@approxinfinity Really hard to have to vote against any of them really. I voted for EJ - he gave his all for 4 years.
RockChalkinTexas
6832 posts
@tundrahok I posted the original one several weeks back. It was started by The University Daily Kansan. I predicted the Final 4.
By: Christian Hardy | @HardyNFL
Kansas basketball already has Allen Fieldhouse, but now Bill Self and company have something else to be excited about — a new housing facility.
Established with the $17.5 million donated to Kansas Athletics from various donors, as well as bonds, Marie S. McCarthy Hall will offer private bedrooms and bathrooms, an indoor basketball court, pool tables, a theatre room, meeting rooms and a dining room.
Those donations will make all of that possible, and it’ll give the Kansas basketball program another advantage: a recruiting boost. The exclusive, basketball-only apartments should be a massive addition to a program that is already one of the best in the nation in recruiting.
According to a Student Housing release, construction on the building will be finished this July.
The University of Kentucky was the first to revolutionize the luxury apartment incentive in 2012. With the help of donors, John Calipari opened the doors to Kentucky’s Wildcat Coal Lodge. But Calipari’s player mansion isn’t quite as luxurious as the one Self will open up this summer.
Though locations are similar for both the Kentucky and Kansas facilities — both just a jaunt away from the practice facilities — there are a few amenities Kansas offers that Kentucky doesn’t.
Kansas’ facilities will include a full-court basketball facility, whereas Kentucky doesn’t have one at all. McCarthy Hall will also house a full-fledged theatre, unlike Kentucky’s facility. The Jayhawk players will live in individual rooms and private bathrooms, while players share a room and bathroom at Kentucky.
In all, the apartments will house 66 students, but more than half of those of those spots (38) will go to regular students. That will add up to about $265,000 per tenant. The cost might sound outlandish, but, once it’s built, compounding the apartments with Allen Fieldhouse will make Kansas seemingly irresistible for recruits.
If Kansas basketball fans expect the team to pull in some of the top recruits in the nation, they’re just going to have to get over the dollar figure. It’s not coming out of the University’s pocket, so there’s no reason for students to be upset about that.
And maybe these student-athletes deserve to be treated like royalty. With practice and workouts nearly every single day, no student-athlete has the ability to work, study and buy these amenities for themselves. It’s not as if they aren’t paying the University back, either: they’re the people who put butts in to the 16,300 seats in Allen Fieldhouse for every single game, and bring in thousands of dollars in jersey sales each and every season.
These luxury apartments are the least that Kansas Athletics can do for the student athletes on which the school’s pride rely so heavily on. Before you criticize the dollars being thrown around, don’t forget what the student athletes, current and future, represent and all they embody for the University’s student body.
Tough one to vote on = Langford / Rush.
@Crimsonorblue22 (puke) How I felt yesterday after getting home and checking to see where BIngram picked.
@globaljaybird Taneycomo is where we were. So peaceful back then.
@ralster You sir have a dirty mind. :-) I was thinking more along the lines of a fine 10 course meal with him buying the most expensive wine in the establishment.
I saw several articles talk about the fact that he wore a KU shirt on Friday. I'm like @truehawk93. Just some gut feeling based on how his dad spoke about Coach in the Kinston article. He will make the other 2 instate schools mad if he picks any of them so logic is that he gets as far away from home and comes to KU.
@globaljaybird We were down there at a friend's cabin every summer back in the mid 70's and none of that crap was in Branson. Bikers were the ones who were hanging there. It was trout fishing all day, drinking all night. No TV, cell phones or regular phones for that matter, and no driving for 5 glorious days. It was heaven. The water was so clear and cool. I think I was there when it was the best. I've no desire to go back after all the commercialization. I've seen pictures. It is scary.
@nuleafjhawk Not quite there. Just 12 miles past Lago Vista on the west side of the lake. Horseshoe Bay is still 30+ miles away. It is 43.5 miles from my door to work. All the attorneys in our firm are at a retreat in Horseshoe Bay this weekend. Lots of nice lake houses there and golf courses. Does he play? Has the reputation of having to be "RICH" to live there.
@ralster Yes - work in downtown Austin and live 45 miles West. Have for 35 yrs. May know them.
@ralster UT is having pushback from others who have trademarks/copyrights of the Smart and Strong logo. :-)
@JayHawkFanToo The picture embedded in the article was of Gundy with the caption:
Mike Gundy's program will be on probation for one year but will not lose any scholarships or face a postseason ban.
Kevin Jairaj/USA TODAY Sports
NOT sure why the article didn't differentiate that it was football. Fining Boone Pickens only $8,500? Why bother. He burns through that in one night probably.
