Kansas concludes it nonconference home portion of the 2008-09 season by hosting Siena, Tuesday at 7 p.m. on Jayhawk TV. The Jayhawks are 10-3 and coming off a 92-85 win against then-No. 14/18 Tennessee Saturday. Kansas has the nation’s third-longest home court winning streak at 32 games, which is fourth longest in school history. The game will be the 500th career game coached for Kansas’ Bill Self who has a 359-140 career record (152-35 at KU). Siena is 10-4 on the season following its 65-52 win against Saint Peter’s in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) competition Sunday. The Saints have won five straight and eight of their last nine.
Denverjhawk's thoughts...
One final tune up before a big game at Michigan State and then it's off to conference play. Hard to do a true preview of Siena but alas they are the 2009 MAAC conference favorites so I suppose they should not be taken lightly. I expect Kansas to win this one with relative ease but they might stumble a little out of the gates as the players minds are likely already on the game in East Lansing. As we shift gears to basketball season full force I thought it would be worth giving a rundown of how things seem to be shaking out content wise. My basketball previews are typically very high level basic information about the two teams. The who's, the what's, think goodyear blimp level. Rock Chalk tends to get a little more in depth with the why's and how's so keep your eye out for a possible preview from him as well, his are more like a ringside view. Also feel free to join us for the open threads and if anyone out there knows of one of those great little online links where folks out of the area can watch the game tomorrow night, throw it up!!!
More notes, quotes and roster info after the jump...
Kansas is 10-3 on the season and has won two straight and three of its last four games. The Jayhawks are averaging 79.8 points per game and giving up 63.8 for a +15.9 scoring margin. KU leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage defense at 37.6 percent and free throw percentage at 72.7 percent. Two of KU's three losses have been by one point to UMass (61-60) and in overtime to Syracuse (89-81), i.e. two possessions. Junior guard Sherron Collins leads KU in scoring at 17.6 points per game and is coming off a career-high 26 points in the win against Tennessee. Collins has led the team in scoring in 10 of 13 games this season and has a team-high 28 three-point field goals and 66 assists, including nineversus Tennessee. Sophomore center Cole Aldrich is next in scoring at 14.8 points per game and has scored 42 points in his last two games – 20 vs. Albany, 22 vs. Tennessee. He leads the team with 9.6 rebounds per game. Aldrich has led Kansas in rebounding in 10 of the last 11 games. He also has seven double-doubles in that span, second most in the Big 12. Aldrich has 35 of KU's 63 blocked shots for a Big 12-leading 2.7 per game. Freshman guard Tyshawn Taylor is scoring 10.2 points per game and leads Kansas with 21 steals. His 1.6 steals per game and 3.7 assists per game lead the Big 12 freshmen class. Freshman forward Marcus Morris comes off the bench and is scoring 8.4 ppg. He is second on the team with 5.8 rebounds, tops among Big 12 freshmen. Sophomore guard Brady Morningstar has made multiple three pointers in each of his last four games and is scoring 7.8 points per outing. Sophomore guard Tyrel Reed, 6.9 ppg, has scored 20 points in his last two games. Freshman forward Markieff Morris has started the last four contests and is third on the team with a 4.7 rebound average. He is scoring 5.5 ppg. Freshman guard Travis Releford (3.5 ppg) and freshman forward Quintrell Thomas (2.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg) are each averaging more than seven minutes per contest.
Located in Loundonville, N.Y., near Albany, Siena is 10-4 on the season, including 4-0 in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC). The Saints won six of seven games in the month of December and bring a five-game winning streak to Allen Fieldhouse. Siena is 3-1 in true road games this season and 3-4 away from home. Siena is scoring 73.4 points per game and giving up 67.4. Junior guard/forward Edwin Ubiles leads Siena with 14.5 points per game and 17 blocked shots. He is pulling down 4.9 rebounds per game. Junior forward Alex Franklin is next in scoring at 13.8 points per contest and he has a team-high 6.9 rebounds per outing. Senior guard Kenny Hasbrouck is scoring 11.9 points per game and he and sophomore guard Clarence Jackson (7.7 ppg) have a team-best 13 three-point field goals. Junior guard Ronald Moore (8.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg) leads Siena with 82 assists on the year. Hasbrouck has a team-high 23 steals with Franklin and Moore close behind at 20 each. Sophomore forward Ryan Rossiter has 19 steals to complement his 8.7 scoring average. He is second on the team with 6.3 rebounds per game. Senior forward Josh Duell (2.1 ppg) and Owen Wignot (2.1 ppg) are averaging more than 11 minutes per game for the Saints. Siena won the MAAC regular season and postseason championships in 2008 and defeated Vanderbilt in the first round of the 2008 NCAA Tournament before falling to Villanova in the second round. Kansas defeated Villanova (72-57) in the Sweet 16 en route to its third NCAA National Championship. Siena was the unanimous choice of the conference coaches to win the 2009 MAAC title.
