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Infertility is defined as an inability to conceive after one year or more of regular sexual activity without the use of a contraceptive.

The number of men suffering from male infertility is astonishing. Many causes have been linked as contributory factors to infertility in men, including: Alcohol, smoking, drugs, pollutions and stress. Much research has been done in this subject matter and medical community concludes that Zinc may hold the answer to increasing fertility in sub fertile men.

Many of the health benefits of Zinc have been know for quite sometime. Zinc is necessary for:

Zinc is a wide-ranging mineral and it contains over 200 of the body’s enzymes. Semen and its constituents generally contain a high volume on the mineral. Zinc deficiency leads to decreased numbers of sperm and impotence in men.

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Biochemical reactions to take place within your body

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To support healthy immune system

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Healing cuts and bruises

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Helping you maintain a sense of taste and smell

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Growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence

Recently completed study has brought yet another proof of the link between Zinc and the production of sperm by the testicles. A group of men were given daily supplements of Folic Acid and Zinc Sulphate in order to assess their effect on spermatogenesis. The researchers found that the two substances had significantly increased the sperm concentration in sub fertile men. Although the mechanisms involved in the concentration of sperm are still unclear and require further studying, it is quite clear that Zinc and the Folic Acid can help men who are less fertile to conceive children.

Men interested in improved sperm production should consider a zinc supplementation. The daily dose of 66 milligrams of Zinc Sulphate are safe, since none of the men involved in the study has reported any side effects. This means that you can supplement your own daily intake of minerals, although you should talk the matter with a doctor before putting yourself at any kind of risk.

What is the size of your penis?

Statistics from the Bell-curve state that only a small number of men have large penises, some men are in the middle area, and most men are in the below-average and small group. The men in the small group have the “bad luck” of being born with weaker genetics and small penises.

Men with small penises have difficulties in their lives, believing that others will laugh at them or they may not find their desired women that will accept them for what they have. They become more depressed because they start to think there are no women that’ll accept them for who they are - an unhappy, and unfulfilled person.

If you believe you’re one of those men, below are some tips to help you from your struggles:

1. You can “make up” for your small penis by becoming better in bed.

You don’t have to do the same kind of positions to get good penetrations. Some positions give better penetrations than others, and do not depend on the size of the penis. You just need the correct technique and you’ll find better penetration.

2. You can make your penis look bigger.

Shave or trim your pubic hair if they’re too big. Lose some weight if you can see that your belly is hiding your real penis size. Take a hot shower just before sex and you’ll have a little larger penis because more blood will flow to the genital area. There are some more tricks like this available on the internet, to create illusions of having a larger penis.

3. If you can’t stand the fact that you have a small penis, any longer, then try penis enlargement exercises.

Although you will be facing an uphill battle, with the right information and enough self discipline, you too can finally get rid of those embarrassing man boobs you have been sporting recently.

Gynecomastria, the medical term for man boobs, is a disease that can usually be overcome naturally by getting a physical, eating a nutritious diet, and combining a workout regime of cardio exercises and weight training.

When there is a certain imbalance of the sex hormones testosterone and estrogen, the male body starts to grow mammary glands. This abnormal growth results in the over-development of the male breasts.

Getting checked out by a doctor is essential because he will ensure that the man boobs are not the result of a tumor, and he will also perform tests to see what exactly are the levels of testosterone and estrogen in the bloodstream. Although most cases of gynecomastria can be cured, more serious cases will need hormonal treatments and possibly breast reduction surgery.

After getting a clean bill of health from your doctor, you are now ready to take the steps to finally get rid of those man boobs. Your main course of action will primarily involve raising your body’s testosterone level. A greater release in testosterone will naturally diminish your mammary glands, and shrink the size of the male breasts. This can be done by doing the following activities:

Eating a healthy diet. The greater percentage of fat that a man has on his body, the lower the amount of testosterone he will produce. Anything you can do to shed unnecessary fat will result in the body’s increased production of this crucial hormone. By eating a diet that is filled with fruits, vegetables and lean meats, you will cause the body to lose weight.

