Showing posts with label KU Basketball. Show all posts
Showing posts with label KU Basketball. Show all posts

Saturday, March 23, 2013

NCAA Tournament - Kansas Advances, Kansas State Upset

There is only one Kansas City area team left standing after the first round of the NCAA tournament. The Kansas Jayhawks survived a scare from Western Kentucky in the first round, advancing to face North Carolina on Sunday. Kansas State was not as fortunate, falling to 13-seeded La Salle.

(1)Kansas 64   (16)Western Kentucky 57
The Jayhawks looked flat to start the game, and struggled to score during the first half. The Jayhawks picked things up a bit in the second half, eventually building a double digit lead late. However, the Hilltoppers stormed back, capitalizing on several turnovers by the Jayhawks and knocking down some threes. KU eventually sealed the game at the free throw line.

The Jayhawks’ guard play was extremely poor all game. Naadir Tharpe turned the ball over often while taking bad shots, while Ben McLemore disappeared. Jeff Withey had a big game for Kansas, and Perry Ellis and Keving Young also added some much needed scoring. The Jayhawks’ guard play will have to improve if they want to make the Sweet 16 for the third straight year.

(13) La Salle 63   (4) Kansas State 61
The Explorers jumped all over the Wildcats early, building a 44-26 halftime lead. It looked like K-State was finished, however they had a massive comeback in the second half and eventually took a one-point lead. Kansas State had two chances to win the game at the end but the Wildcats failed to score on their last two possessions.

K-State exceeded most preseason expectations, however three losses to KU and a first-round NCAA Tournament exit have to have Wildcat fans feeling a bit disappointed. 

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Monday, March 18, 2013

Kansas Wins Big 12 Tournament, Earns One Seed In NCAA Tournament

The Kansas Jayhawks made it clear who the best team in the Big 12 was this season, hammering Kansas State in the finals of the Big 12 tournament 70-54. KU was rewarded for its dominating Big 12 tournament with a one seed in the South region of the NCAA Tournament.

The third meeting this season between the two rivals got off to a slow start, as both teams struggled offensively in the first half. KU was able to build a 24-16 halftime lead, however K-State cut the lead to three early in the second half. The Jayhawks answered with a 12-3 run, essentially putting the game away midway through the second half.

Jeff Withey led Kansas with 17 points and 9 rebounds, and the Jayhawks continued to get strong play from freshman Perry Ellis, who chipped in 12 points. Kansas State star Rodney McGruder scored 18 points, however much of that came when KU had built its insurmountable lead in the second half.

Kansas’ dominance over Kansas State and the Big 12 has been shocking. The Jayhawks have defeated the Wildcats 47 times in the teams’ last 50 meetings, including 11 straight times in the Big 12 tournament. Kansas also improved to 9-1 in Big 12 Tournament Title games and won its sixth Big 12 Tournament title under Bill Self.

After winning the Big 12 tournament in dominating fashion, Kansas was rewarded with the second overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks will face Western Kentucky Friday night in the Sprint Center in Kansas City. If Kansas advances, it will play the winner of North Carolina and Villanova on Sunday. The Jayhawks were given a tough bracket, as Georgetown, Florida and Michigan are also in the South region.

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Monday, March 4, 2013

Kansas Blows Out West Virginia, Hosts Texas Tech Tonight

The Kansas Jayhawks are now two wins shy of a ninth consecutive Big 12 title. On Saturday, KU overcame a slow start and routed West Virginia 91-65.

Kansas was led by Ben McLemore, who broke out of his recent slump in a big way. The redshirt freshman scored a Kansas freshman record 36 points against the Mountaineers, shooting 12 of 15 from the floor, including five of six from three. Jeff Withey also had a big game for KU, as the senior center nearly notched his second triple double of the season. Withey ended up with 14 points, 10 rebounds and nine blocks, and Elijah Johnson added 12 points and 10 assists for Kansas.

