Tyshawn Taylor, Elijah Johnson suspended

This post can also be found at Beyond the Arc.

Late on Sunday night, Bill Self announced that his starting back court of Tyshawn Taylor and Elijah Johnson will be suspended for both of the team's exhibition games.

"Tyshawn and Elijah have both been terrific since school began in August," Self said in a statement. "They've not only performed well, they have been very responsible and disciplined the first few months of the school year. But during the offseason they violated a rule that I told them, because of some past experiences, their punishment was going to be severe and I was going to hold them out of the two exhibition games. They have been aware of this for several months and also are disappointed but have had very positive attitudes about it."

Its easy to write this off as a non-issue.

The rules violation happened in the summer and Taylor and Johnson have been well-behaved since then. They are also only going to miss exhibitions. If the suspension is for games that don't count, is it really a suspension at all?


Its also not that simple. Kansas is an inexperienced team this season. They lost a lot of players that played a lot of minutes over the past two or three years. A lot of players -- Taylor and Johnson included -- are going to be adapting to playing new roles this season. That's the benefit of the exhibitions. It affords an opportunity to practice your offensive and defensive sets against an opponent that isn't simply wearing their practice jersey on the opposite color. That's a valuable experience for anyone, let alone a team with so many new pieces that will be facing off with Kentucky just a week after the second of the two exhibitions.

There's a bigger issue here as well. Taylor, and to a lesser extent Johnson, are supposed to be the veteran leaders for Kansas this year. Both were suspended from the team last season, however, and Taylor also played a large role in inciting the brawl with the Jayhawk football team.

And now they have been suspended during an important time for a rebuilding Kansas team. Is that the kind of maturity you want your veteran leaders and starting back court to show? Can Bill Self truly rely upon these two players when both of them have been suspended multiple times from the team?

Kansas is not a deep team this season. With Thomas Robinson's knee injury, one sprained ankle in Monday's practice means they will be starting a walk-on in their exhibition on Tuesday. Taylor and Johnson are critical to Kansas having a shot at winning the Big 12 title.

If you're a Kansas fan, is that something that makes you comfortable?
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Hoops Housekeeping: Rakeem Buckles is done for the year.

Rakeem Buckles: Just a few weeks removed from finally returning to the court after breaking a finger, Buckles once again joined the long list of injured Louisville Cardinals. Buckles planted awkwardly on a fast break in Sunday's win over Pitt and tore an acl.

"I'm really, really disappointed for Rak," Louisville head coach Rick Pitino said. "He waited patiently to come back, and now he gets hurt again. I feel absolutely awful for him and the team. But we've battled adversity all season and we'll continue to do so, and we won't let it bother us."


Nolan Dennis: A top 50 recruit coming out of high school and a member of the disbanded 2009 recruiting class that John Calipari brought into Memphis before leaving for Kentucky, Dennis has never quite lived up to those expectations in college. He's played two seasons at Baylor, averaging just 2.3 ppg. On Friday, Dennis withdrew from school for medical reasons.

"We ask that Baylor Nation keeps Nolan in their thoughts and prayers," Baylor head coach Scott Drew said. "He was truly a treasured member of our basketball program and we wish him the best."


Brad Stevens: The Butler head coach had a scary incident on the sidelines during Butler's game against Loyola on Saturday. I'll let him explain:

"Right now, I can't see and my eye feels like it has a thousand scratches," Stevens said from home. "My vision got progressively worse as we were getting ready to start the game, and by the final media timeout of the first half, I could not see the other end of the court and everything in front of me was blurry."

He was diagnosed with a corneal edema and was back coaching on Monday.


Elijah Johnson: Johnson has been starting for Tyshawn Taylor since the junior was suspended from the team a week ago. He's played well and there are rumors that he may keep the starting job once Taylor rejoins the team. He also took a shot to the head in Saturday's win over Oklahoma, but appears to be fine.

“You know when you go to Chuck E. Cheese and you get the hammer and you bop the people?” Johnson said. “I kind of feel like that’s what happened.”

He missed the final 14 minutes of the game, but the game was out of reach already. He was cleared to play if he was needed.

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Elijah Johnson's not going anywhere

Early on Tuesday afternoon, a radio show in Kansas started a rumor that Elijah Johnson, a back up point guard on the Kansas roster, would be transferring out of school at the end of the semester.

It would make sense.

A top 25 recruit coming out of high school, Johnson played just 6.6 mpg as a freshman, and despite the Jayhawks missing Josh Selby for the first nine games of this season, Johnson has only managed to get 16.6 mpg this season, which includes missing the first two games of the year. That number seems like it would only be headed down once Selby gets eligible.

The irony in all of this?

Johnson played his best game as a Jayhawk last night, finishing with seven points, three assists, and no turnovers in 21 minutes. If he was transferring, would Self play him for 21 minutes in a nationally televised game?

"It's irritating when people put words in your mouth," Johnson told the University Daily Kansan after the game. "I'm a Jayhawk until they kick me out. And I don't think they're kicking me out any time soon, so I've got 2 1/2 more years."

Johnson quite obviously has the talent to be an impact player on this level. He's even drawn the eye of Draft Express. To make the NBA, he'll need more court time to prove himself capable. If Selby leaves after this season (which most expect him to do), Johnson will still have two years to perform.

