Aaron Miles deserves some love

As I read through the days articles, Aaron Miles, as has been the case through most of his career, has once again taken a backseat to a teammate. Not that he would have it any other way, of course.

But lost in all of the much deserved praise for Wayne Simien is the fact that KU’s version of the little engine that could was 5-of-7 from the field, 2-of-3 from three point range, played 35 minutes (more than any other Jayhawk), had 6 assists to only 1 turnover, had only 1 foul, and hit the game winner.

Let’s give the kid some love.

Note to Billy pACCker

Dear Moron, er Billy:

Nice call attributing poor lighting in AFH to one of the reasons KU holds opponents to a low FG%. (Nice call, especially since OSU shot something like 56%)

And you should be ashamed for this comment: “…if J.R. Giddens isn’t hitting 3’s, he’s worthless.”

Billy, if you have your mouth open, you're worthless. Newsflash: YOU are not bigger than the game.

KU-OSU: Wayne's World

Congratulations to Wayne Simien for locking up Big 12 Player of the Year honors. Helluva game, big guy.

Congratulations to the Kansas Jayhawks for overcoming a lot of adversity and pulling together to win a great basketball game.

Congratulations also to OSU, for playing one incredible game. You and your fans should be proud.

What an incredible game.

KU-OSU: An opportunity

I just can’t stop thinking about this game. It’s big for so many reasons.


*It’s an opportunity for the team to regain confidence in themselves after three tough losses.

*It’s an opportunity to take control of their destiny and take a big step toward one of their goals: A Big 12 Championship.

*It’s an opportunity for the team to come together as one, united against a 4-game losing streak, against losing the Big 12 Championship, sticking it to the moron fans that booed one of their own, and to send a message to anyone and everyone that has begun to doubt them that they are still a team that can end the season as National Champions.

*It’s an opportunity for the fans to blow the roof off of Allen Fieldhouse.

*It’s an opportunity for J.R. Giddens to bust out of his shooting slump and get the “home love” he so rightly deserves.

*It’s an opportunity for all…players, coaches, and fans…to show a national television audience all of the glory that is Allen Fieldhouse and just how special it is to be a Jayhawk.

*It’s an opportunity for the four seniors…Aaron, Michael, Wayne and Keith…to prove that they can lead at a time when their teammates desperately need leadership.

*It’s an opportunity for Bill Self and his coaching staff to prove that they can weather this storm and come out stronger because of it.

*It’s an opportunity for our freshmen…Sasha, CJ, Darnell, Russell, and Alex….to come together and establish themselves as the future of Kansas Basketball, either by producing on the court or supporting their teammates that are busting their tails to get the Jayhawks to St. Louis.

*It’s an opportunity for Russell Robinson, who is not used to sitting on the bench, to use this opportunity as a learning experience and to know that he, if he chooses, will have a huge opportunity in the next three years to establish himself as one in a long line of great KU guards. (*Note to Russell: Son, your time will come. Jayhawk fans LOVE you. And we will be there for you when it’s your time to shine.)

*It’s an opportunity for the best walk-on in the history of college basketball to show everyone that he belongs and that this Jayhawk team is at its best when he is on the floor. Christian: This team is yours next year.

*It’s an opportunity to put a stamp on this season and take one big step toward in what may well be a great season to remember.


Rock Chalk.

If you watched the KU-OU game

Then you know the answers to most of the questions I asked in the Pregame Ponderings post.

It's a sad time for Jayhawk fans.

It will be interesting to see where this team goes from here.

I, for one, have no idea what they are going to do.

KU vs. OU: Pregame Ponderings

We will find out a lot about this Jayhawk team and coaching staff tonight, one way or the other.

