Dave Riggert – Page 1146 – St. Joseph Post Archive

KU’s Robinson named to Naismith Award watch list

Posted on November 7, 2011November 7, 2011

Kansas junior Thomas Robinson has been named to the 2011-12 Naismith Trophy preseason watch list the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Monday evening.

Robinson has been listed on numerous preseason All-America teams entering the 2011-12 season. The Washington, D.C., native averaged 14.6 minutes in 33 games with two starts last season and was the Jayhawks’ most productive player off the bench, averaging 7.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. Robinson notched four double-doubles in 2010-11 and his 60.1 shooting percentage ranked second highest on the team.

Kansas’ Danny Manning, a current assistant on the Jayhawk staff, won the 1988 Naismith Men’s College Player of the Year Trophy.

The watch list was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2011-12 college basketball season. The Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T will be awarded at the 2012 NCAA Men’s Final Four in New Orleans.

In February, during CBS’ coverage of college basketball, the “AT&T at the Half” segment will feature a Naismith Trophy update highlighting the players in contention for the award.
In late February, the Atlanta Tipoff Club’s Board of Selectors will compile a mid-season team of the top 30 players in the nation. The Naismith Trophy voting academy will then vote to narrow the list to four finalists in March.

The Naismith Trophy is the most prestigious national award presented annually to college basketball’s player of the year. For more information, visit www.naismithawards.com<http://www.naismithawards.com>.

2011-12 Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List
Tim Abromaitis, Notre Dame
Harrison Barnes, North Carolina
Will Barton, Memphis
Bradley Beal, Florida
William Buford, Ohio State
Aaron Craft, Ohio State
Anthony Davis, Kentucky
Marcus Denmon, Missouri
Andre Drummond, Connecticut
Festus Ezeli, Vanderbilt
Ashton Gibbs, Pittsburgh
Michael Glover, Iona
Drew Gordon, New Mexico
Draymond Green, Michigan State
JaMychal Green, Alabama
Tim Hardaway Jr., Michigan
Elias Harris, Gonzaga
John Henson, North Carolina
Tu Holloway, Xavier
Robbie Hummel, Purdue
Joe Jackson, Memphis
John Jenkins, Vanderbilt
Orlando Johnson, UC Santa Barbara
Darius Johnson-Odom, Marquette
Perry Jones III, Baylor
Terrence Jones, Kentucky
Kevin Jones, West Virginia
Kris Joseph, Syracuse
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Kentucky
Jeremy Lamb, Connecticut
Kendall Marshall, North Carolina
Ray McCallum, Detroit
Doug McDermott, Creighton
Khris Middleton, Texas A&M
Quincy Miller, Baylor
Reeves Nelson, UCLA
Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure
Alex Oriakhi, Syracuse
Austin Rivers, Duke
Thomas Robinson, Kansas
Terrence Ross, Washinton
John Shurna, Northwestern
Peyton Siva, Louisville
Joshua Smith, UCLA
Jared Sullinger, Ohio State
Jordan Taylor, Wisconsin
Jeffery Taylor, Vanderbilt
Marques Teague, Kentucky
Patric Young, Florida
Tyler Zeller, North Carolina

— KU Sports Information —

KSU’s Lockett named Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Wekk

Posted on November 7, 2011November 7, 2011

Kansas State wide receiver/kickoff return specialist Tyler Lockett earned his second Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Week honor in three weeks following his performance against No. 3 Oklahoma State, the conference office announced today.

Lockett earned the sixth weekly conference award by a Wildcat this season, while it was the second in the freshman’s career. He is also the first Wildcat true freshman to earn Big 12 Player of the Week accolades twice in a season since Josh Freeman in 2006.

The Tulsa, Okla., native continues to put up All-America numbers in the return game and collected the fifth-most all-purpose yards in K-State history against Oklahoma State (315 yards). He returned a fourth-quarter kickoff 80 yards to set up a game-tying score late in the game and totaled 193 yards in kick returns for the game. The freshman currently ranks second in the nation in kickoff return average. Lockett also rushed three times for 84 yards and caught three passes for 32 yards and a score.

No. 14 Kansas State (7-2, 4-2) hosts Texas A&M (5-3, 3-3) on Saturday in a game that will be televised by ABC at 2:30 p.m.

