Bleacher Report - Kansas Jayhawks Basketball

Top Ranked Jayhawks Get Back To Business, Blast Bears 94-44

Neil Powell — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 22:52:47 -0500

The last time the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team took the court, the Memphis Tigers gave the top rated team in the land all they could handle.

Thursday night at the cozy confines of Allen Fieldhouse, the Central Arkansas Bears did not.

The Jayhawks used a 21-0 run to jump out to a 29-5 lead early in the first half and never looked back.

Paced by senior leader Sherron Collins' seven points, eight players scored and 11 took the court in the first 20 minutes.

The second half was much of the same as everyone with a crimson jersey contributed to the 94-44 blow out victory.

As Kansas coach Bill Self cleared the bench nine players ended up posting seven points or more.

Xavier Henry, Marcus Morris, Tyrel Reed and Collins led the team in scoring with 12 points each.

Freshman Thomas Robinson grabbed 13 rebounds and added eight points off the bench.

Maybe the brightest moment of the game was freshman point guard C.J. Henry getting first action of the season hitting two 3-point shots en route to scoring eight points in just nine minutes.

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Memphis-Kansas: Tigers Take Top-Ranked Jayhawks To the Wire, 57-55

Neil Powell — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:51:15 -0500

Just the sound of the words "Memphis Tigers" will bring smiles to Jayhawks basketball fans for eternity.

On Tuesday night Kansas packed up its No.1 ranking and headed for the Scott Trade Center in St. Louis, MO for the second game of the Basketball Hall of Fame Classic and a rematch of the 2008 national title game with Memphis.

Five of the night's starters (Kansas' Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins and the Tigers' Pierre Henderson-Niles, Doneal Mack, and Willie Kemp) played in that championship game—one of the most thrilling games of all time.

Although the stakes were not as high this time around, the two programs did play in front of dozens of legendary players and a nice-sized crowd.

Players like Rick Barry, Walt Bellamy, and Jayhawks legend Lynette Woodard had to appreciate the scrappy play of rookie coach Josh Pastner's Memphis squad and the physical dominance of Kansas big man Aldrich.

The two teams looked like they were playing in only their second game of the season as turnovers and missed shots were commonplace. They played to a less—than—sizzling 10—10 tie at the 10 minute mark of the first half.

The Jayhawks' offense struggled to be consistent, as the Memphis defense harassed them into nine turnovers before the break.

Despite the dominating performance by Aldrich (eight points on four-for-five shooting) KU held a narrow 26-20 lead going into the locker room.

Memphis, missing the marquee superstar they've usually had in recent years, saw Duke transfer Elliot Williams take the first step of filling that roll.

Williams finished with 21 points and had a good look at a three-point shot at the buzzer that appeared to be good when it left his hand.

It was preseason All-American Aldrich who carried Kansas throughout the evening displaying an array of moves around the basket.

He finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks, once again proving to the nation he's going to be a force under the bucket all year.

Jayhawks' guard Sherron Collins, another Preseason All-American, finished with 12 points and five rebounds, but missed significant time in the second half due to cramps.

At the 13 minute mark Collins exited the game in pain. He returned three minutes later, only to collapse on the court and grab his leg.

He did return in the final minute of the game and scored on a floater that was goal tended. Collins fed Aldrich on a sweet drive-and-dish and then made one of his two free throw attempts to help seal the victory.

Freshman forward Xavier Henry, who committed to Memphis but changed his mind, added 11 points and Marcus Morris chipped in 12 off the bench for the Jayhawks.

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Brady Morningstar's Moments with Kansas Jayhawks Will Be Minimal

J.D. Schaller — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:21:37 -0500

Kansas didn't play particularly great against Memphis. That contest was one of the most intense, physical games a Bill Self team has been a part of in a while.

However, as with all close games, there was still something good to be seen from the Jayhawks.

Last night, the Memphis Tigers, KU fans, and the a large portion entire nation just witnessed what is, almost without a doubt, the deepest and most versatile team in the nation in Kansas.

We all knew depth was one of Self's strengths this season, but it's becoming more and more evident that no one can pull as much talent off the bench, the steps, the stands, or where ever the heck else all these players are coming from as the Kansas head coach can.

