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/ SPORTS / WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
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FOOTBALL
Gill praises healthy, trim linebacker
Coach commends Justin Springer; Teahan says he's on team to compete for starting job
Ryan Waqqoner/KANSAN
First-year coach Turner Gill speaks to members of the media prior to the start of Kansas' first spring practice. Gill detailed position changes.
BY JAYSON JENKS
jjenks@kansan.com
Junior linebacker Justin Springer lost five pounds heading into spring practices. Because of that he's eagerly awaiting the start of the new season.
So far, several Jayhawks have shared similar thoughts about coach Turner Gill's clean-slate atmosphere. Perhaps few players are as refreshed as Springer.
Springer spent the time between last season and spring practices getting prepared physically, including shedding unnecessary weight.
After tearing his ACL against Kansas State as a sophomore, he spent most of last offseason isolated in rehab. Once the season started he never appeared fully comfortable and Kansas' linebackers struggled as a whole.
And though five pounds isn't normally considered a notable amount of weight to lose, Springer disagrees.
He may have a case.
"Five pounds is a big difference"
Springer said.
After five practices, Gill said that Springer had performed well in the spring and made a point to applaud Springer's leadership ability.
"He's shown good movement," Gill said. "He's running from sideline to sideline and is able to shed blocks and get off blocks."
That wasn't always the case last season when Springer recorded 25 tackles.
Springer said that while playing against teams that generally featured running offenses, he could still feel the effects from his injury.
And he said that made a noticeable difference.
"One half-step too slow, you're not getting to the ball carrier, that guard is going to pull and he's going to get you," Springer said. "If you're one step faster, you're going to get to the ball every time."
Springer said that he felt better heading into this season and added that all of Kansas' linebackers had improved at this point.
"I think we're a lot faster this year," Springer said. "We give more effort, we're running to the ball a lot better and we're actually stronger than we were last year."
TEAHAN TIRED OF ROLE AS BENCH-WARMER
Speaking with the media for the first time as a football player on Monday, Conner Teahan made one thing clear: He doesn't want to just play football; he wants to compete for the starting job.
"I didn't come here to sit on the bench like I've been doing on basketball." Teahan said.
A two-sport star at Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Mo., Teahan decided to tryout for the football team this season because of the opportunity to play.
"They were just unsure at the quarterback position and I just
In high school Teahan received a scholarship offer to play football for Tulsa. He likely would have received more offers if he hadn't made it clear that he wanted to play college basketball.
thought I might as well give it a try and not regret it five years from now," Teahan said. "That was the biggest factor in my decision."
Now he's attempting to play catch up with the rest of Kansas' quarterbacks. The difference is that he hasn't thrown a pass in a game since 2006.
"I know that's something that will come back to me with practice," Teahan said. "Whereas the playbook, there's a lot of concepts, a lot of plays. As the quarterback, you have to know what everyone is doing."
OTHER PLAYERS
RECEIVING RECOGNITION FROM GILL
Gill opened his interaction with the media Monday by naming
players who have been impressive this spring
In addition to Springer, those Gill listed were: freshman quarterback Jordan Webb, junior running back Angus Quigley, sophomore tight end Tim Biere, junior safety Olaitan Oguntodu, junior defensive tackle Jamal Greene and sophomore lnebacker Steven Johnson.
"Those are some guys as far as names that jumped out here this past week and on Saturday," Gill said.
POSITION CHANGES
Gill revealed before Monday's practice that freshman quarterback Christian Matthews would see time as wide receiver in addition to his responsibilities as a quarterback.
He also said that A.J. Steward would move from wide receiver to tight end and justin Puthoff would move from tight end to fullback.
Edited by Taylor Bern
NHL
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Atlanta loses to NJ former team captain
ATLANTA — Martin Brodeur got his 600th career win with his second straight shutout and the New Jersey Devils beat the Thrashers 3-0 Tuesday night in Ilya Kovalchuk's return to Atlanta.
