Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson Lead Kansas over Oklahoma

College Hoops Player of the Day for Wednesday, February 1, 2012

The 8th-ranked Kansas Jayhawks (18-4, 8-1) rebounded from their 72-64 loss at Iowa State Saturday with a resounding 84-62 home win over Oklahoma, scoring 50 second half points to pull away from the Sooners after the Jayhawks led 34-31 at the break.

Kansas was once again led by their inside-outside tandem of guard Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson, who combined for 41 points. Taylor led all scorers with 21 points on 7 of 13 shooting with a pair of three-pointers and a 5-for-6 effort from the foul line. Taylor also dished six assists and had two steals.

Robinson, routinely mentioned prominently in college player of the year conversations, had another monster game with 20 points, 17 rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocked shots. Robinson was 9-for-12 from the field and 2-for-3 from the stripe. It was Robinson's 15th double-double of the season and the 21st time he scored in double figures in 22 games.

The Jayhawks, who had won ten straight before their Iowa State loss, shot 55% (31-56), while holding the Sooners to just 41% from the floor.

Kansas leads the Big 12 with an 8-1 mark, heading into their conference showdown with #4 Missouri this Saturday. The Tigers are tied for second in the conference with Baylor, at 7-2.

Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson Stop Baylor, as Kansas Wins,92-74

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, January, 2012

The Kansas Jayhawks reduced the number of undefeated college basketball teams to two with a 92-74 win over the Baylor Bears, as Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson provided more inside-outside offense than the previously 17-0 Bears could handle.

Robinson, a certain player of the year candidate, dominated the interior, scoring 27 points on 11-for-18 shooting, including a number of rim-shaking dunks and swift spin moves in the paint that ignited the sold out crowd at Allen Field House.

The 6'9" junior was also responsible for limiting Baylor's second chance opportunities, wiping the boards with 14 rebounds, 13 of which came on the defensive end. It was Robinson's 13th double-double of the season. He leads the Jayhawks in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 17.8 points and 12.3 rebounds.

Taylor, playing the best ball of his four-year collegiate career, matched his career high - set just two days ago in an 82-73 win over Iowa State - with 28 points, scoring on 10 of 14 shots, with four of his six 3-point attempts hitting their mark. Taylor also led Kansas with six assists.

Kansas took a 10 point lead into the break, but Baylor responded in the early part of the second half, cutting the lead to six before Kansas completely took over, pressuring every one of the Bears' shots while sizzling on their own offensive end to up the lead eventually to 20 points.

The Jayhawks shot 57% from the field and completely dominated the boards, out-rebounding Baylor, 39-24. It was their 16th straight win at Phog Allen Field House and improved their record to 15-3. The Jayhawks now stand alone atop the Big 12 standings at 5-0, with Missouri and Baylor chasing them, at 4-1.

NOTABLE: Syracuse beat Pitt in the Carrier Dome for the first time in five years, extending their winning streak to a school record 20 straight wins to open a season with a 71-63 decision over the struggling Panthers, who have lost seven straight and fallen to the bottom of the Big East standings, at 0-6. The top-ranked Orange used their familiar combination of tight zone defense and run-outs to lead start to finish. The Orange opened the game with a 13-0 run and were never headed.

Thomas Robinson, Christian Watford Lead Kansas, Indiana Past #2 Ohio State, #1 Kentucky

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, December 10, 2011

With only the Army-Navy game and some Division 1 playoff games on tap Saturday for college sports fans, attention turned to college hoops as ESPN presented back-to-back "road test" games featuring the two top teams in the AP Poll, #1 Kentucky and #2 Ohio State.

In the first match-up, the Buckeyes were overwhelmed by an aggressive Kansas team which led from the opening tip to the final buzzer and handed Ohio State its first loss of the season, 78-67.

Paced by junior forward, Thomas Robinson's 21 points, the Buckeyes had few answers inside as their star player, Jared Sullinger, sat out the contest with a foot injury.

Robinson's 21 points tied Will Buford's total for Ohio State for game-high honors, though Robinson was much more deadly in the lane and around the hoop, going 7-for-9 from the field and nailing 7 of 8 free throws while ripping down seven rebounds.

In the second game, unranked Indiana remained unbeaten at 9-0, knocking off the #1 Kentucky Wildcats, 73-72, on Christian Watford's buzzer-beating three-pointer that sent players and fans streaming onto the court like the Hoosiers had just captured the national championship.

The game was a statistical oddity, in that Kentucky outshot Indiana, 56%-43%, but the Hoosiers made hay outside the three-point line, hitting nine of 15 attempts, easily outshining the Wildcats' 2-for-9 effort from beyond the arc.

