THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2011
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2011 recruits announced
Gill discussed the competition that new players will bring to the football team
PAGE 10A
BY KORY CARPENTER kcarpenter@kansan.com
Turner Gill announced his 2011 recruiting class in a special press conference Wednesday afternoon at the Anderson Family Football Complex. The class, which includes 27 signees, is currently ranked 34th in the country according to rivals.com.
While speaking to media members, Gill described his staff's goals while on the recruiting trail the last year, which included the obvious attributes of speed, explosiveness and depth. He also discussed in depth a few rather unknown recruiting philosophies he and his staff executed this year. On both the offensive and defensive lines, Gill said he wanted to work from the outside first and then work his way in.
The four defensive linemen currently signed will all start their careers at defensive end. The magic number seems to be between 275 and 285 pounds before they can move to the interior defensive line. Julius Green looks to be closest to making that switch as of right now. Green currently weighs 270 pounds and is already on campus working out.
"I wanted to go get defensive ends," Gill said. "And if those guys can get bigger, we'll move them inside."
on campus working with the "outside to inside" philosophy was something Gill picked up on while playing and coaching at the University of Nebraska. Gill said he noticed former Cornhusker coach Tom Osbourne implement that strategy many times while in Lincoln.
"At Nebraska that was one of the philosophies -- getting speed. And then if you want to get bigger on the inside, you still have the athleticism," Gill said.
Former stints on the offensive side of the ball or past experience running track were also things the staff looked at while filling up this recruiting class.
"All these guys on the defensive side are very athletic; they're very explosive and they can run."
Former running backs, receivers, or quarterbacks, Gill said, bring an extra level of athleticism and explosiveness to the defense.
Gill noted that a goal during the recruiting process was getting parents onto campus to see the University.
A few other things stood out during the press conference, which ran for about 30 minutes.
The high number of recruits begs the question of immediate playing time, which Gill said was a good possibility for 15 or 16 of the 27 signed players.
"If we got both parents to come on campus I think we were about 100 percent [at getting a commitment.]
He also spoke about questions he received from a few recruits on the future of the Big 12 conference, which seemed to be in limbo last summer. "The Big 12 is here to stay," Gill said confidently.
With the inconsistent performance at quarterback play in 2010, Gill was asked if incoming freshman Brock Berglund could start in 2011.
"When you have competition in all walks of life, you're either going to rise or you're going to fall. We want to make sure that we have the right people who are going to rise to the occasion and be able to make plays for us."
"Absolutely. Yes" he said, once again harping on his goal of competition at every position heading into next season.
Edited by Erin Wilbert
TOP RECRUITS
Brock and Quarterback 6"4", 205,
Fr, Highlands Ranch,
Colorado, Valor Christian High School
Another of the already enrolled and practicing signes, Berglund brings talents that other schools like Colorado
were begging for. The third-best player in Colorado and 13th-best dual threat quarterback in the nation according to Rivals.com, Berglund threw for 2,150 yards as a senior and also racked up 23 touchdowns. On top of that, he ran for 952 yards and nine touchdowns on 130 carries. The guy has speed and an arm that Kansas football seemed in desperate need of.
Berglund
Anthony Pierson
Runningback, '5'11', 175
Ibs., Fr. East St. Louis,
Ill., East St. Louis High
School
Rivals.com ranked Pierson the eighth-best "athlete" in the nation, and the 4th-best overall prospect in the state of Illinois. During his high
Pierson
school career Pierson ran for 5,661 yards. and scored 76 touchdowns. During his senior season Pierson averaged 11.7 yards per carry.
Running back,
'5/10', 181 lbs., Fr.
Blue Springs, Missouri,
Blue Springs
Darrian Miller
High School Miller graduated high school early, and has enrolled at KU for the spring
Miller
KU for the spring semester. He was ranked the 22nd best running back in the nation by Rivals.com, and was a three time all-state first-team selection.He finished high school with 6,565 yards, and 88 touchdowns in his career. In his senior season Miller ran for 2,226 yards, and 30 touchdowns to help his team reach the Class 6 quarterfinals.
Dylan Admire
Offensive Lineman,
63' , 264 Ibs., Fr.
Overland Park,
Kan., Blue Valley
West High School
Already enrolled
in spring classes,
Admire ranked
as the sixth best
as the sixth player in the state of Kansas as well as the 30th-best guard in the nation by Rivals.com. He recorded 67 pancake blocks as a senior and was named first-team all-state by the Wichita Eagle and Topeka Capital Journal.
