On vacation until 2014! Have a safe and wonderful holiday, and Rock Chalk!

Vote here for NBA All-Stars Paul Pierce, Mario Chalmers


Xavier Henry pump-faked and shot the lane. He saw the rim but never his unsuspecting victim. He took flight a step past the free throw line, cocking the ball back in his left hand. Thwack. Henry's spectacular fatality of a dunk over Jeff Withey, the Pelicans' rookie center and a former Kansas teammate, was an instant, unforgettable posterization. And the message was clear: Jump, 7-footers. Or risk the wrath of Xavier Henry jumping over you.

The dunk, during an otherwise quiet November game at Staples Center, garnered so much attention that Henry later texted Withey to check in on him. "He said he was doing all right," said Henry, the Lakers' 6-foot-6 swingman. "It was just one of his 'welcome to the league' moments. He said he learned not to take no charges no more."

But the play reverberated beyond SportsCenter, YouTube, and Withey's soul for those close to Xavier Henry. It meant something. It was a literal leap in the right direction, as Henry attempts to right his career after some lost years. "It's been difficult both physically and mentally for him, his family and me as well, knowing what type of talent he is and the ability and skill he has," said Mark Heusman, a conditioning expert who has worked with Henry since he was in high school. "It's just been difficult to see him struggle through this and not be able to show off what he has."

Henry, who is just 22 years old, was once the prize of a recruiting clash between Kentucky, Kansas, and Memphis. He is a former lottery pick who's in his fourth NBA season with his third NBA team. He is finally making his mark with the Lakers, although his contract is not guaranteed. His career has been hindered by stops and starts, injuries, and acclimating to the rigors of the NBA. He's fighting for his NBA life.

"[That dunk] probably came out of nowhere for people that haven't really seen me play the last few years," Henry said.

That includes just about everyone. Henry is a prime example of how a talented young player can quickly get lost amid the league's shuffle. The Lakers are a patchwork team, having played without Kobe Bryant for the first 19 games of the season, trying to salvage their today in hopes of a better tomorrow. In a deep Western Conference, the team is surprisingly holding steady. Few anticipated this much. Fewer still expected Henry to be one of the reasons why.

…Kansas coach Bill Self met with Henry after the season. Self recommended that he enter the draft. Despite a modest first season, analysts and mock drafts predicted Henry to be a surefire lottery pick. Self was sure that Henry had the body and the maturity to handle the NBA at a young age. C.J. Henry had faced the same decision a few years earlier with baseball. He had been a heavily recruited basketball player and told himself that he would attend college should he slip to the second round of the baseball draft. The Yankees selected him in the first round.

"You take a chance coming back in any sport and not turning professional," C.J. Henry said. "When you do that, I think health is the biggest determining factor."

Injuries sidetracked C.J.'s baseball career. His brother was healthy at Kansas, but Xavier was unsure about whether to declare for the draft or not.

"I was a kid, 18," Xavier said. "I had a lot of fun my freshman year of college. It didn't end the way I wanted it to, of course. I had mixed emotions about coming back and doing better in school and for the team and my coaches and for everybody who supported us. But coach let me know that it was probably the best time."

So Xavier declared with the expectation of becoming a lottery pick. "He enjoyed Kansas, I enjoyed Kansas," Carl Henry said. "It was just time for him to leave. Should he have stayed? He could've stayed another year. We'll never know what would have happened."

Xavier Henry, like most players who depart early, likely would have benefited from a longer college stay. He weighed that risk against his stock falling. Another year would allow professional scouts more time to pick apart his game. Another year would also subject him to the risk of an injury.

"Like a lot of kids, I think he was ready to make a lot of money," Self said. "It's hard to fault anybody when they leave, because everybody chases the American dream. Why shouldn't these kids? Now, could he have stayed another year? Yeah, he could have — then you risk a lot of things. My thing is, if a kid's a lottery pick, then it'd be hard for me as a coach to try and convince him to stay."

…"This is his fourth year, which would make it his rookie year [if he stayed in college]," Hollins said. "He's just now playing with aggressiveness and playing with a little more toughness and a purpose that you would expect a player to do. I just think a lot of these kids that are coming out one-and-done, they're so young and definitely immature, both physically and mentally, and not really ready or able to cope with the rigors of playing in the NBA."
Grantland: The Resurrection of Xavier Henry



With a big thanks to vocalist Amy Woodall, violinist Christine Kuznia and executive producer Christian Simpson, we present to you a holiday classic. We also would like to thank Joel Embiid for having such a fantastic name.

Props to David Glenn Show producer Hayes Permar, who gave me the idea when he did his brilliant P.J. Hairston parody song over the summer.

KANSAS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH(Sung to the tune of Angels We Have Heard on High)



Kansas we have heard on high 

Dominating the Big 12

And Marcus Smart in reply

Blocks out this next refrain


Joel Embiid in the Jayhawks frontcourt

Joel Embiid with Wiggins and Perry Ellis too



Bill Self we get your jubilee

What nine straight league titles do for thee

Even though you don't have Missouri

To beat cuz they're now SEC


Joel Embiid in the Jayhawks frontcourt

Joel Embiid with Wiggins and Perry Ellis too



Joel's dad came from Cameroon to see

His son play ball already

Joel's free throws do need work

But the rest of his game has its perks


Joel Embiid in the Jayhawks frontcourt

Joel Embiid with Wiggins and Perry Ellis too



Self's frontcourt stands 6-8 and above

But don't forget Selden, Mase or Tharpe

His starting 5 we may see

In Dallas' house of Jerry


Joel Embiid in the Jayhawks frontcourt

Joel Embiid with Wiggins and Perry Ellis too
SI (Video at the link)

3. What conference has surprised you the most thus far?

Even though Kansas is still working out some kinks, the Big 12 overall is a bit better than I expected. We knew Oklahoma State would be salty, and the Cowboys are. But Baylor, which lost Jackson, the Big 12 scoring and assists leader, has a trio of nice wins against Colorado, Dayton and Kentucky, and looked decent against Syracuse. The Bears aren’t as big of a surprise as Iowa State. I thought the Cyclones would be good eventually, but I figured it’d take some time considering they lost four double-digit scorers. Fred Hoiberg’s squad is undefeated with wins against Michigan, Iowa and BYU (on the road). Other than Kansas, no Big 12 team lost more from last season than Oklahoma, yet the Sooners are 9-1. Rick Barnes’ Texas squad lost its four top scorers and somehow managed to get better. Texas Tech and West Virginia are hardly pushovers. Kansas State is improving after a rough start but is still likely an NIT team at best.
Jason King


It was never going to be sustainable.

UNC overcame poor free throw shooting and rebounding against No. 11 Kentucky on Saturday. And somehow, the Tar Heels had a shot Wednesday against Texas before the Longhorns closed the door and won 86-83.

The Tar Heels were out-rebounded 51-42, but the real stinger was UNC’s 51.1 percent free throw shooting. UNC went 24-for-47 at the charity stripe and made just 10-of-25 in the second half.
News-Record


Kenny Chery scored 12 of his 20 points in overtime and No. 12 Baylor returned from an extended break with a 91-84 victory over Northwestern State on Wednesday night.
AP


"To me, when you've got a young team, it's a lot like house-training a puppy dog," Hinson said. "You know what, when the dog does something wrong, 'bad dog.' I'm not going to hit 'em. I'm not going to swat 'em, but bad dog, get on the treadmill."

Senior forward Davante Drinkard wasn't amused by the rant and tweeted, "I can't believe the little man had the nerve to call us mama's boys. Smh. I guess this is where Our team learns to point the finger."
ESPN


North Carolina reserve guard Leslie McDonald has been cleared to play by the university, and will make his season debut Wednesday against Texas, Yahoo Sports has learned. Star shooting guard P.J. Hairston, however, remains in limbo and is unlikely to play this season, a source close to the school's basketball program told Yahoo Sports.

Hairston might decide to leave school and declare himself eligible for the NBA draft, the source said.
North Carolina has not applied for Hairston's reinstatement.
Yahoo


As North Carolina's PJ Hairston continues to sit because of NCAA eligibility concerns, his friend Miykael Faulcon now knows his own fate: Faulcon will return to the court at Elizabeth City State for a game Thursday night after serving a nine-game suspension.

An NCAA investigation found that Faulcon, a sophomore basketball player at the Division II school, received impermissible preferential treatment valued at $1,440.98. As a result, the NCAA ruled that Faulcon must sit 30 percent (nine games) of the regular season and donate $1,440.98 to a charity organization of his choice.

…Faulcon was a passenger in two Hertz rental vehicles with Hairston when Hairston, 20, was cited for speeding in May and then possession of marijuana and driving without a license following a traffic stop in June. On both occasions Hairston was driving rental cars linked to convicted felon Haydn "Fats" Thomas.

Thomas told USA TODAY Sports this week that he has not – and will not – interview with NCAA or North Carolina officials.

Trudy Faulcon, the mother of Miykael Faulcon, said she sat for a two-hour interview with two NCAA officials at an Atlanta hotel on Sept. 21, during which she said she witnessed Hairston driving a Chevy Camaro SS several times last spring.

Faulcon said Hairston visited her home on several occasions in May while driving the rented orange Camaro with Virginia plates. Hairston came to her home to visit her son Miykael.

When Hairston was cited for speeding in May, he was driving a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro SS, which at the time was rented by a woman, Catinia Farrington, who shares Thomas' address.
USA Today


Big XII composite schedule (includes results, highlights, stats)


ESPN College GameDay Schedule


2013-14 TV Schedule

@K_Ctmd22 Nearly had the play of the day @TarkClassic #Day1
@WhoGotNextG


12/18/13, 5:48 PM
Coaches in attendance at the @TarkClassic:
Arizona, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, UNC, UNLV & UCLA, just to name a few
@DICircuit


http://www.tarkanianclassic.com/home.html


Recruiting Calendar


My Late Night in the Phog videos, KU Alumni games videos, 2011-12 Border War videos, Legends of the Phog videos, KC Prep Invitational, & Jayhawk Invitational Videos and more now on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/kcjcjhawk

http://www.ncaa.com/video/basketball-men/2013-12-17/college-basketball-high-five-loudest-arenas


The NCAA on Tuesday revealed something that fans of Kansas University basketball have believed to be true for a long time.

Allen Fieldhouse was named as the loudest, most intimidating arena in college basketball in a High-Five feature on NCAA.com, the website announced Tuesday.

Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium was ranked second followed by the Carrier Dome at Syracuse, Gallagher-Iba Arena at Oklahoma State and The Pit at New Mexico.
LJW


Kansas men's basketball signees Cliff Alexander and Kelly Oubre are two of the 10 names on the Naismith Trophy Early-Season Watch List, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Monday.
 
