THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
FOOTBALL | 3B Gill's not going anywhere Coache's contract, which doesn't have a buyout clause, will keep him at Kansas for the next five years.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2010
WWW.KANSAN.COM
UP IN THE AIR
Exhibition may clear point guard picture
With Selby's eligibility still unknown who will fill the void is also unclear
Selby, the No. 1 recruit in the country last year, has yet to be cleared because of lingering questions about his amateur status. If he isn't allowed to play, the hole left by Sherron Collins' graduation will become significantly harder to fill.
Sophomore guard Eliah Johnson leaps for a lay-up Friday night during the men's basketball team scrimmage. Johnson was 3-of-3 from the field and finished with seven points as the blue team defeated the crimson team 40-39.
BY TIM DWYER
tdwyer@kansan.com
twitter.com/UDKbasketball
The Jayhawks will take the floor Tuesday night against Washburn in the first exhibition game of the season. In doing so, they will also take their first steps toward answering question No. 2.
The only candidate for the job who would possibly take over primary ball-handling duties is sophomore Elijah Johnson, who remains something of a mystery to Kansas fans after getting two starts in favor of Tyshawn Taylor in nonconference play last year. Johnson showed flashes of brilliance early in the season, but played almost exclusively in garbage time during the conference season.
The first question on Kansas fans' minds right now: Will Josh Selby be declared eligible for the season? The second: If not, who will take his place?
Coach Bill Self said Johnson has the talent, but hasn't consistently brought his best game to the floor in game situations.
"Elijah, to me, is the one guy I really don't know yet," Self said. "He's really improved. His stroke's improved, he wants to be a player, the commitment's there; but he hasn't done it when the lights are on."
COMMENTARY
Johnson may be the best pure point guard on the team, more inclined to set up his teammates than score for himself. For evidence, look no further than his zero-point, nine-assist performance against Alcorn State last season.
Another potential starter is senior Tyrel Reed, who coach Bill Self has said plays below his athletic ability. Reed has the best vertical on the team, measured at an incredible 42 inches, and is reportedly also the fastest player in a straight line on the Kansas
Jerry Wang/KANSAN
roster. Reed's ability to spread the floor as an outside shooter makes him a dangerous option for the Jayhawks.
"A lot of roles are going to change," he said, "but I think they'll change in a good way."
"He'll have a chance to fight for a starting spot and we expect him to be what he's always been for us: a shot-maker, but he's more than a specialist," Self said. "His ballhandling and passing has gotten better to the point where he's more of a complete guard than he has been since he's been here."
Senior Brady Morningstar doesn't brings Reed's athleticism to the table, but he may be the cleanest passer. He led the team with a 2.8 assist-to-turnover ratio (Reed was second at 2.6-to-1), and is the team's best man defender. At the Jayhawks' media day, Morningstar said his role hadn't changed, but that there would be plenty of chances for it to.
Perhaps the biggest wildcard is freshman Royce Woolridge, who developed a reputation as a lethal scorer at the high school level. Woolridge had five points, two assists and a rebound in 12 minutes in the Late Night scrimmage
"Royce Woolridge has been one of the surprises in practice," sophomore forward Thomas Robinson said. "He gets to the basket at will."
Self said he'll wait to see what kind of effect Woolridge could have in the exhibitions, but that he didn't know if Woolridge would be a factor as the season progressed.
"We'll play him in the exhibition games and then we'll decide later on if a redshirt would be a possibility," Self said. "He's going to be a guy that really helps our program over time."
The talented freshman is considered a legitimate candidate to take a redshirt this year, but is allowed to play in exhibitions before the season. Any upperclassmen who might take a redshirt — Self said Conner Teahan is the only candidate — lose that possibility if they play in exhibitions.
"A lot probably depends on Josh Selby's situation," Self said, "but Rovce is coming along nicely."
Robinson, a close friend of
Johnson's, said the emphasis on starting was too much.
"The work ethic of our whole
team should be that we're all going to start," he said. "Because when we come in the game, we have
to produce just as much as them."
