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Monday, August 21, 2006

Self says Wright tops list

Coach: Sophomore had impressive summer

By Gary Bedore

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If an award were handed out to the Kansas University men's basketball player who had the most productive offseason, it'd go to : envelope please : Julian Wright.

"I'm pleased with all the guys. I think they all look good, (but) if I had to rank summers, I'd rank Julian at the top - what he was able to do and who he was able to play against," KU coach Bill Self said of the Chicago Heights, Ill., sophomore.

The 6-foot-8 Wright, who is listed at 225 pounds after starting last season at 218, pumped iron all summer and competed against the likes of Glen "Big Baby" Davis, Malik Hairston and other college standouts at the Nike and Michael Jordan camps in Indiana and California.

"His confidence level is high. He's improved," Self said of Wright. "Julian still could put on some weight, and of course, Jeremy (Case, 6-1, 182-pound junior) and Brady (Morningstar, 6-3, 183-pound freshman) could put on some weight.

"For the most part, I'm pleased with the weights. Darnell's weight, Sasha's weight both are fine. C.J. (Giles) needs to put on some weight. All the other guys are about the right weight, though our freshmen need to get in better shape. They are behind the veterans in reporting to school in shape."

Darnell Jackson (6-9, 250, junior) and Sasha Kaun (6-11, 246, junior) both have the same listed weights as a year ago at this time. C.J. Giles (6-10, 240, junior), Mario Chalmers (6-1, 195, sophomore) and Brandon Rush (6-6, 212, sophomore) are all five pounds heavier; Russell Robinson (6-1, 200, junior) is four pounds heavier.

Freshman Sherron Collins (5-11, 190) needs to shed some of the weight he used to his advantage as a standout high school football player, while freshman Darrell Arthur, who enters at 6-9, 220, has said his goal is to bulk up for the rigors of college ball.

Rodrick Stewart (6-4, 205, junior) is the same listed weight as a year ago, while Matt Kleinmann (6-9, 247, sophomore) has put on 10 pounds. Sophomore walk-on Brennan Bechard enters at 6-foot, 183.

The team's scholarship sophomores - Rush, Chalmers and Wright - "all look good," Self said.

"Some (physical improvement) is natural. They also worked at it. The big thing is a year of maturity. I don't know how well they'll play, but I told them: 'Isn't it amazing what a difference a year makes as far as being prepared and knowing what to expect?'''

During the preseason, the Jayhawks will lift weights four times a week and take the court for individual drills 40 minutes a time, three days a week with KU's coaches in accordance with NCAA rules.

The Jayhawks also will play unsupervised pickup games three to four times a week. Those games are closed to the public and media members.

Andrea Hudy, associate director of strength and conditioning, monitors the weight lifting.

"We are a lot stronger. The guys have put in a lot of time in the weight room," Hudy said of the returning players.

Like Self, she has been impressed with the sophomores.

"They are more mature, as people, athletes, students," Hudy said.

And, like Self, she gives a thumbs-up to Wright's maturation.

"I feel he has learned a lot," she said. "He's improved his movement, strength, balance, hand-eye coordination."

As far as the newcomers, Hudy said: "The only expectations we have for athletes is they have a work ethic or try to learn a work ethic. All will be coming in and working hard."

The public's first look at the Jayhawks will be the Oct. 13 Late Night in the Phog at Allen Fieldhouse.

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Comments

ameraidi (anonymous) says...

rock chalk baby!!!!!!!

August 21, 2006 at 5:12 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

filmhawk (anonymous) says...

they say that the biggest improvement for a college basketball player comes between their freshman and sophomore seasons. sounds like they're wright on track. i can say from experience that i gained the most weight between my freshman and sophomore years on the hill, but it had nothing to do with strength training and conditioning. unless you count that walk home from mass street.

August 21, 2006 at 5:58 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

eldiablo (anonymous) says...

Kind of dissapointed to hear that Jeremy Case did not gain much weight. I'm still convinced that he's going to play an important role before he graduates and bulking up would have been a good way to ensure that.

August 21, 2006 at 7:46 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

IceManMK (anonymous) says...

With Self's recruiting ability at the guard position I don't see a bright outlook for Case's career. I think he will continue to play the same role that he has been playing for the duration of his time at KU. Bringing in Collins and Morningstar plus all the guard recruits he's looking at for the next season leaves Case way down on the depth chart.

August 21, 2006 at 9:33 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

docnaismith (anonymous) says...

Case is entering his fourth year at KU. If he hasn't bulked up yet, he never will.

August 21, 2006 at 11:09 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

JayCeph (anonymous) says...

Case is a decent utility player that knows the game well and helps out his other team mates. He was more than an above-average highschool baller but in college (and in this league @ KU), he is just slightly above average. However, that isn't a bad thing (I'd love to be a slightly above average college ball player) because he is surrounded by so much talent. He will improve and his presence helps the others play at a higher level during practice. I'm just not sure that ElDiablo is going to get his wish...

August 21, 2006 at 11:49 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

eldiablo (anonymous) says...

Roy Williams called Jeremy Case "The best shooter he has ever recruited." That's saying something considering Roy recruited the likes of Billy Thomas and Jeff Boschee. You hear all this talk about how Case can be the best player in practice... He just needs to translate that to game situations. You doubters will see...

August 21, 2006 at 12:06 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

docnaismith (anonymous) says...

Exactly. You hear all this talk, but never see any results. Case has been lighting up practice since he's got here. It doesn't mean anything. He hit only 11 more threes than Christian Moody last year and shot the same percentage. And if your argument revolves around something Roy said, you're amongst the wrong fan base.

August 21, 2006 at 3:24 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Yahweh (anonymous) says...

Man, stories like this are just driving me crazy. The season can't come soon enough. Go Hawks!

Wow. I can't believe I'm posting to this place and it's not in reference to what some idiot like P*** said... crazy.

August 21, 2006 at 10:45 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

JBurtin (anonymous) says...

I think you'll see Case on the floor alot more this year than in years past. Though our last senior class wasn't exactly one of our most talented, we did graduate two guards. Somebody is going to have to make up for the minutes that Vinson and Hawkins played.

Of course Collins will fill in alot of them but that only leaves you with a three man rotation of Chalmers, Robinson, and Collins. That would leave each of them on the floor for an average of over 25 minutes per game (too many minutes for a team that runs like ours) and there will be times when two of the three get tired at the same time. A fourth man will need to be added to the rotation for those situations. Your choices are between: a somewhat experienced if slightly undersized Jeremy Case; an undersized and inexperienced Brady Morningstar; or a walk-on Bechard.

I'm guessing that Self knows that if we do well in the tournament this year we may lose alot of our talent to the NBA after the season. I think he'll develop Case as the main fourth man in the guard rotation so that he has a safety net of at least one experienced guard for senior leadership next year.

August 22, 2006 at 1:31 a.m. ( | suggest removal )