Tag: kansas jayhawks

Complete game shutout from Braden Davis leads Sooners to Big 12 tournament win over TCU

Baden Davis put on a dominant display to lead the Oklahoma Sooners to a 4-0 win against the TCU Horned Frogs in the Big 12 Tournament.

The Big 12’s regular-season champions flexed their muscles in their Big 12 tournament opener. Oklahoma shut out the TCU Horned Frogs 4-0 on Wednesday afternoon behind a masterful pitching performance by Braden Davis.

Davis was locked in from the start. After giving up a one-out double to TCU’s Sam Myers in the top of the first, Davis would sit down the next 10 TCU batters. He generated some excellent swing and misses while also pitching to contact. The defense behind him made some outstanding plays in the field, like this catch by left fielder Kendall Pettis that helped minimize the first inning double.

While Davis locked down the Horned Frogs’ offense, the Sooners had to be patient against TCU starter and Big 12 Pitcher of the Year Peyton Tolle.

The Sooners finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth. A one-out walk by Michael Snyder was followed by an Anthony Mackenzie single. Jackson Nicklaus doubled to bring in Snyder to put Oklahoma up 1-0. Then with two outs in the inning, Pettis came through with a single to add to the Sooners lead and make it 2-0.

With a lead, Davis continued to deal.

Even though Oklahoma’s best power hitter, Bryce Madron, wasn’t playing, others picked up the slugging in his absence. Mackenzie homered to left center and Nicklaus followed that up with a homer of his own to give Oklahoma a 4-0 lead and chase Tolle right out of the game.

Those two runs would be the final nail in the coffin as Davis cruised to the finished line for the complete game shutout. He gave up just four hits and allowed zero walks. Davis also fanned nine TCU Horned Frogs in the effort.

He needed a career-high 120 pitches, but his Herculean effort puts Skip Johnson and the rest of the Oklahoma coaching staff in a favorable position to mix and match arms in Thursday’s game against the Kansas Jayhawks with no one extending themselves on Wednesday.

The Sooners and Jayhawks both won their first games of the tournament and will battle for a spot in the Big 12 semifinals on Thursday at 12:30 p.m. The Big 12 foes did not play in the regular season.

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Longhorns baseball earns weekend sweep of Kansas in final Big 12 series

The Texas Longhorns baseball team nearly saw an 8-1 lead slip away, but held on for a 9-7 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks Saturday.

The Texas Longhorns baseball team nearly saw an 8-1 lead slip away, but held on for a 9-7 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks on the last day of Big 12 regular season action Saturday.

With the victory, Texas (35-20, 20-10 Big 12) will be the No. 3 seed in next week’s Big 12 Tournament.

Up 3-1 in the bottom of the fifth, the Longhorns got RBIs from Max Belyeu and Kimble Schuessler before Casey Borba’s two-run shot gave Texas a 7-1 lead.

After Texas added a run in the sixth, Kansas scored four in the seventh and two in the eighth before Jared Thomas’ RBI gave Texas a 9-7 lead.

Lebarron Johnson Jr. (3-4) earned the victory, striking out seven Kansas batters while allowing one run on five hits. Gage Boehm (S, 8) pitched the last 2 1/3 innings to help the Longhorns hold on.

Ten teams qualified for the Big 12 tournament, meaning that the Longhorns take on the No. 10 seed Texas Tech Red Raiders in the first round. First pitch is set for 7:30 p.m. CT at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas.

Texas baseball takes first two games of final Big 12 series

The Longhorns were able to emerge victorious in the first two games of the Kansas series.

The Texas Longhorns baseball team was able to emerge victorious in a game that felt like a postseason game Thursday. Continue reading “Texas baseball takes first two games of final Big 12 series”

Kansas’ Bill Self: Johnny Furphy will probably stay in the NBA draft

Furphy was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team after averaging nine points, 4.9 rebounds and one assist on 46.6% shooting from the field.

Kansas head coach Bill Self revealed this week he believes Johnny Furphy will remain in the 2024 NBA draft after a productive freshman campaign with the Jayhawks.

Furphy, who was born in Australia, was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman team after averaging nine points, 4.9 rebounds and one assist on 46.6% shooting from the field. He scored in double figures 14 times, including a season-high 23 points and 11 rebounds on Jan. 22.

The 6-foot-9 guard declared for the draft on April 16 while maintaining his remaining college eligibility. He played a larger role for the team over the second half of the season, starting in 18 of the last 19 games, and established himself as a likely first-round pick.

Self, speaking with college basketball reporter Andy Katz in an interview that ran on X, formerly known as Twitter, isn’t expecting Furphy to return to the program next season.

Johnny probably had a better freshman year than what anyone would ever imagine, so he is in the draft. Chances are, I think, that he’ll probably stay in the draft because I think he’ll go in the first round.

