No. 1

By Gary Bedore     Nov 9, 2004

Keith Langord jams during KU's exhibition game against Emporia State.

Being ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press preseason poll doesn’t always spell doom for a men’s college basketball team.

Take last year, when the University of Connecticut opened on top and finished the same way. The Huskies were the first preseason No. 1 to close the deal since Kentucky in 1995-96.

“I don’t believe in any of that stuff,” Kansas University coach Bill Self said of jinxes Monday after his Jayhawks edged No. 2 Wake Forest — 25 first-place votes to 22 and 1,697 overall points to 1,680 — in the AP poll. “I would say it’s nice to know that it has been done before, but we’re just trying to figure out a way to get better each and every day.”

Georgia Tech, which travels to KU for a nonconference showdown on New Year’s Day, placed third in the voting, followed by North Carolina, Illinois, Syracuse, Oklahoma State, UConn, Kentucky and Arizona.

“I was a little surprised when the first major poll (ESPN/USA Today) came out and had us preseason No. 1 and certainly surprised again when the Associated Press did as well,” Self said. “I think this is a tribute to the returning players and seniors we have in the program. I think this year is as wide-open as any I can remember.”

Scott McClurg/Journal-World Photo
Kansas University freshman Russell Robinson, right, brings the ball up the court against Emporia State's Scott Hahn in the first half. The Jayhawks beat the Hornets, 115-70, in an exhibition game Sunday night in Allen Fieldhouse.

His Jayhawks, who return four starters from last year’s Elite Eight team — Wake returns all five starters — Monday became the school’s first AP preseason No. 1 team in school history.

The Jayhawks debuted as No. 1 in the first AP poll in 1956-57. That poll, however, was released in December, after the Jayhawks already had won two games. The first AP preseason poll came out in 1961-62. Prior to that, polls usually were released after a week or two of the season.

“Certainly I wouldn’t say this team is better than some of the Kansas teams in the past that were ranked so high in the preseason,” Self said. “It’s just a different climate today.

“The fact we have four returning seniors that are all really good players in a lot of people’s minds gives us experience edge that few teams in America have. It’s nice, but means nothing in the big scheme of things.”

KU senior Wayne Simien, who is expected to garner first-team All America honors this preseason, says being No. 1 early “comes along with it. This is Kansas, one of the most prestigious programs in the country. With the personnel we have coming back and experience and our depth, on paper we look good. Now it’ll be up to us to make sure we hold it down.”

KU senior Keith Langford said there was no extra burden in being No. 1.

“I enjoy that. I love the attention,” Langford said. “Being at Kansas, it gives us the motivation to play hard if we want to keep that. If we lose, we might not get it back. We have to play hard, take every practice hard.”

Conceivably, KU could be No. 1 for months. The Jayhawks play 10 straight home games before hitting the road for the first time Jan. 9 at Kentucky.

“We could hold onto it a while. It kind of bothers me we can’t go on the road until January. That’s out of my hands,” Langford said.

“I don’t know who does the scheduling but they didn’t take into account the experience of the young guys, what they have to go through the first time on the road. It’s something where being leaders will come into play.”

KU had hoped to open the season on the road in the Coaches Vs. Cancer Tournament but couldn’t compete in the event because the courts failed to eliminate the rule that allows teams to play in only two exempt tourneys every four years.

  • Wild twist: Self’s former school, Illinois, was ranked fifth. At KU, he succeeded Roy Williams, who headed from Lawrence to North Carolina.

The two coaches have ties to three of the top five.

“So, I’ve got a 1 and a 5 and Roy’s got a 1 and a 4,” Self quipped to Associated Press writer Doug Tucker. “What are you guys trying to do to us?”

  • Signing date nears: Wednesday is the start of the weeklong early signing period. KU will receive letters of intent from Mario Chalmers, 6-foot-1, Anchorage, Alaska; Micah Downs, 6-8, Kirkland, Wash., and Julian Wright, 6-8, Chicago Heights, Ill. The Jayhawks will have one scholarship to award during the late period in April.

