Kansas Jayhawk Links
Passing game coordinator Jim Zebrowski discussed the approach with two quarterbacks this season. We’ve got dudes, two of them:
Heading into the season, Ballard brings 654 all-purpose yards to go along with 3 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. Marshall, meanwhile, brings 188 all-purpose yards, having played six games less than Ballard.
“So I think for the fans out there, you got two really good dudes, really good players that are gonna be really good. Whoever plays is gonna play really well.”
Matt Tait
has a story up on transfer linebacker Bam Crouch and how he came to be known as “Bam”:
See, his mother’s sister had a son a few years earlier on April 4, 2000, and it was Bam’s aunt’s wish that the two cousins had separate birthdays. It went about as far as it could go, but at about 11:30 p.m. on the night of the 3rd back in 2004, Bam was born, with his mom later telling everyone that he “bam’d” his way into the world.
With that, a name was born.
Dillon Davis over at SI takes a look at the best case scenario and worst case scenario for this year’s squad. Here’s sneak peak at the best:
If KU can find wins against Arizona State and Missouri, end the long, embarrassing losing streaks to Kansas State and Baylor – combined with a 3-0 sweep in nonconference play to reach a bowl game that they win – that would truly be a best-case (some may some dream) scenario for this Kansas football team this year.
We’re going to skip the worst case scenario because we’re talking about Kansas football here. We don’t need reminded of worst case scenarios.
247 Sports has 6 key takeaways from the first 6 days of practice ($) with something that many of us have wondered about the offense this year:
Every day at practice, KU has practiced some creative things offensively with motion and the option. It looks similar to drills I saw KU do before the 2022 season, but there are some tweaks to it. KU didn’t use much option last year. Was that a comfort thing for Jim Zebrowski? A health-related decision to keep Jalon Daniels healthy? Did KU not execute it well in practice? It was probably a mix of those things. I’d be surprised if we didn’t see the quarterback run game be a part of the offense.
The secondary and interior defensive line are undoubtedly concerning groups, but the linebacker room gives the Jayhawks’ defense some hope. They have a mix of solid pass coverage and run-stopping ability, along with plenty of experience to round out the unit.
Does Bill Self have his eye on another Remy Martin type of player?
Worrell does struggle with efficiency, holding a career 38.6% field goal percentage across his two years at the Division I level, with the other coming at Southern Mississippi. However, his elite shooting from the charity stripe and 3-point volume — where he attempted 7.4 per game last season — makes him an excellent candidate to serve as the first or second player off the bench for KU.
Joel Wagler at Through the Phog looks at 3 players that may surprise fans this upcoming basketball season. I only have high hopes for one of them but the offseason is the season of hope, right?
Mbiya was slated for a reserve role, but due to an injury to transfer Christian Reeves, he will probably start. Look for a big jump in production for him. It might not be as big of a jump as Flory Bidunga made between his first and second seasons, but he’s going to be much better this year.
Other Links!
I’m putting this together before the outcome of this game is known but a team that was declared ineligible in a Little League regional was put back in the tournament due to a court ruling this week:
In a sudden twist, Tulsa National has been granted a temporary restraining order, making them eligible to compete in the Southwest Little League Tournament championship game. Texas West already won the updated championship game Monday, but now the team will have to fight once more on Tuesday.
The original disqualification of Tulsa National was announced Monday, with limited details shared on what led to the team’s sudden removal. They are the second Tulsa National team thrown out of a regional in less than three weeks.
Courts dictating things like this just can’t be sustainable long term.
If every Power 4 program was carefully abiding by the new revenue sharing cap and spending the same amount, the price points for the deals would be easier to identify. But that’s not the case. The sport’s most competitive programs had the funds to go far beyond $20 million for their rosters this offseason. Agents say SEC and Big Ten programs continue to outspend the Big 12 and ACC. As one agent put it, the gap between good and elite feels greater than ever. This year’s price ranges for deals reflect that, too.
The Vikings have named Kyler Murray as their starting QB.
Murray has been the heavy favorite to win the job from the moment he signed a one-year, $1.3 million contract March 12 following his release by the Arizona Cardinals, who will pay him $35.5 million. The decision pushes J.J. McCarthy, the No. 10 pick of the 2024 draft, to the No. 2 quarterback role after 10 career starts and raises questions about his future. Quarterbacks Carson Wentz and Max Brosmer also remain on the roster.
Ray Ratto over at Defector wrote about the late Don Nelson and it’s the one thing I’ve read this week that I wholeheartedly recommend:
Every Nelson obit, including this one, will note that he was the second-winningest coach in NBA history—1,335 wins, not including 75 playoff victories. That is maybe the 17th-most interesting thing about him.
QOTD: What’s your work space like? Asking as I’m back at school now and I’ve always had a bit of a messy work space but I know where everything is. I have a “revisit” pile, a “don’t throw away but probably not going through it again” pile, and then like a “I’ll need this in 3 months, so it’s going here” pile. Somehow I always get complimented on being organized but if you just looked at my desk, you’d think I was a mess.
