Advertisement
Morris twins adding bounce to their step
There was a time last season when Markieff and Marcus Morris left members of the Kansas University basketball team wondering if they actually could dunk.
Big 12 men’s capsules
The following capsules break down the Big 12 teams outside of Lawrence for the upcoming hoops season.
Yankee Bowl likely to have Big 12 ties
The Big 12 Conference more than likely will add a bowl game to its slate next season at Yankee Stadium in New York.
Thrill of the chase
Junior DE Laptad key for Jayhawks’ pass rush
When Kansas University defensive end Jake Laptad plays video games in his spare time, his team of choice is the Kansas City Chiefs.
Focused and ready
Jake Sharp is finally the undisputed No. 1 RB for the Jayhawks
Jake Sharp is locked in. There’s no doubting that, as the running back sits in a padded chair, surrounded by reporters at Kansas University’s media day. He looks straight ahead, as if zeroing in on a target, and rarely blinks.
Brutal slate awaits: Big Three in South on KU’s schedule
If the Kansas University football team is to win its first outright Big 12 North title this season, the Jayhawks will have to make history with a brutal conference schedule ahead of them.
Sorrentino: More to Reesing, Mangino than football
It was in the middle of a Kansas University football practice last season when coach Mark Mangino wanted a word with Todd Reesing. As the coach pulled his quarterback aside, Reesing was prepared to discuss what plays he would call on the next practice drive.
Tech’s Leach rips BCS
Red Raiders coach campaigns for playoff system
It’s one of the most disputed topics in the sports world today: The Bowl Championship Series. Fans, coaches, columnists, bloggers, Congress and even President Obama have voiced their opinions for and against the system decided by polls and computers that determines college football’s national championship.
MU ready to move past disappointments
Missouri offensive lineman Kurtis Gregory flipped through some television channels this summer while relaxing at his home.
Ducky? Huh?: Huskers’ Suh a dino dead-ringer
Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh explained his nickname at the first day of Big 12 Football Media Days.
Sorrentino: Crawford’s departure creates opportunity at RB
With the recent news that Jocques Crawford has left the Kansas University football team, a door officially opened with a path that leads to being Jake Sharp’s backup. OK, so it might not be the most glamorous job on the team — being the backup and all — but filling the spot will be extremely important.
Sorrentino: All-Big 12 NBA team full of Jayhawks, Longhorns
Together, Kansas University and Texas make up nearly half of the Big 12 players currently playing in the NBA. Of 41 Big 12 players in the NBA, 19 of them (46.3 percent) wore a Jayhawk or Longhorn uniform in college.
OU’s Bradford taking huge risk
Sorrentino’s Lightning Round
I’m wondering what was going through Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford’s mind as Matthew Stafford held up a Detroit Lions jersey after being selected No. 1 overall in Saturday’s NFL Draft.
Big 12’s first rounders in ‘09 will leave mark
Sorrentino's lightning round
Projecting which college superstars turn into NFL standouts can be difficult (see Leaf, Ryan; Smith, Akili; Salaam, Rashaan, to name a few).
Leaps of faith: Slew of Big 12 players project as first rounders at next level
With the 20th pick in the 2008 NFL Draft, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Aqib Talib, cornerback, Kansas University. It was the only time a Big 12 Conference player heard his named called in the first round. When the 2009 draft takes place Saturday in New York, that likely won’t be the case again.
Extra rest doesn’t always translate to NCAA Tournament success
Kansas University’s early Big 12 tournament exit last week ruled out the possibility of the Jayhawks sweeping the regular and postseason conference men’s basketball titles. The sudden departure from Oklahoma City did, however, provide the Jayhawks with plenty of rest before their first-round tilt in the NCAA Tournament with North Dakota State. Will the added rest make a difference?
Former Kansas AD fondly recalls process
Frederick: Serving on committee ‘highlight of my professional career’
Bob Frederick knew the NCAA Tournament selection committee couldn’t please everyone after it revealed the men’s basketball bracket Sunday night. He probably knows better than anyone. Frederick, Kansas University’s athletic director from 1987-2001, served as chairman of the NCAA selection committee in 1995 and 1996.
Big 12 tourney open race
Jayhawks looking for fourth straight crown
The Big 12 tournament, which begins today in Oklahoma City, will feature teams with different outlooks on the bigger picture. In just four days, the nominating committee will set the field of 65 for the NCAA Tournament.
Griffin ruled out tonight against No. 15 Jayhawks
Oklahoma star forward Blake Griffin won’t play in tonight 8 p.m. matchup against Kansas, according to a report by the Oklahoman.
KU-MU makes North respectable
Sorrentino's lightning round
I can’t help but think of the 2007 college football season when talking about the rise of Big 12 North teams this season in college basketball.
