LOCAL
L AWRENCE J OURNAL -W ORLD
Sunday, December 29, 2013
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Matt Tait mtait@ljworld.com
Jayhawks will keep things intriguing A few random hoops thoughts while wondering how many more columns and features will be written this season about amazing and talented freshman Joel Embiid. No matter how many it is, the guy is worth every inch that’s written. Q Actually, that brings me to my first thought — Embiid. We’ve all marveled at his size, skill, footwork, touch and power, but not much has been said about his on/ off switch. Of all the things that have impressed me about the big fella, his ability to turn nasty Embiid in a snap of your fingers is right up there near the top. Kind, caring and as pleasant as they come off the floor, Embiid has the ability to transform into an angry, aggressive monster on the floor. And that’s nothing but good news for the Jayhawks, who occasionally have had to beg their superstars to have a killer instinct. Q Speaking of killer instinct, is there a guy on the roster with more confidence than freshman sharpshooter Brannen Greene? I know he got off to a slow start and that he and Bill Self were not always on the same page in the beginning, but look at him now. He’s had seasonhighs in minutes played during two of KU’s last three games and appears to be turning the corner in terms of earning Self’s trust. Yet again, another good thing for this roster. I get the feeling that Greene is one of those guys who thinks he’s the best player in the gym no matter the gym. And I have no problem with him believing that. Q Belief. There’s a word that will go a long way for KU fans this season and likely already has served many of them well. And I’m not just talking about believing this team or the head coach would get it together after road losses to Colorado and Florida. I’m talking more about believing in the team’s leader, junior point guard Naadir Tharpe. Does Tharpe take a couple of ill-advised shots? Sure. Is he a little wild at times and a tiny bit shellshocked at others? Yep. But is he the best candidate to be the on-thefloor leader for this year’s Jayhawks? You betcha. Self has said as much, repeatedly, and he’s not the kind of guy that just says things to hear himself talk. Stand behind Tharpe. He’ll make you glad you did. Q Anyone else having a hard time believing that Big 12 play starts a week from Wednesday? If the next two months go by as quickly as the first two did, we’ll be on the brink of warmer weather and in the heart of the best part of the college basketball season. That’s enough for now. Enjoy these guys. This team is made up of as good a group of people as I can remember being at KU.
John Young/Journal-World Photo
KANSAS UNIVERSITY JUNIOR GUARD NAADIR THARPE HELPS CAMPERS WARM UP with jumping jacks during the KU men’s basketball team’s annual holiday clinic, Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
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“It’s the way I’m releasing the ball. I’m aiming it and not just shooting,� Mason said. “I think that’s the reason (the shot’s been off).� KU coach Bill Self believes the shots will start falling. “Frank can shoot it ... without question,� Self said. “The percentages aren’t great so far this year from three (but) Frank’s a good shooter.� Mason would like to start piling up the assists and move the ball crisply against both the man and zone. “In man, you can break a defender down and you kick it out to the open guy,� Mason said. “The zone is pretty much packed in. You have to know what you are going to do before you do it.�
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guard CeCe Harper, who leads the Jayhawks in assists, steals and minutes played. “We need to spark something to get ready for (Big 12) play and give us confidence going into the conference.� The Bulldogs enter today having lost five of their last seven, and they have scored more than 67 points just three times all season. Despite what Yale has and hasn’t done, the Jayhawks spent the extra
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Here are a couple things to know as the Chargers prepare to fish or cut bait: Ryan Mathews: The running back has yet to get through a 16-game regular season. That could change today, when McCoy expects Mathews to play despite an injured left ankle. Mathews was hurt against the Raiders but ran for 99 yards and a touchdown to run his season total to a career-high 1,111. Mathews wore a protective boot on his left foot all week. Smith & Charles: Most Chiefs starters are expected to play a series or two and then sit the rest of the game, including quarterback Alex Smith, who was teammates with Reggie Bush at Helix High in La Mesa, which is about 7 miles from Qualcomm Stadium. Offensive coordinator Doug Pederson said Jamaal Charles doesn’t need to be taking unnecessary hits, “but he knows, too, that in order for him to have success in the postseason, his timing with Alex and the offensive line needs to stay hot, and they have to play.�
