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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Rebounding dooms Kansas
Jayhawks gave up offensive rebounds. WOMEN'S BASKETBALL | 8B
Big 12 baseball preview
South Division teams surround Kansas near the top. BASEBALL | 6B
WWW.KANSAN.COM
TUESDAY,FEBRUARY 23,2010
KANSAS 81,OKLAHOMA 68
PAGE 1B
Collins walks off with trophy
Win secures Collins' place in Kansas' history
BY COREY THIBODEAUX
cthibodeaux@kansan.com
twitter.com/c_thibodeaux
COMMENTARY
It was obvious who should carry off the Big 12 Conference Champion trophy.
"Of course it was Sherron," freshman guard Xavier Henry said.
Senior guard Sherron Collins walked of the court hoisting his fourth regular-season championship - in trophy form. He scored 17 points in the 81-68 victory against Oklahoma, but carrying the trophy was his biggest challenge of the night.
"It was heavy," Collins said. "But it felt great just to have it."
The Jayhawks, Big 12 champions 10 out of the last 14 seasons, extended their NCAA Division I record with their 53rd conference championship.
"That's one check" Collins said. "Now we can move onto the next one."
Collins didn't say what the next check was, but if one of them involves becoming the winningest player in Kansas history, he can cross that off with his 124th victory at Kansas.
He has the titles and the awards, but he doesn't have the numbers – and that's all right with him. The senior guard will never go into the history books for the most points, assists or steals, but what he has is worth much more.
"His legacy is only going to be on one thing: wins and losses," coach Bill Self said.
"We're 13-0 and it didn't seem too difficult for us," Henry said. "They say it's a real tough conference, don't get me wrong, but we've been playing good lately and it just seems like we going to keep running with it."
The Jayhawks and Collins had an historic night, but the game ball belonged to Henry who hit his first eight shots en route to scoring 23 points.
This was the first accomplishment for the Jayhawks, breezing through a 13-0 Big 12 schedule. The ride, however, isn't over and Henry isn't ready to stop.
Kansas led 26-11, but let the Sooners get eight quick points in
Senior guard Sherron Collins drives past Oklahoma forward Andrew Fitzgerald for a lavup against Oklahoma Monday night. Collins finished with 17 points and six assists.
Weston White/KANSAN
SEE RECAP ON PAGE 4B
Jayhawks Big 12 play best of last six years
BY MAX VOSBURGH
mvosburgh@kansan.com
twitter.com/MVSports
I'd like to imagine there is a do-to list hanging somewhere around Allen Fieldhouse. If there is, you can check Conference Championship off the list.
After defeating Oklahoma 81-68 last night in Allen Fieldhouse, Kansas celebrated at least a share of its 53rd conference championship. The Jayhawks are Big 12 Conference champions for the sixth straight season. It's the only other time since 1922-27 that Kansas has won six straight conference titles.
There have been some great teams over the past six years but none of them have looked as good at this point in the season as this team has.
Now unless this team wins the national championship, you can't call them the best of the last six. But through 13 conference games, Kansas is giving the 2008 team a run for its money.
"We definitely got some similarities," Cole Aldrich said regarding this team and the 2008 national champions. "We've got a lot of talent. We've got a lot of depth."
The best mark through 13 games for the last five conference champions was last year when they were 12-1. However, that team had five losses and this team only has one. In the previous five seasons through 13 conference games, Kansas had a 10-3 record twice, 11-2 record twice and a 12-1 record once.
The layhawks are 13-0 in Big 12 play. They are 6-0 on the road and three of those wins were against ranked opponents. The national championship team was 10-3 through 13 conference games. Their three losses were on the road in conference. At this point that year, they were still struggling to figure out how to win on the road. That is something this team already proved they can do.
This team is ahead of the national championship squad in
SEE VOSBURGH ON PAGE 4B
BASEBALL
Jayhawks lose first game, rally in second against Eastern Michigan
BY BEN WARD
bward@kansan.com
twitter.com/bm_dub
Finally able to get on the field, Kansas opened its 2010 season on Monday by splitting a doubleheader against Eastern Michigan. After struggling in the first game, a 3-1 loss, the Jayhawks rebounded, earning a 9-5 victory in the second.