Alexander, from Curie High School in Chicago, and Oubre from Findlay Prep in Henderson, Nev., are two of the top 10 boys playing high school basketball in the country named to the Naismith Trophy High School Player of the Year Early-Season Watch List.
 
Alexander has led Curie to a 4-0 record early in the 2013-14 season. The 6-8, 240-pound forward opened the year with 22 points, 20 rebounds and five blocked shots against Las Vegas Bishop Gorman High School at the Chicago Elite Classic. In his second game he scored 18 points and pulled down 13 rebounds in a 79-76 overtime victory against St. Rita High School. Through 15 games, Oubre (6-7, 200-pound) is averaging 24.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.8 steals for Findley Prep.
 
Last season, current Kansas freshman Andrew Wiggins became the first Jayhawk to be named the Naismith High School Player of the Year since the award began in 1987.
KUAD


Believe it or not, Saturday’s 11 a.m. contest against Georgetown will be the first men’s game in Allen in 29 days.

“I can’t wait for that,” KU freshman guard Wayne Selden said with a smile.

Same goes for coach Bill Self, who has taken his team to the Bahamas for three games, Colorado and Florida, as well as Kansas City’s Sprint Center for a six-game stretch away from home.

“I bet it’s the longest time (not) playing in Allen Fieldhouse maybe in the history of the building,” Self said Monday on his “Hawk Talk” radio show. “I could be wrong on that. I bet there’s not been one situation where it’s been a month where a team hasn’t played a home game there.”

He’s close to being correct.

It’s the longest stretch between games in the fieldhouse in the Self era, with the previous 19 days four different times.

The longest stretch in the modern era appears to be 32 days between home games from Dec. 16, 2000, to Jan. 17, 2001. Roy Williams was the coach at that time.

…After looking at the film, Self thought KU played well Saturday.

Junior point guard Naadir Tharpe celebrated his return to a starting position after a two-game absence by dishing nine assists against four turnovers and scoring eight points in 37 minutes.

“He is trying,” Self said. “I am probably harder on Naadir than I am anybody just because I think he should know. We have had numerous talks. He does know. He gets it. I didn’t think he was doing much to help the other guys, whether it be on the court or off the court. I got frustrated with him.
We put him on the bench.

“The reality is, he didn’t react that well (to benching) so that was a little bit disappointing to me,” Self added. “We had a talk about that. The bottom line is, he’s as valuable a player as we have. He can play. He’s a great kid. He has to understand his value to us. He can’t take days off. He is the only one we have with any experience.

“Perry (Ellis, 21 points, nine rebounds) had a good game, obviously, and the big kid was terrific,” he noted of Joel Embiid, who had 18 points and six boards — 17 points the second half. “That was a good team. People will find out. They’ll either win the Mountain West or finish second, because the other team we play (from that league), San Diego State, will win it or finish second.”

…Wichita State coach Gregg Marshall tells Foxsportskansascity.com he would like to schedule a series with KU — one game in Allen Fieldhouse, one in Sprint Center and one at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita.

“I’m not going to just be bought,” Marshall said. “I’m not going to go to Allen Fieldhouse for a check (as guarantee game opponent). We’d like to play home-and-home. Ultimately, we’ve got to put ourselves in a position where playing (the Jayhawks) or not playing them has no bearing on our success, and that’s what we’re doing. It would be helpful, but still, we’re putting ourselves in a position where it doesn’t matter if they want to play or not. That’s what we have to do. One day, when it behooves them, then maybe it’ll happen.”

KU currently has no plans to schedule WSU in men’s hoops.

“It’s out there that we will play anybody,” Marshall told FOX, “and the better the team, the better for us. And we’ll start on the road.”
LJW

“This isn’t knocking Wichita State,” Self told The Star on Tuesday. “But if it was best for our program, I would reach out to them about scheduling them. But it’s not. I’ve heard a lot of talk about them wanting to play us so bad; Gregg Marshall’s never contacted me about playing.”

…“The one thing about being in coaching a long time and coaching at different schools and different levels is the fact that you understand that coaches schedule what’s in the best interest of their program,” Self said. “Nowhere does it say that they are obligated to schedule in the best interest of somebody else’s program that wants to play them.”

Self said he ran into similar issues while coaching at Tulsa in the late 1990s. He wanted to play Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Arkansas and other bigger programs in the region.

“And they wouldn’t play,” Self said. “But I didn’t blame them. And I didn’t make a big deal of it.”

He respects what Marshall is building down the road at Wichita State — and he praises what the Shockers are doing this season. But he sees no reason why a series with Wichita State would benefit KU.

“Certainly, Wichita State’s done such a good job,” Self said. “They got to the Final Four, and they’re off to a great start now. But it’s about a program. It’s not about a team.”
KC Star


Even after a strong offensive effort against New Mexico, Bill Self still believes his team has a long way to go when it comes to passing.

“It’s been awful. Oh my gosh,” the Kansas coach said on his weekly radio show Monday. “We’ve gone over it and over it and showed them film. We do not have great passers. Now we’re going to get better, and we have gotten better.”

The 11th-year coach says it’s an issue his team has worked on every day in practice. Self, along with his assistants, go over how to feed the post and the best time to throw it inside.

Things just haven't gone as smoothly in games. Self compares it to golfers who receives great instruction on the driving range only to go back to bad habits when they step on the first teebox.

“It’s the same thing in basketball,” Self said. “You work on it and practice, practice, practice. You get in a game they’re a little bit longer, a little bit harder to pass over or pass around, (you're) a little bit tentative, and the next thing you know, you’re not quite as confident, and so you don’t make the same plays you made in practice.”

…Getting the ball inside becomes even more important with the quick maturation of 7-foot center Joel Embiid. In the second half alone against UNM, the freshman had 16 points on 5-for-5 shooting.

Self also says the big man, with his passing skills, has the potential to open things up for the Jayhawks' perimeter players. When Embiid passes out of the post, that can force poor closeouts for opposing defenders, which could enable KU to play more to its athleticism with players like Andrew Wiggins and Wayne Selden Jr.

“We’ve got to do a better job of playing through our bigs,” Self said, “because whether we think it or not, it’s still the strength of our team without question.”

The numbers back Self’s claim. Ellis has made 62 percent of his 2-pointers this year, while Embiid has made 69 percent of his twos. The NCAA average is 49 percent.

“If we’re going to have a chance this year to really be a good team — I’m not talking about a special team; I’m talking about a really good team — then we’ve got to get where we can obviously feed the post,” Self said, “and do some things that are just simple plays.”
TCJ


Kansas University basketball coach Bill Self hasn’t given up on Memphis transfer Tarik Black, who has not scored and grabbed just seven rebounds total in limited action the last four games.

“Tarik ... today he was the best player in practice,” Self said, praising the 6-foot-9, 260-pound senior on Monday’s “Hawk Talk” radio show. “I know he’ll have some moments, and I know he’ll catch some breaks (in upcoming games).

“He wants it so bad. Sometimes he puts too much pressure on himself,” Self added of the Memphis native who has come off the bench the last two games after starting the first eight.

Six of KU’s “bigs” played two or more minutes in Saturday’s 80-63 victory over New Mexico.

Black, who had two turnovers, worked two minutes, as did Justin Wesley, who had a rebound and hit one free throw. Perry Ellis had 21 points and nine rebounds in 31 minutes; Joel Embiid 18 points and six boards in 25 minutes; Landen Lucas two points and five boards in 10 minutes; and Jamari Traylor four points, three assists and a rebound in nine minutes.

“Jamari has been terrific,” Self said of the 6-8 sophomore who had nine rebounds and five points in 17 minutes at Florida. “He makes two great passes for layups (vs. UNM). He’s playing with energy.

“Landen gave us some good minutes,” he added of 6-10 red-shirt freshman Lucas, “and Justin (6-9, senior) played late and did fine. We are a deep team up front, but with that being said, if the big fella keeps getting better ... he needs to be playing 30 minutes a game.”

…KU’s players continue to prepare for Saturday’s 11 a.m. home game against Georgetown while also taking their final exams in the classroom.

“We have a master final exam schedule. We work around the master schedule,” Self said of a list of the players and their exam times. “We had a four-hour window (Monday). The 2:30 (p.m.) range was the first time available (to practice). It was the same (Tuesday). Starting Wednesday, we’ll go at 11 (a.m.) or 12 (noon) every day. That’s the time slot available, which is not bad because we play at 11 Saturday.

“We’ll be in the gym a lot when we come back (from holiday break on Dec. 26). We’ll be in the gym a lot, not necessarily practicing all the time. There will be a lot of film and individual improvement and shooting and things like that. We’ll be in there a couple times a day that can vary. We can practice any time on those days (until start of second-semester classes on Jan. 21).”

The players will leave for their hometowns after the game Saturday. Joel Embiid, who hails from Cameroon, will be the only one not heading home. He’ll be able to hang out with players from the area as well as coaches and their families.

“They get four days off, which is a big number for what we usually get,” Self said. KU will meet Toledo at 7 p.m., Dec. 30, in Allen.
LJW


Jayhawks freshmen Andrew Wiggins, Joel Embiid and Wayne Selden, Jr. are all projected by DraftExpress to be chosen in the top 14 of the 2014 NBA Draft. Wiggins was the consensus No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2013 and has been the presumed No. 1 pick in 2014 for over a year. He is featured on the cover of the current SI.

“I like all three of them,” Nets point guard and former Kansas star point guard Tyshawn Taylor told SNY.tv at shootaround on Saturday morning. “I think they’re all one-and-done and I think they’re all gonna be really good pros.”

…“I was a four-year guy, yeah, but I didn’t go to college expecting to stay four years, trust me,” the former St. Anthony star said. “It just kind of happened that way. For the individual, the one-and-done is great. If I had the chance to leave after my freshman year, I would’ve been out. But, for the college game, it takes away from it a little bit.”

…“Up until Xavier Henry, Coach Self hadn’t really had a one-and-done and I remember during that time, he really wanted Xavier,” Taylor said. “I think he even leaned on Xavier to be a one-and-done. He pushed for that because he obviously thought he was a talented enough player to do it.”

While all of the one-and-dones were happening Kansas, Self never wavered on his reputation as a developer as the Morris twins, Marcus and Markieff, Thomas Robinson, Jeff Withey and Cole Aldrich (now with the Knicks) all became stars over multiple seasons at Kansas, not to mention NBA players in the process.

“I think he understands that’s the type of environment we’re in right now,” Taylor said. “As a recruiter, you have to stay with what’s going on. Guys who thought they would be one-and-done were seeing Kansas as a spot to stay two, three years and that didn’t end up being their choice. Coach Self had Xavier one year, then Josh Selby the next year and Ben McLemore the next year. I think he just understands that that’s the direction college basketball is in and he had to go with it.”

