Kansas Athletics

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas men’s basketball will face Chaminade on Monday, Nov. 23, in its opening contest of the 2015 Maui Jim Maui Invitational Championship Round bracket at Lahaina Civic Center in Maui, Hawaii, as the event announced its bracket Tuesday. 

All 12 Championship Round games of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational will be televised by the ESPN family of networks. The Kansas vs. Chaminade matchup is slated for an 8 p.m. CT tip and will be televised on ESPNU. 

The loaded field joining Chaminade in the 32nd edition of the premier early-season tournament will include Kansas, Indiana, St. John’s, UCLA, UNLV, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest. The Maui Jim Maui Invitational Championship Round will be held Nov. 23, 24 and 25, 2015, on the island of Maui. After opening with host-school Chaminade, KU will play either UNLV or UCLA in its second game Nov. 24and St. John’s, Vanderbilt, Wake Forest or Indiana on the final day, Nov. 25. 

“It’s obviously a great field,” head coach Bill Self said. “You have storied programs and programs that are right on the verge of doing something great. When I studied the bracket, I really pointed out what a great field it was. We’ll play Chaminade, which is not a ‘gimme game’ by any stretch, in the first round. I’m sure we’ll be talking to our players about Virginia (top-ranked and lost to Chaminade in 1982) many years ago before we play. Then the second-round matchup, we’re either going to play UCLA or UNLV. UNLV gave us all we wanted last year in the Fieldhouse and UCLA has been to back-to-back Sweet 16s – so it’s good. I know our guys are looking forward to it.” 

Kansas returns to Maui for the sixth time overall and third time under Self. KU finished runner-up at the 2011 Maui Invitational and the Jayhawks went on to advance to the school’s 14th Final Four and the national title game later that season. In 2006, KU finished seventh in the event defeating Chaminade, 102-54, on the final day. The Jayhawks are 2-0 versus the Silverswords, having defeated them 89-62 in the 1987 Maui Invitational quarterfinals and in 2006. 

Self will be in the same field as his longtime assistant and Jayhawk legend, Danny Manning, but Self was none too sad to see Wake Forest and its head coach on the other side of the bracket. If the two teams cross paths, it would not come until the final day as they were set up on opposite sides. 

“I’m actually glad they put Danny (Manning, head coach at Wake Forest) and me in opposite brackets,” Self said. “He and I talked about it and he’s pretty happy about that, too. If we make it to the finals, that would be great for both of us, but I wouldn’t be excited about playing Wake and I don’t think he’d be excited about playing Kansas.” 

This will mark the fourth trip to Maui for Self, who has taken two teams to the championship game of the event – Kansas in 2011 and Illinois in 2000. Overall, the Jayhawks are 10-6 in the Maui Invitational and won the 1996 tournament, when Raef LaFrentz earned Tournament MVP honors. 

Kansas is also set to face Northern Colorado on Nov. 13 inside Allen Fieldhouse as part of the opening games schedule of the Maui Jim Maui Invitational. 

Kansas enters 2015-16 ranked in the top five nationally in most preseason polls. Under Self, who is entering his 13^th season at KU, the Jayhawks return four starters and 11 letterwinners from last season’s team which went 27-9 and won its 11^th-straight Big 12 Conference regular-season championship. Included is senior forward Perry Ellis who was an All-Big 12 First Team selection last year as well as junior all-conference guards Frank Mason III (second team) and Wayne Selden, Jr. (third team).

Kansas State Athletics

MANHATTAN, Kan. – One of the greatest wide receivers and return specialists in Kansas State history, Tyler Lockett was named the Big 12 Male Athlete of the Year on Monday, the conference office announced.

Lockett is the second Wildcat in the last three years to be tabbed the best among all male athletes in the conference, joining former Wildcat quarterback Collin Klein following the 2012-13 season.

A product of Tulsa, Oklahoma, Lockett became the 10th Consensus All-American in school history in addition to winning the 2014 Johnny “Jet” Rodgers National College Football Return Specialist Award. As a senior, he led the nation in punt return average (19.1) and ranking third in total receiving yards (1,515), all-purpose yards (2,296) and punt returns for touchdowns (2) and seventh in receptions (106). He topped the Big 12 in receiving yards and all-purpose yards, bettering the player in second place by 26.6 yards per game in the latter category.