For now, it looks like Johnson's perfectly fine with that.
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No. 1: 2009-2010 Team Preview: Kansas Jayhawks

2008-2009 Record: 27-8, 14-2 Big XII (1st)

Key Losses: None

Key Returners: Sherron Collins (18.9 ppg, 5.0 apg), Cole Aldrich (14.9 ppg, 11.1 rpg, 2.7 bpg), Tyshawn Taylor 9.7 ppg, 3.0 apg)

Newcomers: Xavier Henry, Jeff Withey, CJ Henry, Thomas Robinson, Elijah Johnson

Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich both may be first team all americans this year.
(photo credit: UMHoops)

Just one year removed from winning a national title and losing his top six players, Bill Self has completely retooled his roster. The Jayhawks are absolutely loaded this season. How loaded? Just take a look at the 12th, 13th, and 14th men on their roster. Travis Releford, a sophomore, was a top 75 recruit out of Kansas, picking the Jayhawks over the likes of Texas, UConn, and North Carolina. Jeff Withey, a redshirt freshman who will be eligible at the end of the 2009 semester after transferring from Arizona, was a top 50 recruit in 2008. CJ Henry was one of the best prospects of the 2005 class before choosing to play baseball in the Yankees organization. Those three guys would start for a number of Big XII schools, and may not even sniff the court for Kansas this year.

The biggest reason for the Jayhawks being the consensus number one team in the country is the inside-outside combination of Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich. Aldrich may be the most dominating presence in the paint this season. At 6'11" with the wingspan of a pterodactyl, he can control the glass and is one of the nation's best shotblockers. Offensively, he didn't show great back to the basket moves, but his jumper (despite being hideous looking) is soft and he is a good finisher at the rim. If he put in the work during the off-season, expect Aldrich to be improved on the block this year. Everyone should know about Collins. Built like a bowling ball, Collins can shoot it, he can drive to score or to pass, and he is a proven clutch performer that isn't afraid to take (and make) a big shot. Collins is a natural leader, which is perfect for a team that is still relatively young. With the amount of talent on this roster, expect Collins' scoring numbers to dip a bit this year as he spreads the ball around more.

The likely starters on the perimeter will be sophomore Tyshawn Taylor and freshman Xavier Henry. Taylor is an excellent role player to stick in the off-guard spot. He has the talent to be a 15 ppg guy, but he is used to filling a role on a loaded roster (his high school team at St. Patrick's had seven D1 players on it). He has the handle and the play-making ability to play a little bit of point guard this year, but where his biggest contribution will be is on the defensive end. His long arms and quick feet will make him a night mare for opposing two guards. Henry might be the missing piece for Self. With a dynamic point guard, size inside, and role players and shooters on the perimeter last year, the one thing this Jayhawk team was missing was a big time scoring talent on the wing. Henry, a strong, 6'6" two-guard, is exactly that. The only concern that Self will have with Henry is his attitude - will he understand that he is not "the man" on this Jayhawk team and defer to Collins and Aldrich?

The rest of the Kansas back court is talented as well. Tyrell Reed, who was the 2008 Kansas high school player of the year, is a shooter first and foremost. A coaches son, he is a smart kid that understands the game and can play a little point if necessary, but where he will be utilized by Self is as a spot-shooter on the perimeter that will help spread the floor. Mario Little is a JuCo transfer that struggled to get time on the court last season. When he did, he produced, averaging 4.7 ppg and 3.2 rpg in just 12 mpg. He is an athletic slasher that is at his best in the open floor. Brady Morningstar is a former walk-on who earned his starting spot last season. A pesky defender and excellent shooter, Morningstar may have cost himself this season with his DUI back in September. He will not return from suspension until the end of the first semester, and by then Self will likely have his rotation figured out.

Of this group, Elijah Johnson probably has the most upside. Similar to a guy like Collins, Johnson is a solidly built, 6'2" point guard. He's explosive, he can get to the rim, he can shoot it from deep, and he makes the game look effortless. His issue is that he has a rep for being lazy, for coasting during games. If Self, or maybe even Collins, can light a fire in this kid, he should be a more than adequate back-up for Collins and may end up being a first round pick down the road.

The most improved players this season may end up being the Morris twins, Markieff and Marcus. Last season, the two showed flashes of potential, but they weren't big or strong enough to handle the rigors of the Big XII. But over the summer, the twins spent quite a bit of time in the weight room, adding strength, mass, and improving their athleticism in the process. Marcus is a bit more developed on the offensive end while Markieff is a better defender at this point in his career. Regardless, expect a big season out of these two as they will provide energy and athleticism for Self, both on the defensive end and on the glass.

The other guy expected to see time in the front court rotation is Thomas Robinson. At 6'9", Robinson is a fantastic athlete that can get out and fill a lane on the break. He isn't the strongest player inside right now, but he can finish above the rim and has shown a decent offensive game around the rim. Similar to Marcus Morris, Robinson can also step out and play the high post. He has a solid 15 foot jumper, and his passing and ball-handling ability will make him a difficult match-up for any opposing post.

Outlook: Kansas had a bit of a tumultuous off-season, as the basketball team's multiple skirmishes with the Jayhawk football team made national headlines. But as much of an issue and as big of an embarrassment as it was for Bill Self, some took it as a good sign. This wasn't one guy on an island fighting 60-some football players. This was the whole team having the back of a couple players with an issue. While there were certainly better ways to solve the issue than to take it to fists, Self has to be happy that he has a team that is close-knit enough that they didn't hesitate to have each other's back. I don't think that it will be much of a distraction at this point. The bigger issue is going to be how Self handles having this much talent on his roster. Will there be enough shots and minutes to go around to keep everyone happy? If he can manage and massage egos, Kansas looks like the clear cut favorite to cut down the nets in Indianapolis.
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