Eat more often. Studies show that eating smaller meals 5-6 times per day will cause your metabolism to speed up. An elevated metabolism will make your body burn more energy, and thus stimulating the body to convert stored fat into fuel.

Do some aerobic exercises. This is a no brainer. By burning additional calories, you will cause your body to start burning off your fat resevoirs. Not only that, but you will also raise your metabolism rate for some time AFTER working out. This will result in extra fat being shed from your body, and thus reducing your body fat percentage.

Lift weights. One fail-safe way to increase your testosterone production is by adding muscle to your body. And you don’t have to have the physique of a body builder to cause an effect. Any additional muscle tissue that you add will raise your testosterone level.

Although it isn’t rocket science, there is still work involved in getting rid of your man boobs. You can’t do just one of the steps, and neglect the others. A combination of eating several smaller, healthier meals along with a mixture of resistance training and cardio workout is the perfect blueprint to melting away those male breasts.

Along with a nutritious diet, the most effective way to lose man boobs is through exercising. The reason why exercise works is because it directly and indirectly raised the production of testosterone. And as testosterone levels rise, the enlarged mammary glands, which are the cause of the male breasts, naturally go away. It is also important to note that testosterone levels increase as the body fat percentage goes down.

Man boob exercises are divided into two groups: cardio and weight training. Cardio exercises burn lots of calories. And as long as you are eating a healthy diet, you will lose unwanted fat tissue, and produce more testosterone. Weight training works because you are actively building more muscle tissue, and this results in higher testosterone production.

Cardio exercises to get rid of man boobs:

1. Jogging. According to the Mayo Clinic, an adult male jogging at 5 mph will burn 728 calories in an hour.

2. Swimming. If jogging is not your thing, you may want to try swimming. It causes much less stress on the joints, and also burns 637 calories for each hour.

3. Walking. Chances are that if you are overweight, you may have not exercised in quite some time. Walking is the perfect way to get back into shape slowly. For every hour that you walk, you will burn off 228 calories.

Weight training exercises to get rid of man boobs:

1. Bench press. Not only will you be working out the large pectoral muscles (which burns more energy than working out smaller muscles like biceps), but you will be adding muscle tissue in your chest area. This give your chest a much more masculine look.

2. Squats. This exercise is very effective because it works out some of the largest muscles in the body. Adding muscle tissue here will dramatically increase testosterone levels throughout your body.

3. Deadlift. Like squats, this exercise also works larger muscles like the quadriceps, hamstrings and the gluteus maximus.

Man boobs do not have to be a permanent, and embarrassing, fixture on your chest. Although it will take some hard work on your part, implementing these cardio and weight training exercises (along with eating properly) will allow you to eliminate your man boobs in a few short months.

The key in all of these exercises is to reduce body fat and stimulate muscle growth. This will cause testosterone production to increase, and will make those man boobs finally go away.

When your wife has postpartum depression (PPD), which affects about 1 in 7 women after childbirth, you might feel confused, annoyed, scared, sad, worried or any combination of these. My husband certainly did. You might be thinking, “Why can’t she just be happy? What’s wrong with her? Aren’t new moms supposed to be happy now that the baby’s finally here? What’s going on?” Remember that PPD is a biochemical disorder which is no one’s fault - not yours or hers. Although you can’t fix it like you can a broken cabinet or leaky faucet, it’s your job to support her as she recovers. Here are some pointers that will help you to help her and your relationship:

(Excerpts from Beyond the Blues: A Guide to Understanding and Treating Prenatal and Postpartum Depression by Bennett and Indman)

* Just being there with her is doing a great deal. Letting her know you support her is often all she’ll need. Ask her what words she needs to hear for reassurance, and say those words to her often. Things like, “We’ll get through this. I’m here for you. I love you very much. You’re a great mom. The baby loves you. You’ll get yourself back. The PPD is temporary. I’m sorry you’re suffering - that must feel awful. This isn’t your fault.”

