THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
Team visits Boys and Girls Club Members of the men's golf team spoke with kids about golf and sportsmanship.
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17,2011
WWW.KANSAN.COM
STREAK ENDED
Jayhawks reflect on downfall
Senior guard Mario Little is whistled for a foul as he grabs Kansas State guard Rodney McGruder during the second half. Kansas committed 22 fouls and gave up 24 points from the free-tnrow line in the 84-68 loss at Bramlage Coliseum Monday night.
PAGE 10A
Kansas falters on both sides of the floor, ends 6-game offensive streak
BY TIM DWYER
tdwyer@kansan.com
For six games, Kansas had been rolling offensively. Then Monday night happened. Maybe it was the pressure of being No. 1. Maybe it was Kansas State finally becoming the team people thought it would be before the season started. Or maybe Mario Little had it right.
"They just kicked our butts," Little said.
Little said.
Whatever the cause, Kansas needs to identify it before Saturday or risk one loss becoming two.
or risk one loss because of risk alone.
The Wildcats forced the Jayhawks into their fourth-worst offensive performance of the season (Nebraska, Michigan and Texas are the only schools to guard them better). The 11-to-18 assist-to-turnover rate was the worst of the season and it falls largely on the shoulders of Tyshawn Taylor, who struggled mightily with one assist against six turnovers.
assist against six.
The most logical explanation lies in the brutal performances of the Morris twins. Both played well below their average minutes, and the ball never seemed to move in the offense as well when they were out. Despite the off night, Marcus still had the highest plus/minus, which calculates score differential only when that player is in the game, amongst the starters.
game, among the twins, we naturally have good passers," Self said in the week heading up to Kansas State. "The twins are terrific passers, even though their stats don't say that in assist-to-turnover ratio. They have more assists that they would get credit for if it was hockey."
the defensive end. Just couldn't get it right." Little finished 3-of-9 from the field.
casey. In hockey the pass preceding the assist is also credited with an assist, and the twins excel at opening up the game with passes out of a double team, Little, however, is a pure scorer in the post who is hesitant at best to give up the ball once he gets it. Jeff Withey, who played a conference-season high 11 minutes, hasn't developed the Morris's skill set, either. So with the twins in foul trouble and Thomas Robinson out, Kansas State was able to neutralize what had been the best offense in the nation for the past six games.
from the field.
Self, with remarkable prescience, said last Thursday that he
nation for the past six years.
"The they played the same defense they usually played, we just couldn't really buy a basket," said Little. "We let that transition to
had a problem because his team is so effective offensively that it becomes hard to convince them that they need to be keyed in at all times on defense.
"In games where you're not making shots, or a game where you're playing with foul trouble, can you get four or five stops in a row in the clutch part of the
game?" Self asked.
It only took four days for Self to get his answer: a resounding no.
- Edited by Jacque Weber
Kocon returns to field after overcoming injury
BY HANNAH WISE
hwise@kansan.com
"All I knew was softball. Being unsure of what would happen, it scared me a little bit," red-shirt junior outfielder Liz Kocon said. After the first week of when would have been her junior sea-
"I immediately knew something was wrong. It kind of felt like my hip was out of place." Kocon said.
dove to catch. It was so low that when she moved to field the ball her toe got stuck in the turf jamming her leg up into her hip.
The team was practicing in the Anschutz Pavillion. Kocon was preparing to
The coaching and training
shed known herentire life had come to a screeching halt in an instant.
"If adversity does come your way, you just push through it."
LIZ KOCON
red-shirt junior outfielder
preparing to field a low ball, about ankle level. It was a ball that, if the team had been outside, she would have
staffs were not sure of the degree of injury at first. Kocon was prescribed ice baths to lessen s well l ing in her hip. After
receiving the MRI results, she was diagnosed with two muscle tears in her hip. She opted to
allow the muscles to heal on their own without surgery.
as long, Kocon said. The next step was recovery. After resting and reducing swelling with ice baths, the training staff moved Kocon to the water treadmill in the aquatic rehabilitation center. Using the water treadmill helped to keep pressure off her hip while allowing her to stay in shape and exercise to rehabilitate the muscles with minimal pain.
"It was a clean tear so it was just easier to heal that way. Surgery would have taken just as long." Kocon said.
minimal pain.
"It was a lot of stretching and just gradually getting back into full running. I am still limited today, but it is a lot better than where I was," Kocon said.
SEE KOCON ON PAGE 9A
After a season-ending injury. Liz Kocon returns to the field with an extra year of playing time.
COMMENTARY
Students get active with good weather
1
BY COREY THIBODEAUX
cthibodeaux@kansan.com
Which would you rather have: a dreary 70 degree day or a sunny day with a high of 60? Or perhaps it doesn't matter. It's all perfect.
Go look at a 10-day forecast. You won't see anything more beautiful this February. Just more than a week ago, a 15-year Kansas resident would say the chill that came over Lawrence might have been the coldest experience of his life.
A five minute walk to class and your beet-red cheeks could be chiseled easily from your face. You couldn't even scream in agony because that would subject your mouth to the harsh bitterness.
It was the rebirth of what many of us were waiting for. It's not coming. It's already here. You can enjoy the outdoors again, the bonding with nature can resume, and our recreational activities can commence.
al activities can start
The rain is going to start
Saturday and basically go
throughout the week, so enjoy
this climate now. There is no
better time than the now. If you
put it off, something will come
up, and you'll miss it.
But on Tuesday, there they were. It was as if spring had finally arrived. What a beautiful sight to see ultimate Frisbee teams practicing their craft near Watkins Health Center.
up, and you'll need
Get some people together,
forcefully if need be, and engage
in something other than video
games and watching Jersey
Shore. Run, throw, catch, kick,
hit, jump, even hop and skip if
you have to.
Going to the gym can be fun, and that's where everyone goes during the winter months. But weaving through a crowded track or getting stale muscles while in line for a weight bench isn't the ideal way to exercise. Maybe this could jump-start that New Year's resolution you faltered on.
Your body likes the changes anyway. And the world is entirely open. No waiting, no limits. Unless you count the streets.
Often you count on it. It's an exciting time for sports reporters too because that means more of you are available for stories. And if you think your group, club or intramural has a cool story and deserves coverage, please feel free to let us know in the case we may not find you.
According to weather.com, it's supposed to be up in the 50 degree range for the duration of February after Friday. What you do when that happens is up to you. That could be too cold for some people to toss a ball around or to jog a few miles.
Sure, it's going to look a little gloomy at times. And it could be wet with the remaining snow dissipating. But just remember the sun is still shining somewhere. You don't have to wait for spring.
Edited by Erin Wilbert
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