Furphy is considered a potential first-round pick, given his ability to score, run the floor, finish at the rim and cut on offense. He was among the 78 prospects invited to the draft combine, which will be held May 12-19 in Chicago, Illinois.

The 19-year-old will also participate in Australia’s training camp before the 2024 Olympic Games in July. He was among the 22 players named to the preliminary roster, joining Josh Giddey, Joe Ingles, Patty Mills and Matisse Thybulle.

He has until May 29 to withdraw from the draft and return to school.

While the Jayhawks are bracing for losing Furphy, they return All-American Hunter Dickinson and starters Dajuan Harris Jr. and K.J. Adams. The program is also adding No. 11 prospect Flory Bidunga and Rylen Griffin (Alabama) and AJ Storr (Wisconsin) via the transfer portal.

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Former Gators guard transfer won’t play for Kansas, returns to portal

The erstwhile member of the Orange and Blue had committed to the Kansas Jayhawks, but it appears that those plans have fallen through.

The schadenfreude is thick in the air for the Gator Nation on Wednesday afternoon after a report that former Florida basketball guard [autotag]Riley Kugel[/autotag] will once again return to the NCAA transfer portal.

The erstwhile member of the Orange and Blue had committed to the Kansas Jayhawks, but it appears that those plans have fallen through. CBS Sports senior writer Matt Norlander reported that the once highly-heralded recruit out of Dr. Phillips in Orlando, Florida, was in limbo with his new program before the news was announced.

Head coach Bill Self told NCAA digital reporter Andy Katz on Monday that Kugel’s future was “up in the air” and it appears that the chickens have finally come home to roost for the Sunshine State product.

So back to the open market Kugel goes with a somewhat tarnished reputation but still plenty of options available. Still, it has been a precipitous fall for the former four-star prospect after earning First Team All-SEC honors ahead of the 2023-24 campaign as well as NBA draft projections.

Hopefully, he lands somewhere where he can rebuild his stock and his confidence. It will not be in Lawrence, Kansas, however.

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Florida transfer guard Riley Kugel won’t join Kansas after all

Former Florida guard Riley Kugel will reenter the transfer portal after initially committing to Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks.

Former Florida Gators guard Riley Kugel will no longer play for the Kansas Jayhawks next season and is already being recruited by other programs, according to a report from Matt Norlander at CBS.

Kansas head coach Bill Self indicated Kugel’s future with the Jayhawks was up in the air on Monday during a conversation with NCAA reporter Andy Katz, and indeed it looks like the rising junior guard will look elsewhere for the 2024-25 season.

Kugel was the first marquee transfer portal addition made by Self this offseason, committing to Lawrence after two solid seasons with the Gators in the SEC.

A promising freshman campaign (9.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, 37.6% from three) led many to believe Kugel was due for a massive breakout as a sophomore in 2023-24, but instead his performance regressed slightly. He averaged 9.2 points and 3.5 rebounds, but his three point percentage dropped to 31.2% and his two point percentage went from 50.3% as a freshman to 44.7% last year.

After landing Kugel, Kansas subsequently secured commitments from South Dakota State wing Zeke Mayo, Wisconsin forward AJ Storr, and Alabama guard Rylan Griffen, and those additions meant Kugel wouldn’t get the amount of playing time he initially expected.

Now he’ll once again look for another opportunity on the open market, and should receive plenty of interest from programs looking to add to their guard rotation for next season.

Duke loses top overall seed in ESPN’s early 2025 Bracketology

Despite six top-50 players and two big-time transfers already committed, the Blue Devils lost the top spot in the 2025 bracket projection.

According to longtime ESPN bracket expert Joe Lunardi, the Duke Blue Devils are no longer the team to beat in 2025.

Lunardi released an updated way-too-early 2025 bracket projection, and Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks overtook Jon Scheyer as the top overall seed.

Duke will welcome Cooper Flagg, the top recruit in the country and the presumed No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft, and five other top-50 freshmen in the 2024 recruiting class. The Blue Devils also got commitments from Maliq Brown of Syracuse and Mason Gillis of Purdue out of the transfer portal, and the team stood atop Lunardi’s initial 2025 projection.

Kansas, however, returned All-American center Hunter Dickinson after many expected the 2023-24 season to be his last. Self also wooed Alabama’s Rylan Griffen, Wisconsin’s AJ Storr, and Florida’s Riley Kugel, among others.

“All (the portal additions) have NCAA tournament experience and will certainly help the Jayhawks erase the injury-riddled conclusion to their 2023-24 campaign,” Lunardi wrote.

Duke remained a No. 1 seed in the projection, now slotting into the East region.

Kansas All-American Hunter Dickinson to return for 5th college season

Dickinson was named a consensus second-team All-American, averaging 17.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 blocks.

Kansas senior Hunter Dickinson announced Friday on social media that he will return to school to play the 2024-25 season with the Jayhawks, his fifth season in college.

