Kansas' Taylor and Robinson to return next season

Kansas junior guard Tyshawn Taylor and sophomore forward Thomas Robinson announced Wednesday that they will return to KU next season.

"We had a great year," Taylor said in a statement, "but since the season ended disappointingly, there has been a lot of speculation with fans and on the internet what we were going to do. The bottom line is we're going to work very hard this offseason and put ourselves in a position to play in that game again and come out with a different result."

Robinson, a 6-foot-9 forward who had the potential to be drafted in the first round had he left, said he wanted to take more of a leadership role with next year's team.

“This was the most trying year of my life,” said Robinson, referring to the death of his mother and maternal grandparents. “I want to thank everybody and I can’t wait to run up and down the court in a packed Allen Fieldhouse next year. I plan on busting my butt this summer to improve my game. I want to take more of a leadership role in us moving forward and winning another league championship and getting to the Final Four.”

KU coach Bill Self said he expected Taylor and Robinson to return.

"This is certainly not any news to us," Self said, "but I felt it was unfair for us to make a statement until I got back from the Final Four and visited with them individually."

KU is now waiting on the decisions of junior twin forwards Marcus and Markieff Morris, who were reportedly in Los Angeles last week meeting with an agent, and freshman guard Josh Selby, who is in Las Vegas working out in an effort to gauge his draft situation.