WEDNESDAY

Kansas Jayhawks

While the University of Kansas Men’s basketball team notched its eighth straight Big 12 Conference championship, they kept another valuable streak alive as well.

Tuesday morning KU officials announced the results of the 2010-2011 NCAA Academic Progress Rate for the University’s athletic department. For the sixth straight year the men’s basketball team received a perfect APR score of 1,000.

…According to Paul Buskirk, KU’s associate athletic director, only student athletes that are on scholarship are used when determining the APR score. Each scholarship athlete can earn up to two points a semester, one for retention and the other for eligibility. The combination of all scholarship athletes’ scores add up to the APR score for each sport.

Even though standout KU forward Thomas Robinson is leaving early for the NBA draft, it won’t negatively impact the men’s basketball team’s APR score. Buskirk said there are three examples where a student can leave an institution and the schools APR score will not be penalized.

“Number 1 is if you transfer to another four-year institution and, when you do, you have a 2.6 GPA. Number 2 is if there’s a documented medical (or) family reason. And then the big one is if a student leaves for a professional sports opportunity,” Buskirk said.

Coach Bill Self said he was pleased with players who even though left school early, still took care of their academic responsibility.
UDK


Self said that he flat-out tells his NBA prospects they better take care of academics ... or else.

“I make a deal with all my guys. It sounds pretty mean to say. We talk about it every first practice: ‘If you leave out of here and in any way, shape or form put us in position to lose a scholarship, then you’ll never be invited back (to KU), ever,’” Self said “At least as long as I’m here. If you don’t care enough about yourself you certainly don’t care enough about the place that has been good to you, then you shouldn’t come back. A lot of schools it’s a problem because kids don’t love the school so much. Here they love the school so much, the place has been so good to them, they have an obligation to do that. That’s why we have 1,000 APR. Those kids that leave know they’ve got to finish before they leave. I’d let everybody know (if a player didn’t finish),” Self added forcefully. “Thomas and those guys handled their stuff. Marcus, Markieff (Morris), Josh (Selby) Xavier (Henry), Cole (Aldrich) ... they all took care of business before the draft.”
LJW


Self added that he’d seen the numbers from this past semester, and the streak will likely be seventh when the 2011-12 year is reported 12 months from now.

 "I think there’s a correlation between being good on the court and taking care of business off the court," Self said. "It’s amazing to me, the better we do in the classroom, it seems like the more games we win."
KC Star


He walked down a hallway inside Allen Fieldhouse, new teammates and friends moving alongside him. It was Tuesday afternoon, and Milton Doyle was on his way to the KU locker room. Finally.

Just two months ago, Doyle’s future was still limbo, the fateful result of an ill-timed injury and a coach’s pink slip. Just two months ago, Doyle, a 6-foot-4 freshman guard, was back at home in Chicago, waiting to see if any more college coaches would come around.

These days, those feelings are gone. And that means walking on campus with his roommate, freshman walk-on Tyler Self, and freshman forward Zach Peters.

“I was really sold before I ever came here, knowing the history of Kansas,” Doyle says. “Just finally being here put it all together.”

Doyle certainly looks like someone who just finished high school. He’s carrying just 185 pounds on his lanky frame. His sentences are soft and short. And the story that made him perhaps the most unlikely member of KU’s 2012 recruiting class is still fresh.

It’s the story of how a city helped a high school senior go from a complete unknown to a Kansas Jayhawk in the span of a few months.

“I (had) been calling and trying to inform people about him,” said Henry Cotton, Doyle’s coach at Marshall High School in Chicago. “But you know … nobody bought into it.”

In many ways, Doyle’s story isn’t that different. Like so many others, Cotton said, Doyle was hardened by the city streets that have molded basketball players for decades. Basketball people will tell you that the Windy City hoops scene can churn out a certain type of player. And if you need to know anything more about Doyle’s background, you might want to know that Arthur Agee, one of the stars of the iconic basketball documentary “Hoop Dreams,” went to Marshall High School, the same school that Doyle attended, the old school on the west side.
KC Star


The city of Chicago has been kind to Kansas University’s basketball program during the Bill Self era.

