The Kansas men's basketball team will host an open practice and scrimmage Saturday, Oct. 19, from 9:45 a.m. until approximately 11 a.m. prior to KU's home football game against Oklahoma. The event is free to the public.
Doors to Allen Fieldhouse will open at 9 a.m. Fans will not be permitted to save seats for others, and limited concessions services will be available until 10:15.
"With practice starting three weeks earlier than normal, this will be a great way for our fans to get another early look at our team," KU coach Bill Self said. "We didn't show much at all during Late Night (in the Phog) other than 20 minutes of bad ball. This way KU fans can come see us before heading to the football game."
LJW
The UNLV basketball team will play a home-and-home series with Kansas starting in the 2014-15 season, the schools announced today.
The Rebels will travel to Kansas next season and host the Jayhawks during the 2016-17 campaign.
“We are very excited to start this series with Kansas,” UNLV coach Dave Rice said in a statement. “Kansas has one of the most successful, storied programs in college basketball history. Adding the Jayhawks to our schedule is consistent with our philosophy of playing a very competitive nonconference schedule.”
UNLV last played Kansas during the 2008 NCAA Tournament, losing 75-56 to the eventual national champions.
Las Vegas Sun
13. Mitchell was hailed as a hard-nosed defender in the NBA, and Wiggins' prep-school coach, Rob Fulford, says the freshman has plenty of defensive potential: "One thing that people don't give Andrew enough credit for is his lockdown defense. Jabari Parker [Duke's top recruit] couldn't get a shot off against him, and he dominated Julius Randle [Kentucky's top recruit] in the Peach Jam. The bigger the defensive challenge, that's when Andrew steps up the most. When his defensive switch is on, you're not scoring."
14. Perhaps the one thing you can responsibly say is the same about Wiggins and Wilt: They committed to Kansas on the same day (May 14), 58 years apart, and their announcements were not televised.
15. As a junior, Chamberlain had a radio show called Flippin' With the Dipper, on which he played jazz and soul records. He made regular trips to music clubs in Kansas City and was friends with Louis Armstrong, who played a show at KU in 1957. Monte Johnson, a teammate of Wilt's, had an early Wollensak tape recorder, and the two of them used to play percussion over songs, with Wilt on bongoes and Johnson on spoons.
Manning did not have a radio show, but he preferred the nickname DMC (for Run DMC) in high school, and had records for Whodini and Freddie Jackson in his room. Wiggins already has a rap song about him, by an artist from Huntington, W.V., where he attended prep school. One of CityPhil's rhymes from Andrew Wiggins goes:
What you gonna do bout this Canadian
no defense you can play me in
Wiggins is into the track -- "I like it, I like it a lot," he says -- but his No. 1 guy is still Drake, a mega-star who also came out of the Toronto area. (And Drake reciprocates the love: on Tuesday, he Instagrammed one of the first looks at this week's cover.)
17. For Wiggins, having his older brother Nick nearby at Wichita State -- where he's a junior guard -- was a factor in choosing Kansas, even though Wiggins already liked the vibe of the campus and the program. "I just thought I'd feel comfortable here right off the bat," Wiggins says, "and if I had any problems, my brother was only an hour and 30 minutes away."
He has already visited Nick in Wichita, where they played Call of Duty (Wiggins' favorite game) and Nick harassed him about the fact that the Shockers, and not KU, made it to the Final Four. "I just told him, we're the kings of Kansas," Nick says. "I really wish we had a game against them on the schedule, or at least a scrimmage."
More from Luke Winn for SI
Andrew Wiggins is a star, but Marcus Smart turned down millions to come back to school.. nice swing and miss @SInow
@GottliebShow
Just watched Kansas practice. Potential w/ this team is ridiculous. Most impressive player today was @Ntharpe1. Has really come a long way. Andrew Wiggins has so much natural ability, but is struggling with consistent intensity. Was probably the 5th or 6th-best on floor today. Andrew Wiggins is an exceptionally nice kid -- one of my concerns is that he may be too nice.
@GoodmanESPN
LJW image
From the 1952 squad, forward Bill Hoagland was sitting in a folding chair adjacent to the court. A few seats down was sharpshooter Jeff Gueldner from the 1988 team. And wearing shorts and sneakers and occasionally slipping onto the court for drills was the unsung hero of the 2008 national champs, guard Sherron Collins.
The question that had to be inferred from this serendipitous convergence of KU greats: Might there be another 15 or so national champions in the gym, the guys doing the bulk of the work in practice?
