photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Elijah Johnson, right, laughs against teammate Tyrel Reed after viewing a photo slideshow of Reed as a child on the big screen during the second half Friday, Nov 19, 2010 at Allen Fieldhouse.

Jesse Newell: Welcome back to the GameDay Cram Session. We’re going to give this a trial run in text version to see how it goes. Tom, what are you looking for from KU in this game against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi?

Tom Keegan: I’m looking for KU to get its 63rd straight victory at home, and this one should be by a wide margin. KU will be fired up just going for the all-time home court record. With the mismatch, this will be KU’s biggest blowout of the season to date.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Elijah Johnson, right, laughs against teammate Tyrel Reed after viewing a photo slideshow of Reed as a child on the big screen during the second half Friday, Nov 19, 2010 at Allen Fieldhouse.

JN: It doesn’t help Texas A&M-Corpus Christi that, so far, it has been extremely careless with the ball. Through four games, the Islanders are averaging 17.5 turnovers per game — and that’s while playing at a slow pace.

Getting back to KU, Tom, who has impressed you most for the Jayhawks through three games this season?

http://www2.kusports.com/videos/2010/nov/19/33499/

TK: Right off the bat, Marcus Morris has improved a ton, and he was already one of KU’s best players last year. Markieff Morris is the most improved player on the team. Tyshawn Taylor is doing well, though he still has the occasional mental lapse, whether it’s a turnover or dumb foul. And Brady Morningstar’s last game was phenomenal.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Brady Morningstar defends against North Texas guard Josh White during the second half Friday, Nov 19, 2010 at Allen Fieldhouse.

JN: Agreed on Marcus Morris. The junior has made 24 of 33 field goals (72.7 percent) while turning it over only once in 78 minutes. I don’t care what the competition is — that’s pretty darned good. I’ve also been impressed by Tyrel Reed, as he’s played well without making a ton of shots.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Tyrel Reed moves his feet as he defends North Texas guard Dominique Johnson during the first half Friday, Nov 19, 2010 at Allen Fieldhouse.

He’s only made 31.3 percent of his threes so far (that number will go up), but he only has one turnover in 82 minutes, a remarkable number considering he has the ball in his hands so often.

All right, Tom, what’s your prediction for the game?

TK: KU 106, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 56.

JN: Wow, you weren’t kidding about the blowout. I’ll go KU by 31. The Jayhawks should handle the Islanders easily for their 63rd straight home court win.

Who’s your Hawk to Rock?

TK: My Hawk to Rock is Marcus Morris.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas forward Marcus Morris goes up for a shot over North Texas forward Kedrick Hogans during the second half Friday, Nov 19, 2010 at Allen Fieldhouse.

The guy knows in order to be a first-team All-American, you have to bring it every night, and he brings it every night.

JN: I’ll go with Thomas Robinson.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas forward Thomas Robinson eyes the bucket as he moves in against North Texas defenders Alonzo Edwards (34) and Ben Knox (15) during the second half Friday, Nov 19, 2010 at Allen Fieldhouse.

He was extremely active on the defensive boards last game (eight defensive rebounds in 14 minutes), and this game, I think we’ll see him more on the offensive glass. The Islanders have had trouble with grabbing defensive rebounds, allowing 32 offensive rebounds in their last two games. Give me five offensive rebounds for Robinson, who should get plenty of playing time against the Islanders.

Tracking the picks

Predictions tally (through three games)
Tom: 2-1 record, 64 points off (21.3 points off/game)
Jesse: 3-0 record, 47 points off (15.6 points off/game)

Hawk to Rock

Tom Keegan
Longwood: Tyrel Reed (6th in Keegan ratings)
Valparaiso: Marcus Morris (1st in Keegan ratings)
North Texas: Tyrel Reed (6th in Keegan ratings)
Average Hawk to Rock: 4.3rd in Keegan ratings

Jesse Newell
Longwood: Markieff Morris (1st in Keegan ratings)
Valparaiso: Brady Morningstar (8th in Keegan ratings)
North Texas: Tyrel Reed (6th in Keegan ratings)
Average Hawk to Rock: 5th in Keegan ratings