Here are a few things I want to know:

*Can Bill Self find a way to motivate this team after two tough losses?
*Did Bill Self and his coaching staff come up with a better game plan after being outcoached the last two games?
*Will our four seniors lead tonight the way this team so desperately needs them to?
*How pissed are the seniors that the 32-home game conference winning streak ended on their watch?
*How pissed are the seniors that they just lost the third to the last game they will ever play in Allen Fieldhouse?
*How much will Giles and Galindo play and can they be effective having barely played over the last 6 weeks?
*Will Sasha Kaun play like a man tonight against Bookout and Gray or will he get pushed around and get in early foul trouble?
*Will J.R. Giddens be able to put behind poor shooting and (inexcusable) booing from the home crowd and blow his shooting slump out of the water in front of family and friends in Oklahoma?
*If J.R. isn’t able to bust out of his slump, will he be disciplined enough to cut back his shooting and do other things to help his team win? And will Self realize that is the right answer in order to give the team the best chance to win?
*Will Keith play hard for 40 minutes and keep the same pair of shoes on for the entire game? And will he hit his free throws if he gets to the line? And will he take the ball to the hole aggressively before the game has 30 seconds left?
*Will the other four players on the court get the ball to Wayne as much as he should get it, at least touching it once or twice on EVERY offensive possession?
*If Wayne does get several touches, will he get MEAN and dominate the paint like we need him to do tonight?
*Assuming Christian Moody again is not able to play, will some combination of Giles, Jackson, Kaun and Galindo be able to give this team the solid 40 minute effort that it needs at the 4 spot?
*Will Aaron Miles be more aggressive on the offensive end, both in taking shots himself and in creating shots for other using DRIBBLE PENETRATION?
*Will any of our perimeter players actually take a jump shot in front of the three-point line?
*Will we rebound better, after being outrebounded by one of the worst rebounding teams in the conference (ISU)?
*Will Bill Self put some faith in our bench players (and will they respond) so that our starters don’t have to play 39 minutes a game and can stay fresh?
*Will Michael Lee have one of those consistent all-around games we’ve been missing from him for quite some time? And will he avoid fouling out for the third straight game?
*Will the Jayhawks make a statement tonight that the Big XII Conference Championship still runs through Lawrence, KS?

And what of Iowa State?

I have heard very little about the KU-Iowa State game leading up to today. Why is that?

• Is it because we are still pissed about Aaron Miles Black-Eyed Traveling call?
• Is it because we are starting to realize that the bigger picture that is March Madness is just around the corner?
• Is it because it is starting to become more of a reality that this is our last dance with the four seniors?
• Is it because we are all so busy with our lives that we haven’t had time to think about this game?
• Is it because, for those of us in the Midwest, that Spring is so close we can almost taste the days where we can spend time outside and feel the sun?
• Is it because we already beat Iowa State once and we are unaware that they have won 6 in a row and are fighting for their lives to get to become NCAA tournament worthy?
• Is it because when you think of Iowa State, you really only think of those putrid yellow and red uniforms?
• Is it because Iowa State’s head coach looks like an inflated J.J. Walker?
• Is it because we’re all so excited about the zippidy-doo-da NBA All-Star game this weekend with all of the selflish players that make up that glorious league? Nick, Kirk, Drew, Raef, Jacque, Paul, Billy T, etc. are ironically excluded from both groups.
• Is it because the Jayhawks are back to the friendly confines of Allen Fieldhouse and lose at home as often as Quin Snyder gets love letters from MU fans?
• Is it because we are looking past this game because the “bigger” games come Monday and next Sunday against OU and OSU, with the latter likely deciding the conference championship?
• Is it because we have bigger things to worry about, like what else is Big Lew going to do to milk every last cent out the cash cow that is Kansas Basketball?
• Is it because we are all dreaming of a Final Four meeting with Illinois in the semifinals and our four seniors crying at mid-court of the TWA dome as Roy Williams cries in the opposing locker room?

Well, for this Jayhawk fan, it’s because I have complete faith that our team will be more than ready to play today, especially the four seniors, who with each bounce of the ball, know that their journey inside the sacred walls of Allen Fieldhouse is coming sooner than anyone wants.

