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If I said before Saturday’s game inside the Sprint Center between Kansas and Umass, that one team would shoot 46% and the other team would shoot 34%, most would think the Jayhawks would head back to Lawrence with a win. That wasn’t the case Saturday afternoon as it was Kansas that only shot 34% from the field and allowed UMass to hold for big win. Read the rest of this entry »

The schedule couldn’t have been laid out better for these young Jayhawks. After three games in a week, some that weren’t very pretty to watch, the Jayhawks then took a week off to surely recharge their batteries and then hit the floor for a week full of practice. It’s this much needed time where young teams like the current Hawks grow, mature, and most of all, improve. One area these these young Jayhawks are working to get better is defense. Read the rest of this entry »

In a year where Kansas will sign two potential McDonald’s All Americans, the 2009 recruiting class is being looked at as a class full of more misses than hits.

Kansas has commitments from two of the best high school basketball players in the country. Elijah Johnson is a classic Bill Self recruit. Self loves guy that have a rare combination. He is already a top ranked player in his class, but his ceiling is high and he hasn’t come close to reaching it at all. Johnson is what Bill Self has called “Freaky athletic,” and while his basketball skill hasn’t caught up yet, Johnson is still able to use his explosiveness to blow by defenders and get to the rim.

Thomas Robinson is described as “the best rebounder in the class” by coach Self. Again, another player that is already highly regarded in the high school ranks, who is not near his ceiling. Robinson is a worker. Someone that will play at 100%, 100% of the time. His offensive game is a little behind his rebounding skill, but he has the tools to be very good on that end of the floor. Robinson will bring leadership and hard work to the Kansas program. His ability to rebound the ball outside his area is what sets him apart. He’s one of those guys that the ball seems to find him. It seems that way because he is working hard to get the rebound.

It’s uncertain when recruiting changed. When landing two highly recruited players could make a class a disappointment. Losing out on ESPNU’s #1 overall player, Xavier Henry, hurt all of Jayhawk Nation. Henry is a Kansas legacy. It seemed only right that he take his place inside the Kansas locker room. Unfortunately, Henry decided that Memphis was the best place for him next year. Missing out on talented swing guard, Michael Snaer, to a non basketball power like Florida State left many KU fans scratching their heads.

Now Kansas fans sit on the brink of another decision. Dominic Cheek, ESPNU’s #11 ranked player, is set to announce his college choice this Friday. Cheek made his official visit to Kansas during the weekend of Late Night. Cheek, by all accounts, really enjoyed his visit to Kansas. It was always going to be tough to beat out Villanova, where Cheek does have ties to, but Kansas certainly did their best during his visit. It does appear, however, that Kansas will miss on the talented wing player when he announces.

John Wall looks to be the main target for Kansas right now. Wall, according to some, is the best player in the 2009 class. Wall has made trips to Kansas, Memphis, and NC State. Wall had nothing but great things to say about Coach Bill Self and the Kansas program after his visit in September. With the health of Wall’s mother, the desire to stay close to home could be strong for Wall. Wall has also established a great relationship with Memphis coach, John Calipari. Wall’s recruitment won’t likely end until the spring signing period. Its likely that there won’t be a lot of information on the Wall recruitment until the spring signing period gets a little closer.

Kansas isn’t without options though. Big man DeShonte Riley recently decommited from Georgetown and there has been early talks that Kansas could be on his list of schools to consider. Riley is a long and lean big man that can run the floor and finish with authority. With a more consistent focus, Riley has the talent to be one of the best big men in the class.

Jeff Withey is another player with a huge upside. Withey is very good on the defensive end with his ability to block shots. On offense, he can hit the jumper out to about 15-17 feet. With some coaching, Withey will be a valued teammate in any program.

If Kansas happens to land either of these big men, it allows Kansas to keep their depth in the post and move Marcus Morris to the 3. Morris possesses the skills to move to the perimeter, and ideally, that is where the staff would like to see him. With a more consistent shot, some work on ball skills, and some work on defending the 3, most see Morris as a very good 3 at the college level.

Missing on 2 or 3 recruits doesn’t mean doom for the program. Coach Self and staff do a great job of bringing in very talented players that haven’t reached their potential, but will get much closer to it during their time at Kansas. Are they one and done type guys that will blow you away like Kevin Durant or Michael Beasley did? No. However, they are program guys that will work hard to improve their game, take pride in the program, and realize that when you play at Kansas, you play for a program that is much bigger than any individual.

Even though 2 of KU’s past 3 wins have been, well, kinda ugly, KU is once again back to where everyone expects them to be, the top 25 in both polls. KU crept back in at #23 in the USA Today/ESPN poll and is #25 in the AP poll.

Check out the Polls Here from ESPN

It’s looking more and more that Oklahoma and Florida will face each other for the BCS Championship on January 8th. The Gators used a 4th quarter surge to get past previous #1, Alabama, 31-20.  Oklahoma did whatever they wanted to #25 Missouri last night in the Big XII Championship game 62-21. Read the rest of this entry »