10A
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAIRY KANSAN
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2006
THE RANT
Kansas State overachieving Despite Texas victory, Kansas State will not overlook Kansas on Saturday
More than a month ago, I never thought I would be writing this column. After Kansas State lost to Baylor 17-3, the Wildcats had reached rock bottom.
Coach Ron Prince appeared to have alienated his starting quarterback, Dylan Meier, when he told the media before he told Meier that true freshman Josh Freeman would be the starter from that point forward. The coach was getting nothing out of his offense and I thought a lot of it had to do with coaching.
I envisioned a disastrous season to continue for the Wildcats, that they would not win another game and would finish last in the Big 12 North, as expected. I thought Prince would not be able to return the Wildcats to their glory days of the late '90s under Bill Snyder.
I was wrong, and Prince should be the Bie 12 coach of the year.
Prince has turned the Wildcats
around and has won four of the past six games, which moved Kansas State into second place in the North. Second place in the North — even being in the top half of the division — is miraculous for a team that looked average at the beginning of the season and had few offensive playmakers.
Kansas State has already qualified for a bowl game, and a victory against Kansas would be the Wildcats' eighth of the season, an amazing feat considering how poorly the team played at the start of the year. No one expected Kansas State to even qualify for a bowl game and viewed this season as a building year. Prince is the reason for Kansas State's success, and I never thought that would be the case.
Granted, Kansas State got a gift against Texas last week when Texas' star quarterback, Colt McCoy, went down on Texas' first possession of the game. However, the Wildcats still made more plays than the Longhorns throughout the game. The Wildcats performed well on special teams. They executed numerous trick plays to perfection. Prince executed a great game plan.
players in conference play this season and should be the conference's coach of the year.
Some think Kansas State will have a letdown this week against Kansas because of its dramatic victory against Texas last week. I do not think that's possible in a rivalry game. Kansas State may have shown a lot of its offense to Kansas coach Mark Mangino, but the Wildcats won't underestimate the Jayhawks.
Prince has gotten more out of his
Kansas State has had this game circled on the calendar for the entire season and Prince will have his team ready. A month ago, Kansas probably thought its game against Kansas State was almost a guaranteed victory. Now that Kansas State has improved, the game should be a close, Kansas is a two-point favorite, but I honestly have no idea who to pick on Saturday.
Prince has done the best job in the conference. Better than Guy Morriss at Baylor or Mike Gundy at Oklahoma State. Prince has proven that he can coach at this level, and no one gave him a chance.
Colaiani is a McLean, Va., senior in journalism and political science.
- Edited bv Derek Korte
Alex Brandon/ASSOCIATED PRESS
New Orleans Saints receiver Marques Colston breaks out of a tackle by Atlanta Falcons defender Kevin Mathis. Colston began the year as an unknown rookie but has emerged as a contender for the Rookie of the Year award because of his consistent play.
FANTASY FOOTBALL THURSDAY
Possibly lost in the shuffle of another unpredictable fantasy football season, a rookie wide receiver is leading the NFL in receiving yards. And if that isn't enough, he's tight-end eligible. Those used to three catches for 28 yards from their tight end spots each week now get an average of 14.3 points per game from New Orleans' Marques Colston.
All this unexpected production coming from a tight end slot is like hiring a baby sitter who mows your lawn, cleans out your gutters and files your tax return.
Since the New Orleans Saints traded Donte Stallworth to the Eagles, Colston has been the model of consistency. He had just one game this season where he ended up with fewer than 10 fantasy points.
He has the reliability of a Honda Accord and the performance of a Maserati. At 6-foot-4, 230 pounds, he has excellent hands, great body control and deceptive speed. There is little this rookie can't do.
The more you think about it, the more Moss and Colston have in common. They are both 6-foot-4. They are both from Division I-AA colleges. And they were both passed over in the NFL Draft. Moss — a projected top-ten pick — slipped to 21st overall because of character problems he had in college. Colston wasn't drafted until the seventh round, after 32 other wide receivers were taken.
When you compare Colston's statistics to those of previous rookie wide receivers, only Randy Moss comes close. During Moss's rookie year with the Vikings, he had 69 catches for 1,313 yards and an incredible 17 touchdowns. Colston will better all of Randy's statistics except the number of touchdowns.