“I know Sherron (Collins) from being back home and Mario (Little) from here and some other guys (Julian Wright, Jamari Traylor),” said Milton Doyle, a 6-foot-4, 175-pound guard from Marshall High — the latest Windy City native to play for Self’s Jayhawks.

He spoke to the media on Tuesday in Allen Fieldhouse on his second full day on campus.

“I’ll try to follow in their footsteps and play like they do,” Doyle said.

…“It feels good to be here, to finally work out and be around the team, be around the guys,” said Doyle, who will wear his high school jersey number — 25 — at KU. “They welcomed me in like I was already part of the team from the beginning.”

KU coach Bill Self said Tuesday that Doyle, who averaged 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 5.0 steals per game his senior season at Marshall, figures to play both point and shooting guard.

“I think there’s a difference in being a point guard and being able to play some point,” Self said. “He’s a guy who definitely can play some point, no question. The way we play, whoever gets it brings it. Tyshawn (Taylor) wasn’t a true point at least the way we played. Elijah (Johnson) is not a true point. We’ve got a lot of combo guards. He’ll be one of those combo guards.

“He’s a good athlete, has great length. He has to get stronger, which is natural for all freshmen. He probably has to get where his stroke is a little more consistent. We have minutes to be earned back there from a depth standpoint. He should provide us extra depth, no question.”

Of his role, Doyle said: “Combo guard that can play any spot, who is able to go out there and play whatever the coach tells me to play ... a good defender, all around player.”

Doyle — who once was a Duke fan, but switched allegiances to KU about the time the Jayhawks won the national title with Collins playing a major role in 2008 — has played point guard pretty much all his life. He credited his mom, Lisa, a former Mississippi Valley State player, for “putting me in the gym ... it was out of her job because she works for the park district, so I was always in the gym.”

… KU senior forward Kevin Young said he enjoyed competing with the likes of J.J. Barea (Minnesota, NBA), Shabazz Napier (UConn), Mike Rosario (Florida) and Renaldo Balkman (South Carolina) at the recent Puerto Rico national team tryouts.

“It was fun. I learned a lot. I think I grew a lot as a player, too,” said Young, who was one of 12 players asked to play in a tournament this week in Puerto Rico, but was told he would be bumped from the Olympic team once several Puerto Rican pro players reported to camp.

“I worked on my shot, my handles a bit. Hopefully I’ll show a little bit of improvement when I get back in the gym, today,” Young added.

…KU coach Self said he heard Young played well at tryouts. “The last game he plays five minutes, gets eight points, four rebounds, is 2-2 from three which I was kind of excited to hear about. Kevin will have a good year this year because he’s going to be a lot more comfortable,” Self said.
LJW


University of Kansas men’s basketball team will participate in a scrimmage Wednesday afternoon, according to Chris Theisen, the assistant athletic director for media relations.

The scrimmage will take place at 3:15 inside Allen Fieldhouse. The game will consist of two 20 minute halves with a running clock.

Besides players on the current rosters, former KU players will also participate in the scrimmage. Last week Aaron Miles, Brady Morningstar, Jeff Hawkins and Julian Wright all participated in the scrimmage.
UDK


Bill Self was allowed to choose his own jersey number for the All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game, set for Sunday, July 8, at Kauffman Stadium.

“I have a unique number, as a matter of fact,” Self, Kansas University’s basketball coach said Tuesday in Allen Fieldhouse. “I didn’t know what number to pick. I figured (George, No. 5) Brett would be playing and some other guys would be playing, so I went with my own, unique number. I’m ‘08’ — I thought that was a good number to pick,” Self added, “08” ostensibly referring to the year KU won the national basketball title.

