With so many games canceled or postponed in the last 10 days and the COVID-19 pandemic ripping through college basketball programs from coast to coast, Kansas basketball coach Bill Self said he and his staff have tweaked part of their practice routine in recent weeks.
“I don’t think we’ve done much to change anything other than when we practice, we probably don’t practice with just five or six on the first team,” he said. “We try to slide as many people into that situation so there is a little bit more of a comfort level.”
Self compared the situation to football by saying it was like “making sure your second team gets first-team snaps.”
“We’re trying to do that as much as we possibly can,” he added.
On Wednesday, during an 88-61 win over Nevada at Allen Fieldhouse, the Jayhawks played 13 players, including walk-ons Chris Teahan and Michael Jankovich.
Outside of sophomore Jalen Wilson, who has settled into his role as this team’s sixth man, no one from KU’s bench did much.
While Wilson delivered 7 points and 10 rebounds in 21 minutes, the rest of the group combined for 6 points and 6 rebounds in roughly 36 minutes.
After the victory, Self discussed the idea of shortening the bench in the future if the KU reserves were not going to produce more than that. And, during Wednesday’s first half, he showed what that might look like.
As KU’s first substitution, Wilson went in for starting guard Dajuan Harris Jr. a the 13:49 mark of the first half. Senior forward Mitch Lightfoot went in for David McCormack at the 12:38 mark and Jalen Coleman-Lands subbed in for Ochai Agbaji at the 10:39 mark.
Agbaji (18:26), Harris (18:47) and Christian Braun (19:09) played nearly the entire first half, with McCormack and Remy Martin playing 11:37 and 12:59, respectively.
The lopsided nature of the second-half score allowed Self to hand out more minutes to his reserves, but all but one of them — freshman forward KJ Adams — finished in negative numbers in the plus/minus category.
Kansas coach Bill Self said this week that injured freshman Bobby Pettiford was still working through the strained abdominal injury that has kept him out of the lineup for the past handful of games.
“He’s still doing the same thing, which is almost nothing right now,” Self said. “He’s doing spot shooting and very little things like that. It’s got to run its course before we can really test that.”
Initially expected to be out 4-5 weeks on Dec. 6, Self said that timeline could still hold if all goes well in the days ahead.
“As of right now we’ve still got a couple weeks to go before we’ll know if we can put him out there and have him be pretty much pain free,” Self said.
The 6-foot-1, 190-pound combo guard from Durham, N.C., has appeared in seven games for the Jayhawks so far, averaging 11.4 minutes per contest.
Wednesday’s game marked the third home game of December for the Jayhawks and it featured a mixture of masked and unmasked fans in the stands.
Two weeks ago, KU updated its mask policy for men’s and women’s basketball games at Allen Fieldhouse from a requirement to a “recommendation” and the policy current states that “guests are still highly encouraged to properly wear a mask when not actively eating or drinking. This is especially true for unvaccinated individuals, including children ages 2 years and older.”
In addition to the policy, the public address announcer on a couple of occasions reminded fans in attendance that masks were “strongly encouraged” at the game.
Although the Jayhawks will be playing George Mason instead of TCU on Saturday, six other Big 12 programs are slated to tip off conference play on Saturday.
No game will be bigger than No. 1 Baylor (12-0) battling unbeaten and eighth-ranked Iowa State (12-0) at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.
In other Big 12 openers, West Virginia (11-1) will travel to Austin, Texas, to take on No. 17 Texas (10-2) and Oklahoma (10-2) will play host to Kansas State in Norman.
Self said this week that the Big 12, on paper, was “better than we’ve ever had; and we’ve had some great ones.”
According to reports from Austin, Texas coach Chris Beard, whose team was picked to finish second in this year’s preseason coaches poll, said Wednesday that the preseason favorite was still the team to beat.
“Baylor is obviously (playing) well right now,” Beard said of Scott Drew’s top-ranked and defending champion Bears. “But, to me, the championship goes through Lawrence, Kansas until otherwise said.”
Wednesday’s win improved the Jayhawks to 10-1 or better for the ninth time in Self’s 19 seasons… Kansas now leads the all-time series with Nevada, 5-2, including a 3-1 mark at Allen Fieldhouse… KU has now won 24 consecutive games at Allen Fieldhouse against nonconference foes, improving to 138-5 in those games under Self… KU is 5-0 at home this season… In addition to the former KU players on Self’s staff in the building, KU alums Jeff Graves, Steve Woodberry, Travis Releford, Tyrel Reed and Sherron Collins were in attendance on Wednesday night… Class of 2022 KU signee Gradey Dick also attended the KU-Nevada game.
A big challenge
Kansas University freshman power forward Quintrell Thomas was ready to play on Wednesday after coach Bill Self challenged the big men Tuesday at practice.
“He was telling us he thought he recruited athletes and we were tough,” Thomas said after scoring a career-high 10 points and tying a career high with seven rebounds in the Jayhawks’ 100-79 rout of New Mexico State. He logged a career-high 17 minutes.
“He was like, ‘You three (he and Morris twins) are so soft. The only person who can dunk on the team is Cole (Aldrich).’ He said we were all soft and just lay the ball up. I guess we had to come out and kind of prove him wrong today.”
Thomas grinned when a reporter suggested Self saves the word “soft” for rare occasions.
“I don’t know if he saves it,” Thomas said. “He talks to me all the time about finishing around the rim.”
Self is not pleased with KU’s play around the goal this season.
Self said in conference play, “There’s a no dunk rule. People will foul you hard. You can’t flinch when you go to the rim. We’re a team of flinchers now.”
Intentional foul
KU freshman Markieff Morris was whistled for an intentional foul for a hard hack on Jahmar Young as Young drove to the goal in the first half. N.M. State’s Wendell McKines took exception and yelled something at Morris. KU’s Sherron Collins took up for Morris and said something to McKines before the refs stepped in and told all parties to stop yapping.
Stats, facts
KU notched its 100th 100-point game in school history. KU has seven 100-point games under Self … Kansas has won 29 straight home games. … KU went 9-of-9 from the free-throw line in the first half. The last time KU was perfect in a half was 10-for-10 against Oklahoma last January.
Friday night rally
Kansas University fans are invited to a pep rally Friday evening at the Corinth Square Shopping Center at 83rd Street and Mission Road in Prairie Village.
Fans will have an opportunity to hear messages from football coach Mark Mangino and some players, including Lawrence native Brandon McAnderson; listen to the KU band; and take advantage of food and other activities.
The rally will take place from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. and is free, though there is a charge for food and other offerings by vendors.
On TV
In an example of how big the Border Showdown is, Kansas City’s public television station, KCPT (Sunflower Broadband Channel 7), will air “Bad Blood: The Border War that Triggered the Civil War.”
The documentary explores the pre-Civil War roots of the conflict between Kansas and Missouri.
The 90-minute documentary will air at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.
Cash registers busy
The KU Bookstore had its Touchdown Tuesday and several customers reported lines 10 or more deep at each register all day long.
Customers could get 30 percent off their merchandise purchases today because KU scored six touchdowns in its victory against Iowa State on Saturday.
On Tuesdays, KU Bookstore offers 5 percent off per touchdown up to 30 percent after KU games.
¢ Kansas University sophomore guard Mario Chalmers, who has a severely sprained left big toe, will play tonight, KU coach Bill Self said Friday. Chalmers, who did not play in Tuesday’s victory over Emporia State, returned to practice Thursday and has practiced in pain.
¢ Tough opponent: Northern Arizona returns four starters off last year’s Big Sky regular-season championship team.
“They shoot the three-pointer well. They have the nation’s leading returning three-point shooter (Steve Sir), and they signed a guy that is a great three-point shooter as well (Nathan Geiser),” Self said. “All their big men can step away from the basket and stretch the defense. They run motion that Emporia State and Washburn helped prepare us for, we hope. With their ability to shoot, if they get on a roll, they could shoot nine shots and have 18 points. That is a great equalizer. And there is the great unknown of not having seen them play this year. It’s hard to be totally prepared for the first game. They will be in the postseason this year, so I think it will be a great game for us.”
¢ KU leads the all-time series, 2-0. The Jayhawks took the last meeting, 84-57, on Nov. 24, 1990, in Flagstaff, Ariz. KU also won, 109-59, on Dec. 12, 1988 in Lawrence.
¢ KU has won four straight season openers and 14 of its past 15. The Jayhawks have won 33 straight home openers.
¢ Self is 72-24 in four seasons at KU and 279-129 overall in 14 seasons as a head coach; Mike Adras 111-94 in seven seasons at NAU.
¢ Northern Arizona University is located in Flagstaff, Ariz. Enrollment is 20,562. Nickname is Lumberjacks and school colors are Blue, Gold and Sage.
¢ The motto for the NAU men’s basketball program is “Recruit to Shoot.” In 2005-06, NAU was the only team in the country to rank among the NCAA Div. I top 15 in field goal percentage (eighth), three-point field goal percentage (ninth) and free throw percentage (14th).
¢ Sir shot a national-best 48.9 percent (93 of 190) from three last year to lead Div. I in three-point percentage among players with 2.5 threes made per game. He ranked tied for 39th in threes made per game (2.9).
¢ Adras earned a three-year contract extension after being named 2005-06 Big Sky Coach of the Year. The Lumberjacks won the regular season, only to lose to Montana in the conference tourney.
Kansas University coach Bill Self said the team enters tonight’s game hobbled.
“We’re nicked up pretty good,” he said.
Jeremy Case (groin) and Sasha Kaun (knee) will miss the contest. Meanwhile, Mario Chalmers has a sore toe, Sherron Collins has bumps and bruises including his strained calf and Russell Robinson has an assortment of aches.
“I’m a little bumped up, not to the point it’ll affect my play,” Robinson said. “I’ve got to go out and tough it up, and I’ll be all right.”
Signing date nears: Cole Aldrich, a 6-foot-10 senior center from Bloomington, Minn.’s Jefferson High, will sign his letter of intent with KU at 7:15 a.m. Wednesday in the school library. Aldrich’s dad said he and his wife and Cole’s grandparents will be on hand as well as teammates and coaches.
James Anderson, a 6-6 forward from Junction City (Ark.) High, will choose either KU or Oklahoma State at a 1 p.m. news conference Wednesday.
Self talked in generalities about recruiting Monday.
“We said all along we wanted to sign two. We’ve got one commitment and are trying real hard to get a second. If we get a second I think it’d be every bit the equal to the other classes we’ve signed to be honest, just the numbers wouldn’t be quite as many. It’s been more difficult recruiting guys to a team that is on paper still very young. Even though we think we have plenty of options, it’s been more difficult than two years ago when they (recruits) knew those seniors would no longer be here.”
Giles’ return: Self was asked how C.J. Giles has looked at practice since returning from suspension Friday. “He’s out here,” Self said.
Chalmers said the Jayhawks are happy the junior center is back.
“We see he’ll help our team out, being as athletic and long as he is. He is not rusty at all. He’s back like the old C.J.”
Giles spoke to the players upon his return. “He told us he was sorry. He said he wanted to be back with us and will do his best to stay with us,” Chalmers said.
Kareem out of job: Kareem Rush, the brother of KU sophomore Brandon Rush, has been waived by the Seattle SuperSonics. Rush had been slow to recover from a groin injury. Brandon said he’d not yet spoken to his brother since Monday’s cut.
TV talk: The Sunflower Broadband Channel Six replay of Kansas University’s exhibition basketball game against Emporia State will air tonight at 11, instead of 10:30, because of extended election coverage. Viewers who would prefer to watch it at the normal 10:30 time can do so by using video on demand.
This, that: KU has won 25 straight exhibition games dating to 1995 and is 43-7 overall in exhibition competition. : KU is 11-0 in exhibition games under Self. : Emporia State returns one starter and five letterwinners from last season’s 18-13 team. The Hornets finished sixth in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association with a 7-9 league record. : KU has won the last five meetings with ESU and leads the series 15-3. The last Emporia State win in the series came in 1947. With the series dating back to 1904, Kansas has scored 102 or more points in the last four meetings. : David Moe is 80-62 in his sixth season at Emporia State and is 73-43 since 2002. He led ESU to its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2004 and to their fourth straight winning season last year. Moe is 0-2 against KU. The Jayhawks beat Emporia State, 115-70, in an exhibition on Nov 7, 2004 and 113-61 in a regular season game in 2002.
It appeared Kansas University suffered a few injuries to key players Saturday. Running back Jon Cornish sat out several second-half drives because of a lingering ailment that started before the Texas A&M game.
Meanwhile, linebacker Joe Mortensen wasn’t moving his left arm after coming out in the fourth quarter, linebacker James Holt walked gingerly off the field with the help of a trainer afterward, and Brian Murph appeared to hurt his hand, though he continued to play.
¢ Adarius Bowman became the 11th player in NCAA Division I-A history to have 300 receiving yards in a game and the first since 2001. The record is held by Louisiana Tech’s Troy Edwards, who had 405 yards against Nebraska in 1998.
¢ Other big games by Oklahoma State players against Kansas: Rashaun Woods had 171 yards receiving versus the Jayhawks in 2002; Barry Sanders had 312 rushing yards in 1988; Vernand Morency had 269 rushing yards in 2003; and current OSU coach Mike Gundy, when he played quarterback for the Cowboys, torched Kansas for 429 passing yards in 1989.
¢ Gundy’s 429-yard game is the only passing performance in Oklahoma State history to top Bobby Reid’s on Saturday. Reid threw for 411 yards on 23-of-35 passing against the Jayhawks.
¢ Marcus Herford returned a kickoff 73 yards in the fourth quarter Saturday. It’s the second return of 70-plus yards, and neither was taken in for a TD.
¢ Freshman Jake Sharp carried once for a 27-yard gain in the fourth quarter with Cornish on the sideline. He also caught a shovel pass and gained 15 yards.
“He added fresh legs, which was a key factor late in the game,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “That was an encouraging sign. We are glad to see that.”
¢ A dinged-up Cornish had just 55 yards on 10 carries, breaking his string of three straight 100-yard rushing games. Cornish has 765 yards rushing through seven games.
¢ Defensive end Russell Brorsen started his third straight game at defensive end, ahead of Rodney Allen. He’s still not listed on KU’s two-deep, though.
¢ Three players recorded double-digit tackles for the Jayhawks – Jerome Kemp (11), James McClinton (10) and Mike Rivera (10). Wayne Wilder had six tackles and two sacks.
¢ Sophomore cornerback Aqib Talib intercepted his second pass of the season Saturday just before halftime.
¢ One of the most comedic punt plays you’ll ever see: When OSU punter Matt Fodge booted one in the first quarter into the right corner, Jonathan Lamb called the fair catch and raced over to get it. The problem: An Oklahoma State gunner caught the punt at the six-yard line as Lamb crashed into him. OSU was flagged for kick-catch interference.
¢ OSU snapped a seven-game road losing streak in league play. In its last victory, OSU trailed Missouri, 17-0, at the half before winning, 20-17.
¢ OSU’s previous high for receiving yards was 232 by Woods versus SMU in 2003. Bowman’s 13 catches tie Woods (vs. SMU) as the second-most in a game. The school record is 16 by Alex Loyd versus Kansas in 1949.
¢ The previous Big 12 record for receiving yards was 255 by Joel Filani of Texas Tech versus Kansas State in 2005.
¢ Bobby Reid set career bests with 23 completions for 411 yards. His previous highs were 14 completions twice and 281 yards Sept. 23 versus Houston.
¢ Kansas still hasn’t beaten Oklahoma State since the formation of the Big 12. The Cowboys have won five straight.
¢ Temperature was 57 degrees at kickoff under partly cloudy skies, with winds blowing out of the east-southeast at 1 mph. Game time was 3:10.
Kansas started Adam Barmann at quarterback for the third straight game, despite freshman and regular starter Kerry Meier’s being medically cleared to play. KU coach Mark Mangino said Meier had a chance to return for next week’s game against Oklahoma State, though he wouldn’t say anything definitive.
“It’s day-to-day,” Mangino said. “We think that Kerry should be OK here, hopefully, to start practice and take full repetitions as soon as (today). That would be what we would like to happen, but I can’t tell you for sure that it will.”
¢ When Texas A&M was just two yards from the end zone with a minute left, the clock continued to run, despite the real possibility the Aggies would score to take the lead and the Jayhawks would get the ball back.
Mangino was asked if he considered calling a timeout to preserve time for a counterattack. In no mood to explain his perspective, he just responded “no” and took the next question.
¢ On third-and-one with about four minutes left, Kansas called for a Jon Cornish run up the middle. He was stuffed, and KU had to punt the ball back to the Aggies, who then drove 80 yards for the winning touchdown.
Mangino said that with a quarterback who executed “good ball-management,” the call would’ve been for a quarterback sneak or option run.
“It was a conservative call,” Mangino said. “Something that we don’t normally do. Taking into the fact that we haven’t taken care of the ball at the quarterback position, we didn’t want to take the chance.”
¢ Russell Brorsen started at defensive end for the second straight week in place of Rodney Allen. Brorsen had three tackles and a quarterback hurry. Allen played plenty, too, but only had one tackle.
¢ James Holt started at outside linebacker for the injured Eric Washington, who was not in attendance. Holt, a sophomore, compiled eight tackles, including one of KU’s two sacks.
¢ Freshman safety Darrell Stuckey played for the first time this year, after injuring his ankle in the preseason. Stuckey debuted as a nickel back and played sparingly because he’s not yet 100 percent.
“You can see there’s a noticeable limp out there,” Mangino said. “He’s just not what he should be.”
¢ Kansas had its nine-game winning streak at Memorial Stadium snapped. The last time KU lost at Memorial was Nov. 13, 2004, when No. 6 Texas won, 27-23.
¢ The Jayhawks are now 1-12 against Big 12 South teams in the Mangino era and 5-26 since the inception of the Big 12. Texas A&M and Texas are the only two teams KU has never beaten in conference play.
¢ At halftime, KU officially renamed the field in honor of the Kivisto family, who donated $10 million toward the new football complex. It is now Kivisto Field at Memorial Stadium.
¢ KU’s top three tacklers were members of the secondary – Jerome Kemp with 11, and Anthony Webb and Justin Thornton with 10 each. Aqib Talib had three tackles and a team-high three pass break-ups.
¢ Cornish now has 710 yards on 136 carries this season, about 5.2 yards per carry. He’s on pace for 1,420 rushing yards.
¢ Drew George was referee in charge of the seven-man officiating crew.
¢ Attendance was announced as 46,445. Texas A&M fans filled up its two sections of the stadium by the visiting locker room in the southeast corner.
¢ Temperature was 67 degrees at kickoff under sunny skies, with winds blowing out of the south at 12 mph. Game time was 3:20.
Kansas University’s basketball players were talking more about clinching the Big 12 Conference crown than extending the school’s win streak over Kansas State in Manhattan to 23 games and counting.
“We have to start another 31-game streak,” KU freshman Mario Chalmers said, aware the Wildcats had dropped 31 in a row to KU before KSU’s victory in January in Allen Fieldhouse. “It’s good to keep the other one going.”
¢ Title specifics: The victory assured KU a piece of the Big 12 crown. KU will tie with Texas and gain the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament if the Longhorns beat Oklahoma today. Texas would win the tiebreaker because of a victory over the Jayhawks in head-to-head competition.
KU wins the title outright and garners the No. 1 seed if Oklahoma prevails over UT today.
“I might watch some just to see teams we might play down the line,” said Julian Wright, who didn’t appear to have the game on his list of must-see TV.
If KU is the tourney’s No. 1 seed, it will play the No. 8 or 9 seed at 11:30 a.m. Friday in Dallas’ American Airlines Center. If KU is No. 2 seed, it’ll play the No. 7 or 10 seed at 6 p.m. Friday. KU has earned a bye and will not play Thursday.
¢ Bump: KU’s Sasha Kaun tweaked his left ankle with 7:18 to play. He would have been able to return to the game if needed and left the arena without a limp after the contest.
¢ Frederick honored: Former Kansas University athletic director Bob Frederick and his wife, Margey, were introduced before the game as part of Senior Day festivities. Their son, Mark, is a senior non-scholarship player at K-State. He has failed to score in four games.
¢ Signs in the building: “Phog gone; Purple reigns.”
“1-14-06: Enough said”
Also, a KSU fan was decked out in a full chicken suit.
¢ Anger: KSU coach Jim Wooldridge received a technical in the first half, complaining the Jayhawks set an illegal screen to free Chalmers for a three. : KU coach Bill Self and ref Steve Welmer entered into a heated discussion the second half that appeared to be over when Welmer appeared to have the last word in the discussion. Self became incensed and screamed at Welmer, who looked as if he were ready to give Self a technical, but didn’t pull the trigger. Wooldridge complained to another ref that Self escaped a ‘T’ despite the exchange.
¢ Steals: KU had 13 steals to finish the Big 12 season with a conference-best 10.4 steals per game. Chalmers had three steals for his eighth consecutive multi-steal game. Chalmers, the conference leader with 3.3 per game, has at least one steal in 19 consecutive games.
¢ Rush back on top: Brandon Rush led KU with 24 points to break a streak of seven consecutive games in which someone else took team honors in scoring. Chalmers led the team in scoring five teams during that streak, Wright twice. Saturday marked the 11th consecutive time the Jayhawks were led in scoring by a freshman. Russell Robinson, with 24 points at Texas A&M, was the last non-freshman to lead the team in scoring.
¢ Chalmers sets mark: With his three steals, Chalmers broke the Kansas freshman record for steals, currently at 81. Chalmers passed Darnell Valentine’s 80 set in 1978.
¢ Historic title: By winning its 49th conference championship, Kansas moved into a tie with Kentucky for all-time league titles. The Ohio Valley Conference conducted research on this as follows: KU, Kentucky 49 titles; Penn 35; North Carolina, Utah 31. The list includes divisional conference titles as well.
¢ Rush update: Rush became only the fourth KU player to surpass 400 points in his freshman season.
Kansas University sophomore forward Darnell Jackson did not play because of the flu bug. “He had it Monday, Tuesday, today, been on IVs,” said coach Bill Self, who indicated Jackson would be fine for Saturday’s 3 p.m. game at Kansas State.
¢ Hot building: The fieldhouse was exceedingly toasty the first half. It was cooler after halftime. KU officials said fans were turned on in the upper deck for the second half.
“It was hot in there. It’s probably the warmest it’s been in the building since Georgia Tech last year,” Self said, noting the new windows don’t open.
“It was hot. It made my hands sweaty. I dropped a lot of balls,” KU’s Brandon Rush said. “It seemed cooler the second half.”
Three players, including Rush, had a shoe pop off during the action.
¢ Speeches revisited: The senior speeches took 38 minutes. Jeff Hawkins spoke for 12 minutes, Christian Moody 11, Stephen Vinson 10 and Moulaye Niang five. Niang was the only player to stay within the five-minute limit suggested by Self.
“I couldn’t sleep last night because I was worried about my speech,” Hawkins said. “I was really worried about it the past couple of days. I had things prepared to say and didn’t say any of them. I told the younger guys they don’t need to write anything out in the future because you can’t remember what you wrote down.”
Of the speeches, Self said: “The seniors did a good job. It’s a lot of emotion rolled into one night. I was appreciative of the fans who stuck around, and a majority did.”
¢ All-academic: Five KU players were named to the 2006 Academic All-Big 12 men’s basketball team. Christian Moody, Jeremy Case, Sasha Kaun and Stephen Vinson were named first-team all-league, while Moulaye Niang earned second-team honors.
It takes a grade-point average of 3.20 or better to make first team. It takes a GPA of 3.00 to 3.19 to make the second team.
In all, 13 players in the league earned first-team mention, seven were named second team. KU has the most representatives of any team in the league. Nebraska had three first teamers.
¢ No seniors: Strange as it may seem, there likely will be no Senior Night for KU men’s basketball next season.
The Jayhawks have no juniors on the current roster. It would take adding a senior walk-on for the Senior Night tradition not to be interrupted a year.
Of course, there likely will be senior managers to be introduced with their parents before the game.
¢ This ‘n’ that: It’s KU’s 17th straight 21-win season dating to 1990. : KU has 12 league victories for the sixth straight year. : Rush moved past J.R. Giddens into fifth on the all-time freshman scoring list with 384 points. : KU has won 23 straight Senior Night games. : KU hit two of 11 free throws the first half and 10 of 22 for the game.
¢ Signs: “Thanks Max for 60 years of my life.”
“We love Moody.”
“On the 8th day God created Max, and he’s been on the radio for KU ever since.”
ESPN GameDay announcers Digger Phelps and Jay Bilas each picked Texas to defeat KU during Saturday’s GameDay show from Erwin Center. ESPN’s Andy Katz didn’t predict on-air, but he offered his pick – Texas – in the media room. The Longhorns entered anywhere between five- and seven-point favorites.
¢ Stop, thief: KU sophomore Mario Chalmers, who had five steals, has 73 this season. He moved into second place on the Big 12 freshman record list behind Cookie Belcher, who had 87 in 1996-97.
¢ Arthur on hand : or not: Recruit Darrell Arthur, 6-foot-9 from Dallas, who reportedly was to attend the game, was not seen in the stands. He’s considering KU, Texas, SMU and Baylor at this time. To impress the ballyhooed prep, a Texas student wore a King Arthur outfit complete with a crown.
¢ NBA dreams: If – and it’s a big, big if – Texas’ LaMarcus Aldridge, Daniel Gibson and P.J. Tucker return to school next season, the Longhorns probably would be preseason No. 1 in the country.
Aldridge is most likely to leave, since he’s expected to be tapped no lower than No. 2 overall in the NBA’s June draft.
“As far as I’m thinking, I’m a four-year guy,” Aldridge, a 6-foot-10 sophomore, told the Fort-Worth Star Telegram. “But at the end of the year, coach (Rick Barnes) said he would sit down with me and weigh my options. That’s the smart thing to do, and I won’t know until that time.”
Gibson, a 6-2 sophomore, also said Barnes would influence his decision.
“Coach Barnes, when the time comes, will let me know,” Gibson said. “There is always the possibility I will be here for four years. That’s why I came here, to be a four-year player.”
Tucker, according to the Fort Worth paper, appears to be the least likely to make the NBA jump.
The 6-5 junior said the opportunity to play with next year’s group, which includes incoming 6-9 wing Kevin Durant, would be “cool.”
¢ Seeds, sites: It’s never too early to begin discussing where KU will be sent in the NCAA Tournament.
Of course, such discussion is pure speculation, something to debate at the office cooler, nobody knowing for sure what will happen until Selection Sunday.
The NCAA Tournament committee tries to send the top four seeds in each regional to the site closest to their campuses. Lately, it has been speculated both KU and Texas would be sent to the first- and second-round round site in Dallas, because it’s by far the closest site to both universities.
What’s forgotten, however, is Dallas also is the closest site for John Calipari’s Memphis Tigers. LSU and Oklahoma also have hopes of playing in Dallas.
Dayton, Ohio, is the second-closest of the eight first- and second-round sites to Lawrence. Ohio State and Pitt, of course, have designs on playing in Dayton.
If KU isn’t sent to Dallas or Dayton, San Diego; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Salt Lake City might be possibilities. Other sites are: Philadelphia; Auburn Hills, Mich.; and Greensboro, N.C.
“If we are a top-16 seed, we may be fighting Texas, maybe LSU for the Dallas site,” KU senior associate AD Larry Keating said, indicating the NCAA committee had “consistently stated it sends the first 16 teams to the closest site.”
¢ Max to be honored, too: KU has one remaining home game, Wednesday’s 7 p.m. Senior Night battle against Colorado.
KU seniors Jeff Hawkins, Christian Moody, Stephen Vinson and maybe even former player/current student manager Moulaye Niang will take turns speaking to the fans after the contest, as tradition dictates.
A special twist will come at halftime, when legendary announcer Max Falkenstien, who will be working his last home game as color announcer, will be honored.
Kansas University reserve guard Jeremy Case, who learned at shootaround Tuesday that senior guard Jeff Hawkins would miss the game, said he was ready for extended minutes.
“I had an idea I’d play more. I’m usually the fifth guard, so it’s what I expected,” said Case, who had an assist, two rebounds and a turnover in 15 minutes.
He missed three three-pointers and now has made one of his last 19 threes over 11 games. In his Big 12 Conference career, he has made three of 25 threes for 12 percent.
“I think I can make them. I know I can. I need to. I feel I’m rushing them. I have to take my time again,” Case said.
Case was dismayed at Hawkins’ actions Sunday, when he left the scene of an accident, resulting in the game suspension.
“I hate him to go through this his senior year,” Case said. “It hurts the team. We need him out there.”
¢ What a combo: Big man C.J. Giles has been entering games at the same time as Darnell Jackson. The two combined for 21 points and 11 boards against Baylor.
“I love that coach decided to play me and Darnell. When we are in the game, we jell a lot better than me and Sasha (Kaun) did earlier. Me and Sasha always were competitive who should be high and who should be low. I was jelling with Christian (Moody) more than Sasha, now Darnell.”
Don’t get him wrong: He likes Kaun.
“We jell OK, but I guess Sasha couldn’t play the 4 as much as the 5. Me and Darnell can play both,” Giles said.
¢ Donation: KU’s athletic department at halftime Tuesday made a $1 million donation to the KU Med Center. It will go toward cancer research and scholarships. The money was raised through funds from athletic department contracts with ESPN and Adidas.
¢ Bumps: KU senior Moody, who played just five minutes, wore a wrap to protect his bruised right shin. Russell Robinson wore a brace on his right wrist. Robinson has had wrist woes ever since he arrived at KU as a freshman, the brace designed to protect the wrist if he falls on it.
¢ This, that: Ex-Jayhawk Jeff Boschee attended. : Brandon Rush had a career-best four steals. : Robinson had a career-high nine assists and three three-point field goals. : Mario Chalmers’ five boards tied a career high. : Rush moved into sixth on the freshman scoring list, surpassing Boschee. : Chalmers picked up his 100th assist. He has 103. : Wright’s two blocks gave him 35 for the season, enabling him to pass Greg Ostertag and Danny Manning for third on the freshman blocked-shots list. : All six of the KU players to score 20 or more points in a game this season are freshmen and sophomores. : The game was shown on TV in Australia; Baylor’s Aaron Bruce is Australian. : Baylor’s 52.4 three-point shooting percentage set an opponent season high. : KU has won 17 of 19 games and 10 in a row.
An alumni basketball game could have been contested after Kansas University’s 33-point rout of Missouri on Saturday in Allen Fieldhouse.
Current NBA Jayhawks Wayne Simien and Kirk Hinrich were joined in the stands by Mike Maddox, Terry Nooner, Patrick Richey, Steve Woodberry and Chris Zerbe.
At one point, senior guard Jeff Hawkins had a conversation with former KU guard Woodberry, who was seated behind the KU bench.
“He said, ‘I see you talking on the court (to opposing players),”‘ Hawkins said with a laugh. “I said, ‘Yeah, I talk sometimes.”‘
Other faces in the crowd: Chiefs’ general manager Carl Peterson, who heard some cheers, plus many boos when he was introduced; Chiefs lineman Casey Wiegmann; “Survivor” winner Danni Boatwright; and Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius.
One high school prospect, Steve Moore, a 6-foot-9 sophomore from Truman High in Independence, Mo., also was on hand.
¢ Milestone for Mr. Bill: KU coach Bill Self worked his 400th game as a head coach. He is 273-127.
“I don’t know if that is some unbelievable milestone. For some guys it is their 2,000th game,” Self said. “I’ve had a lot of fun. I’ve had a lot of good players. This team has its fair share of those.”
¢ Braids on tap?: Brandon Rush, who spent time with his teammates Friday night at the barbershop, didn’t get his hair clipped. He was a spectator.
“I’m letting my hair grow out,” he said. “I think I’ll get braids.”
¢ Stewart plays: Seldom-used sophomore guard Rodrick Stewart played a season-high seven minutes. He missed four shots with no makes. He had one assist.
“I think he’s been fine at practice,” Self said of the USC transfer. “He did pretty well. I think the wind blew that one off a little to the right,” the coach quipped of an air-balled three-pointer.
¢ Gardner held in check: Thomas Gardner, who had 40 points versus KU in MU’s overtime victory in Columbia, scored 15 points off 5-of-17 shooting. He made three of 10 threes.
“We did a good job as far as limiting him. We held him down,” sophomore Russell Robinson said. “The key defensively is, don’t let him get comfortable. He is streaky. He did hit two in a row.”
¢ Gridders applauded: Members of the KU football team were honored at halftime to loud cheers. KU also held junior day, an event for high school juniors to visit campus unofficially. Among those visiting were Free State High’s Ryan and Brian Murphy.
Graduating senior linebacker Nick Reid indicated he’d put on 10 pounds since the end of the season. He’s 6-foot-3, 240 pounds.
“All I need is someone to let me put my foot in the door,” Reid said of an NFL career.
¢ KU’s crowd: The fans brought banners mocking the Tigers.
Fans held newspapers with a picture of former MU coach Quin Snyder and the caption, “Will Coach For Food.”
Others: “I love hair gel.”
“It’s not a showdown, it’s a war.”
With about five minutes to play, the students in the south end zone began chanting, “Just like Baylor, just like Baylor,” mocking the Tigers, who fell to Baylor, 90-64, in Snyder’s last game.
¢ D’oh!: The video board played a clip from “The Simpsons” that had the crowd roaring. Grandpa Simpson looked at a flag with 49 states and said: “I’ll be deep in the ground before I recognize ‘Missourah’ as a state.”
¢ Stats, facts: The Jayhawks have won 10 or more conference games 12 straight seasons. : KU has won seven straight versus MU at Allen. : Russell Robinson had a career-best six steals. He had five the first half, most by a Jayhawk since Aaron Miles had five against Michigan State in 2003. : Sasha Kaun had a career-best four blocks. : Chalmers tied a career high with four threes. : MU’s six second-half field goals were fewest by a foe since Saint Joseph’s had five in 2004. MU’s six first-half rebounds were fewest since Princeton had five in 1999.
Former Missouri coach Quin Snyder on a recent radio show indicated the Tigers couldn’t recruit KU’s Brandon Rush because of possible academic issues. The Tigers, Snyder said, were faced with strict standards in recruiting following NCAA probation.
Asked about the matter Monday, Rush said the Tigers recruited him hard.
“They were calling me up until a week or so before I decided to go to Kansas,” Rush said. “I even took an unofficial visit there.”
What he said: A Wichita TV station taped the exchange between Iowa State’s Curtis Stinson and KU’s Russell Robinson in the handshake line after Saturday’s KU victory over the Cyclones.
Stinson said he wanted to play Robinson one-on-one this summer in New York and blurted an obscenity at Robinson. Robinson laughed out loud when told the obscenity.
“He was mad because he lost. He was fired up,” Robinson said. Asked if he wanted to comment on the obscenity, Robinson said: “Hey, we won the game.”
