Latest news with #Jayhawks
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
KU Jayhawks fall in Big 12 baseball championship semis. Will they host in NCAAs?
Kansas coach Dan Fitzgerald exchanges words with umpires before being ejected from the game in sixth inning of a game against Texas on Thursday, May 16, 2024, at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin. No. 3 seed TCU, a team that swept a three-game series against Kansas from April 11-13 in Fort Worth, Texas, slugged the No. 2 seed Jayhawks 11-1 in the semifinals of the Big 12 baseball championship Friday night at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. The game was called after eight innings because of the run rule. Advertisement The Horned Frogs (39-17), who have won three games in a row and seven of nine, advanced into Saturday's 6 p.m. final against No. 4 seed Arizona (38-18). Meanwhile the Jayhawks (43-15), who had their six-game winning streak snapped by the Horned Frogs, will now have to wait until Monday to learn their upcoming assignment in the 64-team NCAA Tournament. KU had been hoping to win three games at the Big 12 tourney and convince the NCAA Tournament committee the Jayhawks were worthy of hosting a four-team NCAA regional. The announcers working Friday's game on ESPN+ speculated the Jayhawks were locks to make the tournament, but not as hosts. TCU, which erased a 1-0 deficit by scoring four runs in the second inning Friday, will face the No. 4 seed Arizona Wildcats, who defeated No. 1 seed West Virginia 12-1 in another semifinal Friday. Advertisement KU reached the semifinals by rallying from a four-run deficit to defeat No. 7 seed Oklahoma State, 7-6, on Thursday. On Saturday, Derek Cerda had two hits for the Jayhawks, who mustered just five hits off a pair of TCU pitchers. TCU's Jack Bell went 3-for-5 with five RBIs. The Horned Frogs slugged 16 hits off five KU pitchers. KU's Cooper Moore (7-2) was the losing pitcher. Louis Rodriguez (5-1) earned the win.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
‘He's just different': KU freshman Darryn Peterson already has teammate's attention
Prolific Prep guard Darryn Peterson (24) dribbles the ball as he sets up a move in the second half of the Grind Session High School Basketball World Championships against DME Academy at Coffin Sports Complex on Saturday, March 22, 2025 in Lawrence, Kansas. Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson hasn't been in Lawrence long, but he's already had a memorable first practice. His current favorite teammate is newcomer and Loyola-Chicago transfer Jayden Dawson. 'Me and Jayden Dawson were killing it yesterday in the three-on-three and four-on-four,' Peterson said. Advertisement The former five-star recruit, nicknamed 'Bucket Jones' by his father, Darryl, has already made quite an impression on his teammates and coach Bill Self. Self called Peterson a 'generational talent' Monday. Dawson didn't quite say that, but the word generational was also thrown around. 'He's just different,' Dawson told The Star about Peterson. 'He's just one of those generational athletes that you don't really come across. It's just special. You can just see it based on his talent alone. This summer alone, he's going to grow so much. Just the talent alone — not too many players you can see that's as good as him.' Dawson has NBA dreams; it's one of the reasons why he picked the Jayhawks. Peterson will certainly command plenty of NBA attention as a contender for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft. Advertisement 'DP being the projected number one pick, that's just going to put eyes on me,' Dawson said. 'Bringing NBA scouts and NBA GMs every day for practices and games is exactly what I need for me to get where I want to get to.' That synergy between Dawson and Peterson will be pivotal for the Jayhawks. Dawson is the only player currently on KU's roster who shot above 35% from 3 last season. He averaged 13.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists a game last season for the Ramblers. Dawson will compete for one of the starting roles alongside Peterson. 'It felt good just being able to be on his side, being his teammate, watching what he can do, which is crazy,' Dawson said. ' I think we complement each other's game really, really well. Being able to shoot the ball as well as we can, I think it just opens up the floor for us so much. Advertisement 'We already have that connection a little bit finding each other. I think it's going to be really special.' Finding the right running mates alongside Peterson has been work in progress for Self and his staff. Multiple players who were linked to KU through the transfer portal told The Star that Peterson recruited them, and Self discussed their fit alongside Peterson. Dawson was no different. He's known about the former five-star recruit for a while. Dawson recalled seeing the battles between Peterson and BYU freshman AJ Dybantsa at the high school level. Peterson and Dybantsa were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the class of 2025 by 247Sports. Dawson also got to see a young Peterson firsthand at a basketball camp and came away impressed with his ability to get buckets. Advertisement As for what KU fans and his teammates can expect from Dawson? 'I'm just going to be that guy that's going to do whatever is asked of him,' Dawson said. 'If I gotta dive on a loose ball, I'll dive on it. If I (have) to hit an open 3 and sit in the corner (I'll do it.) If I (have) to guard the best player, I'll do whatever is asked of me. 'Knowing I'm that vet – I'm one of the vets on the team — I'll do whatever is asked of me.'