On Friday, the NCAA determined that the Oklahoma State University athletic department violated NCAA policies by not following its own drug testing policy and allowed a student group to participate in hosting prospects, according to a decision issued by a Division I Committee on Infractions panel.
The school was penalized with one year of probation, $8,500 in fines, suspension of the Orange Pride student group program and university-imposed recruiting restrictions.
This case stemmed from a series of articles published in Sports Illustrated stating various claims of alleged NCAA violations. According to the NCAA report, more than 50,000 emails and other documents were reviewed and nearly 90 interviews were conducted. Many of the allegations from the series of articles were unfounded, but the investigation concluded that the university violated its drug testing policy and committed recruiting violations.
@Duanep5ku Welcome Duane. You will find this site the BEST THERE IS - Like our Jayhawks!
Over on the far right side of the homepage you'll find an article that gives you all the FAQs posted by the originator - @approxinfinity
Rock Chalk!
Bonnie Henrickson @coachbonnieUCSB · 10h10 hours ago
Excited and humbled to be named the Head WBB Coach at UCSB today! GO GAUCHOS!! #PLAYERSPARADISE
Bet she won't miss the winters in Lawrence!
@drgnslayr I see the "T" at the top of the J. Don't you? See that line across the J?
In addition to being the "Live Music Capital of the World", Austin, Texas has the "Largest Panhandling Group" in the whole universe. No kidding. Every fricking street corner. I saw one woman sitting out in the median staking her ground and the sun wasn't even up this morning - it was 5:40 AM. One of the TV stations followed some a few years back and found that like other stories above that they had BMW's/high end vehicles stashed blocks away. I get hit up several times every day that I am out walking during lunch. But of course they put a homeless shelter right downtown..... They found one of the homeless guys laid out dead and coming through on the conveyer belt of a green recycle center last week! A lot of cities PAY their homeless and give them a bus ticket straight to Austin. Hell, they made famous a crossing-dressing homeless man named Leslie - who old hippies thought personified the "Keeping Austin Weird" theme. He wore thongs while camped out at the corner of 6th & Congress (the main corner) waiving to people. When he died 2 years ago, they wanted to erect a friggin statue of this guy. Unbelievable.
Jason King @JasonKingBR · 8h8 hours ago
Jason King retweeted KUHawkZone
Nice hustle by @jessenewell to get insight from former colleagues, players. I like this hire a lot.
Jason King added,
KUHawkZone @KUHawkZone
ESU coach says Brandon Schneider will bring 'transformation' to KU women's basketball: http://cjon.co/1yMGa06 ↗
I saw a twitter post from a KSUcks fan that said "Illinois told us this would happen." Funny sh^t.
With three players dismissed, three transferring and the graduation of seniors Thomas Gipson and Nino Williams, the Wildcats could have eight new players next season.
They signed three players in the November early signing period: St. John forward Dean Wade, guard Barry Brown and center Dante Williams. The spring signing period began Wednesday, and K-State signed freshman point guard Kamau Stokes, while junior college point guard Carlbe Ervin from Connors State (Okla.) College signed his letter of intent Friday.
JayhawkSlant @JayhawkSlant · 26m26 minutes ago
Five-star shooting guard Terrance Ferguson says he's been in contact with the #KU staff… #kubball
For 2016
Terrance Ferguson
Dallas, TX (Prime Prep Academy)
Shooting Guard
Ht 6-7
Wt 180
Age 17 yrs 11 mo
CLASS OF 16
247Sports Composite
0.9973 ?
Natl Comp
6
Pos SG
3
St TX
1
247Sports 99
10
2
2
CRYSTAL BALL Predictions
Kansas
47%
Oklahoma State
27%
SMU
13%
Florida
7%
Louisville
7%
Timeline
See All 12 Entries
Jan 27
C. Visit
Jerrance Howard from Kansas Jayhawks visits Terrance Ferguson
Jan 13
U. Visit
Terrance Ferguson unofficially visits Kansas Jayhawks
Jan 6
C. Visit
Jerrance Howard from Kansas Jayhawks visits Terrance Ferguson
Let's hope he has this kind of intensity and plays with a CHIP!!!
This is one of my favorite screensavers AFTER basketball season! :-)
!rafa1.jpeg ↗
@drgnslayr This will be MUST-SEE TV this weekend:
Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal set up semifinal showdown
Djokovic, who ended Rafael Nadal's reign in Monte Carlo when he won the clay-court Masters tournament in 2013, will next face the Spaniard in a match he sees as "probably the biggest clay-court challenge you can have."
