THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
CBS sports writer featured on KJHK
KJHK INTERVIEW
FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2011
Tune in to Jay Ingber, Pete Knutson, Alex Gold and Taylor Williamson during Jayhawk Happy Hour as they speak with reporter Seth Davis about Kansas basketball and the upcoming showdown with Texas on Saturday, Jan. 22.
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PAGE 1B
FLYING HIGH
The view from the top
Junior forward Marcus Morris puts up a field goal against Baylor forward Anthony Jones Monday night at the Ferrel Center in Waco, Texas. Morris made 25 points on Monday leading the Jayhawks to an 85-65 victory.
Howard Ting/KANSAN
Jayhawks will fight to defend their conference title against Longhorns
BY TIM DWYER
tdwyer@kansan.com
For one more day, at least, the Jayhawks will roost in a familiar lofty perch: squarely atop the Big 12 Conference. For one more day, Kansas — and Texas, the last team to share the Big 12 crown with Kansas — will be perfect.
Roughly two hours after Saturday's 3 p.m. tipoff, though, one of those teams no longer will be. It is too soon to say Saturday's game will declare the conference champion, but without a second meeting between the two clear-cut best teams in the league, it will go a long way toward determining whether Kansas can win its seventh consecutive league title or if Texas can ascend to the throne.
While Kansas coach Bill Self has often said that point guard is the most important position on the floor, this game will be won in the frontcourt, where Kansas' Morris twins and supersub Thomas Robinson will counter the Longhorns' starting trio of Jordan Hamilton, Tristan Thompson and Gary Johnson.
Both teams are off the best win of the season — Kansas by 20 at Baylor, Texas by 21 at home against No. 10 Texas A&M — and both wins were fueled by brilliant performances in the frontcourt.
Marcus and Markieff scored a combined 44 points on 19-of-24 shooting and pulled down 14 rebounds between them against Baylor.
"That was by far the best we have played," Self said after the Jayhawks win against Baylor. "Of course, the twins were the best players in the game."
Two days later and two hours south, Hamilton and Thompson scored a combined 45 points on 18-of-26 shooting and pulled down 14 rebounds between them against the Aggies.
No. 2 Kansas vs.
No.10 Texas
Where: Allen Fieldhouse
Time: 3 p.m.
TV: CBS
Get Saturday's inside scoop
GAME DAY|6B
A hopeful prediction, home court advantage, the Morris' foul trouble and more.
"From day one we've said that we have to get the ball inside," Texas coach Rick Barnes said after the win. "We want to do that obviously. We've tried to take advantage of Jordan's size where he can get into the lane. Tristan has continued to work and get better. He made his presence felt on both
SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE 7B
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Ladies struggle with Big 12 rivals
Conference competition doesn't favor Lady Jayhawks
BY KATHLEEN GIER kgier@kansan.com
Four games into the conference season, the Jayhawks have already battled the best team in America, come from behind to send a game into overtime, lost two rough games at home and won on the road. Junior forward Aishah Sutherland is leading the Big 12 in rebounds while sophomore forward Carolyn Davis leads in shooting percentage.
The usual drama of conference play is magnified this season with five teams ranked in the USA Today/ESPN Poll and two other schools receiving votes.
"In this league if you dwell on a loss you are going to keep piling up the losses, every game is tough," Davis said.
was for Kansas' offense. Throughout the game Kansas shot 29 percent from the field and committed 16 turnovers. The lavhaws also
Wednesday night Baylor thoroughly routed Kansas in a 76-37
game, we have to forget about it and move forward," Davis said. Coach Bonnie Henrickson talked about how disruptive the
victory in which nothing seemed to go right for the layhawks from shooting percentage to rebounds.
"In this league if you dwell on a loss you are going to keep piling up the losses, every game is tough."
had a size disadvantage and ran into foul trouble—problems they have not had to face yet this season.
"You've got to bounce back and you have to stay together."
BONNIE HENRICKSON
son, which they will look to stop against the Oklahoma Sooners in Allen Fieldhouse on Sunday. The Sooners, ranked No. 13 in the
"We can't think about this
CAROLYN DAVIS Sophomore forward
The Kansas record sits at 14-4 on the season and 1-3 in conference. Though the Jayhawks have been struggling, the line-up is back in full power and the team was starting to hit a rhythm before
Henrickson emphasized the importance of working together to
USA Today/ ESPN Poll. will be another difficult opponent for the Jayhawks.
conference play started which they are hoping to return to.
The Jayhawks are on a two game slide, their first of the sea-
start wining again
"You've got to bounce back and you have to stay together," Henrickson said.
Senior forward Krysten Boogaard listed unity as one of the team's strengths which has led them to success so far this season.
"We are a good team and we play well together," Boogaard said.
Despite recent setbacks, Davis is confident that the team will find their stride again once they work out a few things.
"We have a lot of talent and a lot of athleticism and we are going to win a lot of games in this league," Davis said.
Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN
Edited by Marla Daniels
COMMENTARY
Freshman guard Keena Mays puts up an off balance shot Wednesday at Allen Fieldhouse. Mays led the Jayhawks with nine points.
All sports will be covered
BY NICOLAS ROESLER
When you try to replicate something life-changing like dunking the basketball for the first time for your friends, (not a moment in my life, I have no ups) it never goes as well as the first time you did it. It may be nerves, or the adrenaline, that leaves your legs and goes straight to your head.
The Athletics Department, as a whole, experienced this success when students on campus weren't watching. Sure in the age of information, there is no such thing as turning a blind-eye to any news, but there are some things that happened over winter break that did pass unnoticed by many.
The aim of this column, and of the sports section in general this semester, is to not let anything sports-related on campus go under the radar. That includes everything from the club ultimate frisbee teams to the men's basketball team.
It seemed that when the Big 12 Conference wasn't paying attention to the women's basketball team, they flourished. Starting with a record of 13-1, it was the best start in 17 years. Once the eyes of Big 12 competition fell on the Jayhawks, they faltered a bit. However, they can always say: "Look what we did before you guys came into town!"
It doesn't help that the team will face three Top 25 ranked teams in the coming Big 12 season. No. 1 ranked Baylor Bears buried the women like the snow that buried Lawrence on Wednesday night with the final score of 76-37, and the team don't have much time to reenergize before their game on Sunday against the No. 14 ranked Oklahoma Sooners.
The track and field team has done what I won't even try to compare to my dunking metaphor. Sophomore thrower Mason Finley chucked a shot put 20.71 meters during the annual KU-MU dual. The throw has established the qualifying mark for both the 2011 World Championships and the 2012 Olympic games.
The women's team does show a lot of promise with a strong sophomore forward in Carolyn Davis and sophomore guard Keena Mays, but they have to focus on continuing their non-conference success if they want their peers in the Big 12 to take note.
He has single handedly thrown the track and field team into the spotlight. I can't wait to see if he can do it again, maybe on the biggest Lawrence stage, the Kansas Relays, coming in April.
Sure the men's basketball team is looking to continue their unbeaten record and extend the nation's longest home winning streak to 70 against Texas tomorrow, but they can't let the attention of students returning to campus make their nerves spike against a tough Texas basketball team. This may be an irrational fear, seeing as though the eyes of both students and the nation haven't left the No. 2 ranked Jayhawks for a minute.
Now that classes have begun, students will be talking about this and that, saying what they saw:who they saw do it, and how amazing it was. The University Daily Kansan, and myself as the sports section editor, will make sure those amazing happenings won't be missed, because it is always difficult to replicate greatness.
- Edited by Samantha Collins