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Xavier Henry adds versatility to team
Y KANSAN
By Corey Thibodeaux cthibodeaux@kansan.com
The Jayhawks are laden with star power, but newcomer Xavier Henry is quickly leaving his mark.
He stands 6-foot-6 and weighs 220 pounds at 18 years old. He's one of Kansas' all-time most sought-after recruits.
Kansas coach Bill Self went through quite the ordeal this summer recruiting him, traveling to Oklahoma City to iron out commitment issues with Henry's father. All that is behind them and Henry said he is happy in to be Lawrence - as if his constant smile weren't convincing enough.
Everyone from fans, coaches, teammates and experts agrees: Freshman guard Xavier "X" Henry is worth all the hype.
"It's a great time to be here," he said. "I want to be a part of it and I want my brother to be a part of it."
When Henry first arrived at camp, Self said he was immediately impressed with how fit his new weapon was.
"There are not too many 18-year-olds like that," Self said. "There are not too many guards that powerful."
Henry has the rare ability to drive to the basket or make shots from long range. His versatility with the ball, mixed with his speed and physicality, makes Henry a mismatch for opposing
defenses. His teammates say his physical presence is his greatest asset.
"He's really, really strong," junior guard Tyrel Reed said. "I think people underestimate his strength. He can get to the basket at any time and he's also a threat from the outside, so he's going to be a great player for us."
Henry's first shots in each exhibition game were both three-pointers. In two games, he scored 24 points, but that doesn't tell the whole story. He showed his ability to race down the court, push around defenders and finish while drawing contact.
"I always like to crash the glass because that's where you get free points," he said. "It's a good thing and it will get you involved real quick."
To finish out his repertoire, Henry is keen on grabbing offensive rebounds, which is rare to find in the guard position.
He is one of five freshmen on the Naismith Preseason Watch List and is on the cover of the Nov. 16 issue of ESPN the Magazine along with teammates Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich. Henry was pleased with the cover, though he said he has not looked at the inside.
"It was nice," he said. "I 'tame out better than I thought it would."
All the signs are good for Henry, but these are a lot of accolades for someone who has not played a college game yet, Aldrich said.
Weston White/KANSAN
Freshman guard Xavier Henry hits his first three-pointer as a Kansas Jayhawk last Tuesday night at Allen Fieldhouse. Henry finished with 14 points in the Jayhaws' 107-68 win over Fort Hays State.
AP TOP 25
Team (First-place votes) Record Total Votes
1. Kansas (55) 0-0 1,612
2. Michigan State (5) 0-0 1,515
3. Texas (1) 0-0 1,397
4. Kentucky (3) 0-0 1,372
5. Villanova 0-0 1,347
6. North Carolina (1) 0-0 1,320
7. Purdue 0-0 1,284
8. West Virginia 0-0 1,115
9. Duke 0-0 1,064
10. Tennessee 0-0 897
11. Butler 0-0 864
12. Connecticut 0-0 844
13. California 0-0 800
14. Washington 0-0 776
15. Michigan 0-0 578
16. Ohio State 0-0 465
17. Oklahoma 0-0 410
18. Mississippi State 0-0 393
19. Louisville 0-0 335
20. Georgetown 0-0 326
21. Dayton 0-0 318
22. Georgia Tech 0-0 301
23. Illinois 0-0 282
24. Clemson 0-0 217
25. Minnesota 0-0 172
Otters receiving votes: Maryland 171, Siana 112,
Notre Dame 107, Florida State 92, Vanderbilt 90,
Syracuse B3, Oklahoma State 65, UCLA 63, Florida
53, Wake Forest 50, Xavier 42, Gonzaga 37, South
Carolina 26, Kansas State 24, Brigham Young 21,
Northern Iowa 16, Tulsa 16, Mississippi 15, Texas
A&M 10, Missouri 8, Boston College 6, Pittsburgh
4, Western Kentucky 2, Utah State 2, Virginia
Commonwealth 2, Old Dominion 1, Holy Cross 1.
The Wave's Top 25 Wave editor Scott Toland ranks the nation's best teams
1. Kansas - The Jayhawks are loaded and they are the clear pick to cut down the nets in Indianapolis.
6. West Virginia - Bob Huggins has had some time to recruit and his team should be good.
2. Michigan State - The Spartans hope to pick up where they left off and make it back to the Final Four.
11. Connecticut - The Huskies lost some key players from their Final Four team, but will still be good.
7. Kentucky - John Calipari's first year as head coach of the Wildcats is filled with high expectations.
3. Villanova - Scottie Reynolds leads a veteran group of Wildcats that will be a tough team to beat.
8. North Carolina – The Tar Heels lost just about everyone from last year's team, but they'll reload in a hurry.
12. Tennessee - Bruce Pearl hopes his team will be able to challenge Kentucky for the SEC Championship.
21. Ohio State - The Buckeyes lost a thriller to Siena in the first round of the 2009 NCAA Tournament.
16. California - The Golden Bears defeated Washington twice last year and return four of their starters.
4. Duke - Coach K will have Kyle Singler and the Blue Devils playing at their highest level this season.
13. Michigan - Manny Harris leads a talented group of Wolverines that could make some noise.
9. Purdue - This team has a great chance of winning the Big 10 Conference Championship.
17. Louisville - Rick Pitino will lead a young group of Cardinals through the highly competitive Big East.
22. Syracuse - the orange lost several key players from a team that won 28 games last season.
10. Butler - The Bulldogs lost no players after winning 26 games and making the NCAA Tournament.
5. Texas - The Longhorns are looking to break through against Kansas and win the Big 12 crown.
14. Oklahoma - Willie Warren now has a year of experience and should be ready to lead the Sooners.
18. Georgetown - The Hoyas lost Dajan Summers to the NBA, but they have enough talent to recover.
15. Washington - The Huskies are hoping to defend their Pac-10 regular season championship.
23. UCLA - Ben Howland will find a way to keep his young team in the mix in the Pac-10 Conference.
19. Clemson - The Tigers always seem to find a way to challenge the best teams in the ACC.
20. Mississippi State - The Bulldogs won last year's SEC Tournament and hope to build on that success.
24. Georgia Tech - Derrick Favors leads a solid group of recruits for the Yellow Jackets.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
25. Gonzaga -- The Bulldogs lost a lot, but they will be able to find a way to make the NCAA Tournament.
THE WAVE NOVEMBER 13,2009