"Every time we play those guys, they're always talking noise, saying somebody's going to get hurt. When you're scared, that's when you say something." Chiefs receiver Eddie Kennison on the Denver Broncos
what we heard
off the bench
the university daily kansan 9A
friday, december 5, 2003
Freshman starters give Jayhawks immediate punch
Something is different about the Kansas men's basketball team this year. I'm not talking about the new coach, new court or even the new uniforms. The difference is two freshmen making an instant impact for the Jayhawks this season. In contrast to last year, where Kansas relied heavily on experienced seniors, this squad has some exciting young players.
David Padgett is drawing comparisons to Nick Collison after only three regular season games. The 6-foot-11-inch, 235-pound freshman has lived up to all the expectations and has the potential to become another great post player for Kansas. Padgett is a versatile player who can run, score, rebound and create plays for his teammates with good passing skills.
COMMENTARY
Jonah Ballow jballow@kansan.com
What has to excite Jayhawk fans and coach Bill Self is the way Padgett runs the floor. He possesses the same type of ability as Collison to streak down the court, which makes him a dangerous weapon on the fast break. Padgett will flourish in the high-low offense that Self has installed. He passes the ball extremely well from the top of the key and is tall enough to see over defenders to feed the ball to Wayne Simien in the low post.
The absence of Collison has left a void in the middle, and Padgett provides shot blocking to help the Jayhawks on defense. Padgett is leading the team in blocked shots and is second in rebounding with 6.7 boards a game. The future is bright for Padgett, but he gives Kansas immediate production at the post position. Padgett has proved to be a better post player than senior Jeff Graves through two preseason and three regular season games.
As Dick Vitale eloquently said of J.R. Giddens, "He's the elevator man." After watching Giddens in the McDonald's High School All-American game
and dunk contest last year, Kansas' fans could see the potential in the freshman.
The game against Michigan State was a breakout performance for Giddens. The talented swingman proved his knack for getting to the rim and making big plays against the Spartans. Giddens came off the bench and provided, an instant scoring spark while bringing fans to their feet in Allen Fieldhouse.
The second dimension to his game is the ability to hit jumpers, which separates him from past high-flying players such as Kenny Gregory. Giddens is fourth on the team in scoring with 8.3 points a game while showing improvement in each game this season. Giddens is still weak on defense and makes some
usual freshman mistakes. However, just like Padgett, he has the ability to run the floor and finish the fast break with a punishing dunk.
Although it's extremely early in his career, Giddens has the same playing style as former Jayhawk Paul Pierce.
Both Giddens and Padgett are extremely important to the overall success of Kansas this season. With the losses of Kirk Hinrich and Collison, the Jayhawks will need support from several different players.
The freshmen have the skills and athletic capabilities to make Kansas a dangerous team throughout the season.
Ballow is a Lone Tree, Colo., senior in journalism.
Chiefs' Hall still hunting record with only four games remaining
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Like a tackler bearing down from his blind side, time is catching up with Dante Hall.
Only four regular-season games remain for Kansas City's kick returner to get that NFL-record fifth touchdown return he's been craving since a spectacular return against Denver tied the existing mark of four.
Hall seemed almost a cinch to get five, or more, after setting another record with touchdown returns in four straight games by the season's fifth week.
But in the ensuing seven games, teams have punted away from him, squibbed kickoffs down the middle or out of bounds and sent punts booming through the end zone, deciding a touchback was better than giving another touch to Hall.
There have also been some tantalizingly close calls when all he needed was one more block.
"I'm kind of thinking every time I return, if it's not a score, it's not good enough."
It's not as though Hall has been ineffective since that afternoon of Oct. 5 when his dazzling 93-yard punt return against Denver made him the only man in NFL history with TD returns in four straight games.
"I'm starting to worry," Hall said with a grin. "I want (the fifth TD return). Iain't going to lie to you, I want it. I don't want to come this close and not get it.
He leads the AFC with 1.068 kickoff return yards and 440 punt return yards. Several nice returns have helped set up important scores, such as Morten Andersen's game-winning field goal in the final seconds against Oakland.
Without him, the Chiefs (11-1) would not own the NFL's best record nor be top contenders for home-field advantage.
But that fifth TD return that seemed so certain with 11 games to go now seems to be slipping away with only four games left.
He'll have his next shot against the Broncos when the Chiefs travel to Denver this week, hoping to nail down the AFC West crown.
"Put it like this: I used to just go back and concentrate on some good field position and if the return came, great. Basically, letting the game come to me," Hall said.
"People say don't worry about it. But when the games are dwindling down, dwindling down and it's been a while since I've come really close ... I don't know."
That's not the case now, although Hall's coaches are doing all they can to calm him down.
return star, insists he's not worried that Hall might not get his record.
"They're all telling me to just be patient, be patient," he said. "But the season's going to be over with pretty soon. I'm trying to be patient, but at the same time,I'm real anxious.I'm starting to worry.