North teams carrying Big 12
Mizzou, K-State, Nebraska pleasant surprises in conference
Technically, there’s not a Big 12 North or South division in college basketball, but teams from the North seem to be swinging the pendulum of talent away from the South in 2009.
Texas leads Big 12 recruiting classes
Longhorns’ class ranked No. 3
With college football recruits signing on the dotted line all around the country today, here’s a look at a prized prospect from each Big 12 school in the class of 2009:
Oklahoma’s Warren, KU’s Taylor highlight list of top 10 freshmen in Big 12
The Oklahoma men’s basketball team is 17-1 and off to its best start in 23 years. Undoubtedly, the driving force behind the Sooners’ stellar start is sophomore Blake Griffin, who averages 22 points and leads the country with 13.4 rebounds per game. But there’s a critical component of Oklahoma’s rotation that wasn’t around last year with Griffin.
Bradford’s return makes Red River even more intense
Sorrentino's lightning round
The return of Heisman quarterback Sam Bradford — who would have easily been a Top 10 NFL Draft pick — to Oklahoma was huge news on Wednesday for two reasons.
Oklahoma, Texas early favorites in Big 12 hoops
The Big 12 is a young conference this season in men’s basketball. Of the 344 Division I schools, not a single Big 12 team ranks in the top 50 in experience level. But there’s still expectations of deep NCAA Tournament runs for a few of the conference’s finest. Here’s a preview of the Big 12 hoops season to get you amped for the crux of conference play:
Jayhawks destroy Albany, 79-43
Cole Aldrich scored 20 points, grabbed six boards and blocked three shots, Tyrel Reed added 12 points off 3-of-5 shooting from three-point land and Kansas shredded Albany, 79-43, on Tuesday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
Farewell tour: Coaching turnover highest in Big 12, SEC
In 17 seasons, Phillip Fulmer led the Tennessee football team to a 152-42 record, including a BCS Championship trophy in 1998. Tommy Tuberville, in 10 seasons at Auburn, led the Tigers to an 85-40 record, including an undefeated season in 2004. As of today, both men are no longer college football coaches.
MU hoops should finish no lower than No. 2 in North
Sorrentino's lightning round
Not much was made of Missouri before the college basketball season this winter. The Tigers weren’t ranked anywhere. In fact, they’re still not ranked after an 8-1 start.
Early report card: Big 12 separates itself from Pac-10
If the Big 12 were to claim a signature victory roughly one month into the college basketball season, it’d likely be Texas 68, UCLA 64, on Dec. 4.
Oklahoma RB Murray to miss BCS Championship
Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray, third in the nation with 2,171 all-purpose yards, will miss the Jan. 8 BCS Championship game because of a left hamstring injury.
J-W staff’s Big 12 bowl picks
The Journal-World sports staff predicts scores for the Big 12 bowl games.
Silent assassins: Remember these little-known names in time for bowls
The Big 12 Conference and college football bowl games: not historically an unstoppable combination. The conference carries a mediocre 41-44 bowl record in 12 years. The Big 12’s best bowl record for an individual season is 5-3.
6-1 in bowls realistic prediction for Big 12
Sorrentino's lightning round
It’s about time the Big 12 gets over the hump of mediocrity in bowl games. It’s amazing to think that 5-3 is the best the conference has ever fared in bowl games.
OU will be too much for MU in Big 12 Championship
Sorrentino's lightning round
Oklahoma enters Saturday’s Big 12 Championship a 17-point favorite and there’s no reason to think the Sooners won’t cover the spread.
Boomer beating? History on side of OU at Arrowhead Stadium
Here’s a quick glance at the Oklahoma Sooners scoring output in the last four games: 62 points, 66, 65 and 61. So the question to Missouri before Saturday’s Big 12 Championship game in Kansas City, Mo., is: How in the heck do you stop this juggernaut?
Sorrentino’s Lightning Round
The line for Thursday’s Texas A&M at Texas football game may seem a little extreme on first glance. The Longhorns are favored by 35 points. Talk about a smack in the face of the Aggies, who have defeated the Longhorns the last two years.
South supremacy: Tech, OU to battle with huge implications
The Texas Tech football program has made a habit this season of silencing doubters and controlling a Big 12 South division considered the toughest of any in America.
Heisman hopefuls
Trophy near-lock to land in Big 12
Three players in the Big 12 era have won the Heisman Memorial Trophy, awarded to the most outstanding player in college football at the end of each season. Barring any outrageous circumstance, the conference will add a fourth in 2008. This player would join Ricky Williams (Texas, 1998), Eric Crouch (Nebraska, 2001) and Jason White (Oklahoma, 2003) in striking the famous pose.
Captains of the comeback: Erasing deficits becoming normal at Texas Tech under Leach
The art of the comeback is not a new concept to the Texas Tech football program under coach Mike Leach. Last week’s 39-33 triumph at home over then-top ranked Texas made for spectacular theater. It was the most significant victory in Tech’s 83-year history.
