🏀 KuBuckets Archive

Kansas University freshman center Joel Embiid will announce his future plans today at a 2 p.m. news conference in Allen Fieldhouse, coach Bill Self said Tuesday night.

Sources close to the situation told the Journal-World that, barring some late change of heart, the 7-footer from Cameroon is expected to declare for the 2014 NBA Draft. Other news organizations have heard the same thing. Racine, Wis., columnist Gery Woelfel reported on Twitter that super agent Arn Tellem is expected to represent Embiid as well as some other top prospects.

Zagsblog.com has multiple sources stating Embiid is headed to the NBA and quotes an anonymous NBA source as saying, “He’s coming out (for draft). Shouldn’t be a surprise. He’s a lock for the top five.”

Embiid, who averaged 11.2 points and 8.1 rebounds in 28 games this past season for 25-10 KU, is expected to be taken in the top three of the June draft, one NBA official told the Journal-World on Tuesday. The official said KU’s Andrew Wiggins is currently slated to be picked No. 1, followed Duke’s Jabari Parker and Embiid.

Yahoo! Sports NBA writer Adrian Wojnarowski reported on March 27 that sources indicated Embiid would be entering his name in the 2014 Draft. Four days later, Self said Embiid had not made up his mind. Wojnarowski, who has an excellent track record with NBA scoops, has not backed off his story and nothing has changed to indicate Embiid may return.

One elite high school big man prospect remains available in recruiting. Myles Turner, 6-11 senior from Trinity High in Euless, Texas, is considering KU, Texas, Oklahoma State and others. Rivals.com’s No. 6-rated player said he hopes to announce a decision date shortly after the Jordan Brand Classic on April 18 in Brooklyn, N.Y.

Today’s news conference is closed to the public.

AMEN.

Really want The Huskies to pound it in Kensucky's face. Pregame said Calismarmi was off to the Lakers after this game.

Mario just tweeted this. HE REMEMBERS.

Mario Chalmers‏@mchalmers15

6 years ago on this day we had a major accomplishment. Not only for ourselves and KU but for the entire city of Lawrence, Kansas. This is and will always be apart of me. ROCK CHALK JAYHAWKS

http://instagram.com/p/mgGHZuv4Vx/ ↗

(which is a picture of his shot and his celebration)

@JayhawkRock78 I didn't get to go to VCU but thought they looked past them and did too much talking. When we were walking out after the Richmond game, most VCU fans told us we were going to beat them and were wanting to sell their tickets.

Sorry posted the Mario story not realising it was about 88. I bought 2 tshirts , wore one proudly and it has several holes from all the washing thru the years and have never wore the other one. Did the same thing in 08.

I was at the Richmond game too Jhawkrock78. I went with Dr. Randall's brother who I work with. Got my picture taken with the Morri twins, Tyrel, Brady, Withey, TRob, Tyshawn and EJ and the whole team signed my hat at their hotel after the game.

In RIO's words:##

Great Alaska

Though he now plays for the Miami Heat, Mario Chalmers will never forget his days fishing in the Land of the Midnight Sun.

Originally published in SLAM 177

by Abe Schwadron

SLAM: Tell us about your hometown.

Mario Chalmers: Anchorage is a big city in Alaska, but it’s a small town. Everybody knows everybody. It’s friendly, a lot of snow, great places to eat. We’re big on seafood, big on fishing. It’s a great outdoors spot. I love the outdoors, hunting, fishing, stuff like that. That’s what I grew up on. Once, me and my dad were fishing on the Russian River. And a bear was just in the middle of the river, fishing himself, trying to find some food. We were sitting there watching him and I was just amazed.

SLAM: No video games?

MC: Oh yeah, I played a lot of video games, too. My favorite of all time is Super Mario. That’s what I grew up on, and of course my name is Super Mario. That’s been my favorite since I was a kid. And now with my son, we love playing video games together, like Skylanders SWAP Force.

SLAM: What about now, what games do you play? Are you a Xbox or Playstation guy?

MC: I play both. I play 2K14, of course Call of Duty, and I’m a big FIFA guy. Those are the three main games I play right now.

SLAM: Who’s the best gamer on the Heat?

