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KUAD: Kansas Torches Towson postgame notes
KUAD: Box Score
KUAD: Photos
KC Star: Photos
ESPN: Photos
UDK: Photos
LJW: Photos
11/22/13, 8:02 PM
Up late watching my boys play. Man I miss Allen Fieldhouse and those crazy fans!! #RockChalk
@T_2releFOUR
It was nearly 25 minutes after No. 2 Kansas’ 88-58 destruction of Towson on Friday night, and Wiggins began to peer at a box score in front of him. He studied it for a moment, then looked up. He had seen enough.
In a 40-minute offensive clinic, the Jayhawks had scored 88 points and shot 60 percent from the floor. They had scored 48 points in the paint, and put on the kind of transition dunkfest that had attracted Wiggins to play for Kansas coach Bill Self.
But there was something else on the box score, something that spoke to Wiggins’ unselfish sensibilities. The Jayhawks had put up 88 points — and nobody had taken more than eight shots.
“When we’re playing our game, no one can stop us,” Wiggins said. “When we just play in the flow of the game, no one can stop us. We have too many tools, too many weapons to use.”
Wiggins had finished with 16 points on six-of-eight shooting while snaring seven rebounds, sparking a 49-16 first-half beating with 14 points before the intermission. But this was the sort of dizzying night where everything seemed to work, where the team Kansas was playing — Towson, in this instance — seemed about as relevant as the Washington Generals. Just more than 24 hours earlier, Self had stood in Allen Fieldhouse, wishing his young team would unveil more of its rather ridiculous supply of athleticism.
By the end, the Jayhawks had improved to 4-0 while paying heed to their coach’s demands.
“If there’s a better team in the country,” Towson coach Pat Skerry said, “I’d like to find out who they are, and I certainly don’t want to play them.”
…Wiggins, meanwhile, was free to quietly affect the game in subtle ways. Late in the second half, as Towson leading scorer Jerrelle Benimon began to get hot, Wiggins slid over and kept him scoreless for a span of minutes.
“He was scoring.” Wiggins said. “I just wanted to see how I’d do on him. I think my defense is underrated.”
For a night, Self was plenty content with an unselfish Wiggins. On another night, it might have been different.
“That’s who he is,” Self added. “But he’s the type of kid that I really believe, in a game like this tonight, that’s the way it should be, but in a game where you struggle to get baskets, he needs to be taking 15 or 20 shots.
“That’s what the good players do.”
So now Kansas prepares to head for the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas next week, where it will open against Wake Forest on Thursday afternoon.
Three games in three days — three chances to showcase their abilities to a national audience. But all that best-team-in-the-country talk? That stuff, Self says, can wait.
“By the end,” Self said, “if our young kids keep getting better, I think we’ll have a chance to be in the conversation out there. But this is a different year. …
“There’s a lot of nice teams out there. But when we play, and we play with energy, I think we can be one of the better ones.”
KC Star
ESPN video link in case embed above doesn't work for you
KU had four players in double figures on a night no Jayhawk took more than eight shots. Andrew White III hit three threes in four tries and had 13 points; Wayne Selden 12 and Perry Ellis 10. Joel Embiid had eight points and eight boards on a night the (4-0) Jayhawks hit 60 percent of their shots to (3-2) Towson’s 36.7 percent.
KU outrebounded Towson, 40-28, and held the Tigers to 5-of-22 three-point shooting.
The Jayhawks had all the flashy plays, ramming eight dunks to Towson’s none.
…Senior power forward Tarik Black, who set the tone with two early dunks (in helping KU open with an 11-5 lead) said: “We have eight, nine new guys on this team. We are not going to be a perfectly flowing team. We will not be as flowing as some teams that have guys that returned, but we are looking very good. We are one of the top teams in the country and we deserve it. We are going to continue to work hard and try to move forward.”
LJW
Benimon said he had not seen KU (4-0) play much this season and, therefore, did not realize just how deep KU was. Ten Jayhawks played 12 minutes or more against the Tigers, with two others playing six minutes or better.
“They have good depth,” Benimon said. “They have a bunch of players. I didn't realize they played that many players... All of them run, so they just get up and down. I felt like when they were getting out (in transition), they were at their best.”
LJW
Kansas University freshman center Joel Embiid had a career-high three blocks, most by a Jayhawk in a game this season, in Friday’s 88-58 rout of Towson in Allen Fieldhouse.