It will be their 43rd career meeting, the first since Nadal beat Djokovic in last year's French Open final.
"I've got to prepare myself mentally for that," Djokovic said. "Other than the mental part, I think physically I'm ready. I'm going to need to keep the high level of performance throughout the entire match tomorrow."
Nadal, an eight-time champion at the Country Club, had to battle for nearly 3 hours before securing a 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 victory over David Ferrer, who beat him in the quarterfinals last year.
"This is an important win for the future," Nadal said.
Djokovic and Nadal have been going in opposite directions this season, as Nadal dropped to fifth in the world rankings following a string of poor results on hard court. Back on his favorite surface, he passed a significant test against Ferrer, a fellow clay specialist.
@RockkChalkk This was from USA Today:
PSA: Cheick is pronounced SHECK; not CHECK or CHEEK.
(I'll think of Shecky Green - shows how old I am :-))
So now we know.
@BeddieKU23 What I wonder about Ingram is the "reverence" he speaks of on his visit last Oct. Is it the same thing that Kelly mentioned in his goodbye tape about the type of feeling he got on his Late Night visit? That's been a good thing for lots of players throughout the years.
Do you know the proper pronunciation of Diallo's first name? Is it like "check" book or "cheek" bone?
Kansas recruits Carlton Bragg, Tyler Dorsey, Stephen Zimmerman and Brandon Ingram watch the action during Late Night.
From 10/13/14 KUSports.com article:
Ingram update:
Ingram, a 6-8 forward from Kinston (North Carolina) High, tweeted: “Visiting Kansas was a great experience. I had a wonderful time. Shoutout to everyone who made it special! #RockChalkJayhawk.”
No. 18-rated Ingram has visited Duke and will visit Kentucky this weekend and North Carolina on Jan. 24. UCLA and N.C. State also are on his list. He will be a spring signee.
! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! (clap)
JayhawkSlant @JayhawkSlant · 18m18 minutes ago Olathe, KS
kubball will conduct an in-home visit with .@B_Ingram13 (Brandon Ingram) tomorrow. Big time player and immediate difference maker.
From SB Nation:
Brandon Ingram -- SF, Kinston High School, Kinston, NC
There is no doubt that plucking the North Carolina native from Duke, UNC or other state schools will be hard, but there is also no doubt the lanky, but super-athletic Ingram likes what he sees from the Jayhawks.
Rob Harrington, in an article from ScoutHoops.com, said Ingram "always speaks with a reverence toward his official visit to Kansas last October." Ingram, who said he considers former UNC players Jerry Stackhouse and Reggie Bullock mentors, isn't letting that influence his decision according to the article.
"I don't feel any pressure at all to stay in the state," Ingram said. "Jerry and Reggie both support me 100 percent, and they just tell me to make the decision that's best for me and my family."
On the flip side, the Jayhawks really like the top-15 prospect as well. JayhawkSlant has been reporting that Self has been very active with Ingram, telling him "Kansas needs him" directly after its tournament loss.
Again, it won't be easy but the Jayhawks always have their history and tradition in their back pocket. One thing they do not have is a small forward on the roster. Ingram could come in and make an immediate impact for a team that could use a slashing No. 3 who can get to the basket with ease, but also hit from the outside if called upon.
In-state schools have led the way in most expert predictions, but the Jayhawks are starting to trend upward in 247's rankings. Just one week ago, Duke had a 53 percent chance to land him, followed by UNC at 25 and KU at 16. Today, the Jayhawks are tied for second with UNC at 18 percent.
It can't be said enough that sometimes decisions are literally made at the last minute by these top recruits, although Ingram has said he will make a decision before the end of the month.
If it were up to Bragg, Ingram would join him in Lawrence along with No. 2 overall prospect, Jaylen Brown.
@HighEliteMajor Very helpful and insightful. Thanks for posting.
Gotta Share This Gorgeous Picture. Great Bluebonnet Season. Look what a little rain brings!!
@drgnslayr Where else they gonna go? And who would want them?
BurntOrange is always out there trying to be first but never really ever right. That was dated 10 days ago. Believe me, if he had announced I would have heard the loudest hurrahs from the office 3 doors down the hall from me from one season ticket holder that did NOT like him or his game.
Just saw this. Good news:
JayhawkSlant @JayhawkSlant · 15m15 minutes ago Olathe, KS
@b_greene14 has made it out of surgery and is doing well. He can return to the basketball court in 4 months full speed. #kubball
More from his dad:
Gary Bedore @GaryBedore · 20m20 minutes ago
He'll be on crutches two months and be pain free in about 4 months will "be back 110 percent pain free" dad Jeff said.
