Kansas Game Day

AT A GLANCE

Ladies and gentlemen, here are your new Kansas Jayhawks. You certainly will have a tough time recognizing them. Sherron Collins is the only player returning from last year’s national championship team who averaged more than nine minutes per game. Tonight’s exhibition game will serve as more of an introduction than anything else.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Freshman guard Tyshawn Taylor

Taylor has all the tools and natural abilities to be an immediate star for Kansas this season. He showed it all throughout the summer in scrimmages and in Canada where he averaged 14 points per game.But how will Taylor respond to playing his first game in Allen Fieldhouse against competition other than his teammates? And oh yeah, Taylor is wearing No. 15 this season.

QUESTION MARK

How much will junior college transfer Tyrone Appleton be able to play?

Appleton, a junior guard, returned to practice from a hip-flexor injury less than a week ago. He said he would play limited minutes in the game but did not specify a specific limit. The Jayhawks could use an extra veteran like Appleton on the court. He also needs to play well in the exhibition games and start of the regular season if he wants to secure a rotation spot.

HEAR YE, HEAR YE

“I hope we’re a better game team than we are a practice team right now because I haven’t been really pleased in practice – not because they’re not trying but we’re careless. I think that’s primarily youth.”

-Kansas coach Bill Self

“I’ve been practicing halfway-decent. I’m kind of nervous, but think I’m ready.”

-Freshman guard Tyshawn Taylor

ALLEN FIELDHOUSE WILL ROCK IF….

Cole Aldrich swats multiple Ichabod shots into the stands or press row. Blocking shots has quickly become Aldrich’s trademark after recording four in the Final Four game last season against North Carolina. He’ll be one of the premier shot-blockers in the nation this season and should get off to a quick start. In the three Canadian exhibition games, he had nine vicious blocks that wowed the small crowds. The Allen Fieldhouse faithful would have loved it.

PHOG ALLEN WILL ROLL OVER IN HIS GRAVE IF….

Kansas commits 20 turnovers. The number might seem steep, but the Jayhawks are a young team and young teams turn the ball over. The Jayhawks only had 20 turnovers in a game twice last season. But when this year’s team went to Canada, they flirted with the figure in two of the three games and averaged 16 turnovers per game. Washburn will be comparable competition. Add in the nerves of the young Jayhawks playing in front of 16,300 fans and it’s at least possible.

BUFORD METER

High

Will sophomore walk-on Chase Buford get the opportunity to play tonight? The meter tells all.

PLAYERS

Sherron Collins, 5-foot-11 junior guard

Forget about the weight issues and knee surgery recovery from a few months ago – this is Collins’ team. He has a chance to put together a spectacular year individually.

Five Stars

Tyshawn Taylor, 6-foot-2 freshman guard

The hype is deserved. Taylor has all the athletic ability in the world and can shoot, defend and drive better than most freshmen in the country. Now, he needs to show it in a game.

Three Stars

Travis Releford, 6-foot-5 freshman guard

Releford scored 25 points and grabbed five rebounds to lead Kansas to a thrilling one-point victory in its second game in Canada. The next night, he was non-existent. Releford can be special if he can stay consistent.

Three Stars

Marcus Morris, 6-foot-8 freshman forward

Marcus might be the most versatile big man in Kansas history when his career ends. He can do everything from shoot three-pointers to grind out big rebounding numbers. As with Taylor and Releford, however, he needs to show he can do it at Allen Fieldhouse.

Three Stars

Cole Aldrich, 6-foot-11 sophomore center

Self has raved about Aldrich ad nauseam for the last three months. That has to count for something. Aldrich will be invaluable defensively, but needs to show he’s ready to be a top contributor on the offensive end.

Four Stars

SIXTH MAN

Markieff Morris, 6-foot-9 freshman forward

Markieff stole the show during Late Night in the Phog’s scrimmage. He recorded 13 points, six rebounds and a block and hit a three-pointer. But an actual game is different.

