The Morning Dish – Sunday, January 2nd
Jayhawks Exact Some Revenge: It won’t make up for losing in the NCAA Tournament, but Kansas scored a little measure of revenge on Saturday after Keith Langford’s shot in the lane with three seconds left in overtime gave them a 70-68 win over Georgia Tech in Lawrence. The Jayhawks (9-0) once trailed by 16 points as they played without Wayne Simien, and they never led until the extra session. Langford’s winner capped a team-high 18-point effort, while Jarrett Jack led Georgia Tech (9-2) with a game-high 26 points. Senior guard B.J. Elder, Georgia Tech’s leading scorer, left the game after playing just seven minutes due to a strained hamstring.
Kansas Honors Another: At halftime, Kansas raised the No. 14 jersey of Darnell Valentine to the rafters at Allen Fieldhouse. Valentine is fifth all-time in scoring at Kansas and still holds the all-time record for career steals. He spent nine seasons in the NBA and is currently the director of player development for the Portland Trail Blazers.
Alabama Hangs On: Alabama had a 41-24 halftime lead, then held on despite strugging from the field in the second half for a 68-57 win in their final non-conference game. The Crimson Tide (11-2) got 14 points from Ernest Shelton and 12 points and 9 rebounds from Jermario Davidson, while New Orleans (5-8) got 26 points from Bo McCalebb.
Career Day Lifts Tech: Ronald Ross and Devonne Giles each had career highs in points and nearly ourscored San Francisco by themselves as Texas Tech blew out the Dons, 97-53 in Lubbock. Ronald Ross had 30 points, making all four of his three-point attempts along the way, and Devonne Giles added 22 to lead the Red Raiders (7-3). Giles added 17 rebounds as well, and Texas Tech held the Dons (8-4) well below their season average of 74 points per game.
Bucs Lose One, But Not A Game: Freshman forward Chris Mitchell has left East Tennessee State and plans to transfer to another school soon. The 6’6″ forward averaged 8.3 points and 6.4 rebounds in 10 games, and has not yet said where he will transfer to.
Pressure on Southern of a Different Sort: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) wants Southern University to not replace its jaguar mascot that died Sunday from symptoms related to old age. The previous mascot, called Lacumba, was healthy throughout her life (15 years) and cared for by the university before dying of kidney failure. The school’s chancellor said the university is likely to get a new jaguar. This is not the first time PETA has voiced opposition to college mascots; in fact, they have voiced opposition to that of neighboring LSU and its Mike the Tiger mascot.
Tonight’s Menu
• A couple of ACC matchups highlight the day, as Wake Forest travels to Virginia, while Clemson heads to Durham to take on Duke.
• In-state rivals hook up as Florida hosts Florida State.
• West Virginia will state another case for the polls as the Mountaineers take on North Carolina State in Raleigh.
• North Carolina hosts William & Mary.
• Louisville hosts Tennessee State.
• Texas hosts UNLV.
• Pittsburgh tries to remain undefeated as the Panthers host Bucknell.
• A busy Pac-10 slate features Stanford at Washington and Arizona hosting Arizona State.
• Other conferences with busy slates include America East and the Mid-American Conference.
