SB Nation - Marcus Morris

Kansas to Host Radford Tonight

Denverjhawk — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 22:07:10 -0000

Kansas vs. Radford

Following its 73-61 win at UCLA in the Big 12/Pac-10 Hardwood Series on Dec. 6, No. 1 Kansas (7-0) looks to extend the nation's longest home court winning streak against Radford on Wednesday night.. The Jayhawks have won 46 straight in Allen Fieldhouse. Radford is 4-2 on the season and 2-0 in Big South Conference play after its 61-57 win at Presbyterian College on Dec. 5.

	PPG	FG%	FT%	3P%	RPG	ORPG	DRPG	APG	TPG	SPG	BPG	FPG
RAD	70.3	41.1	62.0	25.8	49.0	16.2	29.0	13.3	17.3	6.7	4.2	15.8
KU	89.1	51.0	65.0	42.6	46.0	14.4	29.1	19.4	12.4	10.7	7.1	16.9
RAD Opponents	71.0	39.5	62.5	31.6	43.2	13.7	26.2	14.8	14.2	10.5	3.5	21.7
KU Opponents	55.7	33.1	66.7	27.8	37.6	14.0	20.3	10.0	17.4	6.0	3.4	19.7

Rank and Records	RAD	KU
RPI	#62	#48
Strength of Schedule	#142	#253
Overall	4-2	7-0
Conference	2-0	0-0
Home	2-0	5-0
Away	2-2	1-0
Top 25	0-1	0-0
RPI Top 50	0-1	0-0

About Kansas

The Jayhawks won their first true road game of the season at UCLA on Sunday. Kansas averages 89.1 points per game and is giving up 59.1 points for a +33.4 scoring margin. KU is shooting 51 percent from the field, while its opponents are shooting 33.1 percent. No KU opponent has shot above 40 percent against the Jayhawks this season.

Freshman guard Xavier Henry continues to lead the team with a 16.9 point scoring average. He is making 50
percent of his shots from three-point range and leads KU with 19 threes through seven games. Henry was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week on Monday for his efforts against Alcorn State and at UCLA.

Senior guard Sherron Collins is at 14.3 points per game and he has made 17 three pointers. Collins leads the team with 26 assists, which is three ahead of sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor (7.1 ppg). Taylor leads KU with 13 steals, one ahead of Collins and Henry who have 12 a piece.

Junior center Cole Aldrich leads the team in rebounds with 10.1 per game. He also leads KU and the Big 12 in blocked shots with 3.5 per outing.

Sophomore forward Marcus Morris is a starter who is scoring 10 points and pulling down 5.6 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Markieff Morris is coming off a career-high 19 points at UCLA and he is scoring 9.1 points per game. Markieff is second on the team with his 5.7 rebound average and leads KU with 72.7 percent field goal shooting.

About Radford

Located in Radford, Va., Radford is 4-2 on the season and 2-0 in Big South after its 61-57 win at Presbyterian on Dec. 5. The Highlanders won their 11th-straight Big South Conference game with their win at Presbyterian on Saturday. Radford has eight players who average 15 or more minutes per game.

Big South Preseason Player of the Year Art Parakhouski anchors the Highlanders with his 22.3 scoring and 14.8 rebound averages. The senior center has scored 20 or more points in all but one game this season and he leads the team with 14 blocked shots.

Senior forward/center Joey Lynch-Flohr is next in scoring at 13.2 points and he averages 8.2 rebounds. Junior forward Lazar Trifunovic has only played the last two games yet he is second on the team with 8.5 rebounds per game along with a 12 point scoring average.

Freshman guard Blake Smith has a team-high nine three pointers, 13 steals and is scoring 11 points per game.

Meet the Opposing Coach

Radford is coached by Brad Greenberg with a 35-34 record in his third season at RU. In 2008-09, Greenberg led his club to the biggest turnaround in league history, earning him 2008-09 Big South Coach of the Year honors. After finishing seventh in 2007-08, Radford claimed its fourth Big South regular season title and just its second tournament crown in school history. Prior to Radford, Greenberg spent four seasons as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech alongside his brother, Seth. Brad was the first assistant hired when Seth took the VT position. Brad was named associate head coach at Virginia Tech in 2004.

KU-UCLA Leftovers

--Kansas shot 70.6 from the free throw line in its third game this season shooting over 70 percent from the charity stripe.
--KU held UCLA to 36.1 percent shooting from the field. Eighty-one straight opponents have shot under 50 percent versus the Jayhawks. No team has shot more better 40 percent against KU this season.

--The KU bench outscored UCLA's bench 24-10.
--Sophomore Markieff Morris scored a career-high 19 points while making a career-best eight field goals and attempting a career-high 11 shots. His eight field goals also tied the 2009-10 season high by a Jayhawk.
--Sophomore Marcus Morris finished with nine rebounds, two shy of his career best and his second-straight game with seven-plus boards.
--Junior Cole Aldrich finished with three blocks and has at least three blocked shots in every game this season.
--Aldrich also had a team-high 12 rebounds for his third-straight contest with 10-plus boards.
--Senior Sherron Collins scored 14 points in his third-straight game with 10-plus points and sixth time in seven games this season. Collins is just three points shy of KU legend Wilt Chamberlain for the 21st spot on career scoring list.
--Freshman Xavier Henry netted 16 points and has scored double-digit points in every game this season.

		GP	GS	MPG	PPG	FG%	FT%	3P%	RPG	ORPG	DRPG	APG	TPG	SPG	BPG	FPG
#40	J. Lynch-Flohr	6	6	35.333	13.167	43.1	74.2	0.0	8.167	3.333	4.833	0.833	3.167	0.333	0.167	3.5
#45	A. Parakhouski	6	6	35.0	22.333	52.5	52.7	50.0	14.833	6.667	8.167	1.0	3.167	0.833	2.333	2.333
#30	P. Martin	6	6	29.833	7.833	40.0	61.1	21.1	4.167	1.5	2.667	1.833	2.0	1.167	0.5	2.833
#25	B. Smith	6	4	28.0	11.0	41.8	73.3	36.0	4.167	0.5	3.667	2.167	2.0	2.167	0.667	1.667
#11	A. Johnson	4	4	35.5	4.0	15.6	62.5	7.1	3.5	0.5	3.0	5.75	2.25	1.0	0.0	2.25
#2	E. Faulkner	6	2	21.0	3.833	28.6	0.0	29.2	2.167	0.167	2.0	1.333	1.833	0.833	0.5	1.5
#12	L. Trifunovic	2	2	38.5	12.0	35.7	50.0	33.3	8.5	3.5	5.0	2.0	3.5	1.0	0.0	1.0
#1	J. Robinson	4	0	15.75	5.5	46.2	62.5	0.0	2.25	0.25	2.0	2.0	2.25	0.0	0.0	2.5
		GP	GS	MPG	PPG	FG%	FT%	3P%	RPG	ORPG	DRPG	APG	TPG	SPG	BPG	FPG
#4	S. Collins	7	7	29.429	14.286	48.6	68.8	44.7	2.0	0.143	1.857	3.714	1.143	1.714	0.0	1.143
#1	X. Henry	7	7	26.571	16.857	53.3	90.5	50.0	4.286	0.857	3.429	1.857	2.0	1.714	0.429	1.857
#45	C. Aldrich	7	7	25.571	10.571	51.9	66.7	0.0	10.143	3.714	6.429	1.429	1.143	0.714	3.571	2.143
	T. Taylor	7	7	23.857	7.143	40.0	62.5	30.8	2.429	0.286	2.143	3.286	2.571	1.857	0.143	1.429
#22	M. Morris	7	5	23.571	10.0	54.5	64.5	28.6	5.571	2.571	3.0	1.714	1.571	1.286	0.571	2.286
#14	T. Reed	7	0	17.143	5.714	48.3	75.0	39.1	1.571	0.143	1.429	2.0	0.429	1.143	0.143	0.714
#21	M. Morris	7	2	15.286	9.143	72.7	72.2	60.0	5.714	2.0	3.714	1.286	0.857	0.857	0.714	2.143
#15	E. Johnson	7	0	12.714	3.857	47.8	60.0	22.2	2.0	0.714	1.286	3.0	1.429	0.714	0.0	2.0

Kansas vs. Fort Hays State Random Thought Roundup

Denverjhawk — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 15:29:25 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

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All in all that was pretty easy. The Kansas Jayhawk basketball squad got a chance to get out and go up against someone besides themselves for a change and while it may have actually been less strenuous than a practice scrimmage at least the fans got to see this one.

Now I have to preface this with the fact that I watched this via a web feed that made individual players somewhat difficult to decipher, but nonetheless we got to see a little bit of what everyone might have to offer this team in the 2009-2010 season.

So this certainly isn't going to have any earth shattering analysis but I did have a few quick thoughts on the game, the team, Bill Self and our newcomers. Please, anyone else who caught the action feel free to jump in with comments.

First off Sherron Collins. I think this year is going to be a great experience for Sherron. Statistically he may not have the same year as last, but I think the key word here is efficiency. Last season it was no secret that Sherron was going to have to play a lot, get a high number of touches and he certainly couldn't be bashful about making plays.

With the improvements around him and the increased depth Sherron won't be forced to play as many minutes all season long. Certainly later in the year when it matters you'd expect he'll see major playing time but it will be nice to save his legs a little bit throughout the season.

Sherron will also be able to show a little more discretion in his shot selection which will likely mean a high level of production without having to demand such a high percentage of the teams overall offensive possessions. Plain and simple there are other guys around him now. Sherron can truly take the shots and make the plays that make sense and not feel like he has to force things just to get things going. Last night 6-11 from the field, 3-6 from the 3 point line and 19 points.

Next up is Cole. It may be hard to remember but we harped and complained about Cole's post awareness and lack of offensive post moves last season as he sometimes looked lost when double teamed or facing stiff competition down low. Now clearly Fort Hays State doesn't present that challenge but Cole did show a few new moves in his repertoire and appeared much more decisive in whatever move he made. Like Sherron I think Cole is going to be much more efficient and a major load to deal with underneath the basket. 13 points, 13 rebounds and 1 induced lane violation.

The Morris twins as a duo have clearly bulked up and while there is still improvement to be made there were positives to be drawn from their game last night as well. First off a combined 1 turnover between the two of them is a great thing too see to go along with only 5 fouls between the duo. Last year this time those two numbers would have likely been closer to 10 turnovers and 10 fouls so it would appear the basketball IQ might be catching up to the college game a bit. I also felt like they were more aggressive around the basket and while finishing at the rim still needs work the Morris' line wraps up at a solid 22 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 blocks. Not sure why but I will forever present these two as one stat line.

