THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY,APRIL 8,2011
WWW.KANSAN.COM
VOLUME 123 ISSUE 128
BASKETBALL
Morris twins enter NBA draft
BY TIM DWYER
tdwyer@kansan.com
Marcus and Markieff Morris signed with agent Tony Dutt of Rival Sports Group, LLC, effectively killing any chance for the twin forwards to return to the University of Kansas.
The departure of the twins had been expected since news that they had met with a different agent in Los Angeles last week.
Mc. Morris
"I have thoroughly enjoyed my
Mk. Morris
three seasons as a Kansas Jawhawk, and consider it a privilege to have had the opportunity to play for coach Self and his staff," Marcus said in a press release from the company. "It was a difficult decision but I feel it's the right time for me to realize my dream to play in the National Basketball Association."
Marcus was the Jayhawks' leading scorer and was named an All-American by several outlets. Markieff was the Jayhawks' leading rebounder and was named All-Big 12.
"As I move on to the professional stage of my career I will always remember my time as a Jayhawk," Markieff said. "Playing here has prepared me for the opportunity
to have a successful career in the NBA."
Marcus said his coaches and teammates made their three years at Kansas great, and also said support from the Jayhawk fans could "never be matched."
"We appreciate everything they did for us while we were here," he said. "When we say F.O.E. we are saying Family Over Everything and that includes the Jayhawk Nation."
Kansas coach Bill Self said the twins were ready for the NBA.
and that he supports "100 percent" their decision to leave Kansas. Self's support in their decision, Markieff said, made it easier.
"This decision was tugging at both our hearts," Markieff said. "Coach Self thinks this is a good time and we feel this is the best for us and for our family. We will always be Jayhawks and be part of this family."
ESPN's Chad Ford tweeted that both twins are mid-first round picks, while the general consensus among experts is that Marcus
could be a late lottery pick (top 14), while Markieff will go a few spots after him.
"When the time is right, the time is right and certainly now the time is right for those guys to go onto the next level," Self said.
This leaves Kansas with Thomas Robinson and Jeff Withey as the only returning posts, but Kansas is still in the running for several recruits in the class of 2011.
Edited by Samontha Collins
BOUNCY BALLS & BANANA PEELS
SUA set up a track complete with obstacles to resemble Mario Kart
BY JONATHAN
SHORMAN
jshorman@kansan.com
Jessica Parr's video game interest meant real life cash Thursday evening.
Parr, a freshman from Onaga, won an early round of Student Union Activites' Kansas Kart in the visitor's parking lot on Daisy Hill. The event, modeled after the video game Mario Kart, combined a looping track with obstacles and power-ups in the form of water balloons, bouncy balls and banana peels that raced against opponents. Every round eight participants raced through two laps on oversized tricycles. The winner each round was a $15 gift card.
Parr opted for bouncy balls, which forced racers to spin around if hit by one.
"One hundred percent bouncy ball every time," Parr said.
Others went for banana peels.
"What's more fun than wearing a banana suit?" Kaplan said.
Heather Kaplan, a sophomore from Shawnee, handed out peels to racers. She also donned a banana suit for the event.
Kaplan and other event staff originally tried to eat the bananas for the peels but gave up after about 10.
The event is just one of several events SUA is producing in the remaining month and a half left in the semester. SUA vice president of communications Andrew Fillmore, a junior from Belle Plaine, spoke about some of the highlights:
Rain had threatened to derail Kansas Kart, but the sky held for the event.
KU'S BEST DANCE CREW Students will have the chance
to dance Wednesday, April 13, for $500.
Teams must consist of at least three students. Those wishing to participate can apply at suaevents. com.
Dance teams will square off against each other on a square stage with audience members seated on all four sides, forcing dancers to use choreography not always seen on traditional stages.
DAN SAVAGE
Author and sex columnist Dan Savage is coming to Woodruff Auditorium Tuesday, April 19, to speak about the "It Gets Better" project, which he created.
"It Gets Better" consists of a series of videos designed to communicate to gay and lesbian youth that "it gets better" regardless of the hostility or insecurity they may be experiencing. Celebrities and politicians have lent their names to the cause, including President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron.