After a rare three game losing streak, Kansas has picked up two tough road wins and blown out every team it has faced at home. A lot of that has to do with Johnson, who has found his shooting stroke and has limited turnovers. If Johnson has another hot March, the Jayhawks could be primed for another deep run in the NCAA tournament.

The Jayhawks could be primed for another big performance tonight, as they host Texas Tech on senior night. Kansas fans will be seeing Johnson, Withey, Kevin Young and Travis Releford for the final time in Allen Fieldhouse, and this is likely McLemore’s last home game as a Jayhawk as well. The Red Raiders won their last game - beating TCU on Saturday – yet it was only Tech’s third league win this season. TTU has been blown out by nearly every decent team it has faced recently, and it doesn’t appear that they can pose much of a threat to Kansas – especially in Lawrence on senior night.

If the Jayhawks can get past the Red Raiders tonight, they will play at Baylor with the Big 12 title on the line on Saturday.

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Monday, February 18, 2013

Kansas Blows Out Texas

The Kansas Jayhawks may have turned a corner after a disastrous three-game stretch in which they lost to lowly TCU and appeared to be out of the Big 12 title race. After blowing out Kansas State on Monday, KU turned in another impressive performance on Saturday, embarrassing Texas 73-47.
 
Due to the NBA All-Star break, many former Kansas greats were on hand to see Mario Chalmers get his jersey retired. The current KU squad didn’t disappoint, stifling Texas from the opening jump ball with a great defensive effort led by center Jeff Withey. Withey’s two blocks gave him 265 for his career, breaking Texas’ Chris Mihm’s Big 12 record. Withey also chipped in 15 points, 11 rebounds and four steals. Travis Releford added 15 points in a hot shooting night from beyond the arc, while Ben McLemore added 13 points.
 
Texas isn’t a good team, but the Longhorns looked downright terrible at times against Kansas nation-leading defense. Texas shot 22 percent from the field and two of 21 from three, while turning the ball over several times in the second half for easy transition baskets for Kansas. McLemore turned one into a 360-degree dunk that wound up being the top play on ESPN’s SportsCenter Saturday night.
 
Kansas fans have to feel good about how the Jayhawks responded to their three-game losing streak. KU has regained its focus on defense, and the offense finally looks alive. Senior point guard Elijah Johnson has started to playbetter as well, and sophomore Naadir Tharpe has looked impressive in the past couple of games. If the Jayhawks get good production from the point guard position, the team could be primed to make another deep run in the NCAA tournament.
 
Kansas’ biggest game of the season is coming up, as the Jayhawks travel to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State on Wednesday in a battle for first-place in the Big 12. The Cowboys also won on Saturday, defeating Oklahoma in overtime.
 
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Friday, February 15, 2013

A Closer Look At Kansas' Upcoming Schedule

After once again embarrassing K-State in Allen Fieldhouse, the Jayhawks have grabbed a share of first place in the Big 12 and positioned themselves to make a run at a ninth consecutive Big 12 championship. While blowing out the Wildcats will help the Jayhawks erase the memories of its recent three-game losing streak, KU still has a very tough remaining schedule.

Kansas’ home games are not very daunting, as they face Texas, TCU, West Virginia and Texas Tech in the comfortable confines of Allen Fieldhouse. Texas could present the most problems, as the Longhorns recently got star point guard Myck Kabongo back from suspension. The Longhorns just knocked off a tough Iowa State team in double overtime, and gave Kansas all sorts of problems earlier in the season. Still, Kansas will be the favorite Saturday and a heavy favorite in its other remaining home games.

The road games are where things get tricky for the Jayhawks. First, Kansas will travel to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State – the team that gave Kansas a rare home loss twelve days ago. Oklahoma State has been playing very well lately, and Kansas has a history of stumbling in Stillwater. Things don’t get any easier for KU in its next road game, as they travel to Ames to face Iowa State. The Jayhawks needed a Ben McLemore banked three to force overtime at home against the Cyclones, and lost in Ames last year. Kansas closes out the year visiting the talented – yet inconsistent – Baylor Bears. While KU easily dispatched the Bears earlier in the year, Baylor has NBA talent, and may be fighting for an NCAA tournament berth.