* Lower your expectations. Even a non-depressed new mom can’t realistically be expected to cook dinner and clean house. She may be guilt-tripping herself about not measuring up to her own expectations and worrying that you’ll also be disappointed with her. Remind her that parenting your child(ren) and taking care of your home is also your job, not just hers. Your relationship will emerge from this crisis stronger than ever.

* Let her sleep at night. She needs at least 5 hour of uninterrupted sleep per night to receive a full sleep cycle and restore her biorhythms (Chapter 11 of Postpartum Depression For Dum*mies explains in detail how splitting the night can work even if she’s breastfeeding or you need to leave the house early for work.) If you want your wife back quicker, be on duty for this time without disturbing her. Many dads have expressed how much closer they are to their children because of nighttime caretaking. If you can’t be up at night taking care of your baby, hire someone who can take your place. A temporary baby nurse will be worth her weight in gold.

* Get the support you need so you can be there for her. Often a husband becomes depressed during or after his wife’s depression. You can help protect yourself by getting your own support from friends, family, or professionals. Regular exercise or other stress-relieving activity is important, so you can remain the solid support for your wife. Provide a stand-in support person for her while you’re gone.

* Don’t take it personally. Irritability is common with PPD. Don’t allow yourself to become a verbal punching bag. It’s not healthy for anyone concerned. She feels guilty after saying hurtful things to you. If you feel you didn’t deserve to be snapped at, calmly explain that to her.

Refer to the first bullet for ideas of what to say to your wife that will truly help her. There are also some clear no-no’s to avoid. Here are a few:

DO NOT say:

* “Think about everything you have to feel happy about.” She already knows everything she has to feel happy about. One of the reasons she feels so guilty is that she’s depressed despite these things.

* “Just relax.” This suggestion usually produces the opposite effect! She’s already frustrated at not being able to relax in spite of all the coping mechanisms that have worked in the past. Anxiety produces hormones that can cause physical reactions such as increased heart rate, shakiness, and muscle tension. This is not something she can just will away.

* “Snap out of it.” If she could, she would have already. She wouldn’t wish this on anyone. She can’t snap out of PPD any easier than she can snap out of the flu.

Be patient, non-judgmental, and upbeat. With the right kind of professional help along with your consistent and loving support, your wife will recover and your marriage will likely be stronger than ever.

Ossie Davis, actor, playwright, producer, activist, and husband to actress Ruby Dee, was 87 when he died in February from natural causes. Wrote poet Haki Madhubuti in his tribute to Davis: “His art fed us, allowing us to grow and, yes, finally appreciate his greatness and his genius. He was, indeed, our golden trumpeter; clear, resolute, unafraid, athletic, Blackself-loving, articulate and, above all, always in tune and ahead of his time.”

Attorney Johnnie L. Cochran Jr. died at the age of 67. The great grandson of slaves, Cochran wrote in his 2003 book, A Lawyer’s Life, that the work of Thurgood Marshall, the lead attorney for Brown v. Board of Education, became his inspiration for pursuing a legal career.

Dr. Kenneth Bancroft Clark, social psychologist, renowned educator and principal architect of the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies as a resource for Black elected officials, died of cancer on May 1. He was 90. Clark is perhaps best known for his research on the psychological effects of racial discrimination that became a cornerstone in the Supreme Court case, Brown v. Board of Education. Along with his wife, Mamie Phipps Clark, he used dolls as a means to assess the impact of a separate-but-equal society on African-American children, and produced findings that compelled the Supreme Court to rule against segregation.