@Crimsonorblue22 I don't think Taylor has declared. Holmes is a Sr. so he is gone and Turner has declared. Shaka was on the radio yesterday afternoon talking about what talent Taylor had. Found nothing on the Longhorn Sports site either.
@drgnslayr I'm going to tell your wife and her family :-)
@drgnslayr I am in Rafa's corner! Great rivalry.
@Crimsonorblue22 I was on YouTube looking at a JoJo Game On app of his Embiidemojis and just happened on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=4EQIjPVi-fI ↗
Kansas Jayhawks Recruiting Rumors:
Georgios Papagiannis Is A Dark Horse
by Joel Wagler
The Kansas Jayhawks recruiting rumors continue to swirl around the top ranked recruits, but center Georgios Papagiannis could be a dark horse. If Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks miss out on some of the higher ranked big men, Papagiannis may be a player that could thrive at Kansas.
Georgios Papagiannis stands 7’1″, and weighs in at 235. He is not ranked on ESPN’s Top 100 list of recruits, but that doesn’t mean he wouldn’t make a fine center for the Jayhawks.
There are some different opinions of just where the big fellow might land. ESPN has Kansas high on Papagiannis’ school list, but does not show that Self has offered a scholarship. 247 Sports has Kansas high on his list, but indicates Oregon (who isn’t even listed on ESPN) and Maryland may be the favorites to land him.
Here is a snippet from the ESPN scouting report:
He has an incredible combination of size and skill. He’s got a super soft touch around the basket and is typically able to shoot over the top of most contesting defenders. He also owns a legit jump hook and shooting range that extends to the three-point arc
This reports mentions some skills that might be appealing to Self. If he has range out to the three-point line, this would fit into Kansas’ secondary break that sometimes features a big man who can come up the court and pop off a three-pointer .
Given his size, and the fact he is not considered a top recruit, might indicate he would be a bit of a project for Kansas. It also indicates he isn’t a one-and-done, and might have a few years to develop into a player who can earn a living in the NBA.
It is no secret that the Kansas Jayhawks need at least one dominant big man. They are recruiting prospects Cheik Diallo, Stephen Zimmerman, and senior transfer from Charlotte, Mike Thorne Jr.
KUSports.com reported this morning that Perry Ellis, the Jayhawks’ leading scorer this past season, is returning for his senior campaign. This is probably the best move for Ellis himself, and it is certainly the best move for Kansas Jayhawks basketball.
With Ellis still in the fold, the second starting spot opposite Ellis is wide open. Landen Lucas filled in nicely after Cliff Alexander was shut down by an NCAA investigation, and could be the forerunner for the spot next season for this Kansas Jayhawks basketball team.
Lucas is a player that is hard not to root for, as he seems to give it all, but he may be approaching his ceiling. He is not a dominant scorer, but he did show flashes of being a force on defense at times.
If Self doesn’t land one of the remaining big men, Lucas may very well be the starter.
Georgios Papagiannis could challenge Lucas, if he is the big man Self brings in. It would not be surprising if several of the remaining centers or power forwards decided to make Kentucky their group destination. If that happens, Self may be scrambling.
The big guy from Greece may just be a dark horse recruit with a lot of upside for the Jayhawks.
Enjoy some international highlights of Georgios Papagiannis.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1bFF9SNjtW4 ↗
Kelly Oubre 2015 NBA Draft Scouting Video. More good things than bad.
@drgnslayr Does she know Novak Djocivick? ;-)
@jaybate-1.0 HaHa. The pyrotech stuff was the brain fart of the new AD. They did that at the KU game I went to. Glad Zenger doesn't follow suit. All to try and get the measly crowds fired up. Did you see the lousy attendance records?
@drgnslayr and @crimsonorblue22 I do believe they have to sit.
This is the latest I can find on it (March of 2012) through a search on ESPN:
Once a release is granted, a transferring student in football, basketball, men's ice hockey and baseball must sit out one year before becoming eligible at a new school. There is no one-year waiting period in other sports.
Jeff Goodman is reporting that there are 5 players (1 of which was an incoming freshman) that have gotten their transfer release from VCU. I assume because Shaka left.
Pools Announced:
When Kansas University’s men’s basketball team begins representing the USA at the 2015 World University Games this summer, the Jayhawks will start things off in Gwangju, Korea, in the same pool as Brazil, Chile, Serbia, Switzerland and Turkey.
The World University Games, which feature four pools of six teams, begin July 3 and finish July 14. KU, playing as the National Team, is in Pool D. Following five games of pool competition, teams will be seeded for bracket play, with the top two teams from each pool competing for the gold medal.
