THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
MEN'S BASKETBALL|8A
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2011
Big 12 Power Rankings
See what's going on this week in Big 12 conference play. KU looks for Self's first win in Lubbock while the Red Raiders aim to extend winning streak.
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CONFERENCE CLARITY
Stage set in just nine days
Junior forward Marcus Morris is whistled for a foul as he swats the ball away from Kansas State forward Jamar Samuels. Kansas' defeat of Kansas State set the stage for a two-team race for the Big 12 title.
BY TIM DWYER
tdwyer@kansan.com
It's not a typical three-game run that will be one of the defining moments in Kansas' season this year. It starts tonight with Texas Tech, which hasn't been a top-tier team in years, to Nebraska, which is generally a bottom-feeder in the league, and then Missouri at home — a game Kansas has owned in recent years.
owned in recent years.
But it's not a typical Big 12. Bill Self still hasn't picked up a victory at Texas Tech, where the Jayhawks play tonight, and Nebraska and Missouri are up — way up — from just a few years ago.
from just use "In the next nine days," Self said after beating Kansas State, "there's a good chance we will know a lot more about our conference chances."
A&M. After their victory against the Aggies, the Longhorns will be favored in every game from this point forward, and a clean sweep of the Big 12 is a possibility, albeit a remote one.
Those conference chances, which took a major hit when the Jayhawks took their only loss thus far to Texas, will rebound if the Jayhawks can pick up a game on Texas.
The Longhorns' last game of the season against a ranked team was Monday night against Texas
On the other hand, Kansas' schedule actually gets more difficult. They have faced one ranked team, then-No. 11 Texas, in the first half of the conference slate. They've got three — No. 11 Texas A&M and No. 13 Missouri twice — and cannot afford a misstep in their quest for a seventh-straight conference title.
Key in avoiding any slip-ups, as always with a Self-coached team, is the defensive intensity of the lajhawks. Steady defense has always been a staple for Kansas under Self, but this year has been an anomaly. Great players have been able to find their shots — Tyler Honeycutt, Derrick Williams, Alec Burks, Jordan Hamilton — or not — Jacob Pullen, LaceDarius Dunn — on an unpredictable game-by-game basis.
Pullen was the last to face the jayhawks, and he was stopped cold. He had 21 points, but had a miserable 8-of-22 day from the
field.
best defensive performance of the season. The better news is that they don't face an elite offense until Marcus Denmon and Missouri visit Allen Fieldhouse on Feb. 7.
Visit Allen Kramer and
Self's nine days end then. And
Kansas' conference chances will
be a lot clearer.
heard.
"I have a lot of respect for Jacob. Self said, "but we did a fabulous job on him."
"We just played our principles," Marcus Morris explained after Saturday's game. "Our coaches did a nice job of scouting them, and we did a nice job at practice the last couple days, just going over their stuff so we kind of knew a lot of their sets."
Kansas State finished with 66 points on a brutal 33.8 shooting percentage. If Kansas keeps up that kind of defensive pressure, it could force Texas into winning out to get the Big 12 title.
The good news for Kansas is that it is coming off probably its
—Edited by Dave Boyd
Twice as nice
For the second time this season, Josh Selby has been named the Phillips 66 Big 12 freshman of the week for his performances against Colorado and Kansas State.
Following Kansas' first loss of the season, Selby led the team in scoring against a talented Colorado team.
the team to a tough road win, 82-78. He averaged 14.5 points this week after his 12-point outing against Kansas State.
His 17 points, along with four rebounds and five assists led
Selby
ESPN commentator Dick Vitale talked before the Kansas State game about the freshman guard from Baltimore, Maryland. He said that the most dangerous aspect of Selby's game is his ability to attack.
"Obviously, he's a combination guard he can either handle the ball or shoot it," Vitale said. "He's got a world of potential."
While attacking the basket is an important aspect of Selby's game, he found a rhythm with his outside shooting this week.
going 3-for-3 from three-point range against Kansas State and 3-for-6 from long distance against Colorado.