Harold Cruse, renowned social critic, essayist, professor and a former director of the University of Michigan’s Center for Afro-American and African Studies, died March 25 in Ann Arbor, Mich. He was 89. Considered to be one of the leading Black public intellectuals of the 20th century, Cruse was best known for his book The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual He was first named program director of Michigan’s Center for Afro-American and African Studies (CAAS) in 1969, then acting director in 1971 and director from 1972-1973. Reportedly, he was one of the first African-Americans without a college degree to get tenure at a major university.

Clarence “Big House” Gaines, legendary former Winston-Salem State University men’s basketball coach and director of athletics, died April 18. He was 81. Gaines’ 47-year legacy of contribution to WSSU included 828 wins, eight Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association conference championships and a national title. Gaines finished his coaching career in 1993 as the second all-time winningest coach, and today is ranked fifth in that category.

Oscar Brown Jr., a poet, actor, playwright, singer, song-writer-composer, director and musician, died May 29. Writes Haki Madhubuti, who paid tribute to him earlier this year, “If ever there was a man who embodied all of the qualities of a conscientious and responsible Black artist, it was Oscar Brown Jr. The man was talented, multidimensional, literate to the bone, Black/African-centered, culturally focused and politically active. He was also a loving father and a proud family man.”

Charles S. Bing, Florida A&M University associate band director who tutored generations of members of the famed Marching 100, died from complications from a stroke. He was 67.

John H. Johnson, the publisher of Ebony, Jet, the JPC Book Division, and formerly Negro Digest/Black World, Ebony Jr., EM (Ebony Man) and Ebony-South Africa; the founder of Fashion Fair Cosmetics and the Ebony Fashion Show; and one of world’s first Black multi-millionaires, died on Aug. 8. He was 87.

Constance Baker Motley, a lawyer and federal judge who fought racism in landmark segregation cases including Brown v. Board of Education, the Central High School case in Arkansas and the case that let James Meredith enroll at the University of Mississippi, died of congestive heart failure. She was 84. She would have celebrated her 40th anniversary on the bench next year.

Vivian Malone Jones, one of two Black students whose effort to enroll at the University of Alabama led to former Gov. George Wallace’s infamous “stand in the schoolhouse door” in 1963, died on Oct. 13. She was 63.

Dr. C. DeLores Tucker, longtime civil rights activist, a former Pennsylvania secretary of state and founder of a national Black women’s political organization, died Oct. 12. She was 78.

In 10 plays, nine set in Pittsburgh’s “Hill District,” August Wilson, “more than any writer of his generation, chronicled the lives of the ‘ordinary’ Black folks. He documented in a poet’s voice the history, culture, vision, pain, psychology, fighting spirit, struggles, aspirations and hopes of his people–Black people,” writes Haki Madhubuti in tribute. Wilson died of liver cancer. He was 60.

Inspiring a movement that would transform the United States, civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks died in October. She was 92. Mourners came out to pay their respects from Montgomery, Ala., to Detroit. Parks became the first woman in American history to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda.

The Rev. Albert J. Sloan, president of Miles College and the man who brought the historically Black institution back from the brink of closing, died Nov. 25 at a Birmingham, Ala., hospital. He was 62.

Going from a golf fan to a serious player to a professional is no simple feat. Those who have made the journey recognize how slim the odds truly are. And although most PGA and LPGA golfers can’t agree on how best to swing a club or which grip is the most reliable, it’s almost universally accepted that college experience is critical to professional golf success.

For thousands of junior golfers in the United States, the professional dream meets with harsh reality when they realize that there are only 800 to 900 combined scholarships available for men’s and women’s Division I golf. For most, continuing their golf dreams means accepting offers from Division II- and III-level schools.

“Ninety percent of freshmen who go to college think that one day they will be good enough to play on TV,” says Eddie Payton, head coach of men’s and women’s golf at Jackson State University in Mississippi. “After about two years, reality sets in and … [many] realize that their best hope is to become real good college players, get a marketable degree and get a job within the golf industry so they can stay close to the game that they love.”

