Nick KrugHe’s good, real good
Kansas University junior guard Tyrone Appleton, who guarded Ben Woodside two minutes the first half and four the second, was mighty impressed with the Bison guard, who scored 37 points.
“I didn’t realize how good he was until today,” Appleton said. “Luckily I guard Sherron every day at practice. I felt it prepared me for guarding their guy today. Coach (Bill Self) told me I did a great job of guarding him. That made me feel good,” added Appleton, who admits he was surprised Self turned to him in the first half.
“I didn’t know if I’d be called on especially since I haven’t played (much) all year,” Appleton said. “I was surprised, but I was ready. Coach said to stick to him, guard him and bring energy.”
Appleton grinned when asked if his hometown of Gary, Ind., was shocked he hasn’t played meaningful minutes in his first year out of Midland College.
“Everybody wonders what is going on because I was highly recruited out of juco,” Appleton said. “I tell everybody I’m new to it too, just like a freshman. Everything I do is new.”
He reiterated he has no plans to transfer.
“I’m a KU guy. I’m committed to this,” he said.
Tyrone’s D
Self was asked why he turned to Appleton on Friday.
“Because of Woodside,” he said. “I almost put Travis (Releford) in. I thought, ‘Tyrone is our best defender in that situation, why not give him a shot?’ He did a good job.”
Better than seed
N.D. State might be the best No. 14 seed in some time.
“They are so good. It’s crazy how good they are,” Appleton said. “They are a hard-to-guard team. They shoot so many threes (10 of 24). That’s the best team we played this year, I think.”
“I’d put them up against any 14 seed,” KU sophomore Brady Morningstar said after his eight-point, 29-minute effort.
Morningstar on Woodside
“That dude can play. He can shoot the ball with a hand in his face. He has different speeds, a great change of pace. It was his night.”
Cole coming back?
KU coach Self was asked if he thought Cole Aldrich would return to KU for a third season.
“I think I have a feel (which way Aldrich will go). There’s no pressure now (to make a decision). If he keeps improving at this rate, why settle for being a first (round) pick when you can be a top five (after junior or senior year)?”’ Self asked.
Bison faithful impressive
Self was impressed the N.D. State fans (maybe 12,000 out of crowd of 15,794) stuck around to cheer the Bison as they exited the court after the game.
“It’s the way it should be,” Self said of college athletics. “That team making the tournament … it’s a big deal. It was cool. Everybody respected them so much.
“If you really are objective, looking at their situation, the first time they are eligible (for NCAAs) and first time in (school history), that was a cool setting. Unfortunately we were the team that had to play them in that setting. It was good for us. Today we had to be tough.”
Stats, facts
KU is 6-1 in domes in the Self era. … KU has won 10 of its last 11 NCAA Tourney games. … KU has won 24 first-round games in its last 26 tries. … KU is 7-3 all-time as a No. 3 seed. … KU is 13-4 in the NCAA Tournament in the Self era. … KU had a season-low five turnovers. The Jayhawks had 10 four different times. … KU hit 16 of 20 free throws. … The Jayhawks had a pair of 7-0 runs in the first half, one giving KU a 21-17 lead, the other giving KU a 34-27 lead. KU closed the first half on a 16-7 run. … KU’s bench scored just five points in the game (Markieff Morris two, Tyrel Reed three) for the fewest by the reserves this season. … Sherron Collins had a career-high 32 points. His previous high was 26 three times. … Collins was the first Jayhawk to score 30 since Mario Chalmers hit for 30 against Texas on March 16, 2008. … Aldrich moved into a tie for seventh place on the KU season rebounding list with Bill Bridges (353 in 1961). He entered the game with 340 and grabbed 13 on Friday for 353 on the season. .. Marcus Morris dished four assists to match his second most this season (had six vs. Syracuse and four at Kansas State). Morris also had eight points and seven rebounds.
Richard GwinSenior sendoff
Per tradition, Kansas University seniors Brennan Bechard and Matt Kleinmann spoke to the fans after Saturday’s home finale versus Texas.
They were introduced by Hall of Fame KU announcer Max Falkenstien.
“I tried to convince Max to read Sherron’s accolades (instead of Bechard’s),” senior walk-on guard Bechard joked of teammate Sherron Collins.
“Coach Self … I can’t thank you enough for three wonderful years. I enjoyed every minute of it, almost every minute,” Bechard added. “You taught me so much, how to be a man. I appreciate it.”
Kleinmann, who this weekend was accepted to the architecture-grad-school program at Washington University in St. Louis, is the first player in Big 12 history — and believed to be the first in KU history — to win five league championship rings.
“This is a dream come true to stand here and tell you thank you. Everybody talks about our leaders. Every year you’ve been our leader,” Kleinmann told coach Bill Self. “Today at halftime you were our leader.”
Kleinmann later explained Self’s halftime message — one delivered with the Jayhawks down, 44-37.
“I don’t know if I can repeat half of it,” Kleinmann said with a smile. “He called out a lot of guys and called them out for the right reasons. A lot of guys were taking it too casual. Not often do you have a chance to play for a Big 12 title on your home court and get a ring. It was basically the message he got across, especially guys like Tyshawn (Taylor, two points first half; nine second) and Mario (Little, four points second half, good defense on Damion James). Those two really responded.”
Today’s the day
The Associated Press today is expected to release its all-Big 12 teams. Collins and Cole Aldrich are expected to be tapped first-team all-league, while Self is expected to be named coach of the year.
