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CREW TEAM RECRUITING
TUESDAY, AUGUST 21, 2007
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PAGE 1B
Michael Lee played at KU for four seasons, from 2001 to 2005. After playing professional basketball for two years, Lee has returned to the University this season as graduate student manager.
Lee says it's good to be home
Former player returns to Lawrence, looks forward to coaching
BY MARK DENT mdent@kansan.com
Home for Michael Lee is not Harlem
Not Salina, Not Vancouver. Not France
either. Yet for the past two years, Lee, a father Jayhawk basketball player, has made his living playing for teams such as the Harlem Globetrotters, the Kansas Cagerz, the Entente Orleans of France and the Vancouver Volcanoes.
show up.
But Lee said none of those places offered the excitement and joy of 100 kills.
"I just got disinterested with the whole process," Lee said. "When I start thinking like that, it's time to go away."
So Lee went away to a familiar place.
"I love the game of basketball. It just feels really good to be back. I fell in love with Kansas from day one, and I will be a part of Kansas until I die."
MICHAEL LEE
Graduate student manager
tradition of KU basketball. In one game for the Gagerz, the referees didn't even
After two stressful years of professional basketball, he's back in Lawrence as a graduate student manager for the basketball team. Lee is ready to reignite his love for basketball, advise the current players and learn how to be a coach.
for four teams in two years didn't cause Lee to stop his playing career. It gave him
Believe it or not, the grind of playing two years didn't causewing career. It gave him
The injury, the lack of passion, the low pay — it all started to add up. Hed had enough. Lee told the Cagerz he was done and made the drive from Salina to Lawrence for summer basketball camp.
doubts about what he was doing, but he kept playing. Then, earlier this year, Lee found out he had nerve damage in his shoulder. Doctors told him he'd be out for three to five months.
That feeling got even better when Lee heard former graduate assistant Nate Mast was leaving to pursue other interests. A spot on the staff was open. Lee talked to Self about it and got the job.
"Being around Coach Self and the guys," he said, "it felt pretty good."
It was something Self had expected for years. Before Lee left in 2005, Self told him
SEE LEE ON PAGE 4B
career highlights
Fans probably best remember Lee for his last-second shot in the 2003 National Championship game that Syracuse's Hakim Warrick blocked, ruining Kansas' chance for a tie. But Lee had plenty of other memorable (and happier) moments. Here are two:
» Lee had his breakout game sophomore year against Oregon in his hometown of Portland. He scored 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds in a close loss.
» Junior guard Brandon Rush might want to take notes from Lee about how to return from injury. In his first game back after being hurt for nine games, Lee scored a career-high 16 points in a victory against Kansas State.
》 GET BUSY LIVIN'
QB battle brings up interesting questions about life
BY RUSTIN DODD
KANSAN SPORTS COLUMNIST
RDOOD@KANSAN.COM
Are you a Reesing guy or a Meier guy?
It's just that simple. Do you know which one you are?
Since Coach Mark Mangino broke the news that Todd Reesing will be the man under center for Kansas against Central Michigan on the home-opener on Sept. 1, everyone and their math tutor has weighed in on the subject. You've heard the party lines from each side.
A Reesing guy may say, "Reesing just has that charisma — that pizzazz — and that can't be measured in height or 40 time. Did you see that run against Colorado?"
A Meier fan might reply, "Yeah, but Meier is just a physical specimen. He has all the tools to succeed. Why should he be benched after setting the Kansas freshman record for touchdown passes?"
It's time for the inhabitants of the Phog nation to pick a side, Reesing or Meier. It's sometimes tough to tell. Do you enjoy charming Texas bravado, or laid-back Kansas hospitality? Here are a few helpful hints to let you know which one you are:
If you are a Reesing guy, your favorite football movie is "Varsity Blues." If you're a Meier guy, your favorite football movie is "Remember the Titans."
If you are a Reesing guy, you dig Angelina Jolie. If you are a Meier guy, you're still crying about Jennifer Aniston getting shafted by Brad Pitt.
If you are a Reesing guy, your favorite Vince Vaughn movie is "Old School." If you are a Meier guy, you still claim that Vince Vaughn peaked in "Swingers." Come on, has he changed characters since?
If you are a Reesing guy, you think Phil Mickelson is the most underrated athlete in the world. If you are a Meier guy, you think that Mickelson is a choker with a weight problem. Phil, the weight room is that way.
If you are a Reesing guy, you think that Stone Cold Steve Austin is an American hero. If you are a Meier guy, you contend that The Rock will always be The People's Champ.
If you are a Reesing guy, you enjoy Wednesday nights at The Hawk and a quick session in the Boom-Boom Room. If you are a Meier guy, you enjoy sipping on Boulevard Wheat at The Wheel while jamming out to Billy Joel on the jukebox.
SEE DODD ON PAGE 4B
FOOTBALL
Pressure to win increases for Mangino Lew Perkins supports coach so far,but will evaluate job after season
BY THOR NYSTROM
tnystrom@kansan.com
KU's football coach signed a contract extension before last year that locked him up until 2010, with an annual guaranteed salary of $1.5 million plus incentives. A disappointing 6-6 finish in 2006 has increased media speculation that Mangino's job could be in jeopardy if the team does not reach this year's postseason.
Mark Mangino isn't currently on the hot seat. But to keep it that way, the Athletics Department expects improvement this year.
Mangino has undisputed made the team more competitive than they were during the Terry Allen era (1997-2001). Mangino has made the Jayhawks bowl-eligible in three of the past four seasons. Allen's Jayhawks were never bowl-eligible in any of his five
seasons.
The biggest problem with a direct comparison is the vastly different programs that each inherited. Allen's first year came after Glen Mason bolted for the University of Minnesota.
A closer look at it ever, gives credence to Mangino's job security. Allen was fired after a 20-33 record at Kansas. Mangino, in five seasons, has a 25-35 record at the University.
A closer look at the numbers,however, gives credence to speculation about
"Mark Mangino and his staff have pulled the KU program up from an extremely low point to a point where we are respected as a team."
Mason led the Jayhawks to a 10-2 record and top-10 finish in 1995 and a berth in the Aloha Bowl in Honolulu in 1995, the year before his departure. He left a roster that was considered to be filled with talent. Mangino inherited a team in 2002 that hadn't had a winning season since that 1995 campaign and a roster that appeared
JIM MARCHIONY Associate athletics director
apathetic and undermanned.
The most pronounced blemishes on Mangino's resume are in Big 12 play. Mangino is 11-29 in conference. The Jayhawks are an unsightly 2-18 on the road in the Big 12 during Mangino's run. Mangino has secured only one winning season, 7-5 in 2005.
"We've had success against some Big 12 North teams, but it needs to be consistent," Mangino said. "It needs to be success home
SEE PERKINS ON PAGE 4B
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Mark Mangino has coached the Jayhawks to better results than his predecessor, Terry Allen, including three seasons of bowl eligibility. Mangino needs to make further improvements this season to ensure his job security.