As season winds down, KU seniors getting fired up

By Gary Bedore     Feb 12, 2005

With less than a handful of home games remaining in their Kansas University men’s basketball careers, the four Jayhawk seniors don’t figure to sleepwalk in today’s matinee against Colorado.

“You always are concerned about your team being at that so-called magic level,” KU coach Bill Self said of motivation entering games like today’s 2:30 p.m. contest between No. 3-ranked KU (19-1 overall, 9-0 Big 12 Conference) and unranked Colorado (12-9, 4-6) at Allen Fieldhouse.

“I’d think with these seniors and the fact they have only four home games remaining, I can’t imagine them not taking full advantage of each and every one of them.”

After today, Keith Langford, Aaron Miles, Wayne Simien and Michael Lee will have home games remaining against Iowa State (Feb. 19), Oklahoma State (Feb. 27) and Kansas State (March 2).

That’s it.

“You might say, ‘Hey seniors, it’s your responsibility now,'” Self said of the veterans making sure the younger guys are ready to face a CU team that has won four of seven games since a 76-61 loss to the Jayhawks on Jan. 15 in Boulder, Colo.

“They know. Trust me, they know,” Self added. “They’ve thought long and hard about it. It’s one of those deals, when you are a freshman, you can’t wait to run through the tunnel the last time. When you are a senior, you hope it never gets there. I’m sure they feel that way.”

Indeed, point guard Miles says all remaining games must be treasured.

“We’re going to try to make the most of them,” he said. “It’s a special place.”

When: 2:30 p.m. todayWhere: Allen FieldhouseTV: chs. 9, 49; replay 10:30 p.m., Sunflower Broadband ch. 6Line: KU by 18

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Bumps, bruises: Freshmen C.J. Giles (foot bruise) and Alex Galindo (groin) are questionable today.

“I think it’s imperative they get back real soon, or they will not be able to get back into the groove to help us to the point where we need them to,” Self said of Giles, who has missed the last six games, and Galindo, out the last three.

Self said he believed they still could have an impact on the team.

Galindo, who was playing a key role before his most recent injury, is roommates with Russell Robinson, who has not played in three of the past five games because of the coach’s decision.

The two have watched as some other top freshmen — like Baylor’s Aaron Bruce, Nebraska’s Joe McCray, CU’s Richard Roby and Texas’ Daniel Gibson — have emerged as forces.

“Everyday we talk about it,” Galindo said of he and Robinson’s contributions. “It’s kind of hard, but we’re doing a good job hanging in there. Like every player I wish I could play more minutes, but I want to help the team win. That makes me feel good about myself, too.

“We are winning more games than they are,” he added of the league’s other rookies.

Self definitely hasn’t given up on backup point guard Robinson.

“Russell was playing a lot and hasn’t played much lately. I’d love to see him get back out there and play some more. He just needs to continue to get his confidence back, work hard at practice and those things,” Self said.

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Schedule update: KU will meet Idaho State in the 2005-06 season opener Nov. 18 at Allen Fieldhouse.

The following day, the Jayhawks will leave for the Maui Invitational where they will join Chaminade, Arizona, UConn, Maryland, Arkansas, Michigan State and Gonzaga on Nov. 21-23 in Hawaii.

The Jayhawks still are seeking two nonconference home games to complete next year’s schedule. The games will be “guarantee games” not involving a return trip.

KU will travel to Georgia Tech and meet St. Joe’s at New York’s Madison Square Garden and play home games against Idaho State, Kentucky, Nevada, Pepperdine, Northern Colorado and meet Cal at Kemper Arena.

In 2006-07, KU will travel to Michigan State and South Carolina.

The Jayhawks are hoping for an NCAA rule change that will allow them to play in exempt tourneys every year. KU wants to play in the Preseason NIT in 2007, Maui in 2009 and to-be-determined tourneys in ’06 and ’08.

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Buffs tough: Colorado is led by 6-foot-6 freshman Richard Roby, who has scored 22 against Texas, 29 versus Texas Tech and 22 versus Kansas State in his last three games. He had 14 points off 6-of-16 shooting versus KU in Boulder.

“I never felt like we stopped him. I felt he missed some shots,” Self said of the first meeting. “He is playing better. Their whole team is playing better. They are scoring so much easier. They’ve got some nice pieces.

“You look at the most pleasant surprises in the league race,” Self added, “a lot are talking about Texas A&M. The next team out of everybody’s mouth should be Colorado. Compared to what they lost last year (four starters) and where they are now, nobody lost more than Colorado.”

¢ Kansas University leads the all-time series, 108-39. The Jayhawks have won four straight against Colorado.¢ CU freshman Richard Roby, who averages 15.9 ppg, is bidding to become CU’s first freshman to lead the team in scoring since Chauncey Billups (17.9 ppg) in 1995-96.¢ CU is 4-3 since losing to KU, 76-61, on Jan. 15 in Boulder, Colo.¢ Roby was named Big 12 Conference’s rookie of the week after scoring 20 points in back-to-back games, with 29 at Texas Tech and 22 at Kansas State. He followed that with 22 against Texas on Saturday in Austin.¢ CU has no seniors on the roster with the exception of walk-on Mac Mattingly.¢ Marcus Hall has led in assists 15 times, including the last nine games. He tied Chris Copeland with four assists in the Buffs’ last game versus Texas.¢ CU has made 49 threes in its last four games (116) for an average of 42 percent.¢ CU recorded a school-record 17 treys in 29 in a 104-86 home loss to Oklahoma State.
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