It’s because WE KNOW that the Jayhawks will not lose another game at home…and maybe not even on the road. No team is coming into Allen Fieldhouse for the rest of the year and walking out with a smile on their face. It’s go time. The players know it. Bill Self knows it. The fans know it. So we walk into today’s game with a confidence that only Jayhawk fans can truly understand. Iowa State could come into this game with a 50-game winning streak and would not beat these four seniors….this team….in Allen Fieldhouse.

So let’s sit back today and enjoy….truly enjoy….every bounce of the ball… every Aaron Miles assist….every Mike Lee three-point swish….every Keith Langford drive-to-the-basket-and-finish….every point and rebound of another Wayne Simien double-double.

Soak it all up because the day will soon come where we long to see just one more assist, just one more three-pointer, just one more drive-to-the-basket-and-finish, just one more double-double….just one more of anything from the greatest senior CLASS (in both meanings of the word) in Jayhawk history.

It’s a great day to be a Jayhawk fan.

Rock Chalk.

More KU-Texas Tech thoughts

*Our Jayhawks played with a ton of heart. They have nothing to be ashamed of. They went in a difficult environment and competed their tails off. They deserved this win. It’s too bad the officials took the W away from them.

*Texas Tech’s students should be ashamed of themselves. The United Center wasn’t even sold out for ESPN’s Big Monday and the #2 team in the country in town. Pathetic.

*Darrell Dora hits only his fourth 3-pointer of the season to win the game. Can you say FLUKE? Of course he wouldn’t have gotten the shot had the officials done their job.

*Is it humanly possible for a Jayhawk team to get beat off the dribble more in one game? Just wondering.

*This was a well played game, with tremendous effort by both teams. It was a great college basketball game. And the officials ruined a classic game by making the wrong call and taking the game into their own hands. They should be ashamed of themselves. I know, I know..it shouldn’t have gotten to that point…but it did. And players should decide games. Not zebras.

*Did I mention the officials blew this game? I can’t even remember….which one of those morons made that horrendous call on Miles? He should forever be boo’d in Allen Fieldhouse.

*Martin Zeto had 24 pts and 6 rebs. Ross had 21 pts, 11 boards, and 7 assists. Johnson had 19 points.

*Simien had 20 points and DID NOT SCORE in either OT. 13 rebounds. His final bucket was with 3:28 left in regulation. He didn’t get ONE SHOT in the second overtime. He played 47 minutes.

*Miles had 11 points. Three 3-pointers. He played 47 minutes.

*Giddens did not score in the second period or either OT. Finished 3-of-13 shooting. 9 points in the second half. Outside of the horrible traveling call on Miles, Giddens poor shooting in both OT’s really hurt our chances of winning. He played 45 minutes.

*From Bill Self: “Exhausted right now. Unfortunate the way the game came down to the end….it was a great game…..it’s unfortunate it came down to one call…..we were up 5 and Christian let him beat him on the baseline and we fouled him….we go man the last possession, which I think was a smart play….I’m really proud of our guys…they are hurt in their right now….they are disappointed, which they should be because we had it right in our grasp….we rebounded like men…..didn’t make our free throws…Keith is playing with a hyperextended elbow…..a lot of good things tonight, but it was one we should have had…”

We own Ricardo Patton.

KU takes on Colorado today. I, for one, am not concerned about this game. It's in Allen Fieldhouse. The players are feeling good after continuing The Streak against K-State. The team is getting healthier. March is getting closer. And we own Ricardo Patton. I don't care that Colorado is playing better of late. We own Ricardo Patton. This will be an easy win for the Jayahwks today, in my opinion. I'm expecting at least a 15 point win and a frustrated look on Patton's face after yet another loss to the Kansas Jayhawks. Hey Ricardo...you are 1-20 against the Jayhawks. WE OWN YOU.

