Senior guard Tyshawn Taylor has been named a candidate for the Bob Cousy Award it was announced Monday morning. The annual honor, named for Hall of Famer and former Boston Celtic Bob Cousy, recognizes the top point guards in college basketball. Almost 60 candidates have been nominated for the 2012 Bob Cousy Award.

The Hoboken, N.J., native was one of 20 finalists for the award last season. So far through the first nine games of the 2011-12 season, Taylor is second on the team in scoring at 15.9 points per game and he leads the team in assists with 4.7 per game. Taylor is coming off a career-high 13 assist-game against the second-ranked team in the country, Ohio State, on Dec. 10, a game in which KU defeated the Buckeyes, 78-67.

Earlier this season, Taylor became the 54th Jayhawk to reach 1,000 career points. He continues to climb the all-time assists, points and wins ladder during his final season wearing a Kansas uniform.

This original list of candidates will be narrowed down to a final 20 by Jan. 1, final 10 by Feb. 1 and final five by March 1. A premier Selection Committee will be appointed by the Hall of Fame to review the final five candidates in contention for the nation’s top collegiate point guard award. These Hall of Fame committees are made up of top college basketball personnel including media members, head coaches, sports information directors and Hall of Famers.

The winner of the 2012 Bob Cousy Award will be presented at the Hall of Fame’s Class Announcement on Championship Monday, April 2, in New Orleans as part of NCAA Final Four weekend.

— KU Sports Information —

Kansas head football coach Charlie Weis announced here Tuesday the addition of Tim Grunhard to the Jayhawk coaching staff. Grunhard will join the KU program as the offensive line coach, effective Jan. 1.

Grunhard will join the KU staff after serving as the head coach of Bishop Miege High School in Shawnee Mission, Kan. He led the Stags to five-straight district titles and the 2009 Class 4A state title in his six seasons at the helm of the program. Under Grunhard’s tutelage, six Bishop Miege players have gone on to earn Division I scholarships.

Prior to coaching at Miege, Grunhard enjoyed an 11-year NFL career, all of which were as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs. He was a second-round draft pick in 1990 and was the anchor of the Chiefs offensive line throughout his career, earning a spot in the 1999 Pro Bowl. Grunhard started 164 games for Kansas City, which still ranks third in franchise history.

A native of Chicago, Grunhard is a 1990 graduate of Notre Dame where he was a standout offensive lineman and was a member of the 1988 Irish National Championship team.

— KU Sports Information —

Kansas forward Thomas Robinson has been named the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association for games ending the week of Sunday, Dec. 11. The USBWA’s weekly honor is presented by Blue Ribbon College Basketball Yearbook and will be handed out each Tuesday through Feb. 21 this season.

As the Big 12 Conference Player of the Week, Robinson was nominated for the weekly award, which was chosen by a representative of the USBWA board of directors from a list of Division I conference players of the week. Robinson is the first recipient of the national accolade for the 2011-12 season.

Robinson, a 6-10 junior from Washington, D.C., averaged 23.5 points and nine rebounds for the week and scored 21 points, including 10 of his team’s last 12, as the Jayhawks defeated then-No. 2 Ohio State, 78-67, on Saturday. He had 26 points and 11 rebounds in an earlier 88-80 win over Long Beach State. For the week, Robinson made 17-of-23 field-goal attempts (74 percent) and was 13-18 from the free-throw line.

This is the third season that the USBWA has selected a national player of the week. The weekly Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week is added to the Oscar Robertson Trophy watch list, which will be released at mid-season.

Since the 1958-59 season, the USBWA has named a National Player of the Year. In 1998, the award was named in honor of the University of Cincinnati Hall of Famer and two-time USBWA Player of the Year Oscar Robertson. It is the nation’s oldest award and the only one named after a former player.

At the conclusion of the regular season, the USBWA will name finalists for the award, which is voted on by the entire membership of the USBWA. The winner of the 2012 Oscar Robertson Trophy will be announced and presented by its namesake, Oscar Robertson, at the USBWA’s annual awards breakfast on Fri., March 30 in New Orleans, site of the 2012 NCAA Men’s Final Four.

— KU Sports Information —

Kansas junior forward Thomas Robinson has been named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player for the second time this season. Robinson earned the most recent honor for games Dec. 5 – 11 in voting by a panel of media covering the conference.

