Markieff Morris

Junior Marcus Morris scored a career-high-tying 26 points to lead No. 6 Kansas past Ohio 98-41 during its first game of the Las Vegas Invitational Friday evening.   With the win, KU improved to 5-0 for the second-straight season, while Ohio dropped to 3-2 on the year.   Kansas held the Bobcats to an opponent season-low 23.7 percent shooting from the field compared to KU's 56.4 percent accuracy en route to its largest win margin of the season at 57 points.   Redshirt freshman Travis Releford joined Morris in double-figure scoring adding a career-high 13 points in the effort.

Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self announced the Morris twin forwards Marcus and Markieff Morris they will forego their senior season at KU and enter the 2011 NBA Draft. The twins will sign with agent Tony Dutt of Rivals Sports Group, LLC, based in California. “I am proud of Marcus and Markieff for the development and improvement they made, not only off the court, but on the court in their three years here,” Self said. “They have been an absolute joy to coach and performed at a level to give them the opportunity to leave and enter the NBA draft after three years.

It seemed like the gap between the KU and K-State programs had closed after the 2009-10 season and with K-State beginning this season as a pre-season top three team in the country. But following a 90-66 Jayhawk drubbing to K-State, it seems like the gap has grown wider. KU (20-1) was good in the first half, great in the second half and the Wildcats (14-8) were simply bad. Shooting only 33 percent from the floor, a dismal 19 percent in the first half. This game was a cathartic release for Kansas and especially Thomas Robinson who endured a terribly tragic three weeks where he lost both his grandparents and his mother, Lisa, and attended her funeral on Thursday.

No. 7 Kansas hit 35 of 40 free throws, including 27 of 29 in the second half en route to a  90-59 basketball exhibition victory against Emporia State Tuesday night. Five Jayhawks scored in double figures, paced by Markieff Morris, who scored 10 of his team-high 14 points in the first half.  Thomas Robinson had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Marcus Morris and Travis Releford each scored 12 points and Tyshawn Taylor added 10 points and a game-high six assists.

Third-ranked Kansas sprinted out to a 15-0 lead to open the game and never looked back on its way to a 99-52 win over UMKC Wednesday evening in Allen Fieldhouse. The win improved the Jayhawks to 13-0 for the second-straight season and extended the nation’s longest home court winning streak to 68 games. UMKC dropped to 8-7 with the loss. Senior guard Tyrel Reed got things started for the Jayhawks as he hit a jumper from the wing. Two free throws from freshman guard Josh Selby were followed by a steal and dunk by junior forward Markieff Morris for a quick 6-0 lead before the game was a minute old. Kansas got two more free throws from junior guard Tyshawn Taylor, a steal and dunk from junior forward Marcus Morris, a three from Reed and a lay up from sophomore guard Travis Releford for a 15-0 lead forcing UMKC to call its first of three first-half timeouts with 14:28 to play in the opening frame.

Kansas' Junior Forward Marcus Morris has been named the Big 12's Player of the Year.  Morris led the Jayhawks to another Big 12 regular season championship after averaging 17.3 points and 7.0 rebounds. He shot 59.7 percent from the field, a mark that was ranked in the top 10 nationally in the latest rankings. He improved those totals in league play, finishing with 18.8 points and 7.6 rebounds per contest while shooting 60.6 percent. Morris’ honor marks the sixth time a Kansas athlete has won Player of the Year and first since Wayne Simien in 2004-05.

By Eyewitness Sports (MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.) The Kansas Jayhawks advance to the Sweet Sixteen. KU beat Dayton 60-43 Sunday afternoon. The long arms of Cole Aldrich forced the Dayton Flyers down for a rough landing. Aldrich posted a triple-double with 13 points, 20 rebounds and 10 blocked shots to lead the defending NCAA champions past the 11th-seeded Flyers. Shaquille O'Neal set the NCAA tournament record with 11 blocks in a game for LSU in 1992. Shawn Bradley had 10 in 1991 for BYU. Aldrich's feat was, officially, the sixth triple-double in the history of the tournament.

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Here we go, just about two minutes left til the start of the game.  Just like Bryan I'll try to give you updates every couple minute on how the game is progressing. First thought:  It is extremely disconcerting to see a mascot with its head off the costume.  However, it is also very hilarious to walk behind a random huge mascot that is just be-bopping along down the hall.  I mean it's not every day you see a huge green eagle just walking around! Just saw Kansas athletic director Lew Perkins and I stopped to say hi.  I asked him the usual question, Hey Lew, how are you doing?

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - Here we go again, it's game day!  Kansas is facing Northern Iowa for a chance to get to St. Louis and the sweet 16.  I tell you what, the Ford Center may as well be called The Phog because that's how many Kansas fans are in the house! Here's to hoping that Kansas comes out a lot stronger to start unlike how they played against Lehigh the other day. I love the bro-hugs Xavier gives everybody. START OF GAME:   Jayhawks get the opening tip and Cole works quickly against Eglseder for the first bucket.

Bruce's Blog - On the Road to the Final Four: Between them KU and MSU are 19-21 from the line. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3:51 2nd: KU 58-55---a big 7-0 run to get the lead back. Aldrich with 17 points and 13 rebounds, 18 points for Collins. 23 points and 15 rebounds from everyone else. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4:40 2nd: KU 65-53--I'm prone to statements of the obvious--that was huge three from Reed.