Max on Eddie: Veteran KU broadcaster Max Falkenstien spoke to OSU coach Sutton by phone just after 5 p.m. Monday, shortly after Falkenstien arrived for work in Gallagher-Iba Arena.
“His voice was fine, (but) he’s not feeling well. He’s hurting. He got banged up all around the face (in car wreck),” Falkenstien said. “He said his back has been killing him all season. He’s been under a lot of stress, and it’s been harder for him to coach.”
Sutton on Sunday had told OSU assistant coach James Dickey one of his main regrets was not being able to work Monday’s KU-OSU game and give Falkenstien, who is retiring after this season, a hug. Hearing that story, Falkenstien asked if he could speak with Sutton.
Dickey picked up the phone and made it happen.
“I think the world of Eddie,” Falkenstien said.
Chalmers honored: KU freshman Mario Chalmers on Monday was named Big 12 player of the week. He was the second freshman in Big 12 history to earn the honor, joining Oklahoma’s Drew Lavender (2003).
Chalmers, a 6-foot-2 guard from Anchorage, Alaska, last week averaged 21.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals in victories over Nebraska and Iowa State. He is averaging 15.5 points a game in Big 12 play. Baylor’s Curtis Jerrells was named freshman of the week.
Arthur undecided: Darrell Arthur, a 6-foot-9 high school senior from Dallas’ South Oak Cliff High, tells Rivals.com he plans to take an unofficial visit to KU before choosing a college this spring. He’s not sure which of the three remaining KU home games he’ll be able to attend.
“If I had to decide right now, it would be between Kansas, Indiana and Baylor,” Arthur said. “I am not ready to make a decision now. I just want to finish out the season, and then I will be ready to make a decision.”
Arthur is averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds a game for 20-6 South Oak Cliff.
Self on Eddie: KU coach Bill Self on his former boss, Eddie Sutton, who is taking a leave of absence the rest of the season after suffering injuries in a car wreck Friday.
“The biggest thing is (that) he gets to feeling better,” said Self, who indicated he knew Sunday that Sutton “probably wouldn’t be there for the game” after talking to members of the OSU coaching staff.
Self, who assisted Sutton for two seasons at OSU, said he owed the veteran coach a lot.
“He influenced me in all areas,” Self said. “Game management and preparation … we still do drills identical to what we did at Oklahoma State. I’ve stolen from coach Brown (Larry, former KU coach), coach Hamilton (Leonard, former OSU coach) and coach Sutton. He’s impacted me a lot. He stood for class. He’s been a positive influence for me.”
Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton – who suffered injuries in a car accident Friday, putting his status for tonight’s game in doubt – has earned 794 victories as a Div. I coach, which places him in fifth place on the all-time career coaching victories list.
Bob Knight is the only active coach ahead of Sutton in career wins.
In his 36-year career, at the high school, junior college and Div. I levels, Sutton has accumulated a record of 997-375, good for a 72.7 win percentage.
“I did not know that,” Kansas coach Bill Self said of Sutton approaching 1,000 victories. “It means you have been doing it a long time and means you have been awfully good doing it. You can’t get that many wins without being around a long time and doing it a long time.”
¢ Self was asked if tonight’s game was the most important to him personally on the schedule. “No, no. They are all big,” OSU grad Self said. KU enters a game behind Texas in the standings.
¢ At 17-6 overall, look for KU to move into the top 25 today. “I think we’ll move in, and Colorado will move out. They lost twice,” KU’s Brandon Rush said, noting the Jayhawks likely would be ranked between 20 and 25.
¢ Kansas leads the all-time series, 98-51. KU is 39-8 at Allen Fieldhouse and 30-29 at Gallagher-Iba Arena. KU has won four of the last six meetings; OSU has won two of the last three.
¢ Sutton is 11-20 versus KU; Self 2-5 versus OSU. Self tonight coaches the 399th game of his career. He’s 271-127 in 13 years at KU, Oral Roberts, Tulsa and Illinois.
¢ KU has won three straight road games and four of five true road contests this season. OSU has dropped two consecutive games and six of seven overall.
¢ KU’s top seven scorers are freshmen or sophomores.
¢ KU has made 76.5 percent of its free throws (114 of 149) the last six games.
¢ Wednesday’s game against Oklahoma was Sutton’s 1,103rd career game coached. That tied him with Henry Iba for the sixth-most games coached in Division I history.
¢ OSU had a four-game conference losing streak snapped against Kansas State (63-61) on Feb. 4. Two of the losses were at home, to Colorado and Nebraska to go with losses at Texas and Texas Tech. The last time OSU lost four-consecutive games was during the 1991-92 season.
Kansas University freshman Julian Wright was knocked in the ribs and was forced to leave the game for a spell the second half.
“I got hit on a box-out. I’m OK. I’m good to go,” said Wright, who learned after the game he did not suffer a cracked rib, just a bruise.
Jeff Hawkins, who hit two consecutive three-pointers to boost a 23-19 lead to 29-19, scored six points in 12 minutes. He has been slowed of late by the bad back that has plagued him his entire career.
¢ Three Jayhawks on team: The Big 12 Conference announced its five-man 10th-year-anniversary men’s basketball team Saturday. KU’s Nick Collison, Kirk Hinrich and Raef LaFrentz were joined by ISU’s Marcus Fizer and Texas’ T.J. Ford on the squad.
“It was the same one I picked, so I thought it was right on the money,” KU coach Bill Self said with a smile. “You could make a case for Paul (Pierce), Drew (Gooden) and (Jamaal) Tinsley and (Chauncey) Billups. To get three of the five shows how dominant Kansas has been in the league.”
A media panel voted, along with fans on the Internet.
¢ Cancer awareness: Self wore Adidas sneakers Saturday as part of the Coaches Vs. Cancer efforts to bring awareness to cancer research. “I thought they went with the suit,” Self quipped of his black-and-white-striped shoes.
¢ More on Quin: Self was asked about Missouri coach Quin Snyder reportedly learning he’d lost his job from the Mizzou color radio announcer.
“Hopefully, if it ever plays out that way, I hope Lew (Perkins, AD) tells me and not Bob (Davis, announcer),” Self quipped of his own firing.
¢ Sutton released: Self on Oklahoma State coach Eddie Sutton, his former boss, who was released from a Stillwater hospital Saturday after suffering minor injuries in a car crash Friday. KU will travel Monday to OSU.
“Any car accident would warrant soreness. With his condition – he’s struggled with his back – I hope he’s not affected himself negatively. He’s had a rough go physically the last couple of years,” Self said.
¢ Beene applauded: KU honored Doug Beene on Saturday for his having worked over 600 games as an official scorer at KU games.
¢ Faces in crowd: Travis Releford, a sophomore guard from Kansas City, Mo., attended on an unofficial recruiting visit. He sat behind KU’s bench. Ex-Jayhawks Jeff Boschee, Sean Pearson and Bud Stallworth were introduced to the crowd.
¢ Stats, facts: KU is 8-2 in the league for the third straight year under Self and sixth straight season overall. : ISU’s 33.3 free-throw percentage was lowest by a foe in a conference game since Kansas State hit 25 percent on Feb. 12, 1994.
Kansas University sophomore center C.J. Giles played with his right thumb taped. He sprained his thumb in practice this week.
“It’s just a little sprain. It’s OK,” he said.
Giles scored eight points and had four rebounds in 10 minutes the first half. He didn’t score or grab a board in just three minutes the second half.
“The other guys were on fire. I was not discouraged,” Giles said of sitting out because of lackluster play. “When guys step up, they should play. I was not playing with as much enthusiasm as the first half.”
¢ Rush reaction to Web tape: There’s a tape on the Internet of a KU cheerleader pinching or slapping KU’s Brandon Rush on the behind after the final horn sounded in Sunday’s home victory over Oklahoma.
It’s been a hot topic on the KUsports.com message boards.
Yes, Rush felt the contact.
“I haven’t seen it (tape). I read about it on the Free For All (on student newspaper Web site),” Rush said. “I got a Facebook (Internet site) message from her saying she was sorry, that she got carried away. She said she was all into the game.”
Rush said he felt contact, turned around and, “I saw a cheerleader. I didn’t know if she was going to slap me or what.”
¢ Bahe attends: Former KU player Nick Bahe, who transferred to Creighton after last season, attended and was welcomed into the locker room by coach Bill Self after the game. He joked with close friend Jeremy Case on the court after the game before the Jayhawks boarded their team bus. Oh, yes : Bahe also signed a batch of autographs for KU fans.
¢ Recruiting: Blake Griffin, a 6-foot-8, 230-pound junior from Oklahoma Christian High in Edmond, Okla., attended Sunday’s KU-Oklahoma game on an unofficial visit. Griffin is considering KU, OU, Oklahoma State, Illinois and others. He averages 21 points per game.
¢ This, that: KU entered the game No. 52 in the RPI ratings. : NU retired the jersey numbers of three Huskers on Wednesday: Dave Hoppen, Stuart Lantz and Karen Jennings. : One fan seated near the press section yelled, “See Ya Barry,” as the final seconds ticked off the clock, referring to Barry Collier, who could be fired after his sixth season with the Huskers. :. KU is 7-2 in the Big 12 for the third straight year under Self and the sixth straight year dating to 2001. : KU has won six in a row and 13 of 15 games. : KU has won five straight versus NU. : KU was 0-for-1 from the free-throw line the first half. The last time KU was held scoreless from the line in a half was against Arkansas on Nov. 21, 2005. The single attempt marked the fewest since Dec. 10, 2003, when KU shot none against Fort Hays State in the first half. KU hit 10 of 13 for the game. : KU held Nebraska to 48 points to mark the 12th time this season KU has held its opponent to 59 points or less. It has happened 25 times under Self.
¢ Kansas leads the all-time series with Nebraska, 157-71. KU has won four in a row and 13 of the last 14 dating to the final meeting of the 1999 season. The last NU win was a 74-55 victory in 2004 in Lincoln, Neb.
¢ KU is 46-7 versus NU in Allen Fieldhouse and 13-16 in Devaney Center.
¢ KU’s Bill Self is 6-1 versus NU; Barry Collier 1-10 against KU.
¢ KU clobbered the Huskers, 96-54, on Jan. 21 in Allen Fieldhouse. Brandon Rush and Jeff Hawkins each scored 17 for the Jayhawks. Hawkins hit five of five threes. Also, Russell Robinson and Darnell Jackson tallied 13 points apiece and Julian Wright 12 points. Aleks Maric had 12 for NU.
¢ At 5-3, NU has its best record through the first half of league play since 1999 when Nebraska went 5-3 to open the conference slate – the Huskers’ best record since the formation of the Big 12 Conference. During three other seasons, the Huskers have opened the first half of Big 12 action with a 4-4 mark, including last year, when NU went on to finish 7-9 record in the conference.
¢ NU is 13-2 in Devaney Center this season. The school record for home victories is 17 (against one loss) set during the 1982-83 campaign. Two years ago, Nebraska tied the mark for second-most home victories with 15 while on its way to reaching the second round of the postseason NIT. NU has lost to Alabama-Birmingham and Iowa State at home this season and has beaten Marquette and Oklahoma.
¢ Nebraska’s 16-man roster entering the season included nine players (six newcomers, three red-shirt players) who never had played a minute in a Husker uniform during a regular-season game.
Brandon Rush squinted and looked uncomfortable much of the first half after getting poked in the right eye by Terrell Everett.
“I said, ‘Can you see?’ He said, ‘No.’ By the way he shot it early, you could understand that. He was off,” KU coach Bill Self said of Rush, who had six points the first half, 12 the second.
“Whether he could see or not, he had to play. Down the stretch, he played perfect. His defense on Everett was great. He rebounded the ball and made big shots,” Self said.
¢ Look ma, no uniform top: Rush had to be surprised following pregame introductions when he pulled off his warmup top and his jersey was missing. He was wearing only a T-shirt. A quick-thinking team manager sprinted to the locker room and retrieved Rush’s missing uniform top and returned with just seconds to spare before tipoff.
¢ Elbow wrap: Julian Wright, who scored a career-high-tying 14 points off 7-of-12 shooting and grabbed a career-high-tying eight rebounds, played with his left elbow wrapped.
“It’s a little nicked up. It’s been swollen. It’s given me some problems lately, but doesn’t bother me too much,” Wright said.
Wright’s follow of his own miss and slam dunk off a Rush miss turned a 55-53 deficit into a 57-55 lead late.
“That’s probably the best game Julian has had here,” Self said.
Wright deflected the credit to KU’s fans. “Our crowd was great. Our crowd got to them,” he said of the Sooners, who blew a 16-point lead with 9:34 to play.
“As a team, players were getting frustrated with each other. We tried to keep pressure on them, keep them frustrated,” KU guard Mario Chalmers said of the Sooners.
¢ Good no-call: Self almost called a timeout after Michael Neal’s three with 27 seconds left gave OU a 58-57 lead. Instead, Chalmers raced down-court and hit a floater in the lane to give KU the lead at :19.
“That would have been a bad move,” Self said. “Sometimes basketball is luck as much as anything. I thought a broken floor was much better than going against a set defense.”
¢ Ranking?: KU at 15-6 overall and 6-2 in the Big 12 Conference could be ranked when the polls come out today.
“The pollsters have made us earn getting some respect,” Self said. “These guys have played pretty well for an amount of time now, (winning) 12 of 14. The two losses were heartbreakers. I’ll be surprised if we move in the top 25. I think we’ll be just outside looking in.”
“People on ESPN have been talking, ‘Kansas can’t win the close games (with five losses by a total of 13 points).’ Hopefully, they will get off our backs a little bit,” Chalmers added.
¢ Beg to differ: A reporter from Oklahoma told Self the Sooners thought they may have received a raw deal from the refs on a day KU hit seven of 10 free throws to OU’s six of seven. “We can talk about this and that. Don’t think their big bodies don’t lay on you for 40 minutes. That’s a two-way street there,” Self said.
¢ This ‘n’ that: Jeff Hawkins, who had two assists in 20 minutes and spent time guarding OU’s Everett, fell hard the second half and iced his left hip during time on the bench. : KU signee Sherron Collins attended, as did recruit Verdell Jones, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from Champaign, Ill.
¢ KU leads the all-time series, 15-2. The Jayhawks are 8-0 against the Red Raiders in Allen Fieldhouse and 6-2 in Lubbock, Texas. KU is 1-0 against Tech in Kemper Arena. The series dates to 1959. KU won the first nine meetings.
¢ Bill Self is 2-4 against Tech, 1-1 as Kansas coach. Bob Knight is 6-10 against KU, 1-3 as Tech coach.
¢ Texas Tech coach Knight is the NCAA Div. I active wins leader with 865 career victories, third most in history. Adolph Rupp of Kentucky has 876 and Dean Smith 879. Knight has an overall record of 865-342 and is in his 40th season as a head coach.
¢ Tech associate head coach Pat Knight was 1-4 versus KU as a player. He was a member of four Indiana teams that played KU five times between 1991 and ’94. Knight averaged 5.6 minutes in those five games.
¢ Tech’s Jarrius Jackson has started 61 straight games and has started 85 of 87 games as a Red Raider. He’s 19th leading scorer in Tech history and sixth in all time steals.
¢ Russell Robinson is averaging 18.3 ppg off 69.6 percent field goal shooting in KU’s last three games. He’s hit five of his last 10 threes and 18 of 19 free throws.
¢ Brandon Rush has averaged 18.0 ppg in his last seven games, including three 20-point efforts (24 vs. Kentucky, 22 at Texas A&M and 20 at Iowa State).
¢ Mario Chalmers has averaged 16.6 points in his last five games with three 20-point efforts (20 vs. Kansas State, 22 at Missouri and 21 at Iowa State). He’s made 60 percent of his shots the past four games and has made seven of 10 threes in that span.
¢ Darnell Jackson has scored in double figures each of his last three games, averaging 12.7 ppg in that span.
¢ Ron Franklin will work the game tonight for ESPN2 and be assisted by color announcer Fran Fraschilla.
¢ “Knight School,” an ESPN reality series, will debut on ESPN on Sunday, Feb. 19. Knight gave 16 unsigned basketball players from Texas Tech the opportunity to compete for a walk-on spot on his team. The show chronicles the players’ quest to make the team.
¢ Russell Robinson said Micah Downs’ decision to leave Kansas University was one that would “stick with him the rest of his life.”
He was asked if his former roommate would regret it the rest of his life.
“I don’t know. I’m not psychic,” Robinson said, noting he didn’t even know Downs had fled from KU on Monday night, indicating he thought his always-quiet roommate was in his room.
“I hope for the best for him. He’s good.”
Darnell Jackson said of Downs: “I was pretty shocked he left. We can’t do anything about it except wish him well wherever he goes.”
Brandon Rush added: “I was surprised. I didn’t know the day he left. I found out later. I wish him well.”
¢ New recruiting needs: In the wake of Downs’ decision to transfer, Kansas now has a need for a perimeter player who can score, especially if, as expected, Rush turns pro after this year.
“Timing now is difficult. We’ll have to find somebody based on needs this year or the following year,” KU coach Bill Self said of recruiting. “We didn’t recruit him (Downs) to be a one-year guy. We recruited him to in time develop.”
Still, there is always hope to sign an impact player or two.
“If anything the pool of players may be larger now than finding out later,” Self said, referring to the fact no top recruits would be available had Downs decided to transfer after the season.
KU, which has two scholarships available in recruiting, remains in the hunt for Darrell Arthur, a 6-foot-9, 220-pound senior from South Oak Cliff High in Dallas. Arthur is considering KU, Indiana and Baylor.
Also, KU is in the hunt for Davon Jefferson, a 6-7, 190-pound forward from Lynwood, Calif., currently attending Patterson School in North Carolina. Jefferson, who played in the Jayhawk Invitational last spring, is considering KU, Georgetown and Oklahoma State and still reportedly has some interest in Louisville, USC and UNLV.
¢ Loose ends must be tied: Downs, who has been rumored to have a strong interest in Gonzaga, won’t receive a release from KU until, as Self said, he “fulfills some responsibilities he’s aware of.”
He must drop his classes, or he’ll receive all F’s in those classes. He also must check out of the dorm and pick up a few belongings.
Athletic director Lew Perkins said he “will always follow the lead of our head coaches” in granting releases to players who wish to transfer.
Self said he wouldn’t stand in Downs’ way as long as he wraps up those loose ends at KU.
¢ More Downs: Downs’ brother, Steve, Jr., by the way, is a 6-foot-5 freshman at Rainier Beach High in Seattle, alma mater of KU’s C.J. Giles and Rodrick Stewart. The Seattle Post Intelligencer quoted Micah Downs’ high school coach as saying the player was upset with limited playing time at KU.
¢ Kansas leads the all-time series against A&M, 10-0. KU won the last meeting, 65-60, on Jan. 5, 2005, in Allen Fieldhouse.
¢ KU is 5-0 in Allen Fieldhouse versus the Aggies, 4-0 at Reed Arena and 1-0 in Manhattan.
¢ A&M snapped a three-game losing streak Saturday at Iowa State, stunning the Cyclones, 86-81, in overtime. A&M had lost the three games by a combined seven points, missing potential game-winners against K-State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in the final 10 seconds of each game.
¢ Bill Self is 2-2 versus A&M; Billy Gillispie is 0-1 against KU.
¢ The Aggies are 11-1 at home this season, losing to Oklahoma. Biggest home victories have been against Texas Tech, Auburn and Penn State.
¢ A&M is on a two-game homestand – Baylor will play the Aggies on Saturday.
¢ In KU’s 65-60 victory a year ago, the Jayhawks hit 22 of 27 free throws. KU led just 29-24 at halftime. Joseph Jones had 16, while Acie Law and Antoine Wright had 14 apiece. Aaron Miles led KU with 15 tallies.
¢ A&M is 1-3 on the road with losses to Pacific (63-56), Oklahoma State (79-77) and Kansas State (58-54) and the victory against ISU.
¢ After missing the Savannah State game because of a concussion, Law has scored in double figures in nine straight games.
¢ After leading at half in each of its first 10 games, A&M trailed trailed at intermission in five of its last six. A&M trailed Iowa State, 40-32, at the break. The Aggies rallied to beat ISU and Texas Tech, but lost to Oklahoma in the only game in that span in which they led at the break.
¢ Christian Moody did not practice Tuesday because of flu-like symptoms. Moody is expected to play against Texas A&M tonight.
¢ The foursome of Law, Jones, Dominique Kirk and Chris Walker have started all 20 Big 12 Conference games together in the last two seasons.
¢ Law and Marlon Pompey are the only players who were on the roster two years ago. Of the 18 players listed, 90 percent are first or second-year players.
Kansas University athletic department officials, fans, even media members – including legendary radio announcer Max Falkenstien – paraded through the new Booth Family Hall of Athletics before Saturday’s KU-Nebraska game.
The Hall opened Saturday, eight months after groundbreaking.
“This is a tremendous exhibit for all of the fans of KU,” said KU alumnus Mike Rogers, who made the trip from his home in Edmond, Okla., just to see the sights for the first time. “It’s wonderful to see all the sports that are highlighted.”
The 26,000-square-foot building chronicles the history of all of KU’s sports teams, with a heavy emphasis on basketball – appropriate since it is connected to Allen Fieldhouse.
“What I think is so fantastic about it is that we are honoring the history and the tradition of Kansas,” athletic director Lew Perkins said. “You don’t even have to be a Jayhawk fan to enjoy it and appreciate everything that we have in here.”
Members of the Booth family, who donated money for the Hall, were honored in halftime ceremonies.
¢ Moody beloved: Christian Moody, who missed two free throws that could have won the game at the end of regulation Monday at Missouri, was cheered wildly when he hit two charities in the second half.
“That shows how loyal our fans are,” senior Jeff Hawkins said. “They all cheered. A couple of people stood up. They’ve always got your back, in good times and bad.”
¢ Famous face in crowd: Ex-Jayhawk center Walt Wesley attended and sat behind KU’s bench.
¢ Students chide Huskers: KU’s student section chanted, “Just like football,” to the Huskers in the second half. KU beat NU in football, 40-15, this season for KU’s first victory against the Big Red since 1968.
¢ Stats, facts: KU’s 72.4 percent shooting the first half was best in a half in a conference game since KU shot 70.8 percent in the second half on Feb. 1, 1992 at Oklahoma. : Bill Self is 6-1 versus NU; Barry Collier 1-10 against KU. It was Collier’s worst loss at Nebraska, surpassing a 39-point loss to KU in 2002. : KU’s 42-point victory was its largest margin of victory in a league game since a 47-point rout of Baylor on Jan. 28, 1998. : Brandon Rush had 10 of KU’s first 12 points.
¢ Case in points: Jeremy Case hit a late three and immediately pointed to Hawkins on the bench. “I told him to do that, as soon as he hit a three to point at me. It was funny,” Hawkins said. Case had seven points and two assists in 13 minutes.
¢ Wright excels: KU coach Self on Julian Wright, who had 12 points and six boards in 21 minutes:
“He’s played well. Since he’s been back from Christmas, he hurt his back, his foot, has been sick. He’s not been able to be healthy, for a week or so straight. He has lately and is playing pretty well.”
Self started Wright and Darnell Jackson in place of Moody and Sasha Kaun in the second half.
“We’ve got to have a post presence that can rebound the ball,” Self said, noting he would continue to play the big men who were playing the best at a particular time.
¢ KU leads the all-time series, 161-92. The Jayhawks have won nine of the last 11 meetings.
¢ KU is 81-33 in Lawrence and 61-51 in Columbia, Mo. The Jayhawks were 14-18 in Hearnes Center and are 0-1 in Mizzou Arena.
¢ Bill Self is 7-1 versus Missouri; Quin Snyder 4-10 against KU.
¢ MU won the last meeting, 72-68, last season at Mizzou Arena.
¢ This marks the 100th season of intercollegiate basketball at Missouri.
¢ Missouri had a six-game win streak snapped Saturday against Colorado. The Buffs prevailed, 74-71. Missouri opened the league slate with wins over Oklahoma State and at No. 22 Oklahoma. The six-game win streak was MU’s longest since the 2002-03 season.
¢ MU has suffered losses to Sam Houston State, Arkansas, Davidson, Illinois and Colorado.
¢ Jimmy McKinney made his 100th career start in the win at Oklahoma. He and Thomas Gardner each had 22 points against the Buffs, the rest of the team scoring 27.
¢ The Tigers had a six-game Big 12 win streak in Mizzou Arena snapped Saturday.
¢ Kevin Young had a career-high 14 rebounds versus Oakland and 13 versus Louisiana-Monroe.
¢ Marcus Watkins, the son of assistant coach Melvin Watkins started his career playing for his dad at Texas A&M. He sat out nearly two seasons before playing his first game as a Tiger.
Kansas University freshman Julian Wright played just 11 minutes, scoring two points.
“It was his stomach. He had stomach issues,” KU coach Bill Self said of the player, who could be seen taking a pill for his discomfort on the bench the second half.
¢ NCAA wraps up Rush case: The NCAA, as expected Saturday, announced the restoring of Brandon Rush’s eligibility after reviewing with KU the circumstances regarding his application for the 2005 NBA Draft.
KU and the NCAA jointly had reviewed circumstances regarding Rush’s activity in spring 2005 as he prepared for the draft. Thursday, KU declared Rush ineligible after the NCAA membership-services staff determined a violation of an amateurism rule (bylaw 12.3.1.2) had occurred. As reported in Saturday’s Journal-World, KU applied to the NCAA for Rush’s immediate reinstatement, and Friday the NCAA student-athlete reinstatement staff reinstated Rush’s eligibility.
The violation occurred when the agent for another draft-eligible player assisted in the arrangement of Rush’s tryouts with professional teams. The NCAA said it reinstated Rush’s eligibility without conditions because it determined Rush had no knowledge of the agent’s unauthorized communication with NBA teams. The NCAA said all activities Rush engaged in were otherwise permissible.
“Nah,” Rush said, asked if he was distracted this week by the NCAA flap. “Yesterday, I was distracted a little bit. I can’t talk about it.”
Self said he knew before Rush arrived at KU this NCAA review would occur: “In fact, we encouraged it,” he said. “We’re extremely pleased Brandon can now focus on the rest of the season without these distractions.”
¢ Sit down: C.J. Giles was benched the second half after failing to score the first half.
“We need C.J. to impact the game. Certainly, the first half, he didn’t do it in a way we thought warranted playing him ahead of Sasha (Kaun),” Self said.
KU’s inside players combined for 12 points off 4-for-15 shooting.
“Sasha was our only offense with our big guys,” Self said of Kaun, who had eight points. “I thought he did some good things the second half. Other than him we have no low-post scoring, (though) Darnell gives us a presence.”
¢ Lesson learned?: “I think we underestimated them a little bit, seeing how they lost to Nebraska,” Rush said. “But that won’t happen again. We won’t underestimate anybody any more.”
¢ Stats, facts: KU had won 22 consecutive home league openers, a string dating to 1983-84. : Chalmers had six points and two steals in a 14-0 run in the first half that went from 11:13 to 6:30, KU building a 22-10 lead. : KSU had three field goals in the final 12:37 of the first half. : KU had season lows in field goals (17), field-goal percentage (32.1) and two-point field goals (12). : Chalmers had a season high in field goals (6), field-goal attempts (14), minutes played (34) and three-point attempts (8) and tied a season best with four steals. : KSU set a KU opponent low for scoring in a half this season (18) and tied an opponent high for a half (41). : The Wildcats hit 45.1 percent of their shots, a season high for a foe. It was the first time an opponent outshot KU.
¢ Faces in crowd: The game was attended by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Sen. Sam Brownback. Former Jayhawks Lester Earl and John Crider also attended.
A Nike-brand basketball was used in a Kansas University game for the first time this season.
KU normally uses Wilson.
“It’s my first time playing with one,” KU’s Mario Chalmers stated. “But I’m not going to make excuses. It’s a little more slippery. We practiced with one to get ready.”
Chalmers had 11 points, six assists and two turnovers.
¢ Downs plays: Micah Downs, who has a sprained right hand and played with two taped fingers, had four turnovers, with one assist and one rebound in seven minutes.
Asked why he turned to Downs, who hasn’t been used much lately, KU coach Bill Self said: “If you are going to play (Richard) Roby, we tried Stephen (Vinson) on him. We then went with the tallest guy. We could have put Rod (Stewart) or Micah on him. To me it’s what we needed to do.”
¢ Self says: “This is like Forrest Gump (saying), ‘Life is like a box of chocolates.’ It’s the way it is with our team. You never know game to game who will be the guys to step up. Fortunately tonight it was Darnell (Jackson), with C.J. (Giles) and Sasha (Kaun) not giving much production.”
¢ Faces in crowd: Ex-Jayhawks Mark Randall and T.J. Pugh attended. Randall works in community relations with the Denver Nuggets, while Pugh, a graduate of medical school, is working a residency at several area hospitals.
¢ The best Rush of all?: CU coach Ricardo Patton, on the fact Rush is the brother of former UCLA standout JaRon and current Charlotte Bobcats player Kareem.
“That’s quite a family,” Patton said. “But I think this kid will be the best of the bunch.”
¢ Roby likes KU program: Roby on the Jayhawks: “Kansas is Kansas,” he said, referring to the fact the program will always be powerful, even with a young roster. “Kansas has a lot of talent but when you have a young team the season is going to go up and down.”
¢ First hostile crowd: Wednesday’s game marked KU’s first true road game of the year. The Jayhawks would have been able to prepare for a hostile crowd in December at Georgia Tech, but the Yellow Jackets double-booked the arena for first-semester graduation.
KU’s only three trips from Lawrence were to the Maui Invitational, the Coaches Vs. Cancer contest in New York against St. Joe’s and to face Cal in Kansas City, Mo.
“The Garden feel was very neutral,” Self said of the New York trip. “The Maui games were split 50-50 with fans of Arkansas and Arizona. Last year we hadn’t played a true road game until Kentucky (in January), and we did pretty well there. Last year we played a nonconference game after the conference season had started (at Villanova). That’s not an ideal situation.”
Self is in favor of completing the nonconference schedule, then entering conference play uninterrupted through the Big 12 postseason tournament.
¢ KU leads the all-time series, 109-39. The Jayhawks have won five straight games in the series. CU’s last victory was a 60-59 decision in January, 2003, in Boulder, Colo.
¢ Ricardo Patton is 1-19 versus KU; Bill Self is 2-0 against CU.
¢ Colorado opened the Big 12 Conference season with an 89-64 loss Saturday at Texas. It snapped the Buffs’ nine-game winning streak and marked CU’s 22nd straight road loss to a ranked team.
¢ CU now has lost nine straight Big 12 Conference openers.
¢ ESPN’s Dick Vitale blasted CU fans for not supporting the Buffs on Saturday’s KU-Kentucky telecast. Three of the 10 smallest crowds of the Patton era have come this season, including 1,424 against Savannah State, 1,416 against UC Irvine and 1,559 against Cal Poly. In seven home games, the Buffs have averaged 2,098 fans.
“I feel bad for Ricardo Patton,” Vitale said. “No one is supporting the team there.”
¢ CU won 10 of its first 11 games, the start matching the 1978-79 (26 years ago) and the 1968-69 seasons (37 years ago) when the Buffaloes began 10-1.
¢ CU rolled through its non-conference schedule, outscoring its foes by a 23.3 margin. The Buffs defeated UNC Wilmington, Saint Mary’s, Penn, Cal Poly, Utah, UC Irvine, TCU, Mercer, Dartmouth and Savannah State and lost to Colorado State.
¢ Julius Ashby, Colorado’s senior forward from Trinidad & Tobago has officially returned to the lineup after being academically ineligible for the fall semester.
¢ Kansas leads the Big 12 in field-goal percentage defense at 34.6 and in blocked shots per game at 6.77 per game. KU is second in the Big 12 in three-point field-goal percentage at 38.1.
¢ The Buffs are wearing “LS” on their uniforms in memory of senior Scott Senger’s mother, Linda, who died of cancer last July.
¢ KU’s Micah Downs, who didn’t practice Monday because of a right hand injury, practiced Tuesday.
¢ KU has won six straight against Cal, Pepperdine, Northern Colorado, New Orleans, Yale and Kentucky. In the streak, KU has won by an average of 23.5 points. The closest margin of victory in the streak was in a 69-56 win over Cal on Dec. 10 in Kansas City, Mo.
¢ KU has shot 50 percent or better in each of its last four games and is at 47.8 percent on the season.
Former Kansas University point guard Kevin Pritchard said Saturday’s 73-46 rout of Kentucky reminded him a bit of a game he played in – KU’s 150-95 rout of the Wildcats in 1989.
“Back then, after the first two minutes I felt we’d win, that we were in control the whole day. I felt the same way today,” Pritchard, the Portland Trail Blazers’ director of player personnel, said from his end-zone press-row seat.
“It seems like the pieces are starting to come together. It was great offense. The defense was so good it raised the level of intensity, which helps the offense.”
¢ Gift for Dickie V: KU athletic director Lew Perkins presented ESPN’s Dick Vitale with a bronze Jayhawk in a halftime ceremony honoring Vitale for being a goodwill ambassador for college hoops.
Vitale likes KU’s team.
“As the freshmen get used to the level of college competition, this team really has a chance to win a lot of games in the Big 12,” he said. “Don’t forget, Texas and Oklahoma – considered the superheavyweights in the conference – have had their ups and downs, too.”
¢ Recruits: Darrell Arthur, a 6-foot-9 high school senior from Dallas’ South Oak Cliff High, did not attend as previously planned. He still is considering KU, Indiana and Baylor. Cole Aldrich, a junior center from Bloomington, Minn., who has committed orally to KU, attended, as did signee Brady Morningstar. Tyrel Reed, a junior guard from Burlington who is considering KU, North Carolina and others, attended. Former KU players Jeff Graves and Brett Olson also were on hand, as were Brandon Rush’s brothers JaRon and Kareem.
¢ Creative fans: Spectators brought a bundle of banners. They included: “Ashley, I saved a seat for you,” “Where’s Ashley At?,” “Even Smith Prefers Naismith,” “Jayhawks equal Wildcat Killers, Just Ask K-State.” Actress Ashley Judd saw one banner and smiled and waved at the fan.
¢ Stats, facts: Patrick Sparks, who was 0-for-5 with no points, has made three of his last 21 shots. : Ramel Bradley went 0-for-8 after scoring 34 points in two games. : With 3:54 left in the first half, Brandon Rush and Kentucky each had 14 points. : It was the most lopsided loss in the Tubby Smith Era at UK, topping a 26-point loss (79-53) to Indiana this season . : KU is 7-0 when scoring 73 or more points. : KU shot 50 percent for the fourth straight game. : UK’s five assists were fewest by a KU foe since Texas registered five dimes on Jan. 29, 2005. UK’s 24.2 field-goal percentage is lowest by a KU foe since Oklahoma State shot 23.1 on March 7, 1999. : UK’s zero assists in the first half were fewest since Cornell’s zero in the second half on Jan. 2, 1996. : KU has won six straight games.
