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NSAN 2009
to theiversity and heassing on shemans. wever, com-
Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Smith brings versatility Despite not being a starter, forward adds consistency. BASKETBALL | 6B
WWW.KANSAN.COM
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2009
special "She's e and 1 and anyone
Players give final reactions Past and current football team discuss Mangino's leave. FOOTBALL | 7B
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RADFORD 64, KANSAS 99
PAGE 1B
Weston White/KANSAN
Freshman guard Elijah Johnson takes off after picking up a lose ball at the top of the key Wednesday against Radford. Johnson had one steal and scored 11 points in his first start as a Jayhawk Wednesday night.
Freshmen take leading roles
COREY THIBODEAUX
cthibodeaux.kansan.com
Make that two starting freshmen.
Eliiah Johnson replaced Tyshawn Taylor in the starting lineup during the Kansas' 99-64 victory against Radford Wednesday.
"Coach just mentioned it to me yesterday," he said. "I didn't think too much of it. I just saw it as an opportunity"
Johnson finished with a career-high 11 points and made every sort of play you can
make as a point guard. Johnson gave the layhawks a playmaking penetrator and a pesky defender.
His first start was short-lived though, with Johnson having two fouls in the first four minutes. He came back in with just under six minutes to go in the first half and quickly made up for his absence with a three.
Starting the game on the court is more comfortable, Johnson said, and it showed in his performance tonight.
COMMENTARY
"I feel more comfortable coming right
onto the floor," he said. "It felt more regular. I had a good feeling about it for the most part."
Self said he doesn't care who starts, but the change might not be permanent.
Kansas Coach Bill Self said the change came because he hasn't been impressed with Taylor's performance this season and both players worked well in their respective roles Wednesday.
"I predict that Ty will get the job back," he said, "but right now, there no reason to not
plav Eliiah."
Cole Aldrich found his matchup against Art Parakouski quite one sided. The 45s battled one-on-one inside all night with Aldrich winning most of the rebound battles and drawing a couple fouls. He finished one rebound shy of a double-double of the
The demoted Taylor made some plays of his own with a couple dunks off of steals. He finished with six points and six assists with no turnovers.
SEE RECAP ON PAGE 4B
Young talent is surprise asset
This is the season for the rampant celebration of over-indulgent consumption.
intelligent consumerism.
That time of year when we gather together and play nice just long enough to share in the spirit that it is indeed awesome to get free stuff. But all free stuff is not created equal; some gifts are better than others. And it's not always the ones you expect. In fact, it's often the gifts you never even thought to ask for that stand out.
Wednesday night, freshman guards Elijah Johnson and C.J. Henry were the surprise stocking
needs to see the surprise stocking — or in this case, basket — stuffers. Neither was expected to produce much, either qualitatively or quantitatively. But amidst typically solid performances from senior guard Sherron Collins and junior center Cole Aldrich, as well as double-digit scoring efforts from freshman forward Thomas Robinson and freshman guard Xavier Henry, both C.J. and Johnson stood out.
With Johnson, the surprise was unveiled quickly. Right off the bat, actually, as he was issued the first start of his career. Admittedly, Johnson was a bit overwhelmed by the occasion. Two quick fouls both solidified that sentiment and ushered Tyshawn Taylor back into the line-up.
At that point, Johnson's start looked to be a squandered opportunity. It would have been easy for him to succumb to that fate, and force matters once he was put back in the game. Instead, Johnson
SEE COLUMN ON PAGE 5B
FOOTBALL
Search for coach could set defining moment for program
BY JAYSON JENKS
jjenks@kansan.com
Kansas' football program sits teetering on a balance between a downtrodden past and a promisingly-bright future.
Athletics Director Lew Perkins is scouring the country for possible replacements for former coach Mark Mangino. Kansas' interim coaches are pitching patience to recruits, attempting to buy whoever assumes the coaching duties more time.
This is certainly an interesting crossroads for Kansas — a program that has experienced bursts of success only to be followed by years filled with losing and disappointment.
Now many are wondering which path. the program will follow: Another lapse in success or a continued climb upward?
But since 2003 — Mangino's second year and Perkins' first — football has received a facelift, highlighted by upgraded facilities and a 3-1 record in bowl games in 2003, 2005 and 2007.
Kansas Athletics Director Lew Perkins watches as Kansas falls to Texas on November 20th, 2009. Peikins is searching for a new football coach. Weston White/KANSAN
"I think this hire is critical to bring in a really good coach and keep it going," former quarterback Kelly Donohoe said. "And I wouldn't be surprised to see them hire someone that could take them to the next level where they are competing and winning Big 12 North titles because
Search for the coach
they've got the ground work to do that."
When Perkins arrived in 2003, Kansas' football facilities ranked near the bottom of the Big 12, lacking the flare that recruits often seek.
tically improved. New practice fields and the Anderson Family Football Complex featuring offices and a weight room were built adiacent to Memorial Stadium.
But in the last few years, the
A new, larger video board is scheduled to
Weston White/KANSAN
And while Mangino resigned with a "mutually satisfactory" agreement after two weeks of turmoil, Rivera said that the coaching change should prove beneficial in terms of on-field status.
Instead, a 5-7 finish ensued, recalling disappointing years that fill Kansas' past.
Mike Rivera said. "I mean, he has obviously done a lot of great things for this program and for this school."
"I think it's a huge hire and who better than Lew Perkins to make that decision?" former linebacker
"I learned a couple things tonight. I need to work on my defense. That's definitely something that is a work in progress."
This season was supposed to be the year Kansas football took another step forward. The preseason advertising campaign even proclaimed, "History Awaits."
Perhaps, then, with an increased monetary investment comes increased expectations.
replace the current one before next season.
THOMAS ROBINSON Freshman forward
"I think in order to bring the program to the next level — and in order to bring it to the level of some of the other programs in the Big 12 — this was a good move," Rivera said.
Of course, there's always another viewpoint in any situation involving a coaching
change.
Linebackers coach Bill Miller, who is also serving as an interim coach, said that recent developments have left the program with plenty of holes that must be quickly plugged.
The Jayhawks lose many of their
top players — including quarterback Todd Reesing, wide receivers Meier Meier and Dezmon Briscoe and safety Darrell Stuckey — from a team that already struggled last year.
"I think whoever they hire here is going to be critical for the success and to help start the repair work to the damage that has been done," Miller said. "There's a lot of work to be done now."
"I think it's a very, very sensitive time for the program right now."
At this point, though, all parties can certainly agree on a simple message: This is a program-defining moment in Kansas football.
Miller and Kansas' assistants are still on the road recruiting until a new coach is announced, and returning players released a letter voicing their excitement for next season.
former offensive lineman Ryan Cantrell said "Any time you go from really, really low and you hit that peak and then you start working back down, you have to have some kind of standard of play. To really achieve that, it's a really sensitive and delicate process."
Edited by Alicia Banister