…The world is well aware KU is the temporary home of elite prospect Andrew Wiggins, a 6-8 small forward from Toronto who quite likely will be the first player selected in next June's NBA draft. He did plenty to catch a spectator's attention through the course of the practice. But there were a lot of other areas that made an impression:
Wayne Selden does not relent. I'll say this as directly as possible: Selden is the hardest-practicing freshman I've encountered in more than a quarter-century on the college basketball beat. Does anyone remember Iowa's Jess Settles? He's always been my standard for a high-energy player, and Selden clears that bar.
There are players with greater raw talent or a more natural basketball frame. (The 6-5, 230-pound Selden has wide shoulders and a thick chest; neither will hinder him, but they're not prototypical for an elite prospect). Selden makes few mistakes, seems only to take jump shots he is convinced will connect and just does not stop.
Selden is going to win a lot of basketball games for Kansas just with his energy and his precision. He'll win some more with his strength and athleticism, which coaches expect will help him to become an exceptional defender. He'll win one here or there with his shooting.
…Well, say hello to Joel Embiid, a 7-0 native of Cameroon who played high school ball in Florida. He owns physical gifts that call to mind Hakeem Olajuwon and basketball skills reminiscent of Tim Duncan. Embiid has great feet, jumps well, handles the ball like a skilled forward and fires perimeter jumpers with comfort and ease. When he learns how to apply all this, when he comes to terms with how truly talented he is--in the way Olajuwon did after a year with the Houston Cougars--Embiid will be a basketball monster.
TSN
TCJ image
“I need Naadir to be our most valuable player,” Self said Tuesday before the Coaches vs. Cancer Season Tipoff Reception at Municipal Auditorium. “Now, I didn’t say best player, but he needs to be the guy that, regardless of the situation, it’s hard for us to play without him.”
Self hinted that Tharpe’s experience and leadership could be valuable on a team that brings in six freshmen and is otherwise inexperienced at the point.
“Frank Mason is going to be a good player. He’s going to come along and help us, but he’s young and has got a lot to figure out,” Self said. “Same with (Conner) Frankamp. So especially early in the season, Naadir probably needs to be as good as anybody on our team.”
Tharpe averaged 5.5 points and 19.4 minutes off the bench last year. He also ranked third in the Big 12 in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.2).
“He’s by far — by far — the best passer as far as creating shots for others of anybody we’ve had in recent memory,” Self said of the 5-11 native of Worcester, Mass., “and we’ve got to figure out a way where he can get to the paint.”
KU will practice Wednesday through Saturday, marking the first time this season that the Jayhawks have practiced four consecutive days.
“We need to figure out the nuts and bolts of who we are,” Self said. “‘OK, this is important. We don’t give up easy baskets. We make the extra pass. We drive to pass. We try to get angles on the block.’ Things that we know that’s been successful for us over time.
“Right now, we’re just out there, and we’re not playing with any purpose, which I think is pretty normal after one week. We need to get to the point where we can start playing with some purpose.”
LJW
10. Tarik Black, Kansas (via Memphis): Tarik Black didn’t average more than five rebounds per game in his last two seasons at Memphis, but his role at Kansas will be important. It’s a young team headlined by Andrew Wiggins, Wayne Selden, and Joel Embiid. He’ll be valuable as a physical, veteran low-post presence.
NBC 20 Impact Transfers
While highly-ranked high school talent is supposed to mean better college players, and better college players usually translates into better college teams, the real-life version of this chain of causation is rarely so simple. Jayhawk fans can attest to this after the Selby experience — a classic example of a star player unable to optimize his natural abilities within the framework of a team. Self, even more than most elite coaches, demands intense focus and precise execution on both ends of the floor.
Disciplined defense and crisp, rapid ball movement have been staples of his regime in Lawrence, and if a player hasn’t proven capable of executing those core tenets of his philosophy, he simply won’t play very much. This new influx of highly regarded prospects to Kansas does not come without risk, but don’t expect Self to mind too much. His players have a tendency to develop and perform well regardless of the prep ranking attached to their names. But it’s worth saying aloud: If the pipeline of blue-chippers to Lawrence is only just beginning, Big 12 and national rivals should start looking at KU with an entirely new fear in their eyes. Coaching up good talent is one thing; coaching up elite talent is quite another.
Rush The Court for SI
Finally, an image by Thad Allender (in Jayhawk Decade) is simply a shot of Bill Self reading through mail at his desk on the day he moved into his office. Surrounding him are blank walls with little divots where various photographs and pieces of memorabilia from the Roy Williams era had hung. One could argue that many people were shaky on his hiring during those first few years, especially after replacing a four-time Final Four coach like Williams. I’m not sure what the current situation would look like if they had hired a different guy. But I seriously doubt that we would be putting out a book of images on the winningest decade in KU basketball history.