Kovalchuk, the former Thrashers captain who was traded to the Devils two months ago, didn't score but returned to see the Thrashers eliminated from playoff contention for the ninth time in their 10-vear history.
Dean McAmmond, Zach Parise and Travis Zajac scored and Brodeur stopped 19 shots.
The Devils began the night tied with Pittsburgh for first place in the Atlantic Division and second place in the Eastern Conference.
The shutout was Brodeur's league-leading ninth of the season and the 110th of his career. Brodeur and the Devils beat Carolina 4-0 Saturday.
The 37-year-old Brodeur improved to 10-2-2 against Atlanta. He was pulled after allowing three goals in the first period in Atlanta Dec. 19, but
the Devils still beat the Thrashers 5-4.
Hedberg stopped 24 shots.
McAmmond scored on a pass from Dainius Zubrus in the first period, and the Devils padded the lead with goals in the opening minute of each of the next two periods. Parise pushed the puck past Johan Hedberg 51 seconds into the second period, and Zajac scored 10 seconds into the third.
Hedberg stopped 24 sinks.
Kovalchuk made his first return to Atlanta since a Feb. trade that sent forward Niclas Bergfors and defenseman Johnny Oduya to the Thrashers. Atlanta general manager Don Waddel said he made the trade after Kovalchuk turned down contract extension offers of 12 years for $101 million and seven years for $70 million.
Kovalchuk will become a free agent after this season.
The Thrashers career scoring leader was booed when he came on the ice for his first shift. There were more boos when he was featured on the video board during a first-period break and when he handled the puck.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Pittsburg State hires new coach
PITTSBURG — Pittsburg State University has hired a basketball coach. Pittsburg Athletic Director Chuck Broyles said Cloud County Community College coach Kevin Muff would be introduced as the new coach during a news conference Wednesday.
He will replace Gene Iba, who retired after the 2009-10 season.
Muff has compiled a 202-153 record since 1998 at Cloud County. His squad posted 24 wins in the 2006 and 2007 seasons and averaged 21 wins per season since the 2006 campaign.
He was top assistant at Pittsburg State from 1991 to 1993, after serving as a graduate assistant in 1990.
Before coaching at Cloud County, Muff coached five seasons at Wamego High School.
Associated Press
NBA
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Pistons break 11-game losing streak
PHILADELPHIA — Charne Villanueva scored 25 points, Rodney Stuckey added 24 and the short-handed Detroit Pistons snapped
an 11-game losing streak with a 124-103 victory against the Philadelphia 76ers Tuesday.
Ben Wallace added a season-high 18 points, Tayshaun Prince had 14 and Ben Gordon 13 for
... Stuckey limped off the court with 5:11 remaining in the third quarter after crashing to the court following a driving layup.
Marrese Speights scored 21 points and Jodie Meeks 19 for the struggling Sixers, who have lost four straight. Andre lguodala and Lou Williams had 12 apiece, while Jrue Holiday added 11.
the Pistons (24-53), who won for only the eighth time on the road this season. Jonas Jerebko added 11 points and Will Bynum had 10.
Detroit halted a double-digit losing skid for the second time in 2009-10. The Pistons dropped 13 in a row from Dec. 15 to Jan. 11.
Sixers coach Eddie Jordan limited the minutes for several of his starters, including Elton Brand and Samuel Dalembert. Brand had a subpar game
Detroit built an 18-point advantage in the fourth quarter when lerebko's lavin pushed it to 104-86.
again with two rebounds in 12 minutes. In last Saturday's 128-123 overtime loss to Toronto, Brand went without a rebound for the first time in 713 career games.
The Sixers never got the deficit under 10 the rest of the way.
The Pistons were already depleted with injuries to guard Richard Hamilton along with forwards Jason Maxiell and Chris Wilcox. Then Stuckey limped off the court with 5:11 remaining in the third quarter after crashing to the court following a driving lapup.
