Hopefully this will become a more frequent occurrence, but some days it is hard to throw up an entire thread worthy of Jayhawk news. In any case, let's get it going.
- The big worry over Sherron Collins missing some time over his whole accused sexual assault should be over, now that it is official that no charges will be filed. It was never all that big of a concern, but it is nice that it is officially past SC and he can completely focus on the upcoming season. Becasue, uh, he is going to decide just how far we make it this season.
- Looking for an idiotic article to read? Check out Woodling's latest piece from the LJW where he calls out the Kansas Athletic Department for its relatively low finish in the NACDA rankings. Yes, I had never heard of those either before today. And while all sports should get some attention, and as Jayhawk fans we should desire a victory in women's softball every time out, for some reason this argument falls on deaf ears. I mean, we are coming off a National Championship + BCS Bowl victory, in the two sports that actually make a substantial profit. Eventually, according to Lew himself, we will focus on the non-profit sports, but I, for one, am glad he spent most of his first years on the football program.
- A good article, on the other hand, is this one about the two most important shots in the NCAA Tournament, at least from a Jayhawk perspective: Jason Richards' miss at the end of the Davidson game and, obviously, Mario Chalmers' trey. Interesting to say the least.
- Darrell Arthur has signed his first contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. $800,000 in the first year and $2.6 million over three years isn't what he expected when he left early, but it is still quite a way to make a living.
- Mario Chalmers has also signed his first professional contract, although his second-rounder contract gives him only two guaranteed years. However, the Heat think enough of him to give him a team option for a third year. And on their official website, there is a wonderful story on how Chalmers is 'fitting in'.
- Speaking of awesome stories, and I mean awesome, check out Dana O'Neil's story on Michael Lee and his final shot at a Championship being rejected by Hakim Warrick. A little sad, sure, because of that whole losing the National Championship thing, but still a good story.
- For a more positive Championship-ending shot, check out Pate Forde's piece on the shot and where it ranks in all-time NCAA shots. Of course, his ranking of Mario's shot at #4 is pretty bogus from where I'm standing (particularly because Tyus Edney's layup in the second-frickin'-round is ranked Number 2), but it is still a pretty good article.
- Over at Fox Sports, Kevin Hench has an article up claiming that this is the Greatest Sports Year of All-Time. It's been a pretty damn good year from a Kansas Jayhawks perspective for sure, and he mentions the epic Final Four in his case.
- Over at ESPN, they have a weekly recruiting update. This week, in their 'Sleeper of the Week' portion of the program, they list new Kansas commit Kevin Young. Here is what they had to say:
Kansas is not landing the blue-chip studs that Jayhawks fans may have expected following last fall's success, but Mark Mangino is building another quality class filled with solid, system-fitting prospects. The commitment this week from defensive end Kevin Young (Olathe, Kan./North), one of the top-rated defensive prospects from Kansas, is a good example.
The Jayhawks' defensive staff may have seen what we saw in Young -- a kid with tons of physical upside and a great motor for getting after the quarterback. On film, his 6-foot-4, long, chiseled frame is dripping with potential, and he has good acceleration to go with it. Young lacks ideal fluidity and needs some positional polish, but he will be at a program that does a good job of developing talent.
-- Billy Tucker
- As for Kansas' new football facility, the $31 million Anderson Family Complex (which I will discuss in further length in the next couple of weeks), here is an update on. For more updated pictures outside of that story, check out the official KU ever-updating page on the development of the building.
- And finally, to close out the Update, here is an article on the recruiting success we have had since our Orange Bowl victory.