“Coach (Bill) Self has been helping me with my timing,” the 7-footer from Cameroon said. “They have been showing me what to work on along with showing me film of how Jeff Withey did it. They tell me to stay on the ground and not to go for it on shot fakes. It’s a matter of timing,” he added.
Embiid, who had eight rebounds in 19 minutes, also is starting to master the art of outlet passing.
“Every time the other team shot it they would have five guys crash the boards. So if I had the rebound, I would just throw the ball down court because I knew my teammates were getting out running,” said Embiid, who had one assist.
Embiid went 4-for-5 shooting and has missed just one shot in his last two games and five all season to take the team field goal percentage lead at 72.2 percent.
…Frank Mason had a career-high six assists against the school he signed with his senior year in high school. He also had six points and one turnover in 18 minutes.
…Friday’s game was part of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, but the result has no bearing on the actual tourney Thursday through Saturday in Bahamas.
Towson is not one of the eight schools making the trip to Paradise Island. Instead, the Tigers played Villanova and KU on the road in “guarantee games” that were part of the overall event.
KU will play Wake Forest in the first-round of the eight-team tourney at 2:30 p.m., Central time, Thursday in the Ballroom and Convention center of the Atlantis resort. A victory would push KU into the semifinals against Villanova or USC at 8:30 p.m., Friday. Teams on the other side of the bracket: Tennessee, UTEP, Iowa and Xavier.
The Ballroom and Convention Center seats 3,800. KU fans have already purchased about 1,600 tickets.
Josh Klingler will do the radio play by play for the three games in the Bahamas with Greg Gurley as color man. Veteran KU play by play announcer Bob Davis will work Saturday’s football game against Kansas State with color announc
LJW
Kansas University’s basketball team, which led the country in field-goal-percentage defense last year (.361) and has ranked first in the Big 12 in that category in eight of Bill Self’s first 10 seasons in Lawrence, has been amazing on offense through four games of the 2013-14 campaign.
The Jayhawks (4-0) — who scored 88 points versus Towson, 86 against Iona, 94 against Duke and 80 versus Louisiana at Monroe — have cashed 56.8 percent of their floor shots, including 37.5 percent of their threes.
“If you look at our shooting percentages, they’re better than ever so far,” KU coach Bill Self said.
KU hit 60 percent of its attempts in Friday’s 88-58 home victory over Towson.
“We’ve shot 50 percent every game. We don’t do that. We just make sure other teams can’t score. Since we don’t do that anymore, I guess we’ve got to make sure we score,” he added sarcastically.
KU’s four foes have made 42.4 percent of their shots en route to an average of 67.5 points a game.
LJW
Wiggins was assertive enough to lead the team with 16 points to go with seven rebounds. I had an inkling his favorite stat on his efficient line in the box score would be the number “4” under the offensive-rebound column, and asked him.
He answered with a big smile and a small word: “Yes.”
LJW Keegan: Wiggins provides much more than highlights
3. Andrew Wiggins, SF, Kansas Jayhawks
6-8, 200 pounds
Wiggins has yet to dominate, but he’s been solid and has shown glimpses of why many have tabbed him as the No. 1 overall pick in June’s NBA draft. Wiggins had 13 points and seven boards in a win over Iona and went for 16 points and seven rebounds in a rout over Towson. He’s shooting 59 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3.
“He falls out of bed and gets 16 and 8," Towson coach Pat Skerry said. "He makes it look so easy, has a major league first step and has that extra gear when needed.”
Stats: 16.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG | Previous rank: 3
ESPN Goodman Ranking of Top Freshman ($)
“Actually, I used to be on the Selection Committee for picking kids in the 21-and-under, 20-and-under and 19-and-under (USA Basketball) teams that travel,” Self said on his Hawk Talk radio show. “I’ve never coached with USA Basketball. We planned on doing it a few times, but because of Tyler and Lauren’s (children) schedule, it was never the right time to be gone in the summer.
“It’s just not real. There are some guys named Popovich and Rivers and some others that would be, I’m sure, high on the list as possible replacement whenever he (Krzyzewski) decides not to do it. My understanding is he feels great and will do it one more time at least (2016). He has done a lot for our sport and USA Basketball. For anybody to logically think that (Self being named) is a possibility or realistic would be pie-in-the-sky-type thinking. Those jobs don’t fall off trees,” Self added.
Boeheim is in the Hall of Fame, while Self and Izzo, who have won national championships, are both considered locks for induction. Popovich and Rivers have been considered two of the top NBA coaches for some time now.