¢ No conversation for coach: KU coach Bill Self grinned when asked if he spoke to Judd, UK’s biggest fan, who sat behind the Wildcat bench next to coach Tubby Smith’s wife, Donna.
“I didn’t see her or talk to her. After the game when I was shaking hands (with Wildcats), I did gaze into the crowd. I didn’t see anybody. I heard she was there. I had my list of the top films I felt she’s performed the best in, in case the conversation ever came up.”
What’s Self’s favorite?
“Time to Kill,” he said.
¢ High flier: Russell Robinson had a vicious block of a Patrick Sparks layup attempt in the second half. Robinson’s defensive intensity in guarding Rajon Rondo seemed to set the tone for the Jayhawks all day.
“I just play like that,” Robinson said. “I’m not a big dunker, but I do play like that to infuse excitement with the crowd.”
¢ No Morris: Self was asked if he would have felt better about the victory if suspended UK forward Randolph Morris had played. Morris, who had to sit 13 games for affiliating himself with an agency while considering entering the NBA Draft, will be eligible Tuesday against Vanderbilt.
“I like this. I thought it worked out just fine,” Self quipped. “If it had to be 13 games, I’d have been cool with it. Since it’s 14 games I didn’t lose any sleep over it.”
Former Kansas University guard Michael Lee will be on the bench, but will not play in the Harlem Globetrotters’ exhibition games at 7 tonight and Friday night at Kansas City’s Kemper Arena.
Lee, who recently signed with the ‘Trotters and has played five games with the Clown Princes of Basketball, experienced an accelerated heartbeat during the Globetrotters’ recent game in Cincinnati and is being held out at this time.
“It’s an irregular heartbeat. It skips now and then,” said Lee, who sat behind KU’s bench Wednesday night. “It’s the first time I’ve got it checked out. I can’t play until I get cleared by the doctor.”
Lee attended Globetrotter tryouts last summer, but elected not to play for the team.
“They kept after me and never gave up,” the 2005 KU graduate said, adding, “It was an opportunity to play. Sitting at home wasn’t enjoyable.”
Lee joked that he had learned the Globetrotter routines.
“On tour it’s my job to tear up newspapers and set up cups of water,” Lee joked of a famous Globetrotter routine in which a ‘Trotter player fires a bucket of newspaper pieces, not water, into the stands.
On a serious note, he said he had a heart-to-heart talk with former teammate Jeff Hawkins, who busted a slump by scoring 19 against Yale.
“Usually we joke around, but today I was serious. I said, ‘You’ve got to play like that every night,'” Lee said. “He played like the J-Hawk of the past, a great shooter, defender, somebody who makes things happen. This was great for him.”
¢ Trotter compliment?: “Mike Lee is a natural fit for the Harlem Globetrotters,” team chairman and CEO Manny Jackson said. “Besides being a great athlete on the court, we feel he was an underachiever from a great college basketball program who has the intelligence and personality traits of a natural ambassador. I look forward to watching him develop his attributes on and off the court during the Globetrotters’ world tour.”
Presumably, Jackson, whose quote appeared on a press release, meant “overachiever,” not underachiever.
¢ Better second half: KU center Sasha Kaun, who did not start for the first time this season, had two points and one board in five minutes during the first half. He had 10 points and four boards in 10 minutes during the final half.
“He didn’t like sitting over there so much,” Self said. “The second half he was great.”
¢ Clank: KU hit eight of 17 free throws. Yale was a perfect 3-for-3.
“Miserable,” Self said. “It’s already cost us two games – the Arkansas game and St. Joe’s game. We will need them from this point forward.”
¢ Lookin’ ahead?: Was KU looking ahead to Saturday’s 11 a.m. tipoff against Kentucky? Maybe.
“I think we started a little sluggish,” Mario Chalmers said. “I think everybody wasn’t taking the game that seriously. Jeff (Hawkins) came in and brought us energy.”
¢ Stats, facts: KU has won five straight games. : KU went on a 24-6 run to end the game, punctuated by a layup from Matt Kleinmann. : KU’s 12 fouls set a season low. : KU’s 29 assists marked a season high. : KU hit 54.7 percent of its shots. : Hawkins’ previous career-tying high of 19 points came against TCU in 2003. : Jeremy Case had a career-high three assists and knocked in two threes. : Yale’s three free throws (making all three) are fewest by a KU foe since UNC Asheville attempted three on Jan. 2, 1989.
¢ Yale, in New Haven, Conn., has an enrollment of 5,100. Colors are Yale Blue and White. Nicknames are Bulldogs and Elis. The team plays in the Ivy League.
¢ KU won the only meeting between the teams, 63-54, on Dec. 19, 1975, in Allen Fieldhouse.
¢ Yale fell to Nebraska, 73-64, on Nov. 19, in Lincoln, Neb. The Bulldogs fell to Big East team Providence, 76-63, on Dec. 22 at Providence. This marks Yale’s fifth straight road game.
¢ Yale, which has just two seniors on its roster, was picked fifth of eight teams in the preseason Ivy League poll. Penn was tapped first.
¢ Yale has two sets of brothers on the roster: Olathe twins Caleb and Nick Holmes, who are sophomores, plus freshman Ali Greenberg and Josh Greenberg, a senior.
¢ Coach James Jones’ younger brother, Joe, is head coach at Columbia. There are two other brother duos coaching in Div. I. Dickey and Dennis Nutt coach at Arkansas State and SW Texas State. Bill and Tom Herrion coach at New Hampshire and College of Charleston.
¢ Sophomore guard Jeremy Case has averaged 14 minutes and 11.5 points in his last two games.
¢ Russell Robinson has 11 assists in his last two games. His 30 assists on the season have already surpassed last year’s 25.
¢ Freshman forward Julian Wright, who is questionable with a back strain, has tied for leading scorer for KU in each of the last two games – 13 versus Northern Colorado and 12 vs. New Orleans. Wright is 12-for-16 (75.0 percent) from the field in his last two games with nine rebounds, five blocked shots and five assists.
¢ Sophomore forward Darnell Jackson is averaging 10 points in his two games this season. Last year, Jackson averaged two points per contest.
¢ Senior guard Jeff Hawkins is 3-for-5 (60 percent) from three-point range in his last two games and 5-for-7 (71.4 percent) from the field.
¢ Senior guard Stephen Vinson’s 21 minutes against New Orleans were the second-most minutes for the guard this season. In his last four games, Vinson has 15 assists.
¢ Freshman guard Mario Chalmers’ eight points against New Orleans were the most in eight games for the guard. Chalmers’ four steals versus New Orleans tied his career high.
¢ Yale has 10 players averaging over 12 minutes a game.
¢ Kansas has won won the only meeting between the teams, 55-49, in the first round of the 1991 NCAA Tournament at Freedom Hall in Lexington, Ky. Kansas was a No. 3 seed in the Southeast Regional, while New Orleans was a No. 14 seed. KU went on to finish runner-up to Duke in the 1991 NCAA Tournament.
¢ Coach Monte Towe is 62-66 in five seasons at University of New Orleans. Towe’s teams are 32-28 in Sun Belt Conference play. Towe was a member of North Carolina State’s 1974 national-championship squad. He was a junior-college head coach at Chipola College (1995-96) and Santa Fe CC (1999-2001). Towe has also coached in professional leagues both at home and abroad, including the CBA domestically and in Venezuela.
¢ UNO last reached the NCAA Tournament during the 1996 season. As a No. 11 seed, the Privateers lost to No. 6 seed North Carolina in the first round.
¢ New Orleans is 8-17 all-time against Big 12 Conference teams.
¢ The Privateers have played and lost three straight road games. New Orleans lost at LSU, 94-53; Purdue, 68-56, and Vanderbilt, 78-72, leading to this game.`
¢ Junior guard Bo McCalebb, a top-50 preseason Naismith Award candidate, was lost for the remainder of the season after suffering a fractured right wrist against Mississippi State on Nov. 30. He is the school’s No. 16 all-time leading scorer. He finished fifth in the country in scoring last year at 22.6 points per game and had been averaging 19.0 ppg this year. Junior center Ben Elias, who tore his ACL in preseason practice, is out for the year. He averaged 4.9 points and 4.7 boards last year.
¢ UNO was picked to finish third of six teams in the West Division of the Sun Belt. Louisiana-Lafayette was tapped first.
¢ KU freshman Brandon Rush is 9-for-11 (81.8 percent) from three-point range in his last four games.
¢ Senior Stephen Vinson has averaged 17.8 minutes in his last four games. His career minutes per outing is 3.9. Vinson also has averaged four assists in his last four games.
¢ Freshman Julian Wright has led KU in scoring three times in the last five games. He paced the Jayhawks with a career-high seven rebounds against Northern Colorado in his last outing.
¢ Since fighting the flu against Saint Joseph’s and California, sophomore Sasha Kaun has averaged 12 points and 8.5 rebounds in his last two games, including a double-double (18 points, 12 rebounds) against Pepperdine.
¢ Kansas leads the Big 12 in field-goal-percentage defense at 35.6 percent and in blocked shots with 6.7 per contest. Its 60.6 scoring defense average is second in the league.
¢ Through 10 games, Kansas has had four different players lead the team in scoring, four in rebounding, six in assists, six in steals and four in blocked shots.
¢ On Dec. 29, 1951, KU notched its 700th victory with a 75-65 victory over Missouri in Kansas City, Mo. Helms Foundation National Player of the Year Clyde Lovellette led the Jayhawks that season, averaging 28.4 points and 14.6 rebounds. Head coach Phog Allen made Lovellette and the Jayhawks NCAA champions after finishing 11-1 and first in the Big Seven Conference. Kansas finished the season 28-3 overall. Allen then took his squad to the U.S. Olympic Playoffs and placed second.
¢ This is the first meeting between the schools.
¢ UNC freshman guard Marcus Frye is from Overland Park and attended Blue Valley Northwest High. Frye is taking a redshirt this season.
¢ UNC radio play-by-play announcer Troy Coverdale is from Circleville and is a 1993 graduate of Kansas State.
¢ The Bears have played nine of their first 13 games away from home. The 13 games the Bears have played are tied for the most among Division I teams so far this year. Western Carolina also has played 13.
¢ Craig Rasmuson has a 58-118 record in seven seasons at Northern Colorado. Rasmuson is in his 12th season overall with a 124-184 record. He has coached the Bears in all three seasons of NCAA Division I competition. His 2001-02 team went 14-13 to post its first winning season since the 1997-98 season.
¢ The game will mark the regular-season debut of sophomore forward Darnell Jackson, who missed the first nine games of the season because of an eligibility issue. Jackson started one game last season and averaged two points and 1.7 rebounds.
¢ Kansas leads the Big 12 Conference in blocked shots at seven per game.
¢ Northern Colorado has dropped 16 straight dating to last season. The squad’s 0-13 start is the worst in school history, surpassing an 0-12 in 1944-45.
¢ Kansas has held every opponent to under 50 percent shooting and has outshot eight of nine foes.
¢ UNC is in the midst of a four-game road swing – to Oregon State, Loyola Marymount, Northern Arizona and KU – that has it traveling nearly 4,800 miles.
¢ KU leads the Big 12 in field-goal percentage defense (32.1 percent). The Jayhawks also are outrebounding opponents by an average of 6.3 caroms per game. Freshman guard Brandon Rush paces KU in scoring at 12.9 points per game. Rush also leads the team in three-point field-goal percentage at 54.5 and free-throw percentage at 76.2. Sophomore centers Sasha Kaun and C.J. Giles are next in scoring at 11.9 and 9.7. Giles leads Kansas in rebounding at 7.4 per game and blocked shots at 2.4 per contest.
¢ KU’s top seven scorers are either freshmen or sophomores.
¢ Stewart eligible: USC transfer Rodrick Stewart, who learned he was definitely eligible for second semester at 3 p.m. Monday, entered his first KU game with 1:24 remaining.
“Rodrick’s not been out there in situations. It wasn’t a 20-point game. With five minutes left we were doing things to win the game,” Self said when asked about Stewart’s minutes, adding, “I was hoping everybody could have played more.”
¢ Sick point: Senior point guard Jeff Hawkins, who had four turnovers, one assist and two points in 18 minutes, has been suffering from the flu bug.
¢ Recruit on hand: Alex Tyus, a 6-foot-8 forward from Harmony Community School in Cincinnati, attended on a recruiting visit. The 210-pounder, who attended Hazelwood Central in St. Louis last year, is a member of the recruiting class of 2007. He’s considering KU, Arizona, Oklahoma State, Memphis and others.
¢ Unlikely threes: Christian Moody, who entered with one career three pointer made in four tries, hit two threes without a miss. “We’ve been telling him to shoot it,” Self said.
¢ Rotation talk: Self used a lot of combinations Monday, prompting media to ask Russell Robinson and Brandon Rush about sticking with one rotation:
“I’m fine with the rotation. It’s just um, I don’t know. You’ve just got to get the right people in at the right time. Sometimes the rotation messes up the whole team and it goes downhill,” Rush said.
“That’s one thing about our team, you know every day it’s a different lineup. That maybe could hurt us in the future, but I think it’s going to start to come together,” Robinson said.
¢ Lineup change possible: Self was asked about perhaps changing his starting lineup.
“I don’t know. We may need to shuffle some things around,” he said, adding, “I get sick and tired to be candid with you about people’s opinions on starting lineups. A coach’s job in my opinion is do what’s best for his team. We’ve done what’s best for our team because nobody knows about practice and intangibles. People get hung up on all the wrong things. Starting is not what you should be hung up on. Our best team is usually when Stephen (Vinson) is on the floor. That probably will not be our best team come February.
“I think I know in my mind what I’d like our best team to be. That team right now is not ready to play,” he added, noting it could be a different six or seven guys emerging as key factors on a given night.
¢ Grad rates discussed: KU’s graduation success rate fell eight points below the national average in figures released Monday by the NCAA.
KU had a graduation success rate of 68 percent of all athletes who entered school in 1995, ’96, ’97 and ’98. The national graduation success rate was 76 percent.
In men’s basketball, KU’s graduation success rate was 43 percent, compared to the 58 percent national average. In football, KU’s graduation success rate was 46 percent compared to 65 percent national average.
A year ago, KU had an overall graduation rate of 62 percent. This, however, is the first year schools were no longer penalized for having students transfer to other schools.
“The goal is 100 percent graduation rate,” KU associate athletic director Jim Marchiony said. “Lew (Perkins, AD) said since he arrived this is a priority for us. Learning exactly what the system means and do what we need to do to move our score up. We’ve increased the number of academic coordinators, doubled the budget for tutors. Our goal is to improve every semester.”
¢ Kansas University leads the all-time series with Pepperdine, 8-1. KU won the last meeting, 76-61, in 1999 at Allen Fieldhouse. The Waves’ only victory was in 1979 when they registered a 96-89 victory in Malibu.
¢ The Waves went 0-4 on a recent road trip to Dayton, Wisconsin, Santa Barbara and Colorado State. The Waves shot just 32.6 percent from the field and were held under 60 points in all four contests. The Waves shot a season-low 29.2 percent (19-for-65) from the field in a 71-56 loss at Colorado State.
¢ Pepperdine entered the 2005-06 campaign as the youngest team in the West Coast Conference (WCC). Its roster consists of six freshmen and a total of 13 underclassmen. Last season, the Waves had four seniors and four juniors on the roster.
¢ Senior forward Keith Jarbo, who joined the Pepperdine program as a walk-on prior to the 2003-04 campaign and was awarded a scholarship for his senior season, will graduate in April with a sports-medicine degree. After taking the summer off, Jarbo will attend medical school. He already has been accepted to the University of Michigan’s medical school and has applied to several others, including UCLA, USC and George Washington.
¢ Guard Alex Acker, who declared early for the NBA Draft last spring, was a second-round draft pick by the Detroit Pistons following his junior season. The two-time All-West Coast Conference selection went on to make the Pistons’ opening-day roster and became the first Pepperdine player to be drafted since 2001, when Brandon Armstrong was the 23rd overall pick by the Houston Rockets following his sophomore season.
¢ Paul Westphal, the former head coach of the Phoenix Suns and the Seattle SuperSonics, is in his fifth season at Pepperdine and has compiled a mark of 71-58. He succeeded Jan van Breda Kolff, who resigned as the Waves’ head coach in April of 2001 to accept the same position at St. Bonaventure.
¢ Pepperdine was picked to finish last in the WCC preseason coaches poll. Gonzaga was picked first in the poll.
¢ Kansas University coach Bill Self was elated the Jayhawks were able to improve to 4-4 four days after Tuesday’s loss against Saint Joseph’s in New York.
“We needed to win a game pretty bad. Those guys early in the game … there’s probably a reason why they were missing shots early. They are probably not used to shooting the ball with a 15-pound flak jacket on their back. There was some weight on the back,” Self quipped of the Jayhawks. “We needed this. We haven’t played great, but not as bad as our record. Five good teams we played. All five have a legitimate shot to make the tournament.”
¢ Kaun sick: Flu-ridden KU sophomore Sasha Kaun did not score and had two boards in nine minutes after scoring two points in 17 minutes Tuesday against St. Joe’s.
“Sasha has been our best performer until the last two games. He didn’t go from being a good player to not a good player in two games,” Self said. “He’s going through a little funk and has the flu, too. He looked lethargic. He didn’t go after balls today like he could.”
¢ Wright on fire: Freshman Julian Wright scored 11 points off 5-of-8 shooting with a career-high six boards in 17 minutes.
“I try to run the court and provide some energy. Coach is very proud we played with energy,” the Chicagoan said. “Coach knows we’ll have ups and downs in games, but he wants us to be confident and play hard.”
¢ Light moment with Omar: KU senior Jeff Hawkins dribbled out the clock while guarded by former teammate, Omar Wilkes. The two laughed as the seconds wound down near midcourt.
“I told him he better not try to steal the ball,” Hawkins said with a smile.
Self shook Wilkes’ hand and chatted with him in line after a game in which Wilkes scored 13 points off 4-of-9 shooting, including an athletic dunk to close the first half.
“I think Omar played real well. He’s a great kid and will do really well there. I like him,” Self said. “There’s no ill feeling to Omar. He made the decision to go closer to home, which may turn out to be a great decision for him. He and his brother (Jordan, injured, didn’t play Saturday) get to play together; the family gets to travel and see one team.”
¢ Lee on hand: Former Jayhawk guard Michael Lee, who graduated last spring, attended. Lee, whose agent is trying to land the guard a spot on a team in Serbia or Switzerland, practiced Friday with the Jayhawks.
“I’m not good luck. Those guys are talented. They’re just young,” Lee said.
¢ Inconsistent: Brandon Rush had no points the first half, 12 the second.
“He has got a little bit of Keith in him as far as first half, second half. The only thing is we don’t change shoes,” Self said with a grin, referring to ex-Jayhawk Keith Langford, who often changed shoes after an ordinary first half, then erupted the second. “Keith had some games where he was not as effective the first half and was great the second. Brandon unfortunately has kind of fallen into that, with the exception of the St. Joe’s game.”
¢ Defense: Cal sophomore power forward Leon Powe scored the Bears’ first four points and finished with 16 off 7-of-14 shooting with 11 boards.
“C.J. (Giles) did a real good job the last 35 minutes on Powe. The first five minutes he was a little nervous because he’s a good player. He probably didn’t challenge him as hard (early),” Self said.
¢ Stats, facts: A crowd of 16,180 attended; Kemper seats 17,818. … KU is 14-3 all-time against Cal, with eight victories in a row in the series. … Stephen Vinson’s career-high marks were in points (six), assists (six), minutes (25), rebounds (three), free throws (four) and free-throw attempts (four). He tied a career high with three field-goal attempts. … Christian Moody had a season-high 22 minutes. He scored two points and had two boards.
¢ Kansas University freshman Brandon Rush scored 10 points as KU raced to a 17-4 lead against St. Joseph’s.
He finished with just 13.
“I guess I just cooled down. I got frustrated when my shots weren’t falling and took myself out of the game,” he said after hitting five of 10 shots and scoring 13 points in 36 minutes.
¢ Bus late: KU’s team bus arrived at Madison Square Garden at 5:55 p.m. EST Tuesday, or just over an hour before tipoff – about 45 minutes late. The problem? The bus driver, transporting the Jayhawks from their hotel in nearby New Jersey, missed the Lincoln Tunnel twice. The trip took an hour and a half instead of the usual 45 minutes.
“I would think he thought he was going to the Meadowlands,” KU athletic director Lew Perkins said of the New Jersey Meadowlands.
¢ Faces in crowd: Former KU chancellor and American League president Gene Budig, who lives in nearby New Jersey, attended the game. St. John’s coach Norm Roberts, a former KU assistant, also attended.
¢ Back home again: Bronx native Russell Robinson hit three of six shots, including two of five threes, and scored eight points, with three assists and two blocks in 21 minutes.
“It felt good, really good,” Robinson said of playing in the Garden. “I didn’t have the day I expected. I think we can learn from this. I think it can help us. We’ve got to stick together.”
Robinson estimated he had 20 friends and relatives on hand.
¢ Perkins knew Jimmy V.: KU athletic director Perkins was a friend of the late Jim Valvano, who instituted this one-day classic.
“Jimmy V. was assistant coach at Connecticut before I was there,” said Perkins, former AD at Connecticut. “I was with him in the ACC. He was a great guy, smart, a great A.D. (at North Carolina State, while Perkins was at Maryland).”
¢ Jimmy V. loved the Apple: It’s fitting the Jimmy V. Classic has been played at Madison Square Garden the past three seasons.
The building was the favorite of the late Valvano, whose V Foundation is the beneficiary of this one-day college hoop twinbill.
“It was always Jimmy’s dream to play that 9 o’clock game at the Garden, and he achieved that at Iona, and that was a big moment for us,” said Valvano’s brother, Nick, head of the V Foundation in search of a cure for cancer.
Valvano played the marquee game at the Garden back in the 70s, before he took over at North Carolina State.
“If our presence in this tournament helps raise one extra dollar and that dollar finds the cure for this awful disease, then count us in every single time,” St. Joe’s coach Phil Martelli said.
¢ Martelli on point guard Dwayne Lee: “He showed that there’s no challenge too big, Martelli said of his effort a year ago in taking over for Jameer Nelson and leading the Hawks to a 24-12 record. “Obviously everybody watched and knew that he stayed with it all year long defensively. He leads in a quiet, calm fashion.”
¢ Valvano cause a good one: The legacy of Jim Valvano will live on as long as one man has a say in it.
“The cause sometimes gets lost,” said Michigan State coach Tom Izzo. His Spartans played the second game of the twinbill versus Boston College. “Vitale makes sure it doesn’t.”
ESPN’s Dick Vitale was a good friend of Valvano and is a champion of the fight against cancer.
¢ Phil’s happy in Philly: Martelli, who is in his 11th year at St. Joe’s, does not coach or schedule trying to further his career. He’s not auditioning for other jobs, happy at the Philadelphia Jesuit school.
“I have no desire to be anywhere else,” Martelli said, often comparing his underdog program to Gonzaga. “It’s the right place for me. I enjoy helping bring success to the school.”
¢ Saint Joseph’s, founded in 1851, has an enrollment of 4,250, an increase of 1,500 from a decade ago. Grad school enrollment is 3,200.
¢ The corporate title of Saint Joseph’s University has been in place since the school was granted university status for the commonwealth of Pennsylvania in 1979. The school prefers the abbreviations of SJU or St. Joe’s.
¢ Kansas leads the all-time series, 5-1. The Jayhawks won the last meeting, 91-51, on Nov. 23, 2004 at Allen Fieldhouse. KU has won two straight in the series.
¢ The 2005-06 season marks the 50th anniversary of the Saint Joseph’s Hawk mascot and golden anniversary of Philadelphia’s Big Five.
¢ St. Joe’s returns starters Dwayne Lee, Chet Stachitas and Dave Mallon from last year’s 24-12 squad, which reached the finals of the postseason NIT. South Carolina beat St. Joe’s in the NIT final, 60-57, before 11,555 fans at Madison Square Garden.
¢ St. Joe’s is trying to become the first team in Atlantic-10 history to win six consecutive regular-season titles. UMass also won five straight from 1991 to ’96.
¢ This marks the third straight year St. Joe’s plays in Madison Square Garden. Last year, SJU had its run to the NIT title game, while the Hawks opened the 2003-04 season with a victory over Gonzaga in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic.
¢ After losing one of the top scorers in school history in Pat Carroll, there was a preseason question as to who would emerge as a top scorer. The Hawks have four players currently averaging double figures. Chet Stachitas is ahead of the pack with his 18.0 average, while Abdulai Jalloh (14.8), Dwayne Lee (12.3) and Rob Ferguson (9.5) round out the group.
¢ The Hawks this season will play KU, Ohio State. Bucknell, Gonzaga, Xavier (twice), George Washington (twice), Charlotte, Pennsylvania and Villanova.
¢ Former St. Joe’s players who have been NBA coaches: Jack Ramsay, Jim Lynam, Matt Guokas, Paul Westhead, Jack McKinney, George Senesky, Jim O’Brien.
¢ Phil Martelli is 206-112 in 11 years at St. Joe’s.
¢ Junior forward Arvydas Lidzius is out first semester to concentrate on academics. His progress will be evaluated at the end of the semester to determine his status for second semester.
¢ SJU ranks 15th among Div. I programs for average amount of victories during the last five years. Prior to this season, the Hawks went 122-40, averaging 24.4 victories a year.
¢ The Atlantic 10 expanded this year to 14 schools with the addition of Charlotte and Saint Louis. The league abandoned a two-division format and is a 14-team entity encompassing eight states and the District of Columbia.
The fact Jeff Hawkins and Russell Robinson played just a minute-and-a-half the second half Saturday doesn’t mean they have lost their starting jobs entering Tuesday’s 6 p.m. (CDT) clash against Saint Joseph’s in New York.
“You guys make a bigger deal out of that than me. It doesn’t matter to me yet,” Kansas coach Bill Self said of starting lineups six games into the season.
“You don’t change starting lineups based on one game. You change starting lineups based over time. Over time, our starters have been our best performers. I will not jump and do something just because one guy does something, plays particularly well one night. I get to watch them in practice.”
¢ Chalmers’ toe OK: Freshman guard Mario Chalmers showed no ill-effects of suffering a toe injury against Nevada. He logged 21 minutes and had five assists and four steals, but just four points off 1-of-5 shooting.
¢ Faces in crowd: ESPN reporter Pedro Gomez attended with former Kansas City Royals outfielder Brian McRae.
¢ Stats, facts: KU is 3-3 for the first time since the 2003-03 season. : Bill Self won his 50th game at KU against 19 losses. : Just like against Idaho State, every one of KU’s players scored. : KU’s 10 blocks were a season high and most since 10 against Iowa State on Feb. 21, 2004, in Lawrence. : KU had a season-low seven offensive boards. : Christian Moody’s 12 points were a career high. : C.J. Giles’ four blocks were a career high. : Sasha Kaun had a career-best three steals.
¢ No more KU-Nevada: Don’t expect KU and Nevada to be playing in hoops again during the regular season anytime soon.
“Not unless they’re going to come to Reno,” Nevada coach Mark Fox told the Reno Gazette-Journal. “I doubt (another game) will happen. Kansas doesn’t do a lot of home and homes.”
¢ The last word?: Nevada coach Fox told the Reno paper that junior forward Nick Fazekas did nothing to elicit an obscenity from KU assistant Joe Dooley in the hand-shake line after the Wolf Pack’s win over KU on Thursday.
Self had said Friday he heard things from Nevada players, but did not name names. He said it definitely was “not a one-way street.”
“Nick said nothing to him (Dooley),” Fox said in Saturday’s editions of the Gazette-Journal. “Nick was talking to a teammate. Joe apologized. Joe is a good man. He said he wasn’t sure if Nick was talking to him. Nick was not. Nick is not like that.”
Self said he has nothing more to say about the matter.
¢ KU freshman Mario Chalmers is questionable for tonight’s game because of a sprained right big toe he suffered in Thursday’s loss to Nevada. Coach Bill Self stressed the toe was sprained, not broken. “It’s day-to-day, so hopefully he’ll play,” Self said.
¢ This is the first meeting between the two schools. Western Illinois receives $50,000 guarantee money for playing the game.
¢ KU is 12-3 versus teams from the Mid-Continent Conference.
¢ Western guard Troy Okeson is from Weskan and attended Dodge City CC. His brother, Todd, played on the Nevada team that beat KU during the 2003-04 season in Reno.
¢ Self is 2-0 versus Western Illinois, with both wins coming when he was head coach at Illinois.
¢ Western Illinois’ nickname of Leathernecks is unique. It seems 78 years ago, WIU became the only non-military institution to have the nickname attributed to a branch of the military service, a nickname it still holds today. The school received its current nickname, “The Fighting Leathernecks,” in 1927 when then-athletic director and baseball, basketball and football coach Ray “Rock” Hanson was granted permission by the U.S. Navy to use the official Marines seal and mascot (Bulldog), along with the nickname. Hanson was a colonel in the Marine Corps and served his country in both world wars. The Western Illinois mascot’s name is “Colonel Rock,” although the shortened form of “Rocky” is commonly used.
¢ Derek Thomas, a 1989 graduate of Missouri-St. Louis, is 16-44 in his third year at Western Illinois. The Leathernecks are 2-27 on the road.
¢ Western defeated its oldest rival, Eastern Illinois, 76-68, on Tuesday in Macomb, Ill. Western leads Eastern, 75-72, all-time.
¢ Tonight’s game is the start of a three-game road trip for WIU. The Leathernecks will travel next week to Loyola and Evansville.
¢ Marlon Mahorn, a 6-foot-7 junior from East Orange, N.J., competed last season at Coffeyville CC. He scored 17 points in a 102-79 home loss to Indiana on Saturday. Sammy Hunter, a 6-3 junior from Huntsville, Ala., played at Southeastern Illinois CC last year. He scored 12 versus Indiana.
¢ Western Illinois was tapped fourth in the Mid-Con preseason coaches poll. The Leathernecks were picked to place behind Oral Roberts, Valparaiso and IUPUI in the nine-team league.
¢ Sophomore guard David Jackson, the team’s leading returning scorer at 9.3 ppg, was voted second-team all-preseason. He had 32 points versus EIU.
¢ WIU’S roster contains no players with more than one year of Div. I experience. Eight players return from last year’s squad, all in the first year a season ago. Thomas added seven newcomers — five juco transfers, one true freshman and Xavier Price, a transfer from Purdue. Price can practice, but not play in games, this season in accordance with NCAA rules.
¢ WIU’S Fred Oguns and Eze Samuel were members of Nigeria’s junior national team.
¢ At 6-5 with a bowl game to play, KU is assured of its first non-losing season since joining the Big 12 Conference. The Jayhawks were 10-2 in 1995, then finished below .500 in the nine seasons to follow. That included the 2003 Tangerine Bowl team that finished 6-7 with the bowl-game loss.
¢ Kansas quarterback Jason Swanson left early in the fourth quarter after being tackled by two Iowa State players while completing a pass to Derek Fine. Swanson appeared to hurt his left knee, though he was standing on the sideline soon after, watching Brian Luke fill in.
“He could’ve (returned) but he wouldn’t have been 100 percent,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “He was in some pain. I’m not sure how functional he would’ve been.”
Mangino laughed and said “no” when asked if there was a new quarterback controversy with Luke’s solid performance.
¢ Luke’s one-yard touchdown run early in the fourth quarter initially was ruled a turnover on downs. Facing fourth-and-goal from the one-yard line, Luke lunged over the line before rolling around to the right and trying to dive in the end zone. Officials originally said he didn’t get in, but replay was implemented, and the call was reversed.
“I knew I was in there,” Luke said. “Fortunately, we had the replay.”
The ensuing two-point conversion tied the game at 14.
¢ Charles Gordon also sat out snaps because of an undisclosed injury. After playing both defense and offense, Gordon spent much of the second half on the sidelines. After the game, Gordon was seen with a sling on his right arm.
¢ Wide receiver Mark Simmons also had problems staying on the field after suffering numerous cramps through the fourth quarter and overtime. He said afterward he would be all right.
¢ KU fans again attacked the goalposts, marking the third straight victory to be followed by an on-field celebration by the fans. The south goalpost was brought down by KU officials, but the north post, the one Scott Webb booted the game-winning field goal through, couldn’t be saved.
¢ KU honored 20 players on Saturday for Senior Day, playing a five-minute video montage and honoring each player individually before the game. Linebackers Banks Floodman, Kevin Kane and Nick Reid received the loudest ovations. Kane’s grandmother, Virginia Kane, passed out sombreros to each of those linebackers after the game, calling them “The Three Amigos.”
¢ The Jayhawks tried several different options returning kickoffs, including Gordon, Clark Green and Marcus Herford. Normal kick-return specialist Greg Heaggans was honored for Senior Day, but did not play.
¢ Linebacker Reid registered 12 tackles Saturday, giving him 106 for the season. It’s the third straight year he has topped 100 tackles, and he becomes the 10th player in Big 12 Conference history to have 400 career stops.
¢ Ronnie Amadi blocked a punt in the second quarter, the second time he’s made a block this season. Amadi also recovered the block, but KU couldn’t capitalize and score on the ensuing drive.
¢ Iowa State nearly scored its third touchdown with 10:02 left in the third quarter, when Meyer found Todd Blythe down the right sideline for what appeared to be a 39-yard touchdown on third down. Blythe and Aqib Talib both appeared to have some control of the ball, and the play eventually was ruled an incomplete pass because Blythe’s foot was out-of-bounds when he came down. KU kicked a field goal on the ensuing possession to make the score 14-6, ISU.
¢ Before Talib intercepted a third-quarter pass, Iowa State quarterback Bret Meyer had thrown 155 passes without getting picked. Until then, Meyer hadn’t been intercepted since ISU lost to Missouri on Oct. 15.
¢ Attendance was announced at 42,826. For the season, KU averaged 43,675 fans at home, a school record.
¢ Jon Bible was referee and head of a seven-man officiating crew. … Temperature was 58 degrees at kickoff under fair skies, and the wind blowing from the south-southeast at 13 mph.
Kansas University coach Bill Self used all four freshmen on the court at the same time during a second-half stretch in which KU went on an 8-2 run.
Rookie Julian Wright said he didn’t even notice the yearlings were in the game with C.J. Giles.
“We’re all just out there trying to do what coach says,” Wright indicated. “Coach is trying a lot of combinations. All he wants us to do is trust the system, talk on defense, do all the little things on defense to help us win games.”