Tyrel and Tyshawn are the other returning guards that made their way onto the court last night with Tyrel starting and Tyshawn off the bench. It's pretty clear that as the season goes on Tyrel will likely be a key role player while Tyshawn could be a pretty key player in general. Reed was efficient 3-5 from the field 1-2 from the 3 point line for 7 points. At times his defense is still a concern but I'm all for bringing back the patented Tyrel Reed 3 pointer at the buzzer to end the first half.

As far as Tyshawn, he was dropped out of the starting lineup, but he'll be a factor and may find his way back in. Tyshawn is fast, he scores, he get's to the line and his decision making looks improved over last season. It's early yes, but 15 points including 7-8 from the free throw line and leading the team with 5 assists in 21 minutes of play is pretty efficient for a 6th man off the bench.

Lastly there was the freshman trio of Xavier Henry, Thomas Robinson and Elijah Johnson. These three bring some pretty unique things to the team and I don't see any way all three don't make an impact.

Xavier is fluid, he doesn't jump out at me for his athleticism or speed but he's clearly very strong and has a great stroke from outside. His strength and physical play will get him to the line. Another positive is Xavier appears very confident in his outside shot so I don't expect him to be bashful to take it when it's available. 14 points on 3-7 shooting, 2-4 from the 3pt line and 6-8 from the charity stripe. If there was one area I maybe expected more it was in rebounding where Xavier only had one on the defensive end. Still a solid first outing for one of the more hyped freshman in Kansas history.

Thomas Robinson, much like Henry, is already a physical presence as a true freshman. All the things we've heard about his motor appear to be true. His first moment in the game resulted in an offensive rebound and put back on a missed free throw. His rebounding was solid, has a nice stroke from the free throw line which is good for a big man and another area that impressed me was his passing which appeared rather creative for a freshman big man. Sure he fouled out, but isn't that what freshman big men do under Bill Self? 6 points, 7 rebounds and 3 rather nice assists for TRob.

Last one on the list is Elijah Johnson, who was often mistaken for Tyshawn Taylor due to the number switch this year. Johnson stood out for his speed and his athleticism. One breakaway dunk, one authoritative throw down on an alley-oop and a nice split of two defenders on a fast break for a layup. 9 points for EJ and while Kansas' deep bench at the guard spot may force a redshirt, EJ certainly showed he might be able to contribute immediately if needed.

As a team it's certainly difficult to get up for these games. However watching it, it's impossible not to see the passion Bill Self has and his constant quest to motivate his players. Defense is clearly where he wants this team to improve and they responded after the half with a pretty solid stretch of keeping FHSU scoreless.

This team can score in bunches and there is no shortage of weapons, but you get the feeling that Coach Self already knows that if he can get them playing a championship caliber defense they will be VERY difficult to stop. Long way to go, long season but it's hard not to like the preview given last night.

Self, Collins and Aldrich from Big 12 Media Day

Denverjhawk — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:12:53 -0000

More photos » by Charlie Riedel - AP

about 1 month ago: Kansas coach Bill Self talks to the media during during the men's Big 12 Conference college basketball media day Thursday, Oct. 22, 2009 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

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Kansas head coach Bill Self took the podium Thursday for a question and answer session at the annual Big 12 Basketball Media Day at the Sprint Center.

A few things really standout to me from Coach Self's comments. First his comments on freshman Thomas Robinson's intensity in practice and how that has stepped up the overall competitiveness in practice. I don't think anyone can over exaggerate the impact that the competition in the program is going to benefit this years team and those moving forward.

Secondly, coach really gives some high praise to Cole Aldrich and it's just fun to watch a guy like Cole come in as a wide eyed freshman who really made his presence known once in a big way, but now is developing into a leader and a potentially dominant player with the program.

PETER IRWIN: Coach Self, welcome. Your opening comments, sir.

COACH SELF: I know I can probably speak for everybody that we're all very excited to be here this morning. This early. No, it's an exciting time. Of course, everybody's optimistic this time of year, and rightfully so. I really like our team. I think we have a chance to be a special group. We'll have to be very special because I think the league is the best since I've been in it, and I think it's the best it's going to be since the inception of the league. We've had success in the league the last few years, and certainly it will be much more difficult to maintain that because of the quality of teams in the league.

PETER IRWIN: Okay. We'll take questions. When you ask a question, we'll get a microphone to you.

COACH SELF: I wonder if Mike Jones will ask the first question.

PETER IRWIN: He always does, Coach.

Q. Let's get this out of the way, Bill. How did the events of the recent past affect the image of your program and the chemistry of your team, if at all?

COACH SELF: I'm sorry, Mike. Would you elaborate on that? I don't know what you're talking about. You know, for a short term, I do think it probably hit us from an image standpoint, you know, especially with the fight. But from a long-term standpoint, I don't think it's going to hurt us from an image standpoint. I think it's one of those things that people deal with and move forward. As long as you don't have major hits after it. You look around the country, and all programs have had something at some point in time. Unfortunately, it was a distraction we had to deal with. Fortunately, it was a distraction we dealt with before the season started. In my mind, I can say, that was the off-season; now the season is a fresh start. I'm not real happy with our guys for those events that took place. But if we were that undisciplined and irresponsible that selfish motives could get in the way of something so insignificant as that at that point in time, then we weren't obviously disciplined or responsible enough to win big. So, if anything, I think we'll be more disciplined. We'll be more responsible. And if you have that combination along with good players, I think that can make for some fun. I see it as being a positive over time, and certainly it was a negative in the short term.

Q. Coach, I know practice is just a week old. Can you talk about how your guys are developing and maybe if anybody has stood out or any -- a couple guys?

COACH SELF: Probably the guy that's been the most -- it's not really a surprise, but the most pleasant surprise, you know, from what I thought the day we were recruiting was Thomas Robinson. Thomas is a good player, and he'll impact his team immediately. His motor is different than what we've had, so he's definitely raised the level of -- not the - the level of effort may be the right word, from the twins. Thomas has changed practice more than anybody else. Xavier is a guy that's going to be really good. He's kind of finding his way right now. As he gets more comfortable, he's a thinker now instead of a reactor. As he gets more comfortable, I really think the ceiling is so high for him. Those two have been the two most pleasant surprises. Withey's been nicked up. He's hurt right now. He's going to be out a significant amount of time with the bum knee. And Elijah Johnson's come along nicely. It's just going to take some time. C.J. Henry has been in and out with injuries, but he's going to be a nice player too. I'd say Thomas has been the most pleasant surprise we've had so far.

Q. Bill, when you look at the First Team Preseason All-Big 12 picks, how many of those guys do you put on an All-American list, maybe Player of the Year, National Player of the Year candidate?

COACH SELF: You know, if I recall correctly, I think there's six. Is that right? They all deserve to be on the first team. And I think you have six pros there, not just good college players. I think you have six pros. I also think there are a couple others that may emerge to be in the top six players or seven players in our league that hadn't even been mentioned yet. So that tells you the depth - the quality of players. You know, I think Brackins is deserving of All-American mention without question. I think Damion James. I think he's terrific. I think he's very deserving. I think Willie Warren is as good as any guard in the country, especially a combination of strength and scoring and all those things. And James Anderson, to me, is a guy that could get -- you know, could get 30 any night. Those four have gotten a lot of attention. Then there's several newcomers, and you throw in R2, who I think Sherron is about as good a league guard, if not the best guard in the country. And I think Cole's the best big man. So you could make a case that you could have guys fighting each other in the league not only for Player of the Year honors but for big-time national honors also, I agree.

Q. Bill, you think there's any kind of common denominator. There's been an influx of freshmen that make for the top ten in some lists. Just a bunch of guys. Any reason in particular why so many teams are getting so many good players?

COACH SELF: I think the staffs, the respective staffs all know what they're doing. The League is a good recruiting league too. I also think you talk about our league, and primarily the state of Texas being the proximity of players, but schools are going outside their area also and bringing in some really good talent. But when Durant plays at UT, and then when Beasley plays at K-State, and Griffin plays at Oklahoma, how could young kids not be interested in going to a league which has produced, you know, the premier player in America the last three years. So that's kind of how I see it. All those guys were the best players in the country the last three years. They may not have won all the awards, but they impacted the game more so than anybody else. So I think recent success. You know, this may sound like we're patting ourselves on the back, but I think one thing that the Big 12 hadn't had happen prior to '08 was, as great a league as it was, they haven't been able to crown a champion. Maybe that and the combination of Durant and Beasley and Griffin and coaches that know what they're doing. Maybe that's all been a bonus because the league is going to continue to get good players.

Q. Bill, two years ago you lost some great players. Could you have imagined rebuilding this quickly?

COACH SELF: You know, recruiting is a weird deal in that sometimes you don't get what you deserve, and a lot of times you get what you don't deserve. I would have had no idea. I had no idea Cole would be what he's become. I knew Sherron was a good player, but we went into last season thinking we had one good player, and Cole emerged to be outstanding, and then our young guys really developed as the season went on. You know, the way we got Tyshawn Taylor was because of a coaching change. We didn't deserve that. That kind of fell in our lap. So we've been fortunate in that regard. You know, one thing about our guys, you know, they expect to have success, and they play at a place every day where there's pressure on them to perform. I think in a lot of ways that forces the development more rapidly with our young kids than maybe what it would some other places just because they feel that every day that they wake up.

Q. Bill, there's been a pretty good coaching turnover the last, I guess, three or four seasons. Has the style of play in the Big 12 changed much in your time there?

COACH SELF: Yeah, it probably has. But I think the league, if anything, it may be playing a little faster. I think having Mike at Missouri kind of helps create that image because they do play fast and really pressure. And the thing about it is there's been a lot of turnover coaching-wise, and I think some people probably questioned whether or not the turnover -- we were losing such experienced guys, that the turnover would be able to measure up to those guys. I think what people have shown already, in that these coaches in our league, they're getting it done. I mean, the programs, if they haven't been elevated, they're real close to being on the verge of being elevated in a short amount of time. So I think there has been a lot of smart ADs, to be honest with you, that have made some hires that were very good and represented their university very well.

Q. Bill, from what you can tell around college basketball, how unique is Cole as a true post man?

COACH SELF: I think you have -- we've had some true post men in college, going back to Oden, although just one year, that was a true five. But the game's getting smaller in that he knows who he is. We have a couple of true fives in our league that -- you know, Pittman obviously at Texas -- they're true fives. You don't have to pacify them in any way other than this is what your job is, this is what you do. At this time, all fives want to be fours, all fours want to be threes, all threes want to be twos, and these guys want to be fives. I'd say it's unique. There's probably more out there than what's called attention to. But as far as -- you know, Cole has a chance, in my opinion -- a lot depends on what kind of year he has, obviously. He could be the best true big man Kansas has had since Wilt. You start and think about the true big man. Danny wasn't a center and Raef wasn't a center. But you really look at it, that's a pretty big statement for 50-plus years that he could be the best true big guy. I'd say not common, but certainly not totally unusual to have a guy like Cole that knows who he is. Most -- there's just not very many guys out there that do that. Most guys feel like they've got to be something else, and he doesn't feel that way at all.