Only current university student-athletes or recent graduates, born between Jan. 1, 1990, and Dec. 31, 1997, are eligible for the 2015 Games. For KU’s participation, only U.S. citizens can compete — meaning Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk won’t play with his fellow Jayhawks in the competition — and incoming freshmen and transfers qualify.
Historically, the USA has won 13 World University Games gold medals, three silvers and three bronze since the inception of the games in 1965. The USA’s last WUG gold medal came in 2005. The USA is 1-0 in the World University Games against Serbia with a 68-66 victory in 2009. Serbia later won the 2009 WUG gold medal and USA the bronze. The USA is 8-0 against Brazil with the last meeting in 2001, at USA 99-67 victory. The USA squad is 1-0 versus Turkey with the lone meeting in 2001, a 113-90 decision. The USA has yet to face Chile or Switzerland in World University Games competition.
This is the second time a college team will compete in the World University Games. In 2007, the University of Northern Iowa participated and finished ninth in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Kansas travel party, consisting of 12 competitors and staff (24 total), will leave Lawrence June 28 and live in the athlete village throughout the Games. The International University Sports Federation (FISU) which governs the World University Games established the criteria for selecting each pool based on previous WUG results, previous participation in the Games, continental representation and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) rankings. Following the five games in pool competition, the teams will be seeded for bracket play with the top two teams from each pool battling for a medal.
2015 World University Games Pools
Pool A – Korea, Estonia, Germany, China, Angola, Mozambique
Pool B – Russia, Canada, Mexico, Mongolia, Sweden, Montenegro
Pool C – Australia, Lithuania, Finland, Japan, France, Chinese Taipei
Pool D – Serbia, Brazil, USA, Turkey, Chile, Switzerland
@JayHawkFanToo No new site been selected. AD Patterson wants us taxpayers of Austin to finance it and has caused quite an uproar since UT has Gazillions of $. They need a bball facility on or close to campus to get students to come. Shaka was picked over Marshal to smooze the UT alum.
Texas men’s basketball season tickets going up an average of 7 percent
One month after raising football season ticket prices, Texas officials announced Tuesday that men’s basketball ticket prices are going up, too.
Men’s basketball season tickets are going up an average of 7 percent for the 2015-16 season, Shaka Smart’s first in Austin. Similar to football, the biggest increases will be near center court, and there’s also a $99 option with no donation requirement.
“What we’re trying to become is consistent across all our sports,” said Steve Hank, UT’s chief revenue officer.
Last month, the school announced an average 6 percent increase in football season tickets at Royal-Memorial Stadium. That featured a 31 percent spike for seats along the 50-yard line. But the school also made $199 tickets available for those who just want to get in the door.
The same principles apply for men’s basketball. For the upcoming season, seats in sections 20 and 35, which straddle center court, will be $715 each for renewing ticket holders and $750 for new customers. Each seat requires a minimum $2,500 donation to the Longhorn Foundation.
Tickets go down in price depending on seat location, from $695 each to sit above the tunnel where the Longhorns run out to $175 in the upper deck.
The $99 seats are in the upper portions of the Erwin Center, behind the baskets. It’s the same in football; $199 tickets at Royal-Memorial Stadium are along the top deck of the north end zone.
“In the areas where we have the greatest demand, we are asking those who have the most valuable seat locations to invest accordingly,” Hank said
Texas officials said the same grandfathered seat and resale policies apply in men’s basketball.
For longtime season ticket holders locked into a lower donation requirement, that will not change this year, Hank said. However, those seats are not eligible for resale through a secondary market maker like StubHub or a ticket broker.
If a person wishes to sell his or her season tickets, that person must pay the current required donation or risk losing ticket-buying privileges. Hank said the athletic department’s resale policies “will be thoroughly enforced.” How this will affect the handful of ticket scalpers who buy and sell outside the Erwin Center every home game is unclear.
Just to see this:
!erwin.jpg ↗
Texas officials have spent considerable time and effort improving the Erwin Center’s game-day atmosphere.
The Longhorns had an average paid attendance of 11,249 last season for 18 home games. The arena’s listed capacity is 15,540.
The Longhorns were 13-5 at home in former coach Rick Barnes’ final season. It was the most home losses in 13 years.
@dylans Draft doesn't take place until June 25th and since he probably won't go first round, that moves him to June 26th or later. Additional problem is they play in South Korea July 3-14 and you would have to factor in travel.. Too late..
Hardware!
PERRY"S Family last night
!ellisfamily.jpg ↗