FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5. 2004
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Freshmen bond while fighting for playing time
BY JESSE NEWELL
jnewell@kansan.com
KANAN SPORTSWITCH
Matt Kleinmann thought he might connect some with the other incoming freshmen on the Kansas men's basketball team's preseason exhibition trip to Canada.
He just didn't think it would happen while carrying extra training bags in the airport.
"We all had' to do our little freshman duties," Kleinmann said. "We were all there together, and we all kind of realized that we're all in this together, and we have a few more years left of it. It's definitely a bonding experience right now."
"It's unbelievable," Kleinmann said. "Even I didn't expect how fast we'd come together. It's great so far, and it's only going to get better."
The six freshmen — Kleinmann, guards Russell Robinson and Alex Galindo, and forwards C.J. Giles, Darnell Jackson and Sasha Kaun — have already become closer as a unit, even after just a few weeks of practice.
The chemistry is especially
"I It's unbelievable. Even I didn't
expect how fast we'd come together. It's great so far and it's only going to get better."
Matt Kleinmann Freshman basketball player
important for the three forwards, who are competing with each other for the final starting spot next to senior Wayne Simien.
Though the battle for playing time has been fierce, Kaun insists it hasn't damaged the freshmen's relationships with teammates.
"We are all very close to each other, and I think everybody is good at what they do," Kaun said. "I think it will be a very interesting year. Everybody is going to compete against each other, and it's going to make it even better."
The freshmen also helped each other through adversity at
coach Bill Self's annual boot camp, a two-week conditioning program that took place before the season.
"We were all kind of there for each other, supporting each other," Kleinmann said, "because we were all going through it for the first time."
The six freshmen came to Kansas as one of the highest-rated recruiting classes in the nation, but have the luxury of not being shouldered with too much responsibility.
The returning talent provides Kansas with solid leadership for the freshmen and also allows the younger players to adjust to the college game without having to worry about doing too much.
The Jayhawks return four seniors and four starters from last season's Elite Eight squad, including preseason Big 12 first-team picks Simien and Keith Langford and honorable mentions Aaron Miles and sophomore J.R. Giddens.
"We know we'll be role players," Jackson said. "We'll just come in and play hard and do what coach tells us to
Even if it means carrying an extra bag in the airport, or joking about it with the other five
Alex Galindo, Darnell Jackson, C.J. Giles and Sasha Kaun are four members of Bill Self's first recruiting class at Kansas. Though they are competing for playing time, the group has quickly bonded. do."
guys afterwards.
"We can all laugh with each other," Kleinmann said. "It's not like just on the court we're
friends. We're great friends off the court."
Edited by Danielle Hillix
Self-style recruiting consistently brings big names to town
BY JONATHAN KEALING
jkealing@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWINTER
Before Kansas coach Bill Self came to Lawrence, recruiting seemed to happen every other year.
For instance, this year's highly touted senior class was followed by a junior class composed of walk-ons Stephen Vinson and Christian Moody and scholarship player Mouave Niang.
Jeff Hawkins is also part of the junior class and has seen some success, but he was recruited with the current seniors and
took a redshirt his freshman year.
But the every-other-year feel of recruiting changed when Bill Self came to campus.
"Last year, I felt like we needed size, and we were able to get that with three guys." Self said. "I felt like we needed quickness. We were able to get that, and I felt like we needed shooting, and we were able to get that."
In Self's two seasons, he has brought in what rivals.com ranks as the second-best class in the country and followed it up with three verbal commitments from rivals.com's 10th, 12th and
14th best players in the country.
Self has one more scholarship, which he had offered to C.J. Miles, who chose Texas Oct. 5. Also considering the scholarship was Martynas Pocius, who ended up at Duke.
"You don't just recruit for your team," Self said. "You recruit in case something bad happens."
This season, Kansas was able to pull off a huge surprise and land small forward Julian Wright for next year's recruiting class.
Wright had not even visited Kansas when Self found himself sitting in the Wright family living
room. Before Self left, he had a commitment in hand.
Wright got his first chance to experience Kansas and to meet his new teammates at Late Night in the Phog.
"I know that Micah [Downs] and Mario [Chalmers] will be at Late Night as well," Wright told rivals.com before the event. "I think it will be great to get a feel for the campus and student life."
Joining Wright with commitments are Downs and Chalmers. Chalmers is a point guard, and Downs is another small forward.
With so many scholarships already tied up in two classes —
eight of 13 — Self seems to be considering keeping his last scholarship until the late signing period or even holding it for next year.
"We'll try and get four." Self said. "If we get it great. If we don't get it, it's OK, because even if we do we're going to keep recruiting all year."
This class, as well as the class that follows can look forward to something that has not been available for a while.
"With next year's recruiting, we're selling playing time," Self said. "There's no doubt that four of these guys are gone."
recruit nationwide, something that former coach Roy Williams was unwilling to do. In this year's freshman class, Self has representatives from both coasts and places in between. Freshman Alex Galindo is from Newark, N.J., and freshman C.J. Giles is from Seattle.
Self seems to be willing to
Self also said that one of the things that made recruiting for Kansas great was Kansas itself.
"We have a great product," he said. "It's hard to sell something when the product isn't good."
- Edited by Stephanie Lovett
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