¢ Stats, facts: KU is 2-2 on the season, matching the record of the 2002-03 NCAA runner-up team. : KU is 7-5 all-time at the Maui Invitational, which is sponsored by EA Sports. : KU is 51-23 all-time in regular-season tournaments. : KU is 2-0 all-time versus Chaminade, also beating the Swords during the 1987-88 national-title season, when KU also went 1-2 here. : KU’s 102 points were the team’s most since scoring 102 versus UNC Asheville on Jan. 2, 2003, at Allen Fieldhouse. : The 48-point margin of victory was most since a 100-46 rout over UMKC on Jan. 4, 2003. : KU is 11-4 under Bill Self following a loss. : KU has made at least one three-pointer in 180 consecutive games. KU hit seven of 15 on Wednesday. : KU has held its opponent to under 100 points in 118 straight games. : KU outrebounded Chaminade, 50-27. Giles and Kaun had nine apiece, Downs seven, Brandon Rush and Wright six.
¢ Cramp talk: No Jayhawks suffered from cramps in their second and third games in balmy Hawaii. Jeff Hawkins cramped in the second half of a first-round loss to Arizona.
KU team doctor Larry Magee discussed cramps with the Journal-World this week:
“A cramp is when a muscle gets hyperexcitable, caused by dehydration, fatigue, electrolyte imbalance. Things that make you cramp are poor diet, not enough electrolytes, carbohydrates, fluid loss, not enough energy for muscle,” Magee said.
“It can depend on how hot, humid it is, how much exercising you’ve done. Some people are more prone to it. The reason you are more prone to it in Hawaii is it is hot and humid in the gyms (in spite of air conditioning), plus how long it takes to get here.
“The flights are long. There’s dehydration, fatigue, sleep cycles are off. The longer you are here, the less likely you are to cramp, getting used to the environment.”
The Jayhawk medical staff makes sure the players get enough fluid and salt and add electrolytes to the players’ sports drinks. Players have been seen walking the beach with bottles of Gatorade in hand.
“We make them do it,” Magee said.
Once a player like Hawkins gets cramps : “I think it’s painful. I don’t know if it’s as painful as childbirth or kidney stones, but painful,” Magee said.
One player from UConn and another from Maryland also cramped here. It was nothing like in 2001, when players were dropping in almost every game. KU’s Nick Collison and Aaron Miles were most affected.
Today’s foe, Chaminade, is an NCAA Div. II school with an all-time record of 4-59 in the tournament. The victories have come against Davidson, Providence, Villanova and Stanford. The Silverswords also beat Virginia and Ralph Sampson in a game played in Honolulu.
Chaminade, which fell to Michigan State, 89-67, in the first round, led by 11 in the first half before succumbing to Maryland, 98-69, Tuesday.
“As usual, we’ll have our hands full. They are a great club,” Chaminade coach Matt Mahar said after watching KU’s loss to Arkansas. “That was a great game. To watch that lob play at the end, called in the huddle, was fantastic.”
He was referring to Jeff Hawkins’ lob to C.J. Giles that gave KU a 64-63 lead at :26.1 seconds.
“Kansas is big, tough, fast, has good guards,” Mahar said. “My team is confident. We are not as deep as we need to be.”
The big question: Can the Silverswords knock off KU?
“I wouldn’t say we can beat Kansas or cannot,” Mahar said. “We’ll come to play, and hopefully both teams will play well, and it will be a good game.”
KU coach Bill Self is taking nothing for granted.
“Chaminade has been more than capable playing against anybody in the tournament,” Self said. “They had Maryland down by 11 in the first half. We’ll have to be mature and come out and play with some energy.”
Against Maryland, the Swords were led by Chris Reaves, a 6-3 guard who had 13 points off 5-of-14 shooting.
¢ Brewer productive: Arkansas standout Ronnie Brewer, who was guarded by Brandon Rush, Micah Downs and others, scored 21 points off 7-of-21 shooting. He hit six of nine free throws.
“He is a great player. I think I matched up pretty well with him,” said Rush, who also guarded Arizona’s best player, Hassan Adams. “He moved well without the ball.”
“I didn’t think we did great,” Self said of the defense on Brewer. “His stats weren’t very good shooting the basketball. He scored 17 in the second half. We obviously didn’t do a very good job on him.
¢ Stats, facts: KU is 1-2 for the first time since the 1987-88 national-title season. KU is 6-5 at the Maui Invitational. : KU is playing in the seventh-place game for the first time. : Rush’s 20 points were the most by a KU freshman since J.R. Giddens had 24 against Iowa State in February of 2004. : Jeff Hawkins’ 10 assists bettered his previous career high of four. Julian Wright’s three steals were more than he had (2) in the first two games of the season. : Sasha Kaun had three blocks, matching a career high. : KU is 1-0 all-time versus Chaminade in the Maui Invitational. KU beat Chaminade, 89-62, in the opening round in 1987.
¢ Missed throws: Rush missed the front end of two one-and-one free-throw situations in the second half, and Russell Robinson missed another.
“We missed three front ends. That was the biggest factor in the game more than anything,” said Self, whose team hit two of five free throws to UA’s 10 of 14.
KU suffered nine early turnovers in falling behind ‘Zona, 20-4.
“Arizona’s pressure early set the tone for the whole game. You can’t simulate that in practice,” Kansas coach Bill Self said.
“I knew they were quick,” C.J. Giles said after his two-point, 10-rebound effort, “I didn’t know they were that fast. I could have done more. My mind-set was into the game before the game, but not during the game for some reason.”
Giles said the Jayhawks “came out real flat. We were so hyped coming out here (to Hawaii), but I guess their speed shocked us. We were so flat. If we would have played like we’re supposed to, we could have won that game.”
¢ Kaun can: Sasha Kaun had 12 points off 5-of-9 shooting with six rebounds in 22 minutes. He fouled out with 4:51 left.
“Sasha was our best player tonight,” Self said. “It’s hard to get too excited.”
¢ Ex-Jayhawks on hand: NBA executives and former Jayhawk players Kevin Pritchard (Portland Trail Blazers), Milt Newton (Washington Wizards) and former KU assistant R.C. Buford (San Antonio Spurs) scouted the game.
¢ Stats, facts: KU is 1-1 for the first time since 2001-02. … KU is 6-4 all-time in Maui and 6-3 lifetime versus Arizona. … KU’s 49 points were lowest in its 10 games in Maui. The previous low was 75 against Illinois in 1987. … KU hit four of 19 threes and had just 10 assists against the 27 turnovers. … Arizona hit an anemic 28.3 percent, including four of 14 threes.
¢ Exempt games: Pencil in 2009 for KU’s next appearance in Maui.
“One of the first things I did when we got to KU was call Wayne Duke (former tourney chairman, now emeritus) and ask about ’09, to put us in for ’09,” KU senior associate AD Larry Keating said.
The NCAA is expected to change its rule allowing teams to compete in exempt tournaments two times every four years to one per year.
KU will play in the Preseason NIT in 2007 and Maui in 2009. If KU is allowed to play in tourneys in ’06 and ’08, the likely events would be either the Coaches Vs. Cancer Tourney or Guardians Classic, which involve two games on campus before heading to New York and Kansas City, Mo., for the semifinals and finals.
The Spencer group also has tourneys that involve a pair of home games with ultimate destinations of South Padre Island, Texas, and Las Vegas, which could be possibilities.
“I’m told the council will vote on it at the January convention. It must be OK’d by the presidents commission in March,” Keating said. “It sounds like it’ll be done.”
¢ Lots of media: Over 100 media were credentialed, by far the most ever for the Maui Invitational. Tickets are all sold out except for games involving Chaminade. The only schools to return tickets initially were believed to be Chaminade and UConn.
¢ Money matters: KU does not receive a guarantee payment for playing in the tournament. The tournament does pay for airfare, hotel rooms and per diem money for a traveling party of 25.
¢ Kansas freshman Micah Downs practiced Sunday and is expected to play tonight. Downs suffered an ankle sprain prior to Friday’s victory over Idaho State
¢ Kansas coach Bill Self hit one of three free throws in the coaches’ free-throw competition Sunday. No winner was declared.
¢ KU is 6-2 all-time versus Arizona. KU is 2-0 in Tucson; 1-1 in Lawrence and 3-1 neutral. The Jayhawks won the last meeting, 78-75 in the Elite Eight on March 29, 2003, in Anaheim, Calif.
¢ Arizona is 19-3 in season openers under Lute Olson.
¢ The Jayhawks have a 6-3 record all-time at the Maui Invitational. In 1996, KU beat LSU, California and Virginia in the finals, 80-63. In 1987, KU beat Chaminade, then lost to Iowa and Illinois. Despite the 1-2 start, KU rolled to the national championship. In 2001, KU lost to Ball State, then beat Houston and Seton Hall.
¢ Arizona is 7-2 all-time in Maui. The Wildcats beat Notre Dame and Boston College and lost to Kentucky in 1993; beat Boston College and Kentucky and lost to Duke in 1997 and won the title in 2000, beating Chaminade, Dayton and Bill Self’s Illinois team in the finals, 79-76.
¢ Now in his 23rd season at Arizona, Olson has a record of 549-164. In his 33rd season overall, he is 741-256.
¢ In the annual poll of media members who regularly cover the Pac-10 Conference, Arizona was selected as the team to beat for the league title for the fourth year in a row and 10th time in the last 16 seasons. The Cats received 23 of a possible 34 first-place votes.
Kansas University freshman Micah Downs suited up but did not play after spraining his left ankle at shootaround.
It’s the same ankle that bothered him as far back as late September at Boot Camp.
“It may be bad. He definitely won’t practice tomorrow. I don’t know if he’ll be able to play against Arizona (Monday),” KU coach Bill Self said of Downs’ status for the Maui Invitational.
X-rays were negative. Self called the injury a “bad sprain.”
“It’s not broken. Hopefully, it’ll get better every day,” the coach said.
Downs wore a boot on the left foot earlier in the semester, missing more than a week at that time because of a sprain.
¢ Super Mario: Freshman Mario Chalmers, who scored 15 points and had four steals in 24 minutes in his college debut, for a moment thought he was back in high school Friday.
Public-address announcer Brian Hanni, who was subbing for Lawrence High play-by-play man Hank Booth, referred to Chalmers as “Super Mario” after one of Chalmers’ second-half buckets.
“I heard it. My teammates call me ‘Super Mario’ sometimes. They used to say that (on P.A.) in high school. I was surprised to hear it here,” Chalmers said.
Self wasn’t happy with the ‘Super Mario’ reference on the P.A.: A KU official told Hanni not to repeat the nickname.
Of his debut, Chalmers said: “I thought it was good. Most of them (points) came from the foul line (where he was 7-for-7). Coach lets me go when I’m out there. I try to get in the flow.”
¢ Davis family at the mike: KU radio announcer Bob Davis wasn’t the only member of the Davis family working play-by-play Friday. Davis’ son, Steven, worked play-by-play for the Idaho State network. The younger Davis, who worked as a manager on KU’s team for several years, broadcast minor-league baseball games in Idaho Falls last summer.
¢ Faces in crowd: Kansas City Chiefs defensive end Jared Allen attended. He’s a second-year pro from NCAA Div. II Idaho State. Chiefs special-teams man Dante Hall also attended. … JaRon Rush, brother of KU guard Brandon Rush, attended, as did Kansas City Central High sophomore basketball player Travis Releford, a KU recruit.
¢ Today’s schedule: The Jayhawks will lift weights at 7 a.m. until 7:20 today, practice until 8:30, eat breakfast at 9, leave for Kansas City International at 9:30 and arrive in Hawaii tonight. KU will practice Sunday for two hours.
“It’s the only time we can practice (today),” said Self, noting he had to institute some basic scouting work for Monday’s Arizona game.
The Jayhawks and Wildcats will tangle at 8 p.m. Monday at Lahaina Civic Center.
¢ Outstanding plays in game: Chalmers drove the lane, did a spin move and hit Christian Moody for a layup; Chalmers poked the ball from Logan Kinghorn, raced down and hit an eight-footer; Hawkins raced through the lane and dished to Moody for a slam, then Hawkins forced a turnover on the next possession; Chalmers had a no-look pass to Kaun for a hoop and Julian Wright a crisp feed to Kaun for a bucket; Rush made a backdoor cut and hit Kaun for a layin.
¢ Langford in NBDL: Keith Langford has started his first professional season with the Fort Worth, Texas, entry in the National Basketball Developmental League.
He told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram he was disappointed not being chosen on draft day.
“It was pretty disappointing because I thought about leaving one time after my sophomore year in college,” Langford said. “After that year I had knee surgery twice. I felt like I missed my window of opportunity so to speak. But I can’t live in the past. I’ve got to move on. It was disappointing, but knowing that I can still get there is what keeps me going.”
Langford said he would consider playing overseas next year if he isn’t picked up by an NBA team.
Kansas University may not have dazzled offensively Monday night, but part of the reason was by coach’s design.
“We could have scored more points had we shown anything,” Jayhawk coach Bill Self said after KU’s 73-47 victory over Pittsburg State, “but we tried to hide some things because we are trying to maybe steal a couple of baskets against Idaho State or in Maui.”
Teams often don’t show their entire offensive and defensive sets in the preseason.
The Jayhawks, who hit four of 18 threes and 44.6 percent of their shots, open the regular season against Idaho State at 7 p.m. Friday at Allen Fieldhouse.
KU will meet Arizona at 8 p.m. Central Time Monday in Maui.
¢ Lineup: Self said Friday’s starting lineup “if nothing else changes,” would be Jeff Hawkins, Russell Robinson, Brandon Rush, C.J. Giles and Sasha Kaun.
Monday, he went with Christian Moody instead of Giles.
“We’ll probably switch some things up,” Self said. “Sasha had a great first game (23 points versus Fort Hays State) and C.J. a very good game tonight (24 points). We just have to get everybody moving the same direction in all areas. Of course I know what Christian can do, and he’s been solid, but we’re not getting the production out of him that we need. He needs to be more aggressive.”
Moody had five rebounds, but was 0-for-0 from the field against Pitt State. He hit one of two free throws.
¢ Busy slate after today: The Jayhawks will be awarded the day off today.
Self said KU would have only two more practices, on Wednesday and Thursday, before playing its next four games. KU will play Friday, travel Saturday to Maui, then hold a short practice Sunday.
“We have to get ready for Idaho State, and that will be a great way to kick off our trip to Maui,” Self said.
¢ Top dollar: Pittsburg State received $20,000 guarantee money for playing the game.
¢ New emphasis: Pittsburg State was called five times for palming (carrying) the basketball in the game and KU twice.
Stopping palming is a point of emphasis for the NCAA this year.
“We had (official) Curtis Shaw speak to us about it,” Self said. “That is an emphasis this year. Pittsburg State got hit with five of ’em.”
“The ref said this year they are working a lot on people carrying the ball,” KU point guard Jeff Hawkins said. “Unfortunately, Mario was called for it. There were a lot more on the other team. It’s crazy how the rules change, and they are cutting down on that. It doesn’t affect me. I try to not carry the ball.”
¢ Not all seats filled: All tickets were sold for Monday’s game, but hundreds of seats in the northwest corner of the fieldhouse were left empty. It seems KU’s students have been slow to react to a new ticket policy in place for transferring tickets. If a student wants to skip a game and sell a ticket to a fellow student, both students must visit the ticket office, show ID and pay $2.50.
¢ Highlights: Mario Chalmers had a steal and behind-the-back pass to Julian Wright that resulted in a layup. … Rush scored on a slam off a lob by Robinson. … Kaun banked in his first free-throw try of the night, coach Self and his assistants smiling on the bench. … Stephen Vinson, who played six minutes the final half, had a steal and dished to Chalmers, who iced a three. … Darnell Jackson slammed off a feed from Chalmers.
¢ Texas quarterback Vince Young passed for 281 yards and four touchdowns Saturday, playing just the first half and one series in the second.
Young and Nick Reid provided an interesting subplot to the game because of their trash-talking and other ties to last year’s game, won, 27-23, by Texas.
Reid said Young wasn’t so bad this time.
“He was a better sport this year,” Reid said, “that’s for sure.”
¢ Jerome Kemp and Brandon Perkins left the game because of injuries on the same play during the second quarter. Perkins ran off under his own power, while Kemp’s injury looked more serious, since he barely could put any weight on his left leg. Sadiq Muhammed came in for Kemp, who was seen standing on the sideline in the second half.
¢ KU’s run defense came into the contest ranked first in NCAA Division I-A, allowing just 64 yards per game. Texas, though, rolled for 336 yards rushing – a number that surely will knock the Jayhawks off the top of the list.
¢ To illustrate the constant big playmaking by Texas, KU’s top three tacklers Saturday all roam the secondary. Aqib Talib had nine stops, Muhammed had eight, and Rodney Fowler finished with six. Reid recorded five stops and has 90 tackles on the year.
¢ Texas had 20 more first downs than Kansas and converted 50 percent of its third downs, compared to 14 percent for KU. Texas also won time of possession, controlling the football for 34:26 compared to 25:34 for KU.
¢ In KU’s last two games at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, the Longhorns have outscored the Jayhawks, 125-14.
¢ Kyle Tucker had 11 punts covering 469 yards. It was the most boots by a KU punter since Chris Tyrell in 2001.
¢ Kevin Kane intercepted a pass for the second straight game, snagging a pass deflected by Paul Como. Kane returned the pick 18 yards into KU territory, and the Jayhawks scored two plays later. It was UT’s only turnover of the day.
¢ Lawrence High product Brandon McAnderson’s third-quarter touchdown came on a 15-yard run in the third. It was the second touchdown of his career and tied for the longest run of his career.
¢ Charlton Keith made a nice play on the first play of the game, batting down a Young pass. The pass deflected so high that it essentially was a jump ball between Keith and Young, but neither came down with it.
¢ After Greg Heaggans’ first-quarter muff of UT’s first kickoff, KU coaches opted for Kenneth Thompson and Gary Green to return kicks the rest of the day.
¢ Charles Gordon had a 22-yard reception wiped out when a replay official’s review overturned the call. On-field officials originally ruled that Gordon had a foot in bounds, but replays showed otherwise.
¢ Eight different Jayhawks caught a pass, including six for 47 yards by Gordon, four for 30 yards by Marcus Herford and two for 45 yards by Jeff Foster.
Kansas University sophomore Darnell Jackson did not suit up for the game.
“He is not injured,” coach Bill Self said. “There is an eligibility issue with him we can’t elaborate on. We hope it’ll be resolved the next couple of days. We hope he’ll play on Monday.”
Self would not say if it was an academic issue and stuck to his “no comment” on the matter.
¢ Starters: Self rewarded “the hardest workers and the most consistent performers” in preseason camp with a start.
They were: former walk-on Stephen Vinson, who is on scholarship this year, plus Christian Moody, C.J. Giles, Russell Robinson and Mario Chalmers. Vinson hit a three and had two assists in nine minutes.
Self went with a second-half starting lineup of Jeff Hawkins, Robinson, Brandon Rush, Sasha Kaun and Giles. Self said Chalmers played well in stretches, but gambled too much defensively instead of staying sound on defense.
¢ Ryan in house: Ex-Jayhawk Ryan Robertson, who lives in the St. Louis area, attended the game.
¢ Toots: KU committed 23 personal fouls to Fort Hays State’s 30. Giles led KU with four fouls.
“I’ll go check all the walking calls, a couple I disagreed with,” Self said. “We fouled a lot, which I knew we would do. It’s my fault. We’ve only had officials (at practice) one day.”
¢ Robinson shines: Sophomore Robinson, who had 11 assists, also had a steal and a dunk in the first half, giving KU an 8-0 lead. Fort Hays turned it over its first four possessions and didn’t get off a shot.
“Russell had 11 assists and one basket. I guess he got all excited (about the hoop),” Self joked. “Russell has improved a lot. He’ll improve as he gets more confidence.”
¢ Good D: Fort Hays State had 25 turnovers and just six assists.
“We did a decent job defensively,” Self said. “Once they get into the scoring area, we need to be solid. C.J. got into foul trouble because we gambled and missed and he had to cover for people.”
¢ Freshmen enter in first half: KU freshman Chalmers started the game. Rush entered with 16:58 left in the first half, Wright at 15:29 and Downs at 11:17.
¢ Rush doesn’t loaf on D: Freshman Rush had four steals. “Coach was happy with my defense today,” Rush said. “He told me that that was the best defense he’s ever seen me play. Three turnovers : he got on me about that. Some days he gets on me for two hours. It messes with my head, but it works.”
¢ Highlights: Robinson had a steal and went in for an uncontested dunk early in the first half, giving KU an 8-0 lead. : Rush’s first bucket was a mid-range jumper that flipped up and dropped. : Rush fed Kaun for a slam off an early pick-and-roll. : Hawkins hit three of five threes, including a pair after KU grabbed a rebound off a missed free throw in the first half. : Robinson fed Kaun three straight times for hoops early in the second half. : Downs hit a three, immediately followed by a Chalmers one-hander in the lane. : Rush showed good touch on a soft bank shot with 8:21 left.
¢ The teams are meeting for the fifth time overall and second time in exhibition action. KU won, 93-55, in 1994, 91-67 in 1998, 95-41 in 2001 (exhibition) and 80-40 in 2003. KU has won by an average of 39 points in the four-game set.
¢ Bill Self has a 47-16 record entering his third season at Kansas; Mark Johnson is 79-36 entering his fifth season at Fort Hays State.
¢ KU has won 22 consecutive exhibition games dating to 1995 and is 40-7 all-time in exhibition competition. KU has won 22 straight exhibitions in Allen Fieldhouse, the last loss a 93-82 setback to Australia on Nov. 29, 1993. KU dropped three exhibition games on a tour of France in December of 1995.
¢ The Tigers return four starters form last year’s 18-10 team.
¢ Fort Hays State is in its last year in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Tigers are moving back to the MidAmerica Intercollegiate Athletics Assn., where the school once again will play in-state rivals Emporia State, Washburn and Pittsburg State in league play. Fort Hays State was picked third in the East Division of the RMAC in its final go-round in the conference.
¢ Experimental rules will be used tonight including a 20-foot-9 three-point arc instead of 19-9. The lane will be extended a foot on each side and a restricted arc area will be used under the goals.
¢ KU will recognize the Ward family tonight for their contributions to the newly completed renovations at the Fieldhouse.
¢ A Memorial Stadium-record 51,750 fans attended the game, more than 1,000 over capacity. Nebraska sections striped the bleachers, but many Husker fans started leaving when KU went up 33-15.
¢ Kansas surrendered its third safety in four games Saturday when Jason Swanson was sacked in the end zone in the first quarter. Kansas also allowed safeties against Kansas State and Colorado.
¢ KU hasn’t had two 100-yard rushers and a 100-yard receiver in a game since 1980. Jon Cornish had 101 yards rushing, Clark Green had 100 yards rushing, and Mark Simmons had 100 yards receiving.
¢ The right side of the line, which has undergone change recently, had freshman Ryan Cantrell starting at guard and senior Matt Thompson starting at tackle.
¢ A representative from the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Fla., was in attendance Saturday. KU played in that bowl in 2003, when it was called the Tangerine Bowl.
¢ Mangino said he received several letters this week from fans pleading for the Jayhawks to snap the 36-game losing streak to the Huskers, and saying they’d “do anything” to see the streak come to an end.
“They couldn’t deal with it anymore, as one fellow told me,” Mangino said. “I don’t know what that means.”
¢ Big 12 Conference officials reviewed the last play of the third quarter to determine whether Clark Green touched his knee to the ground in the backfield before scampering left for a two-yard gain. The original ruling stood.
¢ Creepy stat of the day: Darren Rus’ blocked-punt return for a touchdown was 20 yards long. His only other touchdown while at KU was a 20-yard blocked-punt return, against Northwestern in 2003. Even creepier: Ronnie Amadi blocked both of the punts.
¢ Charles Gordon passed Texas A&M’s Dante Hall on the Big 12 Conference’s career punt-return yardage list. Gordon has 971 for his career.
¢ Cornish’s 72-yard touchdown run was the longest for a KU player since Bill Whittemore had a 74-yard scamper against Tulsa in 2002.
¢ KU fans booed the Jayhawks’ decision to play conservatively near the end of the first half. Kansas was about 23 yards from field-goal range, but Mangino instead elected to run out the clock and get to the locker room. KU was up 17-9 at the time.
“When I walked off the field, I thought, ‘Maybe we should’ve taken a shot at the end zone,'” Mangino said. “But then, what if they pick it off and run it back? Our defense is too good to have to take chances like that.”
¢ Kansas is perfect at Memorial Stadium with a 5-0 record.
¢ With a 5-4 record, KU needs to win one of its remaining two regular-season games to become bowl-eligible. KU has a road game with Texas on Saturday and wraps up the season Nov. 26 at home against Iowa State.
¢ Temperature was 60 degrees at kickoff under partly sunny skies, with the wind blowing from the north at 7 mph.
¢ Kansas University fans stormed the field for the third straight year, running off with goalposts that already were taken down by KU officials. KU fans also threw the posts in Potter Lake after beating Missouri in 2003 and Kansas State in 2004.
KU coach Mark Mangino discouraged the ritual after the game.
“We don’t need to do that,” Mangino said. “We’ve won this game three years in a row now. We need to act like we’ve been there before.”
KU officials said the cost of the two sets of posts was $7,500.
A college-aged female was injured when a post fell on her foot.
¢ KU wore red tops for the second time this season. KU beat Louisiana Tech, 34-14, on Sept. 17 wearing red jerseys.
¢ Freshman Anthony Collins started at right tackle in place of Matt Thompson and alongside freshman Ryan Cantrell at guard. After a 15-yard personal-foul penalty in the first quarter, though, Collins came out, and Thompson played the rest of the game.
¢ KU started with a four-wide set that featured Charles Gordon, Mark Simmons, Brian Murph and Dominic Roux.
¢ Former KU safety/quarterback Nolan Cromwell was honored at halftime and added to the Ring of Honor. Saturday’s game was the first college football game Cromwell had attended since his KU days.
¢ A third-quarter punt by Missouri took a short bounce before thwacking back judge Mark Johnson inside the five-yard line. It almost stopped the ball from rolling into the end zone, but it did end up being a touchback, preventing a tar and feathering.
¢ Mark Simmons had two fourth-quarter receptions against Missouri, giving him 32 straight games with a reception.
¢ Both kickers – MU’s Adam Crossett and KU’s Scott Webb – missed long field-goal attempts Saturday. Crossett had a 47-yarder go wide-left, while Webb had plenty of leg on a 51-yard attempt, but it sailed wide-right.
¢ Thanks to 208 yards rushing on 49 attempts, KU won the time-of-possession battle for the second straight week. Kansas kept the ball for 34:47 compared to 25:13 for Mizzou.
¢ KU was credited with nine tackles for a loss Saturday – two each by Banks Floodman, Charlton Keith, Theo Baines and Paul Como, and one by Aqib Talib. Only two were sacks, though – both by Keith.
¢ KU quarterback Jason Swanson threw for just 90 yards on 12-of-19 passing, including two interceptions. With the run game producing, though, his performance wasn’t nearly as crucial.
“I could throw 1-for-22, but if we come out with a win, I am the happiest guy on the field,” Swanson said.
¢ Kansas converted eight of 16 third downs, compared to four of 17 for Missouri.
¢ Giving up just 33 yards rushing against Missouri, the Jayhawks have allowed just 69.5 yards rushing per game, one of the best marks in the NCAA.
¢ Mark Mangino is now 3-1 all-time against Missouri, losing 36-12 in his debut season of 2002. Gary Pinkel is 2-3 against the Jayhawks.
¢ Freshman Justin Thornton, who’s expected to take a red shirt, worked out with wide receivers during pregame Saturday. He was recruited as a defensive back.
¢ It’s now undisputable: Kansas leads the all-time Border War series. The Jayhawks list the lead at 54-51-9, while Missouri acknowledges 53-52-9. The mixup involves the interpretation of the 1960 game, which KU won but later forfeited because of an ineligible player.
¢ Tom Walker was referee and head of a seven-man officiating crew. : Temperature was 62 degrees at kickoff under mostly cloudy skies, with the wind blowing from the south at 16 mph. : Attendance was 48,238, and the game lasted 3:01.
¢ Grinning ear to ear, both Mangino and athletic director Lew Perkins walked together to their respective vehicles after Mangino fulfilled postgame interview requests with the press.
¢ Mark Simmons became KU’s all-time leader in pass receptions, catching five balls for 76 yards Saturday. He has 137 receptions in his career, four more than previous record-holder Willie Vaughn. Simmons also has caught a pass in 31 straight games, one of the longest current streaks in the nation.
¢ KU started the game with Ryan Cantrell at right guard, the third starter at the position this season. Jake Cox and Travis Dambach also have started at right guard. The Jayhawks opened with Brian Luke at quarterback and a four-receiver set of Marcus Herford, Charles Gordon, Jeff Foster and Mark Simmons.
¢ Theo Baines and Aqib Talib were starters at cornerback, with all other defensive starters normal. It was Baines’ first start of the season – usually, Ronnie Amadi or Gordon would start at corner.
¢ Colorado quarterback Joel Klatt set a school record for career touchdown passes, throwing three Saturday for a total of 41. Koy Detmer threw 40 from 1992-96.
¢ CU tight end Joe Klopfenstein set the school record for touchdown receptions by a tight end, getting his 11th and 12th against KU. Christian Fauria, Daniel Graham and Gary Knafelc each had 11 in their careers.
¢ Colorado did not allow a turnover or a sack, just the 12th time the program has done that in 34 years. Interestingly, the last time CU did that was two weeks ago against Texas A&M.
¢ Kansas once again did not allow a rushing touchdown. It has allowed just one in the last eight games, a scamper by Texas Tech quarterback Cody Hodges on Oct. 1.
¢ Gordon again spent most of the game on offense and special teams, catching eight passes for 85 yards and returning three punts. He caught KU’s lone touchdown.
¢ Time of possession was a major problem the last two weeks, but KU actually won that battle Saturday. KU had control of the ball for 34:00, while CU had it for just 26:00.
¢ Colorado kicker Mason Crosby, possessing one of the strongest legs in the game, had three kickoffs sail through the uprights behind the end zone – more than 75 yards away from where he booted it.
¢ Lawrence High product Brandon McAnderson had four carries for 15 yards, including a 12-yard rush in the first half.
¢ Freshman Anthony Collins saw extensive action at right tackle Saturday, though senior Matt Thompson started the game there.
¢ Charlton Keith was KU’s leading tackler, making nine stops. Big 12 leader Nick Reid had six, giving him 75 on the season.
¢ Rodney Allen limped off the field after staying on the turf briefly following a play. He returned.
¢ Wide receiver Jonathan Lamb dressed for the first time this season after missing the first six games because of an undisclosed injury suffered in practice seven weeks ago. He was the holder on field goals and extra points and showed no obvious signs of what plagued him.
¢ Steve Usechek was referee and head of the seven-man officiating crew. : temperature at kickoff was 62 degrees with mostly clear skies, and the wind was blowing out of the east at 8 mph.
Kansas City, Mo. ? All operations of Saturday’s game, which was moved from Lawrence to Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., were done as if the game were at Memorial Stadium, including pregame introductions on Arrowhead’s video board. The center of the field had a Jayhawk painted on it, though the end zones were blank because of today’s Kansas City Chiefs game.
¢ Nick Reid became KU’s all-time leader in tackles for a loss, picking up three Saturday and giving him 42 for his career. He broke Willie Pless’ record of 41, set in 1985.
¢ Charles Gordon and Marcus Herford started at wide receiver in place of Brian Murph and Marcus Henry. With Gordon on offense, Ronnie Amadi and Aqib Talib were starters at cornerback.
¢ Kansas appeared to fake a field-goal attempt in the second quarter after Murph took a high snap and took off running to the left side. He was creamed short of the first-down marker, and Mangino said afterward that a fake was not called. “That was a critical error by the holder,” Mangino said.
¢ Brian Luke’s first two interceptions came nine seconds apart on the clock. The first was with 13:33 remaining in the first quarter, and the second came with 13:24 on the clock.
¢ Adrian Peterson, the Heisman Trophy runner-up last season, had five carries for minus-4 yards Saturday before being yanked. “We felt he didn’t feel as comfortable as he needs to feel,” OU coach Bob Stoops said. Peterson has been hobbled by a sprained ankle.
¢ After running for a 10-yard gain in the first quarter, KU’s Clark Green hobbled off because of an apparent tweak to his left knee. He returned in the second quarter and split carries with Jon Cornish.
¢ Freshman Gary Green saw increased time on special teams but never lined up at running back.
¢ Lawrence High product Brandon McAnderson was KU’s second-leading rusher with 17 yards on two carries. The fullback had a 15-yard drive-opening run up the middle in the first half.
¢ There were three missed field goals in the second quarter alone. OU’s Garrett Hartley missed 48- and 37-yard attempts, while KU’s Scott Webb was wide-left on a 40-yard attempt.
¢ Near the end of the game, with KU’s secondary worn out, Sadiq Muhammad and Kenneth Thompson played safety for the first time this season.
¢ Arrowhead Stadium officials shut off the lights in the stadium at 10:30 p.m., about an hour after the game. Oops. The end zones were being painted when things went dark. No word on if “Chefs” was painted instead of “Chiefs” thanks to the lack of light.
¢ Kyle Tucker blasted a 60-yard punt against OU, his third 60-yard boot of the season.
¢ Mark Simmons was KU’s leading receiver with 20 yards. He needed just two receptions to grab a share of the school record for career receptions, but he came up one short.
¢ The 97 yards of total offense was the lowest by a KU squad since 2001, when a Tom Hayes-led squad managed just 67 against Texas in a 59-0 loss. The Longhorns had 606 yards of total offense in that game. KU crossed midfield once the whole day.
¢ Oklahoma has won four in a row against Kansas, including two against Mark Mangino, a former OU assistant.
¢ Tom Walker, of Omaha, Neb., was referee and head of the seven-man officiating crew. : temperature at kickoff was 72 degrees with clear skies, and the wind was blowing out of the east at 7 mph. : Attendance was 54,109, and the game lasted 3:13.
Rush popular interview: Freshman Brandon Rush said his two least favorite questions were: “about my brother” and “one and done” or “two and done,'” referring to questions about Missouri grad Kareem Rush, now with the Charlotte Bobcats, and perhaps leaving college after a year or two for the NBA.
“I’ll put it to the side,” he said of NBA talk. “I don’t know what will happen. I can’t say I will not be here four years.”
He realizes he has a lot to learn after arriving at KU.
“Since I’ve been in college, it’s been really tough. It’s hard on me, just running plays. I’ve not been running plays the last two years.”
¢ Moulaye in the house: Senior Moulaye Niang dressed in full uniform for Media Day but insisted he was finished playing because of his chronic bad back. He’s a student assistant for the team. “It’s for the last time, I guess,” Niang said of donning a jersey. “I definitely wish I could play, but I can’t. I play maybe once a week to stay in shape. I can’t go every day.”