As for this new wave of potential one-and-dones at Kansas, Taylor admitted not seen Oubre play yet, but he has seen Wiggins, Selden, Jr. and Embiid. Wiggins is getting much of the spotlight in the preseason, but Self apparently had some strong words to Taylor regarding Embiid, a 7-footer from The Rock School (Fla.) by way of Cameroon who did not begin playing basketball until he was 16.

“I watched him play and his game is crazy, he’s 7-foot doing between-the-leg dunks and windmills and all that,” Taylor said. “Coach Self told me that if he has him for two years, he’ll be the best big man he probably ever coached as far as skill, footwork, hands, everything. I played with some great big men, Cole Aldrich, Thomas Robinson, the Morris twins and to hear coach say that, I was blown away when I played with him in June when I was out there.”
Zags Blog


Speaking of freshmen, I am going to enjoy watching Kansas freshman center Joel Embiid improve as much as I have any player in a long, long time. Embiid isn't just getting better each game. It seems like he's getting better each possession. He's a beautiful kid, too.

And speaking of Kansas, I'm wondering if Tarik Black regrets leaving Memphis to join the Jayhawks. He would have been an important piece for the Tigers, but he played all of two minutes in the Jayhawks' win over New Mexico.
SI Seth Davis

The first time Kansas center Joel Embiid played basketball on U.S. soil, his high school teammates laughed.

In the same game, Embiid got hit in the stomach by a guard's pass, tripped and fell coming off a screen, and had the ball bounce off his foot when he was trying to dribble past a defender.

Fresh off a plane from the African country of Cameroon, Embiid had arrived at Montverde Academy—a prep school in Florida—knowing little English and even less about basketball. As a child, he had focused on volleyball and soccer.

Still, at 6'9", with the wingspan of a pterodactyl and the footwork of a ballet dancer, it was obvious to coach Kevin Boyle that he had landed a treasure in the 16-year-old Embiid—no matter how awkward he appeared in his first informal practice at the school.

When Montverde's players snickered at yet another clumsy play by their gargantuan newcomer, Boyle blew his whistle and motioned for Embiid to get a drink of water.

As Embiid walked away, Boyle summoned his players to center court.

"Laugh all you want," he said, "But in five years, you're going to be asking him for a loan, because he's going to be worth about $50 million."

Boyle chuckles when recalling the story.

"I told them, 'You have no idea how good that kid is going to be.'"

…"He can do things that only a few people in the world can do," one NBA scout said.

It's no stretch to say Embiid is a basketball savant. Self calls him a "sponge" because he soaks up so much information. No college player in America has a higher ceiling than Embiid, and that's if he has one at all.

"It comes easy to him," Self said. "He moves like a 6-footer with his feet. He can move in a way that very few guys in the past have been able to move. There's a skill set there that very few 7-footers have.

"He has a natural feel, natural instincts. Of all the guys on our team, he's the most instinctive basketball guy we have."

And that's the crazy part: It shouldn't be like that. If there's any player in college basketball with an excuse to look uncomfortable on the court, it's a 7-foot center from the middle of Africa who three years ago didn't know the difference between man-to-man and zone defense.

…Each day at practice, Embiid was pitted against standouts such as Nnoko, current Florida point guard Kasey Hill and center Dakari Johnson, a McDonald's All-American who now plays for Kentucky.
Embiid was behind his teammates when it came to understanding the game, but he hardly let that intimidate him. His battles in the paint with Johnson are still talked about among Montverde alums.

"Every single day, he and Dakari were about to fight," Hill said by phone from Florida last week.
"Coach Boyle was always having to break them up. They were fouling each other, pounding on each other, elbowing each other.

"JoJo is a happy kid. He's real outgoing. But on the court, he's not going to back down from anyone."

Even though Embiid spent almost all of the season on the junior varsity squad, he was making progress at an alarming rate—mainly because of his work ethic. During his lunch breaks and after practice, he would often seek out extra instruction from Boyle.

…For more than an hour, Self hardly said a word.

At the urging of his assistant, Norm Roberts, the Kansas coach had traveled to Gainesville (Fla.) in the fall of 2012 to watch Embiid in an open scrimmage at The Rock, the private school to which he had transferred in hopes of getting more playing time as a senior.

As Embiid and his teammates trotted off the court, Roberts turned to Self.

"Well," Roberts said, "what do you think?"

Self was still speechless.

"I mean, I know he's raw," Roberts said. "I know he's a project and all, but ... "

Self interrupted.

"Are you frickin' kidding me?" he said. "This dude could be the No. 1 pick in the draft. He can run. He's got good feet. He's got touch. He's unbelievable. He'll be the best big man we've ever coached if we can get him."

…Florida coach Billy Donovan had already made Embiid one of his top priorities, and it certainly didn't hurt that Walker and Hill, Embiid's AAU teammates, had pledged to the Gators. And since The Rock was in Gainesville, Embiid often found himself in pickup games with Florida players.

Texas was heavily pursuing Embiid, too, and he fell in love with Austin on his official visit.

Kansas, though, scheduled Embiid's trip to Lawrence the same weekend as Late Night in the Phog, the Jayhawks' version of Midnight Madness. Embiid said walking into Allen Fieldhouse and seeing 16,300 fans was nothing short of overwhelming.

"It was crazy," said Embiid, who was joined on his visit by future teammate Wayne Selden. "We walked in there and everyone started clapping and yelling. I didn't know what was going on. I was scared. I was like, 'Are they clapping for us?' I just looked down at the ground. I couldn't believe it."

…To help with his final decision, Embiid said he made a list of pros and cons for each of the three schools. Kansas topped the list for atmosphere and its track record of sending post players to the pros, but Texas and Florida ranked first in other categories.

Embiid said the final decision came after NBA types told his high school coaches and Mbah a Moute that Kansas would best prepare him for the next level.
Jason King

Draft Express NBA Prospect of the Week: Joel Embiid


But there apparently is some risk to scheduling aggressively, and that risk is that Associated Press voters might not take the time to look at your losses and use context, which brings me Doug Doughty of the Roanoke Times. He's the only one of the 65 AP voters who has Kansas unranked on his ballot, and I can only assume it's because he can't bring himself to rank a school that's lost three of its first 10 games. Now let me explain why that's silly.

Yes, Kansas is 7-3.

But that 7-3 record has come against a schedule featuring five games against opponents that are currently ranked in the top 35 at KenPom.com. According to the AP poll, Kansas has a neutral-court win over No. 8 Duke (to go with a neutral-court win over New Mexico), and the losses are to No. 8 Villanova on a neutral court, to No. 16 Florida on the road, and to No. 20 Colorado on the road, and those three losses have come by an average of 4.3 points. In other words, the Jayhawks have shown they can beat good teams, and they haven't lost to a single bad team. But they're still unworthy of a spot on Doughty's Top 25 ballot.

Meantime, he ranked Oklahoma 22nd.

To be clear, Oklahoma might end up being good.

I have no idea.

But, to date, all Oklahoma has done is build a 9-1 record against a non-conference schedule rated 254th at KenPom.com. The Sooners have played one top-40 team, and they lost that game (to Michigan State) by double-digits. But OU got the nod over KU on Doughty's ballot because, I guess, 9-1 looks better than 7-3 when you don't take the time to really look at it.
CBS


#1 Wiggins continues to face harsh scrutiny, especially after a tepid performance in the Battle 4 Atlantis and career-low six points against UTEP. But he's recently looked the part of the No. 1 pick again, scoring 22 points against Colorado and 26 against Florida. Wiggins has become more aggressive taking the ball to the basket and took a total of 17 free throws in those two games before having another off game against New Mexico on Saturday. Given that scouts are primarily concerned with his lack of aggressiveness, that's a very good sign if he can start doing it consistently.

#3 Embiid has made his way into KU's starting lineup, and while his numbers don't scream No. 1 pick, every time he's on the floor he's a game changer. No one thought Embiid would be this far along so early. He seems to be getting better by the game and had a career-high 18 points against New Mexico on Saturday. While he might be a bit of a risky No. 1 pick, the upside is evident. I'm not sure there's a player in this draft who could be more dominant if he lived up to his potential.

#19 Selden is a great prospect, but he is not yet dominating the ways scouts would like. He had one of his worst games of the season against Florida: a four-point, four-turnover stinker. The turnovers are a problem in general, as he's had 13 in the past four games.
ESPN 2014 Draft Board ($)


Vote here for NBA All-Stars Paul Pierce, Mario Chalmers


Kings guard Ben McLemore won Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors for November, but December hasn’t been kind to him.

McLemore is shooting 30.3 percent in December, including 4-for-25 in his last four games.
The Kings, however, haven’t lost faith in their first-round draft pick.

“He’s been struggling a little lately,” said Kings coach Michael Malone. “I don’t want him getting down on himself.”

McLemore should have better looks at the basket playing off Rudy Gay, DeMarcus Cousins and Isaiah Thomas. Malone said the Kings also “try to get him some easy looks” by getting McLemore out in transition.

It doesn’t help that McLemore has drawn some tough defensive assignments lately, including Monta Ellis, Eric Bledsoe and James Harden.

“He’s got to obviously play better defense at times, but he’s going to fine,” Malone said. “He’s a work in progress, he’s young. He only played one year in college, and we feel he’s got a bright, bright future, and he’s gotten a lot better just in the short time from summer league until now.”
Sac Bee

Then and Now: Pretty funny pics of college basketball coaches
TSN


3. Has Marcus Smart actually changed his game and improved his perimeter stroke? He’s missed 16 of his last 19 threes. Take a look at his shot chart (right) from the last four games.
More concerning? During that stretch, Smart has 17 assists and 16 turnovers. Keep in mind this is a small sample size, and that in the three games prior he shot 10-for-21 from three and averaged 31.3 points, scoring at least 23 points in the first half of all three games.
On the season, Smart is shooting 32.1% from three, up from 29.0% last season.

10. Andrew Wiggins, Kansas: Wiggins gets an awful lot of criticism for a guy averaging 15.9 points and 5.9 boards that just so happens to be the nation’s best perimeter defender.
NBC POY rankings


Oklahoma State's first eight possessions against Louisiana Tech on Saturday: seven missed shots and a turnover.

So started a sluggish afternoon offensively, with the Cowboys never sustaining any flow or rhythm.

And still the No. 7-ranked Cowboys rolled, winning by 15 points.

Defense was the difference.