Fans can purchase tickets to both remaining home games as a combo ticket to both the Texas A&M game and the December 3 home finale against Iowa State is available for only $85. The first 500 fans to purchase a combo ticket will receive a free Jordy Nelson bobblehead.

— KSU Sports Information —

Western moves up to No. 17 in AFCA Top 25 poll

Posted on November 7, 2011November 7, 2011

After an exciting 31-28 victory over the 3rd ranked Bearcats of Northwest Missouri State the Missouri Western football team jumped eight spots to 17th in the latest AFCA Division II Coaches Poll. Western defeated the 3rd ranked Bearcats for the first time since 2003 and it marks the highest ranked team the Griffons have defeated since joining the NCAA in 1989.

Three other MIAA school were in the top 15 as Washburn sits 6th while Pittsburg State and Northwest Missouri sit at 9th and 11th after losses last week.

The Griffons have currently won six straight football games coming into this week’s match-up Fort Hays State Tigers. Western holds a 8-2 overall record and 6-2 in MIAA play while the Tigers are 4-6 overall and 3-5 in MIAA action. Game time is set for 2:00 pm from Lewis Field Stadium in Hays, Kan.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Kansas/Texas A&M gametime set for 11:00 AM

Posted on November 7, 2011November 7, 2011

Kansas’ football game at Texas A&M on Saturday, Nov. 19 will be televised by Fox Sports Net and feature an 11 a.m. kick off, it was announced Monday. This will mark KU’s eighth television appearance of the season and fourth on FSN.

The Jayhawks will be making their first trek to College Station, Texas since the 2007 season. Texas A&M leads the all-time series with KU, 8-2, including 4-1 at Kyle Field.

KU will host Baylor at 1 p.m. this Saturday as the team celebrates Senior Day at Memorial Stadium. The Jayhawks will recognize their 15-member senior class with a ceremony prior to the game.

— KU Sports Information —

K-State’s game at Texas will kick at 7:00 PM

Posted on November 7, 2011November 7, 2011

Kansas State athletics officials received word on Monday that the Wildcats’ football game at Texas on November 19 will be televised nationally on FX with a 7 p.m. kickoff.

The selection marks the 11th straight week that a Wildcat football game will be televised and will guarantee that all 12 games this season have been available to a national audience.

No. 14 Kansas State (7-2, 4-2) hosts Texas A&M (5-3, 3-3) on Saturday in a game that will be televised by ABC at 2:30 p.m.

— KSU Sports Information —

Chiefs get destroyed by winless Dolphins

Posted on November 6, 2011November 6, 2011

It didn’t matter how big of a lead the Miami Dolphins built on the Kansas City Chiefs. It still wasn’t enough to keep them from feeling jittery.

One of two winless teams left in the NFL, the Dolphins came into Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday with the cloud of two second-half collapses still hovering. They were also facing a Chiefs team that had mastered the art of the comeback: 0-3 to 4-3 in four games.

So it made sense that nobody on the Dolphins sideline was celebrating until the final seconds ticked away, and coach Tony Sparano’s beleaguered team could finally enjoy a 31-3 victory.

“I’m just happy for the guys in our locker room,” Sparano said. “All I’ve wanted to do for seven weeks is see these guys smile.”

There was plenty to smile about.

Matt Moore threw for 244 yards and three touchdowns, the first three-TD performance by a Miami quarterback since Chad Pennington in 2008. Reggie Bush ran for 92 yards and another score, and tight end Anthony Fasano hauled in two touchdown passes in the first half.

Brandon Marshall finished with eight catches for 106 yards and another score, once again making for a miserable afternoon for the Chiefs. The former Broncos wide receiver has 52 catches for 689 yards and seven touchdowns in eight games against Kansas City in his career.

“We had a couple of big plays, which kind of lit the fire,” Moore said. “You make a couple of big plays early and there’s no telling what can happen.”

The virtuoso performance by the Miami offense helped brush away the spectre of an 0-7 start, which included a pair of disheartening losses the past two weeks: The Dolphins blew a 15-point lead in an overtime loss to Denver and a seven-point lead last week against the New York Giants.