MC: Well, now that Joel Anthony is gone, I’d have to take the crown as the best right now. He was the best at Call of Duty. But all the other games, I think I’m the best.

SLAM: Were there important places from your childhood that helped your development as a basketball player?

MC: Fairview Rec Center was the rec center in Anchorage. That’s where everybody went to play basketball. Anybody who played basketball in Anchorage, that’s where they wanted to play basketball at. That’s where I really developed my skills and developed my mentality.

SLAM: And your dad was in the Air Force. Did you play on the base a lot?

MC: Yeah I definitely played on the base. I met Ray Allen when I was about 8 years old when my family was stationed in South Carolina. Both of our dads were stationed together and played on the same team. They were teammates. Ray was older than me, but every time I’d go to the gym I’d see him there and I would play basketball with him. So even at a young age, I was playing against older guys, working out with guys like Ray Allen. That’s how I perfected my skills, by playing against the older kids.

SLAM: If you’re a kid in Alaska, what NBA team do you root for?

MC: For me, it was the Chicago Bulls. I was always a big Michael Jordan fan. But it was all scattered, with people from different places, different military bases, so basically they’d root for the teams from where they were from.

SLAM: What do you tell guys when they ask about coming up in Alaska?

MC: Yeah, guys ask me, Where did I come from? How did I get interested in basketball? And how did anybody ever find me in Alaska? So basically what I tell them is my whole family played basketball, I played AAU, which was a big part of my life growing up, and that really helped me get to where I am today.

SLAM: Is basketball different in Alaska?

MC: It wasn’t too different, but we didn’t have a lot of big guys in Anchorage. I think the tallest person was 6-8, maybe, that I played with. When we went to the lower 48, guys were 7-foot, 7-1, stuff like that, so I think the biggest difference was just the size of the bigs.

SLAM: How did you end up at Kansas?

MC: That was an interesting process. I wanted to go to North Carolina. I grew up a fan, my family is from North Carolina and I always wanted to be a Tar Heel. When the time came to make my decision, North Carolina didn’t offer me. So Kansas, I thought, was the best place for me to go out there and shine. I had a couple friends that I got close with during the recruiting visits. They made me feel at home, made me feel like a brother.

SLAM: You made one of the biggest shots in Tournament history in the 2008 National Championship game. Where does that moment rank for you compared to your two NBA titles?

MC: It’s up there. I’d say it’s a tie, really. In college, it’s one game, in the NBA, it was five games and then it was seven games. It’s different, but it still ranks the same in my book. Just the process of being there three years, and having to go from one year losing in the first round to losing in the Sweet 16 and then finally to win it. I just remember how much hard work we put in.

SLAM: Besides that particular shot, what sticks out in your mind from that team?

MC: Just the process of being there three years, and having to go from one year losing in the first round to losing in the Sweet 16 and then finally to win it. I just remember how much hard work we put in.

SLAM: So you went from Alaska to Kansas to Miami. That’s a nice weather upgrade.

MC: Oh, I love the weather in Miami. I wish it was warm like this growing up, instead of all that snow.

SLAM: How was your visit to the White House this year?

MC: It was great. That was my third time being there. I went once with Kansas, and once when we won the first time. But this time was a more special one, because I got my own personal shout out from Barack. He says he always has my back.

@JayHawkFanToo Saw Jimmy Cliff last year here in Austin during SXSW and he signed all 4 of my albums. The Harder They Come The Harder They Fall is all time classic.

Keep my Sirius radio just for The Joint. Marley Mondays has a Bob song every hour.

@JRyman The opening band for Bob Marley was an all white guy reggae band out of KC named Pat's Blue Riddim Band and my brother was best friends with their manager, who was the one to get Bob there. Man it was heaven. PBR got sued by Pabst beer and had to change their name to just Blue Riddim Band. Only band to get a call back at The Reggae Sunsplash in Jamaica. Those were the days. Have their albums still and play them often.

@drgnslayr Yes when they played here in 1982 and remains one of my top 2, second only to Bob Marley at Hoch Auditorium!

@drgnslayr Same for me when I was typing the headline. Thanks for the bringing back great memories. The Clash made their video for Rock The Casbah here in Austin, TX in 1982 and played at The City Coliseum ($10 for the ticket!).

