---
8B THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
BASKETBALL
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5,2004
A smoother second year ahead
BY MIRANDA LENNING
mlenning@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWINTER
If Bill Self were on the Kansas roster, he would be listed as a 6-foot-2 sophomore coach from Edmond, Okla.
Like any sophomore, Self expects his second year to go more smoothly than his first.
Last year, Self considered everyone a first-year player. So it's no surprise that when he reflects back on last season now, he said one of the hardest things about the year was establishing a comfort level with his new players.
"I've always been a coach that could get close to guys." Sell said. "I think that happened last year, but I don't think it happened as soon as I thought."
In the midst of last year's challenging transition, Self answered countless "Roy" questions about former Kansas coach Roy
Williams, implemented a new offense and had to convince players who had been to two Final Fours that they should play basketball his way.
At Illinois and Tulsa, it was easier for Self to attract the players to his style of play because of his accomplishments. But at Kansas, getting the players to buy into what he said was a little more complicated.
"You come in here and you change everything, and then those guys are like. 'Wow, he changed it, but he hasn't done what we've done.'" Self said.
"Subconsciously, you can't help but feel that way a little bit when change occurs."
Getting the players to understand that his way was right was a process, not an immediate reaction.
"What I think is important was different from what Roy thought was important." Self said. "So we
had to readjust how we thought and by the end of the year, I thought we played as good as anybody."
The Jayhawks advanced to the Elite Eight round of the NCAA Tournament. The way the Jayhawks finished the season last year makes starting this season easier. Self said.
Maybe that is the reason there is an aura of confidence surrounding the team going into this season.
The Jayhawks are ranked No. 1 in the ESPN/USA Today presseason poll. Wayne Simien is a presseason first team All-American.
The players seem to think that fewer distractions coming into this season will make it easier for both them and Self to concentrate on their goals.
"Last year coach Self had to deal with a lot of other things with coming into a high-level program like this," senior guard
Aaron Miles said. "He is more at ease this year, and he can focus on coaching and not worry about other stuff."
Self had record success in 2003-2004. His 24 victories as a first-year coach tie him with former coach Dick Harp for most victories by a first-year Kansas coach.
The players seem to buy into Self's second-year philosophy.
"It is just like being a sophomore again, the second time around," Langford said.
That may be a good thing for the Jayhawks considering that during their sophomore year, Langford and the other three seniors on this Kansas team won 30 games, the Big 12 Conference Championship and finished as the NCAA Tournament's runners up.
— Edited by Ashley Bechard
Second-year coach Bill Self should have a lot to clap about this season. Now that his players know his system, he said things should run much smoother.
Coaching staff ready for new season of high expectations
BY JACK WEINSTEIN
jweinstein@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWITTER
Kansan file photo
Assistant coach Kurtis Townsend replaced Norm Roberts, who left to take the helm at St. John's. Townsend is known for his recruiting ability. He has helped Bill Self bring in next season's highly-touched freshmen class.
Last year, the Kansas men's basketball team suffered through some growing pains after coach Bill Self and his staff arrived in Lawrence.
During the season, the Jayhawks played some great games and some bad games, but they enjoyed enough success to nearly make their third consecutive Elite Eight appearance, losing in overtime to Georgia Tech in the Elite Eight in March.
Self's staff knows last year's difficult adjustment was to be expected, but this year will be different.
"I know as coaches, we're all a lot more comfortable than we were last year," assistant coach Tim Jankovich said. "I think if you ask the players, they're a heck of a lot more comfortable because they know what to expect."
After their first run as Kansas assistants, Jankovich and Joe Dooley lost one of their colleagues. Associate coach Norm Roberts left to take the coaching position at St. John's University. With the departure of Roberts, Self lost a piece of the puzzle that helped tie a Kansas record for most victories in a first season for a new coach.
Self met with many candidates in the effort to replace Roberts and chose former Miami assistant Kurtis Townsend. Townsend, known for his recruiting ability, was formerly an assistant at Southern California, Michigan, Eastern Kentucky and California. Townsend helped guide all these programs to successful seasons including three trips to the NCAA Tournament with California in 1994, 1996 and 1997. Even though it is his first year on the Kansas staff, Townsend realizes the expectations for this team are high.
"I think as coaches we definitely want to win the Big 12 Championship if we can," he said. "But you just get better every day. If we're playing our best basketball in January and February, everything will take care of itself."
Along with his recruiting duties, Townsend works with Dooley coaching the perimeter players.