At one point in the second half, the red-hot Hoosiers made seven straight threes to build their lead to 10 points, but Kentucky continued to play hard inside and eventually take a two-point lead with just 5.7 seconds remaining on Doron Lamb's free throw.

Watford, a 6'9" junior with range, led all scorers with 20 points, made 8 of 15 shots from the field, going 4-for-6 from three-point range, including the clutch game winner.

With upsets to the top two teams in the polls, #3 Syracuse, an easy, 85-50, winner over George Washington went to 10-0 and will likely be the nation's #1 team when the new poll comes out on Monday. Indiana will surely be ranked, how high they go and how low Kentucky and Ohio State fall is a matter left to the voters.

No matter what, the Wildcats and Buckeyes each took home failing grades from their early-season road tests.

Thomas Robinson Leads Jayhawks Past Long Beach with Career High 26 Points

College Hoops Player of the Day for DAY, Month, 2011

It hasn't been the best of starts for 6-2 Kansas, having already suffered a couple of tough losses - to Kentucky and Duke - but the 13th-ranked Jayhawks are surely a prime contender in the Big 12, as usual.

Led by Thomas Robinson's career high 26 points, the Jayhawks took down Long Beach State on Tuesday, 88-80, in advance of another tough outing on December 10, when they host #2 Ohio State, unbeaten through eight games.

Robinson, a 6'9" junior forward from the Washington, DC area, spent most of his first two seasons at Kansas riding the bench, but has emerged as a major force in the paint on both ends of the court. Averaging a double-double this season with 17.4 points and 12.0 rebounds per game, Robinson snatched 11 rebounds to complement his scoring, his seventh double-double of the season.

Last season, Kansas had one of the best seasons in its long and storied basketball history, finishing 35-3, fallling just short of reaching the Final Four when they fell to VCU, 71-61, in the fourth round of the NCAA tournament.

They hope to repeat as Big 12 champions this year, though there is tough opposition in the conference from teams such as Baylor, Texas A&M and Missouri.

Sweet 16 Results and Recaps - Friday Games

East

North Carolina 81 Marquette 63 - The Tar Heels used a swarming, oppressive defense to disrupt Marquette early and score frequently inside, racing to a 40-15 half time lead. Marquette held their own in the second half, but it was much to late to keep North Carolina from advancing. Tyler Zeller had another enormous game, notching 27 points to go with 17 rebounds, none of them on the offensive end.

Kentucky 62 Ohio State 60 - Brandon Knight's 15-foot jumper with 5.4 left broke a 60-all tie and Will Buford's 3-point heave at the buzzer fell short as the Wildcats pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the tournament. A hotly contested game throughout, neither team led by more than seven, and there was no margin of more than four points in the entire second half.

Ohio State's Jared Sullinger had his usual monster game with 21 points and 17 rebounds, but Kentucky's Josh Harrellson battled well inside, scoring 17 points and ripping down 10 boards on his own. DeAndre Liggins was lightning in a bottle in the latter stages of the second half, finishing with 15 points and 6 rebounds. He and Harrellson were the only Wildcats in double figures.

Kentucky's win left Kansas as the sole remaining #1 seed in the tournament.

North Carolina will play Kentucky on Sunday, for the right to play in the Final Four.

Southwest

Kansas 77 Richmond 57 - Simply too big, too fast and too talented for the Richmond Spiders to handle, Kansas quickly established a lead and expanded it over the first 20 minutes, leading 41-22 by half time. This was pretty much a team effort blowout, led by Brady Morningstar's 18 points. Nine different Jayhawks showed up on the scorer's sheet, evidence they are probably the deepest team remaining in the tournament.

VCU 72 Florida State 71 - In what had to be the most physical game of the tournament, the Seminoles and Rams found themselves stalemated at 65 through the first 40 minutes and forced into overtime to settle their differences.

The game boiled down to the inability of Florida State, the best defense in the nation, to defend an inbound pass under their own basket. With 7 seconds left, Joey Rodriguez triggered the ball into Bradford Burgess, who laid it in to give the Rams a one-point lead. Florida State players raced down court, but could not get off another shot.

Bradford, who had five of VCU's seven points in overtime, finished with a game-high 26 points on 9-for-16 shooting, including six of seven from 3-point range.

Kansas and VCU square off Sunday, the winner advancing to the Final Four in Houston.

Round of 32 Results and Recaps - Sunday Games

East

North Carolina 86 Washington 83 - Proving once again that size matters, Washington cold not contain the Tar Heel big men - Tyler Zeller (23 points) and John Henson (10 points, 10 boards) - but little Isaiah Thomas and the Huskies took them to the limit.

Ohio State 98 George Mason 66 - the Buckeyes continued to decimate anything in their way, as they smothered the Patriots. David Lighty was 9-for-10 from the field for a game-high 25 points.