It appears that Kansas’ race for another league title may simply come down to two games: at Oklahoma State and at Iowa State. If KU wins both of these games, it may be impossible for the Jayhawks to not claim at least a share of the league title.

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Monday, February 11, 2013

Kansas Looks To Snap Losing Streak Tonight Against Kansas State

The Kansas Jayhawks have lost three straight games for the first time in eight years, and things do not get any easier tonight. KU will host Kansas State, who currently has a one game lead over the Jayhawks in the Big 12 standings. The game will begin at 8:00 p.m.

K-State currently controls its own destiny in the Big 12, but it will likely take a rare win over Kansas to take the league crown. The Wildcats have lost 45 of 48 against Kansas, and have been routinely blown out in Allen Fieldhouse.  The two teams met earlier this season, and KU prevailed 59-55 in Manhattan.

The key to beating KState will be outside shooting, as the Wildcats have hit 41 percent of their threes during its current win streak. KSU struggled from three against KU in the first meeting between the two schools, with Rodney McGruder and Angel Rodriguez shooting a combined 8 of 22. Despite Kansas’ struggles, KState will have to shoot better than the 35 percent clip it had the last time it faced the Jayhawks.

Most of Kansas’ problems start at point guard, where senior ElijahJohnson has struggled mightily during the Jayhawks losing streak. In the past three games, Johnson is shooting 9 of 37 from the floor, including 5 of 21 from three. Even worse, he has had several costly turnovers late in games when KU still had a chance to pull out a win. If Johnson can take care of the basketball and hit some shots, the Jayhawks’ struggling offense will begin to look a whole lot better.

Kansas has struggled recently, but the Jayhawks began to look better against Oklahoma on Saturday. KU is due for a good game, and it may come at home where Allen Fieldhouse will be rocking. This could be the point where the Jayhawks turn it around – or its streak of conference titles will be on life support.

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Thursday, February 7, 2013

TCU Shocks Kansas In Biggest Upset Of The Year

It will go down as the biggest upset this season in college basketball and the worst loss a Bill Self Kansas team has ever suffered. Last night, the Kansas Jayhawks were shockingly upset by TCU in Fort Worth, 62-55.

After a rare loss at home to Oklahoma State, most thought that Kansas would come out fired up against TCU. It didn’t happen, as the Jayhawks only scored an embarrassing 13 points in the first half. The Jayhawks only shot 30 percent from the field, including a horrific 3 of 22 from beyond the arc. Efficient scorers Jeff Withey and Travis Releford didn’t get many shots, while reserve point guard Naadir Tharpe attempted 15. Worst of all, struggling point guard Elijah Johnson continued to play terrible basketball, once again missing shots while turning the ball over at will.

To sum this loss up as “shocking” would be putting it too lightly. In terms of RPI, this was the biggest upset in the last 20 years of college basketball. The Jayhawks, who have knocked off top teams like Ohio State and Kansas State on the road, looked outclassed from the beginning against TCU. With two straight losses, it may be panic time in Lawrence if the Jayhawks can’t get out of their funk.

The loss also had a huge impact on the league race, as the Big 12 is now wide open. Kansas and Kansas State are tied for first, while suddenly red-hot Oklahoma State sits only one game behind. The Jayhawks will need to regroup quickly, as they have two tough games coming up – a road contest against Oklahoma and home against KSU. If Kansas can win these two games, it will once again be in the driver’s seat for a ninth straight Big 12 title. However, after last night, that is looking like a slim possibility.

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Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Kansas - TCU Preview

For only the second time this season, the Kansas Jayhawks will be looking to rebound from a loss. TCU may provide the perfect opportunity for KU to right the ship, as the Horned Frogs are winless in conference play. Tonight’s game will begin at 8:00 p.m.