…“I think I’m going to have to go on a diet just to get in the pants size I gave them,” Self said.

“Going way back ... I probably haven’t swung a baseball bat since 1993. It hasn’t been quite 20 years. We had a big-time team back in Stillwater,” added Oklahoma State graduate Self. “Seven, eight years after (graduation) we pretty much ran that city league down there. I’ve not had a chance to play since then. I’m going to go to the cages a little bit and make sure I can hit a slow-pitch softball.

“I still feel I’ll be able to do something in that celebrity all-star game which I have no idea why I’m in it. I could get out on my front foot a little bit, and get a little excited, and maybe swing and miss, too. I’m definitely going to take a little B.P. (batting practice).”
LJW


With Kidd-Gilchrist, you know what you're going to get. With Drummond and even Beal, you are assuming the player's potential will vastly eclipse his production as a freshman. (Beal seems like the much sounder bet here, but it is nonetheless a bet.) That might be right. It might not. Robinson presents the best of both worlds: Already a very good player -- the consensus runner-up for 2012 national player of the year -- T-Rob still has tons of room to improve.

Robinson's past two seasons (a sophomore campaign backing up the Morris twins and a breakout junior year) offer evidence of both. In 2012, the Kansas forward posted a rebounding rate of 30.5 percent, the highest mark in the nation in a skill that typically translates well to the NBA. Robinson's offensive rebounding rate fell to 11.5 percent last season from 18.8 percent in 2011, but that had as much to do with his new role as KU's go-to scorer as anything else.

Bottom line: At the very least, Robinson will do what every NBA power forward must do: He will rebound. He has the athleticism and tangible production to back that prediction. Worst case, if he ends up becoming a more-skilled Kenneth Faried, well, which NBA coach wouldn't sign up for that?

But Robinson's evolution from a rebound machine/energy backup to go-to guy is still a work in progress, one that should make most NBA scouts salivate. T-Rob is still building his offensive skills away from the rim, still finding a midrange-to-18-foot jumper, still working on post moves over both shoulders, still refining many of the offensive and defensive fundamentals that separate the best post players from the merely mediocre.

Robinson is not a finished product by any means. If this finishing process goes well, he could be an All-Star power forward one day. Even if you're being conservative, maybe he becomes a more athletic, above-the-rim version of Utah Jazz-era Carlos Boozer. Again: We're dealing with a high ceiling here.

There are players with more potential, and there are players who offer a stronger predictive picture without the ceiling to match. But other than Davis, I'm not sure there is a top-five-level player with equal measures of both. Less risk, more potential. If I'm an NBA GM and I can't take Davis, that calculation sounds pretty good to me.
ESPN


You think maybe now LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will give Mario Chalmers a break?

The Heat don’t win Tuesday’s game, don’t take a 3-1 series lead and assume command of these NBA Finals, without those 25 points from Chalmers.

Twelve of them came in the fourth quarter, when LeBron was fighting cramps and Wade was missing five of seven shots.

“That kid’s not afraid of any moment,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We all know that. He’s a gutsy kid. He’s a gamer. You can’t quantify that. You can’t measure it. You can’t necessarily evaluate that with a kid you’re drafting. He obviously had a big moment in college [in the NCAA final against Memphis]. He’s not afraid of the moment. You can’t teach that.”

Maybe now the Dynamic Duo will let Chalmers slide for being one of the few NBA players (along with Paul Pierce) to have a Spalding shoe contract.
Sun-Sentinel

Dodge Globe photo

It's not every day when an opportunity comes along to provide children with a free service to better their basketball game, as well as give them a chance to meet one former and two current Kansas Jayhawk basketball players. This past Monday and Tuesday, over 110 kids seized their chance to get some one-on-one coaching from players that have lived their dreams.

Former KU player Jeff Boschee, who is now an assistant with the Missouri Southern State University basketball program in Joplin, took his camp on the road once again to Dodge City. In years past, Boschee has taken advantage of his ties with the Jayhawk program to get some assistance from players currently on the roster.

