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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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FRIDAY,OCTOBER 19,2007
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Freshman star shines on field
Cornerback contributes to team with tackles, broken-up passes, interception
BY ASHER FUSCO afusco@kansan.com
Cornerback is the loneliest position on the football field. On any given play, one must strike a delicate balance: stay alert to stop the run while respecting the opponent's ability to throw the deep ball. One misstep or mental mistake can turn a modest six yard gain into a 60-yard touchdown pass.
Needless to say, throwing a true freshman
starting cornerback could be a dangerous proposition. But so far this season, Kansas coach Mark Mangino hasn't been burned by his decision to start freshman cornerback Chris Harris.
"He's just done a phenomenal job," Mangino said. "To come in here and essentially win the corner position. The way he did it — he showed a lot of enthu-
Chris Harris
The Bixby, Okla., native has played more like a senior than a freshman, securing the job and making opponents pay for throwing away from the Jayhawks' star cornerback, junior Talib. In his first six games manning the right side of the secondary, Harris has made 30 tackles — fourth on the team
Size: 6-foot,180 pounds
preseason, Mangino and his staff looked for a replacement before naming Harris the starter about a week ahead of the team's first game.
Hometown: Bixby, Okla.
High school. Bixby HS.
Key stats 30 tackles, one interception, two passes broken up
siasm, courage and football aptitude for a freshman - he has been a solid player for us."
FRESHMAN
FILL-INS
ABOVE, Chris Harris, freshman defensive back, makes an interception during the football game against Baylor Saturday at Memorial Stadium. The interception was Harris' first of the season. BELOW, Harris and other members of the Kansas defense celebrate after Harris' interception during the 58-10 victory against Baylor. The Kansas defense has 12 interceptions so far this season.
and snared one intercep-
This marks the third-straight season Kansas has called on a freshman to fill one of the cornerback spots. Last year, Blake Bueltel left the program early in the season, leaving Anthony Webb to fend for himself as the starter. Despite arriving at Kansas as a highly touted recruit, Webb was overmatched and undersized. His inexperience, coupled with injuries to other defensive backs, made for a porous pass defense — the worst in the nation. The year before that, a young cornerback named Qaib Talib stepped in opposite of Charles Gorden
When projected starter Kendrick Harper injured his hand in August, creating an eerily similar situation to 2006, fans filled message boards with panic and media predicted the team's demise. Throughout the
ion. As impressive as his numbers have looked so far, the freshman is just starting to settle in.
Jon Goering/KANSAN
"Ive come a long way from the first game until the Baylor game," Harris said. "Last game I felt like I was using my best technique since the get-go, so it finally came together and I'm feeling very comfortable right now"
BREAKOUT PLAYER
AN UNHERALDED RECRUIT
Less than a year ago, Harris was not a surefire prospect to immediately contribute to a Division I program. Because of his small size — listed at 6-foot but self-admittedly 5-10 — some big-time programs such as Oklahoma and Oklahoma State shied away from recruiting Harris. Arkansas showed some interest, but it wasn't until Kansas offered Harris a scholarship late last winter that second-tier schools such as Iowa State and Tulsa made pushes to sign him.
"He's a great kid who's not scared at all or intimidated about his age or inexperience," Stuckey said. "He knows that on the football
Harris decided Kansas was the right school for him after he spent his official visit shadowing sophomore free safety Darrell Stuckey. Meeting all of the players and spending time with Stuckey convinced Harris to become a Jayhawk, Harris said. Since sliding into his starting spot, Harris has not disappointed Stuckey.
field you're just a player and that's all that matters. There are no excuses on the field?
Though not the most acclaimed prospect in the nation or even in his home state, Harris has become one of the best young players in the Big 12 conference and stood as an exception to the rule; a successful freshman cornerback. The coaches who chose to pass on the Jayhawks' youngest star could soon regret their decision when they face Kansas.
"I've got something to prove," Harris said. "I've got to prove myself every day like I've basically been proving myself my whole life. I had to prove myself to everybody here and I definitely want to prove myself to all those other people."
Edited by Ashlee Kieler
VOLLEYBALL
Kansas faces unbeaten, unchallenged Nebraska
BY RUSTIN DODD
rdodd@kansan.com
Twenty minutes after Kansas' 3-0 loss to No.1 Nebraska on Sept. 26, Jenna Kaiser stood in front of a handful of reporters at the Horesji Family Athletics Center.
Wearing a gray hooded sweatshirt, with sweat still drying on her face, Kaiser, a freshman outside hitter, tried to convey to the reporters the challenge of going from high school volleyball in Wichita to playing the No. 1 team in the country.
"Is this the best team you've ever played against?" a reporter asked.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Just as the question was asked, Sarah Pavan, a 6-foot-5 right side hitter for Nebraska and the reigning national player of the year, exited the visitors' locker room.
Kansas will try to derail No. 1 Nebraska's quest for a second straight national championship at 6 p.m. Saturday. Nebraska won the last meeting 3-0.