Sounds like Alex and CJ are feeling better, so I expect to see a bit of them today. Self has got to keep these guys semi-fresh as we may need them come tournament time. I’m also hoping to see RussRob get some time. I simply can’t believe he has fallen off that much and that JHawk is outplaying him so dramatically. The kid makes turnovers…but he also plays great defense….It’s time for these guys to start getting some confidence back and getting some time on the court. And what about Darnell?

I’m hoping for a blowout because that will open up their opportunities.

They want it. Jayhawk fans want it. Hopefully Self wants it.

Rock Chalk.

74-65: KU Over KSU...AGAIN

*And the streak lives on.

*KSU did what they always seem to do. Play out of their minds at times. Hit more 3’s than they typically do. And fold like a 5-dollar bill when it was all said and done. They tried hard. They played hard. And they lost…again.

*Did anyone else feel sorry for Christian Moody? He was completely overmatched against Massey tonight and fouled within seconds of entering the game on a couple of occasions. I love Moody to death, but performances like that could hurt this team in the tournament unless guys like Kaun and Giles can continue to step up.

*Massey was 6-of-16 from the floor and 8-of-11 from the FT line. I think the officials gave Massey a whistle as it seemed like every time he didn’t score, a whistle was blown to put him on the line.

*Solid game offensively and defensively for Sasha Kaun. He is really coming around and is strengthening our depth in the post with each game he plays.

*This team has to take an honest look at how they let a 17-point lead dwindle to 4. That is inexcusable for a team with the experience that this Jayhawk team has. I give them credit for finishing the game off, but I also think they need to look deep inside themselves and ask how they could let off the gas and let KSU back in it.

*Fred Peete did some ballin’ tonight. 6-of-8 from 3-pt range. Anyone wanna bet he won’t shoot like that for the rest of the season?

*Could the Jayhawks have looked more clueless against the zone? Again, inexcusable. They had glimpses where they looked like they knew what they were doing, but those were few and far between. Self, on the poor play against the zone, said “we started playing like we were trying not to lose….too many unforced errors….” Playing not to lose and going for the jugular are two different things. It concerns me a bit that this team has a tendency to do the former moreso than the latter.

*Who took over Aaron Miles body for a few minutes in the second half? A ball bounces off his face and leads to a turnover. He throws an alley-oop lob about 30 feet above the backboard. And he has 8 of KU’s 15 turnovers. He had 1 point. Self said “…he was due a game like this”. Uh, ok.

*A few KSU fans had a cheer I hadn’t heard before. “Who’s your daddy?-ho-ho…Who’s your daddy?-ho-ho”. After extending The Streak for another year, I think the answer to that question is rather clear.

*In Self’s postgame comments, he sounded none too happy. He sounded extremely frustrated with our sloppy passing, turnovers, and defensive breakdowns toward the end of the game.

All in all, another good win at The House The Jayhawks Built. It’s a conference win on the road against a “rival”. Those don’t usually come easy, and it didn’t come easy tonight.

I honestly never really doubted that the Jayhawks would pull it off. It was the difference between a team that knows how to close out a game vs. a team that is trying to learn how to do it.

Rock Chalk

Mic

KU-KSU: 1st Half Thoughts

*35-25 at the half

*The Hawks played some great defense. Think about it. The Mildcats only have 25 points at half.

*KSU fans were in it to start the game. As they always are. And then they were quiet as KU continued to increase their lead.

*KSU fans sound a lot like MU fans. Boo’ing anything and everything. That’s what uneducated basketball fans do, I guess.

*KU: 47% FG KSU: 33% FG

*Is Tyler Hughes a taller version of Richie Cunningham?

*Anyone else see Jeremiah Massey stare down the KU bench after he scored early and was fouled? Hey Jeremiah? SCOREBOARD.

*Langford hit some big threes in the first half and is playing with more swagger than I’ve seen from him at any point in the season.

*Great first half for Wayne. Well on his way to another double-double.