“Though it’s flattering to hear things like that, it’s something I don’t put a lot of stock into because the reality of that happening is that it will not occur. My plate is full here. I’m just focused at what is going on at Kansas. It’s flattering but not realistic either,” Self said.
LJW
KU had four players in double figures on a night no Jayhawk took more than eight shots. Andrew White III hit three threes in four tries and had 13 points; Wayne Selden 12 and Perry Ellis 10. Joel Embiid had eight points and eight boards on a night the (4-0) Jayhawks hit 60 percent of their shots to (3-2) Towson’s 36.7 percent.
KU outrebounded Towson, 40-28, and held the Tigers to 5-of-22 three-point shooting.
The Jayhawks had all the flashy plays, ramming eight dunks to Towson’s none.
…Senior power forward Tarik Black, who set the tone with two early dunks (in helping KU open with an 11-5 lead) said: “We have eight, nine new guys on this team. We are not going to be a perfectly flowing team. We will not be as flowing as some teams that have guys that returned, but we are looking very good. We are one of the top teams in the country and we deserve it. We are going to continue to work hard and try to move forward.”
LJW
Benimon said he had not seen KU (4-0) play much this season and, therefore, did not realize just how deep KU was. Ten Jayhawks played 12 minutes or more against the Tigers, with two others playing six minutes or better.
“They have good depth,” Benimon said. “They have a bunch of players. I didn't realize they played that many players... All of them run, so they just get up and down. I felt like when they were getting out (in transition), they were at their best.”
LJW
Kansas University freshman center Joel Embiid had a career-high three blocks, most by a Jayhawk in a game this season, in Friday’s 88-58 rout of Towson in Allen Fieldhouse.
“Coach (Bill) Self has been helping me with my timing,” the 7-footer from Cameroon said. “They have been showing me what to work on along with showing me film of how Jeff Withey did it. They tell me to stay on the ground and not to go for it on shot fakes. It’s a matter of timing,” he added.
Embiid, who had eight rebounds in 19 minutes, also is starting to master the art of outlet passing.
“Every time the other team shot it they would have five guys crash the boards. So if I had the rebound, I would just throw the ball down court because I knew my teammates were getting out running,” said Embiid, who had one assist.
Embiid went 4-for-5 shooting and has missed just one shot in his last two games and five all season to take the team field goal percentage lead at 72.2 percent.
…Frank Mason had a career-high six assists against the school he signed with his senior year in high school. He also had six points and one turnover in 18 minutes.
…Friday’s game was part of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, but the result has no bearing on the actual tourney Thursday through Saturday in Bahamas.
Towson is not one of the eight schools making the trip to Paradise Island. Instead, the Tigers played Villanova and KU on the road in “guarantee games” that were part of the overall event.
KU will play Wake Forest in the first-round of the eight-team tourney at 2:30 p.m., Central time, Thursday in the Ballroom and Convention center of the Atlantis resort. A victory would push KU into the semifinals against Villanova or USC at 8:30 p.m., Friday. Teams on the other side of the bracket: Tennessee, UTEP, Iowa and Xavier.
The Ballroom and Convention Center seats 3,800. KU fans have already purchased about 1,600 tickets.
Josh Klingler will do the radio play by play for the three games in the Bahamas with Greg Gurley as color man. Veteran KU play by play announcer Bob Davis will work Saturday’s football game against Kansas State with color announc
LJW
Kansas University’s basketball team, which led the country in field-goal-percentage defense last year (.361) and has ranked first in the Big 12 in that category in eight of Bill Self’s first 10 seasons in Lawrence, has been amazing on offense through four games of the 2013-14 campaign.
The Jayhawks (4-0) — who scored 88 points versus Towson, 86 against Iona, 94 against Duke and 80 versus Louisiana at Monroe — have cashed 56.8 percent of their floor shots, including 37.5 percent of their threes.
“If you look at our shooting percentages, they’re better than ever so far,” KU coach Bill Self said.
KU hit 60 percent of its attempts in Friday’s 88-58 home victory over Towson.
“We’ve shot 50 percent every game. We don’t do that. We just make sure other teams can’t score. Since we don’t do that anymore, I guess we’ve got to make sure we score,” he added sarcastically.
KU’s four foes have made 42.4 percent of their shots en route to an average of 67.5 points a game.
LJW
Wiggins was assertive enough to lead the team with 16 points to go with seven rebounds. I had an inkling his favorite stat on his efficient line in the box score would be the number “4” under the offensive-rebound column, and asked him.
