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Saturday, June 27, 2009

KU’s Reed eyeing leadership role

By J-W Staff Reports

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Kansas University basketball guard Tyrel Reed, who stepped up to hit the big shot in numerous games during his sophomore season, plans to expand his role not only on the court, but in the locker room in 2009-10.

Reed, a 6-foot-3 guard from Burlington, recently attended the 2009 NCAA National Student-Athlete Development Conference in Orlando, Fla. He was one of 700 college athletes from Div. I, II and III schools who studied a leadership handbook and attended several seminars designed to help players improve their leadership skills.

“I plan to try to bring back some of the qualities and some of the things we talked about and try to institute it into being a better leader on the team and on campus,” Reed said.

“I definitely feel after going to that conference and after being under coach (Bill) Self for a couple years that I’m a lot more confident, and I feel like I can assume that leadership role,” added Reed, who averaged 6.5 points per game as a key reserve on a 27-8 KU team.

“I need to be more vocal. That’s probably the biggest key for me. I try to lead by example a lot, but sometimes you just have to step in there and say what you really feel and hopefully other people will follow what you say.”

The Academic all-Big 12 first-team pick attended several seminars about “sportsmanship and a lot of different leadership roles that we would take on our campus. There were a lot of people there, a lot of different networking. I got to meet probably 50 different people and got 50 new Facebook friends. It was just a lot of fun,” he said.

“We set goals of what we want to bring back to our campus. Hopefully when the school year starts I can try to get more involved on campus.”

• Miles update: Former KU point guard Aaron Miles is in Cleveland attending mini-camp of the NBA’s Cavaliers. Miles, who played in Greece last season, will play for the Dallas Mavericks in the Las Vegas summer league in July.

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Comments

jman18562 (anonymous) says...

To be honest? I love a KS product.... but If Tyrel sees serious minutes next year (especially after December) then our Hawks are in some serious trouble.

June 27, 2009 at 2:29 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

kingpin (anonymous) says...

What are serious minutes? If Tyrel can fill the same roll he did this last year, but with better consistency... we will be just fine.

June 27, 2009 at 3:19 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

dagger108 (anonymous) says...

If Tyrel plays like a soph and sees serious minutes, we're in trouble, but not as much as him.

If he continues to develop, he has a decent enough 3 that he could see PT. He is likely to see his minutes being cut tho, since the 3 is also X's strength, and who knows about CJ after 5 years.

June 27, 2009 at 7:13 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

FairgroveJayhawk (anonymous) says...

Every off season we see development of players and either think they developed beyond what was expected or not. I admire Reed's ability to recognize the whole picture and attend a conference that will better assist him in helping the team from a leadership role.

From a skill level I don't know if he'll see more minutes than last year or not, I hope so. But that is the beautiful thing about college athletics. He may develop beyond what one expects and see a significant increase in minutes and that would be awesome. I hope his commitment to improvement leads him to play 20 minutes a game.

Keep it up Reed.

June 27, 2009 at 7:40 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

callowax (anonymous) says...

Guys like Reed are critical to a team. A team of superstars rarely wins. It's guys like Reed and Morningstar who are the glue. Russell Robinson was that for the '08 team. Jeff Gueldner was that for the '88 team.

Reed is from Kansas, has a pride and devlotion for the University and B-Ball team that most of his team members won't understand, he's tough, smart and incredibly hard working.

When the game is on the line, it's guys like this who bring the character needed to win.

Thanks Tyrel for being a Jayhawk. You are going to have a great year.

June 27, 2009 at 8:12 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

JJHawq (anonymous) says...

Ball Handling. He needs to be able to back up the point, if he wants is role to expand. I have always liked Reed for his moter and his shot, but was disappointed in his lack of ability to handle the rock under pressure last year.

I don't expect X to be the "savior" everyone around here thinks he is... He's very good - but he's still a freshman. Everyone is sleeping on the guy most likely to start - Mario Little. I know that's not the popular choice - but the likely Self choice to start the year.

I'm expecting the "why isn't coach starting X" threads to get out of hand in early December.

June 27, 2009 at 9:25 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

pmohr13 (anonymous) says...

