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SPORTS
THE NEW MEXICAN Wednesday, November 12, 2014
COLLEGE MEN’S BASKETBALL
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Wisconsin, Kentucky, among nation’s best at front of the court
Kaaya, Winston give intrigue to Miami-FSU showdown
By Genaro C. Armas
a hardworking reserve who can The Associated Press hit jumpers, while sophomore Vitto Brown and freshman Ethan Happ have the talent and potenMADISON, Wis. — Sevenfooter Frank Kaminsky’s inside- tial to crack the rotation at most out game won’t take opponents other programs. Arizona: Goodbye Aaron Gorby surprise this year. Getting don, hello Stanley Johnson. The named a preseason All-Ameriathletic, 6-foot-7 Johnson could can kind of takes away any elebe a one-and-done phenom for ment of surprise that the jumpshooting big man may have had the Wildcats, who were already fortified with the return of left. 6-foot-9 junior Brandon Ashley Double team Kaminsky and from a broken foot. Seven-footer Sam Dekker can make oppoKaleb Tarczewski averaged 9.9. nents pay just as dearly from points last season, while 6-7 just about anywhere on the Rondae Hollis-Jefferson avercourt — just like Kaminsky. aged 9.1 points. This is the predicament that Duke: Speaking of freshman phenoms, the 6-11, 270-pound opponents of the third-ranked Jahlil Okafor is the latest preBadgers must face all season. Coach Bo Ryan likes big men sumed one-year wonder for the Blue Devils. Okafor has already who can stretch the floor and been called “a dominant player” shoot the 3. In Kaminsky and by coach Mike Krzyzewski. A Dekker, he may have his best preseason All-American before frontcourt tandem yet in his playing a college minute, Oka14th year in Madison. for averaged 24 points and “I think we do fit the mold in 11.3 rebounds as a high school a sense,” Dekker said, “but at senior. Amile Jefferson, a the same time we add a little bit 6-9 junior, also returns in the of dynamic of our own skills.” frontcourt for Duke. Kentucky: The Wildcats keep A look at some of the top stockpiling first-year talent, with frontcourts in the country for 6-11 Karl Anthony Towns and the college basketball season: 6-10 Trey Lyles joining a frontWisconsin: The 6-foot-9 court that already has returning Dekker grew about an inch and 7-footers Willie Cauley-Stein added 10 pounds of muscle in and Dakari Johnson. Add the the offseason to weigh in at 6-9 Marcus Lee and 6-8 Alex 230 pounds. He impressed this Poythress, and the Wildcats summer at the Kevin Durant have the numbers to substitute and LeBron James skills camps. in the frontcourt as if they were Dekker suffered what the team a hockey team tinkering with termed a minor lower left leg line changes. injury that sidelined him for Louisville: Not to be outthe final few weeks of the preseason, though he is expected to done by their in-state rivals, be ready for the regular season. the Cardinals boast preseason All-American forward Montrezl Fortunately, the Badgers are deep up front beyond Kaminsky Harrell. The athletic, 6-foot-8 Harrell averaged 14 points and and Dekker. 8.4 rebounds last season. He Nigel Hayes, the Big Ten’s Sixth Man of the Year as a fresh- worked on his jumper this offman last season, has been work- season. Coach Rick Pitino wants ing on his jumper. He already has another returnee, 6-5 senior forward Wayne Blackshear the athleticism to make nifty (8.2 points) to be more aggresbaseline moves to the bucket. Six-foot-10 senior Duje Dukan is sive this year.
NFL: Seven of top 11 players in yards receiving under 6 feet Rob Gronkowski and supersized wideouts like Demaryius After 10 weeks of play, Brown’s Thomas remain matchup issues 70 receptions and 1,070 yards in tight spaces, Brown and his receiving are tops in the league buddies are making an impact and his eight touchdowns are from goal line to goal line. tied for fourth. Brown’s childBrown, Sanders and Green hood buddy T.Y. Hilton of the Bay’s Randall Cobb are in the Indianapolis Colts — generously top 10 in red zone receptions, a listed at 5-9 — is third in yards tribute to their uncanny ability and sixth in yards per catch. to wiggle free when opposing They’re not alone. Seven cornerbacks try to get physical of the top 11 players in yards and the NFL’s increased policreceiving are under 6 feet tall. ing of the pushing and shoving Emmanuel Sanders (5-11) is that goes on downfield. developing into Peyton Man“I think it’s helping receivning’s favorite target in Denver. ers in general,” Cobb said. “But Golden Tate (5-10) has become definitely with our quickness so explosive the Lions are soarand being able to get separation ing even with Johnson — Mega- from the DB at the top of routes, tron himself — struggling to stay and them not being able to grab healthy. Julian Edelman (5-10) is has definitely helped.” Wes Welker version 2.0 in New Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor England. The Redskins are a hot has spent a dozen seasons chasmess but DeSean Jackson (5-10) ing receivers while watching and his not-a-typo 21.8 yards per fads come and go. Witnessing reception offer the beleaguered Brown’s evolution from raw talfranchise and quarterback Robent to unstoppable force is symert Griffin III a glimmer of hope. bolic of the NFL’s shifting the In Baltimore, a rejuvenated balance of power to the offense. 