Jankovich, who works with the Jayhawk guards, enters his second season as a Kansas assistant and his third year on Self's staff. Jankovich came with Self from Illinois following the 2002-2003 season. His coaching experience spans two decades and includes two head coaching stints. In 1993, he led North Texas to the second best turnaround in the nation. He also guided Hutchinson Community College to back-to-back 20-win seasons from 1997 to 1999.
Jankovich was also a standout
on the court as a player. A graduate of Kansas State in 1982, he helped guide the Wildcats to three straight NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Elite Eight in 1981 and the Sweet Sixteen in 1982.
Joe Dooley enters his second season as an assistant at Kansas. Before his arrival in Lawrence, Dooley enjoyed successful assistant coaching stints at Wyoming, New Mexico and East Carolina.
Like Jankovich, Dooley also guided the 1996-97 East Carolina Pirates to a 17-11 record in his first season as coach, the best year by a rookie coach at East Carolina in more than 20 years. Dooley, a 1988 graduate of George Washington University, was a four-year letter winner on the basketball team, starting his final two years.
Dooley said there was no doubt that Kansas would have a great year if it played up to its potential, Dooley said. "We've got some
depth. We've got some experience, so we need to make sure we stay healthy and stay together."
Danny Manning is back for his second season on Self's staff. The legendary Kansas forward is the director of basketball operations. His duties include assisting Self and his staff with administrative tasks. Former Kansas walk-on Brett Ballard, also in his second season, and former Illinois walk-on Nate Mast, in his first year, assist Manning and the coaches with various administrative responsibilities.
Self has assembled a talented staff of coaches with years of successful experience at the assistant and coaching levels. These assistants will try to help Self do something no one has done since 1988 and bring the national championship back to the Jayhawks.
- Edited by Stephanie Lovett
KU Student Daily Specials
Monday
Medium Mania!
Medium 2-Topping Pizza for $499
Tuesday
2 for Tuesday
Yep - buy any pizza at regular price get the 2nd of equal or lesser value FREE!
Wednesday FREE Cheesesticks With any Large or Extra Large pizza at regular price
Thursday
Thirsty Thursday
2 Medium 2-Topping Pizzas and 2 20oz. drinks for $13^{99}$
2 Large 2-Topping Pizzas for $15**
Friday
Large Two-Topping Pizza, a 2-liter of Okeo Product and a collectible special edition Priest Holmes Bear
$1999 only
2233 Louisiana
865-5775
Valid at Lawrence store only. Specials not valid with other offers or discounts.
Limited delivery area, charges may apply. Customer responsible for all applicable taxes.
Domino's Pizza 832 Iowa St. 841-8002
STUDENT SPECIALS
PERFECT FOR BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER THE GAMES!
24 INCHES OF PIZZA
TWO 12" MEDIUM, 1 TOPPONG PIZZAS
hand-tossed or thin crust
$9.99
$9.99
ONE LARGE, 1 TOPPING PIZZA & YOUR CHOICE OF DOMINOS PIZZA, BUFFALO CHICKEN KICKERS, OR BUFFALO WINGS
PIZZA & CHICKEN
28 INCHES OF PIZZA
TWO 14"LARGE, 1 TOPPING PIZZAS
hand-tossed or thin crust
$11.99
$12.99
UNLIMITED TOPPINGS
PIZZA WITH UNLIMITED TOPPINGS med 12" $9.99 lrg 14" $11.99
3 PIZZAS
THREE SMALL,1 TOPPING PIZZAS
$10.99
2 PIZZAS & CHOICE OF BREAD
TWO MEDIUM, 1 TOPPING PIZZAS &
YOUR CHOICE OF ONE BREAD
PRODUCT: BREAD STICKS, CHEESE
BREADE, OR CINNA STIX
£13.00
$6.77
Student Value Meal
$13.99
Store Hours
Sun-Wed 11-1am
Thurs-Sat 11-3am
$\textcircled{1}$Large 1-Topping Pizza
$\textcircled{2}$Medium 1-Topping Pizza & a 20 oz. drink
$\textcircled{3}$Medium 2-Topping Pizza
$\textcircled{4}$Small 1-Topping Pizza & Breadsticks
$\textcircled{5}$2 Small Cheese Pizzas
$\textcircled{6}$10 pc. order of Buffalo Wings & a 20 oz. drink
$\textcircled{7}$Small Specialty Pizza
Dipping Sauce-304 •Ranch •Gorlic •Marinara
No Checks.
---