I believe the most important thing for Reed to improve on is his defense.

June 27, 2009 at 9:55 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Kubigban (anonymous) says...

He needs to improve his consistency on his trade mark corner three point shot, that really came in handy last season. He could be a dominant role player by coming in and hitting them, when nothing is working for the offense.

June 27, 2009 at 11:24 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

oldalum (anonymous) says...

I don't think he's saying he believes "leadership" necessarily translates into "more playing time."

June 27, 2009 at 11:36 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

KGphoto (anonymous) says...

jman18562,

I remember the EXACT same quote last year about Brady Morningstar.

Was that you?

June 27, 2009 at 11:41 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

KU7679 (anonymous) says...

"Everyone is sleeping on the guy most likely to start - Mario Little. I know that's not the popular choice - but the likely Self choice to start the year."

Why would Little be any choice to start at the 3? He didn't play the 3 in juco. He was a good but undersized 4. He is not known for shooting the 3 very well. He has a quickness advantage over many power forwards, but does not out-quick elite 3's. His ball handling is not great compared to many small forwards.

Just why would Little be starting over Henry?

I hope Little's health improves to where he can contribute more this year, but his contribution will be quality substitute minutes. And its hard to figure out where his minutes will come from with the all the players we have coming back unless a completely healthy Little has a lot more quickness than last year.

June 27, 2009 at 12:11 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

hawk316 (anonymous) says...

I wholeheartedly agree with Callowax's comments above. Tyrel may never be a superstar, but he has been and will continue to be an important part of this team. As we know, a successful team has many intangibles, and players like Tyrel contribute some of those. Plus, this kid has a knack of hitting a big "3" when most needed, and that's a big asset.

June 27, 2009 at 1:06 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

ObiWan (anonymous) says...

You don't have to be the best player to be a team leader. Remember when Collison, Hinrich and Gooden were freshmen, the leader was Nick Bradford. Leadership is derived from experience and maturity, and I'm certain that Tyrel Reed will make huge contributions this season.

June 27, 2009 at 1:47 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

OakvilleJHawk (anonymous) says...

Tyrell can fill the leadership role if he improves his consistency, becomes better on defense, evolves into a more dangerous three-point threat, emerges with more fire and emotion and doesn't disappear at critical moments...........the question is, is this a fair set of conditions to place on this young man. I don't know.

I am actually of the camp that Tyrell may benefit from redshirting this season and be ready to fill this role next year because several 2010 mock drafts have Collins, Aldrich, Henry AND Taylor going in the two rounds and, with Little graduating, leadership will be a key issue in 2010-2011.

[Oh for goodness sakes...maybe I should see how 2009-2010 turns out!!!}

June 27, 2009 at 3:30 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Strikewso (anonymous) says...

I wouldn't count him out. We had great chemistry last year and came darn close to making the Final 4. If Xavier shows up with a big head an bad attitude with overrated skills, I can see Reed stepping in so we don't miss a beat.

June 27, 2009 at 3:35 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

ginger2015 (anonymous) says...

I feel sure that the on court leadership roles will be filled quite well by Sherron and Cole. Tyrels leadership will be through the examples he sets in practice, on campus and in the community.

June 27, 2009 at 4:06 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

kushaw (anonymous) says...

ahhhhhh, We are in the very same position right now that we were with Kirk Hinrich after the 2001 season. We had just watched Kirk Hinrich get completely dismantled by Frank Williams and Bill Self's Illinois team and all the talk that offseason was about whether or not Hinrich was the right fit to be a starter. Hinrich's cross-over dribble was picked left and right and his confidence was shaken to catostrophic proportions during that game.

We all know what happened after that.............Reed will be just fine. He knows his role and Okie Baller Self (Jaybate-that is for you) loves that in a kid. Reed will be just fine.

June 27, 2009 at 5:27 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

kushaw (anonymous) says...

Wait..........Reed wasn't suppose to play this year. LMAO! Reed and Morningstar get such a bad rap. Keep proving the naysayers wrong!

June 27, 2009 at 5:29 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Eurekahwk (anonymous) says...