“When your defense is on point, that's what matters,” said OSU guard Marcus Smart, who had four steals against Tech, giving him a Big 12-best 30 in 10 games. “You're going to have off games on offense, that's just the nature of the game. We're humans. So that's going to happen. But if you're focused on the defense, that can make up for a lot of things that may not go right on the offensive end.”

The Cowboys have been dialed in on defense, residing at or near the top of every major defensive category in the Big 12 statistical rankings. And the numbers should improve when OSU hosts Delaware State on Tuesday in a 7 p.m. tip at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

Maybe it's time to change the label on Travis Ford.

“I've always been known for offense, because my teams score a lot of points,” Ford said. “But people don't understand, we've had very good defensive numbers since I've been here.”

Still, the Cowboys have never, Ford said, had a better defensive team under his watch. And the numbers back it up.

In the Big 12, OSU ranks No. 1 in steals and turnover margin; No. 2 in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense and blocked shots; No. 3 in 3-point field goal percentage defense.

All that from a team that plays fast, averages 88.4 points per game and leads the league in scoring margin. Only three teams have managed as many as 70 points against the Cowboys.

“I like our defense,” Ford said. “And I don't mind quietly going about it, as long as our team understands — defense and rebounding wins games and championships.
The Oklahoman


It would have been difficult to guess that the Big 12's leading rebounder would be Iowa State forward Dustin Hogue, a lightly heralded junior college transfer.

But Cyclones forward Georges Niang knew right away not to doubt his remarkable new teammate.

"He's a mean cat, man. When he wants something, he gets it. Whether it's a sandwich after practice or a rebound. He's just determined," Niang said. "When you have determination like that, nothing's going to stop you."

So far, no one has been able to stop Hogue or the Cyclones — whose surprising 8-0 start has been keyed by their most surprising player.

The 6-foot-6 Hogue is the leading rebounder among Big 12 teams with 11.1 a game — nearly two more than anyone else in the league — and he has 12.6 points a game on 60.3 percent shooting.
Hogue is also averaging 17 points and 15.3 rebounds in his past three games, wins over Auburn, Northern Iowa and No. 25 Iowa.

"He's just an absolute warrior. He goes after every ball. The rebounds he gets, he gets up higher than everyone else and then he elevates a couple of inches. It's just amazing to see how he goes after that ball," Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg said.
AP


The Wisconsin Badgers rank No. 1 in BPI after starting 12-0 with five wins over top-50 BPI teams -- St. John's, Florida, Saint Louis, West Virginia and Virginia. Their five wins against top-50 teams are the most by any team. Kansas and Davidson are the only other teams that have even faced five top-50 teams.

Wisconsin has the 11th-most difficult schedule according to BPI. Seven of their 12 wins are against top-100 opponents and none of them are against teams outside the top 175.

The Badgers have been successful playing a slow pace (17th-fewest possessions per game). Two of their three worst BPI game scores this season have come in the two games in which they played at the fastest pace (at Green Bay, vs North Dakota).
ESPN: BPI Talk: Duke is not a top-25 team


When high school coaches across this state visit Wisconsin to watch practice every winter, the same sequence occurs: They see the Badgers pair up – just two players and a ball – and engage in the most rudimentary activity, monotonously passing and catching a basketball.

Then the high school coaches find Wisconsin assistant Lamont Paris to say, "You guys don't have to water things down just because we're here."

"We're not," Paris says. "We do things other teams in the middle of the season don't do. Basics."

The oft-told narrative of this college basketball season involves a handful of highlight reel-creating freshmen and new officiating rules intended to increase scoring and improve the game's artistry. Complicating that script are the Wisconsin players here, squatting in defensive stances as their head coach stands in the corner, hands behind his back, whistling at an imperfect box out.

Wisconsin, off to its best start since the 1915-16 season, ranks No. 1 in the RPI and has beaten more top 100 teams (nine) than any team in the country. The sixth-ranked Badgers (12-0) have done it the way they have always done it under 13th-year coach Bo Ryan, highlighting unglamorous skills like precise passing angles, adequate spacing and strong pivots. Ryan's no-frills system is as effective as ever, even if no jump stops will find there way onto YouTube.

"It is not pretty," says sophomore Sam Dekker, the team's second-leading scorer. "It has some rough edges on it. But it's what we do. It's not so sexy. But winning is fun. If it's not sexy, that's fine with us. We're not going to be dunking on everyone."
USA Today


Kentucky's early-season attendance is declining.

That's what Lexington Herald-Leader writer John Clay discovered last week, when he compared attendance numbers for the first seven games of the 2013-14 season to their equivalents in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. Clay's charts (at the link) offer up the numbers, and they point to a clear trend: Fewer people are showing up for UK basketball games this season than in Gillispie's final season. Huh?

The most interesting question is: Why? Clay's theories -- "television, or the lack of an enticing home schedule, or a lack of connection with the ever-changing roster, or the students" -- seem to represent the general consensus among Kentucky fans, at least those who responded to John on Facebook. There is also a fair amount of understandable frustration regarding this season's disappointing team -- frustration Calipari attempted to assuage in a blog post Tuesday morning:

I know we have to be more organized, our mission has to be clearer to the players, and I have to be less emotional during the game because we’ve got a bunch of young kids. I can’t put winning before their growth. … This is about getting these players to think a different way, to think about serving each other. My job is to serve them. Their job is to serve each other. …. I just have to stay patient and continue loving them as I challenge them and raise the bar -- no easy task when you’re dealing with 18-year-olds. These are good kids. They want to learn. We are going to be fine. Just remember it’s a process. Enjoy the ride, Big Blue Nation, because we need you.

Is this the hidden dynamic in Kentucky's attendance blips? It must be difficult to grow attached to a new team every season, and then turn that roster over entirely the following fall; a good number of people wrote some version of this theory to Clay in their responses. Is that the risk of Calipari's high-stakes talent experiment: That fans grow more distant and clinical, too?
ESPN


Casey Prather gingerly wheeled his Florida-logoed roller bag down a Madison Square Garden hallway, pausing a few times to rest.

It was just after midnight on Wednesday, following the Jimmy V Classic. He pointed to his knees, on which he'd scored 22 points in a 77-75 win over No. 15-ranked Memphis, and said to a writer walking beside him, "I'm old, man. I'm getting old."

Prather is 22. Old, maybe, for college basketball player. An advanced age, certainly, for someone who all of a sudden becomes a college basketball star. This sort of thing does not happen. A guy who averages 3.1 points per game over his first three seasons does not turn into an 18.3-point scorer as a senior, especially for a No. 16-ranked team loaded with talent.

By Prather's age, a player typically is what he is as a collegian. He is a former top-100 recruit, a 6-foot-6 forward who had a few high-flying highlights and a longer list of injuries. As a junior, he was mostly known for being beat up. He suffered two concussions in that preseason -- one from a Patric Young elbow to the head -- and later broke his nose, suffered a head gash that required stitches and high-sprained an ankle. Prather missed nine full games in '12-13 and was limited in others. He was once again expected to be a role player as a senior.

And then a funny thing happened in the Florida's lead-up to 2013-14, coming off a trip to the Elite Eight: Its projected starting senior point guard, Scottie Wilbekin, was indefinitely suspended, along with prize transfer forwards Dorian Finney-Smith and Damontre Harris. Top freshman pro prospect Chris Walker wasn't eligible to enroll in school until December. The Gators' best shooter, sophomore guard Michael Frazier, came down with mononucleosis in late October. It was unclear who would be the early focal point of their offense.

"Honestly," Prather said, "we had no idea who would [be the leading scorer]. It just had to play itself out."
SI


"When we walk on the court to play, it's not like our guys are overwhelmed. They've seen just about everything," Donovan said. "Kansas and those teams have great potential, great upside because of their youth. I don't know how many older teams there are. For our eight guys we're playing, four are seniors. … I think there's something to be said for that, having experienced guys."

Technically, there are 77 teams in college basketball with more experience on their roster than Florida, according to KenPom.com. But very few of these older teams have the potential for a deep postseason run quite like the Gators do.
USA Today


12/18/13, 7:55 AM
Belmont got whacked by 28 points at Denver last night. Somebody wasn't ready to play.
@SethDavisHoops

Southern Illinois lost its eighth game of this nascent season and, afterward, Salukis coach Barry Hinson lost his, um, decorum.

This made winners of us all because he went off on what can only be described as an epic rant after the loss to Murray State, one that’s going to be shown endlessly and wonderfully at this joyous holiday season. Highlights:

His best line? “I’ve been telling my wife this for years, size doesn’t matter.” He was talking about rebounds. Presumably.

But wait, there’s more:  “My wife…my wife…can score more than two buckets on 11 shots because I know my wife will at least shot fake one time.” Perhaps he should watch “The Mango” episode of Seinfeld.

Then, he went to the “sniper” routine from his days at Kansas. “There was a sniper in the gym. Didn’t you see that? We had guys falling down. We had a guy snipered at half-court. Two guys snipered at half-court. It was unbelievable. I would’ve thought Navy Seal Team 6 was out there.”

“To me, when you’ve got a young team, it’s a lot like house training a puppy dog,” he said. “You know what, when the dog does something wrong, bad dog [gestures as if hitting a pooch with a rolled up program]. I’m not going to hit ‘em. I’m not going to swat ‘em, but bad dog, get on the treadmill.”

“I’ve got a bunch of mama’s boys right now,” Hinson said. “We just won’t buck up and bow our
necks and we’ve got to get through that.”
Link


12/18/13, 8:27 AM
If you know Barry Hinson, you know that rant was vintage. Somewhere this morning, Bill Self is in hysterics, I'm sure
@ESPNDanaOneil


Big XII composite schedule (includes results, highlights, stats)


ESPN College GameDay Schedule


2013-14 TV Schedule

Naismith Award


12/18/13, 8:25 AM
Duke transfer Alex Murphy makes his decision today. Florida has been the favorite since he left the Blue Devils. Hasn't changed.
@jeffborzello


Huntington Prep was taken out of its normal up-and-down style Friday night.

The Irish didn't allow the slowed pace to take them out of the win, though.

In a contrast of styles, Huntington Prep was able to use its speed and athleticism to run past the methodical offensive sets of Cincinnati Walnut Hills in a 64-46 boys basketball victory at the Boyd County Roundball Classic.

The game stayed within 10 points for the first three quarters, but as Walnut Hills had to speed up in an effort to climb back, the Express was able to speed up and extend the lead.

"I'm glad we pulled it out," Huntington Prep coach Rob Fulford said. "That's a tough game obviously because of flow, but we did what we had to late to take control."

Huntington Prep took a 16-point lead on the first possession of the fourth quarter when Ivan Gandia converted a four-point play on a 3-point shot and a foul shot.