Post game flavor
The Jayhawks celebrated a bit at midcourt after the final horn, with Collins fake-punching Travis Releford in the stomach. Kleinmann held a 2009 Big 12 Champions sign high in the air. The players stood arm-in-arm on the free-throw line extended as a Big 12 title video played on the center scoreboard.
Also, Collins had the league title trophy tucked beneath his legs, patting it at times as the seniors gave their speeches.
“I just wanted to soak it in as much as I could, to get the experience. I think I had a little bit more to do with this one than last year. I was holding it until all the seniors got done with their speeches so I could give it to them,” Collins said.
One more year
The fans chanted “One more year” as Collins shot free throws in the closing moments. They want him to return for his senior year and not head to the NBA.
“I heard ’em. I thought it was funny. I’m not thinking about it (NBA) right now,” Collins said.
First title
Taylor on winning the Big 12 title as a freshman:
“It feels good for all the newcomers, the transfers and freshmen to have our own title, so now nobody can say we didn’t earn anything,” Taylor said. “They’ve been saying that a little bit. Now we’ve earned it.”
It’s Baylor or Nebraska on Thursday
KU will meet either Baylor or Nebraska in a first-round Big 12 tournament game at 11:30 a.m. Thursday at Ford Center in Oklahoma City. BU and NU meet in a first-round game at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday.
“I don’t think it means much at all,” Self said of landing the No. 1 seed. “We’ll either play a Nebraska team that gives us fits or a Baylor team that’s good enough to beat anybody.”
Stats, facts
James had 20 points the first half. It was reminiscent of the KU-UT game on March 3, 2007, when Kevin Durant had 25 in the first half. Durant finished with 32 points in a losing cause; James finished with 26 … James scored eight first-half field goals, the most since Durant drained 10 in 2007. … James was held without a field goal the second half. … James’ 26 points were the most points scored by an opposing player this season at Allen Fieldhouse. … Releford started the second half in place of Taylor. … KU has won five straight conference championships for the first time since the Jayhawks won six straight from 1921-1927. It is the first time that this feat has been accomplished in Big Eight and Big 12 history. … KU’s seven-point halftime deficit was the largest overcome by the Jayhawks all season. … Aldrich had three blocks and moved into 13th on the KU’s blocked shots list (111). … UT hit 20 of 22 free throws, KU 23 of 26. … Aldrich recorded his 18th double-double, which is tied for fourth most in a single-season. He has recorded a double-double in five of the past six games. … KU’s bench outscored Texas’ 39-9. … KU’s 10 turnovers tied the season-low mark for fewest turnovers in the game. … Collins has scored over 20 points in five of the last six games.
Nick KrugPuffy nose
Kansas’ Cole Aldrich took a shot to his nose and had his left nostril plugged with cotton after the game.
“I don’t know what it is. I’ll get it checked out tomorrow. It’s not anything that’s bothering me too much,” he said of his swollen nose. He refused to speculate on whether it was broken.
“It’s a little runny. That’s all it is.”
He said the game was “real rough. They really kind of packed down a little big, came from every angle. They were swiping quite a bit, and they made it uncomfortable for us, myself included. They were a tough team. They came out gunning for us right away.”
Aldrich didn’t score or grab a rebound the first half. He had eight points and eight boards the second half.
“It’s tough. It’s real tough for me,” Aldrich said, asked if it’s difficult to play against a small team like NU. “It’s tough getting out to shooters and playing the dribble drive.”
Perfect from line
Sherron Collins went 4-for-4 from the free-throw line and now has made 27 in a row. That ties Wayne Simien for second best streak in KU history. Simien also has the record of 34.
“No,” Collins said if he’s thinking of the record. “What is the record?” he added, nobody in the vicinity of Collins able to recall the number and satisfy his curiosity.
Signee OK
KU signee Elijah Johnson, whose left knee has been bothering him, was cleared to play the rest of the season by his doctor Wednesday, the Las Vegas Sun reported.
The 6-2 guard from Las Vegas Cheyenne High missed a handful of games because of a slight ligament tear in his left knee earlier this season. He was limited to just three minutes in the second half of a game Tuesday night.
Next up
Saturday’s KU-Colorado game will be shown exclusively on ESPNU. Sunflower Broadband customers will need to subscribe to either Silver TV or the Sports Pack in order to receive the game as ESPNU is on channel 141. Tipoff for the game is 3 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse.
Stats, facts
KU has won 12 in a row versus Nebraska and five straight in Devaney Center. …KU trailed at halftime for the third time this year (UMass, 36-30, and Michigan State, 37-18). It is the first time the Jayhawks won when behind at the break. … KU shot over 50 percent for the fifth straight game. … KU’s bench outscored NU’s, 21-6. … KU had a season-high 21 turnovers. … Mario Little had a career-best seven rebounds while playing 30 minutes, also a personal high. He tied his career mark dishing out two assists.
Wall update
The country’s top high school senior prospect, John Wall, spoke to Jason Jordan of ESPN.com about his recruitment.
Wall, 6-foot-4 from Word of God Christian Academy in Raleigh, N.C., said he currently is “leaning toward Kansas and Memphis, not specifically in that order.”
He also has Baylor, North Carolina State, Oregon and Kentucky on his list.
“Those are the two coaches who I’ve had the best connection with so far because they’ve been in for in-home visits,” Wall said of Bill Self and John Calipari.
Wall told ESPN.com that Self told Wall he’d “have to work for everything.” Calipari compared Wall to NBA No. 1 draft pick Derrick Rose to indicate he’d have the ball in his hands a lot, which Wall said was “attractive.”
Wall told ESPN “probably” when asked if he was a likely one-year-and-done college player.