Despite missing the first nine games of the season, Selby is currently the third highest scorer for the year on the team with 11.8 points per game. He is also the third leading scorer among Big 12 freshman.
anforg big P!t
Selby received his first Philips 66 Big 12 Rooke of the Week award on December 20
- Nico Roesler
Gill offers KU fans glimpse of his 2011 recruiting class
Football in February will carry on despite winter weather cancellation of first event
BY KORY CARPENTER kcarpenter@kansan.com
Kansas football coach Turner Gill is giving Jayhawk fans an early chance to see the 2011 recruiting class with a set of events titled, "Football in February." The first event was scheduled for Wednesday in Kansas City at the Sheraton Overland Park Hotel and has been cancelled.
Fans will get a chance to meet Gill and Athletic Director Sheahon Zenger, as well as view highlight videos of the newest group of Jayhawks which
The second event is set for Thursday night at the Oread Hotel in Lawrence. The Wichita Marriott will host the third event on Tuesday, Feb. 8, and the Ramada Convention Center in Topeka is the site of the final event a week later on Feb.15.
Rivals.com rates as the 31st best recruiting class in the country.
After addressing the crowd, Zenger and Gill will also talk to fans individually about the upcoming season.
upcoming events Events will run from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. and will include a cash bar and are open to the public
Edited by Danielle Packet
Coach Turner Gill will join new Athletics Director Shea on Zenger at "Football in February" events to meet with fans in Lawrence and Wichita this week to discuss new recruits for the football team and also build support for the upcoming season. KANSAN FILE PHOTO
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COMMENTARY
Cherish success while it lasts
3
BY KORY CARPENTER
kcarpenter@kansan.com
The other day at the grocery store as I stood in line (and handed my keys)
(and hoped my debit card wouldn't be declined), I watched a young kid grab at his mother's leg and beg for just one more piece of Bubblicious, or just one more Snickers. The mom, who looked a little embarrassed, rolled her eyes and tried to explain to her son just how spoiled he really was. Timmy was flabbergasted. He obviously disagreed. Who wants to be called spoiled? Timmy didn't think he had it great. And for the most part, fans don't either, until 15 years later and they're sitting there thinking about how great that 25-year run was.
In the movie, "Blow," Ray Liotta says, "When you're up, it's never as good as it seems, and when you're down, you never think you'll be up again."
again.
To speak of just how spoiled Kansas basketball fans have been the last 25 years, that quote doesn't even apply to them. Because you see, Kansas basketball hasn't been down during the last 25 years.
Not in the way 99 percent of college basketball perceives the word "down." A hall-of-fame coach has been succeeded by two surefire hall-of-fame coaches and Kansas has won 17 conference titles, seven Final Fours, and two NCAA championships. Players like Danny Manning, Paul Pierce, Kirk Hinrich, and Sherron Collins have run out of the northwest tunnel of Allen Fieldhouse.
Alan Redfield:
I can't and won't blame fans for being spoiled. With that track record, it's nearly impossible not to be spoiled. I'm just here to offer a nice reminder of how great Kansas and its fans have it.
Take a glance to the east. Mizzou hasn't won a conference title since 1994 and they missed the NCAA Tournament five times this last decade. In Manhattan, the Wildcats missed the big dance eight times in the last decade, and they are currently in the middle of a collapse of epic proportions. A camping group from Saturday's game held a sign that read, "No. 3 to NIT" and it looks to be spot on. K-State was ranked No. 3 in the national polls this pre-season. Now, after Saturday's 90-66 loss in Lawrence, the National Invitation Tournament seems inevitable.
The rivals on both sides of Kansas give fins a nice heaping, plate of perspective on a yearly basis. Take it in while you enjoy watching yet another top-10 team challenge for a seventh consecutive conference title and another trip to the Final Four.
The last 25 years in Lawrence aren't common. The crazy thing, however, is that with Bill Self at the helm, things don't look to be changing. Self took over for the outstanding coach, Roy Williams, in 2003 and has won 83 percent of his games, captured six conference titles and won a national championship.
Nearly every year like clockwork fans reach for that extra piece of candy and their coach provides. It can't last forever, though. So before you're old and grey, reminiscing of these years, don't forget that you're witnessing something special right before your eyes.
Edited by Jacque Weber