¢ Jackson’s mom OK: Darnell Jackson’s mom, Shawn, who suffered serious injuries in a car wreck that claimed the life of Jackson’s grandmother last summer in Nevada, will attend Late Night tonight. Shawn Jackson, of Oklahoma City, uses crutches because of her shattered ankle, but is expected to be 100 percent healed in time.
“She will be fine. She can’t drive, so she’s getting a ride here from friends,” Jackson said, adding, “I miss her. It will be great having her up here for Late Night.”
The 6-foot-9 Jackson is up to 250 pounds from 235 a year ago.
“I put on a couple pounds thanks to coach Hudy,” he said of strength coach Andrea Hudy.
¢ Bumps, bruises: Freshman Julian Wright said he was not 100 percent recovered from his foot and knee injuries but would be able to play tonight.
“I try to not see the trainer too much,” Wright said with a smile.
Both Jackson and Stephen Vinson have had back problems but are able to compete. In fact, no players are expected to miss Late Night.
“I think it’ll be more entertaining for fans. There will not be much dead time,” Vinson said. “I won’t say what it is,” he said of a possible skit or dance number, “but if we did it tonight we’d be in trouble. We were not very good last night (rehearsing).”
¢ Big recruiting weekend: Several recruits will be on hand at Late Night: Seniors – Darrell Arthur, 6-9, Dallas South Oak Cliff High; Sherron Collins, 5-11, Chicago Crane. Juniors – Cole Aldrich, 6-10, Bloomington, Minn., Jefferson; Tyrel Reed, 6-2, Burlington; George Goode, 6-8, Raytown, (Mo.) South; Lance Storrs, 6-4, Decatur (Ga.) Columbia; Gani Lawal, 6-8, Norcross, Ga. Sophomores – Travis Releford, 6-4, Kansas City Central. Freshmen – Xavier Henry, 6-5, Putnam City, Okla.
¢ Game time: The doors to Allen Fieldhouse will open at 5:30 tonight, with Late Night going from 6:30 until about 9:30. Part of the Midnight Madness will be televised on ESPNU (Sunflower Broadband Ch. 141) from 8 to 9 p.m., with ESPN2 (Ch. 34) set to simulcast the second half hour of ESPNU’s broadcast from 8:30 to 9. Also, streaming video will be available through the KU Athletics Web site.
¢ New Unis: KU’s new uniforms closely resemble last year’s – minus the obvious switch from Nike to Adidas. Differences on the jerseys occur around the neckline and arm openings. Instead of last year’s solid blue piping, this year’s threads included an intertwined crimson and blue trim. The encircled KU insignia that was pinned at the bottom of the neckline is gone.
The traditional KU block letters on the shorts have been replaced by the Adidas logo. A Jayhawk stays in place on the left side and crimson and blue stripes criss-cross the side of the shorts – in a slightly different pattern, with the leg openings also trimmed in red and blue.
“I like the jerseys,” freshman Micah Downs said. “I feel really good playing in them.”
¢ Chemistry: KU coach Bill Self was asked about players like C.J. Giles indicating chemistry was better this year than last year. “I never heard on Oct. 14 that the chemistry stunk,” the coach quipped.
¢ The opening kickoff was delayed for a few moments, apparently over what Kansas State chose to do as result of the coin toss. KU won and deferred, and it appeared the Wildcats initially chose to receive. Snyder, though, claims K-State never asked to receive and that was said in jest after already declaring it wanted to defend the south end. Coaches and officials conferred for several minutes, KU ended up receiving the kick, and K-State defended the south goal with the wind at its back.
¢ Freshman Aqib Talib started and played the entire game at cornerback, moving from his normal position of strong safety. The starting secondary included Talib and Charles Gordon at cornerback, Jerome Kemp at strong safety and Rodney Fowler at free safety.
¢ With Talib at cornerback, normal cornerback Theo Baines played safety sparingly.
¢ Greg Heaggans played for the first time this season, setting up as the primary kick-return specialist. He returned one short kick for just nine yards.
¢ KU wore red socks for the first time this year, to go with white jerseys and gray pants.
¢ Kansas had three turnovers Saturday, all fumbles. Charles Gordon muffed a punt in the first half, Jon Cornish had trouble hanging on to a pitch on an option run, and Adam Barmann coughed up a loose ball in the fourth quarter. KU forced just one turnover, a Nick Reid interception.
¢ Gordon made up for the muff by fielding his next punt on the bounce and returning it 54 yards to the KSU 16. He had seven punt returns for 80 yards. Another lengthy return was called back because of penalty.
¢ Lawrence High product and walk-on Brian Seymour played on KU’s punt-return team Saturday.
¢ Kansas had 16 tackles for a loss, but just two sacks – one each by Charlton Keith and Eric Butler.
¢ After being a perfect 17-for-17 in the red zone in the first four games, KU was just 1-for-4 on Saturday. The blocked field goal, the Barmann fumble and a failed fourth-down conversion were the unsuccessful drives.
¢ KU still leads the all-time series with Kansas State, 62-36-5, but K-State has won 12 of the last 13. The only KU victory was last year, a 31-28 triumph in Lawrence.
¢ Scott Webb booted a 28-yard field goal but had a 46-yard kick blocked by Derek Marso. It appeared holder Brian Murph had trouble handling the snap.
¢ Kansas State had a 23-game streak snapped in which it scored 21 or more points. The Wildcats hadn’t been held to so few points since a 2001 game against Syracuse.
¢ Cooper Castleberry was referee and head of the seven-man officiating crew, which included side judge Freeman Johns. : Temperature at kickoff was 51 degrees with sunny skies, and the wind was blowing out of the southeast at 12 mph. : Attendance was 49,798, and the game lasted 3:17.
Big audience
Today’s Sunflower Showdown game, which kicks off at 11 a.m., will be shown live on Fox Sports Net (Sunflower Broadband channel 36). FSN regionalizes its programs into different areas of the country, including FSN Midwest, Rocky Mountain and Bay Area, to name a few.
But for this game, several of the regions – including those far away from the Midwest, like FSN New England and FSN Florida – will have the Sunflower Showdown on their schedule.
Fifteen regional networks will air the game, reaching 64.9 million subscribers.
Big 12’s best
Through four games, KU linebacker Nick Reid is further establishing himself as the conference’s top linebacker.
Reid has 48 tackles, an average of 12 per contest. Nobody is within 10 tackles of the senior, and nobody else in the Big 12 is averaging double digits in tackles per game.
Solid Margin
Kansas has a plus-2 turnover margin so far, registering nine takeaways and seven giveaways. The Jayhawks are one of five Big 12 teams with a positive margin.
Texas Tech leads the list with a plus-5. Missouri is last with a minus-4 (five takeaways, nine giveaways).
Kansas State is 11th with minus-3 (eight takeaways, 11 giveaways).
Gotta score
The magic number is 23: When the Jayhawks score 23 points against Kansas State, they’re 34-0 all-time.
¢ Kansas University debuted in white jerseys Saturday in its first road game. The white tops were worn with the same gray pants and blue helmets worn in the first three games.
¢ Jones SBC Stadium is one of the few stadiums in the United States still sporting old-school artificial turf, once used by Kansas and several other Big 12 Conference schools. Many, like Memorial Stadium, have gone to a turf that more closely resembles natural grass.
¢ Kansas was a part of an instant-replay review for the first time in the second quarter Saturday, when the spot of forward progress on a pass reception by Mark Simmons was questioned. KU originally got a favorable spot and a first down on a fourth-and-two play, but the review moved the ball back about a foot – and gave the ball to Texas Tech. The Big 12 is doing such reviews on an experimental basis for the first time this season.
¢ Kyle Tucker unleashed a 77-yard punt under tumultuous conditions in the third quarter. A low snap forced Tucker to scoop the football off the turf, and Tucker was drilled as he was booting it. The ball still rolled into the end zone, 77 yards downfield.
¢ Senior kick-return specialist Greg Heaggans did not suit up. He is listed on the depth chart as the No. 2 kick returner behind freshman Gary Green, but has yet to play this season. Clark Green and Kenneth Thompson returned kicks Saturday.
¢ Tight end Derek Fine left the game in the second quarter because of an apparent ankle injury after taking a nasty hit while going up for a pass. He came back in during the next drive.
¢ Normally used exclusively on special teams, true freshman James Holt saw time in KU’s nickel packages and recorded a tackle in the third quarter. Holt, Russell Brorsen and Tang Bacheyie remain the only three true freshman to play this season.
¢ Gordon had a slight limp to his step in the second half, but it didn’t appear to be serious. Mangino said Gordon had tweaked his ankle but wasn’t expected to miss any time. Gordon continued his cornerback duties throughout, though Mark Simmons returned punts in the second half.
¢ Senior linebacker Brandon Perkins, the reigning Big 12 player of the week, recorded another sack Saturday, giving him six in his last two games and seven for the season.
¢ Texas Tech’s first-half interception of Brian Luke was Tech’s first interception all season. It failed to record one against Florida International, Sam Houston State and Indiana State.
¢ KU’s radio broadcast was without Max Falkenstein for the third straight game. Falkenstein is recovering from emergency surgery performed after the Florida Atlantic game. He’s targeting to return next week when the Jayhawks travel to Manhattan to face Kansas State.
¢ Jerome Kemp was flagged for a 15-yard unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty in the second half. When a play came close to the Tech sideline, Kemp lost his balance and fell in amongst Tech players. Kemp said one pushed him into a bench. Kemp got up and pushed a Tech player back, drawing a flag. Kemp also received a flag for unnecessary roughness when an official said he tackled a Tech player after he was already out of bounds.
¢ Kansas’ Rodney Fowler picked off his third pass of the season in the first half with Tech up, 17-0. Fowler actually returned the interception for a touchdown, but the play was called back because of an illegal block. Kansas didn’t end up scoring.
¢ Kansas is 0-1 in Big 12 play for the second straight season, both because of losses to Texas Tech. The Jayhawks last started conference play with a victory in 2003, when they beat Missouri, 35-14.
¢ Clair Gausman was referee and head of the seven-man officiating crew.
¢ Temperature at kickoff was 92 degrees with mostly clear skies, and the wind was blowing out of the southwest at 9 mph.
¢ Attendance was listed at 52,601.
¢ The game lasted 3:40.
KU coach Mark Mangino somehow restrained himself from slugging Brian Luke after the senior quarterback, while falling backward, lateraled with two hands. The Jayhawks retained possession on the fumble.
If Luke could take back one play, surely that would be it. Right?
“The lateral and the pick,” Luke said. “I’ll always take the pick back if I could.”
Luke has thrown four touchdown passes and three interceptions on the season.
¢ The Jayhawks have six takeaways and four giveaways on the year, after winning that battle, 4-1, Saturday night.
¢ Kansas showed up with “crimson” jerseys Saturday, the first time KU has donned the color since the 1947 season – a squad that included Ray Evans and Otto Schnellbacher. The Jayhawks still had gray pants and blue helmets Saturday. Coach Mark Mangino said afterward that he had a reason for them, and decided to go with them Thursday morning.
¢ The Jayhawks are 3-0 for the first time since the 1997 season, Terry Allen’s first as coach at Kansas. That year, KU beat Alabama-Birmingham, TCU and Missouri out the gate and finished 5-6. The last time KU was 4-0 was 1995, when that Glen Mason-led squad won its first seven games.
¢ Senior Tim Allen was back starting at defensive tackle Saturday, after two weeks backing up junior Rodney Allen. Also, junior Travis Dambach started at right guard in place of junior Jake Cox.
¢ Some minor tweaks were seen on a revised depth chart available to media. Marcus Herford now is listed as a backup wide receiver and third-string quarterback. Also, Sadiq Muhammad is listed as second-string free safety behind Rodney Fowler.
¢ Greg Heaggans suited up for the first time this season after not dressing the first two games for personal reasons. Kenneth Thompson returned kicks, though, while Heaggans didn’t play.
¢ KU called its first timeout with 9:57 left in the first quarter while on defense, when mass substitutions left the Jayhawks with just nine players on the field as the ball was about to be snapped.
¢ After rushing for 200 yards in its first two games, Kansas had just 41 yards on 32 carries Saturday. Until late in the fourth quarter, KU was averaging less than one yard per rush.
¢ Scott Webb’s kickoff following KU’s third touchdown plunked off the crossbar of the goalposts. It was one of three touchbacks by the sophomore.
¢ Nick Reid, for the third straight week, led the team in tackles, registering 14. He had five in the first quarter and has 39 tackles in three games this season.
¢ Mark Simmons caught six passes for 106 yards, the first receiver to reach the 100-yard plateau this season. The last Jayhawk to hit the century mark was Brandon Rideau, who had 100 yards against Missouri last season.
¢ Brian Luke took a majority of the snaps, while situational quarterback Herford was in just four plays. In the first half, Herford ran the ball three times for eight yards, then ran an unsuccessful option in the second half before getting pulled in favor of Luke.
¢ Louisiana Tech and KU have met one other time, in 1987, with Tech prevailing, 16-11. It was the last time KU lost to an NCAA Division I-AA team. Tech became I-A in 1990.
¢ Current Kansas City Chiefs All-Pro offensive lineman Willie Roaf played at Louisiana Tech from 1989-1992. Tech’s most well-known alum would be former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw.
¢ Kansas was a perfect 5-of-5 scoring once it reached the red zone. Louisiana Tech was 2-of-4.
¢ Tom Walker was referee and head of the seven-man officiating crew. : Temperature at kickoff was 75 degrees with cloudy skies and the wind was blowing out of the south-southeast at 13 mph. : Attendance was 41,237.=
Midway through the second quarter, Jon Cornish failed to down a punted ball at the one-yard line. When he returned to the sideline, Cornish was on the receiving end of coach Mark Mangino’s most spirited tongue-lashing of the night.
Mangino walked a good 25 yards down the sideline, seemingly getting more angry with each step, and unloaded on Cornish. The outburst ended with Mangino angrily waving his clipboard toward the sideline, sending Cornish off.
Mangino didn’t hold a grudge for too long. After being on the sidelines for a few series, Cornish returned to run for two more touchdowns.
“He just made a little mental mistake, that’s all,” Mangino said. “We just want to remind him mental mistakes are not accepted.”
So, Mangino’s instructive words to Cornish probably went something like this: “Excuse me, Jon, sorry to bother you. I’d just like to remind you that mental mistakes aren’t accepted.” Or not.
¢ Midway through the third quarter, guard Jake Cox got an earful from Mangino, and then walked 10 yards down the sideline. After a few seconds, Mangino decided he wasn’t done, walked back to find Cox and sent some more venomous words his way. It’s not as if Cox could have defended himself. He had just been flagged 15 yards for a late hit. Cox quickly became a spectator.
¢ Using words identical to his coach’s, Jayhawk linebacker Nick Reid said of the defense, “We need to get our mental edge back.”
¢ Offensive guard Todd Haselhorst did not suit up Saturday. Reporters covering Friday’s Olathe East High football game, Haselhorst’s alma mater, reported seeing the 6-foot-4, 300-pound sophomore in a cast, with his arm elevated by a bar extending from his side to his arm.
¢ Some freshmen suited up Saturday, including Jose Rodriguez, Jeff Wheeler, Caleb Blakesley and Jake Schermer. Another new face, non-scholarship freshman Jack Swab, also dressed. None played, however.
¢ Senior kick-return specialist Greg Heaggans did not suit up, despite Mangino telling reporters he’d be with the team this week. Heaggans has yet to play this season.
¢ KU called its first timeout in the first quarter in an attempt to give replay officials more time to determine if a call was worthy of being reviewed. ASU’s Kevin Richardon caught a swing pass and was hit hard by Aqib Talib, but kept running, eventually past the first-down marker. Replays showed Richardson might have touched his knee on the ground when hit by Talib, but the timeout strategy didn’t work – officials didn’t review the call.
¢ Quarterback Brian Luke completed six of his first seven passes Saturday, and the only incomplete attempt perhaps was the prettiest. A perfect strike downfield to running back Clark Green was dropped.
¢ Scott Webb’s missed point-after in the second quarter was the first miss of his college career. He previously had converted his first 32 attempts.
¢ Junior Charles Gordon had two impressive punt returns, juking past several defenders and breaking multiple tackles. The first return was called back by a holding penalty, but the second went 33 yards and started KU’s drive on the ASU 31. The Jayhawks would score a touchdown.
¢ Nick Reid again led the Jayhawks in tackles, compiling 14. He has 25 in just two games.
¢ A lengthy first-quarter drive by ASU was cut short just short of the end zone, when junior Rodney Allen forced Kevin Richardson to fumble the ball at the four-yard line. Banks Floodman made the recovery in the end zone.
¢ Despite having five tackles for a loss by five different players, KU didn’t pick up a single sack Saturday.
¢ Big penalties were a big problem for KU. In all, the Jayhawks racked up 90 yards on seven flags, including an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty, a roughing-the-passer penalty and a kick-catch interference flag.
¢ Kansas is 2-0 for the second straight year. Last year, it beat Tulsa 21-3 to start the season and Toledo 63-14 in week two. Mark Mangino is now 14-24 as head coach at KU.
New-look Jayhawks
More than one player Thursday said KU’s new uniforms looked like those of the NFL’s New York Giants.
KU players wore the new apparel at media day, with the new KU blue color and new supplier, Adidas, doing the design.
The blue is much lighter than the navy worn the past three years, but the biggest difference is the pants, which are now light gray and have a thick blue stripe down the side with red trim.
KU has three tops – blue for home, white for the road and an alternate crimson jersey for special occasions.
“They’re a lot like we thought they would be, kind of like the New York Giants,” wide receiver Mark Simmons said. “I like ’em.”
Open practice
Prior to media day, KU opened practice to the public Thursday morning. It was a 21â2-hour workout that appeared to go smoothly.
The most noticeable change since practice began was another shuffling of the offensive line. Todd Haselhorst, moved from defensive tackle to center in the spring, was practicing with second-team offensive guards Thursday.
David Ochoa was first-team center, with Ryan Cantrell as the backup. Bob Whitaker had his usual place at left guard, while Jake Cox took first-team reps at right guard.
Tackles Matt Thompson and Cesar Rodriguez were at their same spots.
“Right now, we still have Cesar at left, Matt Thompson at right. We don’t have any thoughts about moving them,” KU coach Mark Mangino said. “We’re going to have some rotation at guard, which will be helpful. We’re going to have Bob Whitaker, we’re going to have Travis Dambach. Jake Cox is practicing real well. Haselhorst is trying to get in the mix there, and he has to continue getting good repetitions and staying focused.”
Tangle at tight end
Mangino said sophomore Derek Fine was atop the depth chart at tight end, with freshmen Russell Brorsen and Josh Bell behind him.
Bell was recruited as a tight end out of Texas, while Brorsen, an Oklahoman, was brought in as a defensive end and moved to offense at the beginning of workouts.
“Josh Bell is in there competing for that position as well,” Mangino said. “Russell is just ahead of him, more than anything because he’s been able to pick up the offense very quickly.”
Kane and able
OK, so linebacker Kevin Kane isn’t going to beat a turtle in a race. It’s not because he’s not trying.
“Ol’ Kevin got his 40 time down this year. It’s under 5-flat now,” Mangino quipped.
True, Kane’s no elite sprinter, but the senior has negated any lack of speed by registering 69 tackles and earning honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference honors last year.
Mangino said Kane’s ability to read offenses, react quickly and anticipate faster than most made up for any cement in his shoes.
“There is something to be said for intellectuals playing football,” Mangino said. “You can’t fool Kevin Kane.”
New uniform numbers
Five Jayhawks have chosen new uniform numbers.
With the departure of Gabriel Toomey and John Randle, cornerback Theo Baines snatched jersey number 1, ditching number 20.
In addition, defensive back Darrell Stuckey took 32 after Rodney Harris left the team, wide receiver Brian Murph is now number 6, and offensive tackle Rodriguez is now 65. Brorsen’s move to offense prompted a number change, too. He now wears 81.
Soph Jackson to enroll in 2nd summer school
Kansas University sophomore Darnell Jackson, who has been understandably dejected following the death last month of his grandmother, will attend second session of summer school, which starts Tuesday.
“I haven’t talked to Darnell’s mother in the last 24 hours. I have talked to Darnell. He’s doing well,” KU coach Bill Self said of Jackson, who considered fellow Oklahoma City native J.R. Giddens, who left the squad Thursday, one of his best friends on the team.
Jackson’s mom, Shawn, is in Oklahoma City recovering from broken bones sustained in the wreck that claimed the life of Evon Jackson.
Self said Jeff Hawkins, who already had received his undergraduate degree, wouldn’t attend second session of summer school.
“Almost everybody will be taking classes. Maybe one or two will be up here the majority of the time, but will not be taking classes,” Self said.
Next stop for Giddens?
Major Div. I conference
Giddens on Friday started the process of looking for a new school. Self said releases would be granted to any school interested in the ex-Jayhawk.
“We’ll do everything we can to assist him, if in fact he solicits that,” Self said.
Wichita TV station KAKE quotes sources close to Texas Christian’s program as saying Neil Dougherty is interested in being reunited with Giddens. Former KU assistant and current Horned Frog head coach Dougherty recruited Giddens to KU.
It is believed Giddens is interested only in major Division One conferences. A transfer within the Big 12 is unlikely because he would lose a year of eligibility as well as have to sit out a year.
Giddens might consider joining a buddy.
Adam Liberty, a teammate of Giddens’ at John Marshall High, recently transferred from Wichita State to Oral Roberts.
D’Angelo Alexander, a former AAU teammate of Giddens’, transferred to Charlotte last school year. The former University of Oklahoma player reportedly made the Charlotte honor roll and will likely recommend the school to Giddens.
Florida State, coached by former Oklahoma State mentor Leonard Hamilton, also has been mentioned as an early possibility.
It’s believed North Carolina would have no interest; the Tar Heels have several players at Giddens’ position. Also, former KU coach Roy Williams likely would feel Giddens has two strikes against him. Williams was not pleased Giddens was arrested in high school for conspiracy to commit grand larceny from a retailer, though the player eventually was cleared of charges.
“If he wants to be a superstar to get to the next level, Oral Roberts makes sense,” said Greg Swaim, recruiting analyst based in Oklahoma City. “Dennis Rodman played at Southeast Oklahoma and Scottie Pippen at Central Arkansas. If you are good, you’ll be seen. I’m sure a lot of schools will want him. He’s a good player, although I thought he shot Kansas out of some games last year.”
Simien’s offering
Ex-Jayhawk Wayne Simien threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Kansas City Royals-Angels game on Friday at Kauffman Stadium. Simien’s toss bounced on the plate and caromed past K.C.’s Shane Costa. Simien smiled as he walked off the mound, throwing his hands in the air as if to tease Costa for not catching his offering.
Another “package deal?”: Kansas State on Friday announced the hiring of Ben Kelso as the team’s new assistant coach. Kelso, 58, spent the past season as the head boys’ basketball coach at Central High School in Detroit, where he coached incoming Wildcat freshman Deilvez Yearby.
— Gary Bedore
Miles notes
Kansas University senior Aaron Miles finished his career eighth on the NCAA’s all-time assist chart.
Miles, who had 216 assists against 92 turnovers this past season, finished with 954 assists. Those ahead of him: Bobby Hurley (1,076), Chris Corchiani (1,038), Ed Cota (1,030), Keith Jennings (983), Steve Blake (972), Sherman Douglas (960) and Tony Miller (956).
Miles has the most assists of any player in Big 12 Conference history and Big Eight history.
He finished first in KU history in assists and second in steals (254).
Langford notes
Senior Keith Langford finished his career as the school’s No. 6 all-time scorer with 1,812 points.
Langford averaged 14.4 points and 4.0 rebounds a game, compared to 15.5 points and 5.0 rebounds a game his junior year.
Lee notes
Senior Michael Lee averaged 4.8 points and 2.0 boards a game. He went out as a scoring machine, tallying 14 in the Big 12 semifinals against Oklahoma State and 18 against Bucknell in the NCAAs.
Team stats
As a team, KU outscored opponents 75.0 points a game to 65.2. Last year, Bill Self’s first at KU, the Jayhawks averaged 75.8 points a a game and allowed 67.2.
This year’s scoring mark was lowest since the 1998-99 team averaged 72.1. The defensive effort was the school’s best since the 1998-99 team allowed 64.5 ppg.
KU hit 47.6 percent of its shots, compared to last year’s 46.5 percent mark. KU’s foes hit 38.7 percent of their shots, compared to 39.1 a year ago.
KU hit 69.5 percent of its free throws compared to 70.7 a year ago.
Seniors
The future appears bright for KU’s four seniors, all on target to graduate in May.
Wayne Simien, by most accounts, appears to be a certain first-round pick in the NBA draft after showing improved outside shooting and consistent rebounding his final season. Miles and Langford, considered possible second-round picks, have hopes of doing individual workouts for NBA teams. If they are not drafted, they still could attend NBA camps as free agents and/or play overseas.
Lee plans to try to play for pay in Europe if he doesn’t get any NBA looks. If no offers materialize, he could play football one year at KU, though he has said that possibility has lessened.
“It’s the start of a new chapter in my life,” Langford said. “I’m ready for the new chapter to start.”
“I’ve worked hard, and hopefully that will work out,” Simien said of the NBA.
Williams saddened
North Carolina basketball coach Roy Williams tried to watch film Friday night, but he was aware of Kansas, his former team, being in a tight game with No. 14 seed Bucknell.
He eventually watched the third-seeded Jayhawks fall when Simien’s 14-foot turnaround bounced off the rim.
“To see him miss that shot and his shoulders slump? It was hard to watch it,” Williams told the Durham Herald-Sun. “I did feel so badly for those kids that for about the next hour I wasn’t very good at anything. Those are strong, strong kids. They’ll bounce back. They’ve had a fantastic run. I think they’ll all be successful in life and remember their college experience even though Friday night was difficult for them.”
Sean May, while admitting he would root for all the good teams to lose, also felt for the Jayhawks.
“We know those guys,” May said. “It’s difficult to think about it, that Wayne Simien will never play another college game. You kind of do pull for the underdog, but there’s mixed feelings about it. It is tough to see those guys go out like that.”
Langford update
KU’s Keith Langford worked out Saturday night and Sunday and says his bruised left ankle is feeling close to 100 percent. He’s still recovering from a nasty bout with the flu.
“I’m one day, two days from being perfect,” Langford said.
Of Langford, KU coach Bill Self said: “I’m not worried about his ankle, just getting his strength back. I said this yesterday, jokingly, but a bowel movement would be nice because his stomach has been messed up,” Self quipped. “It’s bothered him more than anything else.
“In the hospital, they had to do the things they had to do to get him right. He needs to get his strength back.”
Self said barring any setbacks this week, the team could be as healthy as it had been in a long time.
“Christian (Moody) has not been whole since the staph infection,” Self said. “You can see he’s not playing or exploding like he was before. You saw how well C.J. (Giles) played yesterday in limited action when healthy and how Christian played when healthy and Keith plays when healthy and Alex (Galindo) when healthy.
“We just need to get whole. This will be about as whole as we’ve been if we can get through the week. We may need to wear reflector shirts to make sure oncoming cars see us,” Self quipped.
Tulsa to tap Wojcik
Michigan State assistant Doug Wojcik will be named Tulsa’s next basketball coach today, Andy Katz of ESPN reported late Sunday night.
Kansas University assistant Tim Jankovich was one of six to interview for the post.
“A week and a half ago, we felt the timing was not right with that situation,” KU coach Bill Self said of the TU opening.
Top RPI team a 3 seed?
Self is not miffed KU was a No. 3 seed despite being ranked No. 1 in the RPI.
“It’s such an inexact science,” he said. “If we beat Oklahoma State (in Big 12 semis) and won today, we’d have had a great chance to be a one seed. It’s such a fine line. You can make a great case for every one of those teams being where they are. RPI is very important, but the fact we went 5-5 in our last 10 carried a lot of weight.”
T-shirts
The back of KU’s Destination St. Louis T-shirts read: “Last year we knocked on the door, this year we’re going to kick it in.”
Self said the T-shirts weren’t a motivational ploy.
“A guy dropped ’em off and said, ‘Hey, you want to pass these on to the players?’ There’s no hidden agenda. Everybody likes a free T-shirt. It’s the only reason they got that. I don’t think it’s an NCAA violation to give ’em a T-shirt. At least I hope it’s not,” Self joked.
Quick thinking
The Jayhawk staff had a tape of Bucknell ready to scout Sunday night because KU’s staff tapes every game in the country after Feb. 1.
“Believe it or not, we tape every game,” Self said. “We’ve got one tape and will make arrangements to get our two future possible opponents.”
Practice set
KU will practice from 6 to 6:50 p.m. Thursday at Ford Center. The practice, which usually is more of a shootaround, is open to the public. KU’s opponent, Bucknell, will practice from 8:10 to 9 p.m.
Where is KU headed?
KU coach Bill Self faced the usual barrage of questions about today’s release of the NCAA Tournament pairings.
“Do you think you are a 1 or a 2 seed?” he was asked.
“I think we’re a 2,” Self said.
“Is there any doubt?” was the follow-up query.
“Did I say it like there was no doubt?” he said with a smile, indicating he has no way of knowing for sure. “I think we are a 2. Louisville, Arizona if they win and one ACC team is a 2.
“Two ACC teams, Kentucky and Illinois are 1s. That leaves one other team, Oklahoma State could be one,” Self continued, coming up with nine teams instead of eight.
As for whether KU will be shipped to Oklahoma City, Indianapolis or Tucson, Ariz., today … “It probably doesn’t matter,” he said. “Selfishly, I’d like to see Oklahoma City. It’s easier for our fans, certainly easier for my family,” added the Edmond, Okla., native.
Day of rest
Self was asked if losing in the semis might be good in that it would provide the Jayhawks an extra day of rest before NCAA Tournament week.
“That’s what we’ll tell our guys,” Self said. “I think in some ways we rode Wayne pretty hard, so I know an extra day will benefit him.”
Wayne Simien scored 28 points in 39 minutes against Kansas State on Friday and 30 points in 36 minutes against OSU.
“I’d much rather win and have a chance to cut down nets,” Self said, also indicating it would have been good to have had the injured Keith Langford back for the final. “An extra day would have been good for Keith to get out there and play because I don’t have any hesitation that he would have played tomorrow for sure. This is important, but not as important as next week. Anything to get you better prepared for next week is the most important thing, and winning sometimes has a lot to do with being prepared.”
Simien’s take
Simien is taking a wait-and-see approach to the NCAA Tournament.
“As far as the seeding standpoint, there’s really no telling,” he said. “You just have to wait and see tomorrow. I think we picked up a little bit of momentum these last two games, even though a loss is a loss.
“Coach said he feels much better about the team now than he did coming into the tournament. That’s a big positive. We need to tweak and tune a few things to make sure we’re prepared for next weekend and the weeks to come.”
Lee on the tourney
“It doesn’t really matter,” Michael Lee said of location and seeding. “It’s more about matchups anyway this time of year.”
Graybeards
OSU’s Daniel Bobik, who had 11 points, all in the second half, is 25 years old, the oldest player on the oldest team in America. Bobik served a two-year Mormon mission before starting his career. Other aged Cowboys: Aaron Pettway (24), and 22-year-olds John Lucas, Frans Steyn, Joey and Stephen Graham and Ivan McFarlin. The Graham twins, Steyn, McFarlin and Crawford already have earned bachelor’s degrees.
“I think being older really helps,” Bobik said. “It’s helped us in big games.”
Starting lineup
KU coach Bill Self started Michael Lee and brought in J.R. Giddens off the bench. Lee missed five shots, including four threes, and didn’t score. Giddens had 13 points off 5-of-12 shooting. He missed five of six threes. Jeff Hawkins had eight points off 2-of-5 three-point shooting, also off the bench.
“I know J.R. and Mike need to play. They need to start knocking down shots. We’ve got to get some offense from someone besides Wayne (Simien),” Self said.
Sasha Kaun played two minutes the first half, but none the second. He had one turnover and a foul in his short stint.
Jackson logged eight minutes and Moulaye Niang one. C.J. Giles didn’t play.
Players want Langford
Simien can’t imagine an ankle injury keeping Langford out of the postseason.
“It’s Keith’s senior year. It’ll take him a lot more than a little injury to keep him from playing,” Simien said.
Senior guard Aaron Miles also hopes Langford can return.
“Obviously, my man getting hurt,” Miles said, asked what was the worst thing about Sunday’s game. “A player’s health … it’s a big concern.”
Galindo contributes
Alex Galindo was pleased to contribute big-time. He hit three of six shots in eight minutes.
“It felt good I had a chance to play in a game like this,” said the freshman from Puerto Rico. “I was just trying to help the team any way possible. I was happy coach trusted me.”
He and Russell Robinson were in the game as KU stormed back from a 15-point deficit.
“It took all our energy to come back. We were down the whole game,” Galindo said. “They had a great game. It was a good game but they just out-toughed us.”
Co-champs
KU gained a piece of the Big 12 title with Oklahoma at 12-4 overall.
“We wanted to be outright champions,” Miles said. “We’re not. We did attain a piece of it. It’s not the same, but we got a piece. It hurts, but it doesn’t matter. It’s the postseason now.”
KU aide Tulsa finalist
The Tulsa World reported Sunday that Kansas assistant Tim Jankovich was one of six finalists for the University of Tulsa head-coaching job.
However, the paper’s Dave Sittler reports that his sources indicate former KU assistant Matt Doherty and current interim Hurricane coach Pooh Williamson currently are running neck-and-neck as the co-favorites to replace John Phillips.
Jankovich, who is in his second season at KU, is listed as one of four assistants who have been contacted.
The others: Oklahoma’s Bob Hoffman, Texas’ Rodney Terry and Michigan State’s Doug Wojcik. The school wants to name a coach March 14.
Kansas University’s Aaron Miles and Christian Moody were named to the 2005 men’s basketball academic All-Big Conference 12 team, the league announced Wednesday.
KU’s Michael Lee was named to the second team.
Twelve players were named to the first team. First-team members must maintain a 3.20 or better grade-point average. Second team members have a 3.0 to 3.19 GPA.
Nebraska’s Bronsen Schliep was the only individual to record a 4.00 GPA.
Other first-team members: Nebraska’s John Turek, Tony Wilbrand, Jake Muhleisen and Jason Dourisseau; Missouri’s Jimmy McKinney; Oklahoma’s Kevin Bookout; Oklahoma State’s Terrence Crawford and David Monds; and Texas A&M’s Chris Walker.
Lee was joined on the second team by Colorado’s Scott Senger and Brian Mattingly and OSU’s Frans Steyn and Stephen Graham.
KU’s Blair Waltz and Crystal Kemp were named to the first-team all-Big 12 women’s academic team.
There was no thought of clipping the nets after KU tied for the league title with one game left.
“You don’t clip nets for a share of the title. You clip it if you win it outright,” Keith Langford said.
Award finalist
Self is one of 20 finalists for Naismith Coach of the Year Award, presented by the Atlanta Tipoff Club and Coca-Cola. The top 20 list is compiled by writers, coaches and administrators from around the country.