He answered with a big smile and a small word: “Yes.”
LJW Keegan: Wiggins provides much more than highlights
3. Andrew Wiggins, SF, Kansas Jayhawks
6-8, 200 pounds
Wiggins has yet to dominate, but he’s been solid and has shown glimpses of why many have tabbed him as the No. 1 overall pick in June’s NBA draft. Wiggins had 13 points and seven boards in a win over Iona and went for 16 points and seven rebounds in a rout over Towson. He’s shooting 59 percent from the field and 40 percent from 3.
“He falls out of bed and gets 16 and 8," Towson coach Pat Skerry said. "He makes it look so easy, has a major league first step and has that extra gear when needed.”
Stats: 16.8 PPG, 6.3 RPG | Previous rank: 3
ESPN Goodman Ranking of Top Freshman ($)
“Actually, I used to be on the Selection Committee for picking kids in the 21-and-under, 20-and-under and 19-and-under (USA Basketball) teams that travel,” Self said on his Hawk Talk radio show. “I’ve never coached with USA Basketball. We planned on doing it a few times, but because of Tyler and Lauren’s (children) schedule, it was never the right time to be gone in the summer.
“It’s just not real. There are some guys named Popovich and Rivers and some others that would be, I’m sure, high on the list as possible replacement whenever he (Krzyzewski) decides not to do it. My understanding is he feels great and will do it one more time at least (2016). He has done a lot for our sport and USA Basketball. For anybody to logically think that (Self being named) is a possibility or realistic would be pie-in-the-sky-type thinking. Those jobs don’t fall off trees,” Self added.
Boeheim is in the Hall of Fame, while Self and Izzo, who have won national championships, are both considered locks for induction. Popovich and Rivers have been considered two of the top NBA coaches for some time now.
“Though it’s flattering to hear things like that, it’s something I don’t put a lot of stock into because the reality of that happening is that it will not occur. My plate is full here. I’m just focused at what is going on at Kansas. It’s flattering but not realistic either,” Self said.
LJW
NOVEMBER 28
Villanova vs. USC, 1 p.m., AXS.tv
Kansas vs. Wake Forest, 3:30 p.m., AXS.tv
Xavier vs. Iowa, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Network
Tennessee vs. UTEP, 9:30 p.m., NBC Sports Network
NOVEMBER 29
Semifinals
Xavier-Iowa winner vs. Tennessee-UTEP winner, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Network
Villanova-USC winner vs. Kansas-Wake Forest winner, 9:30 p.m., NBC Sports Network
Consolation bracket
Xavier-Iowa loser vs. Tennessee-UTEP loser, 1 p.m., AXS.tv
Villanova-USC loser vs. Kansas-Wake Forest loser, 3:30 p.m., AXS.tv
NOVEMBER 30
Semifinal winners, 9:30 p.m., NBC Sports Network
Third place game
Semifinal losers, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Network
Consolation bracket
Fifth place game, 3:30 p.m., AXS.tv
Seventh-place game, 1 p.m., AXS.tv
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VOTE HERE for Pierce, Chalmers, Markieff Morris 2014 NBB All-Stars
Their time apart lasted an NBA season and a half in their nearly 24 years of life. But even that short chapter seemed like an eternity for identical twins Markieff and Marcus Morris. Now reunited with the Phoenix Suns, they are on a united mission to remain teammates the rest of their NBA careers.
"We vowed that we work so hard that it will never happen again," Markieff Morris said. "You never know how it will happen or how it's going to go. We are cherishing this time."
Yahoo: Twins Peak
Their time apart lasted an NBA season and a half in their nearly 24 years of life. But even that short chapter seemed like an eternity for identical twins Markieff and Marcus Morris. Now reunited with the Phoenix Suns, they are on a united mission to remain teammates the rest of their NBA careers.
"We vowed that we work so hard that it will never happen again," Markieff Morris said. "You never know how it will happen or how it's going to go. We are cherishing this time."
Yahoo: Twins Peak
Big 12/College News
Florida senior guard Scottie Wilbekin will make his season debut for the Gators against Jacksonville on Monday night.
Gators coach Billy Donovan confirmed early Sunday that Wilbekin had been reinstated after missing the first five games of the season -- plus an exhibition game -- because of a violation of team rules.
The timing for the Gators is perfect with freshman guard Kasey Hill out with a high ankle sprain, suffered during the team's last game against Southern.
Wilbekin averaged 9.1 points and 4.6 assists a game last season.