Reuters
28-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Bill Self: Big 12 coaches support tourney expansion
May 28 - Men's basketball coaches in the Big 12 are in favor of expanding the NCAA Tournament, Kansas coach Bill Self told reporters Wednesday. Self said the coaches discussed the topic at the conference's spring meetings in Orlando, Fla., and supported increasing the number of participating schools. This 2025 NCAA Tournament marked the 40th men's bracket since the field expanded to 64 teams in 1985. In 2011, the NCAA added the First Four round, increasing the field to 68. A potential expansion to 72 or 76 teams, perhaps as soon as 2026, has been under consideration for at least a couple of years. NCAA senior vice president of basketball Dan Gavitt told CBS Sports in February that "committees are continuing their ongoing analysis of whether or not to expand the championships, and if so, how to go about doing that." Gavitt said organizers are still studying the financial burden and travel demands of staging a larger tournament, while also weighing opinions on whether expanded fields would water down the competitive viability of the events. Seven Big 12 teams made the men's NCAA Tournament in 2025, including recent conference additions Arizona, BYU and Houston. Self, 62, has led the Jayhawks to the NCAA Tournament every season it has been held since he took over in 2003-04, winning championships in 2008 and 2022. --Field Level Media
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Texas A&M lands a commitment from Kansas transfer guard
Texas A&M wasted no time responding to Duke Miles' departure, securing a commitment from Kansas transfer guard Rylan Griffen for the 2025 class. Griffen, a 6'6" sharpshooter, spent two seasons at Alabama, where he played a key role in the 2024 Final Four run before transferring to Kansas for his junior season. In his lone year with the Jayhawks, he averaged 6.3 points and 1.4 assists, shooting 33.6% from beyond the arc. Advertisement His breakout season came during his sophomore campaign at Alabama, where he posted 11.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and a 39.2% three-point shooting percentage. A former four-star recruit, Griffen returns to his home state of Texas, where he was ranked as the No. 5 prospect coming out of high school. His elite shooting ability and aggressive defensive play make him a strong fit for Bucky McMillan's fast-paced "Bucky Ball" system, which thrives on high-energy, up-tempo basketball. With Griffen in the mix, Texas A&M continues to reshape its roster under McMillan, aiming to build a competitive squad for SEC play. Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Jarrett Johnson on X: @whosnextsports1. This article originally appeared on Aggies Wire: Former Kansas G Rylan Griffen will transfer to Texas AM
Reuters
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Jacque Vaughn named assistant coach at alma mater Kansas
May 21 - Former Kansas standout guard and two-time NBA head coach Jacque Vaughn is returning to Lawrence as an assistant coach. The Jayhawks announced Wednesday that Vaughn, whose No. 11 hangs in the rafters at Allen Fieldhouse, will join head coach Bill Self's staff for the 2025-26 season. Vaughn played for Roy Williams from 1993-97. "We're very excited to welcome Jacque and (his wife) Laura into the fold," Self said in a statement. "I've known Jacque from a distance for several years now and have always admired how he has conducted himself professionally and how he has treated people. I think he will be an excellent addition to our program, while also serving as a great mentor, coach and representative of Kansas basketball." Vaughn averaged 9.6 points and 6.4 assists in 126 career games (125 starts) for the Jayhawks. He is third in Kansas history with 804 assists. He was named Academic All-American in 1996 and 1997. He was the 1996 Big 8 Player of the Year. Vaughn replaces Norm Roberts, who retired earlier this month. "I'm truly honored and overwhelmed with excitement to return to my alma mater and join Coach Self's staff as an assistant coach," Vaughn said. "I couldn't pass up the opportunity to bring those experiences back to the school that means so much to me. It's a blessing to once again be part of the Jayhawk tradition." Vaughn, 50, was selected No. 27 overall by the Utah Jazz in the 1997 NBA Draft. He averaged 4.5 points and 2.5 assists in 776 career games (123 starts) with five teams across 12 seasons. Vaughn began his coaching career as an assistant with San Antonio in 2010. He became head coach of the Orlando Magic in 2012, going 58-158 in 2 1/2 seasons. He led the Brooklyn Nets to a 71-68 mark in parts of three seasons (2020; 2022-24). --Field Level Media
