THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2006
SPORTS
11A
FOOTBALL
Defense targets KSU quarterback
David Zalubowski/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kansas State quarterback Josh Freeman has been named the Big 12 Conference's Offensive Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks for his performances against Colorado and No.4 Texas.
Kansas eager to face freshman starter
BY RYAN SCHNEIDER
Josh Freeman better watch out.
The thought of lining up against a freshman quarterback has Kansas' defense salivating.
Sure, he's been named the Big 12 Conference's Offensive Player of the Week for his performances against Colorado and Texas, but Kansas' defense thinks it can get into Freeman's head and make sure he winds up on the ground.
Just what do the Jayhawks plan to do to the Wildcats' starting quarterback?
“Put pressure on him, hit him a couple of times, frustrate him, give him that one good lick to let him know that hey, we're coming,” junior defensive tackle James McClinton said. “You're a freshman. Welcome to college football, baby.”
Freeman hasn't played like a freshman during the last three weeks.
weeks.
In his last three games — all victories — Freeman has completed more than 70 percent of his passes and thrown for an average of 227 yards and two touchdowns.
That's quite a difference from the quarterback who made his first start six games into the season. Less than a month ago, he struggled, predictably. In his first four Big 12 games
ably. in his first two tour games — the Wildcats won just one of those games — Freeman, a Kansas City, Mo., native, completed less than 40 percent of his passes, averaged only 177 yards and nearly two interceptions per game.
Freeman has improved during the last few weeks, and that's where the lahawk defense fits in.
Kansas' pass rush has gotten better, especially in the past three weeks. A lack of a consistent pass rush was part of the reason Kansas' secondary was being lit up by opposing quarterbacks earlier in the season.
bowl visits
Three bowl representatives will be at Memorial Stadium Saturday when Kansas welcomes Kansas State. Representatives from the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., the Texas Bowl In Houston and the Insight Bowl in Tempe. Ariz., will all be in attendance, according to the Kansas Athletics Department. All three bowls have contracts with the Big 12 Conference.
But the plan is simple against Freeman. Get pressure on him and make the quarterback throw the ball early. High or errant passes easily turn into turnovers.
"We have to worry about what we have to do, which is put pressure on him, stop the run and cause turnovers," McClinton said.
The other part about stopping Freeman comes with controlling the pocket. He's not exactly a running quarterback, but Freeman's mobility allows him to move the pocket to buy time for his receivers. That's where Freeman and the Wildcats were able to burn Texas last weekend. But when there's an open lane, he'll take a chance and run.
"He's not a guy with happy feet," defensive coordinator Bill Young said. "He tries to find his receivers, but once he decides to go, he'll go."
Kansan senior sportswriter Ryan Schneider can be contacted at rschneder@kansan.com.
- Edited by Derek Korte
》 WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Deep rotation strengthens Jayhawks
BY CASE KEEFER
Following exhibition play, women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson said she would like to have 10 players in rotation.
She got her wish and then some when the Jayhawks defeated Seton Hall with 10 players, and when foul trouble and size mismatches forced Henrickson to use 11 players during the loss to
Of the 11 players, nine averaged more than nine minutes per game, a number reflective of the young Jay hawks' depth. That rotation could be cemented
The Jayhawks will have to use that depth to its advantage when the Kangaroos visit Allen Fieldhouse. UMKC is 0-1 following a loss to Colorado State, but aspects of the loss leave room for optimism.
can sub in and out for some really good minutes."
in Thursday's third regular season game against the UMKC Kangaroos.
"Our depth is a real strength for us," freshman Kelly Kohn said. "We have a lot of players that
Senior forward Stephanie Brown put up her 14th career double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Brown will go up against a Kansas
Our depth is a real strength for us. We have a lot of players that can sub in and out for some really good minutes.
KELLY KOHN freshman guard
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
frontcourt that played well in its first two games.
Most of the team's success can be linked back to sophomore forward Marija Zinic. Zinic leads the Jayhawks in both goal goal percentage,
The women's basketball team has cultivated a deep rotation during the WBCA Classic.
with 56 percent, and points per game, with 15.5.