Dickinson was named a consensus second-team All-American this past season, averaging 17.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.4 blocks on 54.8% shooting from the field. He ranked eighth in the country in rebounding and 12th in double-doubles (17).

He was also named to the All-Big 12 first team.

The 7-footer joined the Jayhawks last year after spending his first three seasons in college at Michigan. He was one of four active players in Division I this season with at least 2,200 career points and 1,100 rebounds, joining Zach Edey, Armando Bacot and Baylor Scheierman.

Dickinson will return to a team with the sixth-ranked incoming recruiting class, headlined by top-50 prospects Flory Bidunga (No. 11) and Rakease Passmore (No. 50). Jayhawks coach Bill Self is also adding Rylen Griffin (Alabama) and AJ Storr (Wisconsin) via the transfer portal.

With Dickinson back in the fold, Kansas will likely be the front-runner to be the preseason No. 1 team in the country next season. The team also returns starters Dajuan Harris Jr. and K.J. Adams, likely making it the favorite in the Big 12.

The Jayhawks (22-10) made their 51st appearance in the NCAA Tournament this past season as the fourth seed. They lost to No. 5 Gonzaga in the second round.

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Grading the 49ers third round pick: Kansas OL Dominick Puni

Grading the 49ers selection of Kansas OL Dominick Puni in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.

After moving back in the second round, the San Francisco did the opposite in the third round, moving up from No. 94 to No. 86 on day two of the draft. The 49ers traded No. 94 overall pick, and the No. 132 overall pick (Round 4) to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for the 86th selection.

Following a trade-up, the 49ers selected Kansas Jayhawk offensive lineman Dominick Puni at No. 86 overall. While playing for Central Missouri and Kansas in college, Puni bounced around to different positions at the offensive line, including guard and tackle.

The 6-foot-5, 313 lb offensive lineman earned First-team All-Big 12 conference honors last season in Lawerence. According to Pro Football Focus, Puni earned an 80.6 grade last season while not allowing a single sack on 342 pass-blocking snaps.

Following the 49ers third-round selection, the Niners Wire team linked up to stamp grades on the pick.

Kyle Madson – Managing Editor: 

This is a nice pick for the 49ers because Puni could theoretically answer a bunch of different questions on San Francisco’s offensive line. He projects as a guard and he could be in the mix to offer an upgrade at right guard. He played a ton of tackle in college though which gives the 49ers reason to believe he might be able to compete as an upgrade over right tackle Colton McKivitz. If he doesn’t beat out any of them, he’s a versatile depth piece who could develop into a long-term starter a la Aaron Banks. San Francisco didn’t reach to fill their biggest need, and instead traded up in Round 3 by giving up just their third-round pick and one of their trio of fourth-round picks. Nice work by John Lynch and Co.

Grade: B+

Tommy Call – Contributor: 

Heading into the draft, the offensive line felt like the biggest position group of need. And I saw group, because you could make the argument guard, tackle and even center could be addressed in the draft. However, through two rounds, the 49ers didn’t look at the offensive line.

Yet, finally, in round two, the 49ers answered the call of many fans and drafted an offensive lineman. And not just any offensive lineman; a player that has proven experience at multiple positions on the offensive line, essentially filling that need across the position group. Dominick Puni thrived at offensive tackle for the Jayhawks last season, not allowing a single sack. Yet before shifting to tackle, Puni played guard in Kansas. Puni could instantly compete at multiple positions for the Niners on the offensive line while he continues to develop.

Grade: A

 

With Hunter Dickinson’s return, Kansas has college basketball’s best roster

Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks have made key additions in the transfer portal, and Hunter Dickinson’s return makes them the top team in the sport.

Kansas basketball star Hunter Dickinson confirmed on social media Friday he will return to the Jayhawks for the 2024-25 college basketball season, his final year of eligibility.

Dickinson was an All-American second teamer last year after averaging 17.9 points, 10.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists in Lawrence, having spent the previous three seasons at Michigan.

Kansas was bounced prior to the Sweet 16 by Gonzaga in March, but they are now set to return four of their six leading scorers – Dickinson, KJ Adams, Dajuan Harris, and Elmarko Jackson – and have already made major transfer portal additions.

The most notable is Wisconsin guard AJ Storr, a potential All-American brought in to help replace Kevin McCullar Jr, but Bill Self also went out and landed Riley Kugel from Florida, Zeke Mayo from South Dakota State, and most recently Rylan Griffen from Alabama.

The Jayhawks have a fantastic group of talented players on paper, but putting all the pieces together will be Self’s responsibility to ensure this team reaches their full potential – especially with Baylor, Houston, and Iowa State all boasting incredibly talented rosters of their own.

One thing is for sure: Big 12 basketball will once again be the cream of the crop in the 2024-25 season.