Other finalists: Rick Barnes, Texas; Jim Boeheim, Syracuse; Mark Few, Gonzaga; Ray Giacoletti, Utah; Billy Gillispie, Texas A&M; Frank Haith, Miami; Mike Krzyzewski, Duke; Lute Olson, Arizona; Rick Pitino, Louisville; Skip Prosser, Wake Forest; Lorenzo Romar, Washington; Bo Ryan, Wisconsin; Kelvin Sampson, Oklahoma; Al Skinner, Boston College; Tubby Smith, Kentucky; Eddie Sutton, Oklahoma State; John Thompson III, Georgetown; Bruce Weber, Illinois; and Roy Williams, North Carolina. Winner will be recognized at the Naismith Awards Banquet on April 8 in Atlanta.
Retro look
The Jayhawks wore retro white uniforms with the word “Kansas” in block lettering — all capital letters — on the front, with their jersey numbers under the lettering. A Jayhawk positioned in a circle appeared on the front-right portion of the jerseys. The Jayhawks had their numbers, but not names, on the back of the jerseys. The cheerleaders wore 1950’s-style outfits.
Seniors strong at home
KU’s seniors finished their careers 56-3 in the fieldhouse, losing to Richmond, Arizona and Iowa State. The seniors went 15-1 in the fieldhouse this season.
KU-KSU numbers
The Jayhawks have won 30 in a row versus Kansas State and 11 straight at Allen Fieldhouse. Self is 5-0 versus KSU, and Jim Wooldridge is 0-10 versus KU.
LHS grad sits
KSU senior Mark Frederick, a walk-on out of Lawrence High, did not play. He’s logged just four minutes in two games this season.
Robisch honored
Former Kansas University basketball great Dave Robisch had his jersey No. 40 hung high in the south end zone in a halftime ceremony.
“It’s a tremendous honor,” said Robisch, the eighth-leading scorer in school history who led KU to a 27-3 mark and Final Four berth during his senior year in 1970-71.
“I’m so proud to have my jersey retired. I don’t know if anyone deserves such an honor, but it is definitely the highest honor for me.
“This is the most precious place in the country to play,” added Robisch, who was joined by family members, plus former KU coaches Ted Owens and Sam Miranda and one of Robisch’s favorite fans, Bob Nelson, “The Old Jayhawk.”
“It’s just an awesome experience playing in this building,” Robisch said.
Moody ties career high
Christian Moody tied a career high with 11 points in 34 minutes. He guarded OSU standout Joey Graham (9-of-17 shooting) much of the game.
“I think I would have played with any pain,” said Moody, who suffered an infected floor burn in the Texas Tech loss and didn’t play in losses to Iowa State and Oklahoma. “I wanted to be out there. It’s sore, but it felt good to be out there.”
“You saw how valuable Christian Moody is today,” KU coach Bill Self said. “Look how many touches Wayne (Simien, 17 shots) got. A key reason is, Christian was in the game. He was out a week, practiced two days, plays 34 minutes, and all he has to do is guard the toughest matchup in college basketball today.”
Miles poked
Aaron Miles was poked in the right eye early in the game. His eye still was watering after a game in which he had 13 points, including a driving layup that busted a 78-all tie at :40.
“It was a little blurry out there. I had to keep blinking,” Miles said. “For some reason, this eye is getting hit. It’s the third time.”
Dub’s streak ends
Simien stretched his streak of consecutive free throws made to a school-record 34 before missing. He passed Calvin Thompson’s school record of 33 consecutive charities made in the 1983-84 season. Simien also passed Robisch and Clyde Lovellette for ninth on the all-time rebounds list with 824.
Faces in crowd
Former Jayhawk Scot Pollard of the Indiana Pacers attended, as did Don Davis, linebacker on the world champion New England Patriots.
Prospects attend
Several high school recruits attended the game, including C.J. Henry, a 6-foot-2 senior basketball/baseball standout from Putnam City High in suburban Oklahoma State. Henry is the son of former KU player Carl Henry.
Also on hand were a pair of sophomores: Michael Sanchez, 6-7 from Springdale, Ark., and Tyrel Reed, 6-2 from Burlington.
Sutton winless in Allen
OSU coach Eddie Sutton, who has 775 career victories, is 0-11 in Allen Fieldhouse with the Cowboys.
“If we both played like that, we would beat a lot of people,” Sutton said. “This was a good game, even though we lost. It was still a great game for us.”
This, that
KU’s 66 percent field-goal shooting was best by a KU team since a 67.8 percent outing against Arizona on March 22, 2003, in the NCAA Tournament. … OSU’s 58.5 percent shooting was best by a KU foe since Long Beach State hit 62.8 percent in 1993. … OSU’s 20 rebounds were fewest by a KU foe since Iowa State grabbed 20 in 1998. The 43 combined rebounds were fewest in a game by both teams since the 1988-89 season.
Former Jayhawks Kirk Hinrich (Chicago Bulls) and Billy Thomas (New Jersey Nets) took advantage of the NBA All-Star break to attend Saturday’s game.
“It stinks losing at home. I’ve been there,” said Iowa native Hinrich after KU’s 63-61 overtime loss to the Iowa State. “They’ll be all right. Starting Sunday they’ll learn from this.”
Hinrich is one of the best players on a young Bulls team that enters the All-Star break in the playoff hunt with a 26-23 record.
“It’s been a fun first half. We’re playing really well,” Hinrich said. “Personally, I’m a little disappointed I’m not playing as well as I could. I can play a lot better. I hope to finish the year strong.”
Thomas finally received his NBA opportunity this season with the New Jersey Nets. He recently signed a contract for the rest of the season after completing a pair of 10-day contracts.
“Every time I come back here I get a warm reception. To be where I want to be in my professional life and come back, it’s even better,” a glowing Thomas said. “This is my dream. When you attain it, you feel all the hard work and prayers are answered.”
Thomas has been playing meaningful minutes for the 23-30 Nets, who also are in the playoff equation.
“Play hard and pray hard,” Thomas said of his secret of finally making the NBA after playing overseas and for many minor-league teams the past several years.
“I wish I could go out there and try to help against that zone,” he added. “It’s really a difficult zone to break.”
KU’s players had a celebration after Keith Langford’s slashing bucket finally erased a nine-point deficit and forced overtime.
Langford and KU coach Bill Self were asked if such a celebration was wise with many more possessions to play.
“The way we came back, down eight or nine, I can’t fault them for that,” Self said of players’ enthusiasm. “You want them to be enthusiastic. We did the same thing against Georgia Tech, and it worked out. I didn’t see it, (but) that doesn’t bother me.”
Self wasn’t counting his chickens when KU opened 10-0 in the league.
“I said it last week — our season is just starting. We’re off to a crud start, certainly,” Self said. “And we won’t get any easy one in Norman on Monday.”
Iowa State has won at Allen Fieldhouse three times since 2000, most of any other Big 12 team. … Wayne Simien recorded his 800th rebound. … Langford moved into seventh place on the all-time KU scoring list, passing Hinrich and Dave Robisch. He has 1,759 points. … Aaron Miles passed San Francisco’s Orlando Smart for seventh on the all-time NCAA career assist list. His four steals moved him into second place on KU’s all-time steals list. … Simien has made 27 straight free throws, which ties his best consecutive-makes streak.
A reception for all former KU players and coaches will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Allen Fieldhouse. It’s invitation-only. Former KU players and coaches and selected boosters will be sent invitations in the mail. It’s in conjunction with KU’s 50-year birthday celebration for Allen Fieldhouse.
The biggest roar from the Allen Fieldhouse crowd Saturday came when Kansas University freshman Jamie Weaver hit a shot from halfcourt in a pregame promotion.
Weaver placed the ball between her legs and flung the rock underhanded right through the goal to the delight of the sellout crowd of 16,300.
She won free rent for a year at Jefferson Commons and already has signed the lease.
“I was laughing and just threw it as hard as I could,” said Weaver, a 5-foot-2 Manhattan native. “I blacked out about it. I hit the floor shocked.”
The Jayhawks will have a new videoboard in Allen Fieldhouse next year.
No details are available on fund-raising for the board, but athletic director Lew Perkins has told the Kansas University Athletic Corporation advisory board the board would be hanging in time for next season.
“We are committed to having a videoboard in the fieldhouse next season,” associate AD Jim Marchiony said Saturday.
KU backup point guard Russell Robinson, who had not played in three of the last five games, logged seven minutes.
He had one assist, one turnover and a steal.
“Russell needs to be out there. I wanted to play Russell, maybe should have played him a little more,” coach Bill Self said. “It’s good to see him out there. I think he did pretty good job out there.”
CU coach Ricardo Patton is 1-21 versus KU. KU has won 22 in a row versus CU at Allen. … Wayne Simien passed Adonis Jordan and Richard Scott and moved into 20th on KU’s all time scoring list. … Miles moved into 14th place on the NCAA’s all-time assist list. He’s one shy of Chico Fletcher of Arkansas State and two shy of Andre LeFleur of Northeastern.
This, that
Kansas, which won its 22nd straight game in Manhattan, last lost in the Little Apple, 58-57, Jan. 29, 1983. KU has won 29 in a row overall in the series, last losing, 68-64, Jan. 17, 1994, at Allen Fieldhouse. … The game was Kansas State’s first sellout at home since the KU game Feb. 8, 2003. … KU’s field-goal percentage of 53.1 was highest by a KSU foe this season. KU’s second-half mark of 63.2 percent is highest by a foe this season. … KU’s 74 points were the fewest scored in Manhattan since 69 in 1999. … KSU’s halftime deficit of 10 points tied a season high.
Buddies
KU freshman red-shirt center Matt Kleinmann, who attended Blue Valley West, is a friend of KSU’s Tyler Hughes, Kansas State’s sophomore center from Olathe North.
“We played AAU together a couple of years,” said Kleinmann, who, like Hughes, was a member of the Kansas City Premier Team. “He has a soft touch and is a mobile big guy.”
Hughes is the player who reportedly did his own version of the “Hook ‘Em Horns” gesture after last year’s 58-48 home victory over Texas.
“He has a sense of humor,” Kleinmann said. “I’m sure he did that in good fun. He is a character.”
Of what Hughes needs to become a force, KSU coach Jim Wooldridge said: “Time, just time. He has strength issues, endurance issues. The tall thin kid … we got him about 115, 118 pounds. He’s about 240 now. He’s built up endurance, but has a long way to go in that department.”
Hughes was not highly recruited.
“Tyler didn’t dominate in high school. We knew he was a project when we took him,” Wooldridge said. “Some have to adjust more than others. That’s where Tyler is.”
Danger in L.A.
USC sophomore Lodrick Stewart, the twin brother of KU transfer Rodrick Stewart, told the Los Angeles Times that Rodrick left USC for KU, in part, because Rodrick was worried about being targeted for retribution for a shooting death that occurred last September.
Lodrick told the paper he and Rodrick were friends with Matthew and James Wells, who have been charged with first-degree murder and conspiracy in the fatal shooting of Idaho football player Eric McMillan.
“McMillan has a lot of family and friends in L.A. Even though we had nothing to do with it, they might be mad at us,” Lodrick said. “That’s why I just lay low. I’d be mad if I lost a family member or a loved one. That’s hard for anyone to take. So you might look to take that out on someone. L.A.’s a crazy place, a crazy place,” Lodrick told the Times.
Lodrick Stewart said neither he nor Rodrick had been threatened.
Of the Wells brothers, Stewart said: “They are family to us. They worked for our dad in his gym and were our strength coaches. It’s hard to take them two getting locked up like that. But my whole life, stuff like that has been going on.”
Injury update
Kansas University freshman C.J. Giles (bruised right foot) not only did not play in the game, but used crutches Saturday, making observers wonder if Giles had re-aggravated the deep bone bruise that had sidelined him five games.
“It’s not any worse,” KU coach Bill Self said. “It’s precautionary. We said, ‘If you’re not playing, wear both a boot and use crutches.'”
Self said Giles tried, but could not practice this past week. He remains questionable for Wednesday’s game at Kansas State. Alex Galindo (groin), who did not make the trip to Lincoln, also is questionable for that game.
Another tweak
Christian Moody re-sprained his left ankle late.
“He hurts it every day,” Self said of Moody, who has had ankle woes since the game Jan. 9 at Kentucky.
Niang scores two
Moulaye Niang hit a 10-foot jumper with 6:02 left in the first half, giving KU a 28-24 lead.
“It’s my favorite shot,” Niang said of the short jumper.
Self has turned to Niang with Giles ailing and Darnell Jackson not a factor in recent weeks.
“It’s not Darnell has done anything bad,” Self said of the freshman backup big man. “It’s reached a point in time to go with guys who know what you are trying to do in crunch situations, and that’s the sole reason. Darnell will be a good player. Mou is a better post defender and understands what we’re trying to do more.”
No splint
Wayne Simien played without a splint on his left thumb. He had the surgically repaired thumb taped, however.
“It feels good,” Simien said. “I’m able to hold onto the ball a lot more. I feel I got a few extra rebounds because I was able to hold onto the ball.”
Tennis shoes, not Guccis
Self and NU coach Barry Collier wore tennis shoes as part of a nationwide “Coaches V. Cancer Awareness Day.”
“I thought they went well with the outfit,” Self joked.
Hard hit
NU’s Jake Muhleisen ran into KU’s Sasha Kaun near midcourt with 15 minutes left.
Muhleisen, who ran into Kaun’s shoulder, headed to the locker room for a few moments before returning. The refs checked the tape to see if Kaun did anything intentional to harm Muhleisen.
He didn’t.
“There was a collision,” Collier said. “It looked like he was going upcourt (and didn’t see Kaun). It appeared to be intentional, but I think it was not, now that the officials reviewed it.”
This, that
Former NU great Dave Hoppen was honored at halftime and given an honorary chair to use at games. … KU’s Moody and J.R. Giddens both went for an alley-oop lob from Aaron Miles at the same time, the ball careening out of bounds. … Miles missed his first three-point try, snapping a streak of eight straight threes made. … Michael Lee’s eight points were the most he has scored since 10 against Texas A&M on Jan. 5. He also had a perfect pass to Moody for a slam dunk.
Kansas University’s Keith Langford said he liked the excitement ESPN’s GameDay brought to town, but wasn’t happy to hear some of the announcers tapped Oklahoma State as perhaps the best team in the league.
“It’s good, but you’ve got all these people here, and half of ’em are predicting us to lose,” Langford said. “You can come in our building, but don’t predict us to lose. You can leave if that’s the case.”
Also, last week, Digger Phelps tapped Villanova to defeat the Jayhawks in Philadelphia.
Cole Aldrich, a 6-foot-10 high school sophomore from Bloomington, Minn., attended on an unofficial recruiting visit. He is considering KU, Minnesota, Duke, Kentucky, North Carolina, Wisconsin and others.
“Kansas is definitely my leader right now,” Aldrich told rivals.com. He also visited KU for Late Night in the Phog in October.
ESPN did a special feature on KU junior walk-on Christian Moody as part of its daylong GameDay coverage. Moody was interviewed for the piece along with KU coach Bill Self, former KU coach Roy Williams and Moody’s high school coach, Rich Sizemore, of Roberson High in Asheville, N.C.
KU improved to 11-4 versus Texas all-time and snapped a two-game losing streak versus the Longhorns. … KU is 7-0 versus UT in Lawrence, 5-0 at Allen Fieldhouse. … Self now is 1-4 against UT. … KU is 16-1 for the first time since since the 2000-01 season, when the Jayhawks started 17-1 in 00-01. … Wayne Simien moved past Eric Chenowith and JoJo White into 23rd on the all time scoring list at KU. … KU’s 91.7 free-throw shooting marks the highest percentage in a league game since shooting 93.3 against Oklahoma in 2002. … Texas had one second-half assist, fewest by a KU foe since Houston had one in the first half of a game in 2001. The Longhorns’ five total assists were fewest since Iowa State had five Feb. 16, 2003.
KU signee Julian Wright has been chosen to compete in the 41st annual Roundball Classic set for March 22 at Chicago’s United Center.
The game features 22 of the top high school basketball players in the country. Players such as Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal and LeBron James have played in the game, sponsored by shoe publicist Sonny Vaccaro in the past.
Wright, 6-8 from Homewood-Flossmoor High in the Chicago area, scored 11 points in Friday’s 79-50 victory over Shepard.
Like KU, Texas reaped the benefits of being featured on ESPN’s GameDay.
“Anytime you have your program featured in front of the country, it’s a big plus,” Texas assistant coach Rodney Terry told the Austin, Texas, paper. “You can’t put a price tag on that.”
Three-point barrage
Kansas University hit a school-record 16 three-pointers in 27 tries Tuesday against Baylor, surpassing the old school record of 15 threes set in a 96-91 victory over North Carolina State on Dec. 10, 1994, in Raleigh, N.C. The 27 attempts were four off the school record of 31 taken against Baylor in 2001 and Oklahoma in 1995, both road games.
“I think everybody had something to do with it,” KU coach Bill Self said, “but ‘Hawk’ had the most to do with it. He was unbelievable with five threes in 13 minutes.”
Jeff Hawkins was 5-for-5 from beyond the arc, while Aaron Miles hit three of four and had 11 points, nine assists; Keith Langford three of five for 17 points; and J.R. Giddens four of nine for 14 points. Wayne Simien didn’t attempt a three, but led the Jayhawks with 18 points.
“Other than unforced errors the first half, it’s the best we’ve looked against the zone, maybe since I’ve been here,” Self said. “We got the ball to the right areas. Most of our turnovers were from being unselfish, which is good. Most of the shots from three came from inside-outside passes.”
Of the threes, Langford said: “Obviously, to some who don’t know basketball, outsiders might say, ‘Kansas did good because they made three-pointers.’ You look at it, we got touches, we got Wayne involved at the high post, stretched the defense, got touches on the baseline, moved the ball that sets up shots. It’s not just us standing out there, moving and making three-pointers. There’s a lot more to it.”
Of Hawkins’ effort, Langford added: “He’s a tough kid. A lot of people, again, who don’t know basketball, i.e. … I won’t say that, I might get in trouble. You know who you are if you don’t know basketball. Just because a player doesn’t play doesn’t mean they are not capable. Everybody is there for a reason.
“Coach (Roy) Williams knew what he was doing recruiting him. Coach Self knew what he did keeping him on the team when he was suspended because he’s a guy who can really help us coming down the stretch. He can play, not just making shots, but defensively.”
KU came out fired up after getting blown out Saturday at Villanova.
“I visibly noticed a change in attitude, not that the attitude was bad before, but it seemed to be reinforced in my opinion,” Self said. “I think the whipping to Villanova made this game a very big game in our guys’ eyes. We came out and played accordingly.”
“Coming off a major loss, we came here and were fired up playing on the road,” Simien said. “We’re capable of playing teams tough in their building.”
Langford said it was more important to play well at Baylor than ‘Nova.
“I mean, the Villanova game — it’s over with,” Langford said. “Baylor is here in Waco.”
KU signee Mario Chalmers didn’t start his last game for Anchorage’s Bartlett High. His dad, Ronnie, suspended the guard for “violation of team rules.”
The 6-foot-1 Chalmers, who is averaging 25.4 points a game, scored 21 in three quarters in a 59-57 victory over East High.
“We had to let him know that although he’s our superstar, the rules apply to him, too,” Ronnie Chalmers told the Anchorage Daily News.
Rodrick Stewart’s twin brother, Lodrick, told the USC Daily Trojan he really missed his sibling. Rodrick recently transferred to KU; Lodrick remained at SC.
“If you had seen me on campus, you’d have seen him right there with me,” said Lodrick, who said he talked to his brother “about 10 times a day.”
“He’s learning to live without Rodrick,” USC player Chris Penrose told the paper. “He’s growing into a man. I think that’s why his dad told him to stay. Because he knew that Lod needs to learn to live life without Rod.”
Stuck in Philly
KU’s basketball players and coaches, who were to fly out via charter right after the game, instead checked into the Downtown Marriott for an overnight stay because of blizzard conditions.
Upon arriving at the hotel, the Jayhawks learned the Philly airport had been closed. The squad was to return via charter today, as soon as it was deemed safe to drive to the airport and the runways were open.
The blizzard was expected to continue through the night and end near dawn.
Giles logs no time
Kansas University freshman C.J. Giles, who has a bruised foot, didn’t play.
“He has a bad foot. He could have played today,” KU coach Bill Self said. “He didn’t practice yesterday and was limited the day before. If I had to, I would have played him, but I felt it best (to rest foot).”
Giles has been bothered by the injury the past couple of weeks, sometimes wearing a boot when he’s not practicing or playing in games.
Also, Moulaye Niang, who is battling the flu, did not make the trip.
This, that
The fans stormed the court after the game, celebrating for at least 10 minutes. At one point, the Villanova mascot was hoisted high in the air by fans and given a victory ride. … One sign after the game read, “Free Lowry,” referring to Kyle Lowry, who was ejected for socking KU’s Jeff Hawkins in the gut. … Villanova had not beaten a top-10 team since November of 2002, when the Wildcats stopped Michigan State. … Villanova’s four losses this season have been by a total of 10 points. Three of the losses (Temple, Georgetown, Boston College) were decided in the final possession. … Randy Foye, who had seven points, is 10 from becoming the 47th Villanova player to hit 1,000.
Digger digs Sumpter
ESPN analyst Digger Phelps, former coach at Notre Dame, took Villanova’s Curtis Sumpter on a tour of the Notre Dame campus on Jan. 7. Sumpter was in low spirits after visiting a doctor in South Bend, Ind., who told the player he had suffered a severely sprained knee at a morning practice.
“Mr. Phelps was real nice to me,” Sumpter said. “The personal tour was really cool. We prayed at the Grotto, and it just let me think about something besides my own troubles.”
Sumpter, as it turned out, only missed two games because of his knee sprain.
“He’s a great player,” KU’s Wayne Simien gushed.
Allen revisited
Villanova coach Jay Wright vividly remembers last year’s trip to Allen Fieldhouse, where his ‘Cats fell to KU, 86-79.
“It was all our first time to Allen Fieldhouse. The first thing you remember is the crowd, atmosphere and history,” Wright said. “We came in the day before. We talked to the guys about history of Kansas basketball, Phog Allen.
“We had to wait in the locker room while they sang Rock Chalk Jayhawk. I didn’t know we had to do that. The game … I remember the high/low game and us playing tough. We got down by 17 and kept battling, got it back to five. We took their best shot. We never died.”
Mr. Wright?
Some scribes have said Wright, 43, is on shaky ground at the Philadelphia private school.
His program, which hasn’t reached the NCAA Tournament since 1999, last July was put on a two-year probation for recruiting violations. The program, however, was not cited for any ethical breaches. The former Hofstra coach’s program was cited for nearly team-wide misuse of a university-access phone code near the end of the 2002-03 season.
“They’ve learned life’s lessons that are going to be rewarding for them someday,” Wright said. “I am not happy any of it happened, but I am very proud of our players, administration and staff, the way we’ve handled all of it. We feel it’s really made us stronger. We kept a great attitude, and we all feel really good where the program is.”
Tale of the tape
Kansas
Points per game – 75.5
Rebounds per game – 40.5
Assists per game – 16.1
Steals per game – 7.7
Blocks per game – 4.2
Turnovers per game – 14.6
Field-goal percentage – 46.8
Free-throw percentage – 64.5
Three-point percentage – 36.1
Three-pointers per game – 6.5
Scoring margin – +14.6
Villanova
Points per game – 71.2
Rebounds per game – 38.7
Assists per game – 12.7
Steals per game – 7.8
Blocks per game – 6.6
Turnovers per game – 13.8
Field-goal percentage – 44.3
Free-throw percentage – 73.6
Three-point percentage – 32.8
Three-pointers per game – 6.3
Scoring margin – +12.8
Probable starters
KANSAS (14-0)
F — Wayne Simien (6-9, 17.0 ppg, 11.7 rpg)
F — Christian Moody (6-8, 6.5 ppg, 5.1 rpg)
G — J.R. Giddens (6-5, 10.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg)
G — Aaron Miles (6-1, 8.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 7.1 apg)
G — Keith Langford (6-4, 14.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg)
VILLANOVA (9-4)
F — Curtis Sumpter (6-7, 16.1 ppg, 8.3 rpg)
F — Will Sheridan (6-8, 3.8 ppg, 5.3 rpg)
G — Randy Foye (6-3, 14.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg)
G — Mike Nardi (6-1, 7.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 4.3 apg)
G — Allan Ray (6-2, 16.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg)
Kansas University’s Michael Lee and Nebraska’s Joe McCray were whistled for a double-technical foul in the second half.
“We fell on the ground. He kicked me,” Lee said. “Sometimes that happens. I said some choice words, and the ref caught me. I said some things I shouldn’t have said. I was lucky they called a double-technical so it didn’t hurt us.”
Of freshman McCray, who scored 19 points off 4-of-13 shooting, Lee said: “He is a tough player. We didn’t respect him like we should have. I underestimated him.”
“He’s going to be a great player in our league for four years,” KU coach Bill Self said.
Self was asked if it was fun to be undefeated.
“Yes, yes. Heck yes I’d rather be unbeaten than have a loss. Regardless of what your record is, it’s not much fun to play like that,” he said. “I can deal with missing shots, missing free throws. I can deal with all that. It’s not much fun playing when energy is missing.”
Martellus Bennett, a 6-foot-6, 240-pound football tight end from Houston, did not make a campus trip on Wednesday to KU. He had mentioned KU as a possibility for both football and basketball. He orally committed to Miami, but still is considering Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma and others.
After deciding KU, Illinois, Wake Forest and North Carolina were the four teams most worthy of making the 2005 Final Four, ESPN.com held mock contests of the video games on ESPN’s College Hoops 2K5.
In case you’re curious, KU defeated Illinois, 87-84, in one semifinal, while Wake Forest stopped North Carolina, 95-91, in another. Wake beat KU, 95-81, in the national-title game.
Former KU assistant and North Carolina head coach Matt Doherty has emerged as a leading candidate for the head-coaching post at Tulsa, ESPN reports. Doherty likely would have been named James Madison coach last spring had he not put all his efforts into landing the St. John’s post, which went to former KU assistant Norm Roberts.
Doherty is an analyst for ESPN regional and CSTV. He also scouts for the NBA’s New York Knicks.
Current KU assistant Tim Jankovich also has been mentioned as a possibility. Tulsa (3-11) is coached by interim Pooh Williamson, elevated when John Phillips resigned earlier this season.
Arizona signee Marcus Williams scored 39 points in Roosevelt’s 71-32 victory over Juanita High on Tuesday night. The 6-foot-7 Williams also had 14 rebounds. KU signee Micah Downs was limited to 12 points and eight boards for Juanita, which has a 6-6 record.
Miffed
Kansas University coach Bill Self was furious at halftime despite the fact the Jayhawks, who led by 18 early, held a 38-25 lead. He didn’t like the fact KU was outboarded, 25-23 the first half. CU had 13 offensive rebounds to KU’s four.
“He was very disappointed,” KU’s Wayne Simien said of Self. “The last few games we’ve been killed on the offensive glass.”
“They whipped us on the glass,” Self confirmed. “If they get 12 offensive rebounds instead of 22 (to KU’s 17), they don’t come back like that. It’s effort. It’s concentration. We had a chance to blow the game open and didn’t take advantage of it.”
No altitude woes
Simien said he wasn’t bothered by the high altitude.
“They always say it’s a myth,” Simien said with a laugh.
This, that
Matt Bouldin, a 6-foot-5 junior guard from Denver who is considering KU, CU and others, attended. Former KU forward Mark Randall, now involved in community relations for the Denver Nuggets, also was on hand. … Matt Kleinmann, Rodrick Stewart and Jeremy Case were the three Jayhawks not to make the trip. Only 15 are allowed on road trips in accordance with NCAA rules. … CU had averaged just 3,158 fans in its other home games before drawing 11,057 Saturday. … Alex Galindo made his first start, but picked up two quick fouls and had no points in nine minutes. He fouled out. … Self lauded the play of inside players Sasha Kaun, Darnell Jackson and Christian Moody, who combined for 19 points and eight boards. … CU coach Ricardo Patton is 1-20 versus KU. … KU wouldn’t have suffered a record-setting loss had CU prevailed. KU’s largest blown lead in a loss is 20 versus Arizona in 2003. … Colorado last opened 0-3 in the Big 12 Conference in the 1999-2000 season. … It was the 100th victory for Kansas University’s seniors. … Moody became fired up when, during a timeout, a CU yell leader grabbed the microphone and screamed, “We’re only down by four points to the No. 2 team in the country. Let me hear you.”
Dominance
Kansas leads the all-time series with CU, 108-39, and has won 31 of the last 32 meetings, including four in a row.
“KU has dominated the Buffaloes since the beginning of time,” read a memorable line in the Buffs’ official press notes put out by the media-relations office.
Men, women twinbill
There was a rare doubleheader at Coors Events Center on Saturday. The Buffs’ men’s team played KU at 2 p.m. local time. The CU women’s team met Texas Tech at 7 p.m., with both games on TV.
Both teams appeared on TV the same day at home 11 times during the last 10 years.
Losing new for Roby
Richard Roby had a stellar 89-15 mark during four seasons at Lawrence Academy in Groton, Mass. His Buffs are 8-6 and 0-3 in the Big 12.
“It’s eating at me bad,” Roby told the Boulder Daily Camera. “At night after games I can’t sleep. Even if we do win, I can’t sleep it feels like.”
Retro look
Plans remain in place for KU and Kansas State players to wear retro jerseys in the KU-KSU contest on March 2 at Allen Fieldhouse. That game will mark KU’s official recognition of Allen Fieldhouse turning 50 years old. The teams will not wear the old short shorts, instead wearing the current style of baggy, long shorts.
No crunch time
J.R. Giddens, who scored 13 points, suffered two straight turnovers and thus didn’t play the final eight minutes.
“He had a bad stretch. I decided to play four seniors on the road,” said Self, noting KU “wouldn’t have won the game” without Giddens’ 11 first-half points. “I didn’t think J.R. was going to be as good late as Mike (Lee). Don’t read too much into the fact J.R. was not in there. I don’t think there’s any question I have a lot of confidence in J.R.”
Rookie error
Alex Galindo, who made five of six free throws but just one of five shots, took an ill-advised three from the corner with 1:20 left and KU up, 65-60. He missed, and ISU scored on the other end.
“Freshman mistake. I’ve got to fix it,” Galindo said. “I was scared that if we lose, it’s my fault. I had to do something to make up for that.”
This, that
C.J. Giles, who had a big shot in the lane to give KU a 62-55 lead with 4:21 left, at times appeared bothered by his right foot bruise, but still logged 21 minutes. He had six rebounds. … Stephen Vinson, Matt Kleinmann and transfer Rodrick Stewart did not sit on the bench because only 15 can be on the court for league road games. … KU entered No. 1 in the RPI strength-of-schedule ratings. Iowa State was No. 90.
Say what?
Illinois coach Bruce Weber keeps talking about his predecessor — Self.
“Bill was (the players’) buddy. He told them how good they were,” Weber told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. “The first thing I said to Dee Brown was, ‘Dee, you can’t make a left-handed layup, and your pull-up jumper is awful. And you tell me you want to play in the NBA?’
“I’m trying to help you, but somebody screwed up and didn’t make you do these things.’ Dee didn’t know how to deal with that.”
Weber also commented on the mock “funeral” he held for Self last year.
“I meant it as an honor to Bill, but I guess it didn’t come across that way. I meant no disrespect to Bill at all. But I’m emotional and sometimes I get a little carried away,” he said.
“My mistake was telling it to the media. Bill heard about it and laughed and joked about it, but I’m not so sure he understood what I was trying to do, or appreciated it.”
Self ends skid
Self, entering Wednesday’s game, was winless in four trips to Ames when he played for Oklahoma State from 1981 to ’85. His only visit since taking over the Jayhawks last season resulted in a 68-61 defeat. He won two games at Hilton as an assistant at Oklahoma State.
Home cooking
ISU had a 13-game home-court win streak snapped. The Cyclones are 25-2 at home the last two years under Wayne Morgan and 3-2 against ranked teams with Morgan as coach.
Taunts for Downs
KU signee Micah Downs was taunted by opposing fans during Juanita High’s 72-61 loss to Lake Washington on Tuesday in Kirkland, Wash.
Fans chanted, “No way, NBA,” and “Bleep no, he won’t go.”
Downs, a 6-foot-8 guard/forward who during the Christmas holiday said he would consider heading straight from high school to the pros, scored 34 points, including a pair of vicious second half dunks.
“I don’t care what those guys say. I’m not going to see them anymore in my life,” Downs said. “When we’re playing at home, our fans say stuff to them, so that kind of stuff doesn’t bother me.”
Dental work needed
Kansas freshman Sasha Kaun, who is slated for additional dental work today, dressed but did not play Wednesday. He has been suffering from an infection following a recent root-canal surgery.
Kaun earlier this season had his front teeth knocked in after getting clipped in practice by Darnell Jackson.
“When he got his teeth knocked out — he has caps on — it was such a traumatic blow that infection occurred far greater than what they originally had thought into three or four teeth,” KU coach Bill Self said. “They had one drained. There’s infection in the others, and it’s caused his face to swell. I’m not a dentist, but I do know this: He’s messed up right now.”
Miles’ marks
With five assists, Aaron Miles moved into first place on the Big 12 Conference career-assist list in conference games only. With 355, he has passed Doug Gottlieb, who had 354. With 15 points, Miles became the 48th player in KU history to score 1,000. Moulaye Niang grabbed a career high six boards in 11 minutes. He made a career best two field goals.
This, that
KU has won 14 straight conference-opening games dating to an 88-82 loss to Oklahoma on Jan. 8, 1991. Texas A&M has dropped 10 straight league openers. … KU is 10-0 against A&M including a 9-0 mark against the Aggies since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996-97. KU is 5-0 in Allen Fieldhouse. … KU is 10-0 for the first time since the 1996-97 season, when KU went 22-0 and finished the season 34-2. … KU has won 16 straight home games.
Schedule talk
It might have been a shock to Texas A&M’s system to play a team like Kansas.
The Aggies entered with a strength of schedule of 325 out of 330 teams. A&M had beaten North Carolina A&T, Trinity, Texas-Permian Basin, Oakland, Prairie View A&M, Alabama A&M, Louisiana-Monroe, Chicago State, Grambling and Houston at home to go with a two-point win at Penn State.
“I would have changed our schedule. It would have been tougher, but I’m glad it’s played out like it has,” A&M coach BIlly Gillispie said, asked what he would have changed about his first season in the Big 12 if he had it all to do over.
“(But) if we didn’t have our schedule the way it was, I think we would have a very difficult time having the confidence and the tenacity to beat Houston at home the other night, because if you blink, if you took one step backward, they’re going to knock you out.
