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Friday, September 18, 2009

Duke still triggers thoughts of hoops

By Matt Tait

The Kansas University football team runs through drills during an evening practice in this Aug. 7, 2008, file photo.

Photo by Nick Krug

The Kansas University football team runs through drills during an evening practice in this Aug. 7, 2008, file photo.

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In the song, “Hold Up,” with R. Kelly, famed hip-hop artist Jay-Z describes the relationship between the two icons with the following lyric, “I’m back, in a zone like Duke or Stanford... Me and the boy Kel, like Duke and Kansas.”

Odds are, when Jay-Z wrote it, he wasn’t thinking Mark Mangino and David Cutcliffe.

This week, however, Kansas and Duke fans are, as the No. 22 Kansas University football team (2-0) plays host to Duke (1-1) at 11 a.m. Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

The meeting will be the first for the two programs, but KU and Duke have a storied history of confrontations on the hardwood, including two Final Four clashes and a meeting in the 1991 national championship game.

Kansas has made great strides to become more than a basketball school under the leadership of Mangino, and Duke, led by Cutcliffe, now in his second season, is hoping to follow in the Jayhawks’ footsteps.

While both schools have earned their place as a visible element of the college football world, it’s no mystery to anyone what both remain known for.

When asked at Tuesday’s news conference to share the first thing that came to mind when hearing the name “Duke,” four Jayhawks uttered the same word.

“Basketball,” sophomore defensive tackle Patrick Dorsey said. “It is kind of crazy because it’s two predominant basketball names playing each other but football is on the rise at both places.”

The most interested respondent of the four was sophomore cornerback Daymond Patterson.

“Growing up, I was a big Duke basketball fan,” said Patterson, who credited television appearances and former Blue Devils point guard Jason Williams as reasons for his allegiance. “I always watched their games, and even when I came up here I still rooted for the Duke basketball team.”

Although he realizes he won’t be running a fastbreak or pulling up for three-pointers on Saturday, Patterson gushed at the chance to take on the Blue Devils.

“It’s always fun to play teams you haven’t played before, and we don’t play teams like that too often, Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky, UCLA,” Patterson said. “And we’re taking every game, from Duke to USC and Florida, we’re taking them all the same, we’re not taking anybody lightly.”

Mangino’s feelings about the KU basketball program’s role in his team’s rise to relevance have been well documented. But with Duke, another basketball powerhouse on the docket this week, the eighth-year KU coach took time out to revisit the topic.

“The people here at KU said a while back, ‘Hey, we’re tired of this. Why can’t Kansas have a good football program,’” Mangino said. “Are they afraid to try, are they afraid to put resources into it, are they just complacent and happy to have one good program? And the answer to that question is: No, they’re not complacent. They want to be good in everything.’ Sometimes, when people hang their hats on one thing, I think it’s because they’re afraid of the challenge. Kansas was not afraid of the challenge.”

Mangino continued: “(KU athletic director) Lew Perkins came in and said, ‘What do you need for football?’ And I can distinctly remember telling him, ‘Let me go to the restroom and get a roll of toilet paper because that’s how long the list is going to be.’ He hasn’t met all the list, but he’s done a pretty good job.”

Because of what their coach has been able to do in Lawrence, many Jayhawks enter Saturday’s game wary of Duke’s position as a team on the rise.

“A lot of people don’t want to give us the respect that I feel we deserve,” freshman Bradley McDougald said. “We’re working to establish not only a basketball name in the athletic industry but also a football name. And Duke is probably going through the same thing as us. They went through camp just like us, they went through conditioning just like us and they’ll come out ready to play just like us.”

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Comments

lv_jhwk (anonymous) says...

"He hasn’t met all the list, but he’s done a pretty good job.”

That's what I've always figured...MM asks, MM usually gets. New digs, new practice fields, and on and on. And for those that constantly fret about the track around Memorial, I'm sure MM listed that and a few other stadium renovations on the toilet paper as well if he's concerned any about it.

September 18, 2009 at 2:51 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

rawkhawk (anonymous) says...

good article. beat duke!

September 18, 2009 at 8:23 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

truehawk93 (anonymous) says...

Beat the Dookies!!

RCJHKU

September 18, 2009 at 8:34 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jradds (anonymous) says...

can someone give me more info on the song? i consider myself well versed and have searched for the song but cant find that title by those artists? anyone?

September 18, 2009 at 9:37 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

LHS1980 (anonymous) says...

"They went through camp just like us, they went through conditioning just like us and they’ll come out ready to play just like us"

That is one mature freshman.

September 18, 2009 at 9:39 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

5a5quatch (anonymous) says...

I'm middle aged. Can someone explain what Jay-Z meant by, "I’m back, in a zone like Duke or Stanford... Me and the boy Kel, like Duke and Kansas.” Is it simply referring to the long-time rivalry between Duke and Kansas (if so, why not Duke and UNC?), or are there other meanings?

Thanks,
Old-fogey

September 18, 2009 at 9:41 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

swishymcjayhawk (anonymous) says...

"Me and my boy Kel, like Duke and Kansas" is a reference to our respective legendary basketball status, implying that Jay-Z and R. Kelly are legendary musicians.

September 18, 2009 at 9:56 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

matt_tait (Matt Tait) says...

The song is actually an alternate (earlier) version of a song called "Stop" which appears on the collaboration CD called "Unfinished Business."