Three Stars

Washburn Game Day

AT A GLANCE

The Ichabods return three starters from last year’s 18-11 squad but have 10 newcomers including four freshman, four junior college players and two transfers. Kansas is the first of three Division I opponents for Washburn, who will play at Kansas State on Nov 9th and at UNLV on Nov 11th.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Mario Scott

The Junior guard averaged 6.8 points, 3.7 assists and 1.2 steals per game last season for the Ichabods, who were 12-7 while he was in the starting lineup. Scott, a Grand Rapids, Michigan native, will have the duty of guarding KU point guard Sherron Collins - a tough task considering Collins is a former McDonalds All-American and Scott plays at division II Washburn.

QUESTION MARK

Can Washburn hang like in 2004?

Washburn led Kansas most of the first half in their preseason matchup in 2004 before Kansas won by only nine points, 79-70. With so many newcomers on both squads, it will be interesting to see if Washburn will keep the score close or get blown out by 30 as they did in a 99-69 beating by Kansas in 2006.

HEAR YE, HEAR YE

Legendary Washburn coach Bob Chipman on the outlook for the 2008-2009 season.

“We have four guys back — hopefully with James Williams — who played awfully well last year. We added what we think is a great group of new guys. We’re very excited about the potential of this team.”

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STARTERS

Mario Scott, 6-foot-1 junior guard (2 stars)

Scott was fourth in the MIAA in assists last year at 3.7 per game and scored in double figures eight times - averaging 6.8 points on the season. He steps in as the teams starting point guard after starting 19 of 21 games to start the season last year before finishing up the season in a reserve roll.

James Williams, 6-foot-5 senior guard (2 stars)

Williams transferred from St. Bonaventure University before last season and averaged 8.2 points in more than 20 minutes per game. Williams started 14 of the teams 29 games laat season and made 30 of 98 three point attempts.

Paul Byers, 6-foot-5 senior forward (3 stars)

Byers started all 29 games last season, averaging 8.2 points and 5.4 rebounds. He shot 52 percent from the field and made 26 of 74 three pointers. Surprisingly, Byers attempted only 12 free throws all season despite playing more than 24 minutes per game.

Darnell Kimble, 6-foot-8 senior forward (2 stars)

Kimble is the team’s highest returning scorer at 9.4 points per game but had only 3.2 rebounds per game despite being the teams second tallest player at 6-8. The Buffalo, NY, native had 30 turnovers to only nine assists last season.

Moriba DeCoteau, 6-foot-9 senior forward (1 star)

DeCoteau is the most likely returning player to take the fifth starter spot but he probably will be passed over for one of the Ichabods 10 newcomers. The 205 pound forward hails from St. Georges, Grenada, and averaged 1.1 points in 17 games last season.

SIXTH MAN

Bob Chipman, head coach

Chipman enters his 30th season as the coach of Washburn and has a career coaching record of 646-251. In a game against a highly more talented team in Kansas, Chipman may be the best chance Washburn has to keep it close. Several KU players have worked at Chipman’s camp and he said he always enjoys playing Kansas.

PREDICTION: 85-65 KANSAS

GAMEDAY SCHEDULE

Date Opponent Time

Nov. 4 WASHBURN (Exhibition) 7 p.m.

Nov. 11 EMPORIA STATE (Exhibition) 7 p.m.

Nov. 16 O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE CLASSIC VS. UMKC 7:30 p.m.

Nov. 18 O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE CLASSIC VS. FLORIDA GULF COAST 8 p.m.

Nov. 24 O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE CLASSIC VS. WASHINGTON 9 p.m.

Nov. 25 O’Reilly Auto Parts CBE CLASSIC VS. FLORIDA/SYRACUSE 6:45/9:15 p.m.

Nov. 28 COPPIN STATE 7 p.m.

Dec. 1 KENT STATE 8 p.m.

Dec. 3 NEW MEXICO STATE 7 p.m.

Dec. 6 JACKSON STATE 1 p.m.

Dec. 13 MASSACHUSETTS (Sprint Center) 1 p.m.

Dec. 20 TEMPLE 1:30 p.m.

Dec. 23 at Arizona (Big 12/Pac-10 Harwood Series) 9:30 p.m.

Dec. 30 ALBANY 8 p.m.

Jan. 3 TENNESSEE 1 p.m.

Jan. 6 SIENA 7 p.m.

Jan. 10 at Michigan State 12 p.m.