Kansas has struggled offensively over the past month, and the poor play finally caught up to them on Saturday. Against Oklahoma State, the Jayhawks shot only 41 percent and committed 16 turnovers. Much of the focus has been on Elijah Johnson’s struggles, and rightfully so – the senior has 19 turnovers in KU’s past five games while shooting a dismal 24 percent from the floor.

Self has said that he will stick with Johnson at point guard, and KU fans have to remain optimistic that the senior point guard will regain the form he displayed in last year’s NCAA championship game run. While Johnson figures things out, the Jayhawks will continue to rely on freshman sensation Ben McLemore for scoring. McLemore is now averaging 16.4 ppg and has become a consistent force for Kansas, while Jeff Withey and Travis Releford have also been consistent.

TCU has struggled to adjust to the Big 12, and hasn’t been very competitive in league play this season. The Horned Frogs are averaging only 49 points and shooting 35 percent in league play, and shot only 33 percent from the floor while getting blown out on Saturday at Texas. Despite Kansas’ offensive struggles, the Jayhawks still boast one of the top defenses in the country. If the Horned Frogs want to keep this one close, they’ll need some early shots to fall.

This game on paper has all the makings of a blowout, but Kansas has played down against inferior opponents several times this season already. Still, the Jayhawks are too talented for TCU, and Kansas should be able to get rid of the bad taste in their mouth from Saturday’s loss fairly quickly.

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Monday, February 4, 2013

Elijah Johnson Continues To Struggle For Kansas

Kansas’ 85-80 loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday seemed shocking to many, given how dominant the Jayhawks have been at home for the last several years and Kansas’ high ranking in the polls. However, the Jayhawks had been asking to be upset for months, narrowly escaping several inferior teams before Saturday. The problem in Lawrence all starts at point guard, as Elijah Johnson continues to struggle for KU.

Johnson nearly single-handedly lost the game for Kansas on Saturday. The senior shot 3 of 14 from the floor and committed four costly turnovers in the second half that led to easy transition buckets for the Cowboys.  The Jayhawks had a four point lead late in the second half, and good point guard play would have allowed KU to put the game away. Instead, Johnson handed it to OSU on a silver platter.

Johnson has 19 turnovers against 19 assists in his last five games, while also shooting a poor percentage from the floor. After excelling as a shooting guard late last season next to Tyshawn Taylor, Johnson simply hasn’t looked comfortable playing the point this year.

The problem for Kansas is a lack of depth – Naadir Tharpe is the only other player capable of playing the point, and the young guard has struggled with consistency this season. Tharpe hit some big shots for KU on Saturday, but he is best used as a change-of-pace of the bench. A Tharpe-Johnson backcourt also presents problems for Bill Self, because it means he has to sit either Ben McLemore or Travis Releford, both who are playing at an extremely high level for Kansas.

Self has said that he will stick by Johnson, and really he doesn’t have any other choice. Kansas fans will continue to hope and pray the senior figures it out and plays at a higher level. The Jayhawks have all the pieces to win a ninth straight Big 12 title and make another deep NCAA tournament run. However, if Johnson continues to play poorly, KU could be in trouble.

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Kansas Defeats West Virginia

The Kansas Jayhawks’ new number one ranking was quickly put to test, as the team got all they wanted from West Virginia in Morgantown last night. Despite blowing a big early lead and some sloppy play, KU hung on to win 61-56. The Jayhawks now have a nation-leading 18 game winning streak, and sit alone in first place in the Big 12 with a 7-0 record.

Kansas was led by Jeff Withey, who had another big game on both ends of the floor. Withey finished with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks, anchoring another stout defensive performance from the Jayhawks. Kansas has held its past six opponents to fewer than 60 points, which has been crucial due to the team’s lack of offensive production.