Walnut Hills countered with a 9-2 run to close within single digits, but JaQuan Lyle got into the lane on the next two possessions and went to the foul line to extend the lead back to 13.

Lyle had 20 points in the win.
Herald-Dispatch


Pete Kaffey was an assistant basketball coach at Cooper High School in April and also the self-described “mentor” to Rashad Vaughn, the team’s star and one of the nation’s top prep players.
But Vaughn left for a prep school near Las Vegas in July — and Kaffey was not far behind in joining him.

By October, Vaughn was a rising star at Findlay Prep, a program in Nevada known as a pipeline for potential NBA talent. Kaffey, meanwhile, emerged as a Findlay Prep assistant coach.

Kaffey said in an interview that he offered Vaughn “an honest opinion” about transferring to Findlay Prep. He declined to discuss how he became a Findlay assistant coach.

Both departures left Cooper’s head coach, Steve Burton, and athletic director John Oelfke struggling to make sense of it all.

“[I’m] a little ‘old school.’ I’m not used to the way these kids transfer around,” Oelfke said. “To be honest with you, I don’t know how Pete is behind that. [We] did a lot of good things for [Vaughn].”

…It is also unclear how Kaffey’s role as Vaughn’s “mentor” applies to the array of high school and college recruiting rules. A new NCAA rule, while not specifically referring to situations such as Kaffey’s, expanded the definition of sports agents to include anyone who represents an individual “for the purpose of marketing his or her athletics ability” for money, or gets paid for getting them into a school. An agent might include, but is not limited to, contract advisers, financial advisers, marketing representatives and brand managers — or anyone associated with such individuals.
NCAA rules prohibit student-athletes from receiving benefits from “agents and advisers.”

Shortly after Kaffey arrived at Findlay Prep, he announced that Vaughn would be taking an official recruiting visit to the nearby University of Nevada-Las Vegas, where Findlay Prep’s former head coach, Todd Simon, is now an assistant.

Kaffey said his mentoring role began when Vaughn was a fifth-grader in Minnesota — he is now a senior — and that Vaughn had become close to Kaffey’s own son.

…Kaffey, 27, pleaded guilty in 2004 to first-degree aggravated robbery. In the case, Kaffey and another man were charged with pulling up to a playground in Brooklyn Center in a purple Dodge and pistol-whipping one victim with the butt of a gun. A second victim, court records showed, was hit several times on the back of the head as he tried to put his infant into a car. According to the complaint, they took roughly $250 and a cellphone.

After successfully completing and being released early from probation, according to court records, Kaffey’s sentence was permanently stayed.

Said F. Clayton Tyler, Kaffey’s attorney: “I can’t say whether he’s a good guy, or a bad guy, but I think that there’s some records that would reflect that he wasn’t a bad guy.”

In a text message last month, Kaffey indicated he would not discuss the case but said that it was “incorrect” to say he had a criminal conviction.

By mid-July, Kaffey was operating in another world from the one he left behind in Minnesota. He said in a phone conversation from Washington, D.C., where he was watching Vaughn, Reid and Jones play in a summer tournament that “I’m here checking them out.” He said he would be back in Minnesota for a few days, then off to Las Vegas and Los Angeles for basketball tournaments and camps. “I’m super busy,” he said.

By late September, Kaffey was at Findlay Prep and talking of how Anthony Bennett, a former Findlay Prep and UNLV player, was the first pick in June’s NBA draft and how that had influenced Vaughn’s decision to transfer. Taylor Bern, a Las Vegas Sun reporter who covers UNLV, said the arrival of Vaughn and then Kaffey at Findlay Prep “looked completely like a package deal.”

Back in Minnesota, the feeling was largely the same. Kaffey’s “got his relationship with Rashad — I really don’t know really what that is,” said Rene Pulley, the executive director of Howard Pulley Basketball in Minnesota. “We don’t have ‘handlers’ or ‘mentors’ here.”
Star Tribune


Recruiting Calendar


My Late Night in the Phog videos, KU Alumni games videos, 2011-12 Border War videos, Legends of the Phog videos, KC Prep Invitational, & Jayhawk Invitational Videos and more now on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/kcjcjhawk

For now, Kansas State will hope it can build off the 72-43 victory it earned against Troy on Sunday at Bramlage Coliseum.

“It was a good day for K-State,” second-year coach Bruce Weber said. “We wrote on the board ‘energy, effort, persistence and then play as a team.’ I think we had great energy and set the tone for the game from the beginning with our defense.”

The Wildcats, 7-3, have won five straight, looking good at times and mediocre at others. They handed Mississippi its first loss and beat Central Arkansas and Troy, 4-4, by wide margins. They also struggled with South Dakota and lost three games early. Offense continues to be a concern. Defense remains strong.

We may learn more about this K-State team in its next game.

On Saturday, the Wildcats will face a ranked opponent for the first time when they take on No. 20 Gonzaga at Intrust Bank Arena in Wichita. The Bulldogs have won six in a row and are off to a 10-1 start, with victories over West Virginia, Arkansas and Washington State.

“They smacked us last year pretty bad in Seattle,” Weber said. “It was a good learning tool for our team. Mark Few’s teams keep getting tougher. … It will be nice to have a great crowd there on Saturday and to use that as an energizer and see if we can pick up a win against a top-rated team.”
KC Star


The Tigers won 66-60 Sunday at Mizzou Arena, but the victory was anything but pretty. In fact, the outcome wasn’t decided until the last minute. Missouri led by five with 24 seconds to play, but Western Michigan caught a break when Missouri guard Jabari Brown missed the front end of a one-and-one.

But the Broncos’ hopes ended when David Brown missed a three-point shot with 7 seconds to play and Missouri’s Brown grabbed the rebound.

“I knew it would be this type of game. I wasn’t surprised,” said Haith, whose team improved to 10-0. “They’re a good, aggressive team, and I knew they could give us trouble.
KC Star


Once upon a time, Syracuse-St. John's would have been the hottest sports ticket in town, but the Garden was about 75-80 percent filled to capacity for the noon tip, with swaths of empty seats in each level. No doubt the weather -- 36 degrees -- and early start had something to do with it, but the programs are no longer conference foes, and the red-hot heat of the rivalry has diminished. Asked by SNY-TV if he was going to show up to the game, Knicks star and former Syracuse hoopster Carmelo Anthony summed it up perfectly: "If I wake up."

Had he made it, he would have witnessed a terrific game between his alma mater -- the No. 2-ranked team in the nation -- and a St. John's team loaded with potential. Syracuse (10-0) held on for a 68-63 victory thanks to a pair of baseline jumpers in the final minutes by senior forward C.J. Fair, and some terrible offensive possessions by St. John's (6-3). The final 10 minutes of the game featured four lead changes and the game had seven ties.
SI


Big XII composite schedule (includes results, highlights, stats)


ESPN College GameDay Schedule


2013-14 TV Schedule

KC Star Photos


LJW Photos


UDK Photos


KUAD recap


KUAD Box Score

Link to above ESPN video

Next three games for Kansas: Georgetown, undefeated Toledo, and San Diego State. Going to be battle-tested for Big 12 play.
@jeffborzello


Embiid is much, much better offensively than @GoodmanESPN led me to believe.
@kenpomeroy


Really? I have said since October that he is extremely skilled -- offense way ahead of defense.
@GoodmanESPN


We need to start a #JOJOFanClub #KUbball
@KeonStowers98


Great team win! Way to bounce back! Only up from here! #rockchalk
@LandenLucas33


Great team win tonight! The crowd was amazing... Only up from here #KUCMB
@b_greene14

Link to above ESPN video


Joel Embiid had just picked up his second foul, and like so many other games this season, he knew he was going to be spending the rest of the first half sitting on the Kansas bench.

The 7-foot freshman vowed to make up for it in the second half.

Embiid scored 16 of his career-high 18 points over the final 20 minutes, leading the No. 13 Jayhawks to an 80-63 victory over New Mexico on Saturday night that ended a two-game skid.

"I was frustrated, even though I didn't think the second one was a foul," said Embiid, a native of Cameroon who's only been playing basketball for a few years. "Yeah, I wanted it bad, and they wanted to throw me the ball and let me score, and that's what I needed to do."

Perry Ellis scored 21 points and Andrew Wiggins, despite dealing with foul trouble all night, added 11 for the Jayhawks (7-3), who led 39-38 at halftime before using two big runs to put it away.

…"We knew we had to hit them first," said the Jayhawks' Wayne Selden, who finished with 10 points. "That was our main goal, be the first one on the floor and be the most aggressive."
AP


Herein lies the quandary for Kansas coach Bill Self.

Jayhawks 7-foot freshman center Joel Embiid is really good at basketball. And he's becoming more brilliant by the hour, as evidenced by his 18-point performance in an 80-63 victory over New Mexico on Saturday night at the Sprint Center.

And still, if the 13th-ranked Jayhawks want to evolve into the NCAA title contenders that so many envisioned, Embiid will need to be playing 30 minutes per game. But the more Embiid plays, Self says, the more his talents will be wanted elsewhere. It's clear that his time in Lawrence could be limited to just one season.

"We need to play him all the time," Self said. "But the more he plays, the less time he's going to spend in Lawrence.

"So I'm not sure it's a real wise decision for me to do this. But he's got to play."

The last line came with a sly smile as Self sat inside the Sprint Center late Saturday night.

…Embiid's night supplemented a resurgent performance from Perry Ellis, who finished with 21 points and nine rebounds. But it was Embiid who left the Sprint Center onlookers in a momentary state of awe when he pulled off a hesitating, shimmy move that could only be described as Hakeem Olajuwon's "Dream Shake."

"You could see my facial expression when I was on the court," said freshman guard Wayne Selden, who added 10 points. "You see him do it every day in practice, and I finally liked when he brought it to the game."
KC Star


With the long-striding, quick-afoot, long-armed 7-footer trapping the post in support of Perry Ellis, Embiid masked his teammates' deficiencies as post defenders. For the Lobos, seeing Embiid coming at them, arms reaching for the ceiling, it was the equivalent of a hitter crowding the plate and seeing a 95 mph fastball heading for his jaw. Instinct kicks in and the goal becomes getting out of the situation without harm as quickly as possible. Hurried, even panicked, the guy with the ball changes his goal to not turning it over. Scoring no longer enters the equation. It becomes all about surviving the possession.

“He’s better than anyone else at that because you’re throwing over 9-5 (9-feet-5-inches from tip of the fingers to the floor) when he runs at you,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “Other guys are a little softer in their approach and how they do it and their height and things doesn’t bother (the offensive players) as much.”

Ellis, as teammates and coaches of Embiid so often do, referenced more than the physical gifts of the 7-foot center from Cameroon.