Kaiser is only 20 matches into her young college volleyball career, and although Nebraska is undoubtedly the best team she has seen than fan, there's a chance Nebraska could be more than that. Nebraska might be the best team Kaiser will ever see. The murmurs and questions have already started among coaches and reporters familiar with the NCAA volleyball scene. How good is this Nebraska team? Could it be the greatest NCAA volleyball team of all time?
"They're the best," Kaiser said, pausing a moment to glance at Pavan as she walked by. "They're the best I've ever seen."
Nebraska is certainly making its case. When Kansas (10-10, 3-7 Big 12) travels to Lincoln this Saturday to play defending national champion Nebraska (17-0, 10-0 Big 12) at 6 p.m., it will face a team that has put together one of the most impressive seasons in NCAA history. Not only is Nebraska ranked No. 1 and undefeated with 11 matches to go, but more impressively, the
Cornhuskers have dropped only one game all season, sweeping 16 of their 17 matches 3-0. Nebraska has a 51-1 game record this season and a 30-0 record in the Big 12. The Huskers dropped their only game in a 3-1 win against No. 7 UCLA.
There's more. With its win against Missouri on Wednesday night, Nebraska improved to 83-3 since 2005, when Nebraska finished as national runner-up. Nebraska holds a 64-match home winning streak, and has won 27 matches in a row, dating back to
"We see a lot of physical teams. We try to play as tough of preseason schedule as we can. And I haven't team as physical as Nebraska, or play defense like Nebraska." Aiu said. "They really are the complete package."
PLACE IN HISTORY
Aiu has been at Colorado for 11 seasons, and he can't remember a volleyball team this complete.
a 3-2 loss at Colorado last November.
With Nebraska playing in a different stratosphere from the rest of the Big 12, the Cornhuskers will find themselves battling less against the league and more against history. Only three teams in NCAA volleyball history have gone undefeated and won a national championship. USC went 35-0 in 2003, Nebraska finished 34-0 in 2000, and Long Beach State finished 36-0 in 1998. The 1998 national player of the year and Olympic gold medalist Misty May-Treanor was the star of the 1998 Long Beach State team.
"That seems like a long time ago"
Colorado coach Pai Aiu said.
Aiu said Nebraska definitely needed to be in the conversation with the best teams of all time.
A LITTLE LUCK MIXED IN
That this Nebraska team is even together took a little bit of good fortune. In 2005, then junior outside hitter Christina Houghtelling led Nebraska to the national title game and was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association's national player of the year.
The following summer, Houghtelling was forced to undergo surgery on her right shoulder and left knee. She took a medical redshirt and sat out all of 2006. With Houghtelling
out, Pavan, then a junior, stepped in and took Nebraska one victory further in 2006. Pavan earned AVCA national player of the year and led Nebraska to the 2006 national title. Now Houghtettling and Pavan are both back as seniors playing alongside three other AVCA All-Americans — senior Tracy Stalls, junior Jordan Larson and sophomore Rachel Holloway.
"I think what they've got is great seniors in Pavan, Houghtelling and Stalls." Bechard said
Kansas coach Ray Bechard thought the 2005 Nebraska team was the best Big 12 team hed seen, but now he might be changing his mind.
Kansas junior middle blocker Natalie Uhart has played against some top volleyball programs. Her first two seasons were at West Coast conference power Long Beach State. But even Uhart said she'd never played against a team like the Nebraska team she saw earlier this season.
"Every single player on their team is dominant," Uhart said. "Some of the other teams I've played against like USC — we played Stanford — they have one or two dominant players, but Nebraska is stacked."
The murmurs will continue as long as Nebraska keeps winning. Colorado's Aiu said no secret existed about how to beat them.
"You just got to make them play," And said. "You have to give them opportunities to make mistakes, and try not to shoot yourself in the foot to often."
So as Nebraska attempts to stay on its historic course, Kansas has an opportunity on Saturday to put up a roadblock. Kaiser, Uhart and the rest of the Jayhawks will attempt to put a blemish on the untarnished record of the best team they've ever seen.
Edited by Tara Smith
game preview
Kansas hasn't beaten Nebraska since 1975, losing 78 straight to its northern neighbor. This season Nebraska features one of the most dangerous lineups in NCAA history with five returning All-Americans Sarah Pavan, senior right side hitter, was the AVCA National Player of the Year and the Big 12 Female Athlete of the Year In 2006.
Christina Houghttelling, senior outside hitter, was the 2005 AVCA National Player of the Year, but missed all of last season with injuries.
Tracy Stalls, senior middle blocker,
was an AVCA second-team All-American in 2006, is one of the most talented middle blockers in the Big 12. Stalls was also named first-team All-Big 12 in 2006.
Jordan Larson, junior outside hitter, was all-Big 12 and an All-American in 2006. The scary part is she might be Nebraska's best player.
Rachel Holloway, sophomore setter,
became only the second setter to lead
the team to a national title. She was a
third team All-American and first-team
All-Big 12.
Nebraska's 2007 resume
>> Undefeated in 17 matches, including 10 in conference
Defending national champions
Two former players of the year and five former All-Americans
/
》 Swept 16 of 17 matches, with a 51-1 game record
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