SEE THE REST OF THE CLASS ON PAGE 7A
Admire
Jayhawks break losing streak with win against Colorado
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Freshman guard Keena Mays lays the ball up off of a fast break in the second half Wednesday at Allen Field-house. Mays recorded 16 points in the 81-53 victory over Colorado.
Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN
--success in the second half of the Big 12 Conference season.
Fast-break layups, a threepointer, a block and a mid-air interception reminiscent of Sherron Collins — freshman guard Keena Mays did it all. Mays solidified the Kansas lead with that knockout series of plays in the early minutes of the second half.
BY KATHLEEN GIER
kqier@kansan.com
"It felt really good, I didn't notice it in the moment," Mays said.
Mays finished the game with 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting and 2-of-3 from beyond the arch. Sophomore guard Angel Goodrich talked about the impact Mays had on the team.
"Those are momentum plays for us." Goodrich said. "If something happens like that we get so rumped."
The Jayhawks defeated the
Colorado Buffaloes in an 81-53 rout for their second conference victory of the season. Kansas now sits with a 15-7 record overall with a 2-6 mark in conference play.
"It felt good to get a win, and get a big one," coach Bonnie Henrickson said.
Hem reasoned.
The Jayhawks have struggled recently, but were able to break a five-game losing streak with the victory tonight.
"No one is happier to get out of January than us and get into February and make a run," Henrickson said. "This team has to get better."
Goodrich saw the significance of the game that gave them a morale boost.
"We needed this game. For the last two weeks we have struggled, but after this win it feels better," Goodrich said.
Mays is hopeful that this is the turn that the team needed to see
"We are gonna start our streak tonight," Mays said.
Goodrich saw differences in transition as a large part of the team's success tonight. Kansas outscored Colorado 10-0 in fastbreak points and scored 21 points off of turnovers. Some of these points came off of Kansas' seven steals and four blocks.
"It felt good because we were getting quick baskets and coming down and playing defense," Goodrich said.
Edited by Brittany Nelson
Kansas shot 62 percent from the field in tonight's competition and had 18 assists in a balanced attack in which all players scored.
"Tonight we came together and this is the strongest we have been in the last two weeks," Goodrich said.
COMMENTARY
Newest players are more than just athletes
BY COREY THIBODEAUX cthibodeaux@kansan.com
.
Coach Turner Gill is trying to build more than just a football team.
It's pretty evident when a team that went 3-9 has a recruiting class hovering around 30th in the nation.
Gill faced the question Wednesday during his Signing Day press conference: Did that poor record affect any of Kansas' commitments?
"Guys have confidence," Gill said. "They love what we're doing here. That's why you come here on an official visit. You come here and witness it here yourself."
Not a one,he said.
Gill is trying to build a program focused on character and passion, using those as a launching pad to bigger and greater achievements. From the day he got here, Gill said that he was going to recruit and he was going to turn his players into better men. That seems to be enough to keep these guys committed to Kansas.
Part of building a successful program means bringing in players and coaches who know how to win, much like the Kansas City Chiefs did last year. This Kansas recruiting class had 14 players who competed in state championships last season, while 23 total had playoff experience.
Gill and his coaching staff have signed 27 players from as far as California and Florida to play for the Jayhawks next season, with many competing for a significant role.
The talent of these freshmen is yet to be determined, but their experience is essential. Gill said to give it two or three years and this Kansas team will be competing for championships.
That's a bold statement for not yet seeing what his team can do on the field. But from what Gill said Wednesday, these guys seem to know the value of tradition.
Usually, all it took was one parent to buy into what Gill was preaching to help push a recruit toward Kansas. If he got two parents, it was a bonus. But the families saw the passion Kansas fans have for their sports and they wanted their sons to be revered as such.
A trip to Allen Fieldhouse often made the recruits realize how much the fans love their athletes.
"I think the biggest thing that is great for us, no doubt, is going to a basketball game," Gill said.
The Jayhawks didn't need to have a good football season to have a recruiting class that looks solid on paper. Kansas' traditions and atmosphere are often enough to interest potential players.
There is always the chance that the on-the-field goals set out by coaches and players won't go as planned. But if Gill turns his players into better men than they were before coming to Kansas, he has done his job. And Gill thinks he has another batch of players that can excel on the field, in the classroom and in the community.
"This group exemplifies what a student athlete really is," Gill said.
Edited by Jacque Weber