The golf bug is biting players at a younger age, and is becoming more popular as golfers like Tiger Woods become mainstream sports superstars, says Dean Frischknecht, a former collegiate player at Oregon State University and current publisher of the PING American College Golf Guide.

“Kids are playing earlier and they are playing more these days,” he says. “If you have athletic ability, you can learn golf as a teenager and be a very good player. But most kids are being exposed to golf at a younger age. There are more opportunities. Junior golf is more visible, and it’s attracting good athletes.”

THE PATH TO THE PROS

It is an adage that holds tree in almost any context–practice makes perfect. In golf, like in many other sports, experience is a central factor in success as well. Children who take up golf early have a distinct advantage when they hit high school and begin competing for the attention of college coaches.

“The ones that get recruited are the ones that post some good numbers at big tournaments. If you post good numbers in national tournaments, you are going to get recruited by more coaches. You are going to be recruited by the coaches at the big-time schools,” Frischknecht says.

The national junior tournaments are a vital crucible for young golfers. Those tournaments are critical markers on their paths from high school to Division I universities, and from there to the professional ranks. But most experts agree that finding the means to participate in highly prestigious tournaments like American Junior Golf Association-sponsored events is more difficult for minorities. Unable to access the tournaments, many young minority golfers find the pipeline to the pros blocked off at its source.

One program designed to help with this problem is the First Tee Program. Founded by the World Golf Foundation in 1997, the program was designed specifically to bring golf to economically disadvantaged youth. The WGF worked to identify courses that the children could physically get to and afford, and places that would be welcoming environments for the young players. Within three years, it had developed more than 100 golf learning facilities across America.

“If you want to shoot basketballs, all you need are a hoop and a ball. But with golf, you have to have not only the room, but you have to have the time,” Frischknecht says. “I think that’s what the First Tee Program does, it makes those facilities available.”

Payton, who has led Jackson State to 18 consecutive Southwestern Athletic Conference men’s golf championships and eight consecutive women’s championships, says the effectiveness of the First Tee Program is yet to be determined.

“We haven’t had a chance to see kids that are six or seven years old go through the program and integrate into colleges to see if it was successful or not. To me, until we get a handle on it and start establishing some teaching academies specifically designed for the needs of the inner-city kids, where you can get them in at an early age and monitor them and make sure that they get the instruction they need to be competitive, there will always be a marked absence in the number of minority players to choose from each year,” Payton says.

THE PIED PIPER OF MINORITY JUNIOR GOLF

One person who echoes that sentiment is Bill Dickey, who has been dedicated to creating long-term programs to unclog the college golf pipeline. Dickey’s efforts have earned him recognition by the PGA for helping Black and other minority youth gain access to the sport.

Dickey founded the National Minority Junior Golf Scholarship Association, which since 1984 has awarded close to $2 million to college-bound golfers. The scholarship program is funded primarily through the annual East-West Golf Tournament, which brings together amateur minority golfers from across the country.

Students at Tulane University will return to a school with a gutted engineering department, eight fewer sports programs and student housing replaced by cruise ships.

The school is also laying off nearly 10 percent of its faculty–230 positions–before students return Jan. 19 for the first classes since the city was swamped by Hurricane Katrina.

“I have thought long and hard to see if I could identify a comparable change at another university in the last century, and I can’t,” says Terry Hartle, senior vice president of the American Council on Education.

The campus, in the city’s Uptown section, has been closed since Katrina’s floodwaters devastated New Orleans and drove out most of its half-million inhabitants. About two-thirds of Tulane’s facilities flooded, including dormitories, and most of the students are now scattered at schools nationwide.

Tulane has so far put the cost of recovering from the storm at $200 million and said it expects a one-third drop in enrollment. Before Katrina, Tulane had 13,214 students–7,976 undergraduate and 5,238 in graduate schools.

Other area schools also have scaled back faculty–including Dillard University, which laid off two-thirds of its faculty–but Tulane is the first to announce the elimination of academic programs.