“He’s smart,” Ellis said. “Whatever coach tells him to do, he’s doing it. It’s a big help having him right there blocking shots and everything.”
LJW Keegan

It was a tale of two halves and a tale of two Lobos, who needed a little more help on the scoreboard, but did not get it Saturday night in the Kansas City Shootout.

“If people hadn’t seen Cameron Bairstow and Kendall Williams, they got a good look at them tonight,” said Lobo Coach Craig Neal.

New Mexico got 24 points from both Cameron Bairstow and Kendall Williams, trailed by only a point at the half, before the Kansas Jayhawks upped their defense and their intensity to run to an 80-63 win Saturday in Kansas City.

A key blow for the Lobos came in the first half when 7-foot Alex Kirk picked up two quick fouls, played only three minutes in that half, and never regained his rhythm under the basket. Kansas got rhythm from a lot of Jayhawks including 7-foot freshman Joel Embiid, who scored a career-high 18 points.

“He could never get going,” Neal said of Kirk.  “We are going to have a hard time winning ball games if Alex plays 18 minutes and has those numbers.”

Kirk finished with five points, five rebounds and five fouls. UNM got eight points off a bench that went 2-of-14 from the floor.

“I’m proud of the guys and their effort.  We played hard,” said Neal.  “We have to get some scoring off the bench and get some guys to make some plays off the bench and help us.”

…The Jayhawks won the battle in the paint with 38 points in that zone. UNM scored 24 inside. Naadir Tharpe had nine assists for Kansas. Embiid had four blocks and three steals. Kansas’ Perry Ellis had 21 points and Andrew Wiggins had 11 points.  

“I thought that’s the best (Kansas) played offensively all year,” said Neal of the Jayhawks, who shot better than 50 percent in each half. “They didn’t have a lot of misses in the second half.

“It was just one of those things where we couldn’t get anything going.  We didn’t have any rhythm.  I wish we could have shot the ball a little bit better.  We missed some easy shots. I never thought we’d score (only) 25 points in a half.  We had good looks.”
NMAD


All week, as the New Mexico men’s basketball team prepared for its showdown with No. 13 Kansas University at Sprint Center, the Lobos hoped the experience of starting three four-year veterans would make a difference against the young Jayhawks.

Minutes after KU’s 80-63 victory, which came in large part thanks to a 41-25 second-half surge, that hope proved more optimistic than realistic.

“I think the age thing is overrated,” New Mexico guard Kendall Williams, who tied teammate Cameron Bairstow with a game-high 24 points. “They have a lot of skilled players that didn’t really get flustered.”

The funny thing about New Mexico’s second loss of the season was that the Lobos (6-2) did not really get flustered either. In the opening frame, behind a monster half of 16 points and four rebounds from Bairstow, UNM played KU within a point (39-38), using all-out effort, physicality at all five positions and 13-of-15 shooting from the free-throw line.

Energized by a put-back at the halftime buzzer from sophomore Arthur Edwards, the Lobos raced off the Sprint Center floor and appeared to be the team with more momentum. But the next time they stepped onto the floor, the Jayhawks raced up and down past them, en route to a 10-2 run to open the second half that put the Jayhawks (7-3) firmly in control.
LJW


“All the time,” said Self, asked how often Embiid resembles Olajuwon in practice. “People haven’t seen in a game what he can do. We’ve seen glimpses but we haven’t seen an offensive repertoire where he can score over both shoulders, (with) both hands or step out and shoot it. That was nice to see.

“He’s becoming a better rim protector too,” Self added. “He gets three steals and four blocks and no turnovers. That’s pretty good for a big. He and Perry (Ellis, 21 points, nine rebounds in 31 minutes) both were great.”

…The Jayhawks prevailed before 18,493 fans in their home away from home.

“It definitely felt like a home court and we were saying it looked and felt a lot like the United Center,” Selden said. “The home support was great.”

Next up, KU will meet Georgetown at 11 a.m., Saturday, in Allen Fieldhouse.
LJW


Throughout the first month of the season, Kansas' up-and-down season has gone under the microscope in a variety of ways.

There are the point guard issues: is Naadir Tharpe the answer? Is Frank Mason? There are the questions surrounding Andrew Wiggins, mainly addressing whether he's got the personality to be a dominant go-to player. After that, we've seen columns on Joel Embiid's potential, their lack of perimeter shooting, and other aspects of Bill Self's team.

Each of those issues is legitimate – but one player has been somewhat overlooked when it comes to determining Kansas' success this season: Perry Ellis.

The 6-foot-8 sophomore led the way for Kansas on Saturday night, going for 21 points and nine rebounds to help the Jayhawks to an 80-63 win. He and Embiid combined for 39 points and 15 boards inside, outplaying New Mexico's vaunted interior duo of Cameron Bairstow (24 points, six boards) and Alex Kirk (five points, fouls). Tharpe was undoubtedly a major factor in the victory, dishing out nine assists and going through some terrific stretches in the second half.

But Ellis' performance was another in a developing pattern: when he plays well, Kansas plays well. When he plays poorly, Kansas generally plays poorly.

Check out the splits. In Kansas' three losses, Ellis is averaging just 8.3 points and 5.3 rebounds. In the Jayhawks' seven wins, however, the talented forward is putting up 16.6 points and 7.3 boards. Kansas' two biggest wins this season came over Duke and New Mexico, and Ellis totaled 45 points and 18 boards in those two games.
CBS


There were a number of good signs for Bill Self’s team on Saturday. Naadir Tharpe played really well, especially down the stretch of the second half as Kansas pulled away. He finished with eight points and nine assists, facilitating the Kansas offense and getting the ball to the hot hand in a position that he could score. I liked the analogy that ESPN commentator Fran Fraschilla made: the point guard spot is the key for Kansas, and while Frank Mason is talented, he’s their third-down back right now. Tharpe needs to be the guy that’s running the show.
He was tonight, and we saw what the Jayhawks can be.
NBC


Bill Self was hot.

The Kansas coach dialed up a timeout with 9:11 left in the second half and didn’t wait for Naadir Tharpe to come to him. Self marched on the court to rip into his point guard, getting into his face with the words exploding out of his mouth.

Then Self did something that he might not have done earlier this year. He left Tharpe in.
The junior made sure Self didn’t regret it.

During the final 8½ minutes, Tharpe delivered five of his game-high nine assists, including a pair of no-look passes that helped break the game open in an 80-63 victory Saturday over New Mexico at Sprint Center.

“I thought the biggest key that gave us a little bit of poise and confidence … Naadir, except for about three possessions in the second half, he was great,” Self said. “That’s what we have to have him be for us.”

…After New Mexico (7-2) pulled to within 63-58 with 5:03 left, the Jayhawks played one of their best stretches of the game, and Tharpe was a huge part of it; he contributed assists on three of KU’s next five possessions, with the last two coming on a pair of highlight-reel plays.

The first was a no-look pass in the lane to Joel Embiid for a slam, and the next time down, Tharpe penetrated the lane, then squeezed a no-look bounce pass in traffic to Perry Ellis for an uncontested layup that made it 72-59 with 5:41 left.

“We had a nice talk this week, and he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that I’m disappointed in him, not in his play as much (as in) the ownership and how he’s helping the other guys. He knows,” Self said. “That was the thing I’ve been trying to beat into (his head). I think he responded really well. He’s got to take ownership for everything, because there’s nobody else that can do it yet. He’s got to buy some time for these guys to give them a chance to grow up.”

Tharpe played so well that he even earned a mulligan from Self with 4:13 left. After Tharpe threw a ball out of bounds, Self once again screamed to his point guard, “Naa! Naa!”

When the coach finally got Tharpe’s attention, he clapped a couple times to applaud his aggressiveness.

Tharpe finished with eight points and the nine assists to go with four turnovers.

“He led us, and that’s what a point guard is supposed to do,” Ellis said. “He led us to the win.”

…Kansas sophomore guard Andrew White III sat out Saturday’s game with a hip pointer injury that he suffered in Thursday’s practice.

“He tried to practice (Friday) and made it worse,” Self said. “He was really hurting today. Hopefully, we can get him back in practice this week.”
TCJ


Self said Mason’s minutes were cut because, “they played zone. Frank hasn’t shot it well yet. I thought we’d be better off playing Brannen (Greene, five points, 16 minutes) or Wigs (Andrew Wiggins, 11 points, 28 minutes) or Wayne (Selden, 10 points, 34 minutes) on the wings and give the ball to Naadir and let him run the point the majority of the time.”

…Senior forward Tarik Black, who has come off the bench the last two games in favor of freshman Joel Embiid, did not score with two turnovers and a quick foul in two minutes. Red-shirt frosh Landen Lucas had two points and five boards in 10 minutes.

“This is not a knock to Tarik ... Landen gets in there and gets five rebounds in nine minutes and is obviously a factor,” Self said. “I think that will be good for our team moving forward. He understands what we are doing about as well as anybody on our team. When you play heavy bodies like that (on UNM team) he’s about as good as we have guarding those heavy bodies. I thought everybody who got in the game contributed in a favorable way.”
LJW


Trailing by one at halftime, New Mexico coach Craig Neal told his team if it just got a couple of quick baskets it could put No. 13 Kansas on the ropes.

Instead, it was the Jayhawks that went on a run.

Kansas scored 16 of the first 20 points in the second half, and then rolled to an 80-63 victory Saturday night that ended a two-game losing streak.

"That pretty much buried the game right there," said New Mexico guard Kendall Williams, who had 24 points. "We weren't able to back bounce from that. That run was pretty much the tale of the game."
AP

Link to above ESPN video

Before John Calipari even coached his first game at Kentucky, he seemed to grasp the importance many UK fans attach to maintaining the Wildcats as the men's hoops program atop the all-time wins list.

In a presentation at a Kentucky Association of Basketball Coaches clinic in September 2009, Calipari noted that UK, then with 1,988 all-time wins, and North Carolina, then with 1,984, were in a race to become the first to reach 2,000 all-time victories.

"We have to get to 12 wins before North Carolina gets to 16," Calipari said then. "I know that."

Not only did Calipari beat Carolina to 2,000 wins, in the years since Cal has expanded Kentucky's advantage in all-time wins over North Carolina from four in 2009 to 22.

Yet UK fans need only look west to find a relentless riser that has supplanted UNC as the prime threat to the Wildcats' claim as the winningest program of all time.

When Bill Self was hired as Kansas head coach before the 2003-04 season, the Jayhawks stood third in all-time wins, 48 games behind Kentucky and seven behind North Carolina.