Coach Dick Vermeil, who has formed a close personal bond with his kick
Hair might make me forget "If a teammate or two had done just what they were supposed to do, he'd have two more by now." Vermeil said. "And he had a 45-yard (return) the other day. The fact it's never been before shows you how hard it is to do.
"I still believe he has a real good shot at doing it, regardless of the measures people take to punt the ball or kick the ball away from him."
Wide receiver Eddie Kennison, who created a furor on Wednesday by ripping the Broncos and coach Mike Shanahan, was held out of practice on yesterday. When approached by reporters, he walked away without a word.
"He has a sore throat," deadpanned Vermeil. "No, he's had a quad muscle that's been bothering him."
"I just said, 'Always show class.' That's what the organization is about. That's what we as a football team are about," Vermeiil said. "That stuff is not necessary. Plus, I have a lot of respect for Denver and the people there."
vermeil spoke with the entire squad about Kennison's remarks, in which he virtually guaranteed a victory over the team the Chiefs beat by only one point in their first meeting.
He said Kennison had not been fined.
He said Kennison had not been fined. "Eddie is Eddie," Vermail said. "He knows I would just as soon as him not say that. I was just a day late in saying anything."
Cardinal has arm operation
The Associated Press
ST. LOUIS — Gold Glove center fielder Jim Edmonds underwent a surgical procedure yesterday meant to rid his throwing shoulder of discomfort and should be fully healed in time for the St. Louis Cardinals' spring training, the Cardinals said.
the procedure at a suburban St. Louis-area hospital "was a general cleanup, just to clean out whatever was causing this discomfort and irritation" that the seven-time Gold Glove outfielder developed recently during workouts, Cardinals spokesman Brian Bartow said.
The surgery went well, Bartow said, and the Cardinals fully expect the left-handed Edmonds, 33, to recover and take part in spring training early next year in Florida.
Edmonds, a lifetime. 293 hitter, last season hit. 275 with 32 doubles, 39 home runs and 89 RBI over 447 bats in 137 games. In his four seasons with the Cardinals, he has averaged 35 home, 98 RIB and a.297 hitting efficiency.
Doctors described yesterday's procedures by team doctor George Paletta as debridement of a joint in his left shoulder and distal clavicle resection. In arthroscopic debridement, debris such as bone spurs and rough, torn pieces of cartilage often are removed or sanded down.
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Kansas athletics calendar
Friday
Swimming at U. of Houston, 6 p.m. at Houston
Saturday
Men's basketball at Stanford, 3 p.m. at Anaheim Calif.
Women's basketball
Swimming at Texas A&M; 1 p.m. at College Station, Texas.
Holiday Inn/Jayhawk Classic, Kansas against Cal State Fullerton, 12:30 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse
Sunday
Women's basketball, Holiday Inn/Jayhawk Classic, TBA
Meeting with NCAA officials reassures Mizzou president
The Associated Press
COLUMBIA, Mo. — University of Missouri President Elson Floyd told The Associated Press he feels "much better" about allegations of inappropriate academic help for a former basketball player after a meeting yesterday with the NCAA.
The university and the NCAA spent months investigating allegations surrounding former guard Ricky Clemone
But Floyd also said said Missouri hasn't been cleared, the long-running NCAA investigation isn't over, and he doesn't know when it will end.
"Personally, I feel much better about there not being a possibility of any academic violations having occurred."
Ellson Floyd University of Missouri president
including assertions by Clemons'ex-girlfriend, Jessica Bunge, that he received improper help with school work. Missouri coach Quin Snyder said he had no
knowledge of Clemons receiving improper academic help
"Personally, I feel much better about there not being a possibility of any academic violations having occurred, but we need to wait and see what the NCAA says," Floyd told the AP after about two hours of meetings in Indianapolis with NCAA enforcement officials.
Floyd said he sought the meeting "to get a sense of where they were, relative to the investigation — and it's unclear when they will be finishing their investigation."
The NCAA said in a letter dated Sept. 23 that it was giving Missouri formal
notice of an inquiry already under way for several months.
The NCAA and Missouri had said they expected the investigations to be wrapped up by this month, but Floyd said: "We don't know when it will end."
Under NCAA bylaws, a school is notified in writing "if the enforcement staff has developed reasonably reliable information indicating that an institution has been in violation of the Association's governing legislation that requires further in-person investigation..."
"The NCAA is still looking at all the issues that everyone has known and somewhat speculated about. There is
nothing new," Floyd told the AP. "It's a work in progress."
Questions arose about how Clemons earned 24 academic credits — enough to enroll at Missouri from a Kansas junior college — during a two-month period in the summer of 2002.
After more allegations related to academics by Clemons' ex-girlfriend, Bunge, Floyd commandeered the internal investigation from the athletic department and handed its leadership to veteran electrical engineering Professor Michael Devaney, an immediate past president of the Columbia campus faculty council.
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