With the beginning of fall practices quickly approaching, coach Bill Self analyzes how his players have improved this offseason.
The backup punter for Northern Colorado was accused of stabbing the team's starting punter in his kicking leg.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2006
WWW.KANSAN.COM
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
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>> ATHLETICS DEPARTMENT
Text messages a new tool used for recruiting
Women's basketball began the craze which spread to six other KU sports
BY C.J. MOORE
Whenever Bonnie Henrickson is on the road she has the steering wheel in one hand and her cell phone in the other.
"Don't tell police in Lawrence, but I've gotten pretty good at texting and driving," Henrickson, KU women's basketball coach. said.
Henrickson is sending text
Henrickson messages to recruits, a practice that women's basketball popularized, which is crossing over to other collegiate sports. At Kansas, seven of the programs use text.
"We're all concerned, and the reason we're concerned about it is: how in the world are we going to manage it?"
Carolyn Campbell-McGovern, Senior Associate Director with the Ivy League Athletics Conference, drafted an amendment to the NCAA bylaw regarding telephone calls and electronically transmitted correspondence that would prohibit sending instant messages and text messages to recruits.
messaging as part of their recruiting, according to Theresa Becker, the director of compliance for the Athletics Department.
McGovern said text messag-
problematic.
Whereas the men's program at Kansas is established and well-known across the country, Hennickson is trying to build her program from the ground up and it starts with recruiting.
THERESA BECKER Director of compliance
"I think it is important. I think it should be utilized. But I'm not going to sit on my phone and text message kids and spend all da doing that." Self said.
Henrickson and her assistants put more of an emphasis on text messaging. They started sending recruits text messages three years ago and Henrickson estimated that she sent 10 texts per day. She even got a new phone that has an keypad that makes sending messages more efficient.
Text messaging is different from other modes of communication, like telephone calls, because there are practically no NCAA restrictions on sending text messages to prospects. Coaches can send an unlimited number of text messages to a recruit but can only make a certain number of phone calls per week.
"If it allows us to outwork people, we're all for it," Hendrickson said.
KU men's basketball coach Bill Self primarily uses text messages to get recruits to call him. Self said that his assistants sent texts more than he did, and that he relied on written letters and actual phone calls instead.
"For a lot of kids, they're comfortable texting. For us, obviously, it doesn't count as a phone call. We can only call a prospect once a week, but it's a great way to get them to call us because they can call our 800 number an unlimited number of times during certain periods." Henrickson said.
Unfortunately for Henrickson, the popularity of text messages and the lack of NCAA restrictions on electronically transmitted correspondence — e-mail, instant messenger, text messages — has become
ing was too intrusive. Some coaches were even hiringpeople to send text messages to recruits, a practice the NCAA banned in August, making it legal for
only full-time coaches to send text messages. McGovern said coaches had started sending text messages at inappropriate times and the volume of messages had started to interfere with prospects' lives.
"The legislation, the regulations that the NCAA has have not caught up with technology yet. So we just want to figure out what's the best solution for regulating text messages," McGovern said.
Becker said she would prefer that the NCAA leave text messaging alone or ban it completely.
Self agreed with Becker, but Henrickson doesn't want to see text messages go. She likes the opportunity to outwork her colleagues. Henrickson said that women's basketball programs across the nation were at the front end of the text messaging craze and that it was more popular in women's basketball than any other sport. She said it has helped her sign recruits.
"We're all concerned, and the reason we're concerned about it is: how in the world are we going to manage it? How are we going to monitor it?" Becker said.
"I think women - not being stereotypical or sexist - but I think women want to communicate more and it's a way to get to know a coach or their staff." Henrickson said.
Both McGovern and the AECC's proposals could be voted on as soon as January and, if accepted, a change would go into effect August 1, 2007.
If the NCAA does ban text messaging, Henrickson might have to put down the cell phone, move her hands to 10 and two and turn up the radio. That is, until coaches find more creative ways to recruit
"In another year or two there's going to be something different, something bigger," Becker said.
Kansan staff writer C.J. Moore can be contacted at cjmoore@ kansan.com.
