Matt Tait

Covering KU athletes & sports for "Wave The Wheat" via @R1S1_KU. Everyone's got a story, let's go tell it!!! Past: LJWorld & KUsports. 📧: [email protected]

[Matt Tait @mctait]

"This isn't just another place for me. This is who I am. I grew up here."

Had an absolute blast writing this story about Trent Smiley, a former #KUfball TE & current senior project manager with JE Dunn Construction, working on the completion of the very stadium that he once played in for the program he gave everything to. Pretty cool.

https://t.co/uT4rHAPUte

[Kansas Men’s Basketball @KUHoops]

4s UP 🔥 @Devonte4Graham @tyran_stokes @SHERRONCOLLINS4

[Matt Tait @mctait]

Here's our latest, "Moments That Popped," from tonight's #KUbball beatdown of Kentucky at the Champions Classic in Chi-Town...

https://t.co/cdzE6aIiQz

[Matt Tait @mctait]

FINAL from the Windy City... #KUbball clobbers Kentucky, 89-69, in a game that actually looked worse than the final score indicates. It was all Jayhawks almost all night in this one.

KU is now 3-0 on the season and will play UNLV in the Player's Era event in Las Vegas next Tuesday night at 8:30 p.m. central...

[Kansas Men’s Basketball @KUHoops]

Lots of Jayhawks in the building tonight 👀🔥

[Matt Tait @mctait]

#KUbball leads by 16 (65-49) and it feels like it should be and has been about twice that much... 11:24 to play in Chicago. Jayhawks' effort alone has taken Kentucky out of anything resembling an offense.

[Matt Tait @mctait]

#KUbball with a hell of a surge to start this 2nd half. No resting on what they did in the first half. Came out and put the pedal right back down. Jayhawks lead 58-41 with 16:24 to play... Timeout UK.

[Matt Tait @mctait]

Awesome effort by Kinney there to get that foul after the turnover... For as much as you hear about "kids these days," these young Jayhawks flat-out care and they show it with their play. Man alive. Pretty cool to see. #KUbball

[Matt Tait @mctait]

HALFTIME in Chicago.... #KUbball leads Kentucky 46-36 at the break after a strong 1st half by the Jayhawks, particularly in transition and attacking the rim and while sharing the ball.

Jayhawks completely controlled the final 15 minutes of that half...

[Matt Tait @mctait]

Maybe the #KUbball depth isn't as much about the rotation or how many guys play how many minutes as it is how there isn't an automatic drop off when Self goes to the bench... Showing up tonight big time.

[Matt Tait @mctait]

How good has Trent Perry been, too? Impossible not to love what he brings to the floor when he's playing like this, which, so far, (small sample size) seems to be against the biggest #KUbball opponents...

[Matt Tait @mctait]

This has been a stellar first half by Tyran Stokes... Showing every aspect of his game and, perhaps more importantly, his toughness and fire.

#KUbball leads Kentucky, 38-29, late first half.

[Matt Tait @mctait]

No. 15 #KUbball vs. No. 24 Kentucky getting ready to go in Chicago at the Champions Classic!!! Tip off now slated for just before 9 p.m. central.

With Melvin Council Jr. out, Leroy Blyden Jr. gets the first crack at replacing him in the starting lineup...

🔺 Taylen Kinney
🔹 Leroy Blyden Jr.
🔺 Tre White
🔹 Tyran Stokes
🔺 Trey Kaufman-Renn

[Matt Tait @mctait]

#KUfball DC D.K. McDonald was asked about the issues at the end of games...

"There's 2 types of people at the end of the games; there's guys who don't want to be a part of a loss and there's guys who want to be a part of a win."

[Matt Tait @mctait]

#KUfball DC D.K. McDonald said his message to the guys this week was simple: We're a solid and good defense. We are. We're good enough to stay in games and to take the lead in games. But we're not a great defense because we don't finish games.

He said that's on him to find a way to coach that.

[Matt Tait @mctait]

General theme of Kotelnicki's presser just now: It's not good enough.

Gotta be better. Gotta coach better, gotta get the players to expect better of themselves & each other, gotta execute better & play with better consistency.

He said there are several ways they can & are addressing that, from big, overhaul type ideas to simple stuff like rearranging the practice schedule and everything in between. #KUfball

[Matt Tait @mctait]

#KUfball OC Andy Kotelnicki was asked about the difference between the first half Saturday and the second half Saturday... "One word: Execution."

He said it was the worst half of football followed by maybe the best half of football.

[Matt Tait @mctait]

So, #KUbball guard Melvin Council Jr.'s out tonight vs. Kentucky and for the rest of the month and likely all of December with a broken bone in his foot. Here's an idea for what could (should?) happen when he returns...

https://t.co/7OUIfCzQpT

[Matt Tait @mctait]

#KUbball news... Veteran guard Melvin Council Jr. broke the 5th metatarsal in his right foot on Monday & will have surgery in the next couple of days. KU coach Bill Self said he is expected to make a full recovery & that KU is hoping he can return by the start of Big 12 play...

[Big 12 Conference @Big12Conference]

Week 11 TV Times 📺⏰

[Michael Swain @MSwain247]

Kansas at West Virginia will kick off at 4:30 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on ESPNU.