Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Volleyball prepares for opener
Coach Ray Bechard said Kansas could start up to three freshman VOLLEYBALL | 9A
FRIDAY, AUGUST 27, 2010
Swim captain feeling focused
WWW.KANSAN.COM
Senior Joy Bunting trained all summer for her last season in the pool SWIMMING | 8A
PAGE 10A
PREPARE FOR TAKEOFF
Soccer team ready for opener
Sophomore midfielder Whitney Berry fires a shot Sunday at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex. Kansas lost to Creighton 3-0.
Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Jayhawks face Eastern Kentucky after preseason loss to Creighton
BY MIKE LAVIERI
mlavieri@kansan.com
Three weeks of preparation could pay off for the soccer team tonight as it opens its season by hosting Eastern Kentucky (1-1).
Coach Mark Francis said he thinks the team is well prepared for EKU compared with the 3-0 exhibition loss to Creighton Aug. 15.
"The Creighton game was not our best outing," Francis said.
Some players did not play either due to injury or not being cleared to play, but Francis is confident that this is a much improved group going into tonight compared to two weeks ago.
The Jayhawks had defensive miscues and could not score.
One player that Francis is still unsure about is junior forward Emily Cressy.
Cressy, who did not play in the Creighton game, hasn't been cleared yet for the contest against the Colonels.
"Hopefully she will be cleared by Friday, we'll know in the next couple of days," Francis said.
If Cressy does not play the Jayhawks will have some holes to fill. The team lost four starters last year to graduation.
Sophomore Shelby Williamson has moved from the midfield to defense to help solidify the back line.
The Jayhawks scored the second most goals in team history last season, but also gave up the second most.
During the two weeks between Creighton and EKU, the team not only worked on its defense, but also its finishing.
"We had a few competition days and some finishing practices to try and get our offensive mentality worked out," junior midfielder Jordyn Perdue said.
Perdue and senior defender Geneva Magness are excited about the game.
"We're all ready to kick someone else other than ourselves," Magness said.
The team hopes it hasn't beaten itself up too bad because it faced a
SEE SOCCER ON PAGE 8A
COMMENTARY
Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Sophomore midfielder Shelby Williamson heads the ball in the second half of the exhibition game Sunday at the Jayhawk Soccer Complex.
Solid work ethic will supplement Opurum's transition to linebacker
B before last season I wrote that it was easy to like Toben Opurum. As
a freshman, he exhibited great poise and humility in the face of being the most highly-touted recruit in the Mark Mangino era. I stand by that statement.
The promising sophomore linebacker, former running back, has had a way of putting his head down and doing his work since arriving on campus, something I respect in anyone, not just a football player.
I like Angus Quigley at running back almost as much as Texas defensive back Blake Gideon doesn't (if you were at that game two years ago, you remember the hit that laid him out). But there's a reason
This is not to say he did not expect greatness of himself. The week before coach Turner Gill moved him to defense, he told media he expected to be on top of every depth chart. Obviously, that expectation will not be met.
I am among the many that don't think this was a good move. I believe Turner Gill was the right hire for Kansas — his 20-30 record as a coach might be the greatest 20-30 record of all time — but this one baffles me.
BY TIM DWYER
tdwyer@kansan.com
But I don't think I'm alone in predicting success for Opurum at his new position. Certainly the Jayhawks' no-diving-shallow talent pool at linebacker will afford him at least an opportunity for playing time early in the Jayhawks' season, but it is the reason I was first drawn to Opurum that makes me think he'll be successful now.
Quigley, whose failed transition from running back to linebacker was probably more a product of his publicly-strained relationship with former coach Mark Mangino than his own shortcomings, cited Opurum's maturity in projecting success for the sophomore. I'd call
Notre Dame was excited to have Opurum's commitment before he backed out for Kansas. He showed it last season when he led the Jayhawks in rushing despite losing time to a leg injury.
it Opurum's humility.
He'll take his demotion — granted, he won't be thrilled about it, but he wouldn't be a Division 1-level competitor if he was — and build from it because he understands the concept of it being for the greater good (sports are a little bit communist like that).
He won't lead the team in tackles this year. He may not start a game. But I think he'll play and play often. If sports betting were legal in Kansas, I'd wager he'll be the four linebacker by the time conference play rolls around maybe before then.
He has the size and the quickness and the strength and even, according to senior linebacker Justin Springer, the instincts necessary for defensive stardom.
After one day on the other side Opurum was earning solid reviews from the captains. After three weeks he'll have the chance to take the field with them as a linebacker against North Dakota State.
All Opurum has to do is put his head down and do his work.
After a season, who knows?
Edited by Lisa Curran
Jayhawks open tryouts to walk-ons this September
Unfortunately for the dozens of students trying out, the reality is that the majority of them will end up like the other 20,000-plus at Kansas — non student-athletes.
The dream of a freshman preparing for walk-on tryouts may not necessarily be the reality of what's to come. Most walk-ons getting ready for upcoming audition dream of becoming the next Rudy Ruettiger, Scottie Pippen, or even Christian Moody.
BY MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
BASEBALL
This group includes freshman Matthew Sugar.
Despite being in Lawrence less than a week, Sugar is trying to leave a strong impression on coach Ritch Price, in an attempt to walk on to the Kansas baseball team.
Sugar, who had offers to play at Tyler Junior College and Mary Hardin-Baylor, arrived at Kansas fresh off a heartbreaking walkoff ending in the semifinals of the 5-A Texas state tournament. He is now looking for his shot at redemption. The path? Matthew
Jessica Janasz/KANSAN
SEE WALK-ON ON PAGE 8A
After making it to state with his high school team last year, freshman Matt Sugar from Houston is hoping to walk on to the KU baseball team this season. Tryouts are in September and will be held at Hogland Ballpark.
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