As for the reason Jay Z chose the reference, swishymcjayhawk nailed it. Thanks for the help!!!

September 18, 2009 at 10:16 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

focojayhawk (anonymous) says...

i will never forget a sign i saw of a student holding at a basketball game vs. duke on t.v. "Breathe if you hate Duke!" Hilarious. Go Hawks!!!

September 18, 2009 at 10:56 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

justanotherfan (anonymous) says...

"Back in a zone like Duke and Stanford" was meant as a reference to the fact that Duke and Stanford (at the time) played zone occassionally (and Syracuse doesn't rhyme with much).

You have the historical, legendary angle on Duke and Kansas spot on.

September 18, 2009 at 11:42 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

rcjh22 (anonymous) says...

Duke - Dumb ugly kids everywhere.

September 18, 2009 at 12:10 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

ohioburg (anonymous) says...

Yeah, those trees as a blind to hide the practice field seem to be working really well.

September 18, 2009 at 12:46 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...

Coach Mangino sure talks about toilet paper a lot ...

before the 2008 Border War, didn't he say something about needing it to draw up the injured list?

That said - let's stomp Puke!

September 18, 2009 at 2:25 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

OakvilleJHawk (anonymous) says...

Good Lord, please don't tell me MM actually climbs up that tower???!!!!

I can see the headlines now, " KU football coach expires on The Stairway to Heaven!!"

September 18, 2009 at 3:25 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

txrockchalk (anonymous) says...

OakvilleJHawk ~

Unconfirmed sources indicate the tower is mounted on a hydraulic platform that lowers to field level so he can simply walk forward two steps, and then they raise the tower back up :^)

September 18, 2009 at 3:46 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

100 (anonymous) says...

I have a good old friend whose Grandson goes to Duke.

Being a so called Cameron Crazy, he claims it's a lose-lose-lose for Kansas tomorrow.

He claims one of three things will happen:

1. Duke will win & our "Kansas half-crazies" (as he calls them) might stay until the end -- and cry.

2. Kansas will win by 70 & half of the Kansas crazies will go home at halftime.

3. Kansas will win by a last second field goal & the Kansas crazies will hear the finish in their cars, rushing to beat the postgame traffic.

To respect my old friend, I will not divulge his grandson's name, but I will divulge his first name (Jamie) & he told his Grandfather, "there are many more like me here, we all go by the same name."

Which got me thinking... They (Duke) are just a bunch of "Jamies"?

September 18, 2009 at 4:30 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

truefan (anonymous) says...

Yeah, our students left at half time because it was a blowout, their students left because they were getting beat by Richmond...big difference.

September 18, 2009 at 6:17 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

100 (anonymous) says...

Is getting to the Wheel at 1pm instead of 2pm really worth missing 30 more points put up by Todd Reesing & company in his last year?

Put another way: Are the Duke Jamies actually right about Kansas fans?

I hope not -- I guess we'll see tomorrow.

September 18, 2009 at 6:50 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

klong (anonymous) says...

I hate Duke at any sport. KU 48 Duke 6. I actually have a feeling it could be even worse than that.

September 18, 2009 at 7:06 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

KGphoto (anonymous) says...

The Cameron Crazies. All 1,600 of em. Haha. Too funny. Nice broom closet.

My favorite Wiki blurb for the week.

Re: Cameron Indoor Stadium (yes they actually call 9,300 a stadium)

"For high profile games, students are known to pack in as many as 1,600 into the student sections, designed for a maximum of 1,100. Prior to the 2002–2003 basketball season, air conditioning units were installed in Cameron for the first time as a response to health and odor concerns for players and fans alike".

My high school gym housed more idiots than that. And certainly didn't smell as bad.

You go Jamie!

KU 70 Duke 0
And I'll call it a win.

September 18, 2009 at 8:30 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

KGphoto (anonymous) says...

And Jamie, don't worry. Even though you'll be playing in the beautiful and fresh Kansas air in Memorial Stadium, we'll still be able to smell you.

Because your football program stinks out loud!

September 18, 2009 at 8:39 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

hawkman1031 (anonymous) says...

Jamie is gay, and he, like the bluke do do devils, must die.

September 18, 2009 at 9:57 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jhwkfan162515 (anonymous) says...

A lose-lose-lose for KU? Dang, those Duke students aren't as bright as people would like us to believe. Especially if he thinks Duke is going to beat Kansas or play the 'Hawks close. What a moron.

Hey hawkman1031, that's funny, the Bluke Doo-Doo Devils!

Oh by the way, when is Bill Self going to bring Coach K to Allen Fieldhouse for an @$$-whooping? The only time Kansas and Duke met in the Phog, Duke won 74-70 in overtime.

September 18, 2009 at 11:23 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

JGfromPK (anonymous) says...

I'd love to watch the game, but it seems that DirecTV has dropped the VS. channel due to some sort of contract dispute with Comcast... so, after many days of being excited to get to watch this one... I won't.

September 18, 2009 at 11:23 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

waywardJay (anonymous) says...

Jg.... The direct tv Vs. Comcast stuff has been hostile lately..... i think it probably was going on before the big 10 (11) network , but they are at each other's throats lately..... Hope they get that straightened away, it only hurts the consumer when Cable companies fight over who gets to brodcast which game

September 18, 2009 at 11:34 p.m. ( | suggest removal )