Early on, it looked like the Jayhawks were on their way to a blowout. KU built a 15 point lead, only to turn the ball over repeatedly and allow the Mountaineers to quickly get back into the game. Kansas had 16 turnovers in the game, and point guard Elijah Johnson once again struggled to put together a consistent performance.

The Jayhawks also struggled from the free throw line, hitting a dismal 18 of 34 attempts. The poor free throw shooting and turnovers wasted a solid shooting night from the floor, as KU hit 54% of the field goals they attempted.

Kansas will be back in action on Saturday, when they host Oklahoma State (13-5, 3-3). West Virginia’s next three games are against the teams that currently sit with the Mountaineers towards the bottom of the conference – Texas Tech, Texas and TCU. WVU will have to find a way to win all three if it wants to get back into the NCAA tournament discussion. The Mountaineers have never missed the big dance under head coach Bob Huggins.

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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Kansas Once Again Beats KState In Manhattan

Kansas seized early control of the Big 12 conference race last night, edging Kansas State 59-55 in Manhattan. The Jayhawks have now won 16 straight games, and are still unbeaten in conference play. KU has won 45 of its last 48 games against KState, including a 23-2 mark in Bramlage Coliseum.

During the second half, it appeared that the Jayhawks were going to put the Wildcats away for good thanks to Ben McLemore. The redshirt freshman, who will be an early in pick in next year’s draft, scored five consecutive points to give Kansas a 10 point lead. However, KState got an answer from Shane Southwell, who hit consecutive three pointers to keep the Wildcats close. Southwell, who had a career high 19 points, also got KSU within three late, however KU closed the game out at the free throw line.

The 59 points were a season low for Kansas, and concerns about the team’s offense continue to grow. Kansas is averaging only 61 points per game in its last four contests, relying on its stout defense to grind out wins. While KU’s defense will keep them in every game, Bill Self will have to address the offense and try to get better play out of senior point guard Elijah Johnson, who has struggled mightily in conference play.

On paper, this is the toughest regular season game the Jayhawks had remaining, and the win now makes them heavy favorites to claim a ninth-straight Big 12 title. KU will face Oklahoma at home on Saturday, which should provide the team with another tough test. The Sooners are 4-1 in conference play this season, including impressive recent wins over Oklahoma State and Texas.

KState will have to regroup quickly, as they travel to Ames on Saturday to face Iowa State, who also only has one loss in conference play – which came in overtime in Lawrence against Kansas.

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Friday, January 18, 2013

Ben McLemore Returns To Practice, Will Play Saturday For Kansas

Kansas fans can breathe a huge sigh of relief, as freshman guard Ben McLemore has fully returned to practice and expects to be close to 100% when the No. 4 Jayhawks travel to Austin to face the Texas Longhorns on Saturday. McLemore had rolled his ankle late in KU’s blowout win over Baylor on Monday night, suffering a mild ankle sprain that initially looked very serious.

McLemore has been one of the best players in the country this season, averaging 16.4 points per game while shooting 50% overall and 44% from three. The redshirt freshman is expected to be one of the top players selected in the 2013 NBA draft, and has been one of the biggest reasons why Kansas is a heavy favorite to win its ninth straight Big 12 title and make a second-consecutive Final Four.

McLemore’s return is also critical due to KU’s upcoming schedule. After traveling to Austin on Saturday, the Jayhawks will travel to Manhattan to play No. 16 Kansas State before hosting Oklahoma next Saturday. Like Kansas, K-State and Oklahoma are both undefeated in Big 12 play so far. If Kansas can win those games, it may have an insurmountable lead in the Big 12 race.

Around the Big 12, there are several other interesting matchups this weekend. K-State and Oklahoma will face off in Manhattan, as both teams will look to remain undefeated in conference play. The Sooners beat the Wildcats twice last season, and could make a serious push for an NCAA tournament berth with a big upset over KSU on the road. Oklahoma State, the team many thought would finish second to Kansas in the Big 12 standings, will try to rebound from two early conference losses as they host struggling Texas Tech. Also, watch out for Iowa State – after losing to Kansas in overtime to start Big 12 play, the Cyclones have looked impressive in two straight league wins. ISU will visit league-worst TCU tomorrow.