Fillmore said that although Savage often did his "Savage Love" presentation, the Union event will be focused on "It Gets Better."
The event is $5 with a KU student ID.
MIKE POSNER
Tickets are available at the SUA Box Office on the fourth level of the Kansas Union and are $15 for students.
Posner is perhaps best known for his songs "Cooler Than Me" and "Please Don't Go."
SUA will host hip-hop artist Mike Posner at Liberty Hall Tuesday, April 26.
SEE SUA ON PAGE 3A
Jon Sabillon, a senior from Lawrence, dresses up as Mario for SUA's Kansas Kart event Thursday afternoon and cheers as Jeni Burrows, SUA's special event coordinator from Belle Plaine, drives the through the finish line. There was a track set up in the parking lot of the Visitor's Center with various obstacles and had handful of different projects that the drivers could pick up.
Travis Young/KANSAN
SENATE
New platform wants to bring in big names
BY ANGELIQUE MCNAUGHTON
amcnaughton@kansan.com
A newly released platform for the Senate coalition KUnited addresses using University athletic venues for concerts
and speakers.
Presidential candidate
Libby
Johnson,
a senior
from
Lawrence,
said
KUnited
would like
to work with
the Athletics
Department and
Department and Student Union Activities
student Union Activities to use Allen Fieldhouse and Memorial Stadium to house major events.
"They talked about how when they went to school they remember having concerts after basketball games," Johnson said. "And we would like to welcome big name artists and speakers, things like that, back into Allen Fieldhouse and even Memorial Stadium."
Johnson said the platform stemmed from listening to a friend's parents reminisce about their time at the University.
KUnited's goal is to make those venues more accessible as an option to infrequently house big events.
SUA president Rachel Anderson said attempts were made year after year to have an event in Allen Fieldhouse.
"Something like what KUnited is proposing would be ideal," Anderson said. "But the question will still be do we spend a huge amount of money for that one show or spread it out over the entire year?"
Funding will always be an issue to book events, Anderson said, but developing a partnership could help fray those costs.
Anderson, a senior from Manhattan, said as an organization SUA had discussed this idea extensively.
"We're happy this is one of their platforms and we look forward to sitting down with them and seeing what can happen." Anderson said.
Jim Marchiony, the assistant athletics director, said it's not an
impossible feat KUnited is
"But," Marchiony said, "it is very difficult to schedule outside events at Allen Fieldhouse." During the academic year,
academic year, the Fieldhouse is
reserved exclusively for basketball and in the summer it is reserved for camps.
As recently as 2006 Allen Fieldhouse hosted comedian and actor Bill Cosby during Homecoming week.
Historically, though, it's been done.
Even artists such as Bob Marley and Louis Armstrong once graced the University with their musical presence.
"Certain artists won't come because we have to be able to offer them a sell-out space and this could help in bringing any artist," Johnson said.
Marchiony said the first discussions regarding this kind of proposal would most likely take place between himself and the Athletics Department facilities staff.
Without knowing specifics and without speaking to other staff members, he said it was difficult to discuss feasibility.
"We would talk about it as a department and decide on whether or not it would be something we would want to schedule here and something we would want to represent," Marchiony said.
Neither Marchiony nor Anderson said they had personally spoken with KUnited coalition members.
SEE COALITION ON PAGE 3A
WEATHER
TODAY
75 60
Cloudy
SATURDAY
90 68
Partly Cloudy
Forecasts by University students. For a complete detailed forecast for the week, see page 2A
All contents, unless stated otherwise. © 2011 The University Daily Kansas
SUNDAY
82 49
T-Storms/Wind
RELAYS | 3A
Some events move to downtown
Kansas Relays moves three events to downtown Lawrence.
FOOTBALL|10A
Team has first spring practice
Coach Turner Gill studies his players during practice to decide on their positions.
SOFTBALL | 8A
Kansas needs to strengthen its defense for weekend's game against Oklahoma St.
After losing its two games against Oklahoma earlier this week the Kansas softball team fell 0-8 in its conference record.
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