I still think Reed would be better served to RS, but I agree. He and Kirk are from the same mold. The year after this, we are going to be relying on the veteran play of Reed and Morningstar to keep us strong while the young blood get their feet wet.

June 27, 2009 at 5:40 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

FairgroveJayhawk (anonymous) says...

"Everyone is sleeping on the guy most likely to start - Mario Little. I know that's not the popular choice - but the likely Self choice to start the year."

I agree.

June 27, 2009 at 5:52 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

KGphoto,

Copy and paste on Reed.

June 28, 2009 at 6:30 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

sydhawk (anonymous) says...

Don't know where else to post this. Some interesting nuggets about the Henry Clan in the KC Star. I have a bad feeling about this...

http://www.kansascity.com/sports/stor...

A month after signing with the Jayhawks, Carl says, the family looked into Xavier playing in Europe for a year. “You don’t have to take any classes,” Xavier says.

-----

Carl says both of his sons hope to be one-and-done at KU.
“I don’t like stepping on people’s toes,” Carl says, “but I just know what I know. I watch them play, all the Kansas kids. I like all these kids, (Sherron) Collins, (Tyshawn Taylor), they’re good kids, man. But they’re not better than C.J.”

-----

Carl’s iPhone rings, interrupting his flow. It’s Bill Self. Carl looks at the phone and considers whether or not to answer. He hits ignore... A minute has now passed since Self’s call, and Carl picks up his phone. “You know what?” Carl says. “I better call that guy back.”

-----

Lounging on a white leather sofa in C.J.’s apartment, the Henry boys’ attire hints at quite a story: C.J. wears a Memphis shirt, Xavier a KU practice jersey.

June 28, 2009 at 6:33 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

FairgroveJayhawk (anonymous) says...

sydhawk - no need to have a bad feeling, same stuff, different day. The most insightful line I found in the article was:

"As much as he likes to talk, it’s a miracle any food gets eaten." when refering to Senor Henry.

June 28, 2009 at 8:10 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

ku_foaf (anonymous) says...

Obiwan,

Don't say that. It sounds like a curse. Bradford was not only not the best player on the team, he was the worst starter on a KU team from 1984 to present, IMHO! Fortunately, a few years of mediocrity ended, not coincidently, when he graduated.

June 28, 2009 at 8:15 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

ObiWan (anonymous) says...

Haha, I know what you mean ku_foaf. My point is that if you ask the class of '03 who took them under their wing when they were freshmen, they would all say Bradford. Reed can help the youngsters adjust to college life and help to motivate them in practice. Clearly Sherron and Cole are our captains, but a good role player with leadership qualities is also a valuable asset.

June 28, 2009 at 11:43 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

“I don’t like stepping on people’s toes, but I just know what I know. I watch them play, all the Kansas kids. I like all these kids, (Sherron) Collins, (Tyshawn Taylor), they’re good kids, man. But they’re not better than C.J.”--alleged Carl Henry quote from above

Do you suppose that if John Calipari, reputedly under investigative siege in Lexington, were shown that quote that he would shake his head, smile, and say, "Well, at least I don't have to deal with that guy anymore"?

Just imagine how weird this is all going to get, if CJ and X don't live up to all the hype. You just know some enterprising student is going to start printing up "OAD" t-shirts with images of CJ and X on them and a big red circle with a slash through it.

Seriously, Kenny Gregory and--from the way back machine--Nino Samuels--two KU guys with big reps that did not live up to expectations--were no where near as hyped as CJ and X...maybe because they did not have dads like Carl Henry.

Mr. Henry, I sure hope you know what you're doing with the PR campaign. It looks like you're contributing a very unpleasant experience for your sons, if they merely develop normally.

But the guy who owes Mr. Henry a debt of gratitude is Jeff Withey.

Remember when many were talking about Withey coming in and starting as the second of twin towers, or at least being a major contributor giving KU a serious chance at a ring? Withey was expected to be this awesome complement to Cole Aldrich. Now it is Jeff who? All eyes are on the high wire act of the Henry Brothers.

How many times does a seven footer (or whatever he really is) with a big rep come in and drift into almost complete obscurity? Never that I recall.