The Clash made low-budget music videos for several of their songs, and the one for “Rock the Casbah” may be their most memorable. Filmed in Austin, Texas, it depicts an Arab, played by Austin actor Titos Menchaca, and a Hasidic Jew, played by local stage director Dennis Razze, befriend each other on the road and skanking together through the streets to a Clash concert at Palmer Auditorium, often followed by an armadillo, interspersed with the band performing in front of an oil well.

The U.S. Air Force became an unwitting participant in the video. Two RF-4C aircraft landing at Bergstrom Air Force Base (near Austin) from the east are featured in the portion of the video with the lyrics “the King called out his jetfighters”.

Jason King ‏@JasonKingBR · 14h

Sources told @BleacherReport Wake offered Manning on Monday. Tulsa countered w/ offer to double salary & let him use charter plane 2 recruit.

Interested to see what people think is going to happen.

@wissoxfan83 3 HOURS. REALLY?

Prior to the semifinal games, TBS will air a three-hour onsite pregame show from North Texas beginning at 3 p.m. ET. Ernie Johnson will host the coverage, with analysts Charles Barkley, Clark Kellogg and Kenny Smith. The pregame will also include Greg Gumbel and analysts Seth Davis, Doug Gottlieb, Grant Hill and Reggie Miller.

Glad I don't have cable and won't have to put up with all these talking heads who don't know any more than all of us as to who is going to win.

Go Badgers

SMU vs Minnesota Gophers in the final. SMU was way behind at half and came back to win. Good for them.

Tonight vs Clemson. GO MUSTANGS!

@nuleafjhawk I think JRyman's and Crimsonorblue's guesses are as good as any. Would have to know who were the ones voting to delve further.

All I was trying to show was that for the whole season, Andrew had lots of accolades.

Wiggins Awards (2013-14)##

• Associated Press All-America Second Team

• Wooden All-American Team

• NABC All-America Second Team

• USBWA All-America Freshman Team

• Big 12 Championship All-Tournament Team

• NABC All-District 8 First Team

• USBWA All-America Second Team

• SI.com All-America Second Team

• USBWA All-District VI

• Sporting News All-America Second Team

• Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (3.9.14)

• Big 12 Freshman of the Year (Big 12, AP)

• All-Big 12 First Team (unanimous selection, Big 12, AP)

• Big 12 All-Newcomer Team

• Wooden Award Final Ballot (1 of 15)

• Wayman Tisdale Award Finalist by USBWA (1 of 6)

• Oscar Robertson Trophy Finalist List by USBWA (1 of 15)

• Naismith Men's College Player of the Year Candidate (1 of 30)

• Wayman Tisdale National Freshman of the Week (1.28.14)

• Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (1.27.14)

• Big 12 Newcomer of the Week (11.18.13)

I loved Andrew's character on and off the court. I think he is right to give his time at KU a 10 due to his love of the tradition that bears the name Jayhawks. I believe he carried himself well and with the pride that we all demand of players there. He said he really liked playing in AFH and several times mentioned how the fans showed such love and support. That is a thumbs up for any recruit wondering how the program is and more than any free advertising could do.

@truehawk93 In proper grammar, the past tense would be you are a TWAT, right?

@approxinfinity Your hard work is greatly appreciated. (clap) (clap)

Without this site, I would have had no other place to express my joy and heartache this season. I've learned so much from others and look forward to keepin' it going till next season.

ROCK CHALK!

While disappointed, not going to do any what ifs. The TEAM deficiencies we witnessed all season came home to roost in the worst way and Stanford exploited every one of them. We went in as a team and lost as a team. The kids on this team have to carry this with them for a long time. We all go to work tomorrow and get on with our lives. Our expectations for a bunch of freshmen and a junior and sophmore were pretty high. The better team won.

Someone wrote that Andrew was peaking at the right time. Here are his stats to support that. WOW!

Freshman G Andrew Wiggins has scored 112 points in his last four games. Included were a Kansas freshman-record 41 points at West Virginia (3/eight), 30 points versus Oklahoma State (3/13) and 22 points against Iowa State (3/14). In his last four games, Wiggins is averaging 28.0 points on 50.7 percent shooting with 6.8 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.8 blocked shots per game.