Marquette 66 Syracuse 62 - the Golden Eagles soared once again, doing to Syracuse what they did to them during the Big East regular season. The lead changed hands frequently, but Marquette made the plays down the stretch. An 11 seed, Marquette is a surprise from the Big East, which has now seen more than half of their 11 teams gone in the first weekend.

Southwest

VCU 94 Purdue 76 - VCU took a ten-point lead into half time and extended it through the second half, dominating all aspects of the game and distributing 24 assists as a team. Bradford Burgess had 23 points and 8 rebounds for the Rams and 5'10" Joey Rodriguez distributed 11 assists to go with his 10 points.

Kansas 73 Illinois 59 - The Jayhawks had little trouble beating coach Bill Self's former school, getting 24 points and 12 rebounds from Markieff Morris and 17 and 12 from twin brother Marcus.

West

Duke 73 Michigan 71 - Duke survived a serious scare from the Wolverines when Darius Morris missed a runner in the lane with two seconds left after erasing most of a 15-point Duke second half lead. Nolan Smith led all scorers with 24 points, and Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski notched his 900th career win.

Arizona 70 Texas 69 - Texas trailed nearly the entire game, but had two close-in chances to win the game as time ran down. Arizona continued the Longhorns' frustrations in the NCAA tournament by ousting them in an early round again.

Florida State 71 Notre Dame 57 - The Seminoles stunned Notre Dame, smothering them with the nation's best defense and advancing to face VCU in the Sweet 16. Florida State held the usually high-scoring Fighting Irish to just 32% shooting. Bernard James had 14 points and 10 boards for the Seminoles.

Notre Dame was the 9th of 11 teams from the Big East to lose on the opening weekend, leaving just Marquette and UConn from the conference, widely considered to be the best in the nation. Not any more.

Round of 64 Results and Recaps - Friday Late Games

East

Marquette 66 Xavier 55 - Lightning quick, Marquette's Golden Eagles stymied the Musketeers and scored in transition regularly to knock off the #6 seed. Darius Johnson-Odom led all scorers with 19 points. Marquette shot 53% for the game.

North Carolina 102 LIU 87 - thhe Tar Heels rolled up the biggest score of the tournament thus far, as LIU could not handle their size and speed. Tyler Zeller: 32 points; John Henson: 28; Harrison Barnes: 24.

Washington 68 Georgia 65 - Surviving a furious last-minute rally by Georgia, the Washington Huskies moved on to face North Carolina in the next round. Isaiah Thomas was brilliant, scoring 19 points and dishing seven assists.

Syracuse 77 Indiana St. 60 - the Orange got more game than they expected from Indiana State, but tightened up their 2-3 zone and kept the Sycamores at bay for most of the game. Rick Jackson was superior inside. His23 points led the way for the Syracuse advance to the next round against Marquette.

Southwest
Kansas 72 Boston U. 53 - The Jayhawks overcame some early jitters to advance easily past Boston U., outscoring the Terriers, 39-24 in the second half for the easy win. Marcus and Markief Morris combined for 31 points and 17 rebounds.

Purdue 65 St. Peter's 43 - Never a contest as the Boilermakers ushered St. Peters out of the tournament. JaJuan Johnson had 16 points and 16 boards.

Illinois 73 UNLV 62 - The Runnin' Rebels were ice cold early and Illinois built an insurmountable lead. Mike Davis topped the scoring list with 22 points.

VCU 74 Georgetown 56 - Virginia Commonwealth used superior size and tight defense to dismantle Georgetown into a quick exit. Brandon Roselle hit six threes and scored 26 points in the win. The Rams face Purdue next.

Marcus Morris Leads Kansas Over Cowboys

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, February 21, 2011

Resuming their winning ways after being knocked off the #1 spot in the polls, the Kansas Jayhawks put together a rather convincing win over Oklahoma State Monday night at Phog Allen Fieldhouse, blasting the Cowboys off their saddles with a 92-65 explosion.

A week ago, just as pollsters earlier in the day had anointed the Jayhawks the #1 team in the land, A determined Kansas State squad had humiliated them, 84-68. Since then, Kansas has been on a mission, to finish the season with a flourish and a top seeding in the NCAA tournament.

After knocking off Colorado by 26 points on Saturday, the Jayhawks muscled and hustled their way to a 27-point win over Oklahoma State, led by Marcus Morris' 27 points. Morris hit 9 of 13 shots, including 2 of 3 three-pointers, adding six free throws and five rebounds.

The Jayhawks dominated the glass, outrebounding the Cowboys, 38-25, and shared the ball, with 20 assists in the game. It also didn't hurt that they were red-hot from the field, hitting 54% and 44% from beyond the arc. Kansas upped its record to 26-2, but remain 1/2 game behind the Texas Longhorns (11-1) in the Big 12 standings at 11-2.

