Volume 125 Issue 32
kansan.com
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
COMMENTARY Family Over Everything
For Bill Self, the most important part of his son, Tyler, on the Kansas basketball team isn't his talent. Tyler only averaged 3.9 points per game last season at Lawrence Free State High School, and given Bill's knack for recruiting, there will always be more talented guards ahead of Tyler on the roster.
But as a father-son combo for the next four years, Self can make up for all the times during Tyler's childhood where he had to put work ahead of his son's activities.
"The thing that I'm most excited about is I get a chance to see him everyday." Self said. "I think so many times we take things like that for granted and here he is almost grown, he's in college, and I feel like I've cheated myself and him many opportunities to spend time together because we're busy doing our job."
It's no secret that the layhawks pride themselves on being more of a family than a basketball team. The program adopted the mantra Family Over Everything (FOE) two years ago during the Morris twins' final season in Lawrence. The slogan took on an even deeper meaning following the death of Thomas Robinson's grandparents and mother two seasons ago.
This season, Family Over Everything applies to actual family. And yes, it is likely that many Division I coaches, not just Self, would invite their son to play for them if roster space permitted.
But when Self spoke about his son during the team's media day on Oct. 11, it was evident he doesn't care if Tyler averaged 20 points a game or zero. What he does care about is that every day will be Take Your Child to Work Day.
"Now I get a chance to do my job and spend time with him," Self said. "That's probably gotten me about as excited to coach this team as anything. And got my batteries charged because I get to hang out with my son."
Maybe Self has seen potential recruits play more times than he saw his son play in high school. Maybe Self's team was on a road trip when Tyler missed curfew, leaving Tyler to face his mother's wrath. Maybe Tyler never missed curfew at all.
Whatever father-son moments Bill missed out on as Tyler grew up, they'll now get to experience a father-son relationship that few get to have.
But Self won't be the only coach with a son on the team. Norm Roberts is back at Self's side for the first time since the 2003-2004 season after serving as St. John's head coach for six seasons, and then as an assistant at Florida. Roberts will be reuited with his son, Niko, a junior guard on the basketball队。
—Edited by Andrew Ruszczyk
Don't forget Evan Manning, the son of former assistant coach Danny Manning, who left an imprint at Kansas as a player and assistant coach. Although Danny is now the head coach at Tulsa, Evan at least gets to continue his father's legacy, although Evan isn't expected to get much playing time either.
FOOTBALL
QUARTERBACK BATTLE
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
Coach Weis holds off choosing a starting quarterback in the early stages of planning
Coach Charlie Weis running drills before the game against Kansas State Wildcats Saturday afternoon Oct. 6 at Bill Snvder Familv Stadium. Kansas fell to Kansas State 16-56.
BLAKE SCHUSTER
bschuster@kansan.com
If you're holding your breath to see who will start at quarterback for Kansas against Oklahoma on Saturday, grab another sense of air
On Monday morning's teleconference, coach Charlie Weis held off the decision for a while longer, saying that he needed to study both Dayne Crist and Michael Cummings further before giving an update at his weekly press conference on Tuesday.
"What I need to do, as we're
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Michael Cummings entered Kansas' 20-14 loss to Oklahoma State late in the third quarter and commanded two scoring drives for the Jayhawks as they attempted a last minute comeback.
While it may have been Cummings who sparked the comeback, it was running back James Sims that led it.
early in the game planning stages for Oklahoma, is see exactly what puts us in the best chance of winning" Weis said. "Once we've gotten all the information I'll go ahead and say who that is."
the jayhawks had won the fourth quarter. And for Weis and his team, it was one giant step in a positive direction.
"He runs tough, he gets the edge, he picks up the blitz and he helps us in the passing game. In the fourth quarter when the game was on the line and we kept feeding it to him, the team really rallied around how tough he was running," Weis said.
Weis said that despite his disappointment over the loss, he was proud of how the team fought.