Wiggins' 17.4 scoring average for the season would break the KU freshman record (15.9 ppg by Ben McLemore in 2013). Wiggins has 11 games of 20-plus points, including seven against Big 12 competition.

This says a lot!

ACADEMIC CHAMPS

For the third time in the last five years the Kansas Jayhawks have been crowned the champions of Inside Higher Ed's NCAA Academic Tournament, the publication's annual academic showdown. KU's men's basketball team has reached the final four in each of the last five seasons and has been to the title game in four of the last five seasons, including additional crowns in 2012 and 2010.

The publication uses the actual NCAA Tournament bracket and declares winners based on the schools' Academic Progress Rates (APR). KU's men's basketball team boasts a perfect multiyear APR of 1,000, as it has for the past seven years. The Jayhawks beat Eastern Kentucky, New Mexico, Dayton and Florida to reach the 2014 "Final Four," then topped Memphis and Texas to win the championship.

The APR rewards teams whose players stay in good academic standing and remain enrolled from semester to semester. Inside Higher Ed broke ties by using the NCAA's Graduation Success Rate (GSR), a variation of the graduation rate that considers transfers and does not punish teams whose athletes leave college before graduation if they leave in good academic standing. If a further tiebreaker is needed, the publication uses the Federal Graduation Rate, which deducts points when student-athletes, for any reason, do not graduate from the school at which he originally enrolled.

The NCAA tweeted this week that KU is the only team in the NCAA Tournament field of 68 with a perfect APR and a 100 percent Graduation Success Rate. Last year KU was one of only three schools in the tournament field (Belmont, Notre Dame) to achieve those numbers; no other tournament teams have accomplished that feat in the five years the NCAA has tracked those statistics.

Ckecked our leaderboard. I'm tied for 2nd behind @dylans and another name I didn't recognize.

Rock Chalk!

Listened to our first half on the radio on my way home from work. Not sure it was something ever worth watching but that may have been the "growing up" part of a game that we have been needing to get to and over.

We play first game Sunday. Get your shoes on folks.

Rock Chalk!

Just saw where Niang is out with a foot fracture. SFA was huge over VCU. KSU couldn't hang. And then there was 4 from the Big 12.

@KansasComet Your butterflies and mine could rival the swarm that migrates to Mexico every year!

@wissoxfan83 That sounds like a Jay Bilas tweet :-)

2014 NCAA Tournament: Kansas Jayhawks Team Profile (SB Nation)

Someone suggested so am starting this. What are your upset picks?

I had Dayton over OSU.

I have ND State over OU.

I have Pitt over CO.

I have Oregon over BYU.

I have Harvard over Cincy.

@Crimsonorblue22 Didn't get anything with your youtube link.

Tried again and it worked. :-)

@Crimsonorblue22 I picked Dayton and I have ND State over OU!

@HEM. Good points all around. Thanks for doing. Did you copy and paste it to the other forum for all the Debbie Downers over there?

My childhood friend growing up in Bloomington, MN (home of Cole Aldrich) now lives in St. Louis. Her good friend is a KU Alum and is going to the St. Louis Alum banquet they are having tomorrow night and going to the game on Friday. I've been promised a t-shirt and any other goodies she may pick up at the banquet/game. :-)

My law firm began 20 years ago holding a March Madness lunch for clients on the first weekend of the tourney. It has grown through the years as the premier invite to get. We have well over 150 clients who are attending this year, with beer, b-b-q, catfish (for Lent), veggies (for vegans), pecan pie, ice cream -- in other words, the WORKS. I'm one of the longest helpers to set up tables, chairs, serving the food and keeping the line moving and then cleaning up after it all. I also have taken lot of good natured hits from the longhorn fans over the years because of my KU apparel I always wear. This year I am proudly wearing my "10 There Done That" 10th straight conf. t-shirt I got (the same one the guys broke out in on Sr. Night). It's like Thanksgiving & Xmas but only better because I don't have to cook a damn thing and get paid for my OT helping out on something I love AND get to watch a number of games on big screen tvs. Isn't life grand? WooHoo!

(clap) (clap) (clap) (clap) (clap)

The banner headline photo for the SBNation bracket is our very own Wiggs!

http://www.sbnation.com/a/march-madness-2014 ↗ ↗

See what happens when you aren't planning for the NCAA's!!!