*Nice clutch 3 point shooting from J.R. as well.

*I LOVE how our guys hit 5-of-9 from 3 point range while KSU was as hot as they’ve been all year, hitting 4-of-7 from 3 point land.

*The most impressive thing about the first half? KU remained calm, played their game, played with a swagger, and just kept on swinging.

*KSU won’t stay hot and will start missing 3’s, start turning the ball over more, etc, etc. It happens every year and a big reason why The Streak lives on.

*Self left the starters in for pretty much the entire first half. Not a whole lot of substituting, but he was subbing at key times…give the starters a quick breather…and get ‘em back in.

*Sweet alley-oop dunk to JR from Aaron. You could feel the air coming out of Bramlage with that one.

*Anyone else notice Jeremy Case sitting BEHIND the Jayhawk bench in street clothes? What’s up with that?

C’mon Hawks! More of the same in the second half.

Rock Chalk,

Mic

KU-KSU 2002 Revisited

Here's a story I wrote back in 2002 after KU beat KSU yet again. Ahhhhh memories.

LONG LIVE THE STREAK
Much of the talk from the Land of the Purple prior to Saturday’s match-up between the Kansas Jayhawks and the K-State Wildcats was about The Streak. KU had won 19 games in a row in Manhattan and 26 in a row overall. After K-State took a 36-35 lead into half-time, purple fans everywhere had visions of their first win over KU in Manhattan since 1983. Then the Jayhawks, led by an incredible effort from senior Kirk “Not On My Watch” Hinrich, came out in the second half in an all-out blitz that would make Bill Snyder blush.


The Streak: 26 in a row in the series. 20 in a row in Manhattan. K-State has never beaten KU in Bramlage Coliseum. It’s the longest active winning streak on an opponent’s home court and only six games away from the longest streak EVER in Division I college basketball. Even K-State fans have to admit that their recent dominance in football doesn’t touch The Streak. It’s truly one of the most mindboggling statistics in college basketball.

Kirk Hinrich: What an incredible game for Kirk: 39 minutes, 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting (4-of-7 from three-point range) five rebounds, and five assists. And those numbers don’t even give a glimpse of how dominant he was in this game. He played with so much heart and intensity and put the team on his back when Nick went to the bench with his fourth foul. I think everyone in Bramlage Coliseum can appreciate the effort that Kirk gave in his last trip to Manhattan. You could feel him thinking “The Streak will NOT end on my watch.” When he wanted to score, he scored. When he wanted to involve his teammates, he’d
do it. When he wanted to turn up the defensive pressure, he did it. And, in the end, he willed his team
to victory.

I only wish Kirk’s performance would have been witnessed by a national television audience because anyone in their right mind (i.e. the voters) can see that he has All-American written all over him.

Aaron Miles: Aaron Miles played a solid game, scoring 13 points on 6-of-11 shooting and dishing out six assists while grabbing four steals. However, Aaron’s biggest contribution this season and again in this game was his defense. If you haven’t paid attention to the suffocating defense that Aaron has been playing this year, make sure you watch him in the next few games. He is one of the best on-the-ball defenders that has ever worn the Kansas uniform and it’s time that he starts getting credit for that part of his game.

I do have to disagree with Coach Williams, however, who said: "Nobody I've ever coached has gotten more criticism than Aaron Miles. That's just silly.” Uh Coach, I think Eric Chenowith and Greg Ostertag might disagree with you.

I, for one, think it's silly that Roy thinks it's silly that folks have criticized Miles. You might remember that Roy himself went off on Aaron's performance in the MU post-game press conference just a few days ago. The majority of the criticism toward Aaron has been for his inability to hit the open jump shot. I think that criticism is both fair and valid. We should all appreciate the fact that Aaron generally does a great job running this team, dishing out assists, getting to the bucket for lay-ups, forcing the tempo and playing great defense. But until he starts hitting his jump shot with some consistency and forcing teams to guard him on the perimeter, people will criticize his shooting.