Robinson averaged 23.5 points and nine rebounds as Kansas defeated Long Beach State (88-80) and No. 2 Ohio State (78-67). The Washington, D.C., native opened the week with a career-high 26 points and 11 rebounds versus LBSU (Dec. 6) before following with 21 points, including 10 of his team’s final 12 points, in the Jayhawks’ victory over the Buckeyes (Dec. 10). He shot 73.9 percent (17-of-23) from the floor on the week while connecting at a .722 clip (13-of-18) from the free-throw line.

Robinson, who won the honor for the first time on Nov. 28, has three 20-point efforts this season and has also recorded a Big 12-best seven double-doubles. He is the only player in the league averaging double figures in both points (17.8) and rebounds (11.4).

Kansas (7-2) is in final exams this week and will next play Davidson on Monday, Dec. 19 at 8 p.m. (Central) in the M&I Kansas City Shootout at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

— KU Sports Information —

Kansas senior guard Tyshawn Taylor had successful surgery on his right knee Sunday morning and is expected a full recovery, head coach Bill Self said.

“Tyshawn had surgery this morning and I spoke with the doctors and it went as well as expected” Self said Sunday afternoon. “Nothing had changed in the time frame for recovery, which is one to three weeks. He will be up and around tomorrow morning and will be back in the shortest time possible. The time for recovery depends on swelling and how he reacts to rehab.”

Following No. 13 Kansas’ 78-67 victory against No. 2 Ohio State Saturday, Self announced on the Jayhawk IMG Radio Network Postgame Show Taylor tore his meniscus in practice prior to the Long Beach State game Tuesday (Dec. 6) and would undergo surgery Sunday.

“We said (Tyshawn Taylor) tweaked his knee, but he tore his meniscus,” said Self. “He could have had surgery last Tuesday. He said there was no way he was going to miss these two games, so he’s going to have surgery tomorrow. (I don’t know) how long he’ll be out, two to three weeks. Maybe if everything goes perfect, it’ll be sooner than that. I can get on Tyshawn for turning it over. I can get onto him for not making some plays, which I think is conducive to being an extension of the head coach, but I can’t get on him for toughness. He’s been hurt, and he goes out there and gives his body up. We don’t beat Long Beach State without him, and we certainly don’t win this game without him. I think our fans should really appreciate him playing nicked up, and we’ll do surgery tomorrow.”

Through nine games this season, Taylor is averaging 15.9 points and 4.7 assists per game. He had nine points and a career-high 13 assists against Ohio State. Kansas’ next game will be Monday, Dec. 19, against Davidson at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., at 8 p.m.

— KU Sports Information —

Tyshawn Taylor played through the pain. Jared Sullinger did not.

That may have been the difference for No. 13 Kansas in its victory over second-ranked Ohio State.

The Jayhawks’ starting point guard had a career-high 13 assists despite a torn meniscus and sprained MCL in his right knee, helping Kansas to a 78-67 victory over the Buckeyes, who were missing Sullinger for the second consecutive game because of back spasms.

“I can get on Ty because he will turn it over every now and then, but where would we be without him?” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “We don’t win the game tonight if he doesn’t play. He definitely isn’t 100 percent.”

Thomas Robinson took advantage of Sullinger’s absence inside to score 21 points, and newcomer Kevin Young came off the bench to add a career-high 14 for the Jayhawks (6-2), who extended their winning streak to 47 games over nonconference opponents at Allen Fieldhouse.

William Buford had 17 of his 21 points in the second half for Ohio State (8-1), which was playing on the road for the first time this season. Deshaun Thomas added 19 points.

“When you make mistakes, Kansas is so good, they’re going to make you pay, and we made some key mistakes,” Buckeyes coach Thad Matta said. “Our guys competed — just made mistakes down the stretch.”

Taylor hurt his knee in practice earlier in the week and could have opted for surgery, but the Jayhawks’ medical staff decided he wouldn’t harm it any more by playing. They left it up to him to the senior to decide whether he could manage the pain, and Self didn’t ask how much he was experiencing.

“If you ask them if they’re hurting, then you give them an opportunity to give you an answer,” Self said, adding that Taylor hadn’t practiced all week until Friday.

He’ll have surgery Sunday and will miss about three weeks.

It was more publicly known that Sullinger was a question mark, but he wasn’t ruled out until just before the game, when his balky back simply wouldn’t loosen up.

“As I told Coach Self when we shook hands before the game, ‘Merry Christmas early,'” Matta said.

“I don’t think his exact words were, ‘Merry Christmas,'” Self said with a grin. “I think there were some other words in there, maybe describing the holiday.”