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Saturday, March 10, 2012

MU beats Baylor - Proves Superiority Over KU Advances in Big 12 Tournament 2012

No more proof is needed, after MU completely destroyed Baylor today, it has been proven beyond a doubt that MU is far superior to KU in basketball. KU was easily defeated by Baylor last night and then MU turned around defeated Baylor tonight, proving easily that MU could have stomped all over KU in the 2012 Big 12 Tournament.

The Missouri Tigers, lead by English, defeated the Baylor Bears today by a score of 95 - 76, absolutely TROMPING the Bears, who last night walked all over the Kansas Jayhawks, eliminating KU from the Big 12 Tournament in 2012. KU will be watching the rest of the tournament from their couch as MU advances to the Big 12 Finals. The ease in which the MU Tigers defeated the Baylor Bears shows how bad MU would have defeated the KU Jayhawks had they met in the tournament. As the MU players interviewed stated tonight, "Kansas City is OUR house, NOT ANYONE else's HOUSE" - an obvious territory marking aimed at all of the superficial KU fans that litter our fine city. KU is now a National joke, and MU will be remembered as champions. They should be given the number 1 ranking that the deserve by the time the Big 12 Tournament wraps up, as Kansas proved that it had no business being ranked number 1 in the first place.

A small number of KU fans could be heard grumbling and booing in the beginning of today's match at The Sprint Center in Kansas City, but the KU fans soon shut their mouths as MU just creamed the Baylor Bears, silencing any doubts as to whom was the better local team. MU now owns the Sprint Center and KU must go crawling back to the small hippie town of Lawrence, Kansas where smoking pot and listening to Phish is the main hobby.

MU has fought all the way to the top of the heap in the Big 12 in the 2012 season, and they will be leaving for the SEC being the crowned champions of Kansas City. What a great send off for MU as they go on to compete in a much more competitive and more respected league, leaving KU back in "middle school" so to speak in the lowly Big 12.

PLAYERFGFTREBASTPFPTS
24K. English6/102/261219
1P. Pressey4/86/858315
10R. Ratliffe7/111/150515
12M. Denmon4/106/631215
3M. Pressey2/30/02005

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Friday, March 9, 2012

KU Loses to Baylor MU Beats Texas 2012 Big 12 Tournament

Mizzou gets the last laugh as KU pathetically loses today to Baylor, thus knocking KU out of the Big 12 Tournament. Meanwhile, the better of the two local college teams, MU, stomps all over Texas like they weren't even there. That's KU out, MU in, and the Jayhawks will watch the rest of the Big 12 Tournament from their couches while the Tigers march on to the finals.

Today's Big 12 Tournament excitement started with a match up between Baylor and KU at The Sprint Center in Kansas City under the big spotlight. The number 1 seeded KU Jayhawks were immediately eliminated from the tournament by a thorough beating from Baylor as they sidestepped, juked, picked, blocked and SLAMMED against the weak KU defense all day long. The Jayhawks exit the Big 12 Tournament with little more than a "squawk" and they will watch the rest of the tournament from the couch. A fitting end to the KU Jayhawk season as they looked weak all season, losing to MU in Columbia in a decisive win by the Tigers, and then getting extremely lucky a few weeks later when Mizzou allowed the Jayhawks to miraculously come back from a 19 point hole at halftime. As KU walked off the court at the Sprint Center today in complete shame, the news started coming in from the second, more important game...

Enter the MU Tigers, the Big 12's best team by far, only ranked number 2 due to a skewed college NCAA ranking system that has always favored the hawks. MU showed the world which team was the best once and for all as they stomped all over Texas by a whopping score 81-67. Texas never stood a chance against the amazing MU Tigers basketball super power, and the Tigers had their starters pulled by the end of the game. Had KU and MU met in the Big 12 Tournament, it is now obvious that MU would have pummeled KU by a very large margin with almost no effort. KU showed how weak they were today, and MU showed how strong that they are.

