Kansas Jayhawk News and Notes 2.20.13

Kansas Basketball

Opinion: McLemore, Smart face off again as Big 12's best freshmen | KUsports.com
Regardless of what happens tonight, McLemore has the best shot among Big 12 players of becoming the top pick in the NBA draft. If he is, he’ll become the first shooting guard taken with the first overall pick since Notre Dame guard Austin Carr in 1971.

Jayhawks plan payback, not backflips, at Oklahoma State | KUsports.com
“We’ve got a few guys who can definitely flip and do backflips. If we win, you definitely won’t see any backflips or anything like that,” Releford added.

Blair Kerkhoff: Oklahoma St. game key to Kansas title hopes - KansasCity.com
Kansas, which had been ranked No. 1 earlier in the year, rode a three-game losing streak into the game. The Cowboys of Joey Graham and John Lucas were ranked fourth, and KU eighth. In a wild and superbly played game on a Sunday afternoon, the Jayhawks prevailed 81-79 when Lucas' open three-point shot at the end fell just short.

Champ Check: Seven make champ list, but are their offenses enough? - CBSSports.com
The list of teams meeting the Champ Check requirements has grown, but scoring gets a further examination.

Kansas Football

Spring Big 12 QB battles heavy on intrigue - Big 12 Blog - ESPN
The Dayne Crist experiment met an early end at Kansas when he was benched for freshman Michael Cummings last season, but BYU transfer Jake Heaps is up off the bench and will try to end KU's 21-game Big 12 losing streak this fall.

College Basketball

Michigan State grabs No. 1 seed in latest bracket projection | CollegeBasketballTalk
Seriously, Izzo has a system and it works. It's not flashy, it develops during the year, but man the results are solid.

Field of 68: Indiana vs. Michigan State game big for potential No. 1 seeds - NCAA Basketball - Sporting News
Kansas. 21-4, 9-3 Big 12. Rankings: RPI 9, Pomeroy 11. Best foot forward: Non-con wins at Ohio State, vs. Saint Louis, Colorado. Yeah, but … worst loss for any contender for a top-two seed, at TCU (RPI 220). Random note: Rebounded well from the three-game skid, with convincing wins at home against Kansas State and Texas.

Bracket Watch: Miami, Florida among top seeds - College Basketball - Andy Glockner - SI.com
Bracketology from SI

College Football

Big 12 recruiting takes hit with struggles of Texas, Oklahoma - ESPN
It's a different Big 12 today, one in which Texas and Oklahoma no longer look untouchable. But is it better for recruits?

2013 Big 12 spring practice capsules - Big 12 Blog - ESPN
the juco transfer revolution is underway already at KU. Kansas brought in almost 20 juco transfers in its most recent class, and five from the ESPN juco 100, highlighted by defensive linemen Marquel Combs and Chris Martin and receiver Rodriguez Coleman. That says Weis wasn't happy with last year's depth chart, and you can bet the immediate talent upgrades will assure this year's looks very different.