Q. Back to Cole, you talked about he became something you didn't expect right away. Was it just the fact that he had -- he was able to have that playing time extensively last year?

COACH SELF: I don't think so. I think that, obviously, when you get playing time and experience, you've got a chance to get better. You know, in recruiting, most guys - I shouldn't say most guys, but the majority of guys that we deal with, and I'm sure the majority of guys that guys in this league deal with, they look at your roster, and they say how can I play immediately? It's a quick fix. I want to go somewhere that I can impact it right off the bat or have a chance to start. The best thing for Cole was that didn't register with him. He went to a place that he wanted to be at first and foremost, and then style and playing time and all that was way secondary. And the fact -- what got him better prepared more than anything was getting his butt beat every day by Sasha and Darnell and Shady. That prepared him. Cole played eight minutes a game as a freshman, and four of the minutes don't count because they were mop-up minutes. So he probably averaged four minutes a game as a freshman and got better every day in practice and used practice as his vehicle for getting better. And then at the end of the year, obviously, he had the one good game, and you can kind of see what it was -- what was getting ready to happen. To me, I don't think it was last year's experience, I think it was him having the right attitude his freshman year when he went getting experience is what allowed him to be pretty good last year.

PETER IRWIN: Coach, thank you.

Five Questions For... Kansas basketball

Evan Pfaff — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:15:09 -0000

More photos » by Darron Cummings - AP

Can Sherron Collins, Cole Aldrich and the KU basketball team meet preseason hype? (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

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In a recurring piece leading up to the start of the basketball season, we will examine the top 5 questions surrounding each Big 12 basketball team.

Today, the top 5 questions for the Kansas Jayhawks.

1) Can the Jayhawks meet preseason expectations of being ranked #1 nationally in a lot of publications?

2) Can Kansas put their offseason troubles behind them?

3) Exactly how good is freshman Xavier Henry?

4) Will Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins both perform at All Big 12 levels?

5) Can anyone tell the Morris twins apart?

Check back tomorrow when we will ask Five Question For... Colorado basketball.
Also check out Five Questions For... Missouri

Follow Evan on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MizzouHoops

Poll

What is the most pressing question for KU this year?

KNOW THY ENEMY: Texas A&M Aggies

BracketCat — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:30:13 -0000

This week's preview probably is one of the more distasteful I will compose, perhaps only to be topped by the one for the Flaw on the Kaw. When it comes to Aggie basketball, the word "enemy" well and truly applies.

I don't know if it's because of Mark Turgeon, the Kellis Robinett of basketball coaches, or Billy Clyde Gillispie, angry drunk that he is, but something about Texas A&M actually being halfway decent in basketball just pisses me off. I don't know — maybe it's just the grudge I've been holding against the 12th Man since December 1998.

At any rate, I'm still basking in the afterglow of the absolute pwning administered to the Aggies on Saturday, so I'll strive to be as magnanimous as possible in this preview. If you're looking for more information, feel free to hop over to I Am The 12th Man, where basketball season almost certainly is under way. Anything to distract from a likely 0-3 start, right?

Otherwise, click the jump for all you need to know about Ags-ketball.

The Coach

Mark Turgeon
Third Season

49-21 (17-15) at Texas A&M
202-140 (103-89) overall

Turgeon has a 49-21 record at A&M, the most wins by a Big 12 coach in his first two seasons at a league school. He is only the second coach ever to lead the Aggies to consecutive NCAA Tournaments and has led his teams to five 20-win seasons in the last six years.

Last season, the Aggies went 24-10 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year.

Turgeon led the Aggies to a 25-11 record in his first season, the third-most wins in school history. The Aggies lost in the final seconds to top-seeded UCLA in the second round of the NCAAs.

The Departures

Starters

Josh Carter (30.6 minutes per game, 13.8 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game)
Chinemelu Elonu (23.8 minutes per game, 9.8 points per game, 7.3 rebounds per game)

Reserves

Denzel Bowles (5.4 minutes per game, 2.4 points per game, 1.2 rebounds per game)
Bryson Graham (2 minutes per game, 0.8 point per game, 0.3 rebound per game)

The Veterans

		#0 Bryan Davis Senior Forward 6-9 \| 250 Dallas, Texas Big 12 All-Reserve Team (2009) The Aggies are 27-7 when Davis scores in double figures in his career. He averaged 16.5 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in two NCAA Tournament games, earning CBS Sports player of the game honors in both contests. Davis scored a season-high 21 points with nine rebounds and three blocks in a first-round win against BYU. He scored 12 points with a game-high 10 rebounds in a win against Missouri. Davis scored 15 points with eight rebounds in a win against Texas, and just missed double-doubles at No. 2 Oklahoma (13 points, nine rebounds), at Baylor (13 points, nine rebounds) and at Colorado (nine points and nine rebounds). He matched his season high with 18 points in a win against Oklahoma State, making 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Davis had 13 points and eight rebounds in a win against Texas Tech; scored a season-high 18 points with 10 rebounds in a win at Rice; had 17 points against Baylor and 16 points against LSU; came off the bench to score 15 points with a season-high 13 rebounds against Kent State, earning SPI Invitational all-tournament honors; returned to the starting lineup against Arizona and had 10 points, making 5 of 6 from the field; scored 15 points with nine rebounds in a win at Alabama; had 11 rebounds vs. SMU; had at least five rebounds in all but four games; ranked third on the team in scoring (10.8), and second in rebounding (6.5) and blocks (46); ranked fifth in the Big 12 in blocks and ninth in rebounding; ranked fourth in the Big 12 in offensive rebounding (2.9) in league play; scored 14 points with seven rebounds against Jackson State and tied his career best with four blocks; and ranks seventh in school history with 96 career blocks.

		#2 Derrek Lewis Junior Guard 6-5 \| 195 Tulsa, Okla. Lewis appeared in five games, averaging 0.6 point per game. He scored a season-high two points against UNC Wilmington, played a season-best five minutes against Jackson State, and also saw action against BYU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

		#3 Derrick Roland Senior Guard 6-4 \| 190 Dallas, Texas Big 12 All-Defense Team (2009) Roland scored 10 points in a first-round NCAA Tournament win against BYU, making a pair of three-pointers. He was named to Big 12 All-Defense Team by league coaches and media panel, and usually guarded the opponent's top scoring guard and in Big 12 play held all but two under his scoring average. League players he guarded made just 38 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3-point range. Roland helped limit Arizona All-American Chase Budinger to just three points on 1 of 6 shooting in the second half of A&M's come-from-behind win. Texas' A.J. Abrams averaged just eight points (6 of 22 shooting, 1 of 9 3-pointers) in two games against Roland. Roland scored 11 points in the first win against Texas Tech and held John Roberson to four second-half points (2 of 10 from field, 0 of 5 3-pointers). Oklahoma State's James Anderson averaged just 9.5 points in two games against Roland. Roland matched his season best with 13 points in a loss at Baylor, scoring 11 in the second half to rally the Aggies from a 14-point deficit. He scored 12 points with four assists in a win at Colorado (8-8 FT); made 25 of his last 29 free throw attempts; played just 10 minutes against McNeese State, after leaving the game early with a bruised elbow, and did not play against North Dakota; scored six points with a season-high six rebounds against Arizona; missed the Kent State game after suffering a sprained foot against Tulsa; and averaged 8.5 points in the last six games. The Aggies are 11-2 in his career when he scores in double figures, and 8-1 on the season.

		#5 Dash Harris Sophomore Guard 6-1 \| 175 Los Angeles, Calif. Harris played in all 34 games and earned a start against Kent State. He ranked second on the team in assists (2.0) and was third in steals (0.7); scored a career-high seven points with three assists against Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament; had six points and made 2 of 2 from 3-point range against Iowa State, his first career 3-pointers; had a monster dunk and made a free throw to complete a key 3-point play and spark a comeback win at Nebraska; scored six points with three assists and two steals in a big win against Missouri; dished out a career-high five assists in consecutive games against Rice and McNeese State; matched his career best with five assists in wins against Texas (zero turnovers) and Texas Tech; scored a career-high six points with four assists and a career-best three steals against North Dakota; handed out at least four assists in seven games; and scored four points against Tulsa. The Aggies were 9-1 when he had at least three assists, with the only loss being to UConn.

		#10 David Loubeau Sophomore Forward 6-8 \| 230 Miami, Fla. Loubeau scored 11 points, making 5 of 5 from the field, against Connecticut in the second round of NCAA Tournament; ranked third on the team in offensive rebounds (58); ranked second among Big 12 freshmen in offensive rebounds in league play (1.9); scored eight points in a win against Missouri; had nine points, all in the second half, with six rebounds in a narrow loss at No. 2 Oklahoma; scored 11 points with eight rebounds in a win against Texas Tech; had 10 points, all in the first half, in a win against Oklahoma State; scored a career-high 12 points with eight rebounds against Kent State in his first career start; also started against Iowa State; had seven points with five rebounds at Kansas, including a game-high four offensive boards; scored six points with a career-best nine rebounds against Tulsa; had eight points at Alabama, helping the Aggies rally from 14-point deficit; scored eight points with eight rebounds against SMU; had eight points and six rebounds against Jackson State, making 6 of 8 from the free-throw line; and tallied six points with six boards against UNC Wilmington. The Aggies were 7-2 when he scored at least eight points, losing only at Oklahoma and to UConn.

		#11 B.J. Holmes Junior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Big 12 All-Reserve Team (2009) In Big 12 play, Holmes led the league in 3-point percentage (.470) and ranked second in free-throw percentage (.860). He ranked among the top bench players in the Big 12 with an 9.1 scoring average in conference play; had 10 points in a first-round NCAA Tournament win against BYU; scored 11 points (3 of 3 treys) in a win against Texas; scored 10 of his 16 points in the last six minutes in a comeback win at Colorado; had 13 points in a win vs. Missouri; had a career-high 24 points in the first win against Texas Tech, making 6 of 7 (.857) from 3-point range, the fourth-best percentage in school history; made six straight 3s against Tech, tying a Big 12 record; scored 19 points at Oklahoma State, making 4 of 9 3-pointers and 7 of 7 free throws; earned his first career start against Arizona and had a team-high 14 points (3 of 6 3-pointers); made a pair of key free throws in the final minute of the Arizona game and also drew a charge that fouled out Wildcat point guard Nic Wise late in game; scored 16 points with a career-best seven rebounds in a win at Alabama and made a rainbow 3-pointer with two seconds left to send the game to overtime; scored 15 points against Kent State, making 3 of 6 3-pointers and dropping a pair of free throws in the final seconds that helped ice the game; started in place of the injured Derrick Roland against North Dakota and scored 14 points (4-8 3-pointers); missed his first 12 shots of the season; led the team in steals (30); and had only 18 turnovers in 757 minutes (one every 42.1 minutes).

