Lincoln, Neb. — Tyshawn Taylor, who was a starter last season and is a starter playing similar minutes this season, nonetheless said Tuesday he’s unsure of his role on the 2009-10 Kansas University basketball team.
“We have so many people, so many players, so I feel like I don’t know, sometimes I don’t know how I fit, like what I'm supposed to do,” Taylor said before Tuesday’s practice in Allen Fieldhouse.
“Like Sherron (Collins) is a scorer or X (Xavier Henry) is a scorer. Cole (Aldrich) is our post presence. Sherron is our point guard, so sometimes I feel like I get lost in the thing. I think a lot of guys feel like that.”
Sophomore combo guard Taylor, who averaged 6.8 shots per game last season to 6.1 this year, takes a 7.3 scoring mark (compared to 9.7 a year ago) into No. 3-ranked KU’s conference opener at Nebraska (12-4).
Tipoff is 8 p.m. at Devaney Center, with a live telecast on ESPN2.
“I think when everybody finds out their role on this team and gets ready and everybody gets on the same page, then that’s when we're going to be ready,” added Taylor, who averages 23.9 minutes a game compared to 26.5 last season.
“I feel like it just hasn’t been brought to the light because of our schedule so far. We got to a team (Tennessee) that had good players and maybe shouldn’t have beat us, but got the best of us that day (Sunday in KU's 76-68 loss). Now we know that we’ve got to be ready to play every night. We can’t take anything lightly.”
KU coach Bill Self was not pleased to hear of Taylor’s take Tuesday on players’ roles.
“Well I think Tyshawn talks too much, because I’ve never heard that before, and I’ll visit with him about it after practice,” Self said. “If he’s unsure of his role, then he doesn't listen very good. It bothers me that any player would say that the day before a game, but I’ll address it after practice.”
Later, on the Jayhawks’ bus ride to Nebraska, Self said he spoke to Taylor about his comments. Self had no further comment on the matter.
No official team meetings were held after Sunday’s loss but Marcus Morris said he and his brother were going to talk with Brady Morningstar over lunch at Morningstar's request.
"Me, ’Kieff and Brady actually had a long conversation on the phone,” Marcus said. “Brady is one of my closest friends on the team. He felt he needed to talk to us. All of us need to get our minds right for the Big 12 conference."
The Morris twins combined for seven points and eight rebounds Sunday.
“I feel I had enough energy. I feel I just had a couple bad games, two bad games,” Marcus said. “I feel I’ve not been in my groove offensively. I have to do other things as far as rebounding and playing defense.”
Sherron Collins said Marcus Morris had the best practice of anybody during Monday’s marathon session.
Freshman Xavier Henry wants to improve on a Tennessee game in which he had 10 points off 3-of-7 shooting.
“I haven’t been as aggressive as I usually have been. I shot only six or seven times. I wasn’t looking for it too much,” Henry said. “I’m going to try to keep playing through the team and help the team win.”
Collins has put up 36 shots the last two games.
“I took it not as a personal thing, (but) I just want to win, so I tried to make every play at the end of the game. I have to trust my teammates more, get ’em the ball more,” Collins said.
Comments
LJWorld.com doesn’t necessarily condone the comments here, nor does it review every post. Read our full policy. Also, read about banned accounts and harassing comments.
BorderRat (anonymous) says…
Don't get the Coach upset or your role may be on the bench.
senegal66025 (anonymous) says…
KU still very young. People forget that. Start a SR, JR ,2Soph and a Frosh. So Taylor may have "hit the wall" plus he talks too much. Give the kid a break.
spiff (anonymous) says…
LMAO
Taylor, you never cease to amaze.
punkrockmom (Nikki May) says…
Taylor is awesome, that's his role!
hujiko (anonymous) says…
Go easy on him, Self.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
" I feel like I'm supposed to do the same things that I've been doing, just playing hard, being a good defender and getting my teammates involved when I can. Take open shots, just doing whatever I need to do. I want to feel like it (role) has changed, but maybe it hasn't. I've got to do whatever it takes for my team to win, whether it's guard their best player, whether it's ... whatever it is. Whatever they need me to do, that's what I'm going to do."
Sounds like he knows his role OK to me.
1029 (anonymous) says…
A good start would be to not commit three traveling turnovers in one game. If you are holding the ball in your hands, and you want to move to a different spot on the court, please remember to dribble the ball, or pass it off to someone else before you start moving.
bobo1982 (anonymous) says…
Well he said it folks!!! Now bring on Johnson. Ty is a decent player but doesnt know when to keep hismouth shut! He is a cancer in the locker room!!
nobody1793 (anonymous) says…
Your role is to play the game of basketball. We need five scorers, five rebounders, five passers, and five glue guys on the floor at any one time.
I think Taylor is overthinking this. Wow, did I just say that?
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
"He is a cancer in the locker room!!"
How much time do you spend in their locker room?
Eride (anonymous) says…
Outside of Aldrich and Collins this team is very young. Think of all of the players who play minutes outside of them... freshmen and sophomores except for Morningstar.