For now, Kansas will have to wait until this weekend to play again. As expected, tonight's game against Wichita State was postponed due to inclement weather. The teams will try to reschedule a makeup game later in the season. Barring a change in schedule, the Jayhawks won't play their first game at Hogglund Ballpark until Mar 5, when they host Iowa.
The Metrodome in Minneapolis is known for its raucous fans and incessant crowd noise. Yet For Kansas' season opener against Eastern
Michigan on Monday, a mere 20 or so people were in attendance. In front of the atypically meager crowd, Kansas followed with a similarly lackluster performance.
GAME ONE: EASTERN MICHIGAN 3. KANSAS 1
Picked by the Big 12 coaches to finish second in the conference, the Jayhawks dropped their season opener 3-1 to an Eagles team that finished 25-35 a season ago.
The Jayhawks missed junior Tony Thompson on offense, only mustering three hits and four walks compared to nine strikeouts. Much of Kansas' struggles at the plate could also be attributed to a strong outing from Eagles ace Corey Chaffins.
"He threw great. A lot of first-pitch fastballs for strikes, and when he had to, he buried his curve ball and got guys to chase," junior pitcher T.J. Walz said. "He mixed
Chaffins won the first seven innings to earn the win, allowing only one run while striking out eight. Freshman Brett Cisper worked the final two frames, closing the door on Kansas and saving the victory for Chaffins.
Walz suffered the loss for Kansas, despite battling through six-plus innings. The Omaha, Neb. native allowed two runs on seven hits and three walks, while striking out four.
The Eagles got on the board first, when junior catcher Matt Skirving led off the fourth inning with a home run, teeing off on a high fastball.
things up well."
Kansas responded right back, though, plating its lone run in the bottom half of the inning on a single by junior outfielder Jimmy Waters.
"I didn't get it in enough," Walz said. "And he hit a pretty good-sized home run."
But Eastern Michigan continued the back and forth exchange in the top half of the fifth, regaining the lead for good when junior outfielder Ken Battison hit sophomore
While Chaffins shut down the Jayhawk bats, the Eagles capitalized on a number of mistakes and manufactured a valuable insurance run in the eighth
outfielder Brent Ohrman in.
"I didn't get it enough. And he hit a pretty good-sized home run."
Redshirt junior Brett Bochy began the frame by hitting the leadoff batter, who came out of the game for pinch runner Wally Gerbus. Gerbus then stole two bases, before scoring an unearned run on a passed ball charged to sophomore Chris Manship.
wasted effort from the pitching staff. Aside from the solid start from Walz, Kansas' relievers were also stout. After one scorelet inning from senior
The lack of run support meant a
T. J. WALZ junior pitcher
Travis Blankenship, Bochy pitched the final two frames, striking out all three batters despite allowing the unearned run.
The Eagles got on the board with an unearned run in the fourth but were otherwise held in check by
GAME TWO: KANSAS 9,
EASTERN MICHIGAN 5
Kansas got started in a hurry, plating a run in each of the first three innings to jump out to a 3-0 advantage, led by two RBIs from senior infielder Robby Price.
senior Cameron Selik and the lay-hawk bullpen. Selik tossed the first six innings, striking out five while allowing only two hits to earn the victory.
After replacing ineffective starter Kendall Lewis, Eastern Michigan did fine holding Kansas. But then the wheels fell off for the Eagles bullpen.
The Jayhawks tacked on six runs in the bottom of the eighth - all coming without the benefit of a hit. All the extra insurance proved costly, as sophomore Colton Murray struggled to close the door, allowing the Eagles four runs in their final at-bat.
Nine runs aside, Kansas' offense was still a bit sluggish, notching only four hits and leaving 12 runners on base.
Edited by Sarah Bluvas