“This is the most significant reinvention of a university in the United States in over a century,” says Dr. Scott S. Cowen, the university’s president.

Five undergraduate programs are being dropped: civil and environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science, computer engineering and exercise and sports science.

More than half of its doctoral programs, including English, economics and statistics, are also being cut.

About 180 of the faculty layoffs will be at the medical school, temporarily located at Baylor University. The cuts reflect the lack of patients: clinical faculty jobs make up about three-quarters of the cuts.

Most of the other layoffs are in engineering, where five of seven undergraduate programs are gone.

The school is losing eight athletic programs–men’s track, men and women’s tennis, men’s and women’s golf, women’s swimming, women’s soccer and men’s cross-country. NCAA Division I sports, such as football, baseball and men and women’s basketball, will continue.

Flood damage from Katrina also has made apartments hard to find, so incoming students will be housed in a cruise ship on the Mississippi River.

Students entering next fall and after will also be required to participate in community service work and help to rebuild New Orleans.

Was launched in 1986, people said it wouldn’t work: They said that men didn’t want general-interest lifestyle information. They said men didn’t read magazines. They said the name was boring. Ten years later, with a circulation of nearly 1.4 million and an enviable status as one of the leading men’s magazines in this country, Men’s Health is proving everybody wrong.

In an ongoing effort to be the leading provider of health and fitness information, Emmaus, Pennsylvania-based Rodale Press launched Men’s Health on the newsstand as an experiment. Executive editor Michael Lafavore, who produced the first issue with a staff of three, says the magazine was conceived by Rodale president and COO Robert Teufel. Lafavore bandied about the idea for under a year, held many casual focus groups with friends and Rodale employees and came to die conclusion that men really would read a lifestyle/service publication. He was right: The first issue sold 90,000 copies on the newsstand.

“The two things that are key to a successful launch are being relevant to your readers, and being unique,” says publisher Jeff Morgan, who joined Men’s Health four years ago after serving as national sales director for Playboy. “If a magazine is a low-fat, low-sodium version of somebody else’s title, it’s really risky.”

With its focus on health and relationships, sex and work, Men’s Health was the first magazine to bring service journalism to the men’s market. After three trial issues, it became a full-fledged quarterly in 1988. Lafavore says he didn’t start a direct-mail program until 1988, when roughly 150,000 subscription offers were mailed to names on outside lists as well as to Rodale’s in-house newsletter and book-buyer lists.

Lafavore says he tested numerous lists from both inside and outside the obvious men’s and health categories. “Some of the men’s magazines didn’t work for us, but some general-interest magazines did,” says Lafavore, who stresses that publishers should test a sampling of names from each fist to measure its viability before renting or buying whole lists. Today, Men’s Health comes out 10 times a year, and the circulation has been doubling every year (currently it’s at 1.4 million). Newsstand sales have also maintained their strength: Men’sHealth sold an average of 294,000 copies per issue on the newsstand in the first half of 1995, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, up 36 percent from the same period last year.

Lafavore acknowledges the benefits of having Rodale’s corporate backing. “I never worried about having to put my furniture on the lawn. But had it been my money, I probably would not have done it.” Being an in-house launch is certainly easier than going it alone. But the launch of Men’s Health was not entirely worry-free. Lafavore says it was initially a tough sell because advertisers had never seen anything like it. Consequently, Rodale was compelled to offer a few deals during the title’s start-up phase.

1. Is it good Kansas is reloading?

Maybe so. After a two-year period in which coach Bill Self was compelled not to rock the boat and keep starters intact who first played under Roy Williams, the program can finally be reshaped to fit the philosophy of KU’s third-year coach.

Only time will tell how that dictates success after Self went 47- 16 in his first two seasons. He still is considered one of the nation’s best coaches despite the speed bump that bottomed out KU last season when it dropped six of its last nine and lost its NCAA Tournament opener to Bucknell.