35-year-old Steve Smith is the “Coordinators are putting old-school boss in the midst of a small guys off the line, making late-career renaissance. The sure you’re not able to get your 5-9 veteran already has four hands on them, using stacked 100-yard receiving games at positions, putting a receiver a time when most guys at his behind a tight end,” Taylor position have evolved into part- said. “They’re finding ways to time role players if they even maneuver these small guys and have a job at all. it’s been working.” “The little guys are coming The inability to bump players back to rule the world,” Smith like Smith or Brown before they said with laugh. “We’re coming get to full speed can make for a back [and] we’re here to stay. miserable four quarters. That’s the bottom line. That’s “You give a guy like that some what it’s about. The big guys, space, I’m not even talking you can throw it up to them about a lot of space, I’m talking but at the end of the day when about ‘man in the phone booth’ you want to move the sticks kind of space, he’s going to take you have to throw it to the little off,” Taylor said. guys. We move the needle.” Clearly, there’s still a place They’re doing more than for receivers built like small that. They’re finding the end forwards. Pittsburgh’s offense zone with the same frequency didn’t truly take off until 6-4 as their larger — and largely rookie Martavis Bryant was higher profile — colleagues. inserted into the lineup last month as the lanky yin to The 26-year-old Brown may Brown’s quicksilver yang. be the most dangerous player in the league, turning every Even facing constant double slant or quick screen into a teams, Brown is on pace to set showcase for his roadrunner single-season team records in footwork regardless of where every major statistical receivthe Steelers are at on the field. ing category, though he’s barely While brawny tight ends like ahead of Hilton.
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By Tim Reynolds The Associated Press
CORAL GABLES, Fla. — When Florida State and Miami meet this weekend, their game will feature the current Atlantic Coast Conference leader in touchdown passes, yards per attempt, yards per completion and quarterback rating. Jameis Winston also will be there. On one sideline, there’s Winston, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner who still hasn’t lost a collegiate game and will be aiming to lead the second-ranked Seminoles (9-0, 6-0 ACC) to their 26th consecutive victory. On the other side, there’s Brad Kaaya, the true Miami freshman who is already turning heads and setting records at the place once called “Quarterback U.” The quarterback matchup alone might be worth the steep price of admission into the stadium the Hurricanes (6-3, 3-2) call home on Saturday night. “He always finds a way to win,” Kaaya said of Winston. “And he’s also really good at tuning out all the outside noise, no matter what’s going on. He doesn’t let anything from the outside affect him.” Without question, Winston is more accomplished than Kaaya so far. Also without question, he’s dealt with more distractions than the Miami quarterback — or perhaps anyone else in college football, for that matter, with off-field issues dogging both of his Seminole seasons. But when looking at the sheer basics of quarterback play like arm strength and decision-making, it becomes easy to see some parallels. “Jameis has the edge in arm strength. He’s bigger and stronger,” said Miami offensive coordinator James Coley, who had the same job at Florida State until last
Miami quarterback Bard Kaaya looks to pass during the first half of a Nov. 1 game against North Carolina in Miami Gardens, Fla. LYNNE SLADKY/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
season. “He has an elite arm. Brad, he’s got an elite arm as well. And he’s going to get stronger.” The numbers this season are relatively close in plenty of areas. Kaaya has 20 touchdowns, averaging 9 yards per attempt and 14.5 yards per completion. Winston has 17 touchdowns, averaging 8.6 yards per attempt and 13 yards per completion. “I know he is playing very well and he is a very talented guy,” Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher said of Kaaya. “I know the offense that he is in. James carries a lot of things that we do plus some other things he does. He has to be a very cerebral guy and a very mental guy to be where he is at right and having the success. He obviously has tremendous upside.” The quality of quarterbacks that have come through Miami in the last three decades can’t be argued: Gino Torretta, Bernie Kosar, Vinny Testaverde, Jim Kelly, Ken Dorsey, Steve Walsh and others are why the school held that “Quarterback U”
tag for so long. Kaaya is doing things as a freshman that none of them did. Based on Miami’s listed records, Kaaya is 242 yards away from matching Kosar’s school record for yards as a freshman, true or redshirt. He’s the first Miami freshman quarterback to throw 20 touchdown passes. He’s also on pace to become just the sixth player in school history to throw for 2,500 yards in his first season as the primary starter. “We have a franchise quarterback,” Miami coach Al Golden said. So, too, does Florida State. Winston’s numbers aren’t as gaudy in 2014 as they were in his 40-touchdown, 10-interception campaign as a freshman who won everything there was to win. He already has 11 interceptions this season, his yards-per-attempt is down and his quarterback rating has dipped nearly 35 points from where he finished a year ago. That being said, he’s still 22-0 as a starter. “I’ve got to stop turning the ball over, and we’ve got to start making some noise in the first half,” Winston said. “But the good thing is our defense is playing lights out. They continue to play better and better, but my job as the leader of the team and as the quarterback of this team, I have to put both sides of the ball in good position to win the game.” That’s what he’s always done. That’s what Kaaya is learning to do. That’s why this matchup could be special. Winston was spectacular as a freshman. Kaaya might be on a similar path. “People can say Brad’s a freshman,” Miami running back Duke Johnson said. “But to us, he’s not a freshman anymore. He’s the quarterback.”