Edited by Travis Robinett
VOLLEYBALL 0-3
Nebraska shuts out Kansas
BY DREW DAVISON
LINCOLN, Neb. — With a running start, Jordan Larson throws the ball up about ten feet in the air and spins the ball so it goes on a kamikaze dive right after it crosses the net.
Whenever Larson, a Nebraska sophomore, went back to hit her serve, Kansas' Jamie Mathewson tried not to think.
Larson unleashed those serves often last night, helping No. 1 Nebraska to a three-game sweep of Kansas.
"You pretty much have to think, 'bring it,' because if you don't you're going to get caught on your heels," Mathewson said. "The ball will fall before you have time to think, so really you don't think about anything."
Mathewson led Kansas with 15 digs.
Nebraska (8-0, 1-0 conference)
defeated Kansas (7-3, 0-1)
in three games to open conference
play. The Cornhuskers won the
games 30-24, 30-21 and 30-24.
Larsonleads the Big 12 Conference in service aces, even though she tallied just two last night.
"It itseemed like she had more aces than that," Kansas coach Ray Bechard said. "If they don't ace you, they take you so far out of your system that you are running after the ball all the time. We had a hard time setting up."
Senior outside hitter Jana Correa stretches to reach a ball during the volleyball match Wednesday night in Lincoln, Neb. The Jayhawks were unable to win a game, getting swept by the No. 1-ranked Huskers to open the Big 12 season.
Vanessa Skocz/THE DAILY NEBRASKAN
FOOTBALL
Jayhawks struggle to force turnovers, Mangino makes it point of emphasis
BY RYAN SCHNEIDER
By denying Kansas the opportunity to set up, Nebraska was able to tally 14 blocks during the match compared with Kansas's six.
SEE VOLLEYBALL ON PAGE 2B
So far this season, Kansas has only caused two turnovers — a blocked punt and interception — and both were in its season-opening victory over Louisiana's Northwestern State. The Jayhawks scored a touchdown off the blocked punt but missed a field goal after the interception.
Bechard said Nebraska was physical, and half of the blocks came when Kansas was either out of its offensive system or had a missed hit.
After failing to force a turnover for the first time in seven games on Saturday, Kansas coach Mark Mangino made creating turnovers a point of emphasis for Friday's upcoming game at Toledo.
Mike Rivera, sophomore linebacker, and Sadiq Muhammed, junior cornerback, tackle Joe Merritt, senior wide reciever, during the second quarter.
Mangino reminded his team of the importance of turnovers in the game plan.
Lisa Lipovac/KANSAK
"We've been good at it in the past," Mangino said. "It's not like we weren't trying to get turnovers. Give Monroe credit, they took care of the ball very well."
Mangino said the team could do various drills to practice forcing turnovers, including stripping the ball from a running back or receiver and tipping the ball after a pass from the quarterback.
Entering its third game last season, Karas had only forced one turnover. That came in its second game against Appalachian State. The Jayhawks went on to force an additional 13, including at least one per game in all of its seven victories.
That number was down from the 22 turnovers Kansas forced in
Through its first two games,
Toledo has turned the ball over six
have a reputation," Mangino said. "They work ball security really hard."
2004. Mangino said because his team earned a reputation for causing turnovers, taking care of the football became a point of emphasis for opposing teams.
SEE FOOTBALL ON PAGE 2B
THE RANT
"I think the reason why is that sometimes people know that you
12
Friday's contest might be grim
Friday's road game against Toledo is going to define the remainder of the season for Kansas.
BY RYAN COLAIAINI
KANSAN COLUMNIST
RCOLAIAINN@KANSAN.COM
A loss would seriously hamper Kansas' ability to qualify for a bowl in consecutive seasons and put immense pressure on the team to beat South Florida — a major conference opponent — just to keep its postseason hopes alive.
Judging by last week's performance, there is no reason to think that Kansas will beat Toledo.
Kansas is allowing more than 350 yards per game and its secondary looked like a high school's last week, allowing Louisiana-Monroe quarterback Kinsman
SEE RANT ON PAGE 2B