“If we hadn’t won all our games, I think we would have had a very difficult time of getting 17 points down on the road and winning at Penn State. I really believe that. For this particular team, our schedule has played out perfectly. People just want you to get beat because you have been beaten in the past and that makes everyone feel better. I’m worried about the guys in that locker room, that’s who I’m concerned about.”
Wanting to get his players’ attention last week in practice, Kansas University coach Bill Self copied a tactic of his mentor, Eddie Sutton. He had the Jayhawks put on the football pads at a workout Wednesday.
“I didn’t do it to hurt them, but it set the tone,” Self told Andy Katz of ESPN.com after Saturday’s 70-68 victory over Georgia Tech. “We may have won the game without that, but I’m not sure we would have. I wanted them to think tougher.”
The Jayhawks wore KU helmets and pads at practice, and “it was the craziest thing I’d ever seen,” Keith Langford said after scoring 18 points, including four in OT. “We first tried to go up and down, but it looked horrible. There were probably more bloopers than there are actual hits. But then it was rebounding and boxing out.”
“We were playing soft in practice, and I do think it paid off for this game,” said KU’s Aaron Miles.
Miles-stone
Miles, who received a thunderous standing ovation after he recorded his fifth assist on a pass to Langford for a three with 5:45 left, took news of his becoming Kansas’ all-time assist leader in stride.
“I told Mike Lee’s dad it hasn’t hit me yet, and it still hasn’t hit me,” said Miles, who has 808 assists to Jacque Vaughn’s 804.
“I’ve got to thank everybody: Nick (Collison), Kirk (Hinrich), (Jeff) Boschee and all those guys and my current teammates, all my teammates.”
Simien shoots
Wayne Simien, who could miss two to four more weeks following left thumb surgery, shot around before the game, as he has been doing in practice. He didn’t dress for the game, however.
“I don’t know about four weeks. I’m hoping for better,” Simien said during a second-half timeout on ESPN. “I’m feeling pretty good right now in the cast. I’m waiting to see what the doctors say and waiting to get me out of the cast now.”
After the game, Simien told Katz he wanted to play Sunday at Kentucky, which would be 20 days after surgery. He said he was getting a soft cast put on Monday and already has one for games made for him that “doesn’t bother me at all.”
KU is 2-0 without Simien.
Galindo’s big three
Freshman Alex Galindo hit a huge three with 2:09 left in overtime, slicing a 65-61 deficit to a point.
Galindo missed four free throws in the final 1:24.
“Oh, man, I don’t know what happened. I’m down on myself. If I would’ve knocked those down … I’ve got to practice more. I’ll make them, though,” he said.
Gooden in house
Former Jayhawk Drew Gooden of the Cleveland Cavaliers attended and was introduced to the crowd.
“It’s a hard place to play, but a great place to play when you are on Kansas,” Gooden said of the fieldhouse. “You saw coach (Paul) Hewitt try to call a timeout the first half. It’s tough. Nobody could hear him. The refs couldn’t hear him. It gets really loud.”
Other faces in crowd
KU signee Julian Wright attended the game with his mother. Also on hand: former KU assistant R.C. Buford, now senior vice president of the San Antonio Spurs; former KU guard Kevin Pritchard, director of player personnel, Portland Trail Blazers; football Hall of Famer Gale Sayers; and ex-Jayhawk walk-on Terry Nooner.
No. 2 Jayhawks (8-0)Points per game – 81.4Rebounds per game – 42.2Assists per game – 18.0Steals per game – 9.1Blocks per game – 4.3Turnovers per game – 15.0Field goal percentage – 50.0Free throw percentage – 62.8Three-point percentage – 38.4Three-pointers per game – 6.6Scoring margin – +21.3Probable StartersF — Christian Moody (6-8)F — UndecidedG — J.R. Giddens (6-5)G — Aaron Miles (6-1)G — Keith Langford (6-4)No. 9 Yellow Jackets (9-1)Points per game – 79.0Rebounds per game – 41.8Assists per game – 18.2Steals per game – 9.0Blocks per game – 6.2Turnovers per game – 15.1Field goal percentage – 48.7Free throw percentage – 64.1Three-point percentage – 35.5Three-pointers per game – 7.1Scoring margin – +24.3Probable StartersF — Isma’il Muhammad (6-6)F — B.J. Elder (6-4)C — Luke Schenscher (7-1)G — Jarrett Jack (6-3)G — Will Bynum (6-0) |
Kansas’ Miles sets Big 12 assists record
Aaron Miles is the Big 12 Conference’s new all-time assist king.
“I guess it’s a good accomplishment. I credit my teammates,” Miles, Kansas University’s senior point guard from Portland, Ore., said after collecting nine assists in a 73-62 victory over Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Wednesday night at Kemper Arena. “Since they make the shots, I have to credit them for making me look good and the team look good.”
Miles, who needed three assists to pass Doug Gottlieb of Oklahoma State, had five the first half. He has 800 assists for his career. He’s four shy of tying Jacque Vaughn’s school record of 804.
“I told the guys it’s great,” KU coach Bill Self said. “I personally feel breaking Jacque Vaughn’s record will mean more. He needs four to tie. He better get that in the first half (of Georgia Tech game Jan. 1).”
Smalls play a lot
Self said he could continue to use a small lineup with Wayne Simien out.
“Until Wayne gets back, I wouldn’t be surprised we go that way 15-20 minutes a game. We’ll be much more effective playing that way the more time we work on it,” Self said. “I knew we’d struggle tonight. I knew there’d be phases we’d struggle. We have to eliminate careless turnovers.”
Seeing red
KU wore red uniforms for the first time since March 7, 2004, when the Jayhawks wore them in a win at Missouri. KU also wore red Dec. 20, 2003, against Santa Barbara in Nevada for the first time since the 1986 Final Four. KU is 4-0 in red under Self.
Kemper friendly
Self is a fan of Kemper Arena, where the Jayhawks have won 25 straight regular-season games.
“My personal opinion, I like Kemper,” said Self. His Jayhawks beat Illinois-Chicago and Pacific in first- and second-round NCAA Tournament games in Kemper last season.
“I always liked it as a player, and I enjoyed playing here last year. The biggest reason I like it is it’s in Kansas City. I’m not in love with the arena. I like the local aspect. We’ve always had fun in Kemper. I have no problem with it. I don’t think it’s the Sprint Center (to be built in downtown Kansas City). It’s still a good place for us to play.”
Sort of a road trip
The Jayhawks, who open the season with 12 straight home games, counting the Kemper game and two exhibitions also on the season-ticket package, used this trip as a practice road excursion.
KU’s traveling party headed to K.C. on Tuesday night, stayed in a hotel and had a shootaround Wednesday.
“It’s our regular road routine,” Self said. “Going over there Tuesday, having dinner, having a shootaround, spending time in the hotel before the game, then pregame and obviously playing the game.
“It’s not really a road game. It won’t be like going to Rupp (Arena, Jan. 9 in Lexington, Ky.). But it’s good for ’em to do it out of a different element. That part is good.”
“We love Allen Fieldhouse,” noted sophomore J.R. Giddens, “but it’s good to get out of Lawrence and play somewhere else, too.”
Crowd talk
Self said ideally the game in Kansas City would have been held on a Saturday, but Wednesday was OK, too.
“Everybody gets used to doing things a certain way,” he said. “When I was at Illinois, we played Missouri right before Christmas every year. If this was on Saturday, it’s probably perfect. People can go make a weekend of it. Still, everybody shows up if it’s on a Tuesday.
“It’s a great time to spend some time on the Plaza, even for a day.”
Kansas University’s hard-earned victory over South Carolina won’t be deemed an unqualified success for a while — not until X-rays and/or MRIs come back on Wayne Simien’s left thumb.
KU’s senior power forward was whacked hard on the thumb while going up for a shot in the paint with 13:45 left. No foul was called despite the mugging in the lane, which forced him to head to the locker room for three minutes to get the thumb wrapped.
“We’ll get X-rays, and hopefully nothing is broken. If it is, he’ll be out a long time,” KU coach Bill Self said. “We certainly hope and pray that it isn’t bad.”
Simien wasn’t available for interviews after the game and instead was examined by medical personnel. Self said he hoped to have results of tests back sometime today.
“Wayne gets less respect than any good player that I have coached. They fouled him really hard, and nothing was called,” Self said. “He is injured. To what extent, we don’t know.”
Freshman C.J. Giles scored a bucket for South Carolina with 1:06 left in the first half, KU down 28-25 at the time. He grabbed a rebound off a missed free throw and put the ball back in.
“People make mistakes,” J.R. Giddens said. “Hey, he’ll get over it.”
Alex Galindo is all for playing power forward if it means additional playing time for Kansas University this season.
“It’s almost the same (as shooting guard), except you’ve got to play against bigger guys,” Galindo, Kansas University’s 6-foot-7, 205-pound freshman guard-forward from Puerto Rico, said after scoring nine points off 3-of-3 three-point shooting in KU’s 96-51 rout of Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
“I felt pretty good out there. I think I’ve gotten my confidence back,” added Galindo, who entered the game 0-for-4 from beyond the arc.
KU coach Bill Self isn’t against trying Galindo at power forward, though in the past Galindo has played small forward and shooting guard.
“Tonight he got all his points when he was the second big guy,” Self said. “I think he has a chance to play as the second big guy more than the third perimeter player. Defensively, he’s not where he needs to be, but he can shoot the ball so well. We’ve not seen him where it’s heated up yet and possessions are magnified.”
Bumps, bruises
J.R. Giddens hurt his right foot in the first half and headed to the locker room for treatment, but returned. He said his foot was fine. “I’m ready to go,” he said. … Darnell Jackson took a shot to the midsection and also returned to the game. … Moulaye Niang, who had missed two days of practice because of a foot injury, didn’t suit up. Self said he was held out so the foot wouldn’t flare up and should return soon. … Jeremy Case, who is taking a red-shirt season, suited. “He said he wanted to. He must have run out of clean clothes,” Self quipped. “He hadn’t been to the dry cleaners, so he dressed for the game.”
Finals coming
Giddens on finals week: “You know me, Mr. Bookworm,” he grinned. “It’s hard, but you gotta do it … student-athlete, man.”
Scheduling update
KU’s hoops team will play the University of Northern Colorado next December in Allen Fieldhouse, senior associate AD Larry Keating said Saturday. In other schedule news, KU is close to finalizing a one-year deal with Pepperdine, which would visit Allen Fieldhouse next season.
The Jayhawks will play Kentucky and Nevada at Allen Fieldhouse and Cal-Berkeley in Kemper Arena next season. KU also will play in the Maui Invitational which includes Chaminade, UConn, Maryland, Arkansas, Michigan State, Arizona and Gonzaga. Also, KU will play Saint Joseph’s in the Jimmy V. Classic at Madison Square Garden and travel to Georgia Tech.
In 2006-07, KU will travel to Michigan State and South Carolina.
Keating said the Jayhawks had had preliminary talks with Duke, Notre Dame, Arizona and Indiana.
“We’d love to set up a permanent series with schools like Kentucky,” Keating said.
Guarantee
Louisiana-Lafayette received $50,000 guarantee money for playing.
West cagers on hand
Members of the West Junior High eighth-grade girls team attended and were on their feet cheering loudly throughout in seats on the lower level behind the scorer’s table.
“I saw them earlier today, too,” said Self, whose daughter plays for the squad. “They still had their uniforms on. I don’t know if I’d want to sit too close to ’em,” he added, laughing.
Kansas University power forward Wayne Simien earned every one of his 15 rebounds Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
“(You) put all that work in … it was a war out there, definitely,” Simien, KU’s 6-foot-9, 255-pounder, said after the Jayhawks’ 81-70 victory over a Pacific team that shadowed Simien’s every move.
He managed 12 points off 6-of-12 shooting on a day the Tigers scratched and clawed — and even bit him.
Simien, who played 35 minutes, left the game briefly in the first half after getting bit above the left (nonshooting) index finger.
“I got bit by a beast down there. I’ll get a few stitches. It’s nothing,” said Simien, who is ticketed to receive a tetanus shot.
“I don’t think it was an intentional bite,” KU coach Bill Self said. “His hands went toward somebody’s mouth. It cut him pretty good.”
Simien, who did not attempt a free throw all day, picked up his third foul with 11:16 left. On the ensuing possession, junior forward Christian Moody, who tied a career high with seven points, drove the baseline for a bucket.
“When Wayne got his third foul, Danny Manning (on KU’s bench) told me I really needed to step up. Without Wayne, our inside presence isn’t as strong. Danny said to take that jumper or drive and be more aggressive,” Moody said.
Creative ‘D’
Pacific’s defense was designed with Simien in mind.
“I’ve never seen it guarded this way. It’s a tribute to them. I said he would have something up his sleeve,” Self said of UOP coach Bob Thomason. “They fronted Simien, and then they didn’t guard the high post, so when we threw the ball to the high post, the guy guarding the high post man went and played behind Simien, and the guy fronting Simien ran and guarded the high post. So they switched.
“I asked him after the game where they came up with that, and he said they did it a few years ago against Stanford, and it was successful.
“It was a unique twist. They dared us to make shots, and we didn’t make ’em.”
Good half, bad half
Freshman Russell Robinson had seven points and three steals, all in the second half.
“The first half he was a dud. He was dead. He looked nervous,” Self said. “That’s one thing I love about him. He wasn’t very good and would be the first to tell you that. The second half he forgets that and plays through it and sparked us. He was terrific.”
Big-men blues
C.J. Giles didn’t play the second half after making one of four shots in three minutes the first half. The freshmen big-man trio of Giles, Sasha Kaun and Darnell Jackson had eight points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes.
“As a coach, I have to get where I trust the guys,” Self said. “In a close ballgame, I felt we were better playing small than we were big. Certainly, the big men should not be discouraged with today’s game.”
“Big Sasha and Darnell came in and gave us a blow,” Simien said. “Moody and I got in a little foul trouble. Maybe they are a little upset they didn’t play as much down the stretch. Coach made it really clear he was going to play the guys he was comfortable with down the stretch.”
Vitale impressed
ESPN’s Dick Vitale, who watched KU’s shootaround Tuesday afternoon, sensed the Jayhawks would be ready.
“I could tell they were going to play well. They were so focused,” said Vitale, who knew the Jayhawks wanted to bounce back from a narrow seven-point season opening win over Vermont.
“People don’t realize Vermont has a good team. They lost to UCLA last year by a point in their first or second game. They were able to win that game and move on,” Vitale said.
Vitale spoke to the Jayhawks before Tuesday’s game.
“I told them to never take for granted playing at a place like Kansas. I used Danny Manning as an example. What a great player and ambassador for college basketball. This is one of the great places for college basketball. I was really impressed with those kids. They were really attentive, they thanked me. Those are good kids.
“I like the seniors, of course. (Wayne) Simien played great. I think the freshmen are all going to help.”
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This, that
Freshman Alex Galindo scored four points. … Simien had 11 rebounds in the first half for the second straight game. … Jeff Hawkins was the only player to dress and not play. Self said it was a coach’s decision, and the player was not injured or being red-shirted, and he could play in upcoming games. … Michael Lee’s four steals marked a career high. … Dwayne Jones’ 10 first-half rebounds were most by a KU foe since John Turek pulled down 10 in the second half for Nebraska in February of 2002.
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Phelps to blame
Could Digger Phelps be the reason KU’s basketball team dropped from 1 to 2 in the Associated Press poll and the ESPN/USA Today poll this week?
After the Washburn game and before KU’s regular-season opener versus Vermont, Phelps, an analyst for ESPN, called the Jayhawks the most overrated team in the country.
Voila … KU dropped to 2 this week.
“What’s Digger Phelps do, is he an analyst? OK, then that’s his job. He makes statements. I’m not worried about Digger Phelps,” senior Aaron Miles said. “Digger Phelps is not going to help this team win the national championship, or stop us from winning the national championship.”
Kansas University had trouble hitting outside shots Sunday on a night the three-point line was extended nine inches past the regular 19-foot, 9-inch distance.
“I think we rushed some,” KU coach Bill Self said of his Jayhawks, who cashed five of 16 three-pointers in a 79-70 victory over Washburn. “I also think the arc did mess with our guys no matter what I said: ‘Don’t worry about the arc, just shoot it.’ They certainly were conscious of where the international arc is.
“The extra nine inches does make a difference. I do think it will help our game if we move it back,” Self added.
Asked if he noticed a difference, point guard Aaron Miles said, “I mean, I guess. But we just missed shots. Some nights you make shots; some you miss them, that’s why you have to bring intensity every night.”
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Two not used: Guards Jeff Hawkins and Alex Galindo did not play, not because of injury, but coach’s decision.
“I’d love to have played everybody. It’s not the way the game played out,” Self said. “Nick Bahe played two minutes. Hopefully the guys have to stay ready. Tonight we were trying to win the game. It’s why it occurred.”
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New warmups: “Boys with the hoods” might be a good way to describe KU’s players this season.
The Jayhawks are wearing hooded warmups during pre-game drills.
“I think they’re fresh,” junior J.R. Giddens said of the Nike gear. “I’m not sure if we’re supposed to wear ’em up during warmups, but I definitely think they’re pretty cool.”
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Bottles only: The concession stands at the fieldhouse are selling Coke by the plastic bottle, not cups with ice this year.
“It’s more economical for Coke, quicker service, makes the lines go faster,” KU assistant AD Jim Marchiony said.
Contrary to rumor, it has nothing to do with Coke possibly donating for a new videoboard/scoreboard.
KU is in the process of looking at videoboards while seeking funding for a new board.
“We’re doing a lot of fact-finding. We don’t have the financing in place yet to do it,” Marchiony said of putting in a new board. “We’re not just talking to Coke about the scoreboard. The dollars we get from Coke, we discuss with them the best way to use it and for Coke to get the biggest bang for its promotional dollar, and that in time might include the scoreboard.”
Keith Langford, who said he hit his left thumb on somebody’s chest, was wearing a wrap after the game. He said his thumb was fine. … Moulaye Niang (ankle sprain), Jeremy Case (groin) and Stephen Vinson (groin) didn’t suit up. Matt Kleinmann is a red-shirt, thus didn’t play.
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Different atmosphere?: Kansas coach Bill Self was asked if he noticed a different atmosphere in the fieldhouse considering the whole building had been re-seated with the priority points system.
“I didn’t notice a difference at all. It’s pretty impressive to play an exhibition game and there had to be 16,000 people here,” Self said. “There’s not many places in America if any that have that type of support. It could be a fun year. We hope it’ll be a fun year. I think all the fans were certainly wise to make sure they had tickets because this could be a fun year if we stay healthy and share it. We appreciate them wherever they are sitting.”
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Wayne Simien on the freshmen’s nervousness: “Sasha tried to tell me the air is thinner in Allen Fieldhouse because people are sucking the air up. I told him to wait until we get to Colorado. I thought they all did well.”
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This, that: Emporia State received $20,000 guarantee money for playing KU. The Hornets netted $7,500 plus the cost of hotel rooms for Friday’s game at Gonzaga (114-86 ESU loss) and will snag $10,000 for Tuesday’s contest at Wichita State.
l Ten true freshman scholarship players suited for the Jayhawks, but six others were not in uniform, leading to speculation the half dozen would take red-shirt seasons. The six are RB Gary Green, LB Joe Mortensen, S Raymond Brown, OL Matt Darton, WR Dexton Fields and TE Jim Reuber.
¢ KU quarterback Bill Whittemore lost a touchdown pass to Mark Simmons early in the second quarter when the officials ruled Whittemore went over the line of scrimmage before throwing the apparent 28-yard TD. The drive ended five plays later when running back Clark Green fumbled. …
Kansas-Wyoming had been scheduled as Band Day on Sept. 15, but the only band in the stadium Saturday was a pep band composed of several Lawrence High and Free State students who volunteered for duty because KU’s band members were gone on Thanksgiving break.
Kansas officials estimated the attendance at 24,000, but that number represented tickets sold. The actual crowd was more in the 12,000 to 15,000 range.
Kevin Long, a red-shirt freshman listed as KU’s fourth-string quarterback, made his season debut on the kickoff coverage team.
KU senior linebacker Marcus Rogers, a third-team All-Big 12 coaches pick, didn’t suit. Rogers, the Jayhawks’ leading tackler, twisted an ankle in the first quarter of the Texas game three weeks ago and was unable to play again.
Wyoming cornerback Gary Wright intercepted a Mario Kinsey pass on the first play of the second quarter, but three plays later KU linebacker Leo Etienne filched a Casey Bramlet aerial. It was Etienne’s first career theft. Those interceptions, curiously, were the game’s only turnovers.
Curtis Ansel, who hadn’t punted for the Jayhawks since early in the season, returned to duty. Ansel was out two months with a groin injury. roommate Chris Tyrrell had filled in.
A rusty Johnny Beck was wide left on a 42-yard field goal attempt just before halftime. It was Beck’s first FG attempt in four weeks, or since the K-State game, but the KU freshman was true on two later attempts. “It’s a different rhythm from practice to games,” Beck said. “Three weeks. That’s a long time.” Beck finished with 14 field goals, one shy of Dan Eichloff’s school freshman record.
True freshman Brandon Rideau, pressed into duty after the UCLA game when Harrison Hill was lost to a shoulder injury, made his first career TD reception in the third quarter.
Algie Atkinson had two of the Jayhawks’ five sacks to boost his school-record career total to 23.
KU had two rushing touchdowns to bring its season total to seven. KU hadn’t recorded a TD on the ground since the Missouri game.
KU’s 451 yards of offense were a season high. The previous best was 404 yards against Texas Tech in a game that went into two overtimes.
Potpourri: Steve Usecheck of Northglenn, Colo., was the referee in charge of the Big 12 Conference officiating crew. Kickoff temperature was 49 degrees under cloudy skies with an 18 mph wind out of the south. Light rain began falling early in the first quarter. The stadium lights were on throughout. Deposed KU coach Terry Allen watched from the scholarship suites. The Wyoming press corps consisted entirely of its radio broadcast team. Not a single newspaper sent a reporter to cover the UW finale.
Kansas-Wyoming had been scheduled as Band Day on Sept. 15, but the only band in the stadium Saturday was a pep band composed of several Lawrence High and Free State students who volunteered for duty because KU’s band members were gone on Thanksgiving break.
Kansas officials estimated the attendance at 24,000, but that number represented tickets sold. The actual crowd was more in the 12,000 to 15,000 range.
Kevin Long, a red-shirt freshman listed as KU’s fourth-string quarterback, made his season debut on the kickoff coverage team.
KU senior linebacker Marcus Rogers, a third-team All-Big 12 coaches pick, didn’t suit. Rogers, the Jayhawks’ leading tackler, twisted an ankle in the first quarter of the Texas game three weeks ago and was unable to play again.
Wyoming cornerback Gary Wright intercepted a Mario Kinsey pass on the first play of the second quarter, but three plays later KU linebacker Leo Etienne filched a Casey Bramlet aerial. It was Etienne’s first career theft. Those interceptions, curiously, were the game’s only turnovers.
Curtis Ansel, who hadn’t punted for the Jayhawks since early in the season, returned to duty. Ansel was out two months with a groin injury. roommate Chris Tyrrell had filled in.
A rusty Johnny Beck was wide left on a 42-yard field goal attempt just before halftime. It was Beck’s first FG attempt in four weeks, or since the K-State game, but the KU freshman was true on two later attempts. “It’s a different rhythm from practice to games,” Beck said. “Three weeks. That’s a long time.” Beck finished with 14 field goals, one shy of Dan Eichloff’s school freshman record.
True freshman Brandon Rideau, pressed into duty after the UCLA game when Harrison Hill was lost to a shoulder injury, made his first career TD reception in the third quarter.
Algie Atkinson had two of the Jayhawks’ five sacks to boost his school-record career total to 23.
KU had two rushing touchdowns to bring its season total to seven. KU hadn’t recorded a TD on the ground since the Missouri game.
KU’s 451 yards of offense were a season high. The previous best was 404 yards against Texas Tech in a game that went into two overtimes.
Potpourri: Steve Usecheck of Northglenn, Colo., was the referee in charge of the Big 12 Conference officiating crew. Kickoff temperature was 49 degrees under cloudy skies with an 18 mph wind out of the south. Light rain began falling early in the first quarter. The stadium lights were on throughout. Deposed KU coach Terry Allen watched from the scholarship suites. The Wyoming press corps consisted entirely of its radio broadcast team. Not a single newspaper sent a reporter to cover the UW finale.
Kansas-Wyoming had been scheduled as Band Day on Sept. 15, but the only band in the stadium Saturday was a pep band composed of several Lawrence High and Free State students who volunteered for duty because KU’s band members were gone on Thanksgiving break.
Kansas officials estimated the attendance at 24,000, but that number represented tickets sold. The actual crowd was more in the 12,000 to 15,000 range.
Kevin Long, a red-shirt freshman listed as KU’s fourth-string quarterback, made his season debut on the kickoff coverage team.
KU senior linebacker Marcus Rogers, a third-team All-Big 12 coaches pick, didn’t suit. Rogers, the Jayhawks’ leading tackler, twisted an ankle in the first quarter of the Texas game three weeks ago and was unable to play again.
Wyoming cornerback Gary Wright intercepted a Mario Kinsey pass on the first play of the second quarter, but three plays later KU linebacker Leo Etienne filched a Casey Bramlet aerial. It was Etienne’s first career theft. Those interceptions, curiously, were the game’s only turnovers.
Curtis Ansel, who hadn’t punted for the Jayhawks since early in the season, returned to duty. Ansel was out two months with a groin injury. roommate Chris Tyrrell had filled in.
A rusty Johnny Beck was wide left on a 42-yard field goal attempt just before halftime. It was Beck’s first FG attempt in four weeks, or since the K-State game, but the KU freshman was true on two later attempts. “It’s a different rhythm from practice to games,” Beck said. “Three weeks. That’s a long time.” Beck finished with 14 field goals, one shy of Dan Eichloff’s school freshman record.
True freshman Brandon Rideau, pressed into duty after the UCLA game when Harrison Hill was lost to a shoulder injury, made his first career TD reception in the third quarter.
Algie Atkinson had two of the Jayhawks’ five sacks to boost his school-record career total to 23.
KU had two rushing touchdowns to bring its season total to seven. KU hadn’t recorded a TD on the ground since the Missouri game.
KU’s 451 yards of offense were a season high. The previous best was 404 yards against Texas Tech in a game that went into two overtimes.
Potpourri: Steve Usecheck of Northglenn, Colo., was the referee in charge of the Big 12 Conference officiating crew. Kickoff temperature was 49 degrees under cloudy skies with an 18 mph wind out of the south. Light rain began falling early in the first quarter. The stadium lights were on throughout. Deposed KU coach Terry Allen watched from the scholarship suites. The Wyoming press corps consisted entirely of its radio broadcast team. Not a single newspaper sent a reporter to cover the UW finale.
Kansas-Wyoming had been scheduled as Band Day on Sept. 15, but the only band in the stadium Saturday was a pep band composed of several Lawrence High and Free State students who volunteered for duty because KU’s band members were gone on Thanksgiving break.
Kansas officials estimated the attendance at 24,000, but that number represented tickets sold. The actual crowd was more in the 12,000 to 15,000 range.
Kevin Long, a red-shirt freshman listed as KU’s fourth-string quarterback, made his season debut on the kickoff coverage team.
KU senior linebacker Marcus Rogers, a third-team All-Big 12 coaches pick, didn’t suit. Rogers, the Jayhawks’ leading tackler, twisted an ankle in the first quarter of the Texas game three weeks ago and was unable to play again.
Wyoming cornerback Gary Wright intercepted a Mario Kinsey pass on the first play of the second quarter, but three plays later KU linebacker Leo Etienne filched a Casey Bramlet aerial. It was Etienne’s first career theft. Those interceptions, curiously, were the game’s only turnovers.
Curtis Ansel, who hadn’t punted for the Jayhawks since early in the season, returned to duty. Ansel was out two months with a groin injury. roommate Chris Tyrrell had filled in.
A rusty Johnny Beck was wide left on a 42-yard field goal attempt just before halftime. It was Beck’s first FG attempt in four weeks, or since the K-State game, but the KU freshman was true on two later attempts. “It’s a different rhythm from practice to games,” Beck said. “Three weeks. That’s a long time.” Beck finished with 14 field goals, one shy of Dan Eichloff’s school freshman record.
True freshman Brandon Rideau, pressed into duty after the UCLA game when Harrison Hill was lost to a shoulder injury, made his first career TD reception in the third quarter.
Algie Atkinson had two of the Jayhawks’ five sacks to boost his school-record career total to 23.
KU had two rushing touchdowns to bring its season total to seven. KU hadn’t recorded a TD on the ground since the Missouri game.
KU’s 451 yards of offense were a season high. The previous best was 404 yards against Texas Tech in a game that went into two overtimes.
Potpourri: Steve Usecheck of Northglenn, Colo., was the referee in charge of the Big 12 Conference officiating crew. Kickoff temperature was 49 degrees under cloudy skies with an 18 mph wind out of the south. Light rain began falling early in the first quarter. The stadium lights were on throughout. Deposed KU coach Terry Allen watched from the scholarship suites. The Wyoming press corps consisted entirely of its radio broadcast team. Not a single newspaper sent a reporter to cover the UW finale.
Kansas University’s committee searching for a successor to Terry Allen is scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. today. The search committee also met last Sunday. KU athletics director Al Bohl has issued no timetable for hiring a new coach.
Senior linebacker Marcus Rogers, KU’s leading tackler who twisted an ankle in last week’s Texas game, didn’t suit. Rogers was replaced by freshman Banks Floodman, who made his first career start. Both Rogers and Floodman stand 6-foot-2, but at 205 pounds Floodman is 30 pounds lighter than Rogers.
Rogers and 16 other seniors were recognized in a pre-game ceremony that included parents, wives and young children.
Zach Dyer replaced Mario Kinsey at quarterback midway through the second quarter. Kinsey had thrown an interception on the previous KU series. Then Kinsey returned after Dyer’s series was a three-and-out.
Iowa State tailback Ennis Haywood had a game in the first half, rushing 26 times for 158 yards and four touchdowns. Haywood finished with four TDs and 35 rushes for 185 yards.
In the first half, ISU outgained the Jayhawks, 306 yards to 54. KU manufactured 31 yards rushing and 23 passing. In the second half, Kansas posted a 157-126 edge in total offense.
The first half ended with strong safety Jake Letourneau’s interception of a Seneca Wallace “Hail Mary” pass. It was Letourneau’s second interception of the season and tied him for the team lead with Andrew Davison and Carl Ivey.
Iowa State safety Adam Runk intercepted Kinsey twice, once in each half. Cornerback Atif Austin and linebacker Matt Word also stole Kinsey aerials. Word returned his theft 36 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Dyer wasn’t immune to interception-itis. KU’s back-up QB had a pass stolen by linebacker Brent Nash in the fourth quarter.
Late in the third quarter, the game was delayed for a few minutes while trainers tended to field judge Butch Clark of Chillicothe, Mo., who suffered a left leg injury and couldn’t continue. Clark was replaced by Duane Osborne, the back-up official.
KU’s sixth straight loss is the longest skid since the 1988 season
Cornerback Davison and offensive tackle Justin Hartwig extended their starting streaks to 36 and 33 respectively.
Kickoff temperature was 64 degrees under partly sunny skies with a 4 mph wind out of the south.
Jon Bible of Austin, Texas, was the referee.
KU officials estimated the attendance at 33,500.
Kansas University’s committee searching for a successor to Terry Allen is scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. today. The search committee also met last Sunday. KU athletics director Al Bohl has issued no timetable for hiring a new coach.
Senior linebacker Marcus Rogers, KU’s leading tackler who twisted an ankle in last week’s Texas game, didn’t suit. Rogers was replaced by freshman Banks Floodman, who made his first career start. Both Rogers and Floodman stand 6-foot-2, but at 205 pounds Floodman is 30 pounds lighter than Rogers.
Rogers and 16 other seniors were recognized in a pre-game ceremony that included parents, wives and young children.
Zach Dyer replaced Mario Kinsey at quarterback midway through the second quarter. Kinsey had thrown an interception on the previous KU series. Then Kinsey returned after Dyer’s series was a three-and-out.
Iowa State tailback Ennis Haywood had a game in the first half, rushing 26 times for 158 yards and four touchdowns. Haywood finished with four TDs and 35 rushes for 185 yards.
In the first half, ISU outgained the Jayhawks, 306 yards to 54. KU manufactured 31 yards rushing and 23 passing. In the second half, Kansas posted a 157-126 edge in total offense.
The first half ended with strong safety Jake Letourneau’s interception of a Seneca Wallace “Hail Mary” pass. It was Letourneau’s second interception of the season and tied him for the team lead with Andrew Davison and Carl Ivey.
Iowa State safety Adam Runk intercepted Kinsey twice, once in each half. Cornerback Atif Austin and linebacker Matt Word also stole Kinsey aerials. Word returned his theft 36 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Dyer wasn’t immune to interception-itis. KU’s back-up QB had a pass stolen by linebacker Brent Nash in the fourth quarter.
Late in the third quarter, the game was delayed for a few minutes while trainers tended to field judge Butch Clark of Chillicothe, Mo., who suffered a left leg injury and couldn’t continue. Clark was replaced by Duane Osborne, the back-up official.
KU’s sixth straight loss is the longest skid since the 1988 season
Cornerback Davison and offensive tackle Justin Hartwig extended their starting streaks to 36 and 33 respectively.
Kickoff temperature was 64 degrees under partly sunny skies with a 4 mph wind out of the south.
Jon Bible of Austin, Texas, was the referee.
KU officials estimated the attendance at 33,500.
Kansas University’s committee searching for a successor to Terry Allen is scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. today. The search committee also met last Sunday. KU athletics director Al Bohl has issued no timetable for hiring a new coach.
Senior linebacker Marcus Rogers, KU’s leading tackler who twisted an ankle in last week’s Texas game, didn’t suit. Rogers was replaced by freshman Banks Floodman, who made his first career start. Both Rogers and Floodman stand 6-foot-2, but at 205 pounds Floodman is 30 pounds lighter than Rogers.
Rogers and 16 other seniors were recognized in a pre-game ceremony that included parents, wives and young children.
Zach Dyer replaced Mario Kinsey at quarterback midway through the second quarter. Kinsey had thrown an interception on the previous KU series. Then Kinsey returned after Dyer’s series was a three-and-out.
Iowa State tailback Ennis Haywood had a game in the first half, rushing 26 times for 158 yards and four touchdowns. Haywood finished with four TDs and 35 rushes for 185 yards.
In the first half, ISU outgained the Jayhawks, 306 yards to 54. KU manufactured 31 yards rushing and 23 passing. In the second half, Kansas posted a 157-126 edge in total offense.
The first half ended with strong safety Jake Letourneau’s interception of a Seneca Wallace “Hail Mary” pass. It was Letourneau’s second interception of the season and tied him for the team lead with Andrew Davison and Carl Ivey.