The only chance the Jayhawks will have to avenge their two losses (Texas and Kansas State) will be in the conference tournament. Kansas has just three remaining dates in the regular season, at Oklahoma, home against Texas A&M and at Missouri.

NOTABLE: With the top teams suffering upsets all week, the top spot in this week's polling fell to the Duke Blue Devils, though the voting seems rather a case of triumph by elimination rather than one of deserved respect. Sure, Duke's a quality team, but the ACC is in a down year and the Blue Devils are an eminently beatable team. Still, they seemed vulnerable last season as well, before their run to the championship. For now, the polls matter little. What happens on the court will offer more in terms of seeding for the tourney.

Morris Twins, Little, Prove Too Much for Tigers

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, February 7, 2011

The Missouri Tigers - ranked #19 in the most recent poll - have a very good basketball team, likely to go deep into the NCAA field come March, but, as proven Monday night, they still can't keep up with the big men from Kansas in the low post.

The Tigers fell victim, for the 9th time in their last 10 meetings, to the #2 Jayhawks (23-1, 8-1), losing a 103-86 decision in Lawrence, KS. Missouri got off to a flashy start and was able to hang in, down by only four points at the half, but Kansas continually got the ball inside to their big men, Marcus Morris, Markeiff Morris and 6'6" "guard" Mario Little, who had a season-high 17 points on 7-for-9 shooting.

Marcus Morris led all scorers with 22 points, also going 7-for-9, with a three-pointer and 7-for-12 from the foul line plus eight rebounds, five on the offensive end. Twin brother Markeiff went 6-for-8, also with a trey, for 16 points.

The Jayhawks shot a sizzling 61% for the game, a pace the Tigers could not match, though they hit at a 52% rate themselves. The Jayhawks' 103 points was the most they've scored this season since their opener against Longwood, when they lit it up for 113.

Missouri dropped to 4-5 in the Big 12, though their 18-6 record nearly ensures that they'll be in the field for the NCAA tourney. Kansas trails Texas (8-0) by 1/2 game in the conference. The Longhorns handled the Jayhawks 74-63 in January and do not play them again.

The Tigers will get another chance - at home - to knock off Kansas in the regular season finale for both teams, Saturday, March 5th.

Tennessee, Kansas, Wake Forest and New Mexico Advance

NCAA Tourney Update

Midwest Region

1 Kansas 90
16 Lehigh 74
Marcus Morris led Kansas with 26 points and 10 rebounds, as the tournament's top seed cruised past Lehigh. The Jayhawks will face #9 Northern Iowa in the second round.

6 Tennessee 62
11 San Diego St. 59
On a day in which 5 double-digit seeds won, Tennessee squeaked past San Diego State to advance to the second round against the University of Ohio Bobcats, upset winners over Georgetown, on Saturday. Melvin Goins, who hadn't scored in his previous two games, came up big down the stretch with key shots to carry the Vols to victory. Goins, who was 4 of 5 from 3-point range, joined teammate J.P. Prince with 15 points apiece.

East Region

9 Wake Forest 81
8 Texas 80 OT
Battling back from 8 points down in overtime, the Demon Deacons dispatched Texas in the opening round. The Longhorns, once ranked #1 in the nation, have to be considered the biggest collapse of the season. Led by forward Al-Farouq Aminu's 20 points and 15 rebounds, Wake Forest survived a see-saw affair, also getting 19 points and 12 boards from Ishmael Smith. The Deacons will face top-seeded Kentucky in the second round

3 New Mexico 62
14 Montana 57
Montana didn't make it easy on New Mexico, keeping the game close until the final minute, but the Lobos prevailed as Dairese Gary carried the team down the stretch. Roman Martinez led the Lobos in scoring with 19 points. Gary had 15. New Mexico will face #11 Washington in the second round.

NCAA Conference Scoreboard (through games of March 18)

Conference W-L
ACC 1-0
Atlantic-10 0-1
Big East 1-3
Big Ten 0-0
Big 12 3-1
Conference-USA 0-1
Mountain West 2-2
PAC-10 1-0
SEC 2-2
West Coast 1-0
Western Athletic 0-0
Other 5-6

*Conferences with only one tournament team listed as "Other."

Bracket Busters and Myth-Breakers

Some insights into the 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

Midwest Region

We've all heard just how rugged the Midwest region is supposed to be, wherein Kansas, the #1 overall seed in the tourney, will be hard-pressed by any number of teams, but that is a flawed idea, a myth, as Kansas will likely breeze through the first three rounds and only face serious competition in their regional final.