"It wasn't like we were waiting for something bad to happen, we were trying to make something good happen," he said.
Texas, the layhawks will need every advantage they can get.
Kansas will now enter the practice week with a legitimate quarterback battle and momentum to build from. Against a No. 10 ranked Sooners team that beat
It was the first time all season
Weis said that since Sims has returned, he's been a work horse for the team.
"They are well coached, have good players and are physical," Weis said of Oklahoma. "That's the game they play, they don't try to beat you by trickery and deceit, they just line up and try to smash you in the mouth. It's kind of old-fashioned defense and they are really good at it."
Edited by Luke Ranker
FOOTBALL
Sims rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter providing large assistance to inexperienced Cummings.
Sooners prepare with consistency
NATHAN FORDYCE
nfordyce@kansan.com
Bob Stoops isn't looking ahead to the Sooners next big showdown against No. 5 Notre Dame. Instead, he wants to focus on beating the Jayhawks this weekend.
"We prepare the same every single week," Stoops said during the Big 12 teleconference on Monday. "There will one name up on the board for who we are preparing for this week and that will be Kansas. It's all we're thinking about and it's never been any different."
Stoops said the Sooners are looking to stop everything the jayhawks do, whether that's running or passing.
The Sooners allow just 17 points per game, ranking 20th in the nation.
SOONERS' DEFENSE
"If you really pay attention, three of our touchdowns have been given up by our reserves," Stoops said. "We have our two and threes giving up three touchdowns in the last two weeks, where the starting defense has only given up one."
Stoops said he is very pleased with how his defense has played thus far, especially the starters.
Oklaahoma coach Bob Stoops answers a question during an NCAA football news conference in Norman, Oka. Having moved on from the first loss of this season, No. 13 Oklahoma faced a pivotal Red River Rivalry showdown Saturday against No. 15 Texas as both teams tried for the title title.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
During the teleconference, Kansas coach Charlie Weis raved
about the Sooners' defense. He said they just play and don't try to trick anybody.
"Mike believes in being disciplined and very technique-oriented and being physical," Stoops said. "I think it's always true in our belief that you don't play great defense by trying to trick people or trying to blitz.
"But we pick our times when we do change it up and blitz, but we're counting on our technique and fundamentals and playing good solid defense to win for us. Not trying to fool somebody and run a particular blitz, just to try to stop somebody."
Stoops said that bringing in his brother Mike has had a lot to do with that.
The Sooners' defense ranks 14th in the nation in total yards allowed. Stoops said it wasn't surprising that they are playing well.
"I think it's been maybe a surprise to everyone, not us, but how well our front four are playing." Stoops said. "I thought at the beginning of the year, they'd be a strong group for us and now people are seeing more and more that they are a really good unit."
IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO SCORES
Senior quarterback Landry Jones was taken out several times
during the last five games when he was near the redzone to allow backup quarterback sophomore Blake Bell to have some touches.
But Stoops said this doesn't bother Jones or anyone else who is replaced near the redzone.
"They've all handed it well because it doesn't matter," Stoops said. "They're a part of a touchdown. It all goes to the offense.
The important thing is we get in the end zone."
—Edited by Emma McElhaney
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BASKETBALL
Selden had previously cut his list down to six schools, Florica, Missouri, Ohio State, Syracuse, and UCLA, before deciding on Kansas, according to Scout.com.
Men's Basketball signs new recruit
Selden, a six-foot, five-inch tall perimeter player from Boston is the fourth recruit from the class of 2013 to commit to the Jayhawks, joining Wichita point guard Conner Frankamp, Georgia guard Brennan Greene and Virginia point guard Frank Mason.
Ethan Padway
Wayne Selden committed to he Kansas men's basketball teams 2013 recruiting class Monday. He is the 14th ranked recruit according to ESPN.com and 23rd according to Rivals.com.
The commitment came after Seiden attended Late Night in the Phog, Kansas' annual official kickoff event to the start basketball season, according to multiple sources.
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