Now.
Bill Self began his career at Kansas hot on the recruiting trail, landing six 5-star recruits in his first three classes. Five of those players—Russell Robinson, Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, Sherron Collins, and Darrell Arthur—formed the nucleus on the 2008 National Championship team, hammering home the point that coaching can get you to the brink, but talent takes you over the top.
Recruiting never fell off completely for Self, but he had been in a lull recently, signing classes that weren’t up to previous Kansas standards, or at least up to the expectations Self had set for himself.
Despite this, Kansas continued to win because Self is a future hall-of-fame coach, and he didn’t need a team full of high school All-Americans to win 30 games and contend for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. He could roll out of bed and do that.
But maybe coaching a team full of over-achievers to the NCAA Championship game in 2012 flipped a switch for Self. The first player off the bench for that team was Conner Teahan, a former walk-on who had no business playing significant minutes on a Final Four team.
Since being overwhelmed by Kentucky in that game, Self has taken his recruiting talents to another level. He secured the nation’s second best recruiting class last year before adding Andrew Wiggins, the No. 1 overall recruit and one of the most heralded high school players in years, who will also don the newest cover of Sports Illustrated.
Self then hired Jerrance Howard to his staff in May, a young coach who is considered one of the best recruiters in the country.
On Tuesday, a month before Self’s highly touted freshman class plays its first game, he began working his next masterpiece. Five-star shooting guard Kelly Oubre committed to the Jayhawks a few days after visiting Lawrence for “Late Night in the Phog.” The 12th ranked player in the class of 2014 according to Rivals.com is the first player to commit to the Jayhawks for next season, but he won’t be the last. And when the smoke clears, he could be the third best player to sign with Kansas.
UDK
“I think it can only help them (KU coaches). Getting a guy of Kelly’s caliber and name he brings from the state of Texas I think only will attract other people up there,” said Tim Schumacher, head coach of Oubre’s Houston Hoops AAU team. “Kelly has put himself on the national radar scene, not just the state of Texas,” Schumacher added of Rivals.com’s No. 12-rated player nationally.
Schumacher was thrilled this Tuesday to learn Oubre, an athletic 6-foot-7, 200-pound shooting guard/small forward out of Richmond’s Bush High (now at Nevada’s Findlay Prep) had committed to the Jayhawks over Kentucky and Florida.
“Either coach (Norm) Roberts or coach Self or somebody from their staff were pretty much at every one of our games. They did a great job recruiting him,” Schumacher said.
“It was a place, being from Houston and the Big 12, I think Kelly was really excited about from the start based on the success their program has had and just the impact coach Self is having on all the players.”
…Schumacher said he expects to see Oubre in this year’s McDonald’s All-America game, like last year’s All-American, Frazier.
“He is very difficult to defend because of his size and athleticism,” Schumacher said of Oubre. “The way he shoots the three and his ability to get in the lane and finish at the rim make him difficult to defend. I imagine they’ll play him on the wing just like we did, kind of let him go and expect him to put up some big numbers.”
LJW
Kelly Oubre canceled a visit to Kentucky and committed to Kansas on Tuesday — only four days after attending “Late Night in the Phog” — that familiar buzz once again got fairly loud.
“If you beat out Kentucky for a kid, you’re going to get attention,” CBSsports.com’s Jeff Borzello told The Capital-Journal. “And Kentucky wasn’t just interested; they made him a target.
“And Bill Self got him before he even visited Kentucky.”
By himself, Oubre, Rivals.com’s No. 12-ranked recruit, is a solid addition. The five-star, 6-foot-7 wing has steadily risen from a top-40 player to one some project will crack the top-10 by the time he graduates high school.
“During the past spring and summer he improved dramatically in every facet of his game,” Borzello said. “He was always one of the hardest playing guys out there, and I think he’s going to do nothing but keep getting better.”
He may also prove to be the first piece in what could turn into another mammoth recruiting class for Self and the Jayhawks.
…“Bill may not always hit the grand slam, but they’re always going to hit home runs in recruiting,” ESPN basketball analyst Fran Fraschilla said. “Certain years are stronger than others, but it’s all relative. You can almost count on it that every year that they need a big class, they’re going to put one together because of the great staff and the great tradition at Kansas.”
TCJ
Many people (myself included) read those comments as a subtle jab at John Calipari and the Kentucky program, specifically the notion of “kicking out” a player that is not a one and done player. But rather than just let those statements hang out there, I called Kelly Oubre Sr. tonight to ask him to clarify his thoughts. He said that he meant no shots at Kentucky or Calipari, who he says he respects a great deal, and instead was talking about something else:
“It was not a statement at all in reference to Kentucky. Eight schools were in the running for my son. The media turned into the big two. But some of the other schools were talking about one and done but Calipari was not one of them. Me and Calipari share the same view on the one and done situation. We both don’t think it is a good idea.”