Dick Vitale said he'd take Kansas's second five against any other second five in the country, but I disagree.

I'd take Bill Self's second five guys off the bench against 75 percent of the NCAA's starting fives.

Elijah Johnson, C.J. Henry (soon, we hope), Tyrel Reed, Thomas Robinson, and Markieff Morris? What more needs to be said?

There is only one team in the nation on which Travis Releford and Mario Little take a red-shirt any season, and that's Kansas.

Sherron Collins is hurt? Give Taylor the ball. If he's not playing well, let C.J. Henry take over. Until Henry comes back, Johnson can man the point. When Johnson gets tired, Reed can bring the ball up the court.

Even Xavier Henry could play point-forward.

Speaking of forward, what happens when one of ours needs a breather? Markieff Morris could cover center or power forward, and brother Marcus likes power or small forward.

If Self wants to go small, the younger Henry is more than strong and athletic enough to man the post for a while and Thomas Robinson brings all sorts of energy to the power forward position but could certainly hold the fort at center against littler teams if needed.

Even Jeff Whithey has the perfect opportunity to sit back, relax, learn from the best and maybe grab decent minutes in the season's second half.

I still have one question, though.

What will Bill Self do with Brady Morningstar?

There are legitimately five men already on the roster with better ball-handling abilities than Morningstar. All five of those men plus Xavier Henry are more than capable of playing the shooting guard spot, especially because Self likes to keep two dribblers handy at all times.

Morningstar will likely have the most opportunity as a 3, but even then he could be buried deep.

If Withey is able to contribute immediately and Robinson continues to grow, Marcus Morris may find himself backing up Xavier more often.

Really, how many minutes Morningstar can scrap up nightly may depend more on Reed than anything, and I think the Burlington product brings plenty of advantages to the table.

First of all, Morningstar and Reed have similar size, but Reed brings very underrated athleticism to the table that matches up far better with the Big 12's elite swingmen than Morningstars.

Secondly, Morningstar may have a more consistent long ball, but Reed is much better at creating his own shot and needs far less room and time than Morningstar to toss up the trey.

Thirdly, one may argue that Morningstar has experience and maturity on his side, but Kansas's oldest junior begs to differ. I don't call drinking and driving particularly mature, and Reed won't be particularly rusty when Morningstar finally becomes eligible again.

In fact, the only advantage the Free State guard has over Reed is his defense.

Unfortunately for him, Reed is making some big strides in that department as well; he is finally learning to use all of his athleticism, and the reduced minutes he plays as opposed to last year has resulted in 110 percent effort when he's on the floor. Effort is Coach Self's favorite component of defense, too.

Extra depth is great, and Morningstar will be more than welcomed back to the roster. However, he's not going to have any minutes gift-wrapped for him.

In fact, if he can't bring the same effort Reed brings (or a little more), as well as a little something extra to the table, the former starter may be reduced to nothing more than mop-up minutes for the nation's current number one team.

Morningstar is a program guy and will do what it takes to win, even if that means being the most devastating third-string Bill Self has ever had in practice. You just have to wonder, though, how hard that could be on his psyche, and if maybe then he will truly regret the poor decision he made early on in the school year.

It's too early to tell, though, and we don't know how Morningstar will react to this situation just yet.

All we do know is that, right now, Morningstar and fellow junior Connor Teahan help make up a pretty impressive third team for the Jayhawks.

I'm not sure what that's worth, but it can't be a bad thing, can it?

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Kansas Jayhawks' Two All-Americans Straighten the Learning Curve

Brandon Bohning — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:58:53 -0500

The nation's best college basketball team, the Kansas Jayhawks, failed to impress any of the suspected millions watching in their 57-55 win over the Memphis Tigers.

Most of the credit for such a close result should go to the Memphis Tigers, who chased down every lose ball, got offensive rebounds, and made clutch baskets late in the game. Their rookie coach, 32-year-old Josh Pastner, looks like a tenured guy already and deserves a lot of credit for having his team ready to compete against the Jayhawks.

