(rib) was out of the lineup for the sixth straight game. .

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- 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." Dexter Manley Redskins Jersey .DeMarco Murray got his 20th carry late in the fourth quarter with a 10-point lead, not long after Dez Bryant made his final catch of the day.Sure enough, a 44-17 win over Washington didnt change Dallas post-season position. Alex Smith Jersey . Ricciardos exclusion from the results tarnished what had been a day of celebration for local fans, who were jubilant that the Red Bull driver had apparently become the first Australian to finish on the podium at his home race. However just before midnight, stewards ruled that Ricciardos car had "exceeded consistently the maximum allowed fuel flow" and that the team refused an instruction from the races technical delegate Charlie Whiting to change the fuel-flow sensor before the race and a further request during the race to reduce the fuel flow. http://www.redskinsfansproshop.com/Redskins+Bryce+Love+Rush+Jersey.html?cat=1372 . LOUIS -- When Braves second baseman Tyler Pastornicky backpedaled into shallow right field to catch the popup and Jason Heyward didnt arrive fast enough to take charge, Kolten Wong got the green light. Alex Smith Youth Jersey .The surgery was performed by Dr. William Meyers at the Vincera Institute in Philadelphia.Letestu had three goals and two assists in nine games before being injured in late October.The 29-year-old has 54 goals and 65 assists in 273 career NHL games, including 39 goals and 51 assists in 188 games with the Blue Jackets. Art Monk Jersey . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? Green had bounced around the NBA when he wasnt playing overseas. The Pacers gave up on Plumlee after just one season. Now Green and Plumlee are key cogs in the Suns surprising breakout season.PITTSBURGH -- Tyson Ross gave up a leadoff single to Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco followed with a two-run home run. Three batters later, Jordy Mercer singled. All three of Pittsburghs early hits came at the expense of Ross slider. Even without his best pitch, Ross figured it out. Ross recovered from a two-run first to pitch six strong innings, and Seth Smith hit a bases-loaded triple, leading the San Diego Padres to an 8-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. "I just didnt have a good feel for my slider pretty much all day," Ross said. "I gave up three hits in the first inning, all on sliders that were up in the strike zone, and its kind of out of the norm for me." San Diegos win clinched a 14th-consecutive series victory at PNC Park. Ross (11-10) allowed Gregory Polancos two-run shot in the first then shut down the Pirates. He yielded six hits and walked two. "I thought he battled without his best stuff and his best command," San Diego manager Bud Black said. "Hanging slider to Marte to lead off the game and then a hanging slider to Polanco, I think that kind of woke him up a bit." Charlie Morton retired the first 10 batters he faced before Yangervis Solarte walked with one out in the fourth and scored Yonder Alonsos single. "In the fourth inning, the sinker away to left-handers starting elevating," Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said. "A couple left-handers were able to get balls out over the plate and hit them to left field." That happened when Morton left a 2-0 fastball over the plate and Smith tripled to left for three RBIs and scored on a wild pitch for a 5-2 lead. Morton (5-11) was lifted after the fifth, responsible for five runs, five hits, a walk and five strikeouts. "It waas almost like two outings for him," Hurdle said.dddddddddddd "One through three and then four and five, its just two different sides of it." Alonso added an RBI with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the seventh, and Jedd Gyorko singled in two more runs after Jeanmar Gomez walked three to load the bases in the ninth. TRAINERS ROOM Padres: First baseman Tommy Medica was out after a pitch hit him in the head Saturday night. ... Shortstop Everth Cabrera was scratched shortly before first pitch with a left hamstring cramp. Pirates: Second baseman Neil Walker (back spasm) was scratched from the lineup. He pinch-hit Saturday night and was slated to start Sunday. ... Center fielder Andrew McCutchen (rib) was out of the lineup for the sixth straight game. ... RHP Gerrit Cole gave up one hit in six shutout innings Sunday as he made his third rehab start for Triple-A Indianapolis. ON DECK Padres: San Diego returns to Petco Park to open a three-game set with the Colorado Rockies. RHP Jesse Hahn (7-3, 2.28 ERA) starts for the Padres against Colorado RHP Jordan Lyles (6-1, 3.72 ERA). Pirates: Pittsburgh continues its eight-game homestand with a two-game interleague series against the Detroit Tigers. LHP Jeff Locke (3-3, 3.78 ERA) opposes Detroit RHP Justin Verlander (10-10, 4.57 ERA). FRIENDLY ACCOMMODATIONS Since PNC Park opened in 2001, the San Diego Padres have never lost a series in Pittsburgh. Their 14-series winning streak at PNC Park is the longest active streak against a single opponent in a single location in the league. Overall, the Padres are 33-12 in Pittsburgh since 2001. "Were just playing good baseball," Black said. "Maybe the times of the year we come in here, were playing well and were pitching well." ' ' '