Keith Langford: Keith shrugged off a less-than-spectacular performance against Missouri and came up with some huge plays in this game. I believe he ended up with three “bucket and the foul” situations and continues to be Mr. Consistent. When it’s all said and done, Keith will go down as one of the best finishers in the history of KU basketball. I love watching him glide through the air for lay-ups and knock down jumpers like he was born to do it. 18 points and 6 rebounds. What else is new?

Jeff Graves: Let’s give credit to Jeff Graves for one thing right off the bat: STAYING OUT OF FOUL TROUBLE. After having foul trouble in the last several games and getting two fouls early in the first half, Jeff had only one foul the rest of the way. Let’s hope this is a trend that continues and that The Mountain is finally learning to keep his hands to himself. Not only did Jeff stay out of foul trouble, but he ended up scoring 8 points and grabbing 10 rebounds (his sixth double-digit rebounding effort this season). He also was 4-of-4 from the free throw line on his way to having, as Roy said, “one of his best games of the season.” Way to go, Jeff. Keep it up. You will do great things if you stay out of foul trouble.

Michael Lee and Bryant Nash: Michael Lee and Bryant Nash continue to improve and are becoming solid contributors off the bench. Nash played 23 minutes and came up big with six rebounds. Lee played 12 minutes and had three rebounds and a three-pointer to go along with his aggressive defense. I don’t know about you, but I’ve really enjoyed watching these two develop and come into their own. They gain confidence with each and every minute on the court and the team knows that they can be counted on in crunch time.

"With Nick out, it was a matter of us stepping up with others on the bench. I knew we could do it," said Nash. And that is the difference. Earlier in the year, they weren’t sure of themselves. Now they are and the team is reaping the rewards.

Defense Becomes the Offense: Nick Collison heads to the bench after getting his fourth foul with 14:13 left in the game. K-State fans smell blood and KU fans feel an uncomfortable lump in their collective throat. At that moment, KU trailed 47-45. Then a funny thing happened. The Jayhawks picked up their defensive intensity with the ferociousness of a pit bull in a meat locker and completely devastated the Wildcats. With Player of the Year and All-American candidate Collison on the bench for nearly 12 consecutive minutes in the second half, the Jayhawks outscored K-State 35-13 and turned a two-point deficit into a 20-point lead. Go back and read that sentence again and tell me that isn’t beyond impressive.

Make no mistake about it, folks. This team’s best weapon is their defense. As we’ve seen time and time again this season, when this Jayhawk team commits….truly and unselfishly commits….to play in-your-face man-to-man defense, they are downright scary. They force turnovers that lead to baskets in transition and their defensive intensity creates a frenetic pace that forces the opponent out of their comfort zone.

We all know it and can feel it: This team is coming together and has the pieces to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament. Just how they far they go depends on their commitment to their bread-and-butter: DEFENSE.

Lavender Is NOT Your Color: K-State coach Jim Wooldridge decided to shake things up a bit when he asked his seniors what they thought about wearing replica jerseys to celebrate 100 years of basketball in Manhattan. The idea was to take K-State fans back to the glory years of purple hoops…back to a time when the KU-KSU game actually resembled a rivalry.

Here’s my take on the lavender unis, which I have to admit I had a hard time looking at: If this was truly “just another game” as Wooldridge offered during the week, why would he suggest that they change their uniforms? It may have fired up his team in the early going, but I think if any of his players had truly put The Streak out of their minds, bringing out the old jerseys brought it right to the forefront. I say forget the gimmicks and go out and play.

I think Keith Langford summed it up best for Jayhawk fans everywhere: "Their jerseys were kind of ugly if you ask me. But, then again, I don't like purple."

From the “Not So Original” department: K-State fans were heard chanting “H—A—R—R—Y
P—O—T—T—E—R” on a couple of occasions while Kirk was shooting free throws. That would have been funny if the chant wasn’t about two or three years old. I guess that just goes to show that things still are a couple of years behind in Manhattan.