While the region boasts some quality teams, the best of them are in the lower half of the bracket, meaning Kansas will only have to play one of the better teams. Tennessee, San Diego State, Georgetown and Ohio Sate are all in the lower half, while the only quality teams in the Kansas draw at the top are Michigan State (5) and Maryland (4). The winner of the Northern Iowa-UNLV game may give Kansas some trouble for the first 15 minutes, but the Jayhawks simply have too much size and experience to imagine that they'd be ousted as early as the second round. Whether Maryland or Michigan State emerges from the other side of the draw, it won't matter. Kansas should handle either of them by ten points at least.

If either Georgetown or Ohio State match up in the regional final against Kansas, that game will provide a true test, though Ohio State has no depth, playing six men at most, and Georgetown, while very good, probably won't be able to keep up with Kansas for a full 40 minutes. That's the big myth this season. Kansas should cruise into the Final Four without breaking a sweat.

As far as bracket-busters are concerned, there are good prospects for upsets in each of the other regions.

West Region

#1 seed Syracuse will have its hands full, given they get past Vermont in the opening round. The Orange were upset by the Catamounts in the first round in 2005, though the Orange were a #4 seed that season and Vermont, 13. Figure Syracuse will not allow lightning to strike twice, but after that, it looks like Gonzaga next and then possibly Butler. The Zags haven't exactly knocked over the world this season, though early wins over Wisconsin and Cincinnati and a close loss to Michigan State gave them impetus to cruise through the West Coast conference with a 12-2 mark. A talented team, the Bulldogs are always dangerous, though Syracuse is probably much better.

The other Bulldogs in the draw, Butler, poses different dilemmas for the Orange. A disciplined, well-coached team with tourney experience and a solid bench. Forwards Matt Howard, Gordon Hayward and Willie Veasley are slightly undersized, but match up well with the orange front line. The guard play is solid and Butler won't be intimidated by Syracuse's 2-3 zone. It's easy to see how the Bulldogs could create the first #1 casualty of the tournament.

If Syracuse survives to that point, Kansas State will likely end their Final Four dreams. The Wildcats would be a #1 seed were it not for the potent Jayhawks. K-State can run and score in transition, playing against one of Syracuse's weaknesses. The early games in the lower portion of this region could go any way, with the exception of K-State. Pitt, Minnesota, Vanderbilt or BYU all have solid teams.

East Region

Kentucky probably has the easiest draw of any team in the tournament. They will dispose of East Tenn. St. in the opening round, then dust off the winner of the Texas-Wake Forest opener, probably the worst 8-9 match-up in the pool. After that, Temple, Cornell or Wisconsin all have equal opportunity to become the Wildcats' regional semi-final victim. Trouble looms in the regional final, where Marquette, West Virginia or New Mexico could emerge, though the Mountaineers seem to be the only realistic challenge to Kentucky. If West Virginia reached the regional final, their game with Kentucky could produce the national champion.

South Region

There's been some expression of a belief that Duke caught a break by getting into this regional draw, but there are minefields throughout what shapes up to be the most busted-up bracket of them all. Will the Blue Devils face Cal or Louisville in the second round? If the Golden Bears step up and beat the Cardinals, they could be the surprise of the tournament, as only two teams came out of the PAC-10. However, if Louisville plays to their potential, there aren't many teams they can't beat. Duke could be an early out.

Other sleepers in the top half of the draw include Sienna and Utah State, both of which are widely unknown, though Sienna has a history of knocking off higher-seeded opponents with regularity. They face Purdue in the opening round, and without Robbie Hummel, the Boilermakers are already vulnerable. Sienna could cause a quick exit.

Even if Duke survives the first two rounds, a win over either Utah State or Sienna cannot be taken for granted.

The bottom of the bracket also features the weakest #2 in the tournament, Villanova, which proved in the latter part of the season to be somewhat overrated. They haven't got the size or the shooters to go deep this year and their draw is loaded. Notre Dame, Old Dominion, St. Mary's, Richmond or Baylor are all teams capable of high levels of play. Villanova is unlikely to last three rounds, maybe not even two.

Baylor or St. Mary's could emerge as a regional finalist and either could reach the Final Four, though Notre Dame and Old Dominion's chances are not bad either. In any case, Villanova is doomed and Duke will be thoroughly tested.

Jayhawks Reach Big 12 Final; Big East, ACC, Mountain West Show Depth

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, March 12, 2010

A model of consistency, the Kansas Jayhawks have steamrolled to the best record in the nation at 31-2 (15-1) and, after knocking off #23 Texas A&M, 79-66, in their Big 12 semi-final, will face Kansas State in the championship game Saturday afternoon.