His appearance in Dodge came at an opportune time for kids who want to get better at the game of basketball, but can't afford the multitude of high profile camps across the state. With the help of local businesses, all the entrants into the camp got in free of charge and were even given a t-shirt and basketball for participating.

…The kids were also given a treat as he brough along White and Releford as part of his KU program. White is a freshman-to-be, a standout guard from Chester, Virg., and Releford played big minutes during KU's championship game run this past season. Releford is a senior from Bishop Miege High School in Kansas City.

For Releford, these camps are a special opportunity for players to give back to the community and gives them a different perspective on the game of basketball.

"It helps a lot for the kids to be able to see that we want to give back," Releford said. "When I was young, I didn't have a chance to come to camps like this, and if I had the chance to work out with someone I looked up to, it would be a great experience."
Dodge Globe


Note to the high school class of 2016: If you’re looking to attend the University of Kansas, start cracking the books.

That C average will no longer get you in.

You’ll need at least a B and higher standardized college admission test scores than have ever been required by a Kansas public university.

When the Kansas Board of Regents meets in Topeka today, members are expected to make KU a more elite school, kicking in higher admissions standards in four years. That gives this year’s high school freshmen time to pass the required courses and maintain the grades they’ll need to become KU material.

If those requirements were in place today, roughly 35 percent of the freshmen admitted last year would not have made the cut for automatic admission to KU.

The new rules would demand freshmen take the necessary precollege classes, graduate from a high school or home school with either a minimum 3.0 grade point average combined with a 24 score on the ACT or 1090 SAT; or a minimum 3.25 GPA and a 21 ACT or 980 SAT.
KC Star

KC Star photo

The Big Slick poker tournament returns for its third year, hosted by hometown celebrities Rob Riggle, Paul Rudd and Jason Sudeikis. Actors Eric Stonestreet of KCK, Jon Hamm and Bobby Cannavale are expected as well.

The event (and its accompanying celebrity weekend) is a benefit for the oncology department of Children’s Mercy Hospital. The schedule:

•  5:30 p.m. Friday: Big Slick Celebrity Wiffle Ball Tournament at Kauffman Stadium (played at the “Little K” before the Royals vs. Cardinals game).
•  10:30 a.m. Saturday: Big Slick Texas Hold ’em Poker Tournament at Harrah’s North Kansas City Casino & Hotel, off Interstate 35 and Armour Road.
•  6:30 p.m. Saturday: VIP party at the Midland theater, 1228 Main St.
•  8:15 p.m. Saturday: Celebrity party and auction at the Midland (doors open at 7 p.m.).

Auction items include a trip to New York to see “Saturday Night Live” and meet the cast backstage; a trip to Los Angeles to visit the set of “Anchorman 2”; a trip to attend the L.A. premiere and private after-party of Paul Rudd’s comedy “This Is 40”; tickets to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, with a visit to the announcer’s booth to meet Joe Buck.

Seats for the poker tournament cost $500. Tickets to the party and auction cost $125. See bigslickkc.org.
KC Star

Big 12/College News

Dump on them all you want in old-fashioned, face-to-face meetings at a recruit’s home. That’s what those things are for.

But if you do it via text or online, there’s visual evidence, and you’re at the mercy of the recruit’s discretion. No one wants to make that awkward call to Mike Krzyzewski to apologize for saying there are “rumors that he is a war criminal.”

Why should you have to apologize for that? You told the truth. There are rumors. Check any UNC message board.

Send a text to Kelvin Sampson.

Tell him sorry. And thanks. He was the first great explorer into the land of text messaging. He did not last to see this day and has been forever banned to NBA assistant coachdom, but he will not be forgotten. 2 Klvn!

Make sure you really want to do this.