But thanks to Mr. Henry's frequent PR campaign of quotes on behalf of his sons, CJ and X, Jeff Withey will be able to develop slowly and under the radar screen and anything at all that Withey does this coming season will be viewed as just frosting on the cake.

CJ may be wishing for some of that anonymity should he fail to guard Self style, avoid the TOs Self style, or trinitize at 40%. KU already has two--Brady and Tyrel--who can trinitize at that rate, or better, and a third--Tyshawn--who is reputedly working his buns off to become a third. And Brady and Tyshawn are already superb defenders, while Brady and Tyrel make few TOs.

CJ and X, come on up from OKC. Your father has two hot seats warmed up and ready for you.

June 28, 2009 at 11:24 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

kushaw (anonymous) says...

Jaybate: I have to correct you a little on Kenny Gregory. He had "Hype" written all over himself from his Junior year of High School. Gregory was the all-time scoring leader in Ohio at that time, won the MVP of the 1997 McDonald's game, and finished second in the Slam Dunk to Baron Davis. Hype was all Gregory ever had. He was suppose to replace Pierce, suppose to be better than Pierce, and for a brief moment in time was compared to a young Jordan. Hype was all Gregory ever had.

June 29, 2009 at 6:44 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

kushaw (anonymous) says...

Jaybate: I was saying that in reference to X and CJ hype. Internet and other media outlets allow for it to be scoped like a colonioscopy now days, but for the time period, Gregory was "Hyped" as there was.

June 29, 2009 at 6:51 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

truehawk93 (anonymous) says...

This crap is going to continue until the first day of classes. How many more rumors are going to be started? The Henrys are KU bound and will play. He made a simple observation that is being blown way out of proportion referring to the European league and school.

June 29, 2009 at 10:41 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

OakvilleJHawk (anonymous) says...

Is it just me, but did anyone notice that Brandon Jennings got drafted # 10 after making a million bucks last year in Europe?

Wouldn't that give pause to some 18 year old OAD's out there?

Any guesses where Lance Stephenson ends up?

Isn't it folly to totally dismiss the possibility that the Henrys are exploring other options?

At what point did Carl Henry transition from beloved alumni to manipulative father?

Personally, I am not counting on the Henrys until I hear their sneakers hit the hardwood in Lawrence. This soap opera is not yet completed!!!!!!

June 29, 2009 at 11:39 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

plasticJHawk (anonymous) says...

This quote from the KCStar could be misleading

"A month after signing with the Jayhawks, Carl says, the family looked into Xavier playing in Europe for a year. “You don’t have to take any classes,” Xavier says."
----------

Yes, it could mean that Carl Henry said "A month after signing (with the Jayhawks) the family looked into Xavier playing in Europe for a year."

It's more likely that it means that before Xavier signed with Kansas the family looked into his playing in Europe. Yet Carl Henry didn't reveal that information until a month after the signing.

Journalists love to create ambiguity, especially if they don't know all of the facts.

June 29, 2009 at 12:24 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

drgnslayr (anonymous) says...

I suggest Carl, X and CJ should sit down and watch the documentary "Tyson." Mike would be the first one to tell all three of these guys to buckle down and concentrate on education and athletics and let the NBA happen later, when the time is right.

I believe Tyrel has made a big step into staying on at Kansas as an assistant coach after his playing days have ended. Tyrel has all the gifts to becoming an outstanding future coach in college basketball.

June 29, 2009 at 1:47 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

markster956 (anonymous) says...

"How many times does a seven footer (or whatever he really is) with a big rep come in and drift into almost complete obscurity? Never that I recall."

B.J. Mullens

June 29, 2009 at 2:26 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

markster956 (anonymous) says...

For Kansas players...Eric Chenowith didn't exactly set the world on fire from teh hype of being selected as a McDonald's all-american game.

June 29, 2009 at 2:31 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

kushaw (anonymous) says...

I don't think anyone ever thought Kirk Hinrich would be in the NBA after his sophomore season. Granted, I do think Kirk was better at that juncture of his career than Tyrel is, but who's to say that Tyrel doesn't have that same opportunity. He definitely could play overseas and make some of that European money before heading to the sidelines as a Bill Self assistant. Kirk's improvement from sophomore year to junior year was simply amazing so I will keep my fingers crossed for Tyrel to do the same.