Oubre Sr. noted that Calipari and Bill Self were two of three coaches (along with Billy Donovan) who he felt were not only honest with his son but were the type of men that he wanted coaching him and mentoring him at the next level.
“I wanted a coach who was the head of his ship and ran his own program. Those three, were the ones that I saw do that. And they didn’t spend their time talking about “one and done” but talked about their programs”
Oubre Sr. noted that some of the other eight programs that recruited his son focused on letting him “showcase his skills” and be a star in one year. And that turned, Oubre Sr off, but Self and Calipari had a different approach:
“What pushes the kid out is the money. Other schools talk about why my son shouldn’t go to Kentucky or to another school and focused on the other places, but the two schools in question right now (UK and KU) don’t talk about the other guy. They weren’t little guys getting in a big dog fight, they were big guys comfortable in their own skin. And that is what I wanted to see.”
Finally, Oubre Sr. said, his son felt at home after his Kansas visit and decided to end the process before visiting Kentucky or Florida. When I asked him after all of this discussion about “one and done”, what would happen if his son had the opportunity to go to the pros after one year, he said:
“The lure at the next level is the money. If you are know you are going to be a lottery pick, then at that time we sit down and re-evaluate that thinking. But as of now, I am not a big proponent of it, because I believe the first year is a learning curve.”
All in all, I found Oubre Sr. to be a very thoughtful man who was genuinely upset that his comments may have come out the wrong way. He ended the conversation by saying,
“Make sure and tell the Big Blue Nation that we wish them the best of luck. I love John Calipari and really respect him and those fans are amazing.”
http://kentuckysportsradio.com/main/kelly-oubres-father-says-his-comments-were-not-meant-against-kentuckycalipari/
Kansas, nine-time Big 12 defending regular-season champion, and Oklahoma State tied in the men's basketball Big 12 preseason coaches' poll to win the 2014 conference regular season the league office announced Thursday.
Big 12 coaches were not allowed voting for their own team and KU and OSU each received five first-place votes and were awarded 77 points each. This marks the third time in the 17-year history of the poll (there was not a coaches' poll in 1996-97) that the preseason poll ended in a tie. The other years the preseason poll result was a tie was 2005 (Kansas, Oklahoma State) and 2012 (Kansas, Texas A&M).
"Like I've said all along, preseason predictions don't mean much," Kansas head coach Bill Self said. "I know going into it that other teams in our league, primarily Oklahoma State, return basically their entire team and we have a lot of newcomers. We've got a lot of work to do to put ourselves in a position to play for a championship. I am excited about the pieces we have and I look forward to the challenge of being able to compete in what will be, once again, a highly competitive league."
KUAD
Joined by the who's who of local college basketball coaches, Kansas head coach Bill Self participated in the American Cancer Society's sixth annual Coaches vs. Cancer Season Tipoff Reception Tuesday evening inside Kansas City's Municipal Auditorium.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Coaches vs. Cancer, and the event paid tribute to contributions made by cancer survivor and Coaches vs. Cancer Founding Father Norm Stewart and his wife, Virginia. During the evening's main event, each coach on the panel gave their favorite moments spent with – or coaching against – Stewart.
"He's done an unbelievable job in our profession, and more importantly, done an unbelievable job giving people hope," Self said. "This disease has affected us all in some way, shape or form and the sacrifices he's made for the American Cancer Society and Coaches vs. Cancer is really amazing when you stop and think about $100 million (raised for ACS)."
Along with Self, Kansas State head coach Bruce Weber, Wichita State head coach Gregg Marshall, Missouri head coach Frank Haith and UMKC head coach Kareem Richardson made up the coaching panel hosted Tuesday evening by Stewart. NFL, NBA, college basketball announcer and KU grad Kevin Harlan emceed the evening's main event.
KUAD
10/10/13, 3:00 PM
Coaches! Don't miss the Kansas Basketball Coaching Clinic Oct. 18 & 19 featuring @CoachBillSelf & Stan Van Gundy. billselfbasketballcamp.com
@KUHoops
10/9/13, 5:19 PM
If it wasn't for Kansas where would @Cbrackins_33 be... Lol happy bday bro
@Next718star (Russell Robinson)
Big 12/College News
What happened to the once-dominant Texas athletic program?
Pete Thamel for SI
Coach's Take
"Baylor has two pros. Iowa State might be better than you think. But it should be Kansas and Oklahoma State playing for the conference championship. They might have the country's two best players. Flip a coin. But the champion will be one of them."