		#14 Andrew Darko Junior Guard 6-1 \| 175 Conroe, Texas Darko appeared in nine games, including three Big 12 games and an NCAA Tournament game against BYU. He scored two points against Jackson State and at Kansas.

		#15 Donald Sloan Senior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas The Aggies are 39-8 in Sloan's career when he hands out at least three assists, including a 16-3 mark as a junior, and the team is 33-13 when he scores in double figures. He averaged 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists in two NCAA Tournament games; scored 14 points with six rebounds and a season-high seven assists in a first-round win vs. BYU; added 12 points in the second round against Connecticut; had a career-high 22 points against Texas Tech in Big 12 Tournament; scored a team-high 16 points in a win against Missouri; averaged 15.6 points in the last five games; had 14 points and five assists with only one turnover, scoring seven points in the final four minutes of a comeback win at Colorado; had 14 points in a win against Texas; scored 17 points (3 of 4 3-pointers) in a loss at Texas; had 15 points in a win against Oklahoma State; tied his career high with 21 points against Florida A&M, making 10 of 10 free throws; ranked second on the team in scoring (11.8) and led in assists (3.2); scored at least eight points in all but three games; had 13 points and five assists with only one turnover in 35 minutes against Arizona; handed out a season-high seven assists against Kent State with only one turnover; had 16 points with three assists and six rebounds against Stephen F. Austin; made .743 (107-144) from the free-throw line; and had only 56 turnovers in 1,030 minutes this season (one every 18.4 minutes), a marked improvement over his sophomore season, when he averaged one turnover every 13.3 minutes.

		#24 Shawn Schepel Junior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas Schepel played in six games, including two Big 12 games and an NCAA Tournament game against BYU. He scored one point against Jackson State.

		#31 Chris Chapman Senior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Chapman appeared in three games, including the Iowa State game in Big 12 play. He scored two points with one rebound against Jackson State.

		#33 Marshall Carrell Junior Forward 6-9 \| 230 Paris, Texas Carrell appeared in four games, including an NCAA Tournament game against BYU. He pulled down two rebounds against Jackson State.

		#45 Nathan Walkup Junior Forward 6-7 \| 210 Houston, Texas Walkup played in all 34 games, starting against UNC Wilmington and Iowa State. He averaged 14 minutes in two NCAA Tournament games; scored a career-high 12 points (3 of 4 3-pointers) in a win against Missouri; had eight points (2 of 2 3-pointers) against Texas Tech in the Big 12 Tournament; had seven points, making 3 of 3 from the field (including a key second-half 3-pointer) in a win against Texas; also added seven points in a win at Nebraska and had a breakaway dunk that helped spark a comeback; scored six points with three rebounds in just 11 minutes in a narrow loss at No. 2 Oklahoma, including a breakaway dunk; made a game-winning 3-pointer with 20 seconds left against Arizona, his only points of the game; scored seven points in a win at Alabama and made a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left to pull the Aggies within two points, before teammate B.J. Holmes sent the game into overtime with two seconds left; scored a season-high nine points with a career-best 12 rebounds against UNC Wilmington; averaged 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds; scored seven points with 11 rebounds against Stephen F. Austin and made a key long-range 3-pointer as the shot clock expired in the final minute; scored eight points against Jackson State; and made a 3-pointer with 7:32 left to give A&M a six-point lead at Rice, and it never was a one-possession game again. The Aggies are 14-2 in his career when he scores at least five points.

The Redshirt

#12 James Blasczyk
Freshman Center
7-0 | 230
Houston, Texas

Blasczyk was named his high school district's defensive player of the year in 2008. He averaged 14.6 points and 9.7 rebounds as a senior; was rated among the top 50 prospects in the state by TexasHoops.com; averaged 8.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.1 blocks as a junior; earned three varsity letters; scored a career-best 27 points with a career-high 17 rebounds against the Dallas Mustangs in 2007 as a member of Houston Select, one the top AAU programs in the nation; and played for Houston Swoosh in 2008.

The Newcomers

		#21 Ray Turner Freshman Forward 6-8 \| 220 Houston, Texas Turner was ranked No. 144 nationally and No. 6 in Texas by Rivals.com; averaged 16.5 points and earned district MVP honors as a senior; was named to all-state and all-region teams; played in the THSCA All-Star Game; led his team to a 29-7 record and a district title; posted career game-highs of 35 points, 25 rebounds and 12 blocks; averaged 16 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks as a junior; and also was recruited by Baylor, Marquette, Memphis, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico and Oklahoma State.

		#22 Khris Middleton Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 215 North Charleston, S.C. Middleton was rated No. 64 by ESPN.com, which also ranked him as the best shooter among the nation's small forward prospects; averaged 22.4 points and 8.6 rebounds as a prep senior, earning all-state honors and leading his team to the state title game; averaged 21.0 points and 8.6 rebounds as a junior; twice earned state player-of-the-year honors; posted a career-high scoring game of 39 points; and also was recruited by Michigan, South Carolina, St. Joseph's and Virginia Tech.

		#23 Naji Hibbert Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 200 Baltimore, Md. Hibbert was ranked No. 59 nationally by ESPN.com and was rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com; named to all-league and all-metro teams for the second straight year after averaging 15.7 points at storied DeMatha Catholic High School; and scored with 1.8 seconds left to lift DeMatha to the state championship. The team finished 31-4 and was ranked No. 4 nationally by ESPN. Hibbert averaged 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game as a junior; scored 44 points in an AAU game; and also was recruited by Clemson, Marquette, Maryland, Miami, Syracuse and Xavier.

		#25 Jeremy Adams Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 195 Madison, Miss. Adams was rated as the No. 2 player in Mississippi by ESPN after averaging 27.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 4.2 steals as a senior at Madison Central; earned all-state honors; had three 40-point scoring games and earned all-division, all-metro and all-state honors; twice scored 43 points in a game; led his team to three straight district titles; and also was recruited by Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State, Georgetown, Georgia, Kentucky, Miami, Notre Dame and Wake Forest.

My thanks to the Texas A&M sports information department for the photos and most of the information for the bios.

The Analysis

As much as I dislike the Aggies, it's hard to discount them as a force in Big 12 basketball. Over the past five years, they have been to four consecutive NCAA tournaments, made five consecutive postseason appearances and finished in the top half of the conference every year. Other than Kansas and Texas, Texas A&M is the only Big 12 team to win 20+ games during that stretch.

But while Texas A&M has been a consistent winner, it hasn't yet been a serious challenger for a Big 12 championship. The Aggies regularly have lost to powers such as Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas; own a two-game, regular-season losing streak to Kansas State, despite being favored in both games; and occasionally are upset by less-talented programs such as Baylor and Texas Tech. They even struggled with Colorado last year, before pulling away late.

I don't think anything will change in 2009-2010, either. In fact, I think it is more likely that Texas A&M will decline, rather than rise up, despite adding a recruiting class that hovered in and out of Rivals' Class of 2009 rankings, before finishing just outside the Top 25.

Although the Aggies lost only two significant players off last year's team, only Oklahoma lost two more significant starters. Josh Carter and Chinemelu Elonu by far were A&M's two best players in 2008-2009. Carter, a four-year starter and the Aggies' leading scorer last year, graduated, while Elonu, the team's leading rebounder who already had earned his bachelor's degree, tested the NBA draft waters and was selected in the second round by the Los Angeles Lakers.

Luckily for A&M, Donald Sloan and Bryan Davis did not follow Elonu's lead, and instead pulled out of the draft to return for their senior seasons. Good thing, too, or the Aggies would have lost four starters and been totally decimated. Sloan is one of the league's better point guards and Davis should step up to fill Elonu's void as the team's leader in rebounding.

The other returning starter is Derrick Roland, who rivals Dominique Sutton and J.T. Tiller in terms of defensive intensity. He has been bothered by injuries the past few seasons, but assuming he stays healthy, he should lock up the off-guard position all year.

Projecting the other two starters is trickier. I'm pretty sure that Nathan Walkup, who played in all 32 games last season, will figure into the equation, though. At 6-7, Walkup offers nice size at the wing position, and he probably can also hold his own in the post, in a smaller lineup.

The fifth starter probably will be situational. My projections use a traditional PG-SG-SF-PF-C lineup, so I went with James Blasczyk, a 7-footer who is the tallest player left on the roster. But Blasczyk is coming off a redshirt season and hasn't yet played a game in Division I, so it's a stretch to say he will be a consistent starter.

It's more likely that the Aggies will go with a smaller lineup when the opponent's makeup presents the opportunity. In that case, Davis would shift to the 5 and Walkup to the 4, and B.J. Holmes probably would come in as a third guard. Holmes was the Aggies' "sixth man" last season and replaced Roland as a starter whenever the latter was out with an injury.

Dash Harris (what a great name for a point guard!) was one of the conference's most impressive freshmen last year. He is a solid backup for Sloan and will continue to play understudy to the senior, in preparation for next year when he will be counted upon to fill Sloan's considerable shoes. David Loubeau rounds out the 7-8 players I see making up the Aggies' primary player rotation. He's a solid reliever in the frontcourt with some size (6-8, 230).

Marshall Carrell as primary backup at center is a stretch. I mainly picked him there because at 6-9, he's the tallest player (other than Blasczyk and Davis) on the roster. But he is a role player who has played sparingly in years past, and that highlights one of the primary problems the Aggies face this season. Other than Davis and maybe Loubeau, there are no experienced centers on the roster. When A&M faces frontcourts such as those of Kansas, Kansas State or Texas, they are going to be challenged and they probably won't be able to measure up, due to a lack of depth. When Davis gets into foul trouble (and he does that a lot), the Aggies will lose games.

Other than Mark Turgeon, nobody knows much about Chris Chapman, Andrew Darko, Derrek Lewis or Shawn Schepel, because they have played next to no minutes. One or more could surprise, I suppose, but there's nothing there in the track record to make you think it's imminent.

Khris Middleton doesn't really stand above the other incoming freshmen, but I liked the unconventional spelling of his name, so he rounds out the projected two-deep. Jeremy Adams, Naji Hibbert and Ray Turner complete a solid, but not heralded, recruiting class. How they develop in the years to come could indicate whether Turgeon really is a great coach, or merely is coasting with players inherited from Billy Gillispie.

Projected Starting Lineup


Donald Sloan	Derrick Roland	Nathan Walkup	Bryan Davis	James Blasczyk
1	2	3	4	5

Projected Top Reserves


Dash Harris	B.J. Holmes	Khris Middleton	David Loubeau	Marshall Carrell
1	2	3	4	5

The Final Verdict

Texas A&M's track record demands that I pick them in the upper half of the Big 12. That much, at least, the Aggies have earned.