- Edited by Emily McCoy
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Slim pickings for post players
BY MIKE LAVIERI mlavieri@kansan.com
The Jayhawks will be thin in the backcourt because of injuries when they start
exhibition play tonight against Washburn.
Sophomore center Jeff Withey is still recovering from a broken foot in late September. Coach thought that Withey
remove a hernia on Oct. 21, junior forward Markieff Morris will be able to play.
"He may not play 30 minutes, but he'll play." Self said.
would have been 100 percent and up to full speed yesterday, but Self said that he has at least another week or two before he is healthy.
"Sitting out, redshirting; it's tough. Now my chance is here, it'll be fun."
"He needs the reps as much as anybody," Self said. "Missing practice at this time of the year is like missing like all your two-a-days in football."
W he n Morris and Withey aren't on the court, Self will be able to look at guards — senior Mario Little and sophomore Travis Releford — at
MARIO LITTLE Senior guard
Despite having surgery to
the power forward position. Self said Releford has been at the four at about 40 percent and Little at about 70 percent. He, however, doesn't look at position numbers because Little could be on the court with both Markieff and junior forward Marcus Morris.
Both Little and Releford redshirted last season after playing in
2008-2009, but that doesn't mean that they've been sitting on the bench.
"Sitting out, redshirting; it's tough." Little said. "Now my chance is here, it'll be fun."
"They were on the court the whole time last year, but they didn't play in the games." Self said.
However, Little can't remember that last time he suited up for the Jayhawks.
Both Little and Releford are eager to get back on the court for a game that counts.
His last game was in the Sweet 16 against Michigan State in 2009 when Kansas lost 67-62. Little played seven minutes and scored two points.
Releford's last game was in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament when he played one minute versus Dayton in the Second Round.
Releford says his
defense has gotten better and that is what he is priding himself on this season.
"People have been judging us about being a fast team this year so we are going to use our athleticism to try and get points off that," Releford said.
Edited by Michael
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN Junior forward Marcus Morris puts up a shot during the men's basketball team scrimmage at Late Night in the Phog. Morris scored a game-high 14 points as both the men's and women's basketball teams opened their 2010-11 seasons Oct. 14.
Fieldhouse an escape from reality
BY MAX VOSBURGH
mvosburgh@kansan.com
it's basketball season. Those three words are used like a security blanke
Does that sound crazy? Probably a little, but for some people that's the reality of it. After all, you do have to be a little crazy to sit on a hard floor inside Allen Fieldhouse for days waiting for your escape into the world of Jayhawk basketball.
around this campus. If something bad happens, such as this year's football season, students attempt to seek comfort in those three words. And in a way, Allen Fieldhouse can become like another world where you can escape and forget about what's happening in your own personal life.
Tonight the Jayhawks take on the Ichabods of Washburn University in their first exhibition game, and finally students who are looking for some joy in their lives will be able to find relief in Allen Fieldhouse.
If you're a freshman or only a casual sports fan and have never been to a game in Allen Fieldhouse before, I strongly encourage you to go and give it a try. There's a reason why basketball at Kansas is so famous. The team is good, the fans are great and the atmosphere is one of a kind.
Exhibition games will be the perfect chance to try out Kansas basketball if you're a newbie, too. There were around 10 camping groups already in line at 6 a.m. Monday. For Big 12 conference
games, there can be anywhere
between 40 to 100 groups a the first chance to begin camping. That makes it very difficult for anyone who isn't in a camp ing group to get a good
seat. Exhibition games aren't only good for the players to get warmed up for the season, but for new fans, too.
Camping is an efficient way for students to line up for the game, but it sounds complicated when
I could try and explain it but that would take too long and you may still not understand. So tonight, get there early and see for yourself how camping works. In fact, I would recommend just walking down to Allen Fieldhouse any
down to Allen Fieldhouse any time today and talking to
some of the campers in line. You may be lost trying to jump in the camping process in
the middle of the season.
the middle of the season. One thing is for sure: if you make it there tonight you'll know what I mean when I say that attending basketball games at Kansas can be like an escape from reality.
Edited by Anna Nordling