Senior guard Sherron Collins led the scoring for both teams, hoisting up 26 points on 9-for-19 shooting (3-5 3-pointers) and added six assists. The team leader, Collins' work ethic and unflappable style exemplifies the core of the Jayhawk system. This is a no-nonsense group that is neither flashy nor flamboyant. They just go out and get the job done, game after game.

On Saturday they will face their toughest oppenent in Kansas State. The Wildcats came within two points of beating the Jayhawks back in January, losing 81-79, but when the teams met again at Kansas on March 3, it was all Jayhawks in an 82-65 rout.

Regardless of the outcome of Saturday's Big 12 final, the Jayhawks will likely be awarded the top #1 seed in the NCAA tourney and play in the Midwest region. They will be the ultimate tough out in the upcoming tourney.

Notable: What to think of the various doings around the country's conference tournaments? Here's an angle that will be proven out in the upcoming NCAA tourney. Three conferences have produced various upsets, showing that they have real depth. The ACC, Big East and Mountain West have produced the best play, top to bottom. In the Mountain West, even though the top four seeds reached the semi-finals, both games were won by the unranked underdogs, setting up a #3 vs. #4 final as UNLV will face San Diego State. Along with BYU and New Mexico, all four teams should receive bids and all four should perform well in the national tourney.

The Big East final pits the #4 seed, West Virginia against #8 Georgetown. The Hoyas have stormed through the tourney, dropping South Florida, Syracuse and, on Friday, thumping a very solid Marquette squad, 80-57. The Mountaineers have just barely survived their two games, beating Cincinnati on a Da'Sean Butler buzzer-beater and holding off Notre Dame for a two-point win.

In the ACC, Duke has demonstrated that they are the class of the conference, but the rest of the league can scratch and claw with the best of them. Besides the Blue Devils, the remaining teams are Georgia Tech, NC State and Miami, the latter two having no hope of an NCAA invitation unless they win the tourney, while Tech has likely moved off the bubble and into the mix.

The SEC has produced no surprises, with Kentucky, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Mississippi St. reaching the semis, while in the Big 10, Minnesota surpried Michigan State in overtime in one upset and Illinois regrouped for a win over Wisconsin. Ohio State and Purdue are the other semi-finalists, as expected.

In the PAC-10, Washington kept its hopes alive with a 79-64 win over Stanford, setting up a final with Cal on Saturday. The Huskies and Golden Bears split a pair of home wins this season, so even a close loss by Washington should be enough to get them into the NCAAs.

Jayhawks Storm Sooners, Nab Share of Big 12 Title

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, February 22, 2010

With their 81-68 victory over Oklahoma, the Kansas Jayhawks clinched at least a share of the Big 12 regular season championship Monday night.

As Kansas has rolled to a 13-0 record in the conference, they've built a 3 1/2 game lead over their nearest rival, which just so happens to be neighboring Kansas State, ranked #6 in the nation with a 22-4 record and a 9-3 mark in the Big 12. Kansas will host the Wildcats on March 3, in a game which all but likely will determine the conference champion. That pivotal match-up is sandwiched by a pair of road games for the Jayhawks - at Oklahoma St. this Saturday and against arch-rival Missouri on March 6, also a Saturday.

The #1 ranked team in the nation, Kansas will be tested over the final three-game stretch preceding the Big 12 tourney.

With every win, the Jayhawks continue to tweak their offense, lately calling on freshman forward Xavier Henry to pick up more of the scoring load. Henry has responded well, scoring in double figures in each of his last five games. After scoring 24 in Saturday's win over Colorado, Henry hit the mark on 9 of 13 shots Monday night, including 2 of 4 3-pointers for a game-high 23 points. He also added five rebounds as Kansas improved to 27-1 overall.

Notable: The UConn Huskies are on the bubble, but they took a big step forward Monday with a solid 72-63 win over #8 West Virginia. Tall and talented, the Huskies cannot be counted out before the Big East tournament. They are as capable a team as can be found in the Big East, and could spring more upsets, setting up a mid-range seeding in the NCAA tourney. At 17-11 and 7-8 in the Big East, Connecticut faces Louisville, Notre Dame and South Florida in their final three regular season games, and they are all winnable.

KU Slugs Texas, Closes in on Big 12 Title

College Hoops Player of the Day for Monday, February 9, 2010

As many expected, the Kansas Jayhawks emerged from their visit to Texas Monday as clearly the class of the Big 12, corralling the Longhorns with a no-contest, 80-68 decision.

While the match-up was endlessly hyped on ESPN as part of "Rivalry Week," what occurred on the court was something closer to a victory lap for Kansas and confirmation that Texas may not even be Top 25 material.