Iowa State safety Adam Runk intercepted Kinsey twice, once in each half. Cornerback Atif Austin and linebacker Matt Word also stole Kinsey aerials. Word returned his theft 36 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Dyer wasn’t immune to interception-itis. KU’s back-up QB had a pass stolen by linebacker Brent Nash in the fourth quarter.
Late in the third quarter, the game was delayed for a few minutes while trainers tended to field judge Butch Clark of Chillicothe, Mo., who suffered a left leg injury and couldn’t continue. Clark was replaced by Duane Osborne, the back-up official.
KU’s sixth straight loss is the longest skid since the 1988 season
Cornerback Davison and offensive tackle Justin Hartwig extended their starting streaks to 36 and 33 respectively.
Kickoff temperature was 64 degrees under partly sunny skies with a 4 mph wind out of the south.
Jon Bible of Austin, Texas, was the referee.
KU officials estimated the attendance at 33,500.
Kansas University’s committee searching for a successor to Terry Allen is scheduled to meet at 2 p.m. today. The search committee also met last Sunday. KU athletics director Al Bohl has issued no timetable for hiring a new coach.
Senior linebacker Marcus Rogers, KU’s leading tackler who twisted an ankle in last week’s Texas game, didn’t suit. Rogers was replaced by freshman Banks Floodman, who made his first career start. Both Rogers and Floodman stand 6-foot-2, but at 205 pounds Floodman is 30 pounds lighter than Rogers.
Rogers and 16 other seniors were recognized in a pre-game ceremony that included parents, wives and young children.
Zach Dyer replaced Mario Kinsey at quarterback midway through the second quarter. Kinsey had thrown an interception on the previous KU series. Then Kinsey returned after Dyer’s series was a three-and-out.
Iowa State tailback Ennis Haywood had a game in the first half, rushing 26 times for 158 yards and four touchdowns. Haywood finished with four TDs and 35 rushes for 185 yards.
In the first half, ISU outgained the Jayhawks, 306 yards to 54. KU manufactured 31 yards rushing and 23 passing. In the second half, Kansas posted a 157-126 edge in total offense.
The first half ended with strong safety Jake Letourneau’s interception of a Seneca Wallace “Hail Mary” pass. It was Letourneau’s second interception of the season and tied him for the team lead with Andrew Davison and Carl Ivey.
Iowa State safety Adam Runk intercepted Kinsey twice, once in each half. Cornerback Atif Austin and linebacker Matt Word also stole Kinsey aerials. Word returned his theft 36 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the fourth quarter.
Dyer wasn’t immune to interception-itis. KU’s back-up QB had a pass stolen by linebacker Brent Nash in the fourth quarter.
Late in the third quarter, the game was delayed for a few minutes while trainers tended to field judge Butch Clark of Chillicothe, Mo., who suffered a left leg injury and couldn’t continue. Clark was replaced by Duane Osborne, the back-up official.
KU’s sixth straight loss is the longest skid since the 1988 season
Cornerback Davison and offensive tackle Justin Hartwig extended their starting streaks to 36 and 33 respectively.
Kickoff temperature was 64 degrees under partly sunny skies with a 4 mph wind out of the south.
Jon Bible of Austin, Texas, was the referee.
KU officials estimated the attendance at 33,500.
Zach Dyer started at quarterback in place of Mario Kinsey, KU’s starter the last four games. Kinsey made his first appearance a couple of minutes before halftime with KU trailing, 30-0, and began the second half. Dyer returned to duty early in the fourth quarter and immediately threw an interception.
Quincy Roe opened at cornerback in place of Carl Ivey who was suspended for unspecified reasons early in the week by interim head coach Tom Hayes. Ivey had started the first eight games.
Kansas suited 62 players for its road finale, including true freshmen Johnny Beck, Banks Floodman, Marshell Chiles and Brandon Rideau. Reserve offensive lineman Gabe Rosalis made the trip, but did not return on the team charter. Rosalis stayed behind to be with his ill mother in Victoria, Texas.
Linebacker Marcus Rogers, KU’s leading tackler, suffered a severe left ankle injury while stopping UT’s Cedric Benson on the next-to-last play of the first quarter and did not return. Rogers was replaced by Floodman, a Wichita Collegiate product who wound up as the Jayhawks’ leading tackler with 11.
KU also lost Nate Dwyer after two series when the 6-foot-3, 305-pounder senior nose tackle and co-captain decided he couldn’t continue because of a pulled hip flexor muscle. Dwyer was replaced by Marquis Hayes and Brock Teddleton.
How lopsided was the first half? Texas led 33-0 and outgained the Jayhawks, 377 yards to 11. KU completed one of 10 passes for three yards and rushed 15 times for eight yards. Texas outgained Kansas, 229-56, in the second half. Final totals: Texas 606, Kansas 67. UT had 637 yards against the Jayhawks in a 51-16 win in Lawrence last season.
Senior free safety Jamarei Bryant earned his first pass interception of the season when he picked off a Major Applewhite aerial late in the third quarter.
KU outside linebacker Algie Atkinson was credited with two sacks to push his season total to seven.
Although Kansas was tooted at least four times for penalties, Texas accepted only one a 16-yard intentional grounding call against Dyer in the first quarter.
Saturday’s kickoff temperature was 69 degrees under bright sunny skies with a light breeze out of the south Mike Weir of Columbia, Mo., was the Big 12-assigned referee
UT officials pegged the attendance at 83,111, making it the seventh-largest in school history.
For weather-related attendance reasons, Kansas and Iowa State are negotiating to play next year’s game in Ames during the Labor Day weekend. KU and ISU have met in late November for the last four years.
Zach Dyer started at quarterback in place of Mario Kinsey, KU’s starter the last four games. Kinsey made his first appearance a couple of minutes before halftime with KU trailing, 30-0, and began the second half. Dyer returned to duty early in the fourth quarter and immediately threw an interception.
Quincy Roe opened at cornerback in place of Carl Ivey who was suspended for unspecified reasons early in the week by interim head coach Tom Hayes. Ivey had started the first eight games.
Kansas suited 62 players for its road finale, including true freshmen Johnny Beck, Banks Floodman, Marshell Chiles and Brandon Rideau. Reserve offensive lineman Gabe Rosalis made the trip, but did not return on the team charter. Rosalis stayed behind to be with his ill mother in Victoria, Texas.
Linebacker Marcus Rogers, KU’s leading tackler, suffered a severe left ankle injury while stopping UT’s Cedric Benson on the next-to-last play of the first quarter and did not return. Rogers was replaced by Floodman, a Wichita Collegiate product who wound up as the Jayhawks’ leading tackler with 11.
KU also lost Nate Dwyer after two series when the 6-foot-3, 305-pounder senior nose tackle and co-captain decided he couldn’t continue because of a pulled hip flexor muscle. Dwyer was replaced by Marquis Hayes and Brock Teddleton.
How lopsided was the first half? Texas led 33-0 and outgained the Jayhawks, 377 yards to 11. KU completed one of 10 passes for three yards and rushed 15 times for eight yards. Texas outgained Kansas, 229-56, in the second half. Final totals: Texas 606, Kansas 67. UT had 637 yards against the Jayhawks in a 51-16 win in Lawrence last season.
Senior free safety Jamarei Bryant earned his first pass interception of the season when he picked off a Major Applewhite aerial late in the third quarter.
KU outside linebacker Algie Atkinson was credited with two sacks to push his season total to seven.
Although Kansas was tooted at least four times for penalties, Texas accepted only one a 16-yard intentional grounding call against Dyer in the first quarter.
Saturday’s kickoff temperature was 69 degrees under bright sunny skies with a light breeze out of the south Mike Weir of Columbia, Mo., was the Big 12-assigned referee
UT officials pegged the attendance at 83,111, making it the seventh-largest in school history.
For weather-related attendance reasons, Kansas and Iowa State are negotiating to play next year’s game in Ames during the Labor Day weekend. KU and ISU have met in late November for the last four years.
Zach Dyer started at quarterback in place of Mario Kinsey, KU’s starter the last four games. Kinsey made his first appearance a couple of minutes before halftime with KU trailing, 30-0, and began the second half. Dyer returned to duty early in the fourth quarter and immediately threw an interception.
Quincy Roe opened at cornerback in place of Carl Ivey who was suspended for unspecified reasons early in the week by interim head coach Tom Hayes. Ivey had started the first eight games.
Kansas suited 62 players for its road finale, including true freshmen Johnny Beck, Banks Floodman, Marshell Chiles and Brandon Rideau. Reserve offensive lineman Gabe Rosalis made the trip, but did not return on the team charter. Rosalis stayed behind to be with his ill mother in Victoria, Texas.
Linebacker Marcus Rogers, KU’s leading tackler, suffered a severe left ankle injury while stopping UT’s Cedric Benson on the next-to-last play of the first quarter and did not return. Rogers was replaced by Floodman, a Wichita Collegiate product who wound up as the Jayhawks’ leading tackler with 11.
KU also lost Nate Dwyer after two series when the 6-foot-3, 305-pounder senior nose tackle and co-captain decided he couldn’t continue because of a pulled hip flexor muscle. Dwyer was replaced by Marquis Hayes and Brock Teddleton.
How lopsided was the first half? Texas led 33-0 and outgained the Jayhawks, 377 yards to 11. KU completed one of 10 passes for three yards and rushed 15 times for eight yards. Texas outgained Kansas, 229-56, in the second half. Final totals: Texas 606, Kansas 67. UT had 637 yards against the Jayhawks in a 51-16 win in Lawrence last season.
Senior free safety Jamarei Bryant earned his first pass interception of the season when he picked off a Major Applewhite aerial late in the third quarter.
KU outside linebacker Algie Atkinson was credited with two sacks to push his season total to seven.
Although Kansas was tooted at least four times for penalties, Texas accepted only one a 16-yard intentional grounding call against Dyer in the first quarter.
Saturday’s kickoff temperature was 69 degrees under bright sunny skies with a light breeze out of the south Mike Weir of Columbia, Mo., was the Big 12-assigned referee
UT officials pegged the attendance at 83,111, making it the seventh-largest in school history.
For weather-related attendance reasons, Kansas and Iowa State are negotiating to play next year’s game in Ames during the Labor Day weekend. KU and ISU have met in late November for the last four years.
Zach Dyer started at quarterback in place of Mario Kinsey, KU’s starter the last four games. Kinsey made his first appearance a couple of minutes before halftime with KU trailing, 30-0, and began the second half. Dyer returned to duty early in the fourth quarter and immediately threw an interception.
Quincy Roe opened at cornerback in place of Carl Ivey who was suspended for unspecified reasons early in the week by interim head coach Tom Hayes. Ivey had started the first eight games.
Kansas suited 62 players for its road finale, including true freshmen Johnny Beck, Banks Floodman, Marshell Chiles and Brandon Rideau. Reserve offensive lineman Gabe Rosalis made the trip, but did not return on the team charter. Rosalis stayed behind to be with his ill mother in Victoria, Texas.
Linebacker Marcus Rogers, KU’s leading tackler, suffered a severe left ankle injury while stopping UT’s Cedric Benson on the next-to-last play of the first quarter and did not return. Rogers was replaced by Floodman, a Wichita Collegiate product who wound up as the Jayhawks’ leading tackler with 11.
KU also lost Nate Dwyer after two series when the 6-foot-3, 305-pounder senior nose tackle and co-captain decided he couldn’t continue because of a pulled hip flexor muscle. Dwyer was replaced by Marquis Hayes and Brock Teddleton.
How lopsided was the first half? Texas led 33-0 and outgained the Jayhawks, 377 yards to 11. KU completed one of 10 passes for three yards and rushed 15 times for eight yards. Texas outgained Kansas, 229-56, in the second half. Final totals: Texas 606, Kansas 67. UT had 637 yards against the Jayhawks in a 51-16 win in Lawrence last season.
Senior free safety Jamarei Bryant earned his first pass interception of the season when he picked off a Major Applewhite aerial late in the third quarter.
KU outside linebacker Algie Atkinson was credited with two sacks to push his season total to seven.
Although Kansas was tooted at least four times for penalties, Texas accepted only one a 16-yard intentional grounding call against Dyer in the first quarter.
Saturday’s kickoff temperature was 69 degrees under bright sunny skies with a light breeze out of the south Mike Weir of Columbia, Mo., was the Big 12-assigned referee
UT officials pegged the attendance at 83,111, making it the seventh-largest in school history.
For weather-related attendance reasons, Kansas and Iowa State are negotiating to play next year’s game in Ames during the Labor Day weekend. KU and ISU have met in late November for the last four years.
KU officials estimated the crowd at 50,750, which would make it the fourth-largest ever at Memorial Stadium. Of the total, at least 20,000 were red-clad Nebraska fans who filled most of the north bowl and four other sections in both the east and west stands. KU’s record crowd is 51,600 against Kansas State in 1981.
On the game’s fourth play, Nebraska nose tackle Jon Clanton picked up an apparent fumble by Kansas wide receiver Derick Mills and raced into the end zone. However, the officials ruled Mills was down. A similar incident occurred in the second quarter when NU’s Chris Kelsay ran into the end zone after picking up an apparent fumble by KU’s Mario Kinsey. Kinsey, too, was ruled down.
Kinsey’s legitimate first-quarter fumble was the Jayhawks’ first giveaway since the first quarter of the Oklahoma game, ending KU’s streak without a turnover at 11 quarters.
Field judge Duane Osborne, a veteran Big 12 official from Seneca, was momentarily shaken up when he was knocked down on the sidelines during a Nebraska punt return early in the first quarter.
Nebraska’s Josh Brown was wide right on a 37-yard field goal attempt with 6:57 remaining in the first quarter, but Brown connected on his next three tries.
Zach Dyer replaced Kinsey at quarterback about 81*2 minutes before halftime, but had no more luck than Kinsey trying to generate some offense. In the first half, KU managed only six yards 18 passing and minus six rushing and just two first downs, one on a roughing-the-kicker penalty.
KU finished with a season-low 203 yards of offense.
l Kinsey tossed only his third interception of the season early in the third quarter when NU’s Lornell McPherson stole a pass intended for Roger Ross. Kinsey was also intercepted by NU’s DeJuan Groce in the same period.
Sophomore tailback Reggie Duncan’s 41-yard run in the third quarter by far the Jayhawks’ biggest play of the night was four yards short of his career long. Later in the period, Duncan suffered a sprained ankle and didn’t return. KU also lost nose tackle Nate Dwyer (hip) and end Travis Watkins (ankle) in the fourth quarter.
Nebraska’s Ben Cornelsen, who returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, is a 5-foot-10, 190-pound junior out of Shawnee Mission Northwest.
Adrian Jones’ four-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter was the first TD by a KU tight end this season.
Kickoff temperature was 63 degrees with a negligible five mph wind out of the south.
KU officials estimated the crowd at 50,750, which would make it the fourth-largest ever at Memorial Stadium. Of the total, at least 20,000 were red-clad Nebraska fans who filled most of the north bowl and four other sections in both the east and west stands. KU’s record crowd is 51,600 against Kansas State in 1981.
On the game’s fourth play, Nebraska nose tackle Jon Clanton picked up an apparent fumble by Kansas wide receiver Derick Mills and raced into the end zone. However, the officials ruled Mills was down. A similar incident occurred in the second quarter when NU’s Chris Kelsay ran into the end zone after picking up an apparent fumble by KU’s Mario Kinsey. Kinsey, too, was ruled down.
Kinsey’s legitimate first-quarter fumble was the Jayhawks’ first giveaway since the first quarter of the Oklahoma game, ending KU’s streak without a turnover at 11 quarters.
Field judge Duane Osborne, a veteran Big 12 official from Seneca, was momentarily shaken up when he was knocked down on the sidelines during a Nebraska punt return early in the first quarter.
Nebraska’s Josh Brown was wide right on a 37-yard field goal attempt with 6:57 remaining in the first quarter, but Brown connected on his next three tries.
Zach Dyer replaced Kinsey at quarterback about 81*2 minutes before halftime, but had no more luck than Kinsey trying to generate some offense. In the first half, KU managed only six yards 18 passing and minus six rushing and just two first downs, one on a roughing-the-kicker penalty.
KU finished with a season-low 203 yards of offense.
l Kinsey tossed only his third interception of the season early in the third quarter when NU’s Lornell McPherson stole a pass intended for Roger Ross. Kinsey was also intercepted by NU’s DeJuan Groce in the same period.
Sophomore tailback Reggie Duncan’s 41-yard run in the third quarter by far the Jayhawks’ biggest play of the night was four yards short of his career long. Later in the period, Duncan suffered a sprained ankle and didn’t return. KU also lost nose tackle Nate Dwyer (hip) and end Travis Watkins (ankle) in the fourth quarter.
Nebraska’s Ben Cornelsen, who returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, is a 5-foot-10, 190-pound junior out of Shawnee Mission Northwest.
Adrian Jones’ four-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter was the first TD by a KU tight end this season.
Kickoff temperature was 63 degrees with a negligible five mph wind out of the south.
KU officials estimated the crowd at 50,750, which would make it the fourth-largest ever at Memorial Stadium. Of the total, at least 20,000 were red-clad Nebraska fans who filled most of the north bowl and four other sections in both the east and west stands. KU’s record crowd is 51,600 against Kansas State in 1981.
On the game’s fourth play, Nebraska nose tackle Jon Clanton picked up an apparent fumble by Kansas wide receiver Derick Mills and raced into the end zone. However, the officials ruled Mills was down. A similar incident occurred in the second quarter when NU’s Chris Kelsay ran into the end zone after picking up an apparent fumble by KU’s Mario Kinsey. Kinsey, too, was ruled down.
Kinsey’s legitimate first-quarter fumble was the Jayhawks’ first giveaway since the first quarter of the Oklahoma game, ending KU’s streak without a turnover at 11 quarters.
Field judge Duane Osborne, a veteran Big 12 official from Seneca, was momentarily shaken up when he was knocked down on the sidelines during a Nebraska punt return early in the first quarter.
Nebraska’s Josh Brown was wide right on a 37-yard field goal attempt with 6:57 remaining in the first quarter, but Brown connected on his next three tries.
Zach Dyer replaced Kinsey at quarterback about 81*2 minutes before halftime, but had no more luck than Kinsey trying to generate some offense. In the first half, KU managed only six yards 18 passing and minus six rushing and just two first downs, one on a roughing-the-kicker penalty.
KU finished with a season-low 203 yards of offense.
l Kinsey tossed only his third interception of the season early in the third quarter when NU’s Lornell McPherson stole a pass intended for Roger Ross. Kinsey was also intercepted by NU’s DeJuan Groce in the same period.
Sophomore tailback Reggie Duncan’s 41-yard run in the third quarter by far the Jayhawks’ biggest play of the night was four yards short of his career long. Later in the period, Duncan suffered a sprained ankle and didn’t return. KU also lost nose tackle Nate Dwyer (hip) and end Travis Watkins (ankle) in the fourth quarter.
Nebraska’s Ben Cornelsen, who returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, is a 5-foot-10, 190-pound junior out of Shawnee Mission Northwest.
Adrian Jones’ four-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter was the first TD by a KU tight end this season.
Kickoff temperature was 63 degrees with a negligible five mph wind out of the south.
KU officials estimated the crowd at 50,750, which would make it the fourth-largest ever at Memorial Stadium. Of the total, at least 20,000 were red-clad Nebraska fans who filled most of the north bowl and four other sections in both the east and west stands. KU’s record crowd is 51,600 against Kansas State in 1981.
On the game’s fourth play, Nebraska nose tackle Jon Clanton picked up an apparent fumble by Kansas wide receiver Derick Mills and raced into the end zone. However, the officials ruled Mills was down. A similar incident occurred in the second quarter when NU’s Chris Kelsay ran into the end zone after picking up an apparent fumble by KU’s Mario Kinsey. Kinsey, too, was ruled down.
Kinsey’s legitimate first-quarter fumble was the Jayhawks’ first giveaway since the first quarter of the Oklahoma game, ending KU’s streak without a turnover at 11 quarters.
Field judge Duane Osborne, a veteran Big 12 official from Seneca, was momentarily shaken up when he was knocked down on the sidelines during a Nebraska punt return early in the first quarter.
Nebraska’s Josh Brown was wide right on a 37-yard field goal attempt with 6:57 remaining in the first quarter, but Brown connected on his next three tries.
Zach Dyer replaced Kinsey at quarterback about 81*2 minutes before halftime, but had no more luck than Kinsey trying to generate some offense. In the first half, KU managed only six yards 18 passing and minus six rushing and just two first downs, one on a roughing-the-kicker penalty.
KU finished with a season-low 203 yards of offense.
l Kinsey tossed only his third interception of the season early in the third quarter when NU’s Lornell McPherson stole a pass intended for Roger Ross. Kinsey was also intercepted by NU’s DeJuan Groce in the same period.
Sophomore tailback Reggie Duncan’s 41-yard run in the third quarter by far the Jayhawks’ biggest play of the night was four yards short of his career long. Later in the period, Duncan suffered a sprained ankle and didn’t return. KU also lost nose tackle Nate Dwyer (hip) and end Travis Watkins (ankle) in the fourth quarter.
Nebraska’s Ben Cornelsen, who returned a punt 71 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter, is a 5-foot-10, 190-pound junior out of Shawnee Mission Northwest.
Adrian Jones’ four-yard touchdown reception in the fourth quarter was the first TD by a KU tight end this season.
Kickoff temperature was 63 degrees with a negligible five mph wind out of the south.
Kansas came out wearing white jerseys and white pants. Customarily, the Jayhawks’ road ensemble consists of white tops and blue pants. It may be a coincidence, but Colorado wore all white uniforms when the Buffaloes toppled Kansas State, 16-6, earlier this month at KSU Stadium.
Kansas brought 68 players to Manhattan, including five true freshmen running back Marshell Chiles, linebacker Banks Floodman, kicker Johnny Beck, wide receiver Brandon Rideau and linebacker Jeff Mulholland.
K-State won the coin toss and deferred to the second half, but KU goofed and elected to kick off and KSU took the wind. “One of our captains got mixed up,” Allen said, adding the mistake made no difference in the outcome. Because of the gaffe, the Jayhawks also had to kick off to start the second half, but at least they had the wind.
Kansas began the season with a no-huddle offense, but began using partial huddles last week against Missouri. On Saturday, the Jayhawks used full huddles. “We tried to slow the game down a little bit,” Allen said, noting the Jayhawks maintained control of the ball for four minutes more than K-State in the first half. KSU, however, maintained possession twice as long as the Jayhawks in the second half.
KU freshman Johnny Beck nailed a 42-yard field goal attempt in the first half, but he also missed from 37 and 42 yards. Then Beck drilled a 37-yarder with 1:30 remaining in the third quarter. Beck, who made 10 of his first 11 attempts this season, has now missed four of his last seven.
Kansas State kicker Joe Rheem had his troubles, too. Rheem didn’t attempt any field goals, but twice he nailed the right upright on extra-point attempts.
Carl Ivey’s interception of a Mark Dunn pass early in the second quarter was the fourth of the KU sophomore cornerback’s career. His first three came in games against Missouri.
The stats won’t show Dan Coke threw a pass, but the KU reserve tailback did midway through the second quarter. Coke’s aerial, intended for wide receiver Termaine Fulton, was erased when KSU was whistled for pass interference.
KU defensive ends Travis Watkins and Charlie Dennis, both Derby products, teamed on an interception late in the third quarter. Watkins tipped a Dunn pass and Dennis made a leaping theft of the fluttering ball.
Of the handful of KU players hurt in last week’s Missouri game, the only one who didn’t play was sophomore wide receiver Derick Mills (ankle).
Kansas suffered no serious injuries Saturday, but Allen said it appears wide receiver Harrison Hill, who suffered a shoulder separation in the UCLA game, will be lost for the rest of the season. “It looks like it’s headed more and more in that direction,” said Allen, who added it was likely Hill would apply for a sixth year of eligibility.
Kansas wasted a golden opportunity in the fourth quarter when the Jayhawks had first-and-goal at the KSU 2, but couldn’t score. After a Reggie Duncan rush lost six yards, Mario Kinsey threw three straight incompletions.
Half of KU’s eight penalties were offside calls against the defense, which had difficulty deciphering the KSU snap count. KU also had a couple of personal foul flags.
Strong safety Jake Letourneau led the Jayhawks with 10 tackles. Outside linebacker Algie Atkinson had nine, including a sack. End David McMillan was also credited with a sack.
KU’s total offense (212 yards) and rushing (47 yards) were season lows.
Adrian Jones’s four-yard reception in the fourth quarter was the first by a KU tight end this season.
Kickoff temperature was 57 degrees under bright sunny skies. The wind was 16 to 20 mph out of the south.
Jon Bible of Austin, Texas, was the referee in charge of the Big 12 Conference officiating crew.
Kansas came out wearing white jerseys and white pants. Customarily, the Jayhawks’ road ensemble consists of white tops and blue pants. It may be a coincidence, but Colorado wore all white uniforms when the Buffaloes toppled Kansas State, 16-6, earlier this month at KSU Stadium.
Kansas brought 68 players to Manhattan, including five true freshmen running back Marshell Chiles, linebacker Banks Floodman, kicker Johnny Beck, wide receiver Brandon Rideau and linebacker Jeff Mulholland.
K-State won the coin toss and deferred to the second half, but KU goofed and elected to kick off and KSU took the wind. “One of our captains got mixed up,” Allen said, adding the mistake made no difference in the outcome. Because of the gaffe, the Jayhawks also had to kick off to start the second half, but at least they had the wind.
Kansas began the season with a no-huddle offense, but began using partial huddles last week against Missouri. On Saturday, the Jayhawks used full huddles. “We tried to slow the game down a little bit,” Allen said, noting the Jayhawks maintained control of the ball for four minutes more than K-State in the first half. KSU, however, maintained possession twice as long as the Jayhawks in the second half.
KU freshman Johnny Beck nailed a 42-yard field goal attempt in the first half, but he also missed from 37 and 42 yards. Then Beck drilled a 37-yarder with 1:30 remaining in the third quarter. Beck, who made 10 of his first 11 attempts this season, has now missed four of his last seven.
Kansas State kicker Joe Rheem had his troubles, too. Rheem didn’t attempt any field goals, but twice he nailed the right upright on extra-point attempts.
Carl Ivey’s interception of a Mark Dunn pass early in the second quarter was the fourth of the KU sophomore cornerback’s career. His first three came in games against Missouri.
The stats won’t show Dan Coke threw a pass, but the KU reserve tailback did midway through the second quarter. Coke’s aerial, intended for wide receiver Termaine Fulton, was erased when KSU was whistled for pass interference.
KU defensive ends Travis Watkins and Charlie Dennis, both Derby products, teamed on an interception late in the third quarter. Watkins tipped a Dunn pass and Dennis made a leaping theft of the fluttering ball.
Of the handful of KU players hurt in last week’s Missouri game, the only one who didn’t play was sophomore wide receiver Derick Mills (ankle).
Kansas suffered no serious injuries Saturday, but Allen said it appears wide receiver Harrison Hill, who suffered a shoulder separation in the UCLA game, will be lost for the rest of the season. “It looks like it’s headed more and more in that direction,” said Allen, who added it was likely Hill would apply for a sixth year of eligibility.
Kansas wasted a golden opportunity in the fourth quarter when the Jayhawks had first-and-goal at the KSU 2, but couldn’t score. After a Reggie Duncan rush lost six yards, Mario Kinsey threw three straight incompletions.
Half of KU’s eight penalties were offside calls against the defense, which had difficulty deciphering the KSU snap count. KU also had a couple of personal foul flags.
Strong safety Jake Letourneau led the Jayhawks with 10 tackles. Outside linebacker Algie Atkinson had nine, including a sack. End David McMillan was also credited with a sack.
KU’s total offense (212 yards) and rushing (47 yards) were season lows.
Adrian Jones’s four-yard reception in the fourth quarter was the first by a KU tight end this season.
Kickoff temperature was 57 degrees under bright sunny skies. The wind was 16 to 20 mph out of the south.
Jon Bible of Austin, Texas, was the referee in charge of the Big 12 Conference officiating crew.
Kansas came out wearing white jerseys and white pants. Customarily, the Jayhawks’ road ensemble consists of white tops and blue pants. It may be a coincidence, but Colorado wore all white uniforms when the Buffaloes toppled Kansas State, 16-6, earlier this month at KSU Stadium.
Kansas brought 68 players to Manhattan, including five true freshmen running back Marshell Chiles, linebacker Banks Floodman, kicker Johnny Beck, wide receiver Brandon Rideau and linebacker Jeff Mulholland.
K-State won the coin toss and deferred to the second half, but KU goofed and elected to kick off and KSU took the wind. “One of our captains got mixed up,” Allen said, adding the mistake made no difference in the outcome. Because of the gaffe, the Jayhawks also had to kick off to start the second half, but at least they had the wind.
Kansas began the season with a no-huddle offense, but began using partial huddles last week against Missouri. On Saturday, the Jayhawks used full huddles. “We tried to slow the game down a little bit,” Allen said, noting the Jayhawks maintained control of the ball for four minutes more than K-State in the first half. KSU, however, maintained possession twice as long as the Jayhawks in the second half.
KU freshman Johnny Beck nailed a 42-yard field goal attempt in the first half, but he also missed from 37 and 42 yards. Then Beck drilled a 37-yarder with 1:30 remaining in the third quarter. Beck, who made 10 of his first 11 attempts this season, has now missed four of his last seven.
Kansas State kicker Joe Rheem had his troubles, too. Rheem didn’t attempt any field goals, but twice he nailed the right upright on extra-point attempts.
Carl Ivey’s interception of a Mark Dunn pass early in the second quarter was the fourth of the KU sophomore cornerback’s career. His first three came in games against Missouri.
The stats won’t show Dan Coke threw a pass, but the KU reserve tailback did midway through the second quarter. Coke’s aerial, intended for wide receiver Termaine Fulton, was erased when KSU was whistled for pass interference.
KU defensive ends Travis Watkins and Charlie Dennis, both Derby products, teamed on an interception late in the third quarter. Watkins tipped a Dunn pass and Dennis made a leaping theft of the fluttering ball.
Of the handful of KU players hurt in last week’s Missouri game, the only one who didn’t play was sophomore wide receiver Derick Mills (ankle).
Kansas suffered no serious injuries Saturday, but Allen said it appears wide receiver Harrison Hill, who suffered a shoulder separation in the UCLA game, will be lost for the rest of the season. “It looks like it’s headed more and more in that direction,” said Allen, who added it was likely Hill would apply for a sixth year of eligibility.
Kansas wasted a golden opportunity in the fourth quarter when the Jayhawks had first-and-goal at the KSU 2, but couldn’t score. After a Reggie Duncan rush lost six yards, Mario Kinsey threw three straight incompletions.
Half of KU’s eight penalties were offside calls against the defense, which had difficulty deciphering the KSU snap count. KU also had a couple of personal foul flags.
Strong safety Jake Letourneau led the Jayhawks with 10 tackles. Outside linebacker Algie Atkinson had nine, including a sack. End David McMillan was also credited with a sack.
KU’s total offense (212 yards) and rushing (47 yards) were season lows.
Adrian Jones’s four-yard reception in the fourth quarter was the first by a KU tight end this season.
Kickoff temperature was 57 degrees under bright sunny skies. The wind was 16 to 20 mph out of the south.
Jon Bible of Austin, Texas, was the referee in charge of the Big 12 Conference officiating crew.
Kansas came out wearing white jerseys and white pants. Customarily, the Jayhawks’ road ensemble consists of white tops and blue pants. It may be a coincidence, but Colorado wore all white uniforms when the Buffaloes toppled Kansas State, 16-6, earlier this month at KSU Stadium.
Kansas brought 68 players to Manhattan, including five true freshmen running back Marshell Chiles, linebacker Banks Floodman, kicker Johnny Beck, wide receiver Brandon Rideau and linebacker Jeff Mulholland.
K-State won the coin toss and deferred to the second half, but KU goofed and elected to kick off and KSU took the wind. “One of our captains got mixed up,” Allen said, adding the mistake made no difference in the outcome. Because of the gaffe, the Jayhawks also had to kick off to start the second half, but at least they had the wind.
Kansas began the season with a no-huddle offense, but began using partial huddles last week against Missouri. On Saturday, the Jayhawks used full huddles. “We tried to slow the game down a little bit,” Allen said, noting the Jayhawks maintained control of the ball for four minutes more than K-State in the first half. KSU, however, maintained possession twice as long as the Jayhawks in the second half.
KU freshman Johnny Beck nailed a 42-yard field goal attempt in the first half, but he also missed from 37 and 42 yards. Then Beck drilled a 37-yarder with 1:30 remaining in the third quarter. Beck, who made 10 of his first 11 attempts this season, has now missed four of his last seven.
Kansas State kicker Joe Rheem had his troubles, too. Rheem didn’t attempt any field goals, but twice he nailed the right upright on extra-point attempts.
Carl Ivey’s interception of a Mark Dunn pass early in the second quarter was the fourth of the KU sophomore cornerback’s career. His first three came in games against Missouri.
The stats won’t show Dan Coke threw a pass, but the KU reserve tailback did midway through the second quarter. Coke’s aerial, intended for wide receiver Termaine Fulton, was erased when KSU was whistled for pass interference.
KU defensive ends Travis Watkins and Charlie Dennis, both Derby products, teamed on an interception late in the third quarter. Watkins tipped a Dunn pass and Dennis made a leaping theft of the fluttering ball.
Of the handful of KU players hurt in last week’s Missouri game, the only one who didn’t play was sophomore wide receiver Derick Mills (ankle).
Kansas suffered no serious injuries Saturday, but Allen said it appears wide receiver Harrison Hill, who suffered a shoulder separation in the UCLA game, will be lost for the rest of the season. “It looks like it’s headed more and more in that direction,” said Allen, who added it was likely Hill would apply for a sixth year of eligibility.
Kansas wasted a golden opportunity in the fourth quarter when the Jayhawks had first-and-goal at the KSU 2, but couldn’t score. After a Reggie Duncan rush lost six yards, Mario Kinsey threw three straight incompletions.
Half of KU’s eight penalties were offside calls against the defense, which had difficulty deciphering the KSU snap count. KU also had a couple of personal foul flags.
Strong safety Jake Letourneau led the Jayhawks with 10 tackles. Outside linebacker Algie Atkinson had nine, including a sack. End David McMillan was also credited with a sack.
KU’s total offense (212 yards) and rushing (47 yards) were season lows.
Adrian Jones’s four-yard reception in the fourth quarter was the first by a KU tight end this season.
Kickoff temperature was 57 degrees under bright sunny skies. The wind was 16 to 20 mph out of the south.
Jon Bible of Austin, Texas, was the referee in charge of the Big 12 Conference officiating crew.