Lockett also led the conference in punt-return average, while finishing second in receptions per game and ninth in kickoff return average. Lockett had eight 100-yard receiving games to tie the school record, including finishing the season with a school-record five straight 100-yard games.

Lockett became Kansas State’s first four-year All-American following the 2014 season and is one of just three players in school history to earn four straight all-conference designations. Lockett, who tied the Big 12 record for kickoff-return average and ranks third in conference history in all-purpose yards and kickoff-return touchdowns, was a two-time Big 12 Special Teams Player of the Year honoree, just the sixth player in league history to earn two conference player of the year awards on either offense, defense or special teams.

Lockett broke 17 school records, including career marks for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns that were previously held by his father, Kevin. A third round draft pick by the Seattle Seahawks in May, Lockett left K-State with 249 career catches for 3,710 yards and 29 touchdowns. He also broke the school record for career 100-yard games with 17, seven more than the previous record held by current Green Bay Packer receiver Jordy Nelson.

In addition to his accolades on the field, Lockett was just as dynamic off the field as he was named the Big 12 Scholar-Athlete of the Year for football and was an Academic All-Big 12 performer. He was a finalist for the Campbell Trophy and the Senior CLASS Award while also being named a National Football Foundation Scholar-Athlete.

In addition to Lockett, Oklahoma softball infielder Lauren Chamberlain earned top female honors from the Big 12. Other male nominees were Trayvon Bromell (Baylor), Kyven Gadson (Iowa State), Michael Stigler (Kansas), Buddy Hield (Oklahoma), Michael Freeman (Oklahoma State), Preston Morrison (TCU), Will Licon (Texas), JaCorian Duffield (Texas Tech) and Juwan Staten (West Virginia).

Other female candidates included Nina Davis (Baylor), Christina Hillman (Iowa State), Chelsie Miller (Kansas), Akela Jones (K-State), Natalja Piliusina (Oklahoma State), Chelsea Prince (TCU), Haley Eckerman (Texas), Janine Beckie (Texas Tech) and Kadeisha Buchanan (West Virginia).

Nominees are submitted by each Big 12 institution and selected, based on athletic performance, academic achievement and citizenship, by a media panel as well as fan voting conducted through the Big 12’s social media platforms.

The East squad used a potent offense attack and suffocating defense in route to a 21-0 win over the West in the 42nd Annual Kansas Shrine Bowl at Lewis Field Saturday night in Hays.

After the West team went three-and-out on their first possession of the game the East marched right down the field and capped off a nine play drive with a 10 yard touchdown run from Shawnee Heights’ Tony Barksdale Jr.

Barksdale also provided a pair of highlight plays in the second quarter. The first a 68-yard halfback pass to Dalton Schoen of Blue Valley Northwest that set the East up deep inside the West territory – but the East fumbled on the very next play. Barksdale scored the game’s second touchdown in the second quarter on a scene pass from Topeka High quarterback Alec Beatty, giving the East a 14-0 lead.

Troy’s Tristian Speer hooked up with Schoen just 43-seconds into the third quarter on an 84-yard touchdown pass giving the East a 21-0 lead. A lead they would never relinquish.

The East defense held the West without a first-down until early in the second quarter and outgained the West 336 to 136 total yards and racked up 241 yards through the air in the win.

Barksdale was accounted for two touchdowns and 180 total yard and was named the East Most Valuable Player.

Blake Richmeier of Holcomb was named the West MVP. He had a game-high seven tackles.

La Crosse’s Sheldon Schmidt collected five tackles and recorded 1.5 sacks. Central Plains Layne Bieberle had one catch for 28 yards. Both played for the West and are headed to Fort Hays State.

Another FHSU signee – Ben Ewing from St. Thomas Aquinas recorded four tackles and a sack for the East squad.

The East has now won two of the last three games in the series but the West still leads the all-time series 25-15-1.

The Shrine Bowl will return to Emporia in 2016 for the 43rd annual game.