The Jawhawks continued their march through the otherwise-competitive Big 12 with their 9th straight win without a loss. Since their closest pursuers are Kansas State and Texas A&M, both 6-3, Kansas should be able to lay claim to the regular season title either on Feb. 20 or 22, when they host Colorado and Oklahoma, respectively, maybe sooner.

As for the Longhorns, now losers of 4 of their last 6 conference games, their focus is likely to be on getting a couple more wins in the conference, finding another scorer besides Damion James (24 points), and hoping to get seeded something along the lines of an 8 or 9 in the NCAA tournament. Of course, there are still 7 or 8 games left in the conference schedule and the Big 12 tournament, but this Texas team has the look of a one-and-done unit when crunch time comes.

Kansas improved to 23-1 overall and will likely remain in the top spot on the AP Poll, which kept them there for the second straight week. The most recent poll was released just prior to their game with the Longhorns.

Marcus Morris again proved to be one of the most complete players in the country, scorching Texas for 18 points and 8 rebounds. Following a 1-point performance in a 71-66 win against Cornell and a 5-point game in Kansas' only loss, at Tennessee, 76-68, Morris has stepped up his game in conference action, averaging 17.8 points and 8.4 boards.

Kansas appears headed for a #1 tourney seed, almost certainly in the MidWest region.

Henry Notches 31 as Jawhawks Roll to 9-0 Record

College Hoops Player of the Day for Saturday, December 12, 2009

Baseball has Spring Training; pro football has exhibition games; the college basketball equivalent is the month of December, when perennial powerhouses like Kansas get to flex their muscles, test new players and generally beat up on lesser rivals like La Salle.

Now, the La Salle Explorers aren't a bad team. In fact, when they waltzed into Rupp Arena to take on the Jayhawks on Saturday, they were a respectable 6-2. They left with the unmistakable imprint of #1 Kansas dealing them their third loss of the season.

Kansas dominated just about every aspect of the game. They shot 53%, had 44 rebounds and blocked 11 shots. La Salle's numbers, for comparison: 36%, 34, 2. Yes, it was a rout, with the Jayhawks winning, 90-65, for their 9th straight win without a loss. It was the sixth time Kansas had scored 90 or more, this time with a little less balance than normal, as freshman senation Xavier Henry went off for a career-high 31 points on 10-for-15 shooting, including 4 of 5 3-pointers and 7 of 9 from the line. Low post specialist Cole Aldrich chipped in with 19 points of his own. Together, Aldrich and Henry accounted for 2/3rds of the Jawhawk points. Henry has scored in double figures every game this season.

NOTABLE: The Butler Bulldogs got back to their winning ways with a late surge to top Ohio Sate, 74-66. Gordon Hayward scored 24 for the second straight game, as the Bulldogs improved to 7-3. Ohio State dropped to 7-2. Both teams should remain ranked when the new polls come out on Monday.

Morris Lights Up Bruins as Jayhawks Go 7-0

College Hoops Player of the Day for Sunday, December 6, 2009

Markieff Morris led all scorers with a career-high 19 points on 8-for-11 shooting as the Kansas Jayhawks improved their unbeaten record to 7-0, fending off a UCLA team in obvious rebuilding mode, 73-61 at Pauley Pavilion in LA. Cole Aldrich continued to be a rebounding machine for Kansas, pulling down 12 boards, 6 of those on the offensive end.

The Bruins have not gotten off to a very promising start in 2009, with the loss to Kansas their 5th in just 7 games. Scratch the Bruins from the PAC-10 contender list this season as their talent from the past two years has been badly diluted by graduation and players going to the pros. The Bruins shot just 36% on the night, while the Jayhawks, who led the entire game, were held to a season-low 44%, but still easily prevailed.

NOTABLE: The Connecticut Huskies barely escaped their trip to the Ivy League with a 79-73 win over the 6-2 Harvard Crimson and their outstanding senior guard, Jeremy Lin. Lin scored a season-high 30 points, nailing 11 of 18 shots from the field (2-3 on 3s) and 6 of 8 from the foul line. Nine boards, 3 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocked shots rounded out Lin's memorable performance.

Senior guard Jerome Dyson led the Huskies with 24 points, 14 rebounds and 9 assists. Dyson has carried the Huskies to a 6-1 record, averaging 20 points per game, but even UConn coach Jim Calhoun thinks Dyson - who is playing more than 34 minutes per game - needs help, saying, "we don't have a bench."

Varnado Needs Support; Thomas, Henry Stand Out

College Hoops Player of the Day for Friday, November 13, 2009

It's a shame that Jarvis Varnado doesn't have much of a supporting cast at #18 Mississippi State, because h's got the kind of talent that can make an impact come tournament time. In their season opener, the Bulldogs relied too heavily on Varnado, their 6'9" senior forward, an came up short against little-known Rider College from New Jersey, losing, 88-74.