AreUKiddingMe (anonymous) says…
He just keeps proving me right when I say he is just not a smart player. He is a just a go and play guy and doesn't even think about what he is doing or what needs to be done. And when he does he turns the ball over with bad passes and travels
rus rob and chamers were fast and smart.....see the differance.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
What he needs to do is go watch video of Collins on the 2008 NC team.
jimmyjms (anonymous) says…
Humorous to see all the armchair quarterbacks on here.
That said, let Tyshawn watch CJ start for a while.
Yawnmower (anonymous) says…
Basketball is a team sport. This is acutely the case in college hoops. Self can lead them in practice, but Collins needs to step up on the court and stop the public bickering.
If Morningstar does a good job, then be happy ! Your team is doing well. Likewise if Tyshawn does a good job. The scouts are not stupid. They recognize grandstanding and ball hogging when they see it.
merrill (anonymous) says…
Taylor should be able to speak his mind without upsetting the coach.
Coach Self's reply was not not anything to write home about.
How about "no comment" from a coach? or " Guess we'll have to work on that" .
cheeseburger (anonymous) says…
Richard, aka merrill
If TT had an issue, he should have gone to the coach directly to discuss the matter. Of course Coach is upset because he first heard the concern from the media and not from TT.
If you had assistant lawnmowers working for you, wouldn't you want them to discuss problems with you first, rather than airing all the private dirty laundry in public without giving you a chance to fix the problem? Thought so.
BABBOY (anonymous) says…
Wasn't he the kid in the fight? (rhetorical question)
truman (anonymous) says…
Taylor is a good player but not a great player..maybe has listened to his own hype too much.
touringdriver (anonymous) says…
Sounds like it's time for a time out!
weeslicket (anonymous) says…
all the previous aside:
to tt, and bill self, and to the entire team.
run the offense.
severely limit turnovers.
play tenacious perimeter defense.
and that means moving your feet, and not slapping at the ball.
go hard after loose balls.
rebound when you have the opportunity.
and that means boxing out with your feet.
take open, good shots.
and make them.
and make your free throws.
and delivering a bounce/entry pass to a set post player would be helpful.
nothing here bill self, or the players, or danny manning don't already know.
Rickyonealku (anonymous) says…
beat nebraska....that's your role ...got it...
kujayhawk (anonymous) says…
It's not to make a bunch of stupid turnovers.
Nice job Tyshawn, you'd be better served keeping your mouth shut.
rgh (anonymous) says…
Time to put Brady back in as starter and working Elijah in slowly. Tyshawn's caused enough trouble with the fight. He should be thankful he's playing and starting for the University of Kansas.
TopJayhawk (anonymous) says…
How many layups have the bigs missed recently. If you are as tall as they are, don't even attempt a layup, slam the friggin' ball in the hole. Everybody on the front line is trying to finesse everything. Slam the ball.
Tyshawn, shut up. I too would like to see C.J. get some playing time. I think Tyshawn needs to sit a little more.
reserveseating (anonymous) says…
TAYLOR's role is not turnover captain which he has been doing the past several games. 3 turnovers back to back in the Tennessee game and he has the nerve to cry around about not knowing what he should be doing. If he is going to talk like that then he should be benched for other players such as Morningstar who knows where he fits in quite well.
georgiahawk (anonymous) says…
I think all of you should be benched as fans. How can you have such high expectations of the players and then sink so low as fans? Get a life, it is only a game, even if it is God's game and we are God's team, it is still just a game! Enjoy it and let the kids playing it enjoy it too!
california (anonymous) says…
First, Georgiahawk, you are an IDIOT.
Second, rgh, you are right on. Start Brady. He's a leader and knows what he is doing.
Third, edjayhawk, you are right on when you compare Taylor to J.R. Giddins.
Finally, my guess is that two players will transfer. There are not enough minutes to go around. Bill Self should learn a valuable lesson from Tennessee: Teams win with team-minded players. Recruiting players that only look out for themselves and towards the NBA are not the best for college basketball teams. History proves it out.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
I agree, california. This team sucks. Self should get fired, and every player except Morningstar should be kicked off the team. And anyone who disagrees with that is an idiot. (I learned that from jaywalker.)
weeslicket (anonymous) says…
good lord.
this is a great team with a lot of talent.
bill self still has a lot of coaching to do, and the players can improve.
crimony. the team has played two flat games in a row, and won the first and had a shot at the second.
steady improvement is all that is needed here.
just_another_bozo_on_this_bus (anonymous) says…
Clearly, weeslicket, if you aren't panicking about this season going down the drain, you are an idiot.
The only solution is to fire Self, and hire Mangino to finish out the season.
jeraldomiguel (anonymous) says…
Brady, EJ and CJ all need more time. I am not as impressed with TT as some. He is so so to me, but he distrubutes on ocasion. I just see these swooping layups from him mostly. But lets save the rancor for the horns and cats. At least TT is smart enough not to get pulled over with pot and guns. But maybe that would fire up the rest of the team if he was.
weeslicket (anonymous) says…
geez, bozo. ease up a bit.
and no, i am not panicking.