Game Thread: FAU vs Kansas 11-28-07
Re: Game Thread: FAU vs Kansas
This is a place very special place for Rex on every level and shouln'd take away from the job at hand, but this will be a very tough place to play, the Owls have yet to be part in a hostile enviroment like they will tonight - a place where the fans are very passionate for thei team, should be interesting how the players react early in the game.
Key: will be to not letting the game get away early, if we can stay competeitive early then this won't become a HUGE blow-out. The Jayhawk should win this game easily, but I would like to see the Owls play against big physical guys. They will have to be patient and not force things and limit turnoevers.
Re: Game Thread: FAU vs Kansas
Former KU star Walters, now Florida Atlantic coach, wants players to share his devotion.
By J. BRADY McCOLLOUGH
LAWRENCE | Rex Walters wishes that his players would be more like him, and that might be the toughest part of his job as head coach at Florida Atlantic.
As a player at Kansas during 1991-93, Walters admits he probably spent too much time shooting hoops down the street from Allen Fieldhouse at Robinson gym and not enough time studying. Still, he expects the same devotion from his players.
“It disappoints me when our guys don’t do that,” Walters said, “and I tell them, and sometimes I can have stinging comments. Either they’re going to accept it and do better or it’s going to be cutting and hurtful. I’m trying to find that fine line between trying to push them to a higher level and at the same time not absolutely demoralizing them.”
Tonight as Walters returns to Allen to coach against his alma mater, a demoralizing result is a strong possibility. The Owls are 1-5 thus far and will be playing without their leading scorer, Paul Graham III. Why? Because Walters suspended him and his 17.8 points per game four days ago. And he doesn’t expect Graham to come back.
“Quite honestly, he just didn’t do the things I was asking him to do,” said Walters, in his second season as coach.
KU coach Bill Self was impressed when he heard that story.
“That tells you something right there,” Self said. “He’s trying to set the right foundation to do it right over time, not just win one game.”
Two players have left since Walters’ takeover of the program from Matt Doherty, and Graham is likely to be the third.
Walters’ players simply have a lot to live up to. He was known as one of the most competitive players of the Roy Williams era. He transferred from Northwestern after his sophomore year and became an All-Big Eight player both seasons at KU. He averaged 15.3 points his senior year on the Final Four team that lost to eventual national champion North Carolina.
Florida Atlantic junior Carlos Monroe pauses, then lets out a chuckle when asked whether Walters is tough on him.
“Yeah, he demands perfection, and nobody’s going to be perfect,” Monroe said. “But he wants us to get as close to it as we possibly can.”
Walters has spent the last day reminiscing about his days in Lawrence. The loss to UTEP in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in ’92 is his worst memory. Beating Indiana the next year to make the Final Four is clearly the best.
He went on to play seven seasons in the NBA for the New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat. In 2003, he got his first college coaching job as an assistant at Valparaiso.
Now Walters is the head man, coming back to KU with a team that is still getting used to the coaching style he learned from Roy Williams. There’s no doubt he’s looking forward to tonight.
“That’s a special place,” Walters said. “But when the game starts, I gotta coach my team and give them the best chance to be successful out there.”
Re: Game Thread: FAU vs Kansas
Game Thread: FAU vs Kansas 11-28-07
Cuka and Kone, IMO, needed a push out the door…
Graham, dunno…
this remark might cause some attention:
"Either they’re going to accept it and do better or it’s going to be cutting and hurtful. I’m trying to find that fine line between trying to push them to a higher level and at the same time not absolutely demoralizing them.”
Re: Game Thread: FAU vs Kansas
graham or no graham, our team is better than gardner-webb and they went into rupp and beat kentucky
NEVER
SAY
NEVER
ERROR: A link was posted here (img) but it appears to be a broken link.
Re: Game Thread: FAU vs Kansas
Re: Game Thread: FAU vs Kansas
Bytor said
I know that this is a BIG homecoming for Rex and a good chance for the players to play in a very hostile enviroment.
This is a place very special place for Rex on every level and shouln'd take away from the job at hand, but this will be a very tough place to play, the Owls have yet to be part in a hostile enviroment like they will tonight - a place where the fans are very passionate for thei team, should be interesting how the players react early in the game.
Key: will be to not letting the game get away early, if we can stay competeitive early then this won't become a HUGE blow-out. The Jayhawk should win this game easily, but I would like to see the Owls play against big physical guys. They will have to be patient and not force things and limit turnoevers.
:(I hate to recall this but this isn't the only time FAU has played in a hostile environment and not the only time they have played a Big 12 team as well. As they played at Oklahoma State in Stillwater,OK on Dec.1 1998 as they upset the Cowboys 83-81 in Gallageher-Iba Arena. Considered to be the "dounut" game that ate up The Streak. Just after playing highly touted regarded TCU and just before facing 18th ranked UCLA, the Cowboys saw their 80-game home conference win streak snapped by FAU, a school that did not have a basketball program when the streak began. OSU's streak finished as the fifth-longest in Division I history…OSU led 30-18 early but saw the owls go on a 12-2 run, and the Cowboys were never able to shake FAU after that point. The Owls led 81-75 with just under four minutes to play, Adkins' career-best fifth three-pointer of the night tied the game with 1:06 left. On the ensuring possession, after a kicked ball reset FAU's shot claock with 40.8 seconds left, the Cowboys forced a hurried shot and Adkins got the rebound. But he fell to the floor, and the ball bounced into Durrant's hands. He hit a layup with 1.9 seconds left, and Adkins desperation three missed the mark…Gottlieb set a school record and tied the Big 12 mark with 18 assists…Peterson recorded his first double-double of the season and tied a career high with 11 rebounds…Adkins also set a career high in rebounds…Weber pulled down a carreer-high nine rebounds and scored 17 points…Mason recorded a career-high four block shots…Jonzen scored a career-high eight points.
I can't say I be pulling for you guys tonight as I have to pulling for the Big 12 but just wanted to let you know that you been there if you didn't recall and I guess give you a little hope for it to happen again. Good Luck!
BTW, I'll be pulling for the Owls this Saturday in the football game against Troy for the chance to go to a bowl game for the first time in your school's history.
Re: Game Thread: FAU vs Kansas
ERROR: A link was posted here (img) but it appears to be a broken link.
Re: Game Thread: FAU vs Kansas
Re: Game Thread: FAU vs Kansas
they looked so scared, haha :-\
ERROR: A link was posted here (img) but it appears to be a broken link.
Recent Forum Posts
Please help us spread the word!
Ya - participation on this board has really picked up lately
Welcome! You won’t find a better source for fau sports than here
Just putting the Taggart era/error behind us
What happened to MJJr? Wasn't he a 4 star recruit from Penn Sta…