Collins, Aldrich share the shots
Transcription
Collins, Aldrich share the shots
Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN Notre Dame coach fired Chiefs coach denies contacting Charlie Weis to join staff. NFL | 8A Recruit passes up Kansas Bradley Beal chooses Florida instead. MEN'S BASKETBALL | 9A www.kansan.com Tuesday, December 1, 2009 PAGE 10A BOOST OFF THE BENCH Commentary Tattoos show off personal history By Nicolas Roesler nroesler@kansan.com T Weston White/KANSAN Coach Bill 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. Collins, Aldrich share the shots 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 large part, the reason we did is energy off the bench. because Sherron understands Through five games last sea- we’ve got to bring those young son, Collins averaged 18.2 points kids along.” per contest and 5.2 assists. This Aldrich said his stats this seaseason, he is averaging only 13.6 son were down in part because points and four assists through of the increased level of comfive games. petition from the After the 89-59 “It's good to see them younger members victory against of the team. Last not have to score and year, Aldrich averOakland, Kansas we still do well.” coach Bill Self aged 15.8 points and praised Collins 9.4 rebounds in the Tyrel Reed for his selflessfirst five games, but Junior guard ness. Self said with the emergence the development of Henry, Robinson of the young and the Morris twins Jayhawks was crucial this season, Aldrich to the success of this season. has been limited to 10.8 points “I would have never thought and 8.6 rebounds. our three returning leading scor“I think it helps me a little bit,” ers would score 19 points and Aldrich said. “I get a little selfwe win by 30,” Self said. “Never ish and want some rebounds that would have thought that. But in they steal from me, but as long as we win, it doesn’t matter.” 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. 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 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.” Indeed, Briscoe’s turnovers By JAYSON JENKS jjenks@kansan.com dampened an otherwise highlyproductive day for Kansas’ offense. He caught pass after pass, con- For the first time since a 41-36 tinued picking up yard after yard victory against Iowa State Oct. 10, the Jayhawks moved and thoroughly and scored with regdominated for “The costly fumbles ular consistency. most of the game that I did have didn't In the final against Missouri’s secondary. really make up for the game of the season, Yet after plays that I did have.” Briscoe turned in his best performance of Kansas’ 41-39 the season with 14 loss to Missouri Dezmon Briscoe in the 118th ediJunior wide reciever catches for 242 yards and two touchtion of the Border downs. But he also Showdown, junior produced those two wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe slumped in a chair fumbles. “It was kind of a bittersweet with headphones over his ears and recalled just two plays. Both were fumbles by Briscoe. see Briscoe on page 8A Both eventually resulted in Jerry Wang/KANSAN Junior wide receiver Dezmon Briscoe breaks away from Missouri safety Jarrell Harrison Saturday afternoon at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo. Briscoe caught 14 passes for 242 yards including two touchdowns in the Jayhawks 41-39 loss to the Tigers. attoos span popular culture, from actors to 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. 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. 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. The Morris twins illustrate pride in their family with matching graffiti-styled surnames on the inside of their arms. 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? 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’ 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. Follow Nicolas Roesler at twitter.com/nroesler8. — Edited by Abby Olcese