“I don’t think you put an asterisk with the win,” Self added. “Ohio State can certainly say, and rightfully so, ‘Jared didn’t play.’ And we know he didn’t play, and they’re a much better team with him. We wanted him to play. But just because he plays doesn’t guarantee anything.”

The Jayhawks were desperate for a high-profile victory after losses to top-ranked Kentucky and Duke (No. 5 ESPN/USA Today, No. 7 AP), and they got on against a Buckeyes team that had led the nation in scoring margin.

“We had this awesome nonconference schedule set up and we still have some good teams to play, but the main teams were Kentucky, Ohio State and Duke,” Robinson said, “and it would have been incomplete if we didn’t get one of them.”

Buoyed by a frenzied crowd that jammed Allen Fieldhouse to the rafters, the Jayhawks raced to a 23-13 lead just over midway through the first half, the decibel level at one point registering 114 on the scoreboard — roughly equal to that of a rock concert.

Robinson did most of the work inside, capitalizing on the absence of Sullinger to score around the rim. He had all seven of his first-half points during the opening flurry, and Connor Teahan and Johnson each hit 3-pointers as noise seemed ready to lift the roof from the building.

The Buckeyes finally hit their stride, and it was Thomas who jump-started them.

The sophomore forward hit consecutive 3-pointers from well beyond the arc, and Amir Williams added his only basket of the first half to slice into the lead. Thomas’ third 3-pointer of the half and free throws by Lenzelle Smith Jr. and Evan Ravenel trimmed it to 33-29 with a minute left.

Young’s basket moments later off a feed from Robinson gave Kansas a six-point lead at the break.

The school announced new football coach Charlie Weis during the intermission, and he concluded a brief statement by saying, “Let’s go whup Ohio State. Rock chalk, Jayhawk!”

The Jayhawks gladly obliged.

Johnson hit two more 3-pointers early in the second half, and the lead swelled to 47-37 when Releford hit a 3-pointer off a feed from Johnson and Jeff Withey scored on a putback.

Ohio State coach Thad Matta called timeout to calm his team down, and Buford proved his veteran poise by scoring the first basket when play resumed. It was the start of four-minute run in which he scored all five of the Buckeyes’ field goals, getting them back within single digits.

The closest it ever got was 62-58, though.

Back-to-back turnovers by Thomas and Jordan Sibert prevented the Buckeyes from having a chance to take the lead, and Robinson converted a three-point play when he was fouled on a putback off a miss by Young with 2:40 remaining in the game. His free throw restored the lead to 71-61.

Robinson and the Jayhawks took care of things from the foul line down the stretch, allowing the reigning Big 12 champions to beat the defending Big Ten champs for the fourth straight time.

“We competed. We’re a competitive team and that’s a positive,” Thomas said. “Without Jared, we came out and competed without him. We’re a great team with him, don’t get me wrong, but we came out and competed and that’s one thing that coach noticed.”

— Associated Press —

Charlie Weis knew little about the Kansas football program when his phone rang Wednesday morning. He knew that the Jayhawks won the Orange Bowl a few years ago, and that they finished 2-10 this season under Turner Gill, but that was about it.

When Athletic Director Sheahon Zenger began to talk to him about the job, though, Weis realized that he was hearing an opportunity too good to pass up: The chance to build a long-suffering program into a winner, and prove that his failed attempt at Notre Dame was a distant memory.

Weis was introduced as the Jayhawks’ coach during a news conference Friday, about 24 hours after he accepted the job and just a couple days after he emerged as the leading candidate.

“It was too good of an opportunity,” he said, “being able to go into a place that was down low and being able to see it through the rise back up top. Anyone who is goal driven in anything, whether it was a startup, taking a business and doing good — this is what I do.

“The team was 2-10 and you’re going to be the one that’s directly involved with taking that team and moving it to the other end of the spectrum.”

Terms of Weis’ contract have not been finalized, but Zenger said it would be a five-year deal that pays Weis about $2.5 million annually, almost all of which is guaranteed.

That’s a hefty price for a school that parted ways with Mark Mangino just a few years ago, and is still on the hook for about $6 million on the five-year, $10 million deal Gill had signed.

Zenger said he had a list of about a dozen names when he began his search, and he talked to “eight to 10” on the phone. When he finally came around to discussing Weis, it was only after he had spoken to numerous people in the coaching profession that could vouch for him.

“He has an incredible football mind, he is disciplined, principled and a tireless worker. We believe he is the right coach at the right time to help Kansas raise the bar and compete in the Big 12,” Zenger said, adding that Weis’ name recognition was “icing on the cake.”