But losing Elonu was a huge blow that basically halved the frontcourt, in terms of high-level, star talent. When Bryan Davis squares off with Cole Aldrich, Craig Brackins, Andrew Fitzgerald, Keith Gallon, Damion James, Wally Judge, Curtis Kelly, Marcus Morris, Dexter Pittman and so forth, he's going to wish Elonu still was there to back him up.

Upper division? Yes. NCAA Tournament? Most likely. First-day bye in the Big 12 Tournament? I highly doubt it.

Predicted finish: 6th

Best-case scenario: 4th

Previously on KNOW THY ENEMY...

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Iowa State
Texas Tech
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Links and a Topic // 6-11-09

rockchalk — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 19:42:27 -0000

More photos » AP

Xavier Henry (AP Photo)

Browse more photos »

So, I'm terrible at coming up with names. Particularly catchy, creative ones. If I ever do get married, and am tasked with naming a child, I have absolutely no clue how that will go down. I'm just terrible at it. The point being, if you can think of a creative name for this setup, which will hopefully become a daily thing, then drop it in the comments or email it to me (rockchalktalk _at_ gmail _dot_ com), because most of these things have cute names. For example, Double-T Nation's Daily Diatribe (today's edition), which is kind of what this is based off of.

Essentially, this will be plenty of links I can find that have something to do with something, most likely the Kansas Jayhawks. Then, I'll chat away on some topic. It's designed to generate some discussion, hopefully about something interesting, without me putting in hours of work everyday.

So, hopefully I'll keep up with this. And it really bothers me to start such a series so randomly, on a Thursday in the middle of June, I'm over it. I figured I might as well start now, as opposed to merely waiting for Monday to come around and make it tidier, or whatever.

Kansas Football

Jackets to meet Jayhawks | ajc.com

It's all about the Yellow Jackets, and them making the trip up to Lawerence in 2010.

For KU football, summer grueling / LJWorld.com

Dugan A., man's take on Chris Dawson and summer conditioning, with plenty of interviews from ex-Jayhawks.

Glossy pages and fearless forecasts : Kansan.com

A rundown of the preseason predictions that all seem to come out at the same time. Included: the absolutely necessary outrage over Phil Steele placing us 4th in the North. It's informative and interesting, but I don't think the author understands the necessity of putting a space between paragraphs.

Kansas Baseball

KU's Thompson an All-American | CJOnline.com

Awesome stuff. Third-team All-American according to the BBWAA, second-team according to Ping! Baseball. Not bad, not bad. Pretty sure, though, that we'll only get one more year of Tony.

Kansas Basketball

KUsports.com | Leaving the nest

Thomas Robinson, rebounder extraordinaire, talking about leaving home for the first time.

KUsports.com | Taylor gives digits to KU basketball freshman

Tyshawn Taylor is giving up his #15, handing it to Elijah Johnson. Obsessions over numbers seem silly, but whatever. And T2 does end up getting #10, now that stinkin' Brennan Bechard was gone (T2's AAU number was #10, but it was already taken at St. Patrick's so he went to #15).

KUsports.com | Morningstar out 4-6 weeks with stress fracture

Old news, really. They talked about the injury in vague tones during the actual season, and it's been known as a stress fracture for a little while. He recently had the actual surgery, though, so yay! Newsworthy. It's fun to read the comments on this one, though, just to get a helping of some ridiculous Kansas fans. Ugh.

KUsports.com | Former Jayhawk Langford to Russia?

I thought about not including this, but I figured it'd be fun. Langford going to Russia, to a team other than Sasha's team (although his is in Moscow as well), for what is rumored to be $2.6 million over 2 years. Not bad, not bad. Good for Keith.

KUsports.com | Xavier Henry to skip summer school, will report to KU's campus in August

Xavier Henry is not interested in your summer school. Seriously though, it's something about some teeth problems. Whatever the case, it's much ado about nothing, really. Sure, it'd be nice for him to meet-and-greet the team before Fall practice, but it's OK. It's his choice.

KUsports.com | Old school

Billy Thomas' 33 points leads the Alumni to a 15-point victory over the Jayhawks' current outfit. 67-52, in a game where Sasha Kaun completely destroyed Cole Aldrich. At least, that is how it would appear, given Cole's game-ending tally of 2 points. Marcus Morris did go 3-4 from three-point range, though, so that's nice. And both he and Markieff have added plenty of weight, so that's good.

Arena Wars: Allen Fieldhouse vs. Gallagher-Iba Arena - NCAA Division I Mens Basketball - CBSSports.com News, Fantasy, Video

9 times out of 10, these things are stupid. Everyone, everywhere, people has these bogus mythical battles of homecourt advantages or just the building themselves or whatever. This one, though, has a nice little writeup, which makes it somewhat interesting. It's still kind of pointless, and if you're worried about the Phog winning such a mythical event, don't because Allen is up 84% to 16%, but you're in charge of your own life. Make a decision.

Topic of discussion after jump...

Xavier Henry: Starter Out of the Gate?

I've seen it written a lot of places that Xavier will pretty much start from day one. Not in so few words, but it seems to be a given. And there are certainly reasons for people to think that. Last year, Brady Morningstar was the starter at the 3, Xavier's most likely collegiate position. Brady Morningstar is no Xavier Henry. But think back to Bill Self, and his policy on such things.

He values defense above all else. Always. Well, almost always. For the majority of the season, Tyrel Reed was a superior offensive player to Brady. But Brady never lost his starting spot, and you could simply point to his defense as the reason why. Plus, Bill certainly isn't the type of coach to simply hand over starting spots. You have to earn it, no matter how much "better" you figure to be. I mean, the man started Christian Moody. When Darrell Arthur showed up on campus, he continued to ride the bench. Same situation with Sherron Collins.

If Xavier was going to start any time before conference play, he was going to have to show up to summer school and impress. Not just impress on offense; we're all excited to see that part. But he would have to limit the mistakes, limit the stupid plays, and show up in a big way on the defensive side of the ball. Now that he's not even showing up to Lawrence until August, I'm willing to bet that he starts out off the bench. Maybe even behind Tyrel Reed, way deep in the rotation. He'll get his minutes, certainly. But he'll have to earn them, or Bill will keep him on the bench.

Just because Brady Morningstar isn't as talented or athletic as Xavier, doesn't mean we aren't necessarily a worse team overall. And it isn't as if we are in dire need of a ridiculous talent just to make us competitivie; we did make it to the Sweet 16 last season, minutes away from advancing to the Elite Eight and beating the future runner-up.

I promise I'm not biased or anything. I just always seem to side with the status quo, instead of bowing over for an incoming recruit and hoping on hope that he will make us better. No thanks. And I'm probably even in the majority, here, and aren't even breaking ground.

But I will go in the minority on something: we'll be a better team with Brady on the floor than Xavier for the first, oh, 3 months of the season. By February, X should get it; before then, give me the better overall package of Brady.

Of course, it wouldn't be terribly difficult to prove me wrong and make me look like an idiot.

"Awesome Season, Terrible Finish" -- Kansas 62 Michigan State 67

rockchalk — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 05:17:42 -0000

This isn't about the season. If it was, it wouldn't do the game justice. The season, while naturally up-and-down given the extreme youth, was my favorite season of all time. It was so much fun to watch this team grow, from a team that looked UMKC's equal in its first half to Big 12 Champions. But this isn't about that. Last night in Indianapolis wasn't about that. This game recap is just that: a recap of last night's game, a game we should have won, no questions asked.

It's about blown chances. Blown opportunities. Lack of execution. Mental errors. All of those nasty bugs that come out and bite you in March, costing you months upon months of hard work. It sucks. But, to every team but one, it happens. We weren't going to be that one, special team at the end of it all. We all knew that, at some point, it was going to end.

But why did it have to end like that? With a late 5-point lead quickly turned into a 3-point deficit. I recorded the game, with the mindset to rewatch the game win-or-lose. If we won, it'd get me super-duper pumped for the Louisville game. If we lost, it would give me some closure to my favorite season of all time. As soon as the final buzzer sounded, I immediately deleted it. It was hard enough to take once.

***

When Tyrel Reed nailed that three from the corner, I thought we had won. I was never really nervous, before that, sticking true to my "anything extra is gravy" mantra. But as soon as he hit that three, I believed we were going to win. We had been searching for what had seemed like decades for someone, anyone, to make a big, clutch shot to give us the advantage. When it happened, I thought we were money. But after that, we regressed. We scored 6 points those final 4:58; four by Sherron and those two, late free throws by Tyshawn.

And that was what cost us the game. When it mattered most, the experienced Michigan State team knew what to do late in the game against the 10th youngest team in the country. That's what makes it all so difficult. We had this game won, and we just let it slip away.

That's what makes it frustrating. Not the fact that it ended, but the way it ended.

Player recaps after the jump...