"She has proven that she is taking better shots and working to get deep," Henrickson said. "That will
be important for the growth of this team."
The Jayhawks' biggest concern in the front court will be keeping junior forward Taylor McIntosh out of foul trouble. McIntosh committed three fouls in both games during the weekend, which limited her minutes.
UMKC's leading scorer in its first game was junior guard Brittany Picconi. Picconi had 19 points, including four three-point shots. The Jayhawks gave up four three-point shots, two of which were uncontested, in the loss to Iowa.
The Jayhawks perimeter shooting is an area that must improve immediately. Guards Kohn, Shaquina Mosley, and LaChelda Jacobs hit only eight of 39 shots during the first two games and were two of 12 from three-point range.
As a team, Kansas is only shooting 35 percent. Henrickson said that she wasn't worried about the statistic and that she thought it could be easily improved.
Kansan sportswriter Case Keefer can be contacted at ckeefer@ kansan.com.
"We still want to be aggressive, but then make better decisions," she said. "It might just be the type of shots we take."
Edited by Natalie Johnson
Self signs second recruit of season
Long-time Jayhawk fan commits to Kansas, fulfills dream
MEN'S BASKETBALL
BY SHAWN SHROYER
Kansas added a second comer Wednesday when 6-foot-3 guard Tyrel Reed announced he would play college basketball for the layhawks.
Reed, from Burlington High School, which is south of Topeka gives coach Bill Self his second significant signing of the fall.
"I've been around a lot of good coaches and good programs and, in the end, I felt that KU was my
best bet," Reed said at a press conference in Burlington.
Although Reed waited until this week to choose a school, his father and high-school
Reed
coach, Stacy, said Tyrel hadn't been struggling with the decision.
"He wasn't as concerned about the signing as what most people would indicate," Stacy said. "He knew he had a chance to be a Javhawk for quite some time."
Tyrel also considered Oklahoma, Missouri, Missouri State and Stanford, but Kansas
After the first few days of the period passed without Kansas getting any wing players, Tyrel knew there would be an opening for him at Kansas and he wanted to commit.
was always at the top of his list. He just needed to see who Kansas signed during the early stages of the signing period.'
Scout.com has Tyrel rated as a four-star recruit on a five-star scale and ranked him as the 10th-best point guard in his class, but according to the Web site, he can play either guard spot. The Web site lists "Basketball IQ," "Intangibles," and "Perimeter Shot" as Tyrell's strengths. It states that Reed could use improvement on his mid-range shooting and physical strength.
"It's awesome," Tyrel said. "Words can't really describe it. It's been a dream of mine since I was a little kid."
Now that Tyrel has made up his mind, he and his father, are relieved that they can focus on the high-school season. After the season, Tyrel will begin to think about his future at Kansas.
"Ty just wants what's best for KU because, in the long run, he's been a Jayhawk fan for a long, long time," Stacy said. "At some
Kansan sportswriter Shawn Shroyer can be contacted at sshroyer@kansan.com
point in time, he wants to win a national title. "That's been his lifelong dream."
— Edited by Travis Robinett
Senior Gary Woodland was the Jayhawk's best performer on a consistent basis. Woodland took first at the Kansas Invitational and placed in the top 10 in all five tournaments. Woodland's earned a nomination to the Ben Hogan Award Watch List.The award is given to the nation's most outstanding golfer each spring.
— Asher Fusco
MEN'S GOLF Team finishes strong earns high distinctions
The Kansas men's golf team exceeded expectations this fall, finishing the season ranked 40th by GolfWeek. The team finished seventh or better at every event.
The University of Kansas School of Fine Arts Dept. of Music & Dance presents FALL CONCERTS 2006
Tickets on sale at the Lied Center, Murphy Hall, and the SUA Box Office S10 public; S7 students and senior citizens • Call 864-ARTS for tickets
Paid for by STUDENT SENATE