Reed competitive on court, links
Sophomore working to improve defense, round out offense
There’s no lack of competitive spark in Tyrel Reed, even off the basketball court. When he’s not on the floor trying to improve his game, the Kansas University sophomore guard likes to hit the links. Golf is just another way for Reed to bond with his teammates.
Weight-room work has worked for Taylor
When freshman Tyshawn Taylor arrived at Kansas University from New Jersey this summer, he had no problem showcasing his outgoing personality to his teammates. Put Taylor in front of anybody and he could likely hold an hour-long conversation without hesitation or any awkward, long-lasting silence.
Tech turnaround: Defense, run game suddenly present for Raiders
In the eight seasons Mike Leach has completed as head coach of the Texas Tech football program, the Red Raiders have led the nation in passing yards in seven of those years. But Tech never seemed to be an elite national program. The Red Raiders were fun to talk about at parties in terms of how their offense scored at the prolific rate of Bo Jackson in the original Tecmo Bowl.
A New No. 1: Texas maturing into punishing force
No more than a few weeks ago, the University of Texas football program wasn’t even ranked in the top 10. The Longhorns were: ¢ Too young and inexperienced. ¢ The third-best team in the Big 12 on a good day. Maybe fourth best if Texas Tech lived up to expectations. ¢ Unable to punish teams with a power running attack like classic Texas teams of the past. Coach Mack Brown even called the Longhorns “under the radar” at No. 11 before the season. He said it was a positive for his young team. Oh, what a victory over a top-ranked Oklahoma team can do in the national title picture.
Historic powers take center stage in Dallas
The debate may continue for the majority of the season as to who’s the best quarterback in the Big 12 Conference, or which team’s spread offense packs the most exciting punch. There’s little debate, though, when considering the most heated, intense and passionate rivalry in the 12-year history of the conference. Unless Big 12 fans have been waking up on another planet the last 12 years, they know the Texas-Oklahoma Red River Rivalry is historically the most coveted ticket to any game in the conference.
Meier rises to occasion
When the opportunity presented itself for Kansas University to leave its field-goal team on the sidelines and go for a touchdown instead, Kerry Meier knew his name would be called. And as he usually does, the Jayhawks’ most sure-handed football receiver delivered on a challenging fourth-and-seven with Kansas trailing Iowa State on the road in the third quarter. Talk about a crowd silencer.
FINAL: Kansas escapes, 35-33
FINAL: Kansas 35, Iowa State 33. Todd Reesing threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns, Kerry Meier caught seven passes for 125 yards and two scores, and No. 16 Kansas held off Iowa State, 35-33, on Saturday in Ames, Iowa. Jake Sharp also added 185 yards of offense for the Jayhawks, who improved to 4-1 on the season.
The most unbreakable records in Big 12 history
Missouri’s Chase Daniel and Texas’ Colt McCoy recently threw themselves - literally - into the Big 12 Conference football record books. Daniel set a conference record for consecutive completions in a game with 20 in Missouri’s 42-21 victory over Buffalo on Saturday, eclipsing the previous marks of 18 by Sam Bradford (2007) and Seneca Wallace (2001).
End zone envy: High-powered Big 12 leads country in scoring
In the turbo-charged world of Big 12 Conference football, scoring is king. Take these sample scores from the first three weeks of the season to refresh the memory. Keep in mind the following opponents who faced these Big 12 teams all made bowl games last season: Missouri 52, Illinois 42; Oklahoma State 56, Houston 37; Texas 52, Florida Atlantic 10; Oklahoma 52, Cincinnati 26. The bottom line: These outrageous scoring outputs are mandatory in the new era of spread offenses and winning football games in the Big 12. And the statistics prove it.
The Stillwater power trio
Robinson, Hunter, Bryant making splash in Big 12
They’re not exactly household names, these three Oklahoma State Cowboys. They’re recipients of little national attention. They’re overshadowed by the No. 4 team in the nation that resides an hour-and-change south in Norman, Okla.
Welcome back: How will Big 12 schools fare in Week One?
At long last, the wait is over. Kind of a lengthy wait, too, for college football fans. Big 12 supporters who watched their teams play in bowl games last season endured roughly eight months without football. Essentially, it’s the longest wait in sports. Not to worry, though: College football season is only three days away for most Big 12 fans; one day away for the Baylor and Iowa State faithful.
Older Newer
Morris leads KU women past Michigan November 22, 2009
Huskers sweep KU volleyball November 22, 2009
KU football competes but falls at Texas November 22, 2009
Inside a college kicker's mind November 22, 2009
Mangino heads to Austin for Saturday game November 20, 2009
_r90x60.jpg?781011941c6c07bdfc65b7b14fce7e91909b1ea6 "KU guard Sade Morris battles Michigan guard Dayeesha Hicks for a loose ball during the first half of the game on Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, at Allen Fieldhouse.")