June 29, 2009 at 5:56 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

markster956,

Your response is so fitting that I need you to help me recall who the heck B.J. Mullen even was? :-)

June 30, 2009 at 2:06 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

The Question for the Day:

Which came first: the ball or the basket?

June 30, 2009 at 2:06 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

kuwells (anonymous) says...

Jaybate,

Is this similar to the question:

Which came first, the Jayhawk or the egg?

June 30, 2009 at 2:18 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

justanotherfan (anonymous) says...

kushaw,

Perhaps we are remembering two different people.

Kirk Hinrich was a truly great Jayhawk. He had a tremendous career, one that Tyrel Reed, through two seasons, isn't even in the same league with. Just for fun, let's throw Brady in the conversation, too, mostly because to me, Tyrel and Brady are the same type of player.

Hinrich
Freshman - 188 points on 69-161 shooting. 82 rebounds, 123 assists, 87 turnovers, 35 steals. 43% FG, 31% 3PT
Sophomore - 378 points on 116-232 shooting. 134 rebounds, 229 assists, 111 turnovers, 43 steals. 50% FG, 50% 3PT.

Reed
Freshman - scored 47 points on 18-35 shooting. 10 rebounds, 21 assists, 4 turnovers, 7 steals. 51% FG, 46% 3PT.
Sophomore - scored 228 points on 66-162 shooting. 65 rebounds, 37 assists, 36 turnovers, 24 steals. 41% FG, 38% 3PT

Morningstar
Freshman - 34 points on 13-26 shooting. 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 4 turnovers, 5 steals. 50% shooting, 44% 3PT
RSophomore - 229 points on 78-186 shooting. 104 rebounds, 92 assists, 47 turnovers, 43 steals. 42% FG, 42% 3PT

If you were to say that Reed may mimic the improvement that Hinrich made from his freshman to sophomore years, I could buy that. But clearly, Hinrich as a freshman was superior to Reed as a sophomore. Reed had more points, but Hinrich had more rebounds, assists and steals, plus shot better from the field (although he was awful from three) and had a much better assist to turnover ratio. And this was while playing roughly the same minutes. In fact Hinrich played 726 minutes as a freshman (21.4 mpg). Reed played 724 minutes last year (20.7 mpg).

Morningstar's stats last year are much more comparable to Hinrich's freshman stats, but Brady played over 1000 minutes last year, averaging over 30 mpg. Brady's efficiency is great, but the fact that in 30 mpg he only produced 6.5 pts, 3 rebs and 2.6 assists says that he has maxed out his potential since very few collegiate players average more than 30 mpg anyway.

Tyrel may have a little bit more potential to go, but the fact that his efficiency dropped quite a bit from freshman to sophomore years (look at his shooting numbers over the year) indicates that he may have maxed out his development as well.

June 30, 2009 at 2:56 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

lrahardja (anonymous) says...

No doubt Tyrel plays hard, scrapy at times, but Hinrich clearly has a lot more talent, he is a much better defender as well. We still appreciate Tyrel for his hard work though, there are many ways to contribute to a basketball team. Go Hawks!!!

June 30, 2009 at 5:12 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jeremycasefan (anonymous) says...

Comparing Tyrel to Hinrich thats insane. Any true ku fan knows that Hinrich was one hell of a player and always will be. go hawks

June 30, 2009 at 6:39 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

martyks (anonymous) says...

Absurd points are being made here. Who cares if Brady scores a point? He was always on the best offensive guard or forward and they were always shut down completely. Defense matters.

July 3, 2009 at 6:07 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

OakvilleJHawk (anonymous) says...

Is it just me or is anyone home at the LJW???????

What's going on with Tyshawn Taylor overseas?

I know it's a slow period but nohing new in the last 5 or 6 days????????

Please get Lew and his cigar off as the main header!!!!!!!

Happy Fourth of July to all and to all you service men and women out there, God Bless, keep your heads down and please come back home soon and all in one piece!!!

July 4, 2009 at 11:55 a.m. ( | suggest removal )