In the end, the result befitted the night in college basketball overall. The nation's No. 2 squad, Michigan State, won a nail-biter at the end of its game in East Lansing. Likewise, UConn had a tough time putting away a skilled Hofstra squad and Georgetown narrowly avoided defeat in D.C. at the hands of Temple.

A couple of things became very evident as the Memphis-Kansas game progressed. The over-arching theme was that KU still has quite the learning curve. While it returns nine players, Kansas added freshman blue-chipper Xavier Henry, guard Elijah Johnson, and big man Thomas Robinson.

While Henry finished with 11 points and six rebounds, his presence on the floor seemed to confuse other guards Tyrell Reed and especially Tyshawn Taylor.

Now don't confuse what I am getting at here. I don't think this is remotely a serious concern, but there was an air of misunderstanding between Taylor and Henry on a couple of passes and plays.

Most of that can fall on the freshman who I think has yet to understand just how big of an influence he can make on a game with his size and scoring ability. What appears to be confusion now will certainly be ironed out by late January. Instead of silly turnovers caused by misunderstanding the offense, we'll likely be seeing plenty of "Top 10 Play" appearances on SportsCenter as the season progresses.

Despite Kansas' overall inability to take care of the basketball, something coach Bill Self has been concerned about since practice got underway about a month ago, two factors have proved big already this season, and their names are Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich.

The reason I, and likely many other Kansas fans, weren't all that nervous last night, with the exception of the final shot of the game floating towards the rim, is the fact that fans trust and believe that the two All-Americans will lead the team to victory this year.

It has to be comforting to all of Jayhawk nation that the team, when it really doesn't play like a team at all, can still win because of the reliability of Aldrich and Collins.

The game last night bodes well for the future of this season, where KU will inevitably find itself in a similar situation where no "supporting player" can play within the team, and overall the team just seems to struggle and will have to rely on the consistent play of both Sherron and Cole.

Sherron didn't play much of the second half due to nagging cramps, but after an IV in the dressing room, he returned to the floor and made sure the game didn't slip away from Kansas. Upon his return, he made one of the best plays of the night, on a fast break drive, where he hung in the air long enough to deliver to Aldrich who finished with authority.

He also added a free-throw in the waning moments that extended the lead to two, instead of one.

Speaking of Cole Aldrich, he was there all night long. He was a workhorse, and judging by coach Bill Self's comments going into halftime, Cole wasn't getting enough touches, thanks in large part to Memphis' effort on defense.

Aldrich finished with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting and pulled down 11 rebounds, and could have easily scored 30. Memphis couldn't solve the high-low, which resulted in a ton of high-percentage attempts for the KU big men—Marcus Morris had ten points off 4-of-7 shooting.

In a game where both teams shot the ball badly, and generally played a sloppy game, overall it has to be comforting for Kansas fans to see their team grind out a victory, especially on the big stage of ESPN and on a neutral court.

KU's gritty win can be attributed to the play of its two All-Americans who showed that they can weather the bigger-than-expected learning curve KU still has to get over.

With a trip to L.A. and Pauley Pavillion to face UCLA, trips to Knoxville and Philadelphia to face great teams in Tennessee and Temple, respectively, as well as home fixtures against Michigan and California still on the schedule, Kansas' grit and determination still has much testing to go.

Fear not however, because I'm sure by the time they begin that stretch of tough games, (they're at UCLA on Dec. 6), and Bill Self will have the team performing closer to expectations.

One thing is for sure, and that is it's certainly nice for coach Self and all of the Kansas basketball fans alike, to know that they will always get the steady, reliable play out of their two All-Americans, Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins.

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Memphis-Kansas Rematch Lacks Its Once-Great Luster

Brandon Bohning — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:35:27 -0500

Tonight, the No. 1 ranked Kansas Men's Basketball Team squares off against Memphis in St. Louis. It will be the first time the two teams have met since their slobber-knocker of a National Championship game in 2008.

We all know who prevailed and how they did it. However, you can't talk about tonight's game with much anticipation because of where both programs, especially Memphis, has gone from there.

