Kansas at CBE Classic
No. 24 Kansas takes a 2-0 record into the championship rounds of the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic Nov. 24 and 25 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. KU will face Pac-10 foe Washington (2-1) in the semifinal Nov. 24 at 9 p.m. The Jayhawks will play either No. 18 Florida (3-0) or Syracuse (2-0) in the consolation/championship round Nov. 25. Tip times are 6:45 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. on Nov. 25. These four teams bring a rich tradition of college basketball to this year’s event. Kansas and Washington played in the 1953 NCAA Tournament semifinal, a KU 79-53 win. Kansas, Florida and Syracuse represent four of the last six NCAA National Champions with Syracuse winning the 2003 title – defeating Kansas in the championship game (81-78) - Florida in 2006 and 2007 and Kansas in 2008.
About Kansas
Kansas is 2-0 for the second straight season and fourth time under Bill Self following its 85-45 win against Florida Gulf Coast in the second round of the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic Tuesday. Kansas is scoring 78 points per game and allowing 50.5 ppg. The 24th-ranked Jayhawks are shooting 48.7 percent from the field, while their opponents are at 26.5 percent. KU is also winning the battle of the boards with a +11 rebound margin through two games. Junior guard Sherron Collins is coming off a career-high 25 points against Florida Gulf Coast and leads the team with a 20.5 scoring average. Collins is making 60 percent of his shots from the field. Sophomore center Cole Aldrich is next in scoring at 12.5 ppg and he leads KU with four blocked shots. Sophomore guard Tyrel Reed is scoring 10.5 ppg, while freshman Travis Releford is at 7.0. Freshmen twin forwards Markieff Morris (10.0 rebounds per game, 6.5 ppg) and Marcus Morris (6.5 rpg, 3.5 ppg) lead Kansas in rebounds with Aldrich and freshman forward Quintrell Thomas (3.5 ppg) each pulling down 5.5 rpg. Redshirt sophomore guard Brady Morningstar leads KU with seven assists, while Collins, freshman guard Tyshawn Taylor (6.0 ppg) and Marcus Morris each have four steals through two games. KU enters its 111th year of college basketball. Last season, KU won its 51st league title, most in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks return eight letterwinners from last season’s 37-3 national championship team, yet less than 20 percent of almost every statistical category.
About Washington
Washington is 2-1 on the season and brings a two-game winning streak to Kansas City. The Huskies lost at Portland 80-74 in their season opener, then defeated Cleveland State 78-63 on Nov. 18 and Florida International 74-51 on Nov. 20 in the first two rounds of the O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE Classic. Senior forward Jon Brockman is the Pac-10 Conference Preseason Player of the Year and leads the team in scoring with 20.3 points per game and in rebounding with an 11.3 average. Senior guard Justin Dentmon is next in scoring at 15 points per game and he leads the team with four threepointers and four steals. Freshman guard Isaiah Thomas is scoring 12.3 ppg and he has a team-high 10 assists through three games. Junior forward Quincy Pondexter is second on the team with 7.3 rebounds per game to complement his 7.0 scoring average. Freshman forward Darnell Gant rounds out the starters for the Huskies. Washington is scoring 75.3 points per game and allowing 64.7. The Huskies are outrebounding foes by 18 boards per game (50.0 to 32.0).
More basketball notes, roster information, jump into the post...and don't forget to join us for the open thread and talk Jayhawk basketball and whatever else while we watch the game!!
The Series Kansas leads the overall series with Washington 7-1, yet the teams have not faced each other since the 1987-88 season. KU won the first meeting, 79-53, in the semifinals of the 1953 NCAA Tournament at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. KU would go on to finish runner-up to Indiana, 69-68, in the title game. KU won the first four meetings from 1953 through 1957. Washington’s lone win in the series came in the 1974-75 season, a 74-64 win in Allen Fieldhouse. KU has won the last three – 69-64 on Nov. 24, 1985, 82-68 on Dec. 4, 1986, and 67-57 on Jan. 4, 1988.
KU in Kansas City Kansas City has been a second home of sorts for Kansas over the years. KU's first ever game -- a1 6-5 loss to Kansas City YMCA on Feb. 3, 1899 -- was played in Kansas City. Monday’s game will mark KU's 265th game all-time in Kansas City, and its fifth in the Sprint Center. Last season, KU defeated Ohio, 88-51, on Dec. 15 in the Kansas City Shootout and won the Phillips 66 Big 12Championship going 3-0 en route to it NCAA national championship. KU played 104 games in Kemper Arena. KU is 189-74 in Kansas City, including a 5-0 mark in the Sprint Center and 80-24 record in Kemper Arena. After the win against Ohio last season, KU has won 27 straight regularseason games in Kansas City.
2008-09 Kansas Roster (*last game starters)
No. Pos. Name Cl.-Exp. Ht. Wt. Hometown (Previous School)2
G Conner Teahan So.-1L 6-5 215 Leawood, Kan. (Rockhurst HS)
4 G Sherron Collins Jr.-2L 5-11 200 Chicago, Ill. (Crane HS)
10 G Brennan Bechard Sr-2L (TR) 6-0 185 Lawrence, Kan. (Lawrence HS/Barton County [Kan.] CC)
11 F Quintrell Thomas Fr.-HS 6-7 240 Newark, N.J. (Saint Patrick HS)
12 G Brady Morningstar So.-1L(RS) 6-3 180 Lawrence, Kan. (Free State HS/New Hampton [N.H.] Prep)
14 G Tyrel Reed So.-1L 6-3 185 Burlington, Kan. (Burlington HS)
15 G Tyshawn Taylor Fr.-HS 6-3 180 Jersey City, N.J. (St. Anthony HS)
21 C Markieff Morris Fr.-HS 6-9 232 Philadelphia, Pa. (Prep Charter HS/APEX Academy [N.J.])
22 F Marcus Morris Fr.-HS 6-8 225 Philadelphia, Pa. (Prep Charter HS/APEX Academy [N.J.])
23 G Mario Little Jr.-TR 6-5 210 Chicago, Ill. (Washington HS/Chipola [Fla.] CC)
24 G Travis Releford Fr.-HS 6-5 200 Kansas City, Mo. (Bishop Miege HS)
32 G Tyrone Appleton Jr.-TR 6-2 203 Gary, Ind. (Harmony Prep/Midland[Texas] College)
40 G Jordan Juenemann Fr.-HS 6-4 195 Hays, Kan. (Hays HS)
41 G Chase Buford So.-1L 6-3 210 San Antonio, Texas (Alamo Heights HS)
45 C Cole Aldrich So.-1L 6-11 245 Bloomington, Minn. (Jefferson HS)
54 C Matt Kleinmann Sr-3L (RS) 6-10 250 Overland Park, Kan. (Blue Valley West HS)
Head Coach:
Bill Self (Oklahoma State, 1985)
Assistant Coaches:
Joe Dooley (George Washington, 1988);
Kurtis Townsend (Western Kentucky, 1982); Danny Manning (Kansas, 1991)
Upcoming Games
November
24 &Washington (ESPN2) ........... 9 p.m.
25 &Florida/Syracuse .............................
(ESPNU/ESPN2) .......6:45/9:15 p.m.
28 COPPIN STATE (JTV) .......... 7 p.m.
December
1 KENT STATE (ESPNU) ......... 8 p.m.
3 NEW MEXICO STATE (JTV) 7 p.m.
6 JACKSON STATE (JTV) ....... 1 p.m.