Kansas Jayhawks News

The last time the Kansas Jayhawks basketball team took the court, the Memphis Tigers gave the top rated team in the land all they could handle.

Just the sound of the words "Memphis Tigers" will bring smiles to Jayhawks basketball fans for eternity.

Kansas didn't play particularly great against Memphis.? That contest was one of the most intense, physical games a Bill Self team has been a part of in a while.

The nation's best college basketball team, the Kansas Jayhawks, failed to impress any of the suspected millions watching in their 57-55 win over the Memphis Tigers.

Sporting News' Mike DeCourcy analyzes what Wednesday's buzz means to college basketball. Self awareness Lots of writers mocked Kentucky coach John Calipari for claiming he was "ecstatic" about his team falling behind by 18 points. (Hey, I'm sure it was all in good fun, right?) But Kansas affirmed Calipari's point that there is nothing better for a highly rated team in November than a near-death experience. Looking at KU's schedule in October, before anyone had bounced a ball, it was hard to... find an occasion when it appeared Bill Self's Jayhawks would be challenged, let alone beaten. The Jayhawks aren't playing in any Maui Invitational or Paradise Jam-type tournaments. And they aren't playing much away from home before New Year's. They go to Los Angeles for a Dec. 6 game against UCLA, but the Bruins are rebuilding. They play La Salle in Kansas City, which is just home with a short bus trip included. But feisty Memphis rose up Tuesday night and pushed the Jayhawks all the way to the final buzzer. Every chance the Tigers had to retreat, and there were many in the second half, was met with another significant play, usually by Elliot Williams. It was a great lesson for the Jayhawks to learn: that the season only will be easy for them if they make it easy. And making it easy is hard work. Spartan conditions If there's anything Michigan State coach Tom Izzo hates as much as losing, it's excuses. But there is a difference between an excuse and an explanation. Early in the Spartans' tough 75-71 victory over Gonzaga, the Spartans could barely run a play. It looked as if they'd never practiced together—which was true, more or less. MSU's team was one of many affected by the flu in preseason, but players also lost games to injury: Raymar Morgan's ankle, Delvon Roe's concussion, Chris Allen's strained groin muscle. The Spartans didn't have a full lineup in either of their exhibitions. They almost certainly will become an excellent team. Guards Kalin Lucas and Durrell Summers have extraordinary talent, and Morgan is showing an impressive level of commitment to the team in fighting through an ankle injury. Without practice, though, we can't expect the Spartans to be perfect. Hopping to it This is the Scotty Hopson we expected to see 12 months ago. Well, OK, nobody has any reason to expect a basketball player to make 74 percent of his shots in actual games, but you get the idea. Hopson was one of the top prospects in the 2008 recruiting class, and Tennessee figured it had a genuine prize after signing him. Although that year's freshmen were not expected to make a widespread impact—and they lived down to that skepticism—Hopson was one player who seemed talented enough to be ready instantly. He was not. Look at him now: 14-of-19 from the field, 10-of-13 from 3-point range, 20.5 points per game. Hopson needed time to develop. Nothing wrong with that, except that so many players who need time—thinking Jrue Holiday here—don't take it. Senior writer Mike DeCourcy covers college basketball for Sporting News. E-mail him at decourcy@sportingnews.com.more>>

Tonight, the No. 1 ranked Kansas Men's Basketball Team squares off against Memphis in St. Louis. It will be the first time the two teams have met since their slobber-knocker of a National Championship game in 2008.

Kansas vs. Memphis Liveblog. Big12Hoops.com will be live-blogging tonight's rematch of the 2008 NCAA Tournament Championship game. You can log-on by visiting big12hoops.com/sections/kansas or by visiting our homepage.

A KenPom preview of the Memphis Tigers basketball squad.

ST. LOUIS- The opening win wasn't much of a gauge. Kansas launched shots over Hofstra's packed-in zone and won by 36 despite poor rebounding and playing the kind of defense that turned coach Bill Self's face ever-brighter shades of red.

Next season, Josh Pastner's Tigers would have a chance. But Memphis' 2010 recruits aren't on the roster yet, meaning No. 1 Kansas won't need a miracle in this rematch of the '08 title game, Gary Parrish says.

It's not as if expectations for the Kansas Men's Basketball team aren't already astronomical?the season's preseason No. 1 rank automatically means everyone doesn't just think that you could win it all, but that you should win it all.

It didn't take long for a record to fall. Arkansas' Rotnei Clarke opened the season with a bang, drilling an SEC-best 13 3-pointers to conquer the weekend, Gary Parrish says.