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Monday, August 21, 2017 The Baylor Lariat
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Lariat TV News Online: Ish Wainwright makes transition from basketball to football
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No quarterback? No problem Lack of decision sparks player competition BEN EVERETT Sports Writer Quarterback is arguably the most important position in football. With just a few weeks until its season opener, Baylor has yet to name its starting quarterback. Three players are vying for the coveted spot: freshman Charlie Brewer, sophomore Zach Smith and senior transfer Anu Solomon. Co-offensive coordinator and quarterback coach Glenn Thomas said drawing out the competition to the start of the season is positive and forces the players to always be ready. “I don’t think there’s any negative to that,” Thomas said. “It keeps everybody on their toes every day. You can’t have a day where you’re not
QB >> Page C7
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CHOOSING A NEW LEADER Following last season’s performances from now graduated quarterback Seth Russell (top left) and sophomore Zach Smith (top middle), head coach Matt Rhule has still not selected a quarterback for the 2017-18 season.
Former Bears poised to make NBA debuts BEN EVERETT Sports Writer
8 Kansas. But even amid the highs of the season, adversity was always nipping at the heels, as then redshirt freshman middle hitter Jaelyn Jackson was lost for the season in the conference opener against Kansas State. Hope found in Romans 5 manifested itself in the most successful season for Baylor volleyball in years. The Bears finished tied for fourth in the Big 12, made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2011, including defeating San Diego in the opening round and watching redshirt junior (now senior) outside hitter Katie Staiger blossom into a All-American Second Team selection. For Fanning and Itiola, circumstances allowed them to learn different roles from what they were used to. Even though it wasn’t a physical contribution to the success on the court, it was every bit as important. “In some ways, it was best for me to sit on the bench. It was a humbling experience,” Fanning said. “I don’t think I had been a very good teammate because I didn’t know how to relate to people who weren’t starting and now I do. I think that’s a cool experience to be a part of.” Even though it was an adjustment, Itiola learned that she could serve her teammates through more than just her efforts on the court, but through encouragement, support, and celebrating in their successes. This type of service required humility and leadership, something McGuyre sees as imperative to maintaining his team’s success. “We always say the best leaders are the biggest servants,” McGuyre said. “We
A new crop of former Baylor Men’s basketball players have joined the NBA ranks, forward Johnathan Motley, guard Royce O’Neale and center Ekpe Udoh. Motley, the 2016-17 Karl Malone award winner for best power forward in college basketball, signed a TwoWay contract with the Dallas Mavericks shortly after the NBA Draft. Two-Way contracts, a new entity in the NBA this season, allow teams to sign two more players than usual, but they can only spend up to 45 days with the team. The rest of the time, Motley will be playing for the Mavericks G-League affiliate, the Texas Legends. Motley, once considered a first-round talent, failed to make it onto the draft board, some believe due to a torn meniscus he suffered in a 70-50 NCAA Tournament loss to South Carolina. Motley says not getting drafted was a tough thing to swallow, but he is thankful he will get a shot in the NBA. “It was tough,” Motley told mavs.com. “But you’ve got to take everything for what it is, and just find a way to bounce back. I’m thankful the Mavs signed me. I feel wanted here.” Motley made a strong impression on the Dallas organization after playing on both the Orlando and Las Vegas Summer League teams. In the Orlando Summer League championship game, Motley posted 18 points and 10 rebounds while also draining the game winning-jumper for the Mavericks in overtime. Motley drew oohs and aahs from the crowd with a half court shot to beat the buzzer in a game against the Sacramento Kings in the Las Vegas Summer League. He posted 15 points in that game. Motley said he recognizes that he has to get better at the small things before he can be trusted to score at the NBA level. “You’ve got to start off where you get in,” Motley told mavs.com. “It’s a league full of scorers. Yeah, I shouldered a lot of the scoring role at Baylor, but sometimes it’s a little different in the NBA. You’ve got to get adjusted to the game. The coaches got to have confidence in you, the staff has to have confidence in you, and that can take years of producing. If I produce over the years, maybe I can become a scorer like I was in college.” Udoh, the No. 6 overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors in 2010, is returning to the league following a stint overseas. The 6-foot-10 Udoh played five seasons in the NBA for three different teams and started 57 games, but never established himself as a solid player. Udoh signed a 2-year, $6.5 million deal with the Utah Jazz to backup All-NBA center Rudy Gobert. Udoh says he looks forward to his return and has a new level of confidence that he can resurrect his NBA career. “I’m more aggressive offensively and I think that’s the key, is my belief in myself, knowing that I can play at any level,” Udoh told Deseret News. “I look forward to this challenge. Five years in the NBA didn’t go how I wanted it to, but now I’m back and I’m ready. I can’t wait to get out there.” O’Neale, a 6-foot-5 swingman who played with the Bears from 2013-15 after transferring from Denver University, played professionally in Germany and
INJURIES >> Page C5
DEBUTS >> Page C5
Liesje Powers | Multimedia Editor
SET IT UP Redshirt senior middle hitter Tola Itiola practices her sets with junior outside hitter Aniah Philo during a Baylor practice.
Injuries bring perspective, service, leadership to volleyball NATHAN KEIL Sports Editor Redshirt sophomore outside hitter Shelly Fanning had finally reached the point of no return. The lingering pain in her foot dating back to her freshman season in 2015 was something that she could no longer ignore, if not for herself, but for her teammates. “Going into my sophomore season it was really hurting me,” Fanning said. “In the Green and Gold scrimmage was when I realized I could no longer jump, play to the fullest, or give my teammates my best. That’s when I realized I had to stop sucking it up and stop at that point.” The stress injury kept Fanning sidelined for the entire 2016 season. But Fanning wasn’t the only one bitten by the injury bug in 2016. Redshirt senior middle hitter Tola Itiola found herself in a similar scenario, falling victim to an injury of overuse and exhaustion. “I guess I felt stuff but I didn’t know what I was feeling, whether aches or pains or if something was actually there,” Itiola said. “ The medical staff at Baylor is amazing and they took really good care of me. We figured out that it was something that just didn’t go away initially, so they did a good job working with me to figure out was going on.” The 2017 season was only in its infancy stage and yet head coach Ryan McGuyre had already lost two key contributors from his debut season in Waco. But Baylor volleyball didn’t fold at the first sign of trouble. It didn’t abandon its competitive spirit and hold on to the hope of a fresh start next season. Instead, it
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As a coach, I know that hope is there, that this is going to be part of something good. RYAN MCCGUYRE | HEAD COACH
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found hope in perseverance and adversity, something that McGuyre accounts to the strength of the team’s chemistry. “Perseverance was a goal of our team. When you look at Romans 5:4, ‘Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. As a coach, I know that hope is there, that this is going to be part of something good. Disappointment is the start of a great journey, not the end,” McGuyre said. “ Our team’s character was extremely strong and the adversity strengthened us. We were very strong because of our chemistry and that had to do with how everyone contributed, top to bottom.” Baylor began to see the fruits of that character as the Bears overcame a slow start to the season to rattle off a 10-match winning streak, including its first two Big 12 matches before falling on the road to No.