If the Jayhawks were hoping for a boost in interest, they apparently got it.

The school announced season-ticket packages on Friday to coincide with Weis’ hiring, and several hundred new orders had been placed. An image of Weis already topped the athletic department website, and a bold banner proclaimed a “new era” for Kansas football.

The disciple of Bill Parcells and Bill Belichik helped the New England Patriots win three Super Bowls, and also spent time with the New York Jets and New York Giants.

He was given the opportunity to take over at Notre Dame, his alma mater, and went to a pair of BCS bowl games. But things went sour not long after he agreed to a 10-year extension, and Weis was unceremoniously fired despite the hefty amount of money still on his contract.

He was the offensive coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs last season, helping them to a surprise AFC West title, before leaving to take over as the Florida offensive coordinator.

Weis said the move to Florida was made with his family in mind.

His son, Charlie Jr., wants to get into coaching and had the opportunity to help out on the Gators’ staff; he’s already transferred to Kansas for the spring semester. The more pressing reason was the well-being of Weis’ daughter, Hannah, who has special needs. She was able to enroll in a school that allowed her to flourish, and that weighed heavily on Weis when Kansas came along.

“For us to leave that, there had to be a special circumstance for us to be able to do that,” said Weis, adding that his wife will remain in Florida with Hannah and he’ll fly back and forth between Ocala and Lawrence on a regular basis. “When we could find a way to make it work as a family, that’s the first time this became a possibility and a reality.”

The 55-year-old Weis ambled into a packed auditorium with the use of a cane for his introductory news conference Friday. He had knee replacements in 2008 and earlier this year, and will have hip replacement in the coming weeks, all stemming from injuries sustained in a sideline mishap.

Weis said that otherwise he feels good, and that he’s actually looking forward to surgery.

Until then, the priority will be assembling a coaching staff and getting out on the road to recruit. Weis said running backs coach Reggie Mitchell will be kept from the previous staff, and the rest of the assistants should be hired in the next few days.

Weis has already met with some members of the team, which returns largely intact next season, and laid out exactly what the expectations will be once spring practice rolls around.

“It’s not going to be pleasant around here in the springtime. There are not many things I can promise, but I can promise that. It’s not going to be pleasant,” Weis said he told the team.

“He made it pretty clear to us that things are going to be tough, but I understand that,” said defensive end Toben Opurum. “You can’t go from 2-10 to where we want to go without hard work.”

Several times Weis referenced Kansas State, which has hammered its in-state rival the past couple of years. He doesn’t know longtime Wildcats coach Bill Snyder except by reputation, but he used his program to illustrate the possibilities that exist to win at Kansas.

“The University of Kansas was 2-10. The other major school, Kansas State, was 10-2. I only have on question to ask: Why?” Weis said. “I don’t have that answer, but that’s what I’m here for. I’m here to find out why that is and see what we’re going to do to change that, and that’s the bottom line.”

Snyder, who once had Zenger on his coaching staff, said earlier in the day that he’s looking forward to meeting Weis in the coming weeks.

“I think he’ll do a wonderful job. I’m quite certain of that,” he said. “His reputation has been extremely positive. I think the world of Sheahon Zenger. I know it was a very quality hire for the University of Kansas. I’m anxious to have an opportunity to see him and visit with him. I don’t know him, but I certainly know of his background.”

— Associated Press —

Kansas senior center Jeremiah Hatch picked up second team All-Big 12 honors here Wednesday as the conference office announced its annual awards as voted on by the league coaches. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.

Six other Kansas players were recognized by the Big 12 panel of coaches as seniors LB Steven Johnson and TE Tim Biere, juniors S Bradley McDougald, DE Toben Opurum and OL Duane Zlatnick and sophomore P/K Ron Doherty each were named honorable mention honorees. All six, in addition to Hatch, were honored for the first time in their careers.

Hatch started all 12 games at center for Kansas and finished his Jayhawk career with 47 career starts on the offensive line. The Dallas native was the anchor of the KU line that averaged 159.4 yards rushing per game. He ranked third on the team with 97 knockdowns from his center position.

Hatch is the first Jayhawk to earn first or second team honors by the league coaches since WR Dezmon Briscoe was named to the first team and WR Kerry Meier was tabbed second team following the 2009 season.

Johnson finished the 2011 season as the leading tackler in the Big 12 with 124 stops, including 66 solo tackles. He is the first Kansas player to lead the conference in tackles since Roger Robben led the Big 8 with 146 tackles in 1989. Johnson, a Media, Pa., native, also 6.0 TFLs for minus 10 yards and recorded two forced fumbles, two pass breakups, one interception, one fumble recovery and one quarterback hurry.

