LAWRENCE, Kan. Levine Toilolo Jersey . -- There were moments of frustration for Kansas coach Bill Self, moments where hed angrily call a timeout or attend a post-game news conference and glumly bemoan another uneven performance. There never was a moment where he lost faith in his team. Now, after enduring the nations most brutal non-conference schedule, the sixth-ranked Jayhawks are proving to be exactly what the pundits thought theyd be: The Big 12s premier team, one that already has a substantial lead in the conference as the race nears its midway point. "We have grown, but were just now to the middle of the season. Thats whats so strange," Self said. "The big thing is that were playing with more energy and were starting to understand how were going to score -- not just running an offence to run an offence. Were not a tough team by any stretch, but are playing tougher than we did earlier in the season." Thats certainly been evident in the results. After a loss to fifth-ranked San Diego State ended the Jayhawks 68-game non-conference winning streak at Allen Fieldhouse, Kansas has ripped off seven straight wins through arguably the toughest part of its league schedule. It began with a win at No. 23 Oklahoma, and continued with wins over four straight teams that were ranked in the Top 25 -- Kansas State, Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Baylor. After a blowout win at TCU, the Jayhawks beat the No. 16 Cyclones for a second time on Wednesday night. Now, theyll head to No. 25 Texas with essentially a two-game lead in the Big 12. You catch the game on TSN2 on Saturday at 12am et/9pm pt. "Im not surprised at all," junior guard Naadir Tharpe said. "I knew it was going to be a matter of time until everybody just let water run off their back and start going out there and just playing. That is what I feel like dudes are doing right now." The most important of them may be Andrew Wiggins, the highly touted freshman. After fits and starts to begin his college career, the 6-foot-8 swingman and projected lottery pick in the June draft has gone on a tear. Wiggins scored a career-high 27 points in the win over the Horned Frogs, and then bested it with 29 points against the Cyclones earlier this week. Hes averaging more than 24 points over his past three games. "I would say I feel more comfortable on the court," Wiggins said this week. "A lot of things are slowing down for me and my teammates are looking for me." Hes also starting to create his own shot, something that he was reticent to do early in the season, prompting Iowa State coach Fred Hoiberg to say hes "oozing with confidence. "Thats scary," Hoiberg said. "With that athleticism, that length and that speed, the kids got it all. When hes knocking down shots, not too many better." There arent many teams better than the Jayhawks right now. Since the start of league play, the nine-time defending champions are putting up a Big 12-leading 84 points per game. Theyre just a half-point out of second place in scoring defence, and their scoring margin of 12 points per game is seven better than second-place Oklahoma State. The Jayhawks (16-4, 7-0 Big 12) also lead the league in field-goal and 3-point percentage, rebounding defence and margin, blocked shots, assists and, well, you get the idea. "They have a special group," TCU coach Trent Johnson said. "At every position, they have somebody who can score. They can attack you, so you really have to be on your toes." After the Jayhawks, Texas may be the next hottest team in the Big 12 heading into Saturdays game. The Longhorns (16-4, 5-2) have rattled off five straight wins, the last three coming against ranked teams in Iowa State, Kansas State and Baylor. The Jayhawks will represent the first time in school history that Texas will have played four consecutive Top 25 opponents. "Theyre young. Theyre not quite as young as we are, but theyre young and fast, probably as fast as any team well play," Self said. "Theyre obviously playing their tails off." Bear Pascoe Elite Jersey . Blown save in the ninth inning? No problem.Bear Pascoe Jersey . - The Colorado Rapids say theyve received a first-round 2015 MLS SuperDraft pick, allocation money and a contract buyout from FC Dallas as compensation for coach Oscar Parejas leaving to take the same job with his former club.SAO PAULO -- Brazilian organizers have completed another World Cup stadium. Yet there was little reason to celebrate Wednesday amid doubts about when or even if the remaining five venues will be ready in time for footballs showcase tournament in June. The Arena das Dunas in the northeastern city of Natal was inaugurated in a ceremony attended by FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke and Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, who took a symbolic first kick in front of a few thousand people. The event came a day after organizers admitted there is a serious risk the southern city of Curitiba might be dropped from the tournament because of lagging stadium construction. Brazils World Cup organizing committee admitted FIFA might have to consider reshuffling the tournaments matches, which would be an embarrassment for the country and disastrous for footballs governing body as more than 1 million game tickets have already been sold. "We know we had several warnings but it seems that these warnings were not taken seriously," Jose Maria Marin, the committees president, told reporters. "Its a difficult situation." Brazil promised to deliver all 12 World Cup stadiums by the end of 2013, but five are still under construction and at least two of those will not be ready until about two months before the tournaments June 12 start. One of those two is the Itaquerao stadium in Sao Paulo, which is supposed to host the World Cups opening match. In Natal, work was being done until the last minute before the inauguration of the Arena das Dunas, a 42,000-capacity stadium hosting four matches in the World Cups opening round — Mexico vs. Cameroon, Ghana vs. United States, Japan vs. Greece and Italy vs. Uruguay. The pace of stadium construction is likely to be on the agenda when Rousseff meets with FIFA President Sepp Blatter in Zurich on Thursday. The delay in building the Arena da Baixada in Curitiba is the biggest problem so far. FIFA and local organizers will make another evaluation there Feb. 18, but even if Curitiba is kept as a host city, the stadium isnt likely to be ready until a few weeks before the World Cup. "t;We cant believe in the worst. Osi Umenyiora Jersey. . On the contrary, I believe that the governor, the mayor and the entrepreneurs responsible for the stadium in Curitiba will have it ready in time," Rousseff said. "I have to bet in favour of that, not against." The Itaquerao stadium in Sao Paulo is where two workers were killed late last year when a crane collapsed while hoisting a huge roofing structure. It isnt expected to be done until mid-April. Officials say the three other unfinished stadiums will be ready before then, but the timing remains unclear. Organizers were hoping to have the first match at the renovated Beira-Rio stadium in the southern city of Porto Alegre on Jan. 29, but civil defence officials monitoring construction said Wednesday there might not be enough time to get everything ready by then. The Arena Pantanal in the wetlands city of Cuiaba was listed as 90 per cent complete going into January. The Arena da Amazonia in the jungle city of Manaus, where a worker fell to his death from about 115 feet (35 metres) up in December, was about 95 per cent ready. There also have been problems at some of the stadiums already completed. The roof leaks at the stadium in the capital of Brasilia, and there are concerns about the condition of its playing field. On Wednesday, FIFA inspectors recommended officials reduce the number of matches scheduled there before the World Cup to preserve the grass. Also Wednesday, Brazilian authorities announced that the 12 host cities will have integrated command centres to provide security during the monthlong tournament. The estimated $14 billion that Brazil is spending to put on the World Cup has been one of the targets of anti-government protests that erupted last year, and several times demonstrators clashed with police trying to reach stadium sites. On Wednesday, during the inauguration ceremony for the Arena das Dunas, nearly 300 demonstrators gathered outside the stadium to protest the tournaments cost, local media reported. Globo TV said some protesters vandalized a car. Associated Press writer Marco Sibaja in Brasilia contributed to this report. cheap jerseys ' ' '