A Tale of Two Teams: If you take a look at the two games between KU and K-State this year, there’s an interesting item to make note of: If K-State could have taken their first half from the game in Manhattan and the last 32 minutes or so from their game in Lawrence and put them together into one game, then
The Streak might have ended. Unfortunately the purples simply couldn’t avoid huge Jayhawk runs in
both games…..16-0 to start the game in Lawrence and a 21-6 run in Manhattan after K-State pulled to within 61-58.

Live by the Three, Die by the Three: K-State had seven three pointers in the first half due in large part to Roy switching to a zone defense because of foul trouble. Give K-State credit for taking advantage of the situation and knocking down the long ball. I have to admit that visions of the Nebraska game in Lincoln last year were dancing through my head as three-pointer after three-pointer went through the net. K-State’s hot shooting from behind the arc and impressive defense in the first half were the reasons the Wildcats took a 36-35 lead into the half.

Of course, there are two halves in every game and K-State didn’t show up for the second half. Not only
did their shooting cool off considerably (they hit one three-pointer in the second half), but they simply didn’t have the energy to match the defensive intensity they showed in the first half. “They ran us out of
the gym at the end there,” said Matt Siebrandt. “It seemed like they had an extra gear and we couldn't keep up with them.”

The Scratching Your Head Stat of the Game: KU was 14-of-20 (70%) from the free throw line. Collison, Graves and Langford combined to go 12-of-14 and Hinrich, who is usually an excellent free throw shooter, was 2-of-6.

After Further Review, The Officials Missed the Call: Kirk Hinrich shoots a three-pointer and one official raises his arm to signal that it indeed was a three-pointer. Swish…3 points for the Jayhawks. But wait, the officials decide to stop the game and take a look at the tape to see if Kirk’s foot was on the line. For those of us that saw the replay, it was clear that Kirk’s foot was behind the line and that is was a legitimate three-pointer. The officials, one who I believe was wearing lavender under his zebra outfit, reviewed the play and said that it was a 2-pointer instead of a 3. Huh? What? You’re kidding, right? Are we on Candid Camera?

In the end, it wasn’t the difference between a win and a loss, but it continued this season’s story of questionable officiating in the Big XII. I’m not just talking about calls that go against KU. I think there have been some horrible calls both ways in Jayhawk games and in other conference games. It’s really something that should be looked at by the Big XII leadership.(Did I mention that I’m still fuming at the “kid glove treatment” the officials gave TJ Ford when KU knocked off Texas?)

Give Credit Where Credit Is Due: This team loses it’s leading rebounder and second-leading scorer and is in prime position for another Big XII conference title. Roy Williams has done a great job of motivating this team and keeping them focused on the task at hand. He whipped Graves into shape, has made adjustments where necessary, and developed a questionable bench into a group of solid contributors that are buying into their roles on the team. Roy said this year has been more challenging than last year, but sometimes the payoff in life is so much sweeter when you have to work harder to reach your goals. I think Roy has done a great job this season of dealing with the adversity and should be commended for putting the pieces together and getting the team to buy into what he is teaching.

Wayne’s World: Did you hear the news that Wayne is hoping to be back for the Iowa State game on February 16? Keep those prayers coming, Jayhawk fans. This team will improve by leaps and bounds when the big guy is back on the floor. That thought, in a word, is delicious.

Up Next: KU takes on the Baylor Bears in Waco, Texas (8 p.m. Central time, ESPN+). The Bears are coming off an embarrassing 91-42 loss to the Oklahoma Sooners and will undoubtedly be more focused when the Jayhawks get to town. That being said, I think the Jayhawks will be ready and will head back to Lawrence with another double-digit road win.

Rock Chalk.

Mic

The Glory That Is Allen Fieldhouse

Hands down, the best environment in college basketball. Once you've experienced it, you will understand.