MVP? Fittingly, it was easily our season's MVP: Sherron Collins. And, in an intriguing case of irony, he didn't take over enough. All season long, the hot topic of Kansas basketball was Sherron Collins and his shot selection. And, for much of the season, the media and the fans thought he just shot way too much. I'll be honest, I did too. It's tough to blame him for any single loss, but that UMass game...damn. We started to win when Sherron began to develop a trust with the other 4 players on the floor at any given time, lowering his shot tally into the teens. But in the end, when we needed it most, Sherron was 'on'. 9-13 is ridiculously efficient, particularly when the entire D is keying on you as the key. His first shot of the game went in-and-out three times, before finally rolling out. He continued to dish off to his teammates, though, continued to find the open guy and give them their chance to shine. If his teammates make those shots, we're playing Louisville tomorrow and Sherron is the ultimate hero. Stories are written about Sherron's unselfishness, to pass off the moment to his teammates. For much of the game, Sherron was damn near perfect. Sure, the free throw miss hurts. But our chances to win the game were highly unlikely, at that point. No need to focus on that one little blip. Sherron has carried us all season long. Carried us. He is a true champion. Please, Sherron, please come back. Enter into another realm of Kansas Basketball history.
If there was ever a game that NBA scouts need to watch on Cole Aldrich, Friday night was it. At least, if you want Cole to come back for another year. Cole was severely outplayed by Goran Suton. And yes, I realize that Suton is a senior. But from all indications, he doesn't have nearly the potential of Aldrich, and figures to be sent over to Europe for his pro prospects. Really, it was one of those games where Aldrich should have been able to use his superior athleticism to score some points. It got to the point, though, where I was screaming at the TV to not give it to him on the low post. Every time it was, it ended in a turnover. He scored 17 points, sure, but I would bet that every single point was either scored at the free throw line or on putbacks and offensive rebounds. And don't get me wrong, he's an incredible rebounder. One of the best in the country. He is also quite amazing on D, particularly at blocking shots without committing fouls. But he has a ridiculous amount of work to do with the ball in his hands. Ridiculous. And while he'll get drafted based of of potential, he isn't likely to develop enough to garner a huge second contract, where you make the real money. Wait a year, learn how to pass out of a double-team and add on 1, 2 or 18 post moves to the repetoire and be a Top 5 pick next year.
Besides those two, only one real player played well: Brady Morningstar. His jump shot was off, way off, and he even airballed the first one. It wasn't pretty. But besides that, he was excellent. Awesome. Fantastic. Nearly perfect D on Raymar Morgan. Even had a pair of freakin' dunks, man. Did a fine job of moving the ball late. We could have really used a timely three from him at one point, but he still has time to become a better shooter. That's what he needs to work on this offseason. If he would have nailed just a three or two, we win and he could have been co-MVP with Sherron.
After that, it was all blech. I'll go Tyrel Reed as the next-best, simply because his D was nearly as outstanding as Brady's. He was on the floor diving after loose ball after loose ball, clearly giving it his all. And like I said, I thought Relly Ice had showed up when we needed it the most and drilled a three to send us to victory. Oh, that's what hurts the most. The moment that shot went through, I thought we won. Oh, I thought we won. Still, though, that shot was huge. He wasn't great, and he needs to keep on getting better on D. I bet he sees some minutes next year. He's getting better and better.
Tyshawn Taylor had an extremely freshman-ish performance. Tough to be too hard on the guy, and he did show up when it mattered most and drilled two free throws. He's still too much of a turnover machine, though, and his shot needs to get way better. Still, dude has so much potential it's scary. Positives outweigh the negatives, for sure.
Oh, and I forgot. Markieff Morris? Excellent. Took two of the worst shots of the season, with his two threes, but still. Everything else was awesome. The only player not named Cole Aldrich who showed up on the glass. Played outstanding defense, for the most part. He doesn't have nearly the offensive repertoire of his brother, and that needs to change for him to see major minutes. Plus, when he gets open looks, he misses nearly all of them. That needs to change. But he has turned into an awesome defender and rebounder. Against the best rebounding team in the entire freakin' country, he showed up and picked up 7 boards. That's impressive. He'll keep on gettin' better.
The other two forwards, though, yikes. I still love Marcus Morris to death, but he had a pretty awful NCAA Tournament. He's quite good with the moves, but he couldn't quite get any of them to fall. And he's not as impressive as his twin on D or on the glass. Just like his brother, plenty of room to improve. I'm giddy to see just how much they can improve.
And, finally, Mario Little. Hopefully he's a better wing than low-post player, because he's resorted to just flashes shown. A solid defender, but not as good as he probably needs to be. I still love him, and I bet he could see some plenty of playing time next year at the 3 (maybe?), but he will never be more than a role player. And he will need to be more consistent with his shot to see too many minutes.

OK. That pretty much does it for Michigan State-specific recapping.

We're not done talking about the game, or anything, because we'll have plenty of season recap stuff and stuff coming out over the next week-or-so. And that will involve plenty of talk about this game just the same as others.

But that's it. No more disappointment over this loss, and how it happened, and all of that stuff. No more bitterness. The season was a success.

Let's just focus on that, now, huh?

"Star Power" -- Kansas 60 Dayton 43

rockchalk — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 06:42:52 -0000

All season long, it's been clear who our two best players are. Who our leaders are.

My 7-year old little brother, who is more of a baseball kinda kid anyways (regrettably, he's a Yankees fan, but whatever), could tell you in a moment's notice who they are.

Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins.

Them leading us to victory is nothing new. It's happened dozens of times throughout the season, against good opponents and bad. But it was never quite as painfully obvious as it was on Sunday.

Of the team's 60 points, 38 were courtesy of Cole and Sherron (63.3%)
Of the team's 46 rebounds, 27 were by Cole and Sherron (58.7%)
They took a combined 69% of our shots, shooting a combined 55% (rest of the team shot 27%)

You get the point?

On a day where the nerves of the situation seemed to control everyone, along with Dayton's freakish athleticism and immense length, we needed bigtime performances from our stars. And, we got it. We got all of the Star Power you could ask for, and then some. That alone (along with a pretty good performance from Mario Little, of all people, but that ruins the fun of the post, so wait til after the break...) got us a win in the NCAA Tournament. In the Second Round, mind you.

Of course, that incredible team defense didn't hurt, either, I suppose. Huh?

Player recaps after the jump...

Not to cop out, or nothing, but we're going with the co-MVPs, here. Yes, Cole Aldrich had the first recorded triple-double (or triple-triple, according to Cole's mom) in Kansas history. He didn't allow a single half-court possession for the Flyers to end well inside five feet. Seriously, I don't think they even got a shot off within 5 feet from the bucket, save a couple (but only a couple, due to really solid transition D) fastbreak high-risers. And those 20 rebounds? Incredible. I ain't dogging his performance at all. If he comes back next year, he's an All-American. Book it. You heard it here first. Well, maybe not, but we can pretend, yes? The only thing you can complain about, and it's a biggie, is outlet passing. Just an awful, awful day in that category. Way too many terrible passes, way too many uncertain moves in double teams. If the dude can figure out how to handle a double-team, though, it's just game over.
As incredible as all of that was for Cole, I couldn't leave Sherron Collins hanging. Just couldn't do it. Dude played, just about, a perfect game. It wasn't perfect, in the mistake-free sense, but it was as close as you'll get. He only forced a shot, two at most, but otherwise was incredibly efficient. Most importantly, he continued to trust his teammates. The rest of the team couldn't hit anything, and yet there was Sherron, continuing to drive-and-find, never losing that trust in his teammates. Over the next 4 days, or so, we'll have plenty of time to talk about what's changed since the last matchup between Kansas and Micigan State. Nothing has changed more or had a greater impact than Sherron's trust of his teammates. Don't get me wrong, for us to be successful Sherron has to score. And, to score, you've gotta shoot. Probably not 26 times, but a sizable amount, still, yes. So, keep on firing away Sherron. Just no pull-up 18-footers, please.
Besides the big two, you can really only say that one other player played well. And, after taking a month off from production, Mario Little decided to show up in a big way. When we couldn't hit the ocean falling out of a boat, besides Sherron of course, Smash came in and calmly drilled a 17-footer. A couple of possessions later, from the same spot, just 5 feet farther back, another patented, Little swish that hits the very bottom of the net, making the sweetest sound in the world. He wasn't all that active following that, jumpshot-wise, but he was a fine rebounder and had what was probably his best defensive game of his career against Dayton's front line. We need jumpshots from somebody, anybody to fall against Michigan State. So, Mario, feel free to show up again. It'd be much appreciated.
And, I suppose, I'll give Tyrel Reed a passing grade. He missed two absolutely wide open threes in the first half, just like everyone else, but hit a big, huge, clutch one in the second half. Relly Ice showed up in the way he always seems to, extending what was a 5-point lead to 8 and sparking a 9-0 run that all but put the game away. Also, he continues to pick up ground on Brady on the defensive end. His improvement has been quite incredible.
After that, it gets pretty ugly. Every other player I'm about to mention did not have a good game. There's just no other way to say it. First up, Tyshawn Taylor. He had that one sick and-one that closed out the aforementioned 9-0 run and ended the game. However, he continues to give the ball away like t-shirts out of those stupid cannons, and his shot has not been on.
Brady Morningstar - ouch. The advantage he's had all season long, on the defensive side of the ball, has slowly been diminshed as Tyrel Reed and Tyshawn Taylor and Travis Releford continue to improve. I love him to death, and he's been huge to our success, and will continue to be, but dude's gotta hit his open shots. There just isn't another way to say it.
And, finally, the Morris twins. Youch. I love him to absolute death, but Marcus Morris had his worst game in months. I don't know what it was, and he was fine defensively just like everyone else, but he was non-existent on offense. I mean, at least Markieff Morris got a bucket and rebounded. McMorris had all of zero rebounds, bricked both of his free throws, and ended up only earning 14 minutes. Please, Marcus, please show up Friday night. You too, Kieffer. Michigan State is far too talented on the frontline to hope-and-pray that Cole Aldrich can go all Rambo on them and take him by himself.

And, that wraps up the Dayton coverage. Sweet win, awesome that we're in the Sweet 16. This season is now an unmitigated success, without question.

Now, let's go out and win another one.

Pressure's off.

"HE IS A BALLER!" -- Kansas 84 North Dakota State 74

rockchalk — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:40:50 -0000

To the rest of the country, this was not a good day for us. We barely snuck away with only a 10-point lead, which is only so big because of late fouls, as a 3-seed. Against a 14-seed.

To the rest of the country, I'm sure they were cheering with every three. Every time Ben Woodside drove into the lane, I'm sure there were millions across the United States jumping up-and-down. The big, bad defending National Champions, for much of the game, were playing even against a team from North Dakota who was in their first year of eligibility.

But in all reality, it wasn't anything like that. Not one bit. You see, North Dakota State is probably the best 14-seed of all time (and no, I don't even know what hyperbole is). They hit the three with the best of them, and they had 20,000 fans in the place. It was practically a road game. Oh, and you know that one kid, that 5'10" white boy with a shaved head and ridiculously big ears and high socks? Yeah, that one. Well, that dude has a future in the NBA. You see him on the street, and you guess soccer player, and that's if you're told he's a college athlete at all. Assuming he can act, he would have been a perfect cast for White Men Can't Jump, with no wardrobe necessary to hustle the opponents. In a freakin' basketball jersey, the dude doesn't look like much. I mean, if I had just happened to flip the TV on, without knowing anything about him, I would have been fairly confident I could've taken him.

But damn. He was the best guard we've played all year, bar none. He got into the lane in a moment's notice without any effort whatsoever, and once he got there that little floater of his was, literally, unstoppable. Even for Cole. But you can't Dogus Balbay him, because he shoots 44% from three-point range. An impossible matchup.

So, don't be depressed. Don't get down on the Jayhawks. We played really well, for most of the game. Just because we are a 3-seed and they were a 14-seed doesn't mean a whole helluva lot. It was a bad matchup for us, they are, as we established, history's greatest 14-seed. It was just a surprising result for everyone else.

Which, might not be all that bad. We're still well under-the-radar, yet to make a peep on anyone's national radar. The longer that stays, the better it is for us.

Player-by-players after the jump...

