THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
CHEESE
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL | 9A
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2010
Jayhawks prepare to face WU's Lady Blues
Kansas ends its exhibition play against Washburn. The last time the teams met in 2008, Jayhawks won 67-51.
KANSA
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PAGE 10A
DRAGGING BEHIND
First conference win within reach
Freshman wide receiver Chris Omigie has a pass broken up by Iowa State defender Leonard Johnson Saturday in Ames Iowa. Omigie had only one reception for five yards in the loss.
With both last in the Big 12, the two struggling teams are eager for a victory
BY KORY CARPENTER
kcarpenter@kansan.com
With the Jayhawks enduring an 11-game Big 12 losing streak, they won't need to watch the bowl selection shows this December
With four games left on the schedule and three ranked teams yet to play, reaching the six-win mark to become bowl eligible is all but out of the question. However, the players still have a goal to upset other teams, even if a bowl trip is out of the equation.
"We have the opportunity to ruin people's seasons," senior right tackle Brad Thorson told
Thorson
reporters after Wednesday's practice. "I love this opportunity that we have ahead of us."
team will get its first chance. The Buffaloes (3-5) are also searching for their first conference win.
W he n
Colorado visits
this Saturday
afternoon,
the football
With the statues of quarterbacks Jordan Webb and Kale Pick still questionable, Turner Gill said
the coaches were still evaluating the players.
While Gill said that not naming a quarterback could be a competitive advantage Saturday for his team, Colorado coach Dan Hawkins isn't worried.
"The [Kansas quarterbacks] are very similar in what they do." Hawkins told the media at Monday's teleconference. "Obviously each guy brings something different to the table. But in terms of what they do schematically, it's similar type stuff."
Regardless of who starts for Kansas, the offense will be at a premium Saturday, as both teams are last in the Big 12. Colorado has scored only 18 points a game this season, only to be topped by the Jayhawks, who have put up 16 points per contest.
After an improvement in the running game last week against Iowa State, Thorson didn't sound surprised with the spike in per-
SENIORS ELIGIBLE FOR COSIDA HONORS
SEE BUFFS ON PAGE 7A
Kansas Athletics announced Thursday that seniors Brad Thorson and Drew Dudley are now eligible for Academic All-American honors, as both players were selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-District 7 team. Thorson already owns a
bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin and is working on a master's in economics at KU. Dudley has made the Academic All-Big 12 first team the last two seasons and holds a 3.7 grade point average in civil engineering.
BYKORYCARPENTER
VOLLEYBALL
Colorado offers chance for momentum
skruger@kansan.co
BY SARA KRUGER
skruger@kansar.com After a loss against Nebraska, Kansas hopes to gain momentum back against Colorado on Saturday and finish up this season on a winning note. The Jayhawks will have extra motivation because Colorado is leaving the Big 12 after this year.
"It's the last time we'll get to play them in the Big 12 conference," sophomore middle blocker Tayler Tolefree said. "We just have six games left, so we need to just finish strong and get a win over them."
The last time the Jayhawks met Colorado, the Buffaloes came out and won in five games. Tolefree says the team is focused on beating Colorado and moving on to the
next game.
COLORADO
Outside hitter Karina Garlington said being a senior also added to the importance of the game.
"We want them to remember the last time they get to play
Garlington said playing two positions was difficult to do and Mayfield has stepped up to the task.
Junior outside hitter Allison Mayfield added depth to the Kansas offense by playing both back and front row against Nebraska.
"She breaks the game down and allows us to get a back row attack when we normally couldn't," Garlington said.
DAY: Saturday
DATE: Nov. 6
LOCATION: Lawrence
TIME: 6:30 p.m.
"They're smaller, so they are smart with putting the ball in play." Tolefree said. "We kind of rally with them, the plays go on longer because they're not such physical blockers and sometimes our block isn't always there."
"We just have six games left, so we need to just finish strong and get a win over them."
Kansas at Kansas," she said. "And, you know, we've got a little grudge match since we lost to them at Colorado, so I hope that motivates everyone to play the best that we can and just get some momentum under us."
Kansas recently faced No. 5 Nebraska, who is also leaving the conference. Colorado is a much smaller opponent than Nebraska.
She said the lajhawks needed to figure out how to not let easy balls score.
TAYLER TOLEFREE
Sophomore middle blocker
T he Jayhawks' hitting percentage against Nebraska was a low .200 compared with their season high of.432 against Texas Tech. Mayfield and
her teammates just didn't seem to get the numbers they are capable of reaching.
In the first set against Nebraska, Mayfield had nine attacks and three kills with two errors. She accounted for three of Kansas' 17 points in the first set and finished the match with 30 attacks, 10 kills and six errors — all team highs. In total, she led the Jayhawks with 11 points, including one service ace.
"I thought she took some good swings. Six errors is more than we probably want her to have, but I thought she did a good job primary passing for us," coach Ray Bechard said. "We ask her to do a lot of things."
SEE VOLLEY ON PAGE 7A
COMMENTARY
Junior outside hitter Allison Mayfield bumps the ball in the first set Wendesday. The Jayhawks will play Colorado next Saturday.
BY TIM DWYER
tdwyer@kansan.com
Turner Gill needs to have faith in players
The first clue came in the opening statement of the first press conference for coach Turner Gill. When he listed what he looks for physically in a football player he mentioned two things before everything else: "guys that can flat-out run" and "speed."
1 nose are the same things. We should have known.
Karissa your returning leading rusher carry for nine touchdowns and 4.2 yards per carry and actually get better as a freshman in Big 12 conference play?
A few months and six miserable losses lay the Kansas football program is reeling and it is in no small part because of Gill's nonsensical restructuring of the Kansas roster.
Just as with Pick, we saw sixth-year senior running back Angus Quigley lose his starting job as soon as someone else performed well at the position in a game. Let me preface this by saying that I think James Sims is a talented back for a freshman, but again, there is a reason that Angus Quigley won the job in the preseason. I don't know exactly what it is — I wasn't there — but if there was, indeed, a reason, stick to your guns and go with Quigley. Three weeks later, Quigley reascended to the top of the running back chart.
He's a power back, though. He doesn't have home run speed.
Rightfully so, too. Quinn Mecham is now in the discussion to be the lajhwaks' quarterback as well. And there was that fun experiment with D.J. Beshears at quarterback late in the Texas A&M game. Hey, the guy is fast.
Put him at linebacker. Scratch that. Put him at defensive end.
With Kansas' stagnant offense, I'd bet opposing teams are happy to see Toben Opurum on the other side of the ball.
I'm not going to suggest anything radical like firing Gill. I'm a firm believer that a coach needs at least three years to be fully evaluated. There's a reason the Pittsburgh Steelers have won more Super Bowls and any other NFL franchise, and a huge part of that is the stability of having just three coaches since 1969.
Kale Pick was not impressive in a little more than six quarters as the starter. No one will argue that. But there's a reason he was made the starter (I'm going to go out on a limb and say it had to do with speed). Either have faith in the guy or don't start him at all. But ripping the rug out from under him only destroys his confidence and has the next guy, in this case Jordan Webb, looking over his shoulder for someone else who might be sneaking up on his job.
What I'm looking for from Gill, though, is some sign that he knows the personnel he has playing for him. Have a little faith in your players.
I'm not asking much from Gill, just that he stops yanking players like an overeager fantasy football manager and trusts his gut.
Bizarrely, I'm actually giving the man a vote of confidence. Trust your decisions, coach. It can't get any worse.
Edited by David Cawthon
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