THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
Jayhawks win Border Showdown
TENNIS|10A
TUESDAY, APRIL 12, 2011
The tennis team eked out victories over both No. 70 Missouri and Colorado over the weekend
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SPRING SHUFFLE
Switching up their game
Coach Turner Gill speaks to reporters after the post-practice media meeting on Monday, April 11. The football team had its first spring scrimmage of the off-season over the weekend and will use the spring season to define players' roles within the program.
BY KORY CARPENTER
kcarpenter@kansan.com
After only seven practices and one inter-squad scrimmage, it's still too early to see the significant changes within the Kansas football program. But even with the small sample size, coach Turner Gill likes what he sees.
"I like a lot of the passion that's been shown so far," Gill said after Monday's practice. "There's some good progress being made."
The offensive line has shuffled, as Jeff Spikes moved to left tackle while Tanner Hawkinson is now at right tackle. Duane Zlatinik switched to right guard, with Trevor Marrongelli at left guard and Jeremiah Hatch at center.
"We've done a little moving with some other guys too," Gill said of the changes on the line. "But right now, that [lineup] is where we are starting out."
Gill said that he felt Spikes is a better fit at left tackle, which is responsible for protecting the quarterback's blind side when he drops back to pass.
The early changes seemed to pay off during Saturday's scrimmage, as freshman running back Darrian Miller ran for four touchdowns.
Along with the offensive line, Gill liked the progress being made in the secondary. He emphasized that the coaches are seeing more speed from the defensive backs so far this spring.
"We're coming in and watching film," junior safety Lubbock Smith said. "Knowing the plays in and out, knowing what the linebackers are supposed to do, it allows us to direct them, that way we can all play faster, not just the safeties."
Smith added that a year of experience with the current system helped the defense progress faster this year. From a personal perspective, Gill agrees that a year of experience can work wonders.
"I don't know if it's 100 percent different, but it's definitely a difference because I understand where our team is at," Gill said. "Last year I really had no idea until we got to some football games, and then you're on the run trying to make those adjustments."
On the quarterback front, Quinn Mecham and Jordan Webb split repetitions evenly during Saturday's scrimmage. Both players saw play last year, with Webb playing in nine games and starting seven while Mecham played in six, starting in five. Gill said that while both quarterbacks have shown much better command so far this spring, Webb has a slight advantage right now.
- Edited by Tali David
BASEBALL
Jayhawks' season getting back on track
Senior outfielder Jimmy Waters catches the ball for an out Friday against Nebraska. Waters is hitting .378 in Big 12 play.
BY MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
Kansas baseball now appears to be back on track from a rocky start, after winning three of four Big 12 series this season.
Kansas has a golden opportunity to continue to prove itself away from Lawrence in its first road test in eight games tonight at 6 at Iowa.
"We can't afford to waste any opportunities," coach Ritch Price said. "The players know we have to continue to win these weekday games in order to get back to 500, and make the NCAA tournament."
The Jayhawks, who are 15-17 overall and 6-6 in conference play, squared off against the Hawkeyes in Lawrence earlier this season and came away with a 5-2 victory.
Iowa has struggled in both pitching and hitting throughout the year, with a 12-17 overall record and 2-4 in the Big 12. The Hawkeyes have a team ERA of 4.45 and are hitting .266.
The Jayhawks youth and inexperience often led to underwhelming results when they first traveled away from their cozy nest at Hoglund Ballpark, going 3-10 on the road during the first two months of the season.
Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN
But things have been different in April. Their slumping bats almost brought an end to the heartbeat of the Jayhawks' season
before it even began, and now,
after being shocked by a defibrillator
and brought back to life,
the pulse of the lineup is beating
stronger than ever.
Senior outfielder Jimmy Waters played a major role in the team's turnaround. Waters has been on a roll since Big 12 play began, boasting the fifth-best batting average in the conference at .378.
Waters led by example and the whole lineup followed. The Jayhawks' batting average over the course of the season ranks last by nine points. In Big 12 play though, the Jayhawks' batting average is sitting pretty at fourth in the conference.
"He is the heart and soul of the team," Price said. "He made some really good adjustments about three weeks ago, and all of his hard work has paid off for him."
With the bats beginning to take care of business, Kansas' steady force is the pitching staff. With a team ERA of 3.57, the pitching staff looks to continue their strong play against the Hawkeyes.
"I need to see a quality start from Taylor, so that he can continue his development and make progress", Price said. "We need his pitching for the weekday games."
Sophomore pitcher Thomas Taylor will take the mound for Kansas tonight. Taylor is 3-1 in four starts with an ERA of 3.64. The 6-foot-5 right-handed hurler is looking to build off of a career performance last Wednesday, holding Missouri to one hit at Kauffman Stadium.
With the Jayhawks riding momentum from their strong Big 12 play, Tonight's game marks a big opportunity to further boost
their confidence, heading into a weekend series with Missouri.
Price, also feeling good about the Jayhawks' recent play, did very little to hide his feelings of how impressive the turnaround has been for the team.
"We've improved more from the first day of the season to where were at now than any team I've ever coached," he said.
Edited by Tali David
COMMENTARY
Twins will be missed off the court
BY COREY THIBODEAUX cthibodeaux@kansan.com
You could always count on Marcus and Markeff Morris. Sure, they were the go-to
guys on the court. But away from the game action, the twins were full of good stories. So many, in fact, that it was impossible to write about all of them.
The twins are hilarious. No one, at least from a reporter's perspective, walked away unsatisfied.
They have had a number of gems: Markieff explaining how he improved his footwork with Dance Dance Revolution, Marcus counting out loud (mid-interview) how many times he fouled out last season, and both of them complaining about their mother's free throw advice during games.
They popularized the "F.O.E." (Family Over Everything) acronym. They were honest about their emotions. They were special.
If you never basked in the company of the Morrii, you missed out. Even coach Bill Self said so last year just as they were coming out of their shells.
"If you ever get a chance to spend time with them, they are just delight to be around," he said. "They crack me up."
Don't let the twins fool you. In a game, you would see frustured elbows thrown, but the guys are harmless. They are big, lovable kids who love to talk about the simple things, such as going to Smashburger.
They may not look it, but they are sneaky intelligent too, even beyond their basketball IQ. It's safe to say that they have probably duped us media folk several times by steering the conversation in a completely random direction.
The joy and leadership that the duo brought to the Jayhawks deserves recognition, at least for 2010-11. But how do you sum up their careers, and how will they be remembered?
As they head to the NBA, the chances of them making the same team are slim. Their wit will be split in half and their respective teams won't realize how entertaining two brothers could be.
But they kept everyone excited. The Jayhawks had a buzz that spread throughout the nation this season. The twins contributed to that buzz, spurring reactions with their unique choice of words and charisma that everyone gravitated to.
The Morris twins will not be in the Kansas record books for any significant statistic. The farthest they got in any tournament was the Elite Eight, this season. They were good, averaging 30 of the Jayhawks' 82 points per game and 15 of the team's 38 rebounds.
Marcus was a second-team All-American and Big 12 Player of the year while Markieff,was an All-Big 12 Second Team.
They accept whatever is next as the physical bond between Marcus and Markleff has come to an end.
Last season, they talked about the NBA and the potential of being apart for the first time in their lives.
"We talk about this all the time," Markieff said. "Whenever one of us is ready for the NBA, just do it. We're always going to be close. We may not be physically close, but we're still twins, so there that's."
Marcus continued his brother's thought.
"it's going to be real hard," he said. "We'll be men by that time and grown up. Every chance we get to see each other, we will take the opportunity."
Edited by Jacque Weber