No. 1

By Jim Baker     Nov 9, 2004

Keith Langord jams during KU's exhibition game against Emporia State.

Being ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press preseason poll doesn’t always spell doom for a men’s college basketball team.

Take last year, when the University of Connecticut opened on top and finished the same way. The Huskies were the first preseason No. 1 to close the deal since Kentucky in 1995-96.

“I don’t believe in any of that stuff,” Kansas University coach Bill Self said of jinxes Monday after his Jayhawks edged No. 2 Wake Forest — 25 first-place votes to 22 and 1,697 overall points to 1,680 — in the AP poll. “I would say it’s nice to know that it has been done before, but we’re just trying to figure out a way to get better each and every day.”

Georgia Tech, which travels to KU for a nonconference showdown on New Year’s Day, placed third in the voting, followed by North Carolina, Illinois, Syracuse, Oklahoma State, UConn, Kentucky and Arizona.

“I was a little surprised when the first major poll (ESPN/USA Today) came out and had us preseason No. 1 and certainly surprised again when the Associated Press did as well,” Self said. “I think this is a tribute to the returning players and seniors we have in the program. I think this year is as wide-open as any I can remember.”

Scott McClurg/Journal-World Photo
Kansas University freshman Russell Robinson, right, brings the ball up the court against Emporia State's Scott Hahn in the first half. The Jayhawks beat the Hornets, 115-70, in an exhibition game Sunday night in Allen Fieldhouse.

His Jayhawks, who return four starters from last year’s Elite Eight team — Wake returns all five starters — Monday became the school’s first AP preseason No. 1 team in school history.

The Jayhawks debuted as No. 1 in the first AP poll in 1956-57. That poll, however, was released in December, after the Jayhawks already had won two games. The first AP preseason poll came out in 1961-62. Prior to that, polls usually were released after a week or two of the season.

“Certainly I wouldn’t say this team is better than some of the Kansas teams in the past that were ranked so high in the preseason,” Self said. “It’s just a different climate today.

“The fact we have four returning seniors that are all really good players in a lot of people’s minds gives us experience edge that few teams in America have. It’s nice, but means nothing in the big scheme of things.”

KU senior Wayne Simien, who is expected to garner first-team All America honors this preseason, says being No. 1 early “comes along with it. This is Kansas, one of the most prestigious programs in the country. With the personnel we have coming back and experience and our depth, on paper we look good. Now it’ll be up to us to make sure we hold it down.”

KU senior Keith Langford said there was no extra burden in being No. 1.

“I enjoy that. I love the attention,” Langford said. “Being at Kansas, it gives us the motivation to play hard if we want to keep that. If we lose, we might not get it back. We have to play hard, take every practice hard.”

Conceivably, KU could be No. 1 for months. The Jayhawks play 10 straight home games before hitting the road for the first time Jan. 9 at Kentucky.

“We could hold onto it a while. It kind of bothers me we can’t go on the road until January. That’s out of my hands,” Langford said.

“I don’t know who does the scheduling but they didn’t take into account the experience of the young guys, what they have to go through the first time on the road. It’s something where being leaders will come into play.”

KU had hoped to open the season on the road in the Coaches Vs. Cancer Tournament but couldn’t compete in the event because the courts failed to eliminate the rule that allows teams to play in only two exempt tourneys every four years.

  • Wild twist: Self’s former school, Illinois, was ranked fifth. At KU, he succeeded Roy Williams, who headed from Lawrence to North Carolina.

The two coaches have ties to three of the top five.

“So, I’ve got a 1 and a 5 and Roy’s got a 1 and a 4,” Self quipped to Associated Press writer Doug Tucker. “What are you guys trying to do to us?”

  • Signing date nears: Wednesday is the start of the weeklong early signing period. KU will receive letters of intent from Mario Chalmers, 6-foot-1, Anchorage, Alaska; Micah Downs, 6-8, Kirkland, Wash., and Julian Wright, 6-8, Chicago Heights, Ill. The Jayhawks will have one scholarship to award during the late period in April.
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