A year older and presumably wiser, Kansas University’s basketball players insist they won’t take any team lightly early this season.
“We have more toughness than in the past,” KU senior guard Russell Robinson said Wednesday. “It’s a new year. We’ll take each and every game as it comes and try to get better.”
KU squad members – who open at home with mid-majors Louisiana-Monroe and UMKC at 7 p.m. Friday and Sunday, respectively – insist they don’t want a repeat of last year’s shocking 78-71 loss to Oral Roberts in the second game of the 2006-07 season at Allen Fieldhouse.
“Coach was pretty mad because we overlooked them a little bit,” sophomore guard Sherron Collins said.
Indeed, Bill Self – who once coached at ORU – was not a fun guy to be around in practices following that game.
“We did a lot of running,” sophomore forward Darrell Arthur said. “He wasn’t going to let up until after the Florida game a little bit.”
KU beat top-ranked Florida in overtime 10 days after the ORU stunner.
“He (Self) was mad, but we picked it up the rest of the year,” junior guard/forward Brandon Rush said. “He was pretty happy after that.”
The Jayhawks, who went 33-5, won the Big 12 regular-season and postseason-tourney titles and advanced to the Elite Eight. That didn’t seem possible after the Oral Roberts game – in which sixth man Marchello Vealy hit his first seven threes and scored 22 points.
“He wasn’t even a starter and came in and did that against us. We won’t dwell on the negatives of the past, but that might be mentioned in the next few days,” Self said.
There already has been a major November shocker this season.
Kentucky, which hit 22 of 62 shots, fell to Gardner-Webb, 84-68, on Wednesday at famed Rupp Arena. Earlier, in exhibition action, Findlay beat Ohio State, and Grand Valley State upended Michigan State.
Self said injuries and lack of knowledge about opponents and tape of them in action can be a factor early.
“I would think if Michigan played Appalachian State right now, they’d beat them,” Self said, using the Wolverines’ early-season football upset loss as an example. Or Michigan State plays Grand Valley : they beat them two weeks from now.”
¢ Red-shirt talk: Self indicated there are no plans to red-shirt freshman Conner Teahan. “I have not talked to Conner about it, so I would say no,” Self said.
¢ Not ready yet: Self said there was “zero” chance Brandon Rush, who has been practicing with contact, would play this weekend.
When, then?
“I still don’t know. It’s up to the doctors,” Rush said, asked if he could pinpoint his return to game action.
“I get bored watching the games a little bit. I love coming to practice running up and down the court with the guys. They’re doing pretty good, blowing ’em out,” he added of Pittsburg State (94-59) and Fort Hays State (93-56).
¢ Recruiting: Rivals.com has updated its rankings of prep players, including the five who have orally committed to KU. Mario Little, 6-5 from Chipola CC in Florida, is the No. 1-rated juco player in the country. Marcus Morris, 6-8 from Philadelphia, is No. 37 in the high school ranks; Travis Releford, 6-5, Roeland Park Miege, is No. 70; Markieff Morris, 6-10 from Philly, is No. 72; and Quintrell Thomas, 6-8 from Newark, N.J., is No. 147. … The mother of Willie Warren, 6-3 senior from suburban Fort Worth, Texas, tells Rivals her son will visit KU second semester.
¢ Floor for sale: Fans can own a piece of the Allen Fieldhouse floor that was replaced in 2005 for $175. Details are available at kuathletics.com.