After Saturday's contests, Kansas is within 11 wins of tying UK and was 11 victories ahead of UNC.
In its first 10 full seasons under Self (through the end of last season), Kansas gained an average of 3.8 wins a season on Kentucky. Over Calipari's first four full years as Kentucky head man, the Cats averaged a robust 30.8 wins a season — and Self and Kansas still gained eight total victories on UK over that span.

Among coaches at an elite level, Self has presided over far more than his fair share of "bad losses" in the NCAA Tournament — but he has yet to produce an overall bad year at Kansas.

Since 2003-04, Kentucky has had five seasons of double-digit losses. North Carolina has endured three such years. Kansas has had zero.

Calipari and Kentucky followed up winning the 2012 NCAA title with a 21-12 collapse into last year's NIT. After claiming the 2009 national crown, Roy Williams and North Carolina produced a 20-17 NIT slog of their own in 2009-10. KU backed up its 2008 NCAA title with a 27-8 season in '08-09.

Six times in the past seven seasons, Kansas has won more than 30 games.

The Jayhawks are in the midst of a nine-year run in which they have either won outright or shared the Big 12 regular-season championship every year. In an era of roster instability and mass parity in major college basketball, the league title streak produced by KU and Self is one of the more impressive achievements in American team sports.

…Will Kansas overtake Kentucky?

If Self maintains the average 3.8 win a season advantage over Kentucky of his first 10 years, then KU will need three, maybe part of a fourth season, to pass UK.

Of course, as our friends in the financial industry remind us, past performance is no guarantee of future returns.
Lex HL


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As a second round draft pick placed onto the veteran-laden Brooklyn Nets last season, Tyshawn Taylor spent extensive time in the NBA D-League, but teammates and coaches swiftly noticed his tenacious style on both ends of the floor. He’s put up four double-digit scoring performances in 14 games this season, starting three, and has a growing relationship with the Nets’ new coaching staff.
Taylor praises Eric Hughes and John Welch as the assistant coaches who have helped in his improvement, working on his jump shot technique that has slowly developed between four seasons at Kansas and the NBA.

“My coaches have been great working with me,” Taylor told RealGM. “We have a whole new coaching staff from my rookie year, obviously. Coach [Jason] Kidd has also helped me, just talking to me and pointing things out that I don’t see on the court.

“Getting the experience and getting to play, it’s been helping me out a lot. The season hasn’t gone how we wanted to so far, but we still got time to change it and we’re looking forward to it.”
Link


Q&A with Darrell Arthur
denverstiffs.com


Comparing a pair of teams’ results against common opponents is an inexact science at best. But if Kansas University women’s basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson needed any more evidence of how good her team’s next opponent is, she could simply look at how the Jayhawks and No. 18 Purdue handled their respective nonconference meetings with one of the top teams in the nation.

KU lost to No. 2 Duke, 73-40, on Nov. 30 at the EZ Global Payments Virgin Islands Paradise Jam.
The Boilermakers, who visit Allen Fieldhouse at 2 p.m. today, were the undefeated Blue Devils’ next victim, and lost, 99-78, on Dec. 5 at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

“They’re good,” Henrickson said of Purdue (6-2). “They can score, boy. They scored 78 on Duke, which has done a really good job defensively.”

The Boilermakers average 76.1 points a game (compared to KU’s 68.2) and their only other loss of the season came against another powerhouse, No. 6 Stanford, at a neutral site.
LJW

The noise was deafening even before Iowa's Mike Gesell missed a potential tying free throw with 13 seconds left.

Then Hilton Coliseum started shaking.

At least that's how it must have felt to the shell-shocked Hawkeyes.

Georges Niang scored 24 points, including the go-ahead basket with 18.8 seconds left, and 17th-ranked Iowa State rallied past No. 23 Iowa 85-82 on Friday night.

Niang's reverse layup gave Iowa State an 83-82 lead. Gesell then missed two free throws as the frenzied fans rose to their feet _ and aired out their lungs _ in hopes of rattling one of the Cyclones' biggest rivals.

Dustin Hogue then buried two foul shots and Zach McCabe, who entered play shooting 48.5 percent on 3-pointers, missed a wide-open 3 for Iowa (10-2).

"You could feel the vibrations in the building again. Just an unbelievable atmosphere," Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg said.

…"I honestly have no idea how we won that game. I look at the box score and they crushed us on the glass and they beat us in transition," Hoiberg said. "I give the credit to this game to our fans. No way in heck we win this game without them."
AP


In a move that could alter the balance of power in college basketball going forward, Chris Walker began practice at Florida on Saturday wearing No. 23, sources confirmed to SNY.tv.

The 6-foot-11 freshman has completed his online academic work and was admitted to the university. He now awaits word from the NCAA Clearinghouse.

…ESPN.com reported that Walker could face a brief suspension “due to the fact that an unofficial visit to another school was paid for by his former summer league coach.”

Florida will play Memphis Tuesday in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden, but Donovan said it was unlikely Walker would play then.
Zags Blog


It might not be time for the panic button just yet, but alarm bells are sounding for the 11th-ranked University of Kentucky basketball team after its third loss in as many tries against Top 25 teams, the latest an 82-77 defeat at No. 18 North Carolina on Saturday.

The Wildcats, who were talking about an undefeated season this summer, are now 8-3. The Tar Heels (7-2), who somehow also lost to Belmont and UAB, completed a sweep of the top three teams in the preseason Associated Press poll: formerly No. 1 UK, No. 2 Michigan State and No. 3 Louisville.

“What we are right now is we’re not a good basketball team,” Cats coach John Calipari said. “And we’re not a good team because everything, our emotion, is all based on our individual play instead of our team.”
LCJ


Former University of North Carolina basketball player Will Graves was cited last Friday and charged with marijuana possession at a house owned by Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams.

Records show that Graves was charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession at 1016 Pinehurst Drive in Chapel Hill, which is a home owned by Williams, according to property tax records. Graves was found to be in possession of 4.4 grams of marijuana, three full blunts, two “burnt marijuana blunts,” eight marijuana seeds and a grinder, police said.

A meter reader with the utility company called police after assessing the house that was thought to be vacant but suspected somebody was living at the residence.  

A UNC spokesperson confirmed that Graves was renting the home from Williams while he was working as a part-time video coordinator for the basketball program and attending UNC-CH to finish his degree. The spokesperson added that “various people have rented the house.”

Graves, 24, was a member of the UNC team until his dismissal in Oct. 2010 for failing to comply with team rules as a senior.
WRAL.com

Kind of a clever shirt, taking a dig at the NCAA there. The picture's already gone viral. I'm sure Heels fans love the message Henson's sending, and no doubt Hairston and McDonald appreciate the non-verbal sign of support.

(Can you imagine if an active college basketball player ever wore such a thing?)

The interesting connection here is this: Hairston is being investigated over the matter of rental cars. Twice this offseason he was pulled over by police while driving rental cars connected to an ex-convict named Haydn "Fats" Thomas. According to a story in the Raleigh News & Observer from this past July, Thomas previously sent out a photo tweet of ... Henson. That tweet was long ago deleted, but based on the reporting, it would appear Henson and Hairston were in some way -- even if minute -- previously around Thomas.

Thomas has denied "knowing" any UNC players.
CBS


Mark Emmert and a slew of college athletics monarchs convened in New York City on Wednesday. Why were they all there? One of the world's biggest agencies, IMG, held its Intercollegiate Athletics Forum -- and so there were panels and interviews and a bunch of hobnobbing.

Some of the biggest news was dispersed via Twitter when Emmert essentially accused ESPN analyst Jay Bilas of lacking the bravura to run the NCAA, something Emmert has done with enormous amounts of criticism since he took the post three years ago.

“I dare say I know more about running complex organizations than him & he knows more about basketball.”

Emmert also said Bilas' panning of Emmert and the NCAA are "ad hominem" attacks.

Bilas is as outspoken and well-known as any NCAA critic the world has. His Twitter feed essentially amounts to early morning rap verses, retweets of compliments for his new book, the occasional photobomb and thawck after thwack against the NCAA, many of those attacks validated and in need of a megaphone.

But Bilas has also been consistently and directly critical of Emmert; one of the more notable knocks against him via Bilas came when he called Emmert an "absentee president" in an interview with SI.com back in March. It's no surprise that Emmert's rabbit ears caught Bilas' words, and the NCAA's Poobah, for all his perceived faults, isn't one thing: afraid. He'll go face to face with pretty much anyone willing to take a shot at him or the NCAA.
CBS


Most college basketball fans will forget this game, but the Arizona Wildcats will not. They flew across the country, faced a hungry and talented Michigan team before a boisterous, hostile crowd, barely had any time to shoot on a tough road arena, tipped off at 10 a.m. Mountain Time, and fell behind by nine points at halftime. All signs pointed to an Arizona loss.

But this is what we learned about these Wildcats: They really like that No. 1 ranking. And they kept it by rallying back to earn a 72-70 win over Michigan. The Wildcats also like big stakes and rough waters, and we should all remember that in March when people start wondering just how tough the Pac-12 power really is.

How tough? Physically? Well, Arizona out-rebounded Michigan 37-24. Mentally? Arizona hit 14 of 15 free throws on the road, including six straight in the final minute by guard Nick Johnson.

"We've been working for this for so long," Johnson said. "My team trusts in me. So, I mean, there is no pressure."

Look, December pressure is not the same as March pressure. We all know that. But champions are built in games like this. You don't prepare for the NCAA tournament by knocking off 6-foot-6 centers and 5-foot-9 guards on your home court.

"When you say we went to San Diego State, played Duke at (Madison Square) Garden -- which is basically a home game for them -- we've been tested," Johnson said. "And I think the country is starting to see that. We're not just a West Coast team, a top team that stays at home and just plays easy teams. We want to test ourselves. Going into the tournament, hopefully we have (home-court) advantage, kind of, but it's definitely going to be easy for our young guys."

…Arizona has some rare beasts in the college game: talented young big men who play well together. Seven-foot tall sophomore center Kaleb Tarczewski, 6-8 sophomore forward Brandon Ashley and 6-8 freshman Aaron Gordon don't have to take turns watching each other go to work. They work with each other.

"We didn't have to grow into anything," Gordon said. "I'm very, very capable of playing most positions, so I'm not stepping on anybody's toes."

Gordon was supposed to be in the second tier of the nation's elite freshmen, just below Kansas' Andrew Wiggins, Duke's Jabari Parker and Kentucky's Julius Randle. That is where he belongs, frankly. He does not have Wiggins' freakish athleticism, Parker's incredible skill or Randle's ability to abuse people in the post. He is not the same level of prospect that those guys are.

But Gordon is plenty good, a likely top-10 draft pick, and he is a winner. He proved it again Saturday. In the first half, he guarded Caris Levert, and Michigan's Glenn Robinson III went off. Gordon says he "took it upon myself" to guard Robinson.