O Ellis, White practicing: KU sophomore Perry Ellis, who suffered concussion-like symptoms early in the second half against Georgetown on Dec. 21, “is fine from a health standpoint. He may be a little stiff like he’s got a little crick in the neck, but he’s fine,� Self said. Of Andrew White III, who missed two games because of a hip pointer, Self said: “He’s full speed, too.� O Tyler likely to red-shirt: KU sophomore guard Tyler Self, who has not played in a game this season after tearing a ligament across the top of his foot in a preseason practice, is “probably� going to red-shirt the season, Bill Self said Saturday. “He’s three or four weeks away (from playing),� Bill Self said of his son. “It’s not quite healed yet. We think we can avoid surgery if he takes more time off. I don’t think he’ll
downtime focusing on themselves. “What’s been good for us is the opportunity to get in the gym and practice,� said Henrickson of her squad, which has played just three games in the past 25 days. That practice time has led to more confidence, and a victory today would add to it. “I feel like we have been progressing,� Harper said. “Everyone’s giving a bit more than they were at first and we’re kind of finding where Bonnie wants us to be and getting into the system and what needs to be done. ... We’re growing, but we still have a long ways to go.�
KC-SD CAPSULE KANSAS CITY (11-4) at SAN DIEGO (8-7) 3:25 p.m. today, CBS (WOW cable channels 5, 13, 205, 213) LINE — Chargers by 9 RECORD VS. SPREAD — Kansas City 8-7, San Diego 9-5-1 SERIES RECORD — San Diego leads 54-52-1 LAST MEETING —Chargers beat Chiefs 41-38, Nov 24, 2013 LAST WEEK —Chiefs lost to Colts 23-7; Chargers beat Raiders 26-13 AP PRO32 RANKING — Kansas City No. 7, San Diego No. 12 CHIEFS OFFENSE — OVERALL (20), RUSH (9), PASS (23) CHIEFS DEFENSE — OVERALL (23), RUSH (21), PASS (23T) CHARGERS OFFENSE — OVERALL (6), RUSH (13), PASS (4) CHARGERS DEFENSE — OVERALL (24), RUSH (10), PASS (29) STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Chiefs have lost four of six, including 41-38 thriller against Chargers at Arrowhead. .... Chiefs were 2-14 last season and are finishing off one of NFL’s best turnaround. ... San Diego has won eight of last 10 in series. ... Chargers have missed playoffs three straight years. ... San Diego has won three straight, four of five since three-game losing streak that seriously damaged playoff chances. ... Chargers WR Keenan Allen leads NFL rookies with 66 catches — team rookie record — and 957 yards.
mind at all (red-shirting). When players red-shirt ... from an academic standpoint, it’s a good thing.� O Prayers for Hinson’s family: Self has been saddened by the death of Niles Thomason, 31-yearold son-in-law of former KU director of basketball operations Barry Hinson, who is coach at Southern Illinois. Thomason died of natural causes on Christmas Day while visiting family in Carbondale, Ill. “Obviously it’s a terrible thing ... Barry will be a rock for his family. He always has been. He and his family do need everyone’s thoughts and prayers right now,� Self said. “They are going through a lot now.� O The lion saga continues: Self and freshman Joel Embiid had a funny exchange at Saturday’s clinic when Self introduced the 7-foot Cameroon native to the campers. “(Standing) next to
Naadir (Tharpe) is the only guy on our team who has actually physically killed a lion. Isn’t that right, Jo?� Self asked Embiid, who was standing in a team lineup. “How many lions have you killed? Just one? Did you do it with your bare hands? Oh you had a spear?� Self added, relaying Embiid’s answers to the crowd. “You know, Jo is from Cameroon. He has a lot of personality and a very difficult time telling the truth,� Self concluded amid a roar of laughter from the attendees. O Red-shirt gets time off: Red-shirt center Hunter Mickelson did not attend the clinic. “I told Hunter he didn’t have to come back (from hometown of Jonesboro, Ark.) until tomorrow. As a red-shirt, he gets a couple extra days with his family,� Self said. O Close-knit team: Freshman Wayne Selden said
everybody was happy to reunite after a four-day break. “We love being around each other. That’s the biggest thing. We actually missed each other being home. We couldn’t wait to get back in that sense, so that was good,� the Roxbury, Mass., native said. O Alexander dominates: KU signee Cliff Alexander scored 37 points (with 10 dunks), grabbed an unheard-of 26 rebounds and had five blocks in Chicago Curie High’s 74-73 overtime win over West Aurora on Saturday at the Pontiac (Ill.) Tournament. The 6-foot-9 Alexander, who is ranked No. 4 nationally by Rivals.com, dunked to beat the final horn for the winning shot/ slam. Alexander scored 16 points with 12 rebounds and seven blocks in Curie’s 62-59 win over Simeon in the Pontiac final on Saturday night. He was MVP of the tourney.
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