“This is all about the players,” Sparano said. “These guys did a super job all week long of putting all the garbage behind them.”

Kansas City, meanwhile, looked more like the team that lost its first two games by a combined 89-10 than the one that rattled off four straight wins to climb into a tie atop the AFC West. The Chiefs, Chargers and Raiders remained tied for first place in the division after all three lost Sunday.

Matt Cassel was 20 of 39 for 253 yards despite facing a secondary missing cornerback Vontae Davis and had backup Nolan Carroll leave several times with a hamstring injury.

Of course, the defensive backfield didn’t have much to defend.

The Dolphins’ relentless front spent most of the afternoon in Cassel’s face, sacking him five times and forcing the slow-footed quarterback to scramble nine more times. The Chiefs came into the game having allowed 13 sacks all season, tied for sixth-best in the league.

“They executed and we didn’t,” Cassel said. “We were able to put together some drives, but we weren’t able to sustain those drives offensively. We have to do a better job of executing. It starts with me and all the way down the line.”

Things looked promising for Kansas City its opening possession, when it put together a grinding, 14-play, 53-yard drive that Ryan Succop finished off with a 43-yard field goal.

The Chiefs didn’t do much after that.

Miami answered with a touchdown later in the first quarter when nobody pick up Fasano off the line of scrimmage. Moore simply tossed a pass to him from 3 yards out, the first of 31 straight points scored by the Dolphins — more than they’d scored in any game this season.

On the Dolphins’ ensuing possession, Moore hit fullback Charles Clay for gains of 21 and 22 yards, and then found Fasano open down the sideline for a 35-yard touchdown completion and a 14-3 lead.

Fasano’s only other two-TD game also came against the Chiefs.

The Dolphins offense really hit the accelerator in the third quarter, when Moore found Marshall for a 14-yard touchdown pass, and Bush shook loose for a 28-yard scoring run, the former No. 2 overall draft pick’s first TD on the ground since Nov. 15, 2009.

Any chance of a comeback ended early in the fourth quarter, when Kansas City failed to convert on fourth down at the Dolphins 3. The Chiefs also couldn’t score on fourth-and-goal at the 5-yard line in the closing minutes of the game.

“This was not the kind of performance we expected or wanted,” Chiefs coach Todd Haley said stoically. “This was a very dangerous team that was playing a lot better than their record. It’s hard to win in the NFL and they just did a better job than us.”

Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers put it more succinctly.

“We got beat,” he said. “We got beat pretty bad by the Miami Dolphins. At home.”

— Associated Press —

Northwest men lose exhibition game at Iowa

Posted on November 6, 2011November 6, 2011

The Northwest Missouri State men’s basketball team fell 79-59 in its only exhibition action of the season to the University of Iowa Sunday afternoon at Hawkeye-Carver Arena.

With three players returning who saw major action last season for head coach Ben McCollum, Northwest was able to hang with the Iowa Hawkeyes in front of 10,854 fans. The Bearcats open the regular season on Friday at UMKC with tipoff scheduled for 1 p.m.

McCollum saw 10 different Bearcats score against the Hawkeyes as they hustled their way to just a nine point deficit at intermission. Northwest would pull within one of the Hawkeyes twice in the first half as the second came on a DeAngelo Hailey three-pointer just under the nine minute mark in the first half.

Iowa would answer just 30 seconds later with a three-pointer of their own from Bryce Cartwright pulling ahead 21-17. Foul trouble allowed the Hawkeyes to increase their lead, but Northwest would manage to keep the Iowa lead under 10 in the first half.

A hot shooting Hawkeye team would build their lead to as many as 14 points to start the second half, but a resilient Northwest squad fought back to pull within nine at the 10:41 mark in the game on a Justin Clark jumper. Clark led Northwest in scoring with 13 points and made one of three treys by the Bearcats.

The Hawkeyes were able to shoot 35 percent from beyond the three-point line while Northwest shot only 15 percent. The Bearcats also struggled at the free throw line shooting 57 percent on 12 of 21 as Iowa shot 80 percent going 25 of 31.

Clark added five rebounds and three assists to his team high 13 points to lead Northwest in all three categories.