1. Kansas
I visited KU late last month, watched the Jayhawks workout, and, man oh man, did I come away impressed with the amount of talent and athleticism Bill Self has assembled. Andrew Wiggins is what I think he is, which is good enough to make him the CBSSpports.com Preseason National Player of the Year. Fellow freshman Wayne Selden is bigger and more aggressive than I realized, and Joel Embiid is so gifted that I genuinely believe he could be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft if the 7-footer spends more than one year at KU, meaning the Jayhawks could conceivably have the first overall picks in the next two drafts in the form of Wiggins and Embiid. Simply put, Self has prospects on top of prospects on top of prospects.
Our Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year
Wiggins was considered by some as the best high school prospect since LeBron James, and he's projected by most to be the No. 1 pick in June's NBA Draft. Beyond that, the 6-foot-8 forward is the CBSSports.com Preseason National Player of the Year. So Wiggins gets this honor by default, though Oklahoma State's Marcus Smart is a strong alternative selection.
CBS Big 12 Preview and All-Big 12 Preseason Teams
ESPN ($): Which coaches love analytics?
The player-tracking cameras that are now in all 30 NBA arenas have revolutionized the way NBA wonks think about the sport. Now they'll be aimed at a new target: college basketball.
Stats LLC's SportVU system will record every movement this season inside Cameron Indoor Stadium, making Duke the first college team to embrace the technology that has swarmed the NBA in recent years. Stats also has installed SportVU's high-resolution cameras in Duke's practice facility to log the Blue Devils' scrimmages, a step that most NBA teams haven't taken yet.
Basketball quants have hailed SportVU—which codes the location coordinates of the players, referees and ball 25 times per second—as the big-data gateway to the statistical movement that has swept through baseball. The early adopters in the NBA began using SportVU in 2010, and 15 NBA teams had signed up for SportVU by last season, leading the NBA to announce a deal with Stats in September to bring the cameras to every NBA venue.
NBA team officials who have dived into SportVU's data say it reveals all kinds of hidden truths about the game: a player's exact number of touches, how many rebound chances he converts, his total of secondary assists and potential assists, where on the court he shoots best, his total distance run and how fast he accelerates on offense or defense, among other statistics. NBA analysts say their proprietary work with SportVU's raw numbers fundamentally alters their understanding of basketball—one reason why most progressive teams protect their SportVU insights like state secrets.
WSJ
Where's their Big Toe?
Over Duke’s fall break this weekend, the Blue Devils will spend four days in New York, starting today, on what they’ve named Duke Elevate. Stops on the tour will include the Museum of Modern Art and Apollo Theatre, a Broadway show, the National 9/11 Memorial and One World Trade Center and a day at West Point. Duke will practice every day, too, and have dinners with prominent Duke alumni. The list includes:
Grant Hill
Ashok Varadhan (former team manager and current Head of Macro Trading and partner at Goldman Sachs)
Steve Duncker (retired partner at Goldman Sachs, former chairman of the New York Racing Association)
Billy King
Alan Schwartz (former Bear Stearns CEO, executive chairman of Guggenheim Partners, Duke trustee)
*Jesse Itzler (not an alum, but successful entrepreneur and supporter of the program)
"Basically, for us, this fall break trip is a team-building trip," assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski said. "Last year, we went to Ft. Bragg and we spent a couple of days with the troops down there and learned from the Army. We were able to really connect and build some bonds with our team. This year, we’re going up to New York.
"We’ll practice each day. We want to develop our team, and we want to develop our guys. We try to do that on the court, and we also try to do that off the court and exposing them to different experiences, hoping they can learn from whether it’s the people up at West Point or gaining a greater perspective by visiting the 9/11 memorial, just being together on the road. All of those things go into us growing together as a group, getting to know one another better and educating ourselves on what we need to do to be successful as a team."
Link
Duke has more freshmen and sophomores (nine) than juniors and seniors (five), and three of their four freshmen (the other is a walk-on) will have significant roles on the team. Jabari Parker is set to be the star of this team, so this trip will certainly help him develop a greater bond with his teammates; the same can be said for fellow impact freshmen Semi Ojeleye and Matt Jones.