With all that they have in common, all Marques Colston needs to do is fail a few drug tests, alienate his coaching staff and moon an opposing team's crowd, and he will
be a mirror image of Moss.
From a fantasy football perspective, his statistics are even more staggering. Only Tony Gonzalez's 2004 season — 1,203 yards and nine touchdowns — and Antonio Gates' 2004 season — 964 yards and 13 touchdowns — come close to what Colston will achieve this year. As a rookie, he should already be inducted into the Fantasy Football Hall of Fame. Colston isn't just going to win the rookie of the year award, he's going to run away with it. He is on pace for 96 catches, 1,545 yards, and 12 touchdowns. And yet, he still doesn't get even 10 percent of the face time on SportsCenter as teammate Reggie
Bush.
Yes, Reggie Bush, who is averaging a measly 2.8 yards per carry this season. I suppose if Marques Colston had a Heisman Trophy, two national championships — one split — and a slew of endorsement deals, ESPN would give him a little more love.
But as it is, Colston will remain in the shadows of Reggie Bush, playing Ashlee Simpson to Bush's Jessica. Before long, though, those roles will be reversed.
Evan Hengel is an Overland Park senior in finance.
Edited by Natalie Johnson
ONE LOVE
Roy Williams made his players perform better off the court than Bill Self.
Recent players mar Jayhawk reputation
A few weeks ago I was watching a rerun of the ESPN game show "2-Minute Drill." Jacque Vaughn, former Jayhawk and one of my all-time favorite basketball players, was one of the guest athletes.
As Vaughn asked the contestants questions about Kansas basketball, it brought me back to the mid '90s, when players like Vaughn finished opponents on the court then hurried home to finish their Calculus homework. Too bad it's not like that anymore.
Those days have disappeared like CJ Giles from an English class. The Giles situation is the latest and worst example of misbehavior in the Kansas basketball program. He arrived as a sure-fire NBA prospect, but by the time he was dismissed last Tuesday, his list of offenses left him a wrecked ATV and a couple of shakin' "crackers" short of being Ricky Clemons.
In a little more than two years, Giles missed class and his child-support payments, scored a basket for the other team, landed a few punches at the Moon Bar, stole the
Lindbergh baby and planned to make a third Deuce Bigalow.
OK, maybe he didn't do the last two, but Giles' bad behavior did alter the reputation of Kansas basketball. Other than Giles, only two players have been charged with crimes while still on the basketball team during the past 10 years: Lester Earl and J.R. Giddens. Giles has tied that mark in one month with his two criminal charges.
But hey, I can't just pick on Giles. He hasn't been the only one changing Kansas' image recently. Giddens, Rodrick Stewart, Darnell Jackson and Jeff Hawkins deserve credit for that too. Giddens instigated the bar fight that Giles was involved in. Stewart was assaulted outside of a nightclub last year, but didn't provoke the fight. Jackson accepted benefits from a booster. 'McHawkins' tried to leave the scene of an accident after a fender bender in the McDonald's drive-thru. Though his incident wasn't serious, Hawkins' choice illustrated how the Jayhawks aren't as well-behaved as they used to be.
Take a look at Vaughn. The guy practically read philosophy books while he sat on the bench. He finished his Kansas career as a two-time Academic All-American and 1997 Academic All-American of the Year. Plus, he was 1996 Big Eight Player of the Year and the school's assist-leader award is named after him.
Vaughn was just one of many players from the mid '90s to enhance the reputation of Kansas basketball. Jerod Haase earned a master's degree and wrote a book. Greg Ostertag donated a kidney. C.B. McGrath was a two-time Academic All Big 12 selection and earned a master's degree. Scott Pollard's only legal scuffle was when he broke several fashion ordinances by painting his nails.
Bill Self is a fabulous basketball coach, but the players in his tenure haven't lived up to the behavioral precedent set by Roy Williams. Williams had to dismiss one player — Sean Tunstall — in 15 years, and Self has already dismissed two players — Giles and Giddens — in four years. Although Williams recruited Giddens and Hawkins, their troubles started under Self's watch. This is an indication that Self isn't doing enough to prevent his players from making these mistakes.
This is not an attack on Self in any way. He's been under constant pressure to perform since he left Illinois for Kansas in 2003. Now is the time for Kansas to begin rehabilitating its image. Bill Self, make Kansas proud.
Dent is an Overland Park sophomore in Journalism.
Edited by Travis Robinett
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