FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5; 2004
BASKETBALL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
17B
2004
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BY BILL CROSS
bcross@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWINTER
com
On a team where the only goal is to win a national championship, players have to earn their nicknames.
Nobody on the Kansas men's basketball team worked harder to earn his than Stephen "The Standard" Vinson.
"The players have nicknamed him that because, no matter how hard you work, you'll always be compared to Steve," coach Bill Self said of the junior guard.
Vinson, who practiced through a back injury last season, is aware of his reputation.
VINSON
"I give pretty good effort," he said.
Senior guard Mike Lee said Vinson was the best player he'd ever faced.
Vinson said
vision and he was not surprised by Lee's compliment.
"I'm the toughest on him," Vinson said. "Those guys understand that my role is to work hard and be all over them in practice."
Self said Vinson improved everybody on the team with his effort in practice, and that effort might earn him increased playing time this season.
"He's fighting for minutes in a backup role," Self said. "If he performs better than the other guys, it'll happen. If he doesn't, he can still contribute in his own way."
Vinson said he was ambivalent about his playing time.
"If there's something that needs to be done, hopefully I can fill that role," he said. "We're a very complete team, and I add to the depth of that team."
The team will have to do without Vinson's contributions for
now as he battles a nagging groin injury.
"I'm going to be down for a little bit, but I'm on the right track to getting back," he said. Vinson, who is unaccustomed to sitting out of practice, said, "I've had more tests on my entire body than I knew were available. It's been a weird ride."
Junior forward Christian Moody said he was impressed by Vinson's durability and his progress during the last two years.
"He gains more confidence every year," he said. "In practice, he's always drilling shots."
Vinson said he was proud of
his shooting ability, but Self stopped short of lauding his stroke.
"He does like to shoot," Self said. "He's much more ready to run a team than he was last season."
Vinson said some of his development as a point guard came from his five-minute, one-rebound, one-assist performance against Marquette University in the 2003 national semifinals.
you can't even see all the way up"
"You definitely jump a little higher and run a little faster," he said. "You know it's big when you're on the bench, but then you get out there and you realize there's people all around you, and
He said former Marquette guard and current NBA all-star Dwyane Wade was the best player he'd ever faced.
"Seeing his success at the professional level has made me feel a little better about the way I played against him," he said.
Self said Vinson's respect for other players and teammates made him a key part of the Jayhawk's preseason No. 1 basketball team.
"I love this guy," Self said. "I think he's certainly going to leave his mark on this program."
Brown looks for breakout season
Edited by Jon Ralston
By JONATHAM KEALING
jkealing@kansan.com
KANSIAN SPORTSWINTER
All she needed was the opportunity.
And that's what junior Kaylee Brown got with new coach Bonnie Henrickson's arrival in Lawrence.
BROWN
"I think she's given me a chance to show my abilities," Brown said.
Henrickson has no shortage of praise for Brown. Described as a "pleasant surprise," Brown figures to have a huge role on the team this season.
"Her attitude is great and she's in the best shape of her life," Henrickson said.
With the departure of senior Larisha Graves, Brown has a good chance at cracking the starting rotation alongside Erica Hallman and Aquanita Burras.
Brown played in 25 games last season, starting five times.
She contributed to the team with seven three-pointers, second most on the team.
She also added 16 assists and 12 steals.
"H er attitude is great and she's
in the best shape of her life."
Bonnie Henrickson Women's basketball coach
The limited number of players on this team not only affords Brown the chance at starting time, it also gives the coaching staff more time to work with each player.
Henrickson said that Brown has benefited from the individual attention each player can get with a small squad.
"What we've done with Kaylee is looked at her shot, tweaked a few things. Just lots of reps and lots of scoring," she said.
From Brown's point of view, this season could be a huge turning point for her.
"We definitely need scoring," Brown said. "I'm expecting to help my teammates as best I can, help us win."
If Brown can score and develop into a solid player, Kansas should have a better perimeter game than they have in many years.
Edited by Danielle Hillix
BY JONATHAN KEALING
jkealing@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWITHER
Sophomore guard develops more skill
Going into this preseason, he may not have even seen time on the floor.
But then, sophomore guard Nick Bahe started to impress. He spent his summer working on shooting and speed and he progressed enough that coach Bill Self decided he probably would not take a redshirt this season.
"Nick has played well enough that he may warrant playing time," Self said.
Bahе, a walk-on from Lincoln, Neb., turned down scholarship offers from several schools including Boise State and Bowling Green to become a Jayhawk.
"In a lot of places, Nick Bahe would be in the top six or seven. He's really fundamental, a great shooter," said senior Keith Langford, Bahe's roommate.
In his one-year career he has 11 points and nine rebounds. His career-high of six came against Nebraska, playing several kids he knew.
Last season, Bahe was used primarily as a reserve at the end of games. Last season, he played in 16 games for a total of 61 minutes.
"It's always fun when you can add heated battles. When you know guys and it becomes a little more personal," Bahe said. "There wasn't any animosity, but it makes it more fun when you
know the guvvs."
Against Nebraska, Bahe had six points, coming from two three-pointers.
This season will be a challenge for Bahe, who risks being caught between two high-profile classes. This senior class has been touted by many analysts as one of the best in the country.
Then there's the freshman class which was rated the second best in the country by rivals.com.
"All I want to do is help the team in whatever role I can," Bahe said. "Whatever the team needs me to do, I can be shaped and molded to whatever you need."
Off the court, Langford and Bahe like to have a good time together. Anyone who saw Bahe dance at Late Night knows that he isn't afraid of making a fool out of himself.
"We should have TV cameras following us around every day, because it's always something different," Langford said.
Bahé isn't that worried about either class though. He thinks the senior class will give the team the best chance to win.
Until Bahe sees his first minutes on the court he could still take a redshirt. For now though, he's not dealing with the season any differently than before it started.
Edited by Ashley Doyle
Kansan file photo
Kansas sophomore guard Nick Bahe spent most of last season cheering from the bench, playing only 61 minutes in 16 games. He still might take a redshirt this year, but his offseason improvement has impressed cochill Bob Self.