Link
This is pegged to be the Year Of Wiggins – that’s Andrew Wiggins of Kansas of course – and we aren’t about to deny his talent. We would like to offer some food for thought, however:
• Albert King
• Earl Jones
• Sam Bowie
• Sean Bradley
• Ralph Sampson
• Art Heyman
• Harold Miner
• Greg Oden
• Chris Washburn
• Len Bias
You could go on and on, but we’re assuming you get the point: lots and lots of players have been hailed as the Next Great Thing, yet many things – injuries, drugs, alcohol, personalities – manage to trip them up. Just check this brief list:
Albert King never had the desire to be great in basketball; he wanted to own restaurants (and does). Earl Jones just never panned out. Sam Bowie’s sad tale is well known. Sean Bradley certainly came out too early, but also never developed into a top player. Ralph Sampson’s personality and injuries greatly limited his accomplishments. Art Heyman, by his own admission, was too immature to listen to coaches. It cost him. Harold Miner was called Baby Jordan, but his career lasted just four years.
Greg Oden’s sad tale is well known. So too are Chris Washburn’s and Len Bias’s. Washburn at least survived his drug addictions. Bias didn’t make it a day after being drafted.
We’re certainly not suggesting that Wiggins will have drug problems. He has a real advantage because his father, Mitchell, knows the pitfalls of a basketball career, having had a long one himself, unfortunately highlighted by a lengthy suspension after testing positive for cocaine.
Rather, we’re just saying that you can’t predict greatness ahead of time. Wiggins already is known for being reticent and not liking the spotlight. It’s about to get a lot harsher.
We should mention one other name here, and that’s former Miami Dolphin Ricky Williams. Williams has often been ridiculed for his love of marijuana, but what’s not always understood is that he had/has serious social anxiety which limited his career as much as the marijuana did. How can you predict that?
As intrigued as we are with Wiggins and his potential, Mike DeCourcy saw KU practice and said some rather startling things about freshman center Joel Embiid: “He owns physical gifts that call to mind Hakeem Olajuwon and basketball skills reminiscent of Tim Duncan. Embiid has great feet, jumps well, handles the ball like a skilled forward and fires perimeter jumpers with comfort and ease.”
If all that’s true, he could be the true prize at Kansas. It wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened. Buck Williams surpassed Albert King, Jeff Mullins surpassed Art Heyman and Olajuwon surpassed Sampson.
We’ll be watching, but hype is just hype.
Duke Basketball Report
San Jose State may now have the craziest college basketball court in America. The school didn’t just put a giant version of their “Spartans” logo at mid-court, they put five actual Spartans with shields that spell out “SJSU” underneath, as well. The only thing missing is a “This is Sparta!” quote somewhere along the baseline.
Link
Wichita Eagle image
The floor in Wichita State’s renovated locker room is highlighted by the 2013 Final Four logo and a picture of the West Regional trophy in the center of the room.
It’s important to know, David Munroe says, that it’s not permanent. Munroe, who works for The Image Resources Group, designed the locker room and lockers. He is already dreaming about a new look for the carpeted floor.
“It’s just taped in there,” Munroe said. “When I’ve been down there working, I keep telling the players that we can peel that out and put a national championship one in real easy.”
Munroe toured Koch Arena to see his finished work, along with hundreds of other Shocker fans on Tuesday afternoon. The athletic department opened up the locker rooms, video room, film room, weight room and even coach Gregg Marshall’s office for fans to see. The new scoreboard dropped from the rafters so fans could get a close look at themselves on the high-definition screen.
Wichita Eagle (Pics at the link)
A Georgia-based agent has been charged with violating the state's sports agent laws by providing gifts to three former Tar Heels football players and obstruction of justice.
Unsealed indictments state that a grand jury indicted Terry Watson with 13 counts of providing cash or travel accommodations to Marvin Austin, Greg Little and Robert Quinn valued at nearly $24,000 in an effort to sign them. Watson also faces one count of obstruction for not providing records sought by authorities.
The 39-year-old Watson, based in Marietta, Ga., was arrested Wednesday morning, released on a $50,000 secured bond and made his first court appearance in the afternoon.
AP
Big XII composite schedule
ESPN College GameDay Schedule
2013-14 Early-season events schedule
Recruiting
If above video doesn't work for you, try here.
10/10/13, 4:09 PM
@BigJah22 @Tyusjones06 #KUCMB #BucketTeam lets get it
@K_Ctmd22 Kelly Paul Oubre Jr
Rivals Video: USA Basketball Tyus Jones
I believe the commitment of Kelly Oubre only enhances the chances of the Jayhawks landing Cliff Alexander.
I say this for a couple of reasons. First, they both attended "Late Night in the Phog" together last weekend. Oubre told me it was a major factor in his decision making process, as Wayne Selden said the same thing to me a year ago. It has such an effect on some recruits that they simply want to end the process as soon as they get home.
Second, Oubre and Alexander play different positions, so there is no conflict. They know each other on and off the court, so there is chemistry and comfort with each other. Oubre's job right now is to convince as many other great players to join him at Kansas as possible.