The Gators are heading into a brutal four-game stretch. They take on in-state rival Florida State on Friday before going to UConn on Monday and then hosting Kansas Dec. 10 before facing Memphis in the Jimmy V Classic in New York City Dec. 17.
ESPN Katz
North Carolina coach Roy Williams walked over to his players huddled in a circle and jumping after their 93-84 win over No. 3 Louisville on Sunday at Mohegan Sun Arena.
The 63-year-old cracked a smile and disappeared into the blue, his shiny white top barely visible, as he hopped, jumped and bumped into the players. Williams broke from the pack and gave a salute to the fans before the team ran off, hauling the Hall of Fame Tip-Off championship trophy to their locker room.
The No. 24 Tar Heels haven’t had a November win that warranted such an impromptu celebration in a while. Just one week ago, the Heels’ loss to Belmont was just their second nonconference home defeat during Williams’ tenure. The program has also been carrying an albatross of uncertainty while awaiting a final judgment on the status of P.J. Hairston and Leslie McDonald.
That’s why a little celebration was in order. Carolina needed this one.
“Since June 5th it’s not been a very pleasant time -- it’s been probably the most difficult time I’ve had as a coach,” Williams said. “It has not been fun in every way, shape or form. But today, out on that court watching their excitement, bumping with them, then going in the locker room celebrating, that’s what I coach for.”
ESPN
USC’s Andy Enfield has a few words for Tim Floyd and UCLA
Missouri's bench just got smaller.
The school said Friday that sophomore forward Stefan Jankovic will be transferring, saying he is hoping for more playing time elsewhere.
The 6-foot-11-inch, 242-pound native of Serbia played in 28 games for the Tigers, averaging 3.1 points and 1.6 rebounds. He scored nine points in 18 minutes in this year's opener, but only added one combined point in eight-plus minutes during Missouri's next two games.
Jankovic said he wanted to find a better fit. Coach Frank Haith said before the season that Jankovic didn't always understand his role on the court last year.
Link
Feast Week basketball schedule
Recruiting
Huntington (W.V.) Prep combo guard JaQuan Lyle says he’s considering eight schools.
“I have eight schools I’m considering,” Lyle told the Charleston (W.V.) Gazette. “Kansas, Providence, Oregon, West Virginia, Indiana, Connecticut, Memphis and Florida State.
“There’s really no leader. I’m just enjoying the process and season.”
Kansas assistant Jerrance Howard met with Lyle last week at Huntington Prep and the two sides are working out an official visit.
Oregon assistant Tony Stubblefield and West Virginia assistant Larry Harrison both recently watched Lyle play in Kentucky.
Lyle also recently visited West Virginia and enjoyed that trip.
“I went to Morgantown two weekends ago,” he told the Gazette. “It went real well. I went to the football game and a basketball game. It was a great visit. The fans were very supportive.”
Zags Blog
Some who want “one-and-done” not to be a Duke thing have suggested neither Jones nor Winslow is in that category, but that’s little more than a wish. DraftExpress scout Jonathan Givony has seen lots of Winslow at USA Basketball trials and in FIBA competition. He lists Winslow as the No. 11 prospect in his mock 2015 draft. He has Jones at 15th.
Okafor, Givony's No. 1 2015 prospect, is a delightful teenager: bright, ambitious, self-assured. Jones and Winslow, as well, are the kind of kids who would enrich any college campus. That it is possible or likely they will be in place for one academic year means they might enrich it less than is desirable but not short enough that the experience will be vacant for either party.
We’ve said this before, but perhaps not often enough. The current 19-year age limit rule is not as good for basketball as a 20-year limit would be, but it still is the best thing to happen to basketball at the high school, college and professional levels since the NBA made the mistake of installing a rookie salary scale nearly two decades ago.
The age limit has gotten pro scouts out of high school gyms, encouraged high school players to pay more attention to their academic courses in order to qualify for the best possible pre-NBA training ground, and it has allowed college fans to see the finest players of their generation compete for conference championships and the NCAA title. It has allowed the NBA to inherit better-trained prospects and not to do as much remedial coaching with its most coveted draft picks.
One-and-done is not a curse. It is a blessing. It now has the full embrace of a true Hall of Famer, Mike Krzyzewski, who has won four NCAA championships and could very well ride this trio of elite talents to a fifth. That is, if current one-and-doneish talent Jabari Parker doesn’t get him the fifth this April.
TSN DeCourcy
Recruiting Calendar
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