According to some studies, kids age 13 to 17 – so the people you’re recruiting – send more than 3,000 text message per month. How many high school players are you recruiting at one time: 10, 15, 50, 100? If you start texting these people, your life is OVER. Every waking moment will be spent receiving some of the stupidest, most pointless drivel ever typed. And you will have to read them all and respond as though they are great pearls of wisdom because you need a 3-star or better at forward or you’re screwed!

Is getting the next LeBron James or Kevin Durant worth having to read texts, tweets and Facebook messages from teenagers? No. No, it’s not. Resign now before your life becomes a hellscape of inanity.
ESPN Technology guidelines for college hoops coaches


TCU men's basketball coach Trent Johnson senses a wait-and-see attitude from Horned Frogs fans. That's no surprise. That's been the prevailing point of view for almost a decade.

The skepticism surrounding TCU basketball as it moves into the Big 12 Conference, although much of it optimistic, is understandable. It has been years since the program garnered truly inspired preseason expectations even without a move into a major basketball power conference in the equation.

"I think people are sort of sitting in the back waiting," said Johnson, who took over for Jim Christian on April 5. "There's some excitement, but also there's some curiosity and a wait-and-see attitude: Can we compete? Can we get it done at this level? And that's good. I know what it's like and I know what we're getting into."

Johnson, who won at Stanford in the Pac-12 and at LSU in the Southeastern Conference, knows just how tough Big 12 competition will be, especially in the inaugural season. "But for this institution and this program athletically it's time, in my opinion," Johnson said, "to take on the challenge of the Big 12."

In many ways, the change in coach and conference signal a makeover for the program. TCU hopes to announce renovations to 61-year old Daniel-Meyer Coliseum later this year. Other upgrades to the basketball facilities are in the works.
FW Star Telegram


Connecticut's ban from next year's NCAA men's basketball tournament is about to become official.

The NCAA will be releasing its annual academic progress report for the 2010-2011 academic year on Wednesday. UConn officials say they're expecting a score of 978.

That is much improved over recent scores, but not high enough to keep the school eligible for the tournament. NCAA rules require a 900 average over four years or a 930 over two years. Connecticut's four-year score would be 889 and its two-year average would be 902.
AP


2012-13 Early Season Events List

Recruiting

On Tuesday evening, the roster for the United States U-17 team was announced.

It it headlined by the nation’s top recruit in the Class of 2013, Sports Illustrated’s coverboy Jabari Parker. Joining him on the team is high school teammate Kendrick Nunn, meaning that Simeon High School is probably going to have a pretty good season in Chicago in 2013.

There are six rising seniors on the roster and six rising juniors. Chicago actually has three players on the roster, as Class of 2014 recruit Jahlil Okafor made it as well. California and Florida both have two players on the roster, but Dakari Johnson, who attends Monteverde Academy in Florida, is a New York native.

Here is the full roster:

Beejay Anya, F/C, 6-9, 275 lb, 2013, DeMatha Catholic H.S., Gaithersburg, MD
Joel Berry, G, 6-1, 190, 2014, Lake Highland Prep School, Apopka, FL
Stephen Domingo, F, 6-7, 205, 2013, St. Ignatius Prep, San Francisco, CA
Conner Frankamp, G, 6-1, 155, 2013, Wichita North H.S., Wichita, KS
Dakari Johnson, F/C, 6-10, 250, 2014, Montverde Academy (FL), Brooklyn, NY
Stanley Johnson, F, 6-6, 230, 2014, Mater Dei H.S., Fullerton, CA
Tyus Jones, G, 6-2, 175, 2014, Apple Valley H.S., Apple Valley, MN
Kendrick Nunn, G, 6-3, 180, 2013, Simeon H.S., Chicago, IL
Jahlil Okafor, C, 6-10, 280, 2014, Whitney Young H.S., Chicago, IL
Jabari Parker, F, 6-8, 225, 2013, Simeon H.S., Chicago, IL
Johnathan Williams, F/C, 6-9, 203, 2013, Southwind H.S., Memphis, TN
Justise Winslow, F, 6-6, 212, 2014, St. John’s School, Houston, TX

Stephen Domingo (Georgetown) and Connor Frankamp (Kansas) are the only two players on the list that have committed to a college.
NBC


USA Basketball U17 schedule

Grant and his staff have positioned themselves well for one of the nation's best at the position as Hampton, Virginia star Anthony Barber has named the Tide one of two finalists for his services, according to BamaOnline. Sources tell al.com that Barber is scheduled to visit Tuscaloosa on Tuesday night.