It wasn't for lack of effort from Varnado, who hit all 8 of his shots from the floor, knocked down 6 of 8 free throws, grabbed 14 rebounds and blocked 7 shots. His 22 points led all scorers, but his teammates shot a losing 18-54 from the field, a 33.3% performance that isn't going to get the job done in the SEC or any other conference, for that matter. Keep an eye on Jarvis, though, as he'll likely be heading to the pros next season.

Notable: Sophomore Isaiah Thomas poured in 30 points for the #14 Huskies as Washington topped pesky Wright State, 74-69 to open their 2009-10 campaign. Thomas, no relation to the former Detroit Piston star by the same name (different spelling: Isiah), led the Huskies in scoring in 08-09 and is off to a smart start, hitting 7 of 14 from the field, including 2 of 7 from 3-point range and 14 of 18 freebies.

#1 Kansas wasted no time in establishing themselves as the team to beat in the Big 12, with a 101-65 thumping of tiny Hofstra. The Jayhawks showed off their top recruit, freshman guard Xavier Henry, who led the scoring parade with 27 points on 8-for-12 shooting, including 5-of-8 from outside the arc and 6-6 from the charity stripe. The sharpshooting guard did all his damage in a mere 24 minutes of floor time.

Kansas Finishes their Business; Wraps up Big 12 Title

The Kansas Jayhawks would not be satisfied with just a share of the Big 12 title. They wanted it all and they got it Saturday afternoon with an 83-73 comeback win over Texas.

Sherron Collins scored 21 points for Kansas, adding 7 assists and 2 steals. Cole Aldrich recorded his 18th double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Jayhawks trailed the Longhorns by 7 at the half, but outscored them 46-29 in the second session.

Kansas, ranked #9 nationally, finished 14-2 in the Big 12, followed by #4 Oklahoma at 13-3 and #15 Missouri, 12-4. On Saturday, the Sooners downed Oklahoma State, 82-78, while Missouri coughed it up against Texas A&M, losing 96-86.

Nothing's Easy in Big 12, but Kansas Has Winning Look

Well, it is March, and the madness has already begun in the Big 12 as Missouri upset Oklahoma and virtually handed the Big 12 championship to Kansas, losers at Texas Tech, 84-65.

Missouri got off early against Oklahoma, had a 15-point lead midway through the second half and cruised to an upset win over the 3rd ranked Sooners, 73-64.

With the Missouri-Oklahoma score flashing on the scoreboard, Kansas knew they could capture the Big 12 title outright with a win at Texas Tech or at home against Texas on Saturday.

Kansas shot just 32% in the first half (8-25) as the Red Raiders forged a 39-28 lead at intermission, but the Jawhawks used an 11-2 run to start the second, drawing to within two of Tech. But the Red Raiders went on a run of their own, quickly rebuilding their 11-point edge.

The game devolved as time wore on and Tech continued to pour in threes. Kansas cut the lead to five at one point, but the players knew the game had lost much of its meaning. Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins suffered through horrible shooting nights, going a combined 4-22 and scoring a season low 19 points between them.

Kansas hosts Texas at 4:00 pm ET on Saturday.

Pound Salt: Kansas Crushes Missouri

#15 Kansas 90, #11 Missouri 65

Kansas left no doubt that they are ready for the post-season, whipping border rival Missouri into complete submission.

An overflow crowd descended on Allen Fieldhouse as the Kansas Jawhawks hosted the Missouri Tigers in the biggest Big 12 game of the year. Before fans could even get settled in their seats, however, the Jawhawks had streaked to a 21-5 lead, controlling the boards and getting out on the run. Just 7 minutes into the game, six different Kansas players were on the board.

The Jayhawks extended their lead to 26 points at the half, 45-19, when Tyshawn Taylor swished a three with 5 seconds left, getting significant contributions from freshmen twins Marcus and Markieff Morris, a pair of 6'8" forwards from APEX Academy in New Jersey, and sophomore Tyrel Reed, who canned a pair of timely three-pointers in the first half rout. The twins contributed a combined 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Not only was Kansas scoring at a solid pace, their defense was magnificent, holding the tigers to 21% shooting in the first half and 37% for the game.

Sherron Collins led the scoring with 25 points. Cole Aldrich was his usual bruising self inside, scoring 19 points and corralling 13 rebounds for his 17th double-double of the season.

The Jayhawks (24-5, 13-1) need only win March 4 at Texas Tech and, at home, March 7 against Texas, to capture the Big 12 title.

Coach Bill Self has this team pointed to go deep in the post-season. Collins and Aldrich provide experienced floor leadership and there is no shortage of talent on the Kansas bench.