Instead, most of the hype for tonight's game comes from the fresh memories of the title game in 2008. The impossible comeback, Memphis being plagued by missed free-throws, "The Shot," and the overtime mauling. All of it culminating with the banner hanging in the north end of Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence.

While tonight's matchup may still get some attention—the majority of it will originate from what happened in the 2008 Championship game. There is a twist, however, and the twisting comes from the Memphis side of tonight's matchup.

Ponder this: Pretend that John Calipari stayed at Memphis, and despite his best efforts over the summer was unsuccessful at convincing Tyreke Evans to stay. Now pretend that Xavier Henry is a Tiger instead of a Jayhawk due to Calipari's hypothetical loyalty to Memphis, and pretend that Kentucky standout freshman John Wall also was a Memphis Tiger.

The game tonight would have a little different feel to it, wouldn't it? Instead of Kansas being the overwhelming favorite, in all hypothetical likelihood, Memphis would be favored.

The game would have received a ton of preseason hype, and there would have been round-the-clock coverage on ESPN, much like they currently do with Monday Night Football . It would be billed as the game of the season, despite the 2009-2010 season being in its infancy.

The question for Kansas fans would be this, "Can Cole and Sherron lead their team to victory, and crush the Tigers and Calipari again?" Of course the biggest question of all being directed at the Tigers, "Can they get the revenge they so desperately need as a program?"

Alright, back to earth. Calipari coaches Kentucky, he's got John Wall in Lexington with him.

In his wake, Memphis—left bruised and battered by Calipari's departure has had to endure overwhelming embarrassment in form of serious NCAA violations surrounding the validity of Derek Rose's college entrance exam scores which stripped every Memphis win of the 2007-2008 season, including that great postseason run.

On top of the embarrassment, Tyreke Evans is now playing 82 games a season, and the Memphis team is in full-on rebuilding mode.

On the flip side, Xavier Henry, along with his brother C.J. (a transfer from Memphis, I needn't remind you) are both Jayhawks, on a squad that is primed for another title run.

While Memphis, as a program, is worried about where it goes from the ashes left behind by John Calipari's crookedness—the only problem Kansas has as a program is whether or not to rotate nine players instead of 10, (assuming the well-publicized feud with the football team is truly over).

With the billing for tonight's game being severely damaged by the loss of Calipari and his blue-chip recruits, viewers will constantly be reminded about the 2008 National Title Game, whether they like it (Kansas fans), or not (Memphis fans).

You can expect to see the Chalmers game-tying three pointer at least five times, you can expect to see the Collins steal, pass, reception, and three pointer that preceded Chalmers' miracle, at least twice. You'll also probably see Collins victory dribble around the court a couple times.

Tonight's contest was always going to be billed as the rematch of one of the greatest National Title games to ever be played. However, the game, and especially the anticipation for it has been greatly diminished by the series of events that have taken place at Memphis.

I'd like to think I speak for many when I say that it is very unfortunate for fans of College Basketball, and the fans of both teams alike, that this rematch could have lived up to, or surpassed the excitement of its first installment and instead, it looks like the result will be a foregone conclusion.

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The Newly Added Expectations for the Kansas Basketball Team

Brandon Bohning — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 10:37:02 -0500

It's not as if expectations for the Kansas Men's Basketball team aren't already astronomical—the season's preseason No. 1 rank automatically means everyone doesn't just think that you could win it all, but that you should win it all.

A preseason No. 1 rank, a star-studded recruiting class led by future lottery pick Xavier Henry, in other words the personnel to do, well, the expected. So what other expectations could be piled on the consensus favorite to cut down the nets in early April?

The answer would be the team that competes on the other side of the hill that the University of Kansas sits on.

The Kansas football team lost to Nebraska 34-17 on Saturday. They have now lost five straight games and have Texas and Missouri left on the schedule.

The football team had began their season with high expectations. Many picked them to win the Big XII North division, possibly winning 10 games along the way. Now a 5-7 record looks all but inevitable.

The anxiety that the football team has given Kansas fans has now culminated, and the relief that basketball season has officially begun has sunk in.

However, it wouldn't be wise to say that many of those fans won't be heaping their anxiety from the failed football campaign directly on the shoulders of Bill Self and his team.