Stuckey — who was elbowed in the left rib — hit the free throw, left for the locker room and was replaced by Gordon. Stuckey returned at the start of the fourth.
In addition, Villanueva and forward Austin Daye missed Detroit's charter flight to Philadelphia. They took commercial flights and arrived at the game in time. Both players initially came off the bench in the first half.
The Sixers shot 60 percent from the field in the first half while Detroit was close behind at 56 percent.
NBA
Bosh injured against Cavs
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CLEVELAND — Flattened by an inadvertent elbow to the face, Toronto All-Star forward Chris Bosh was sent to the hospital for tests Tuesday night as the Raptors'
Bosh was accidentally struck
playoff
hopes took
a blow with
a 113-101
loss to the
Cleveland
Cavaliers,
who have
won 11
straight at
home.
"Every game we've played them, it's been real close. I don't think they want that in the first round of the playoffs."
14 and 12 assists for Cleveland, which has wrapped up the NBA's best record and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs and is expected to rest players in the next few games to get ready for the postseason.
SONNY WEEMS Toronto guard
by Cleveland's Antawn Jamison in the first three minutes. Bosh, who had blood dripping from his nose and mouth area as he was assisted from the floor, was taken to the Cleveland Clinic for a CT scan and further treatment and evaluation.
The Raptors had no immediate update on his condition.
Jamison scored 20 points — 12 in the third when the Cavs opened a double-digit lead — and Anthony Parker had a season-high 18.
Lebron James scored 19 with 13 assists and Mo Williams had
Jarrett Jack scored 23 for the Raptors, who also lost forward Antoine Wright in the third quarter with an ankle injury.
Bosh's injury couldn't have come at a worse time for the Raptors, who entered the night
clinging to the No. 8 playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Toronto has a tough week ahead with games against Boston. Atlanta and the Chicago Bulls, who went into Tuesday one game behind the Raptors in the standings.
Despite losing Bosh, who averages 24.3 points and 11 rebounds, the Raptors were still within seven points with 7 minutes to go. James, who sat out the first 4:21 of the fourth, then scored six straight points as the Cavaliers opened a 104-91 lead.
immediately dropped to the floor and stayed there as play continued at the other end. Dazed by the blow, Bosh got to his knees as blood poured onto the court.
When there was finally a whistle, medical personnel from both teams went onto the floor to attend to Bosh, who was in obvious pain. Holding a towel to his face, he was helped from the court and taken to Cleveland's locker room, where he was examined by Cavs team physician Dr. Richard Parker.
"I look at these games as high-level practice. If we don't win, it doesn't really matter."
Bosh was fighting for position in the lane with Jamison when he was nailed by the elbow. Bosh
MIKE BROWN Cleveland coach
With the league's best record locked up and nothing to play for until the playoffs, Cavaliers coach Mike Brown intends to rest his players in the coming days.
(COME JOIN US)
"I look at these games as a high-level practice," he said. "If we don't win, it doesn't really matter."
JUVENILE DIABETES
WHEN 5K SKATING THROUGH KCAMPUS
WHEN SATURDAY APRIL 10
CHECK IN 10:00AM WE WILL RIDE KANSAS UNION
CHECK OUT 11:45AM WE WILL SHIFT BALLOONS AND BATTLE TICKETS
WHO TOGETHER WE CAN DEFEND DIESEL ONE STEP AT A TIME
The Raptors don't have that luxury. Every game is crucial, and if Toronto is able to hang on and make the playoffs, which would be tough without Bosh, the Raptors could face the Cavs in the opening round — a matchup that Toronto guard Sonny Weems wouldn't mind.
"Every game we've played them, it's been real close," Weems said before the game. "I don't think they want that in the first round of the playoffs. We're going to come to play."
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The Cavaliers were without guard Delonte West, rested as a precaution with what the team said were lower back spasms.