Missouri players face pot charges

Updated: March 17, 2014, 7:02 PM ET Associated Press

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Four Missouri athletes were arrested Saturday night on suspicion of possession of 35 grams or less of marijuana during a traffic stop in Columbia.

Guards Wes Clark and Shane Rector of the basketball team and defensive backs Aarion Penton and Shaun Rupert from the football team were pulled over at 11:32 p.m. after Columbia police noticed an expired rear license plate tag on Rupert's car, police spokeswoman Latisha Stroer said Monday.

The officers approached the car and detected the smell of marijuana, prompting the discovery of a package of Swisher Sweets cigarillos containing a substance that tested positive for marijuana, Stroer said. The four athletes were each issued a court summons and released.

Columbia residents passed a referendum in 2004 that reduced penalties for the offense to no more than a court summons and a fine, if found guilty, of up to $250. The reductions do not apply to anyone found guilty of misdemeanor possession of marijuana on two or more occasions in the past five years.

The Columbia Daily Tribune first reported the arrests.

Basketball coach Frank Haith said Monday that Clark and Rector were suspended for the team's practice, but not necessarily for Tuesday's NIT opener against Davidson.

"I didn't know about it soon enough," Haith said, adding that the final decision would be made after gathering additional information.

Missouri missed the NCAA tournament for the first time in six years after finishing 22-11 and 9-9 in the Southeastern Conference.

@VailHawk I'm not offended that you left me out. :-(

Missouri not in any region ;-)

Thanks @approx!

Nope. Wichita State's Midwest bracket has Kensucky, Duke, Louisville, Michigan & Arizona State. We shall see if they get to the second round. KState has Kensucky right out of the gate.

Our conference got 7 in. That says we had the best conference!

I left work at 3:30 and listened to Bob Davis and Greg Gurley on my ride home on a Sirius radio station I luckily found. Their calling seems to make it to where you can almost see exactly what transpired. I was screaming, praying & pumping fists as I was driving home (43 mile commute). Had a couple looks from other commuters at intersections but what the hey. It was 70 degrees so had the windows down. Loved all the post game analysis, post game interviews and wrap up by Bob and Greg. Once I saw the highlights called by Muffberger & Fran, I was so glad I heard it called by Bob! :-)

From Kansas Athletics!

Great video highlights with Bob Davis, then short Coach, Wayne and Wiggs post game:

http://www.kuathletics.com/index.aspx?path=mbball ↗

From Yahoo! Sports = See below what the flopper said about our fans travelling. Jealous much?

No. 10 Kansas beats Oklahoma State, 77-70 in OT

By DAVE SKRETTA (AP Sports Writer) 9 hours ago AP - Sports

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Andrew Wiggins gathered the ball along the baseline with about a minute left in regulation, turned around and put up the kind of fade-away jumper that will soon make him millions.

When it splashed through the net, his teammates on the Kansas bench leaped to their feet.

Energized by the clutch play of their talented freshman, the No. 10 Jayhawks held on to force overtime, then pulled away for a 77-70 victory over Oklahoma State on Wednesday that earned them a spot in the semifinals of the Big 12 tournament.

''My shot was falling the whole game,'' said Wiggins, who finished with 30 points. ''They cut off the base line, and step-back is one of my main moves, and it just fell through.''

Wayne Selden Jr. added 14 points, and Naadir Tharpe made four foul shots in the extra session to seal the win for the top-seeded Jayhawks. They advanced to face fourth-seeded Iowa State, a 91-85 winner of fifth-seeded Kansas State, on Friday night.

''It was an unbelievable game,'' Kansas coach Bill Self said. ''Two teams competing hard.''

Phil Forte briefly gave the Cowboys a 70-68 lead with a 3-pointer a minute into overtime, but the Jayhawks (24 and eight) scored the final nine points, all but two at the foul line.

Le'Bryan Nash scored 19 points to lead the No. 8 seed Cowboys (21-12). Forte added 16 points and Marcus Smart finished with 14, though he missed all three of his shots in overtime.

''It's always hard to beat Kansas, especially in this building,'' Smart said. ''They have the fanbase to back them up. It's kind of hard. They have the energy and momentum from their fans and it kind of takes the opposing team out of it.''