Rankings: Baylor could still supplant TCU ence has said Baylor and TCU would be co-champions. the four playoff teams on Dec. 7. The selection committee has Alabama (8-1) is No. 5 and been directed to use conferArizona State (8-1) is sixth, ence championships and headand both appear to be in good to-head matchups as ways of shape to secure a spot in the distinguishing between teams playoff if they can keep winwith similar resumes. ning. Long said TCU’s overall Alabama hosts Mississippi body of work, which includes State on Saturday. If Arizona two wins against the top 25 State wins out, it would have to (Minnesota and Kansas State) go through Oregon in the Pacoutweighed Baylor’s 61-58 vic12 championship game. tory against the Horned Frogs. The Big 12 doesn’t have a TCU also beat Oklahoma, 37-33 championship game. at home. The Bears (8-1), coming off a Long stressed Baylor could decisive victory at Oklahoma, still move past the Horned and Horned Frogs (8-1) could Frogs and the committee was end the season tied atop the Big not trying to make a statement 12. If that happens, the conferabout nonconference schedul-
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ing by having Baylor, which played one of the weakest nonconference schedules in the country, behind TCU. Baylor played Buffalo, SMU and Northwestern State of the FCS. TCU played No. 25 Minnesota, SMU and Samford of the FCS. So how Minnesota fares the rest of the season — the Gophers play Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin — could help sort out those Big 12 teams if they remain tied. “I think that our rankings will send the message,” Long said. “We as a committee are not charged with sending messages to coaches and ADs about scheduling, but I think it’s likely that they will see the factors
that we take into account and will take a message from that. But we’re not trying to send a message about that. We’ve said from the beginning, strength of schedule, total body of work, complete résumé, all of those are factored into this decision to get to the best four teams and rank our 25.” Ohio State (8-1) is up to eighth after its big victory at Michigan State. The Buckeyes are the highest ranked team from the Big Ten. Auburn, which had been in the top four the first two weeks of the rankings, fell to No. 9 after losing to Texas A&M at home on Saturday.
CALENDAR NOVEMBER
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505-473-4282. ATC is located in Rancho Vie-
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jo - 74 A Van Nu Po Road (across from IAIA) Are you a fearless learner? Inspire Locally.
CAMPAIGN FINANCE AND ETH- CYBERSENIORS: The Transition Net- Engage Globally. US News & World Report’s ICS REFORM How Can We Ensure work (TTN) is an inclusive community of 4th Best High School in New Mexico. women 50 and forward whose changing life Honest Elections? League of Women Voters panel on state and local issues in campaign finance and ethics, legislative and policy options. Speakers: Peter Wirth, NM State Senate; Viki Harrison, Common Cause New Mexico Executive Director; Stuart Bluestone, special counsel, NM AG office. Thursday, November 13, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. CHRISTUS St. Vincent Hospital southwest conference room.
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ANNUAL HOLIDAY FAIR Saturday, November 15, 2014 10 am- 3 pm. Sponsored by: The Santa Fe County Extension Association of New Mexico, Santa Fe County Exhibit Hall, 3229 Rodeo road. Come shop for the Holidays! Needlework, stained glass, woodwork, jewelry, adobe art, cloth dolls, painted design work, homemade toys, baked goods, and so much more. A Food Concession will be available for purchasing of Coffee, beverages, snack items and Frito Pies. Come One, Come All!
situations lead them to seek new connections, resources and opportunities. Please join us for a special monthly program! We will be screening Cyberseniors at the Center for Contemporary Arts. 1050 Old Pecos Trail. Santa Fe. Monday, November 17 at 6:15-8 PM and Tuesday, November 18 at 1:45. Cyberseniors is a humorous and heartwarming documentary focusing on senior citizens tak- WE ARE LOOKING FOR VOLing their first steps into cyber-space under the tutelage of teenage mentors. Find out UNTEERS WITH A BUSINESS more at www.TheTransitionNetwork.org. BACKGROUND Would you like to use
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your experience to help someone find a job? Please consider volunteering with the 50+ Employment Connection and help others in
OPEN HOUSE: ACADEMY FOR their job search. We need volunteers with job TECHNOLOGY & THE CLASSICS search experience, a strong business backCharter School. Join us Tuesday, November 18th from 5:30P - 7P. College prep public charter “A” school serving grades 7 - 12. Lottery Applicant Open House - Meet teachers and students! Clubs & Activities - Athletics - AP Courses - Bus Transportation - Dedicated Teachers & Staff. www.atcschool.org
ground, or computer tutoring skills to assist job seekers. Please call Georgia at (505)476-
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