"I just like Coach Grant because he keeps it real with you and he's a laid back coach," Barber said. "I think coming to Alabama would be a great fit for me because I've built a relationship with him and he likes me."

The 6-foot-1, 160-pound star named the Kansas Jayhawks as his other finalist. Barber said he plans on visiting Kansas later this summer.
AL.com


Julius Randle, a Dallas native and one of the best big men in the Class of 2013, scored 15 points and grabbed four boards to lead the way for Team USA as they advanced past Argentina 107-72 in the FIBA Americas U-18 championship.

Argentina held an early lead, but Syracuse-bound wing (and younger brother of Notre Dame’s Jerian) Jerami Grant threw down a dunk to give the United States the lead that was never relinquished.

It was a balanced effort for the Americans, as seven players finished with double figures. Duke-bound Rasheed Suliamon finished with 14 points, while future Memphis Tiger Shaq Goodwin had 13. Goodwin, who scored 30 points in a win over the Virgin Islands, scored seven straight points — including back-to-back three point plays — to stretch a lead that remained at ten for much of the second quarter to 53-36.

The USA will advance to take on Brazil, who beat Canada 66-62. The Americans beat the Brazilians 83-64 on Monday.
NBC


The NCAA may now permit coaches to call and text recruits unlimitedly, but the restrictions in contacting Simeon’s Jabari Parker, the nation’s Class of 2013 recruit, haven’t changed.

Parker remains off limits. His parents, Sonny and Lola Parker, do not permit college coaches to contact Parker directly. They must call or text them.

“Everybody doing their job, but they still can’t have Jabari’s number,” Sonny said on Tuesday. “That ain’t changed.

“We want him to enjoy being who he is. If he wants to talk, we’ll ask him first. Right now, we don’t want him to be over-bombarded because coaches can sometimes be aggressive, and that can be overwhelming.”

Sonny said all of the coaches have stuck to the rules and have not attempted to contact Parker directly. Just in case, though, Parker did change his number recently.

“It’s okay,” Sonny said of the new NCAA rules. “It’s how you handle it. Don’t get overwhelmed, don’t get caught up. They have to do their job. We’re doing our job.”

Coaches have been reaching out to Parker’s parents in the last week. Sonny said they’ve heard from Duke, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, among others.

“I talked to (Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski) the other day,” Sonny said. “He wished me a Happy Father’s Day. My voicemail is filled. It’s been filled for a year.”

Parker, who was the ESPNChicago.com 2011-2012 Player of the Year, and his family haven’t discussed recruiting much yet. Sonny said Parker would trim his list to five schools at the end of the summer and begin to make visits.
ESPN


In a text message to The Oklahoman late Tuesday night, his mother, Dorshell Clark, confirmed that her son will remain at Douglass for his senior season, rather than graduate early to enter college in the fall.

“Stephen advised me (Tuesday night) that he wants to stay in school and complete his senior season,” Dorshell Clark said. “He said he didn’t give himself enough time to make such a big decision.”

Stephen Clark had been looking into opportunities at a half-dozen or more colleges for the fall, but he’ll have four times as many possibilities by staying in the 2013 class. Harvard is the latest program to come on board in pursuit of the 5-foot-11, 175-pound point guard, who has more than 25 scholarship offers.
The Oklahoman


Summer Event Schedule


adidas Grassroots schedule


Nike EYBL Schedule


Check here for the NCAA Recruiting Calendar


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