Throughout the preseason, players talked about how this team should gel better.

2. Who will score, and how much?

Without Wayne Simien to pound the ball to, the go-to threat down low is gone. For that matter, every line item in the box score will change drastically. Simien led the Jayhawks in scoring 20 times last season. Among the returnees, only senior forward Christian Moody has ever led the team in scoring, an 11-point outing last season at Kentucky.

Consider the returning percentages — points (.212), 3-pointers (.121), free throws (.204), rebounds (.293), assists (.137) and steals (.223).

Don’t think for a minute that the freshmen won’t have chances to contribute mightily. KU needs Brandon Rush to slash, Mario Chalmers to run the floor and Micah Downs to pop from outside. Julian Wright is fine offering other skills.

3. Among the freshmen, who might leave early for the NBA?

Rush applied for the NBA Draft but didn’t get picked and decided late that college was his best option. His game is loaded with potential, and the odds are he’s only going to be around for one season, whether he flourishes or flops.

Don’t get too discouraged by the prospect, however. The college basketball landscape continues to change. Just ask Williams about the underclass exodus at North Carolina following its national championship.

It won’t be uncommon to see players spend just a year in college, though the basketball culture at KU can enchant them to stay longer. Still, Self continues to load up on top-rated recruits. Their quick development is not only critical this year, but could become a regular fix for high-profile programs.

4. Who will take over at point guard?

Something to keep in mind is that Self wants his ballhandlers to be interchangeable. He didn’t alter the structure much after inheriting Aaron Miles, except to cut back the transition game. Now that the Jayhawks’ career assists leader is gone, the point guard position will be more flexible.

KU will no doubt tap the senior instincts of Jeff Hawkins, a tough defender and streaky shooter. It is clear the KU staff wants freshman Mario Chalmers to develop quickly.

The signing of Chicago recruit Sherron Collins as part of the 2006 class not only gives the Jayhawks another point guard next season, it is expected to add a measure of toughness they lack in the backcourt. In other words, it would benefit Chalmers to become feisty.

5. Will the seniors be rewarded for the paths they took?

They already have been. Each is on athletic scholarship, something Hawkins, Christian Moody and Stephen Vinson didn’t possess when they arrived at KU.

While none are mentioned as awards candidates, each brings something to the team. As a fifth-year player, Hawkins provides the most experience and can pass along pointers. Moody held on to his starting spot all last season and is an incredibly smart player. Vinson is as well-conditioned as anyone on the squad.

6. Does Kansas have a junior class?

No. Once the answer to ‘Who stabbed J.R.?’ was resolved and J.R. Giddens moved on to New Mexico, the Jayhawks were left with no juniors.

There are plenty of sophomores, however. It can be argued all of them underachieved last season, though they really weren’t awarded extensive opportunities.

KU seems determined to let Russell Robinson develop into an off guard and wants 6-11 C.J. Giles to recognize his potential. Giles and another 6-11 frontliner, Sasha Kaun, will get chances early to work in tandem.

7. Since you brought up Giddens,

how much will the offseason problems affect KU?

Giddens’ transfer rids KU of one distinct problem, though the off- court behavior of the Jayhawks needs to be monitored.

The first-round exit from the NCAA Tournament already cast a pall over the program before the fight at the Moon Bar and the crack over the head Rodrick Stewart took at closing time of another bar to begin the semester.

It’s unfair to tell the Jayhawks not to go out at night, at least in the offseason. If such rules were enforced, Self might never sign another high-profile recruit. But behavioral issues stain a proud program. The Jayhawks must adhere to all the responsibilities that go with wearing the uniform.

8. Wowee, just how good is Maui?

Dynamite. Half of the eight teams in the draw, including the Jayhawks’ first-round opponent, Arizona, were ranked in the preseason top 10. The others are Connecticut, Michigan State and Gonzaga. Maryland is also ranked.