Collins Named Big 12 Player of the Week
Kansas junior guard Sherron Collins has been chosen the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week for Dec. 29 - Jan. 4 in voting by a media panel.
Collins wins the player award after turning in his best performance of the season in the Jayhawks' 92-85 win over No. 14/18 Tennessee. The junior guard led KU against Tennessee, scoring a career-high 26 points. He also had nine assists and five rebounds. In two victories last week, he averaged 16.5 points, 6.5 assists and 2.5 boards. He also shot 47.4 percent from the field and 70.6 percent from the free throw line. Collins has led the Jayhawks in scoring in 10 of 13 games and has posted 19 or more points six times.
It is Collins' second career Big 12 Player of the Week honor and the first for the Jayhawks this season. Collins was also the last player from KU to receive the award in last year's final week of regular-season play.
Oklahoma freshman guard Willie Warren was named Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week for the second straight week. Warren averaged 24.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists last week for the Sooners.
After missing the first 12 games due to injuries, junior guard Mario Little made his first appearance of the season against Tennessee Jan. 3. The Chicago native recorded five rebounds and two assists in 10 minutes of play. The 2008-09 Big 12 Preseason Newcomer of the Year, Little suffered a broken left hand in practice on Dec. 16. Self said Little got his hand caught in a team mate’s jersey while changing directions and broke the fourth metacarpal of his non-shooting hand. Little had just returned to practice on Dec. 5 after suffering a stress fracture in his lower left leg that put him on crutches in mid-October.
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 Co. [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 Hoboken, N.J. (St. Anthony HS)
*21 F 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)
Siena Saints (*last game starters)
No. Name Pos. Ht. Wt. Class Hometown (Previous School)
0 Conner Fenlon G 5-11 142 Fr. Tampa, Fla. (Tampa Prep)
3 Kyle Downey G 6-2 200 Fr. Fairport, N.Y. (Fairport)
12 Josh Duell F 6-7 253 Sr. Scotia, N.Y. (University of Vermont)
13 Clarence Jackson G 6-3 183 So. Marlton, N.J. (Cherokee)
22 Ryan Rossiter F 6-9 227 So. Staten Island, N.Y. (Monsignor Farrell)
*23 Edwin Ubiles G/F 6-6 199 Jr. Poughkeepsie, N.Y. (St. Thomas More)
24 Cory Magee F 6-7 229 Jr. Fairport, N.Y. (Fairport)
*25 Ronald Moore G 6-0 160 Jr. Conshohocken, Pa. (Plymouth Whitemarsh)
31 Owen Wignot F 6-6 201 Fr. Dallas, Pa. (Holy Redeemer)
32 Erik Harris C 6-8 220 Sr. Swedesboro, N.J. (Kingsway Regional)
*41 Kenny Hasbrouck G 6-3 194 Sr. Capital Heights, Md. (Maine Central Prep)
*42 Alex Franklin F 6-5 225 Jr. Reading, Pa. (Central Catholic)
*43 Steven Priestley F 6-5 237 So. Baldwin, N.Y. (Uniondale)
Head Coach: Fran McCaffery (Pennsylvania, 1982)
Assistant Coaches: Mitch Buonaguro (Boston College, 1975); Andrew Francis (LIU-Southampton,1998);
Adam Chaskin (Michigan, 1992)
Upcoming Games
January
10 at Michigan State (CBS) ....... 12 p.m.
13 *KANSAS STATE (B12) ....... 7 p.m.
17 *at Colorado (ABC) ........... 2:30 p.m.
19 *TEXAS A&M (ESPN) .......... 8 p.m.
24 *at Iowa State (ESPN) ............ 1 p.m.
28 *at Nebraska (ESPN2) ....... 6:30 p.m.
31 *COLORADO (ESPNU) ........ 3 p.m.