MU will now go on to brighter pastures in a more elite league in the SEC, it was nice knowing you KU, but MU is going to need some better competition going forward.

2012 Big 12 Tournament - MU defeats Texas - KU loses to Baylor and is eliminated from the tournament, March 9th, 2012 - Kansas City News

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Saturday, February 4, 2012

MU Basketball KU Border War February 4th, 2012 8pm Central

At 8pm February 4th, 2012, at Mizzou's home stadium in Columbia, Missouri, the 4th ranked MU basketball team will face the 8th ranked KU basketball team. With less than one hour away from the Border War basketball game between KU and MU, KU players are getting ready to play one of the most important games of the season. As the NCAA Big 12 basketball teams rally for position, tonight's game could (and will) determine which team will sit on top in first place of the Big 12. There is also a possibility of a three-way tie for first, depending on the results of the 2012 Border War between MU and KU.

Thomas Robinson is a standout player for KU basketball and is most noted for his play on the court but also for the loss of his grandparents and mother within one month's time. Robinson's mother died of a heart attack at the age of 37 after losing both of her parents only weeks before. The KU Jayhawks honored Robinson with a moment of silence in a game on January 22nd, 2011. Of Robinson's character, head coach Bill Self said "Thomas lost his grandmother at the very end of December, he lost his grandfather on Sunday and lost his mother on Friday night. For him to even be out there [on the court] is remarkable."

This Border War between MU and KU is going to be a good one because both teams are rated in the top ten and if the right things happen the result of this game will cause a three way tie in the league for first place. Mizzou basketball fans have been camped out all night in front of Mizzou Arena, waiting for the ESPN analysts and other media hype institutions. The stadium opened up minutes ago and there is no doubt that this will be a sold out event. Missouri enters the match up with the better squad, but both teams have been performing poorly as of late, losing to or barely defeating inept teams. MU will be washing it's hands of the Big 12 in July and heading to the bigger and better stage of the SEC, leaving KU behind to continue to battle in the trenches with the mutants. Regardless of the outcome of tonight's Border War between KU and MU, Mizzou will be victorious overall in the Border War history, thus closing that chapter for good.

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Monday, March 21, 2011

Kansas Last Big 12 Team Standing in Sweet 16

Kansas State coach Frank Martin recently commented that the Big 12 was disrespected by the media as well as the general public after Colorado was snubbed from the NCAA tournament. I thought Martin had a valid point, until the smoke cleared in the NCAA tournament and Kansas was the only team left standing.

To get here, the Jayhawks simply took care of business, playing average basketball and being the better team. The scary thing is KU has played nowhere near its best; in its win over Illinois, the Morris twins almost single handily beat the Illini and buried the memory of the Northern Iowa upset for good. If KU's guards start hitting outside shots and the Morris twins continue to play at a high level, the Jayhawks should take advantage of its favorable draw and make it back to the Final 4.

The problem for the Big 12 is once again, Kansas is the only team making any noise on a national level. The league needs sustained success from other programs to be credible, not a few flashes in the pan. Last year, K-State and Baylor both had strong Big 12 finishes and made the Elite 8 before falling to the two teams that made the final. This season, the Wildcats entered the tournament as a 5 seed and lost in the second round, while Baylor isn't even found in the NIT. Despite some regular season success, Texas once again fell short in the NCAA tournament, while Texas A&M and Missouri got bounced in the first round. KU's seven straight Big 12 titles doesn't help the Big 12's reputation as a one team league, despite the talent level the conference boasts. With the new, tougher league next year and coaches like Billy Gillispie entering the fray (or re-entering in Gillispie's case), the Big 12 could be the best conference in America. Hopefully America will notice.

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