While some KU fans may not transfer the unmet football expectations onto the basketball team directly, at the very least, football fans will be looking for the basketball team's expected success to comfort the anxiety they have felt from a failed football season.

Most fans would inevitably tell you that my hypothesis has no grounds—that expectations for the basketball team are always high, and that a poor season in football never produces any extra expectations for the basketball team because the football program has been bad for so long.

However, it's my belief that had the football team met one of their popular preseason expectations, the football team's success would have taken some of the sting out of a hypothetical pre-Championship game exit for the basketball team in March.

Sure, the mere thought of anything but another National Championship for the basketball team this year may reduce even the brawniest Jayhawk fan to tears.

But with the failure of this year's football team to even come close to reaching preseason expectations, there will surely be plenty of die-hard football fans piling their football anxiety to the basketball team, in some form or another.

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Xavier Henry: Nothing Subtle About Him

J.D. Schaller — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:19:15 -0500

I know we're just one game into the season, and I'm not normally one to praise so highly so quickly, but Xavier Henry is a special basketball player.

His 27 debut points, the most ever in a debut by a Kansas freshman, by the way, weren't the only things that impressed me in last night's contest with Hofstra, either.

He crashes the offensive boards, gets physical in the paint, sprints out on fast breaks, plays solid defense, and even gets on the floor after loose balls.

I always question the ego and work ethic in players of his caliber, but I think these are some intangibles offered by Henry that may not have been readily available in a guy like Lance Stephenson.

I'm not ready to declare the McDonald's All-American the second coming of Paul Pierce just yet; his defense is solid but his technique is a little unrefined, and I'd like to see him scoring inside of the arc a little more.

There's just something about him though...

His style and scenario remind me a little bit of Brandon Rush. It's easy to see how his athleticism, strength, length, and super sweet jumper are very comparable.

He, like Rush, was the final perfect piece of a brilliant recruiting puzzle. Henry joined Thomas Robinson and Elijah Johnson this summer, while Rush decided against the NBA to team up with Mario Chalmers, Julian Wright, Micah Downs, and, ironically, a verbally committed (but ultimately unsigned) C.J. Henry.

One factor that really makes Rush and Henry similar is the way put their points on the board. Rush was a constant factor and could lead the team in scoring without having a play called for him. Xavier may not be to that point just yet, but thus far he has certainly displayed a very comparable knack for fitting in.

Still, the way Henry lights up a crowd reminds me less of Brandon Rush and, surprisingly, more of Julian Wright.

Henry and Wright don't share much as far as their individual strengths and weaknesses on the court. However, when I watch Henry elevate for a put-back, pop the trey, or even lay out for a loose ball, I think of Julian Wright.

I can't count the number of times I watched Rush tally 25 points and I wouldn't believe it until I saw it on paper. He had a way of doing things subtly, quietly, and super-efficiently.

Henry is more Wright-esque in that every single time the ball is near him, fans are on the edge of their seats.

Every one of Wright's emphatic rejections and vicious facials left Allen Fieldhouse in a frenzy.

Last night when Henry threw down that put-back slam off the offensive glass, it didn't matter who the Jayhawks playing or how far ahead they were; the roar of the crowd could've rivaled the noise made during Border Showdowns in Naismith Stadium.

Even Henry's three-pointers draw unusually ravenous applause from the KU faithful. (Maybe it's just because he's left-handed?)

Part of this is probably a result of being such highly touted recruits, or even because of their natural charisma. Maybe Henry reminds me of Wright because they simply look more intimidating than the smooth, boyish appearance of Rush.

It could even be that every play Henry makes brings him one step closer to being everything and more than fans could ever have hoped for.

All I know is that each time he touches the ball, Jayhawks fall even more in love with him. He could become a huge factor in big games this season because of nothing more than his ability to single-handedly excite an entire stadium.

Most importantly, though, Henry appears ready to do his individual job as a piece of the well-oiled machine that is Kansas basketball.

It doesn't have to be done subtly as long as it's done right, and doing it right is what could help catapult both Henry and his fellow Jayhawks into the Kansas history books once more.

Any added excitement is just a fan's bonus.

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