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TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2010
BROTHERS IN ARMS
PAGE 1B
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Junior center Cole Aldrich and freshman guard Xavier Henry display unity that kept the team going this season. Kansas's early loss in the NCAA tournament Saturday has the team worried about what will happen next season.
Kansas unsure about future
Saturday's loss leaves Jayhawks wondering who will go, how next year will shape up for those who stay
This season is over. So what's next for the lawvies?
BY COREY THIBODEAUX
ctibodeaux@kansan.com
twitter.com/c_ctibodeaux
The Jayhawks don't seem to have an answer. With their next game many months and personnel changes away, sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor knows one thing; the future will be different.
"We're not going to be the same team as we were this year," Taylor said. "The expectations might not be as high, which could be a good thing for next year."
Senior guard Sherron Collins is gone for sure. But the wild cards are junior center Cole Aldrich and freshman guard Xavier Henry. Losing in the second round of this year's NCAA
tournament, their decision becomes even tougher.
"I'm not even sure right now," Henry said about his future. "Right now, I'm just trying to console my teammates and trying to help them out."
Last season, Collins didn't declare for the NBA draft because A l d r i c h returned for a junior season. They both stayed because they wanted to win another championship.
"I'm not even sure right now. I'm just trying to console my teammates and trying to help them out."
Aldrich hasn't expressed any leaning toward coming back or leaving. He has received a number of "One more year!" chants
"Unfortunately, it didn't happen," Aldrich said. "But you know what? I wouldn't have ever
changed my decision. I had an absolute blast"
XAVIER HENRY Freshman guard
from fans, who obviously want to see him back in crimson and blue next year.
through my mind, that I'm going to take a few days just to rest my body and rest my mind," Aldrich
But after Saturday's loss, he was no closer to making a decision.
said, "TlL talk with the team and all my coaches and go from there."
"Right now there are so many things that are coming
Both Aldrich and Henry are projected early first-round picks in the 2010 NBA draft, so teammates are expecting not to see them next year.
A n d because this season ended the way it did, it makes it that much worse for Collins and whoever else played his last game as a lavythawk.
be tough next year, but we'll be motivated by this"
Freshmen Thomas Robinson and Elijah Johnson will most likely be the necessary replacements next year if all three leave. Sulking
"I feel terrible for the guys that aren't going to be back next year."
"I feel terrible for the guys that aren't going to be back next year," junior guard Tyrel Reed said. "Sherron has given his heart and soul to this program. It's going to
TYREL REED Junior guard
in defeat after the game, the two freshmen were at a loss for words.
When asked about next year, Robinson m u m b l e d , "We'll learn from this." Johnson just
sat there and shook his head in disbelief.
SEE MEN'S ON PAGE 3B
Thompson back from injury
BASEBALL
Junior third baseman will play first game since knee fracture
BY ANDREW HAMMOND
ahammond@kansan.com
twitter.com/hammadriostar
BY ANDREW HAMMOND
Thompson
In baseball there are a couple of ways to rejuvenate a struggling offense. Managers can fool with the batting order or change the pregame batting practice.
In coach Ritch Price's case, he can just write the Big 12 Triple Crown winner back in on the lineup card.
and is projected to be in the line-up today versus the Creighton Bluejays. He worked out indoors yesterday in practice, and though he still has some trouble
Junior third baseman Tony Thompson is ahead of his rehab schedule from a fractured kneecap
"It will be great to get out there and see Tony play again." Price said. "He's one of our leaders and while we had guys playing well in the lineup, we could really use his bat right now."
running, he sees his time on the disabled list ending quickly.
In Thompson's absence, the main hitter for the lajwhayas has been Jimmy Waters, with a. 362 batting average. In addition to the high average,
Waters also has a team high 20 RBI. Thompson lead the team in homers last season, but since his injury, Waters has also taken that mantle.
During the team's five game winning streak a few weeks ago, the offense only scored in single digits once. This latest four-game slide has seen the Jayhawks only reach a team high of eight runs, which was in a 12-8 loss to Saint Louis Saturday.
"Jimmy has been huge for us this season." Thompson said.
The team has played well offensively for the first part of the season without their leading hitter Tony Thompson. With the layhawks beginning to struggle, the arrival of Thompson seems to be the tonic
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 3B
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Administrator to coach at Baker
BY COREY THIBODEAUX
ctibodeaux@kansan.com
twitter.com/c thibodeaux
Brett Ballard, Kansas' director of basketball operations, is now the head coach of Baker University.
Baker President and Interim Athletic Director Patricia Long will introduce Ballard at a Baker press conference at 1 p.m. today, according to a press release Monday.
Ballard graduated from Kansas in 2003 and played for the Jayhawks during the
- Edited by Kristen Liszewski
He has spent seven years on the Kansas basketball staff, serving as a student assistant, administrative assistant/video coordinator and now directing basketball operations such as overseeing academic progress and basketball camps.
2000-2002 seasons. He acted as the backup point guard and earned Academic All-Big 12 during his senior year, when he also went to the Final Four.
COMMENTARY
What's next for Henry and Aldrich?
It's time to turn the page on the men's basketball season. The next chapter for the Jayhawks comes when freshman Xavier Henry and junior Cole Aldrich announce their plans for next year.
BY MAX VOSBURGH
It is highly anticipated that both players will forgo the rest of their college eligibility and enter the 2010 NBA draft.
Whether they both leave or not, it really doesn't matter. As we learned this year, returning two of your top players does not guarantee you anything.
What Kansas faces this year is somewhat similar to what it faced last year. On April 13, 2009, both Sherron Collins and Aldrich revealed their intentions to return to school and "go for another ring" as Aldrich put it during the announcement.
Last year, we all begged Collins and Aldrich to come back. We knew that if they did, we would have an incredibly talented team and a realistic chance to win a national championship.
However, this year few people are begging as much. Maybe it is because it has been understood all year that both would go pro after the season.
Aldrich was projected as a top 14 pick in the NBA Draft last year and he is again this year. He has little to gain by returning for his senior season. It is unlikely that he will increase his draft value anymore with another year in college. Staying would only delay the enjoyment of the millions of dollars he will likely earn in the NBA.
Many people didn't even expect Aldrich to come back for this season. When he did, he put another year at Kansas above helping his family financially. To ask him to do that again would just be selfish.
On the other hand, Henry was recruited as a player with the understanding that he would likely play one year at Kansas and then leave for the NBA. Unlike Aldrich, another year in college for Henry could help his draft value.
Henry was forced to take a back seat to Collins as the leader and go-to guy on the team this year. That won't be the case next year. If Henry were to come back and take over the general spot for a likely top 25-ranked team, he could really help himself out.
Both of these players have a lot invested in Kansas basketball. Coming back could mean they would be part of the hungriest team in college basketball. Kansas would obviously be better with them and people would be excited to see them back next year. Nonetheless, as this season demonstrated, not everything in college basketball, or the NBA draft for that matter, always goes to plan.
Edited by Kristen Liszewski