playbook. Powlus said that in the end, it is about executing the plays in the playbook. He is confident that Crist and Cummings will both be prepared.
"You prepare like you're going to play." Powlus said. "Both guys always have to have the mind set that they are going to play in the game and that they are going to play significant roles every single week."
The players on the team felt the same way. Regardless of who starts, everyone will be ready to take the
field at Oklahoma.
"Whoever is making plays, if doesn't matter," tight end Mike Ragone said.
"We all have the same goal in mind. That is to go to Oklahoma and win."
INJURY NOTES
- Weis said running back Tony Pierson looks significantly better, but is not sure if he will play Saturday.
- Wide receiver DJ. Beshears has a slight fracture in his shoulder. Weis said he will be gone for an extended period of time.
- Wide receiver Daymond Paterson is going through concussion symptoms and is questionable for Saturday.
- Ron Doherty will return and punt. He will also be the backup kicker this Saturday.
Edited by Allison Kohn
BASKETBALL
Freshmen have big shoes to fill, need to be more vocal
Freshman forward Perry Ellis looks for an open teammate to pass the ball to during Late Night in the Phog last Friday in Allen Fieldhouse.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
epadway@kansan.com
In fact, the bigger issue will be making this year's freshmen, a quieter bunch, into more vocal and aggressive players on the court.
There won't be any issues with players and their twitter accounts on this year's Kansas basketball team.
One of the biggest offenders is freshman Perry Ellis.
"If he had his druthers, he could go through a whole day without speaking a word." Self said. "He's that quiet."
Recently, coach Bill Self began working on remedying this situation. With Ellis confined to the bicycle for a practice due to a minor injury, Self made the entire team run whenever Ellis stopped talking.
With Kansas only returning four players that averaged double-digit minutes last season, the young players such as Ellis, the most heralded recruit from the Jayhawks 2012 class, and Ben McLemore, who sat out 2011 due to ineligibility, are new players expected to play a major role this season.
"Every year we have a different group that leaves and a different
group comes in," said senior guard Travis Releford. "With this crowd, a bunch of them are real quiet, but it's early and that can change as we get on with the season."
Self and the senior leaders want the newcomers to become more aggressive as early in the season as possible because of the importance those attributes play when the guanlet known as the Big 12 schedule rolls around in January.
That message is already reaching the freshmen. Ellis said the seniors are working on teaching them to become "mentally strong."
Mental strength is important because at Kansas the players' every move and every mistake on the court will be intensely scrutinized under the spotlight that shines on Kansas basketball.
Some of the freshmen are already working on conveying that attitude.
White had far from the greatest shooting night of his life at the Late Night in the Phog scrimimage,
"I like to be thought of as one of those young guys that has the mental toughness of an older player," said freshman guard Andrew White III. "So that was my motivation to get through boot camp and I think I did well with it."
making just one of his five field goal attempts. But that didn't affect him from continuing to try and make an impact.
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It's not easy for a freshman to start at Kansas. Even great players such as Julian Wright, who entered Kansas named the preseason Big 12 freshman of the year, started the season coming off the bench. Thomas Robinson, last year's Big 12 Player of the Year, didn't break the starting lineup until his junior season.
"I do think they expect to come in and play," Self said of the freshmen. "But I think the one thing that is water in the face, so to speak, is that it is harder than what it looks."
When the Jayhawks tip off against perennial contender Michigan State in their second game of the season, the freshmen will have their mental toughness tested early in the season.
"We won't have any depth if we don't count on our freshmen," Self said. "So we need those guys to have a confident attitude."
Edited by Brian Sisk