Yes, one player scored 32 points. We'll get to him in a second, though, because he isn't the MVP. That would be Cole Aldrich, who dunked at will throughout the entire game. The Bison, literally, had absolutely no answer for him, despite double-teaming him at times. Whenever we so desired, we could merely toss the ball up and watch him go to work. Why we didn't do it more is beyond me. I'd imagine it was beyond Bill Self, as well, because whenever he had a role in the offense, off of out-of-bounds plays and things, it was clear where we were going. So clear, in fact, that near the end of the game, when the Bison needed a stop, we called for an alley-oop to Cole. The Bison had two players waiting underneath the rim, basically using 40% of their defense to limit that one, alley-oop. Cole jumped over them, anyways, and this time got an and-one for his troubles. Please, please, please, focus on getting Cole the ball more. Please?
One reason why Cole didn't touch it as often was Sherron Collins. More specifically, Sherron's love of the crossover-to-pullup 19-footer. When he is visibly on fire, and ends up making the shot anyways, you can give him a one-time-only pass. When he hasn't made a shot in five tries, and Cole is getting a free dunk every time, and Sherron still comes down and does it, it's not so forgivable. But don't get me wrong, Sherron still had a really good game. In the first half, he was every bit Ben Woodside's equal. But you see, that's the problem. Whenever an opposing guard goes off, it's as if Sherron thinks it's his duty to match them, point-for-point. Luckily, he stopped the mono-a-mono tango in the second half, but still.
After those two, the unheralded hero of the game, to me, was Marcus Morris. He's changed so much since the beginning of the year. With our two stars, we aren't exactly going to run our offense through McMorris. Everyone understands that. So, just don't make mistakes and provide some bonus plays that get everyone excited about the future. Against North Dakota State, he didn't make a mistake, and made countless little plays that were huge. Seriously. He was incredibly efficient (3-3), which is big, because we can't waste possessions with McMorris misses. He was extremely active on the glass (7 rebounds), which is big because Cole can't do anything, and most opponents will make Cole the focal point. That leaves Marcus to pick up the boards and kickstart our break. And, finally, he knows how to run the freaking high-low. I never thought I would say it, at least not this season, but dude's a really good passer. Whenever we got it to him at the free throw line, a Cole dunk was pretty much a certainty. If he can consistently hit that jumper (given his vast improvement from the line, I'd bet on yes) he could start to be incredibly dangerous.
On the other hand, Markieff Morris and Mario Little are quickly being left in the dust by McMorris. Little's height, or lack thereof, is starting to really hurt him, and in hindsight, a redshirt might have done him some good. Next year, I imagine he'll be more comfortable on the wing, but still. Kieffer, on the other hand, has devolved into just a rebounder. It's not bad, and we still have a need for him to steal minutes and pick up rebounds, but he's not a good scorer. Really, at all. And please, don't take threes. Thanks.
Tyshawn Taylor is such a freshman. Not consistent whatsoever, but good for a couple of mind-numbing drives to the bucket. Just keep it up, T2, and you'll be the leader in just a couple of years.
Ah. Brady Morningstar and Tyrel Reed. I love 'em both, but yikes. Brady came up big yesterday, with his two gigantic threes at gigantic times and his really good D on Winkelman, but Tyrel certainly didn't. Tyrel, at this point, is basically a three-point shooter. Nothing more, nothing less. He's improved on D, yes, but still not enough to hang with Brady and Sherron and even T2. Really, as T2's shooting increases and we don't have to have one-or-the-other in for long range purposes, I'd rather Travis Releford get these minutes. Particularly against athlete-heavy teams, like Dayton.
Finally, Tyrone Appleton. He should have received more minutes than he did yesterday, as he was clearly the best defender on Woodside. In fact, I can't even recall Woodside driving on Appleton, ever. I understand that he's a rough equivalent of Dogus Balbay with a jump shot, but he can drive to the hole and his D, as mentioned, is quite excellent. If Sherron leaves, I'm alling it right now: Tyrone will be our starting PG at the beginning of the year.

That's all. And, now we're officially moving past North Dakota State. Only Dayton matters, now.

Two sets of Q&A's (hopefully) with Dayton bloggers are upcoming later on today, as well as the standard KenPom preview.

Today's going to be a helluva busy day, for me. But I'm going to enjoy it.

It's March, after all, and our Jayhawks are moving on.

Survive and Advance.

Big 12 Roundup: Big 12 Awards

rockchalk — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 23:12:04 -0000

Here we sit, at the end of the Big 12 season. It seems just like yesterday when Big 12 action tipped off, when Texas was a Top 10 team and Kansas and Missouri stood unranked.

Much has changed in the past two months, and there were some incredible games. Over the next couple of days, we'll be thoroughly summarizing the Big 12 season, while simultaneously previewing the Big 12 Tournament. But for now, we'll just name our All-Big 12 Selections, just as the Big 12 Media did earlier in the day.

So, let's get to those Big 12 Awards. Those are more fun, anyways.

We'll dish out most of the same categories the media does: First Team, Second Team, Third Team, All-Rookie Team, Newcomer of the Year, Rookie of the Year and the big one, Player of the Year...

Note: Number rankings is in order of where I'd rank them, which should provide quite a hint for the POY rankings.

First Team

Blake Griffin (F, Oklahoma) -- Obviously. This is as easy as it gets, folks.
Sherron Collins (G, Kansas) -- Emotional leader of the Conference Champions. Plus, for a three-week stretch in late February, he was as good of a guard as anyone in the country.
Craig Brackins (F, Iowa State) -- Best pure scorer in the conference. Overlooked nationwide, but everyone in the Big 12 knows exactly how good he is.
Cole Aldrich (C, Kansas) -- Averaging a double-double. 'Nuff said.
Demarre Carroll (F, Missouri) -- I wanted to go with someone else just to be different than the Media, but he deserves it.

All further Teams and Awards after the break...

Second Team

Damion James (F, Texas) -- Almost got in over Carroll on the First Team. His Durant-esque first half yesterday didn't hurt his case, but it was his offensive rebounding and overall importance that really got him here.
Cory Higgins (G, Colorado) -- Doesn't get the credit he deserves because he plays in the abyss of Boulder. Still, the dude can score on anybody, and will be the leader of any potential Colorado resurgence these next two seasons.
Denis Clemente (G, Kansas State) -- Has a rather large temper, and isn't always consistent, but damn, is he quick with the ball. Oh, and when he gets hot, he's virtually unguardable. Basically, he's like a slightly less-athletic Dogus Balbay, only he can hit the three. So, yeah, be afraid.
James Anderson (G, Oklahoma State) -- Incredible scorer, he probably should be slightly higher on the Second Team. If Sherron and Cole and Blake and Craig all leave school early, he could be the preseason favorite for Big 12 POY in Travis Ford's run-and-gun-type system.
Ade Dagunduro (F, Nebraska) -- A personal favorite of mine. The dude is probably my favorite player in college basketball. It's unreal how good he is, considering he was often the tallest player on the floor for the Huskers, standing only 6'6". I really wish he was only a junior, so he could play with actually tall people next year. In any case, incredibly underrated.

Third Team

Leo Lyons (F, Missouri) -- Dude isn't nearly as good as his frontcourt mate, Carroll, but still plenty talented. When, as RMN calls him, "Good Leo" shows up, he is one of the conference's best. But "Bad Leo" shows up far too often for him to be considered any higher.
Willie Warren (G, Oklahoma) -- Probably should be higher, and I kind of forgot about him, to be honest. The dude can score with the best of them.
LaceDarius Dunn (G, Baylor) -- Another personal favorite. Jerrells probably deserves it more, but I love LDD.
Curtis Jerrells (G, Baylor) -- Dude can penetrate into the lane with the best of them, but isn't consistent enough of a shooter to really scare you. He's a lot better than Dogus, though.
Dexter Pittman (C, Texas) -- Came on really strong at the end of the year, and while his overall season accomplishments probably don't deserve such an honor, but he was awesome yesterday. Pretty much, he destroyed Cole Aldrich. Dude has a really bright future, as long as he doesn't regain that weight back.

All-Newcomer/Rookie Team

Denis Clemente (G, Kansas State) -- See above.
Willie Warren (G, Oklahoma) -- See above.
Tyshawn Taylor (G, Kansas) -- Thank goodness he came to Kansas. He started off the year piping hot, and while he went through a two-month slump of sorts, he's come on late as the badly-needed third scorer behind Cole and Sherron. Dude has a special career in front of him, everybody.
Zaire Taylor (G, Missouri) -- Hit two game-winners in less than a week's time, in Austin and at home in their National Championship (Leo Lyons' words, not mine). Should be a mighty fine player next year, where he and Tiller will likely have to lead the team night-in, night-out.
Marcus Morris (F, Kansas) -- I love me some Marcus Morris, man. He's come on really strong, as of late, and is becoming an awesome rebounder.

And now, on to the Awards.

Player of the Year

Blake Griffin (F, Oklahoma)
Sherron Collins (G, Kansas)
Craig Brackins (F, Iowa State)

Newcomer of the Year

Denis Clemente (G, Kansas State)
Zaire Taylor (G, Missouri)
Mario Little (G/F, Kansas)

Freshman of the Year

Willie Warren (G, Oklahoma)
Tyshawn Taylor (G, Kansas)
Marcus Morris (F, Kansas)

Coach of the Year

Bill Self (Kansas)
Mike Anderson (Missouri)
Travis Ford (Oklahoma State)
Jeff Capel (Oklahoma)

That's all, for now. These being the hotly-contested decisiosn they are, I'm sure yours are something different. Feel free to chastize, criticize and complain, as long as you give your answer. If you think someone should be on the First Team, pick someone to actually come off the team. You can't just add more than 5 to a team. I don't roll like that.

As I said, this is just the kickoff to plenty of Big 12-related content as we quickly move towards the Big 12 Tournament, which begins Wednesday.

I can't wait.

		#0 Bryan Davis Senior Forward 6-9 \| 250 Dallas, Texas Big 12 All-Reserve Team (2009) The Aggies are 27-7 when Davis scores in double figures in his career. He averaged 16.5 points, nine rebounds and three blocks in two NCAA Tournament games, earning CBS Sports player of the game honors in both contests. Davis scored a season-high 21 points with nine rebounds and three blocks in a first-round win against BYU. He scored 12 points with a game-high 10 rebounds in a win against Missouri. Davis scored 15 points with eight rebounds in a win against Texas, and just missed double-doubles at No. 2 Oklahoma (13 points, nine rebounds), at Baylor (13 points, nine rebounds) and at Colorado (nine points and nine rebounds). He matched his season high with 18 points in a win against Oklahoma State, making 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Davis had 13 points and eight rebounds in a win against Texas Tech; scored a season-high 18 points with 10 rebounds in a win at Rice; had 17 points against Baylor and 16 points against LSU; came off the bench to score 15 points with a season-high 13 rebounds against Kent State, earning SPI Invitational all-tournament honors; returned to the starting lineup against Arizona and had 10 points, making 5 of 6 from the field; scored 15 points with nine rebounds in a win at Alabama; had 11 rebounds vs. SMU; had at least five rebounds in all but four games; ranked third on the team in scoring (10.8), and second in rebounding (6.5) and blocks (46); ranked fifth in the Big 12 in blocks and ninth in rebounding; ranked fourth in the Big 12 in offensive rebounding (2.9) in league play; scored 14 points with seven rebounds against Jackson State and tied his career best with four blocks; and ranks seventh in school history with 96 career blocks.

