Cole Aldrich News

St. Petersburg Times staff writer Brian Landman previews the men's season. 5 favorite players to watch 1. Ed Davis So., F, North Carolina .

Six months after North Carolina cut down the nets in Detroit, it's time to welcome back the sound of basketballs bouncing, sneakers squeaking and nets swishing to hardwoods across the country.

Until the games start next week there is still one topic that dominates all hoops talk - Kentucky.

Tonight mark's the first night of Basketball for the Kansas men's team, which is ranked pre-season No.

The Kansas Jayhawks got off to a successful start on their exhibition schedule Tuesday night in Lawrence.

For just the sixth time in the history of The Associated Press' preseason All-America balloting, two players from the same school were voted to the team.

Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich speak to media March 19, 2009 at the 1st Round of the NCAA Tournament LAWRENCE, Kan.

Kansas was not supposed to be as good as they were last season. After winning the national championship and having their roster gutted by the NBA in 2008, the Jayhawks were expected to be a middle-tier team with a lot of question marks on their roster.

The 2009-2010 college basketball season can officially start being discussed now that the first batch of preseason rankings are available.

Published online 10/29/2009 11:21 PM Kansas head coach Bill Self has the nationa s No.

Kansas basketball senior Sherron Collins , junior Cole Aldrich and freshman Xavier Henry have been named to 50-member Naismith Award Preseason Watch list for 2009-10 the Atlanta Tip-Off Club announced Thursday.

1 ranking in the preseason USA TODAY/ESPN Coaches' Poll "the kiss of death." "Based on what we return and the quality of newcomers that we were able to recruit, I could see why people would think this," he said of the ranking.

Bill Self's Kansas Jayhawks open the season in the top spot in the USA TODAY/ESPN coaches' poll.

Despite a tumultuous offseason that included an on-campus brawl against the school's football team, one of its players being arrested for DWI, and a summer soap opera that left many wondering if star recruit Xavier Henry would ever even arrive in Lawrence, the Kansas men's basketball team enters the 2009-10 season as the favorites to cut down the ...

While Cole Aldrich answered a question about coach Bill Self's preseason conditioning ``boot camp'' teammate Sherron Collins leaned in and gladly reminded Aldrich it was their last.

On the dais just off the floor at the Sprint Center, Missouri coach Mike Anderson was trying to define the fine differences between his starting tandem of senior guards, J.T. Tiller and Zaire Taylor.Zaire, hes more subtle in his role, Anderson said.Meanwhile, under the stands where players from every team gathered Thursday for Big 12 mens ...

Across the country, the best college basketball players are evaluating their games and trying to figure out what they can change to become more attractive to NBA scouts.

Kansas has those two stars, that loaded recruiting class, five straight conference titles, won a national championship two years ago, will likely be the preseason No.

The Kansas Jayhawks Basketball Program will celebrate it's 25th season of Late Night in the Phog with another evening practice to tipoff it's basketball season on Friday night.

From a 6-foot-11 center who is coveted by the NBA to a senior point guard who averages almost 20 points a game to the most heralded freshman coach Bill Self ever signed, Kansas is loaded.