Most of the truly great players who are ultra-competitive want other high level players on the roster with them, regardless of position. They know that the more talent they play with, the greater chance there is to win and win big.
ESPN Biancardi
Cliff Alexander is the No. 3 prospect in the ESPN 100 and the No. 1 power forward. When this active and intense forward steps on the floor, you notice him as soon as he gets involved in the game action. In a class with elite big men at the top, what makes him special?
Let’s break down his game:
Alexander rebounds and protects the rim, and he has powerful moves which allow him to finish plays near and at the rim. Inside the painted area, some guys produce better than others, but Alexander is the king when it comes to dominating opponents. Blessed with a great physique and explosive athletic ability, Alexander is one of the better frontcourt players in the country. In his class, that’s a huge compliment. He scores almost exclusively in the paint and is especially unstoppable finishing a drop-off pass and on offensive rebounding put backs. He may be the best lob catcher in his class with his vertical jump and vision, which helps him rise up in traffic and throw down a dunk.
As Alexander moves up, he will need to expand his offensive game, but as of right now, he is too much to handle for most players his age. When you think of this type of power and explosion, he is a cross between Julius Randle and Aaron Gordon.
ESPN ($)
Debbie Jones, Tyus’ mother, told SNY.tv that her son and Oubre talk “frequently.”
“Kelly’s commit to Kansas is great for both Kansas and Kelly,” she said. “Kelly and Tyus communicate frequently and spent last weekend at USA camp where Jahlil was also there.”
The 6-10 Okafor has cut his list to Baylor, Duke, Kansas and Kentucky and told SNY.tv he’s looking forward to the Kansas visit.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the campus, seeing the coaches interact with the players, the general atmosphere,” Okafor said. “It will be my first time on campus so I’m looking forward to it.”
While many speculate that the duo will ultimately land at Duke, Oubre believes Kansas has a shot.
“Tyus and Jahlil like Kansas,” Oubre told SNY.tv.
As for the 6-5 Vaughn, he and Oubre practice against one another every day at Findlay Prep, so Oubre will be in Vaughn’s ear until he decides.
Vaughn is down to seven schools, with upcoming officials set to Baylor, UNLV and Iowa State.
He is also considering taking officials to some combination of Kansas, Arizona and North Carolina.
Asked if Oubre was recruiting him to Kansas, Vaughn said, “Yeah, he is and Kansas has always been somewhere I was thinking about going.”
Zags Blog
10/7/13, 7:36 PM
Hate I missed late night at Kansas!!
@CMATTHEWS_1
Myles Turner will visit Ohio State Oct. 18 on an official visit, his father told SNY.tv Saturday.
The 6-foot-11 Turner had said he was considering several options for that weekend, including Kentucky, Duke and Oklahoma State as well.
“Myles had been talking with Ohio State and they were the first to invite on that date,” David Turner said.
Beyond that weekend, Turner told SNY.tv he “definitely” plans to visit Kansas at some point after skipping “Late Night in the Phog” for the USA Basketball camp last weekend.
Zags Blog
Malik Pope committed to San Diego State tonight, just days after he visited Phog Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence for their Midnight Madness Festivities and a few weeks before he was set to visit Gonzaga. Pope was offered scholarships by college basketball elites, the best of the best, Kansas, Arizona, ASU, Georgetown, Louisville, Gonzaga, Washington, UCLA, USC and UNLV.
The 6 foot 9 inch wing from Sacramento is the #17 player in the class of 2014 according to Rivals.com, which makes him the highest recruit since Winston Sheppard last year at #21 and San Antonio Spur star Kawahi Leonard at #48.
"He really liked Coach Fisher and his history with wings like Kawhi Leonard, Jamaal Franklin, so on and so forth," LeRohn Dodson, director of Pope's AAU squad Team Superstar said. "He's a kid that doesn't mind being different and what I mean by that is he doesn't have to go to the biggest name school.
Pope picked SDSU over schools like Kansas, UCLA, Georgetown and many others because he felt he could come in there and do something special and help San Diego State get to the Final Four. "I think Coach Fisher is getting a program changer. They're getting somebody that is going to take them to the next level and help lead them to the Final Four. He's got that potential."
Link
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
10/10/13, 4:09 PM
@BigJah22 @Tyusjones06 #KUCMB #BucketTeam lets get it
@K_Ctmd22 Kelly Paul Oubre Jr
Rivals Video: USA Basketball Tyus Jones
I believe the commitment of Kelly Oubre only enhances the chances of the Jayhawks landing Cliff Alexander.