Both teams had chances to earn the win in regulation.

After Wiggins hit his jumper to knot the game 67-all, Cowboys coach Travis Ford decided against going 2-for-1 on possessions, and Smart missed a 3 with 32 seconds left.

The Jayhawks got the rebound and called timeout with 16 seconds left, and set up a play for Wiggins, who missed a tightly guarded 3 with a few ticks left on the lock. Tarik Black gathered in the rebound and stuck it back, but the basket came after time had expired.

Black got extended minutes in place of Joel Embiid, the Jayhawks' 7-foot freshman center, who has been ruled out indefinitely with a stress fracture in his back. Black finished with seven points and 12 rebounds, including a couple with the game in the balance.

Now, the Jayhawks will try to beat Iowa State for the third time this season.

''Kansas is a team that you've already played twice,'' Cyclones coach Fred Hoiberg said. ''We know everybody. Everybody knows us.''

The Cowboys, who had to play a matinee after dispatching Texas Tech on Wednesday night, didn't look as if they were weary in the first half. They actually pulled out to an early lead, silencing a heavily pro-Kansas crowd that had packed inside the Sprint Center.

Kansas responded by taking a 32-23 lead into halftime, and then maintained its advantage early in the second half. But once Black and fellow forward Perry Ellis picked up their fourth fouls, the Cowboys started shredding the Kansas defense by driving the lane.

Smart proved to be the most adept at it, picking up fouls when he wasn't hammered on the way to the rim. But just about everyone wearing black and orange got into the act, and Oklahoma State methodically trimmed the lead to 55-49 with about 8 minutes to go.

That's when Ford changed things up by slapping on a full-court press. It produced two quick turnovers and helped Oklahoma State take a 60-59 lead with 4 minutes left.

It was the Cowboys' first lead since the 12-minute mark in the first half.

The two teams, who each won on their home floor during the regular season, traded blows down the stretch. Selden made a couple free throws for Kansas, Forte answered with two from the foul line for Oklahoma State. Black and Wiggins threw down alley-oop dunks for the Jayhawks, and Murphy hit a pair of free throws and Markel Brown hit a rainbow 3 to give the Cowboys the lead.

It just made sense that such a nip-and-tuck game would be decided in overtime.

''They made some big shots down the stretch,'' Ford said. ''Wiggins made a big shot in the corner - he played a heck of a game. They're just a heck of a basketball team, but our guys played hard. We just didn't have anything left in the tank at the end.''

After playing them twice now, we should be aware of what kind of game they have. Their ability to make this quick turnaround is going to be a factor and we shall see what their conditioning is. Will we be hungry? Will they be sluggish? We need to get a good start and play tough defense.

Rock Chalk!

The Wizardry of Wiggins!

WoW!

Solution is to fly in Tarik's Mom to KC from Memphis so he will have the kind of game he did vs. Tech on Senior Night. Can't hurt can it?

@wissoxfan83 Or keep it and put question marks instead of exclamation point???????????????????

True Fans stick with their team through thick and thin and don't give into all the naysayers who think the sky is falling. My optimism is still there that OUR team has the potential to weather this unfortunate hit.

ROCK CHALK!

Long time sports columnist for Austin American-Statesman wrote today (Kirk Bohls):

2. Love the overall job that Rick Barnes has done this season, but with the way Texas’ basketball team has fallen off with five consecutive road losses, I’d pick Kansas’ Bill Self as Big 12 Coach of the Year. Remember, Self had five new starters this season while Barnes had four returners who started 12 games or more.

Hell Yes!

Gary Parrish Top 25 and one has moved us up a spot.

No. 5: Kansas

Overall: 23-8

Conference: 14-4

Previous: 6

The Jayhawks are 1-1 without Joel Embiid, who missed the final two regular-season games with a bad back.

W 82-57, Texas Tech
L 92-86, at West Virginia

And Dougie Gotlieb on Sun. had us still as a No. 1 along with Clark Kellogg. But Seth Davis, who has picked KU to win it all, dropped us from a 1 seed and put in Villanova.

So in reality, no one knows nor can predict what is going to happen this tourney.

@JRyman WV. Did Huggy even try to recruit him? My point is how can the fans be so down on Andrew for not picking WV when they weren't even in the mix?