…Most visiting teams would have lost to Michigan Saturday. Arizona came back and won.
The most talented teams in the country have been inconsistent this season. Kentucky lost to Baylor. Michigan State lost to North Carolina at home. Kansas lost to Villanova, Colorado and Florida.
Arizona, meanwhile, is 10-0, and could be unbeaten into February. The Wildcats don't have a road game against a team that is currently ranked until Feb. 22 at Colorado.
SI


Big XII composite schedule (includes results, highlights, stats)


ESPN College GameDay Schedule


2013-14 TV Schedule


2013-14 Early-season events schedule

Former University of Louisville basketball commitment JaQuan Lyle, a five-star guard from Evansville, Ind., who now attends Huntington (W.Va.) Prep, said at last weekend’s Marshall County Hoopfest that he’s had minimal recent contact with Indiana University — considered a possible landing spot for him.

“I’m talking to Indiana, but we don’t really talk that much,” Lyle said on Dec. 7. “They only have one scholarship left or something. They kind of wanted me to sign early, and I wasn’t feeling (an early decision). So they kind of backed off.”

…Lyle, who is ranked No. 22 in the class by Scout.com and one of only three uncommitted players in the top 100, said he is “wide-open” and taking his time to make a decision. He has made unofficial visits to Connecticut and Memphis since his decommitment and said his first official visit will be to Kansas on Jan. 11. He wants to officially visit Oregon, which had an assistant coach at Marshall County, and Florida State.

Lyle said about 10 other schools are under consideration for his other two official visits, if he takes them. Asked if Indiana is on his list right now, he said, “not really.” He also said he’s had no contact with Kentucky.
LCJ


Huntington Prep was taken out of its normal up-and-down style Friday night.

The Irish didn't allow the slowed pace to take them out of the win, though.

In a contrast of styles, Huntington Prep was able to use its speed and athleticism to run past the methodical offensive sets of Cincinnati Walnut Hills in a 64-46 boys basketball victory at the Boyd County Roundball Classic.

The game stayed within 10 points for the first three quarters, but as Walnut Hills had to speed up in an effort to climb back, the Express was able to speed up and extend the lead.

"I'm glad we pulled it out," Huntington Prep coach Rob Fulford said. "That's a tough game obviously because of flow, but we did what we had to late to take control."

Huntington Prep took a 16-point lead on the first possession of the fourth quarter when Ivan Gandia converted a four-point play on a 3-point shot and a foul shot.

Walnut Hills countered with a 9-2 run to close within single digits, but JaQuan Lyle got into the lane on the next two possessions and went to the foul line to extend the lead back to 13.

Lyle had 20 points in the win.
Link


Do you know where the Miami Heat’s Michael Beasley played basketball before Kansas State? The Trail Blazers’ Thomas Robinson before starring at Kansas? Wayne Selden Jr. before starting as a freshman this year at Kansas?

Notre Dame Prep out of Fitchburg, Mass., Brewster Academy in Wolfeboro, and Tilton School, respectively, all part of the Northeast’s prep school basketball hotbed that annually produces some of the top college and pro prospects.

This weekend, those three schools, along with top basketball factories Rise Academy (Philadelphia), IMG Academy (Florida) and Lee Academy (Maine), are converging on central New Hampshire.

Tomorrow and Saturday, Rise, IMG and Notre Dame will be taking part in the Brewster Invitational, and those four, along with Lee and Tilton, will be coming to Concord on Sunday when Bishop Brady High hosts the Frank Monahan Foundation Basketball Showcase. As part of Sunday’s quadruple-header, Brady will be taking on Conant in its season opener.

So who are some of the players to keep an eye on?
Concord Monitor


Wherever Euless Trinity post Myles Turner goes these days, he’s the center of attention.

Guyer head basketball coach Grant Long knew entering Friday’s game against the Trojans that his team’s No. 1 objective would be to contain the nation’s second-ranked recruit.

That obviously proved to be easier said than done on Friday night, as Turner poured in 31 points on 11-of-13 shooting with three 3-pointers to go with 15 rebounds and five blocks to beat Guyer 61-49 at Wildcat Gymnasium.

“He’s the No. 2 recruit in the nation for a reason,” Long said of the 7-foot post. “He’s a great player and even better kid, and he deserves all the attention he gets. He’s as good as advertised.”

…After the game, Turner was in the hallway taking photographs with young kids and wishing them a Merry Christmas, but during the game, he wasn’t so friendly to the Guyer fans.

He hurt the Wildcats in every manner — beyond the arc, inside and at the foul line.

“At the half, we really focused on trying to contain him,” Long said of Turner after he had 15 first-half points. “We wanted to get the ball out of his hands and really put pressure on him inside but that opened up some of their other shooters, who all made some plays.”
Denton RC


Recruiting Calendar


My Late Night in the Phog videos, KU Alumni games videos, 2011-12 Border War videos, Legends of the Phog videos, KC Prep Invitational, & Jayhawk Invitational Videos and more now on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/kcjcjhawk

KU vs NM pregame notes
KUAD


Pregame Notes
New Mexico AD


KUAD: Coach Self weekly presser


Kansas.

If you are a movie buff, the word, the state, might make you think of Dorothy and Oz.  If you are a farmer, Kansas might symbolize wheat. A music buff might flash on the band “Kansas.”

If you are a sports person, Kansas means basketball.

In fact, it is fair to say that the Jayhawks are among the blue bloods of collegiate basketball as much as Kentucky, Indiana, Duke or Louisville. Kansas has won more league titles than any other school.  They are the second winningest program in NCAA D-I basketball.

The Jayhawks' first coach was the inventor of the game, James Naismith.  Kansas basketball is Wilt Chamberlain, Danny Manning, Dean Smith, Larry Brown, Roy Williams. The Jayhawks have been to 24 Sweet 16s and 14 Final Fours.

There is a mystique about Kansas basketball and the University of New Mexico Lobos will take a crack at that mystique Saturday in the Kansas City Shootout.

“I’m sure my guys are as excited as I am for the game,” said Lobo Coach Craig Neal.  “We have a big challenge, but we’re excited about the opportunity. It’s going to be a barometer to see where my team is.”

Neal knows his 2013-14 Lobos are in the “very good” category.  They have one of the nation’s top one-two combinations inside in 7-foot Alex Kirk and 6-9 Cameron Bairstow.  They might have the nation’s best all-around senior guard in Kendall Williams.

...If this wasn’t a ranked Kansas team playing about 40 miles Northeast of its campus, the Lobos, on a four-game win streak, probably would be favored.  UNM has more experience and gets more statistical production inside off high-percentage shots.

But, in a word, there is a reason this young 6-3 team is ranked No. 13 in the nation and a big challenge for the Lobos:

Kansas.
New Mexico AD

Jack Harry denies calling Jayhawks "gayhawks" but of course there's a YouTube video of his oops moment
Sports Grid


@richarddeitsch he's always been unprofessional. just tries to get a rise out of people
@JasonKingESPN


Jack Harry RT @teamziller: K.C. broadcaster drops 'Gayhawks' slur, denies it, believes America to be universally deaf
@WhitlockJason


A Kansas City sports anchor known for his provocative on-air persona has come under fire for allegedly referring to the Kansas basketball team by a derogatory slur.
Yahoo Sports


While Jack Harry is opinionated, he knows the difference between legitimate sports discussion and unacceptable, uncalled for language. After speaking at length with Jack, we believe Jack when he tells us that is not what he said.
We stand by Jack and encourage him to speak his mind when it comes to sports in Kansas City and beyond.
From 41 Action News KSHB-TV on its Facebook page

If anybody in the country was going to be able to slow down Cliff Alexander of Chicago (Ill.) Curie, one would figure that Las Vegas (Nev.) Bishop Gorman might be the team to do it. Headed to Kansas and ranked No. 4 in the class of 2014, Alexander had to contend with Gorman's two five-star junior big men Stephen Zimmerman (No. 2) and Chase Jeter(No. 21).

For the most part, Alexander treated his younger competitors like afterthoughts. The 6-foot-9, 240 pounder was thoroughly dominant on both ends of the floor as he led Curie to a 66-62 win while scoring 22 points, grabbing 20 rebounds and blocking five shots.

Headed into the game, the question was how the Gorman juniors would handle Alexander. Both Zimmerman and Jeter have length and skill, but they are both quite lean while Alexander is arguably the most physical player in the country. That physicality proved to be too much as he big boyed his way to thunderous jams, beat shots off the backboard and used his strong hands to rip rebounds away from well above the rim.

Both Zimmerman and Jeter had their moments but struggled at different points in the game. Jeter grabbed nine rebounds and scored six points but foul trouble limited him to just 20 minutes. Zimmerman had 10 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks but struggled converting while making just 4-17 shots from the floor. There's no reason for concern with either of the Las Vegas products and the game clearly illustrated how important it is for the duo to get stronger. Louisville's Rick Pitino showed up to check out the duo andMichigan had an assistant on hand while Coach K and assistant Jeff Capel from Duke were surely keeping tabs as well.
Rivals (free)


Shooting guard Rashad Vaughn (Golden Valley, Minn./Findlay College Prep), the No. 17 player in the ESPN 100, is being hotly pursued by several programs. The 6-foot-6, 200-pound prospect already has made two official visits (to Iowa State and UNLV) and recently set up a visit to North Carolina for Feb. 15, when the Tar Heels play Pittsburgh. For his final two visits, he is likely to choose among Arizona, Baylor, Kansas, Kentucky and Minnesota.

…Biggest change: Vaughn's DNA has always been that of a scorer, as he is hungry and aggressive. So far this season, he is averaging close to six assists per game, making unselfish plays. Evaluating him over the years, you could see he could pass the ball and has good vision, but was unwilling to give it up. Now that mindset is changing, and when he is in ball-screen action or driving to the basket, he now is looking to create for both himself and others. He is playing with more of a team concept while staying in attack mode, a big and important quality for him to maximize his potential.

Wired to score: Although he is mindful of the areas he needs to improve on, he also knows that his primary job is the get buckets. Vaughn is shooting 3-pointers with confidence and connecting with regularity. When his shot is not falling, he is comfortable at driving and taking a hit and finishing with body control.

Part of being a truly great scorer is getting 25 percent of your points from the free-throw line, and Vaughn is a good free-throw shooter. He just needs to make sure he gets his share of attempts. Now he is incorporating a pull-up jumper and trying to be better at creating space and beating his defender with a jab step.

Starting to get defensive: He is trying to guard his man with more alertness and is sometimes taking on the challenge of covering the other team's best offensive player.
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