Jayhawks to Face Emporia State Tuesday in Men's Exhibition Basketball
Nov. 6, 2006
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Kansas continues exhibition play against in-state foe Emporia State, Tuesday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse can be seen on Jayhawk TV. KU has won 25 straight exhibition games dating back to 1995 and is 43-7 overall in exhibition competition. The Jayhawks have also won 25 consecutive exhibition games in Allen Fieldhouse. Emporia State opened its exhibition season at Wichita State Nov. 1 and lost to the Shockers 87-62. The Hornets are coming off an 18-13 season in 2005-06, which included a sixth-place finish in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association with a 7-9 league record.
About Kansas
Kansas defeated Washburn 99-69 in its first exhibition game of the season on Nov. 2. Freshman Darrell Arthur paced the Jayhawks with 21 points and six steals. KU enters 2006-07 as two-time defending Big 12 regular-season champion. Kansas also won the 2006 Big 12 Championship in Dallas. KU, the unanimous Big 12 preseason pick by the conference coaches, returns five starters from last season’s 25-8 and 13-3 Big 12 team. Leading the way for KU are Preseason Big 12 Co-Players of the Year Brandon Rush and Julian Wright. Rush led Kansas in scoring at 13.5 points per game and rebounding with a 5.9 average last season. The 2006 Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Rush was also the first freshman in league history to be named All-Big 12 First Team. Wright averaged 8.5 points and 4.6 rebounds in earning All-Big 12 Honorable Mention honors and was an all-tournament selection at the Big 12 Championship. Other returning starters include guards Russell Robinson and Mario Chalmers and center Sasha Kaun. Robinson is a junior who averaged 9.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game last season. Chalmers was the Big 12 Championship’s Most Outstanding Player as he was second on the team in scoring at 11.5 points per game and led the conference in steals with 2.7 per contest. Kaun started all but four games and averaged 6.3 points and 4.9 rebounds. He is out three to six weeks due to injury. Junior forward Darnell Jackson was a top reserve last year averaging more than 15 minutes per game. Expect a trio of freshmen to make an immediate impact as well. Guards Sherron Collins and Brady Morningstar and forward Darrell Arthur all come in with high credentials.
About Emporia State
Emporia State opened the exhibition season with an 87-62 loss at Wichita State on Nov. 1. Senior guard Donta Watson paced the Hornets with 19 points and six assists. Junior guard DeAndre Townsend scored 17 points while senior center Ed Desir led ESU in rebounds with 12 to go along with seven points and one blocked shot. Emporia State returns one starter and five letterwinners from last season’s 18-13 team. The Hornets finished sixth in the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association with a 7-9 league record. Eight of the 13 Hornets on the active roster graduated from Kansas high schools, with three players from Emporia High School on the roster. Emporia State was ranked as high as #16 last year in the NABC Top 25. ESU was one of five different MIAA teams to have been ranked last year. It was the third straight year ESU has appeared in the NABC Poll.
The Series
Kansas is facing Emporia State for the third time in exhibition play and the 19th time overall. KU has won the last five meetings with ESU and leads the series 15-3. The last Emporia State win in the series came in 1947. With the series dating back to 1904, Kansas has scored 102 or more points in the last four meetings.
Up Next
Kansas opens regular-season play when it hosts Northern Arizona on Saturday, November 11. NAU is the defending Big Sky Conference regular season champions having gone 21-11 and 12-2 in league play in 2005-06. Tip from Allen Fieldhouse is set for 7 p.m. and can be seen on Jayhawk TV.