I say this for a couple of reasons. First, they both attended "Late Night in the Phog" together last weekend. Oubre told me it was a major factor in his decision making process, as Wayne Selden said the same thing to me a year ago. It has such an effect on some recruits that they simply want to end the process as soon as they get home.
Second, Oubre and Alexander play different positions, so there is no conflict. They know each other on and off the court, so there is chemistry and comfort with each other. Oubre's job right now is to convince as many other great players to join him at Kansas as possible.
Most of the truly great players who are ultra-competitive want other high level players on the roster with them, regardless of position. They know that the more talent they play with, the greater chance there is to win and win big.
ESPN Biancardi
Cliff Alexander is the No. 3 prospect in the ESPN 100 and the No. 1 power forward. When this active and intense forward steps on the floor, you notice him as soon as he gets involved in the game action. In a class with elite big men at the top, what makes him special?
Let’s break down his game:
Alexander rebounds and protects the rim, and he has powerful moves which allow him to finish plays near and at the rim. Inside the painted area, some guys produce better than others, but Alexander is the king when it comes to dominating opponents. Blessed with a great physique and explosive athletic ability, Alexander is one of the better frontcourt players in the country. In his class, that’s a huge compliment. He scores almost exclusively in the paint and is especially unstoppable finishing a drop-off pass and on offensive rebounding put backs. He may be the best lob catcher in his class with his vertical jump and vision, which helps him rise up in traffic and throw down a dunk.
As Alexander moves up, he will need to expand his offensive game, but as of right now, he is too much to handle for most players his age. When you think of this type of power and explosion, he is a cross between Julius Randle and Aaron Gordon.
ESPN ($)
Debbie Jones, Tyus’ mother, told SNY.tv that her son and Oubre talk “frequently.”
“Kelly’s commit to Kansas is great for both Kansas and Kelly,” she said. “Kelly and Tyus communicate frequently and spent last weekend at USA camp where Jahlil was also there.”
The 6-10 Okafor has cut his list to Baylor, Duke, Kansas and Kentucky and told SNY.tv he’s looking forward to the Kansas visit.
“I’m looking forward to seeing the campus, seeing the coaches interact with the players, the general atmosphere,” Okafor said. “It will be my first time on campus so I’m looking forward to it.”
While many speculate that the duo will ultimately land at Duke, Oubre believes Kansas has a shot.
“Tyus and Jahlil like Kansas,” Oubre told SNY.tv.
As for the 6-5 Vaughn, he and Oubre practice against one another every day at Findlay Prep, so Oubre will be in Vaughn’s ear until he decides.
Vaughn is down to seven schools, with upcoming officials set to Baylor, UNLV and Iowa State.
He is also considering taking officials to some combination of Kansas, Arizona and North Carolina.
Asked if Oubre was recruiting him to Kansas, Vaughn said, “Yeah, he is and Kansas has always been somewhere I was thinking about going.”
Zags Blog
10/7/13, 7:36 PM
Hate I missed late night at Kansas!!
@CMATTHEWS_1
Myles Turner will visit Ohio State Oct. 18 on an official visit, his father told SNY.tv Saturday.
The 6-foot-11 Turner had said he was considering several options for that weekend, including Kentucky, Duke and Oklahoma State as well.
“Myles had been talking with Ohio State and they were the first to invite on that date,” David Turner said.
Beyond that weekend, Turner told SNY.tv he “definitely” plans to visit Kansas at some point after skipping “Late Night in the Phog” for the USA Basketball camp last weekend.
Zags Blog
Malik Pope committed to San Diego State tonight, just days after he visited Phog Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence for their Midnight Madness Festivities and a few weeks before he was set to visit Gonzaga. Pope was offered scholarships by college basketball elites, the best of the best, Kansas, Arizona, ASU, Georgetown, Louisville, Gonzaga, Washington, UCLA, USC and UNLV.
The 6 foot 9 inch wing from Sacramento is the #17 player in the class of 2014 according to Rivals.com, which makes him the highest recruit since Winston Sheppard last year at #21 and San Antonio Spur star Kawahi Leonard at #48.
"He really liked Coach Fisher and his history with wings like Kawhi Leonard, Jamaal Franklin, so on and so forth," LeRohn Dodson, director of Pope's AAU squad Team Superstar said. "He's a kid that doesn't mind being different and what I mean by that is he doesn't have to go to the biggest name school.
Pope picked SDSU over schools like Kansas, UCLA, Georgetown and many others because he felt he could come in there and do something special and help San Diego State get to the Final Four. "I think Coach Fisher is getting a program changer. They're getting somebody that is going to take them to the next level and help lead them to the Final Four. He's got that potential."
Link
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
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