Biere, an Omaha native, finished his Kansas career with an outstanding senior season. He ranked second on the team and amongst Big 12 tight ends with 27 receptions for 322 yards and two TDs. He turned in a career-best performance in KU’s game at Oklahoma State, recording seven catches for 93 yards and a TD.

McDougald really turned his game up a notch during the second half of the 2011 season and finished second to Johnson with 90 tackles for Kansas. He led the team with two interceptions, one of which he returned 57 yards for a TD against Missouri. The Dublin, Ohio native added five pass breakups, two forced fumbles and one sack. He finished the season ranked 11th in the Big 12 in total tackles and tied for fifth in the league with 68 solo stops.

Zlatnik also started every game at right guard for the Jayhawks and has made 20 consecutive starts. He assisted in guiding the Jayhawk offense to an average 159.4 yards rushing per game. He was named the team’s offensive player of the week following the McNeese State contest, when the Jayhawks racked up a season-best 301 yards on the ground. Zlatnik led the KU line with 148 knockdowns on the season.

Doherty served as the team’s punter all season and handled field goal duties during the final month of the season. He ranked second in the league with a 42.78 average on his 64 punts and placed 15 punts inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. Doherty also connected on 3-of-4 field goal attempts, including a season-long of 37 yards against Baylor.

— KU Sports Information —

Thomas Robinson had a career-high 26 points to go with 11 rebounds, Jeff Withey came within one blocked shot of a triple-double and No. 13 Kansas held off Long Beach State 88-80 on Tuesday night after blowing a big first-half lead.

Connor Teahan also had a career-high 14 points for the Jayhawks (6-2), who established a 19-point lead on the Big West favorites in the first half before sloppy passes, senseless fouls and generally poor shooting allowed Long Beach State to climb back into the game.

The 49ers (4-4), who have already knocked off then-No. 6 Pittsburgh on the road, closed within 77-72 with 3:01 remaining on a 3-pointer and two free throws by James Ennis.

Tyshawn Taylor answered after two offensive rebounds when he was fouled on a scoop layup. The three-point play gave Kansas some breathing room, and Withey added another three-point play moments later to make it 83-72. The Jayhawks managed to drain the remaining time off the clock.

T.J. Robinson had 19 points, and Ennis and Casper Ware each had 16 for the 49ers, who also played then-No. 6 Louisville tough on the road and will visit fourth-ranked North Carolina on Saturday.

Withey finished with 13 points and 13 rebounds, while Taylor — the Jayhawks’ starting point guard — came off the bench because of what a team spokesman called a “coach’s decision” and finished with 12 points. Travis Releford added 10 points despite a poor shooting night.

Early on, it looked as if the Jayhawks would merely be tuning up for Saturday’s date with No. 2 Ohio State at Allen Fieldhouse.

They should have known better: Long Beach State won on the Jayhawks’ home court in their last meeting back in 1993, when Kansas went on to the Final Four under Roy Williams.

Robinson led the Jayhawks on a 16-4 run to start the game, showing that he can score from all over the floor. He made a couple inside to force the Long Beach State defense to collapse on him, and then went outside to knock down a pair of 18-footers just moments apart.

The Jayhawks’ lead ballooned to 34-15 with 9:31 remaining when Robinson scored on consecutive possessions and Teahan knocked down his fourth 3-pointer, but Long Beach State showed off its veteran poise by keeping things from getting out of hand. Edis Dervisevic scored in the paint with 2:31 left in the half, trimming the lead to 41-32 and sending Kansas coach Bill Self tearing into his bench.

That’s when Robinson showed just how versatile he’s become.

First, he took a feed from Kevin Young and powered home a dunk. Then he returned the favor by finding Young, who was fouled on a drive to the basket and converted a three-point play. And then the big fella helped set up a three-point play by Elijah Johnson that capped a scoring flurry.

Kansas wound up with a 51-39 lead at halftime. Robinson was 8 of 8 from the field and perfect on both of his throws to go along with six rebounds, and the Jayhawks shot 58.8 percent as a team.

They didn’t come close to that number in the second half.

The biggest problem was turnovers — the Jayhawks wound up with 22 of them, and it was everyone getting into the act. Nobody in the lineup had more than five, though four different players had at least four, and Long Beach managed to turn several of them into easy baskets.

Just not enough of them in the closing minutes to pull out the win.

— Associated Press —