Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANS
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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 1,2009
Recruit passes up Kansas
BOOST OFF THE BENCH
Bradley Beal chooses Florida instead. MEN'S BASKETBALL | 9A
Coach Belf Self provides instructions to freshman guard Elijah Johnson on the bench against Hofstra on Nov. 13. Johnson and freshmen Xavier Henry and Thomas Robinson have taken some of the pressure off of senior guard Sherron Collins and junior center Cole Aldrich this season and have self-praising the team's selflessness.
Weston White/KANSAN
Collins, Aldrich share the shots
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BY COREY THIBODEAUX cthibodeaux@kansan.com
Based on the stat sheet alone, the Jayhawks' two All-Americans don't have the numbers most expected. But their smaller workload could mean big results for the team.
Senior guard Sherron Collins and junior center Cole Aldrich have spent much of this season out of the spotlight as their teammates have started to come into their own.
"They just take the pressure off me and Cole," Collins said. "That's something me and Cole really needed."
Freshman phenom Xavier Henry leads the team with 16.8 points per game. The emergence of the Morris twins gives Kansas a new dimension of versatility. And
Thomas Robinson brings endless energy off the bench.
Through five games last season, Collins averaged 18.2 points per contest and 5.2 assists. This season, he is averaging only 13.6 points and four assists through five games.
After the 89-59 victory against Oakland, Kansas coach Bill Self praised Collins for his selflessness. Self said the development of the young
Jayhawks was crucial to the success of this season.
"I would have never thought our three returning leading scorers would score 19 points and we win by 30." Self said. "Never would have thought that. But in
large part, the reason we did is because Sherron understands we've got to bring those young kids along."
Aldrich said his stats this season were down in part because of the increased level of competition from the younger members of the team. Last year, Aldrich averaged 15.8 points and 9.4 rebounds in the first five games, but with the emergence of Henry, Robinson and the Morris twins this season. Aldrich
TYREL REED Junior guard
"it's good to see them not have to score and we still do well."
has been limited to 10.8 points and 8.6 rebounds.
"I think it helps me a little bit," Aldrich said. "I get a little selfish and want some rebounds that they steal from me, but as long as
Junior guard Tyrel Reed is averaging about four fewer minutes on the court compared to last year, but those numbers will most likely go up when the coaches figure out the rotation.
we win, it doesn't matter."
Reed said he was the type of player who put the team first and hoped to help ease the pressure off Collins and Aldrich. He said that with the multitude of talent, he was happy to see everyone chipping in to help the Jayhawks' star duo.
"I think we're such a good team; we have a lot of pieces that can step up and help those guys out on any given night." Reed said. "It's good to see them not have to score and we still do well."
Every game it seems, a new player steps up. So far, no player has expressed any concerns about
the amount of shots he is taking or the minutes he is playing, which is something Self likes to see.
"All I preach to my guys is 'Kansas,'" Self said. "I don't get hung up on this guy or that guy."
Self said becoming a great player started with becoming a great team, and that his stars had worked toward that. He said he was amazed at how well Collins had stepped into his role as a leader and had given up personal gains for the sake of his team.
"That kid wants to win," Self said. "That kid wants to leave a legacy behind and he knows the only way you can do that is by winning."
Follow Corey Thibodeaux at twitter.com/c_thibodeaux
Edited by Nick Gerik
FOOTBALL
At the end of the season, Briscoe considers his options
Junior wide receiver is considering going for the NFL next year
BY JAYSON JENKS
lienks@kansan.com
He caught pass after pass, continued picking up yard after yard
Yet after Kansas' 41-39 loss to Missouri in the 118th edition of the Border Showdown, junior receiver
and thoroughly dominated for most of the game against Missouri's secondary.
Indeed, Briscoe's turnovers dampened an otherwise highly productive day for Kansas' offense. For the first time since a 41-36 victory against Iowa State Oct. 10.
touchdowns for Missouri.
"The costly fumbles that I did have didn't really make up for the plays that I did have," Briscoe said. "They turned into 14 points and that really hurt us in the long run."
"The costly fumbles that I did have didn't really make up for the plays that I did have."
DEZMON BRISCOE Junior wide reciever
Dezmon Briscoe slumped in a chair with headphones over his ears and recalled just two plaus.
Both were fumbles by Briscoe. Both eventually resulted in
the Jayhawks moved and scored with regular consistency.
In the final game of the season, Briscoe turned in his best performance of the season with 14 catches for 242 yards and two touchdowns. But he also produced those two
fumbles.
It was kind of a bittersweet
Jerry Wang/KANSAN
SEE BRISCOE ON PAGE 8A
Junior wide receiver Dezmon Brisco breaks away from Missouri safety Jarnell Harrison Saturday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. Mo. Brisco caught 14 passes for 242 yards including two touchdowns in the Jawhaskers' 41-39 loss to the Lakers.
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COMMENTARY
Tattoos show off personal history
Tattoos span popular culture, from actors to seventeen-year-old girl
seventeen year-old girls. Some people have fallen in love with the art; while others still find it to be disrespectful of the human body. Either way, athletes have enough ink on them to fill several galleries.
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Basketball fans have seen their fair share of ridiculous tattoos while watching the NBA. Either you love the kaleidoscope of colorful tattoos displayed on Chris Anderson of the Denver Nuggets, or you hate them. At the University, senior point guard Sherron Collins displays tattoos that are both messages to opponents and references to his personal life. Collins' tattoos are slowly catching up to the NBA average for tatted stars.
On Collins' left arm, there is a picture of a basketball player dribbling a ball in one hand, and holding what looks like a weapon in the other. Above the tattoo it reads: "Caution: Don't Reach," a token to his ability to handle the basketball and cross people up. On a more personal note, Collins has tattoos such as "Rest in Peace Sherron Jr." on the bottom of his forearm, referring to the passing of his firstborn due to premature birth, according to www.kusports.com.
Only a few tattoos can actually touch the people looking at them. They have more importance to the people who have them. The word "Loyalty" can be found on the inside of Collins's shoulder. The loyalty that Collins has shown for the Kansas basketball program has, as on him, made a lasting impression on every Kansas fan. Perhaps, regardless of how some may feel about tattoos, what really matters is their significance to the people who bear them.
The pride athletes feel toward where they came from is another common theme for tattoos. It comes as no surprise that Collins has those, too. A native Chicagoan, Collins has flames reaching up his arm and wrapping around the Chicago area code "312." Another player from Chicago, senior Mario Little, has a bar code laid out on the inside of his wrist with "Made in Chicago" written below it.
There are also somewhat cliché tattoos that too many people have, yet some still relate to as unique and inspirational. One example is freshman guard Elijah Johnson's "Love" on the back of one arm, and "Hate" on the back of the other. Another example: Little's tattoo of the Jordan symbol on his shoulder. Certainly, it's good to aspire to be the greatest, but did you have to make yourself a commercial for a shoe at the same time?
The Morris twins illustrate pride in their family with matching graffiti-styled surnames on the inside of their arms.
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