Jake Reinders also finished in double figures with 10 points for Northwest in the loss.

All-Big 10 guard Matt Gatens led all players with a game high 17 points.

— NWMSU Sports Information —

No. 25 Missouri Western upsets No. 3 Northwest Missouri State

Posted on November 5, 2011November 6, 2011

Missouri Western snapped an eight game losing streak against rival Northwest Missouri State winning by a score of 31-28 in front of 8,811 fans at Spratt Stadium. Two fourth down stops by the Griffons defense in the fourth quarter helped them seal the upset. This marks the highest ranked team that the Griffons have beaten in school history with the previous high being the 5th ranked Washburn Ichabods back in 2005. Western improves to 8-2 overall 6-2 in MIAA action.

The Griffons moved the ball in the first quarter against the Bearcats against the wind rushing the ball 15 times for 73 yards with six first downs. Despite controlling the time of possession by over seven minutes they trailed 14-3 after one quarter of play. Western’s only points came off a 37 yard field goal by Greg Zuerlein with 40 second to play capping a 14 play 61 yard drive cutting the Bearcat lead to 7-3.

Northwest opened their next drive with a 60 yard pitch and catch from Trevor Adams to Tyler Shaw setting the Bearcats up with a four yard touchdown run from James Franklin as time expired in the quarter. Franklin rushed for two touchdowns in the quarter which included a three yard plunge with 7:18 to play in the first.

The second quarter belonged to the Griffons as they had the wind to their backs. They outscored the Bearcats 10-0 trailing by one 14-13 heading to the half. Travis Partridge had a one yard touchdown run with 7:18 to play while Zuerlein nailed a 53 yard field goal with 2:53 to play.

Western had 107 yards rushing with Michael Hill gaining 43 on 12 carries. Partridge had 41 yards on 12 carries and connected on 8-of-15 passes for 65 yards. David Fowler had three catches for 15 yards. Ben Jackson and Tom Madget had four tackles for Western in the first frame. Northwest had 169 yards of total offensive with Jordan Simmons rushing for 31 yards. Chad Kilgore had nine tackles in the half.

The third quarter went back and forth as the two teams combined to score 32 points in the quarter. The Bearcats opened the quarter going 80 yards on four players with Franklin scoring his third touchdown of the game from 37 yards out going up 21-13. Western responded nicely on their first possession with a 71 yard three play drive that ended with a one yard plunge from Hill cutting the Bearcat lead to 21-19. Jerry Partridge gambled going for two which paid off with son Travis finding Reggie Jordan in the back of the end zone tying the score at 21.

An interception by Jeremy Weston gave the Griffon great field possession and nine plays later Partridge found Adam Clausen two yards out giving the Griffons the 28-21 lead with 4:09 to play in the third. Northwest would tie the score at 28 after a Simmons three yard run with 2:36 to play. Before the quarter was over the Griffons drove into Bearcat territory and with 11 seconds left and the wind went for a 58 yard field goal. Zuerlein blasted it through breaking his school record of 57 yards which he set earlier in the year against Missouri Southern. With the field goal he also broke a Missouri Western single season record with 18 in one season. The field goal also proved to be the game winner.

In the fourth the Griffon defense rose to the occasion forcing a turnover and stopping the Bearcats twice on fourth down. The first fourth down attempt by the Bearcats was from the Griffon one. Western defensive end David Bass broke through stopping Simmons for a two yard loss. The tackle for a loss by Bass tied the single season record with 18.5. He tied Eric McDowell who set it in 2003.

The final Bearcat possession would also end on a fourth down play when Griffon cornerback Jackson tackled Shaw one yard shy of a first down dropping the Bearcats to 8-2 overall and 6-2 in MIAA play.

Western racked up 348 yards of total offense with 237 coming on the ground. Western improves to 7-0 this season when rushing for over 200 yards. Partridge rushed for over 100 yards for the first time in his career going for 106 on 18 rushes. Michael hill had 81 yards on 30 carries and now has 1,058 yards on the season. Jackson led the charge defensively with a career best 12 tackles.

Northwest finished with 420 total yards with 263 through the air and 157 on the ground. Simmons had 81 yards while Franklin finished with 73. Adams completed 17-26 passes while Shaw caught four balls for 89 yards. Kilgore and DJ Gnader finished with 13 tackles apiece.