		#2 Derrek Lewis Junior Guard 6-5 \| 195 Tulsa, Okla. Lewis appeared in five games, averaging 0.6 point per game. He scored a season-high two points against UNC Wilmington, played a season-best five minutes against Jackson State, and also saw action against BYU in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

		#3 Derrick Roland Senior Guard 6-4 \| 190 Dallas, Texas Big 12 All-Defense Team (2009) Roland scored 10 points in a first-round NCAA Tournament win against BYU, making a pair of three-pointers. He was named to Big 12 All-Defense Team by league coaches and media panel, and usually guarded the opponent's top scoring guard and in Big 12 play held all but two under his scoring average. League players he guarded made just 38 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3-point range. Roland helped limit Arizona All-American Chase Budinger to just three points on 1 of 6 shooting in the second half of A&M's come-from-behind win. Texas' A.J. Abrams averaged just eight points (6 of 22 shooting, 1 of 9 3-pointers) in two games against Roland. Roland scored 11 points in the first win against Texas Tech and held John Roberson to four second-half points (2 of 10 from field, 0 of 5 3-pointers). Oklahoma State's James Anderson averaged just 9.5 points in two games against Roland. Roland matched his season best with 13 points in a loss at Baylor, scoring 11 in the second half to rally the Aggies from a 14-point deficit. He scored 12 points with four assists in a win at Colorado (8-8 FT); made 25 of his last 29 free throw attempts; played just 10 minutes against McNeese State, after leaving the game early with a bruised elbow, and did not play against North Dakota; scored six points with a season-high six rebounds against Arizona; missed the Kent State game after suffering a sprained foot against Tulsa; and averaged 8.5 points in the last six games. The Aggies are 11-2 in his career when he scores in double figures, and 8-1 on the season.

		#5 Dash Harris Sophomore Guard 6-1 \| 175 Los Angeles, Calif. Harris played in all 34 games and earned a start against Kent State. He ranked second on the team in assists (2.0) and was third in steals (0.7); scored a career-high seven points with three assists against Connecticut in the NCAA Tournament; had six points and made 2 of 2 from 3-point range against Iowa State, his first career 3-pointers; had a monster dunk and made a free throw to complete a key 3-point play and spark a comeback win at Nebraska; scored six points with three assists and two steals in a big win against Missouri; dished out a career-high five assists in consecutive games against Rice and McNeese State; matched his career best with five assists in wins against Texas (zero turnovers) and Texas Tech; scored a career-high six points with four assists and a career-best three steals against North Dakota; handed out at least four assists in seven games; and scored four points against Tulsa. The Aggies were 9-1 when he had at least three assists, with the only loss being to UConn.

		#10 David Loubeau Sophomore Forward 6-8 \| 230 Miami, Fla. Loubeau scored 11 points, making 5 of 5 from the field, against Connecticut in the second round of NCAA Tournament; ranked third on the team in offensive rebounds (58); ranked second among Big 12 freshmen in offensive rebounds in league play (1.9); scored eight points in a win against Missouri; had nine points, all in the second half, with six rebounds in a narrow loss at No. 2 Oklahoma; scored 11 points with eight rebounds in a win against Texas Tech; had 10 points, all in the first half, in a win against Oklahoma State; scored a career-high 12 points with eight rebounds against Kent State in his first career start; also started against Iowa State; had seven points with five rebounds at Kansas, including a game-high four offensive boards; scored six points with a career-best nine rebounds against Tulsa; had eight points at Alabama, helping the Aggies rally from 14-point deficit; scored eight points with eight rebounds against SMU; had eight points and six rebounds against Jackson State, making 6 of 8 from the free-throw line; and tallied six points with six boards against UNC Wilmington. The Aggies were 7-2 when he scored at least eight points, losing only at Oklahoma and to UConn.

		#11 B.J. Holmes Junior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Big 12 All-Reserve Team (2009) In Big 12 play, Holmes led the league in 3-point percentage (.470) and ranked second in free-throw percentage (.860). He ranked among the top bench players in the Big 12 with an 9.1 scoring average in conference play; had 10 points in a first-round NCAA Tournament win against BYU; scored 11 points (3 of 3 treys) in a win against Texas; scored 10 of his 16 points in the last six minutes in a comeback win at Colorado; had 13 points in a win vs. Missouri; had a career-high 24 points in the first win against Texas Tech, making 6 of 7 (.857) from 3-point range, the fourth-best percentage in school history; made six straight 3s against Tech, tying a Big 12 record; scored 19 points at Oklahoma State, making 4 of 9 3-pointers and 7 of 7 free throws; earned his first career start against Arizona and had a team-high 14 points (3 of 6 3-pointers); made a pair of key free throws in the final minute of the Arizona game and also drew a charge that fouled out Wildcat point guard Nic Wise late in game; scored 16 points with a career-best seven rebounds in a win at Alabama and made a rainbow 3-pointer with two seconds left to send the game to overtime; scored 15 points against Kent State, making 3 of 6 3-pointers and dropping a pair of free throws in the final seconds that helped ice the game; started in place of the injured Derrick Roland against North Dakota and scored 14 points (4-8 3-pointers); missed his first 12 shots of the season; led the team in steals (30); and had only 18 turnovers in 757 minutes (one every 42.1 minutes).

		#14 Andrew Darko Junior Guard 6-1 \| 175 Conroe, Texas Darko appeared in nine games, including three Big 12 games and an NCAA Tournament game against BYU. He scored two points against Jackson State and at Kansas.

		#15 Donald Sloan Senior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas The Aggies are 39-8 in Sloan's career when he hands out at least three assists, including a 16-3 mark as a junior, and the team is 33-13 when he scores in double figures. He averaged 13.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.0 assists in two NCAA Tournament games; scored 14 points with six rebounds and a season-high seven assists in a first-round win vs. BYU; added 12 points in the second round against Connecticut; had a career-high 22 points against Texas Tech in Big 12 Tournament; scored a team-high 16 points in a win against Missouri; averaged 15.6 points in the last five games; had 14 points and five assists with only one turnover, scoring seven points in the final four minutes of a comeback win at Colorado; had 14 points in a win against Texas; scored 17 points (3 of 4 3-pointers) in a loss at Texas; had 15 points in a win against Oklahoma State; tied his career high with 21 points against Florida A&M, making 10 of 10 free throws; ranked second on the team in scoring (11.8) and led in assists (3.2); scored at least eight points in all but three games; had 13 points and five assists with only one turnover in 35 minutes against Arizona; handed out a season-high seven assists against Kent State with only one turnover; had 16 points with three assists and six rebounds against Stephen F. Austin; made .743 (107-144) from the free-throw line; and had only 56 turnovers in 1,030 minutes this season (one every 18.4 minutes), a marked improvement over his sophomore season, when he averaged one turnover every 13.3 minutes.

		#24 Shawn Schepel Junior Guard 6-3 \| 205 Dallas, Texas Schepel played in six games, including two Big 12 games and an NCAA Tournament game against BYU. He scored one point against Jackson State.

		#31 Chris Chapman Senior Guard 5-11 \| 175 Houston, Texas Chapman appeared in three games, including the Iowa State game in Big 12 play. He scored two points with one rebound against Jackson State.

		#33 Marshall Carrell Junior Forward 6-9 \| 230 Paris, Texas Carrell appeared in four games, including an NCAA Tournament game against BYU. He pulled down two rebounds against Jackson State.

		#45 Nathan Walkup Junior Forward 6-7 \| 210 Houston, Texas Walkup played in all 34 games, starting against UNC Wilmington and Iowa State. He averaged 14 minutes in two NCAA Tournament games; scored a career-high 12 points (3 of 4 3-pointers) in a win against Missouri; had eight points (2 of 2 3-pointers) against Texas Tech in the Big 12 Tournament; had seven points, making 3 of 3 from the field (including a key second-half 3-pointer) in a win against Texas; also added seven points in a win at Nebraska and had a breakaway dunk that helped spark a comeback; scored six points with three rebounds in just 11 minutes in a narrow loss at No. 2 Oklahoma, including a breakaway dunk; made a game-winning 3-pointer with 20 seconds left against Arizona, his only points of the game; scored seven points in a win at Alabama and made a 3-pointer with 14 seconds left to pull the Aggies within two points, before teammate B.J. Holmes sent the game into overtime with two seconds left; scored a season-high nine points with a career-best 12 rebounds against UNC Wilmington; averaged 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds; scored seven points with 11 rebounds against Stephen F. Austin and made a key long-range 3-pointer as the shot clock expired in the final minute; scored eight points against Jackson State; and made a 3-pointer with 7:32 left to give A&M a six-point lead at Rice, and it never was a one-possession game again. The Aggies are 14-2 in his career when he scores at least five points.

		#21 Ray Turner Freshman Forward 6-8 \| 220 Houston, Texas Turner was ranked No. 144 nationally and No. 6 in Texas by Rivals.com; averaged 16.5 points and earned district MVP honors as a senior; was named to all-state and all-region teams; played in the THSCA All-Star Game; led his team to a 29-7 record and a district title; posted career game-highs of 35 points, 25 rebounds and 12 blocks; averaged 16 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4.5 blocks as a junior; and also was recruited by Baylor, Marquette, Memphis, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico and Oklahoma State.

		#22 Khris Middleton Freshman Forward 6-7 \| 215 North Charleston, S.C. Middleton was rated No. 64 by ESPN.com, which also ranked him as the best shooter among the nation's small forward prospects; averaged 22.4 points and 8.6 rebounds as a prep senior, earning all-state honors and leading his team to the state title game; averaged 21.0 points and 8.6 rebounds as a junior; twice earned state player-of-the-year honors; posted a career-high scoring game of 39 points; and also was recruited by Michigan, South Carolina, St. Joseph's and Virginia Tech.

		#23 Naji Hibbert Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 200 Baltimore, Md. Hibbert was ranked No. 59 nationally by ESPN.com and was rated as a four-star recruit by Rivals.com; named to all-league and all-metro teams for the second straight year after averaging 15.7 points at storied DeMatha Catholic High School; and scored with 1.8 seconds left to lift DeMatha to the state championship. The team finished 31-4 and was ranked No. 4 nationally by ESPN. Hibbert averaged 15.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.1 steals per game as a junior; scored 44 points in an AAU game; and also was recruited by Clemson, Marquette, Maryland, Miami, Syracuse and Xavier.

		#25 Jeremy Adams Freshman Guard 6-5 \| 195 Madison, Miss. Adams was rated as the No. 2 player in Mississippi by ESPN after averaging 27.2 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 4.2 steals as a senior at Madison Central; earned all-state honors; had three 40-point scoring games and earned all-division, all-metro and all-state honors; twice scored 43 points in a game; led his team to three straight district titles; and also was recruited by Alabama, Arkansas, Florida State, Georgetown, Georgia, Kentucky, Miami, Notre Dame and Wake Forest.