FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5.2004
BASKETBALL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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Healthy again, Giddens ready to grab attention
BY JACK WEINSTEIN
jweinstein@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
In his first season at Kansas, sophomore guard J.R. Giddens made enormous strides emerging as one of the most explosive players on Kansas' roster. He earned Big 12 All-Freshman team honors and Honorable Mention All-Big 12. After speculation about him entering last June's NBA draft, Giddens is back to accomplish one goal: win.
"I want to help this team win as many games as possible, the Big 12 Championship and win a national championship," Giddens said.
Giddens said he didn't focus at all on an professional future, not letting the thought of NBA millions distract him from his goals at Kansas.
"I can't think about that," Giddens said. "Right now I'm focused on being a sophomore here at Kansas, trying to help this team in any way that I can possible, be a good teammate and make my teammates around me better. If all of that happens, hopefully the puzzle pieces will come together and it equals a national championship."
A native of Oklahoma City, the 6-foot-5 guard/forward was the third leading scorer for Kansas last year, averaging 11.3 points per game while grabbing 3.6 rebounds. He was forced
He scored in double figures 21 times, recording a career high 24 points against Iowa State last February on 7-12 shooting from three-point range. Giddens led the Jayhawks in three-point percentage and three pointers made a season ago. Though he was the primary long-range option for the 'Hawks, Giddens' freshman season may be most remembered for his highlight-reel dunks and alley oops.
into the starting lineup in the third game of the season after senior guard Michael Lee suffered a broken collarbone in practice. Giddens emerged as a consistent threat and started all but two games the rest of the season.
Most players use the summer as a practice period to improve on different aspects of their games, but Giddens was limited primarily to bulking up in the weight room as he recovered from surgeries to his left foot and right knee that were performed shortly after the season's end last spring. Giddens' summer routine added 20 pounds to his lanky frame.
Giddens also used the summer to further develop his relationship with Kansas coach Bill Self.
"J.R. and I probably talk more than anybody," Self said. "We talk about a lot of things."
For now, Giddens is healthy.
He is not in prime shape from a conditioning standpoint, but
physically he's 100 percent. His foot and his knee are fully recovered, and he should be in game shape when the exhibition season begins Nov. 7.
"I feel really good right now," Giddens said. "I think I'm healthy. I'm not a spring chicken right now, but I feel all right."
Giddens isn't flamboyant or cocky about his success on the court. He credits the seniors with helping him to develop as a basketball player and as a person last season and this past summer.
"We have Aaron Miles, Mike Lee, Keith Langford and Wayne Simien," Giddens said. "Those guys are good. They've helped me out in so many different ways, as well as my other teammates. They help us out so much in the locker room, off the court and in the classroom. Those guys are real leaders, they're the backbone of our team."
"J.R.'s not worried about what happens in the future," Self said. "He's worried about being as good as he can be here. If he's as good as he can be here, then he's got a pretty bright future."
This may be Giddens' last season in Lawrence, but he won't tell you that — he doesn't think about that.
This may be the season that vaults Giddens into the draft lottery, but for now he is focused on helping Kansas win a national championship.
— Edited by Danielle Hillix
J. R. Giddens may be a sophomore, but he has the moves of a tested veteran. There were rumors that Giddens would leave Kansas for the NBA, but he said he was only thinking about a championship for the Jayhawks.
Jared Soares/KANSAN
Newly committed Rhymes returns in better condition
BY MIRANDA LENNING
mienning@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWITER
Alicia Rhymes didn't get off to the best start with new Kansas women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson.
The first day that Henrickson met Rhymes, the sophomore forward was having two screws removed from her knee after off-season ACL surgery. Rhymes didn't work out with the team during spring practices. When the first summer school session rolled around, Henrickson felt as though Rhymes was not committed to getting herself healthy.
Henrickson said she was holding Rhymes accountable.
"So we had a couple of pointed conversations in July," Henrickson said.
"I told her to control what she could control," Henrickson said.
"I told her that she can't control
what happened to her, but you can control how hard you work to get back."
Just to make sure that her potential starting forward was committed, Henrickson found out where Rhymes was working out and with whom. She called approximately once a week to make sure that Rhymes was working out diligently.
"I asked 'has she been there,' and they were like 'coach she has missed two workouts in a row,'" Henrickson said. "That is not a commitment."
So the first thing Henrickson did was call Rhymes on the phone and make a couple things clear.
Henrickson told Rhymes that they both wanted the same thing
current form.
— for her to be healthy and contribute. But Henrickson also wanted to make it clear that she knew better than Rhymes how that was going to happen.
Enter Alicia Rhymes in her
"She came back, and she is in great shape, and she is fit, and her attitude has been great, and she has been coachable in the post," Henrickson said.
The post is one place Rhymes never thought she would play at Kansas. At 6-foot, she doesn't have the ideal size to play the post at the collegiate level.
"When I got here they told me that I would play three because I could do some of everything," Rhymes said.
But on Kansas' 10-player roster, she is not only the second tallest player on the team behind junior forward Crystal Kemp, she is also willing to make the switch.
To get back into shape, Rhymes said she did "a lot of running." She said she basically had to start from scratch. Her main motivation to take on such a challenge was the feeling that she had a chance to make an impact this
"I felt that I had to work the hardest, because I knew we had a new start because there were new coaches." Rhyms said. "And if got a new start, then hopefully I would get an opportunity to play more."
year — a feeling that came from the phone conversation she had with Henrickson in July.
Rhymes played in only seven games last season for a combined 17 minutes. Her only two points came on two free throws, making the expectations for her much higher this year than last.
"She will be on the floor," Henrickson said. "Sometimes extensively. It just depends on how well she can adjust and if she can produce. If she can produce, she'll be on the floor, that is for sure."
Because of the lack of size on this Jayhawk team — Kemp is the tallest player at 6-foot-2 and Rhymes, senior Blair Waltz and
For Rhymes, a favorable match-up might be a situation where she could move out and beat a defender off of the ball.
freshman Jamie Boyd are all listed at 6-foot - Henrickson said that the key was to get the post players in favorable match-ups.
"I have a quicker first step than most post players," Rhymes said.
Henrickson said the team would like to get Rhymes 15 or 16 feet away from the basket, where she could penetrate and was available to relieve Kemp when Kemp is double-teamed. She said if Rhymes could improve on her perimeter jump shot and ball handling, she would be even more versatile.
Henrickson said she was confident that Rhymes would work hard to assert herself
This is an opportunity," Henrickson said.
"I told her: If an opportunity
Jared Soares/KANSAN
knocks on your door, open it, and she has," Henrickson said.
After off-season ACL surgery, Alicia Rhymes is back and excited to play for new coach Bonnie Henrickson.
Edited by Johanna M.
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