Western plays their final regular season game on Saturday, November 12 in Hays, Kan. against the Fort Hays State Tigers. Game time is set for 2:00 pm from Lewis Field Stadium.

— MWSU Sports Information —

Mizzou’s rally falls short at Baylor

Posted on November 5, 2011November 5, 2011

Robert Griffin III threw for 406 yards and three touchdowns and ran for another, and Terrance Ganaway ran for touchdowns of 38 and 80 yards, leading Baylor to a 42-39 victory over Missouri on Saturday night.

Baylor set a school record by gaining 697 yards. Griffin, a dazzling dual-threat quarterback, cracked 400 yards passing for the third straight game; this time was more meaningful as the last two games were lopsided losses.

The Bears (5-3, 2/3 Big 12) improved to 5-0 at home and are one win from being bowl eligible for a second straight season. They haven’t been to bowls in consecutive seasons since 1991-92.

A week after overcoming an 11-point, fourth-quarter deficit at nearby Texas A&M, Missouri could only come close to wiping out a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit. The Tigers (4-5, 2-4) scored 25 points in the final period, but were thwarted when Baylor recovered an onside kick with 1:59 left.

Perhaps days from joining the Southeastern Conference, Missouri didn’t have the kind of stingy defense it’s going to need to compete in that league. The Tigers wasted leads of 7-0 and 14-7, then let a 14-13 halftime advantage turn into a 28-14 deficit. Their fourth-quarter offensive surge was undermined by allowing a 68-yard touchdown pass and Ganaway’s 80-yard TD run.

After Ganaway sealed the game by running 18 yards to the Missouri 8 on a third-and-2 in the final minute, Baylor fans chanted “S-E-C! S-E-C!”

Baylor went ahead on its first drive of the second half, with Griffin throwing a 28-yard touchdown pass, then running in for the two-point conversion. Ganaway stretched the lead with his 38-yard touchdown following a fumble by Missouri.

The Tigers got within 35-25 midway through the fourth quarter, but on the Bears’ next snap, Ganaway broke loose down the right sideline for his 80-yarder. Missouri followed with another touchdown, but there wasn’t enough time left for the Tigers to pull off another late rally in central Texas.

Griffin — who came in as the second-most accurate quarterback in the nation, and third in total offense — was 27 of 41. His best pass was a heave that hit Tevin Reese in stride for the 68-yard TD. He also ran 18 times for 64 yards.

Ganaway had 186 yards on just 12 carries.

Missouri’s Henry Josey, who came in leading the Big 12 in rushing, ran for 132 yards and two touchdowns. It was his fourth straight game with at least 129 yards. Fellow sophomore James Franklin was 33 of 46 for 325 yards and a touchdown, and he ran 16 times for 57 yards.

The game got off to a bit of an odd start, with each team’s first possession ending with a 9-yard punt. Only Missouri’s was into the wind. Kicking was a problem all game for the Bears, as they had a point-after blocked and missed field goals of 27 and 54 yards.

— Associated Press —

Griffon volleyball downs Truman for first time since 2002

Posted on November 5, 2011November 5, 2011

The Missouri Western volleyball team defeated Truman State for the first time since Nov. 6, 2002 in a back and forth, five-set match Saturday night at the MWSU Fieldhouse.

After falling behind, 4-0 in the deciding fifth set, Western took over for a 16-14 win that improved their record to 13-15 on the season; 6-9 in the MIAA. Truman dropped to 18-13 and 7-8 in conference play.

Western took set one, 25-15 on 13 kills. The Griffons had a .423 attack percentage in the first set. The Griffons lost a close set-two, 25-22. Western dominated set three, winning 25-15. Truman was able to battle back and win set four, 25-18.

The Griffons were led by a career-high, 15 kills from Meredith McCormick. Tahler Johnston, Alex Behnke and Shelby Corkill each had 14 kills. Stephanie Hattey led the Griffons with 52 set assists.

Western closes out the home portion of their schedule Tuesday, Nov. 8 when they host Missouri Southern at 7 p.m. in the fieldhouse.

— MWSU Sports Information —