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THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 2008
COMMENTARY
PAGE 1B
KANSAS 83, IOWA STATE 59
Jayhawks continue undefeated streak
Team heads for more victories and a new record
Seven teams have gone undefeated and won the NCAA Tournament during the last century, with the most recent being Bobby Knight's 1976 Indiana Hoosiers.
After last night's 83-59 blowout against Iowa State, the Jayhawks now sit at 19-0 and are just three victories away from the Kansas record of 22-0 to start the 1996-1997 season. If you count the 12 remaining conference games, three games in the Big 12 Tournament and six in the NCAA Tournament, the Jayhawks have 21 games remaining to complete a perfect 40-0 season.
The Jayhawks have already won 19 games in a row to start the season, so why can't they win 21 more games in a row and rewrite the history books? If they overcome three possible roadblocks, including the showdown next Wednesday night in Manhattan against Kansas State and road games at Texas and Texas A&M. I think they can do it.
"I've been on undefeated teams before in my basketball career and you just have to take it one game at a time," guard Russell Robinson said. "That's the only way you can go about doing it."
With the additions of Michael Beasley and Bill Walker to the Kansas State lineup, Wednesday night's game in Manhattan seems to be the Jayhawks only test for another few weeks. During last October's Big 12 Media Day, Walker predicted to me and Lawrence Journal-World beat writer, Gary Bedore, that the Wildcats would beat the Jayhawks in both games this year.
"I'm pretty sure we will win, I'll predict it," Walker said. "I'm not scared to say it. I am a man. I can live up to my word, and I'm saying we will beat them."
Walker then joked and said not to put it in our stories because he was just adding fuel to the fire, but the confidence that Walker and his teammates are showing should make next week's game a classic. Should the Jayhawks beat the Wildcats, they will probably take a 24-0 record into Austin, Texas for a Saturday primetime ESPN game Feb. 11. The only other stumbling block comes in the team's final regular season game on March 8 at Texas A&M.
So with the Jayhawks halfway to perfection, is it time to start realistically thinking about this 2007-2008 squad as one set to rewrite history?
"Not yet," Robinson said. "The Big 12 is too tough and we're really not going to get any time to sit down and have a breather. We've just got to continue to take it one game at a time. As boring as that sounds, that's what we have to do."
Can you imagine the hype going into that game if the Jayhawks were a perfect 30-0 on the season? Besides the Kansas State and Texas games, I really don't see anyone coming close to beating KU. The Jayhawks seem to be men among boys in the Big 12 with the other 11 teams fighting for second place.
One game at a time, only 21 more times. Seems doable, doesn't it?
Edited by Mandy Earles
Darmell Jackson, senior forward, gets a rebound away from Cyclone defenders. Jackson led the Jayhawks in both rebounds, 11, and points, 21, during last night's 83-59 victory.
Lisa Llpovac/KANSAN
Can't keep Jackson down
Darnell Jackson led team in rebounds and points in last night's game against Iowa State
BY MARK DENT
mdent@kansan.com
Bill Self really wanted to go crazy on his team at practice on Tuesday. It had been way too long since he had chewed anyone out.
So, he went nuts on Darnell Jackson for a few minutes. The senior forward glanced at him and broke out a big smile.
"He's just enjoying everything," Self said.
"I can't get under his skin even if I tried."
And Self has to be getting enjoyment out of Jackson, too. His breakout senior season continued Wednesday night in Kansas 83-59 victory. Jackson finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Earlier this season, the stat-line would have been a surprise. Now, it's normal. Jackson is the team's second-leading scorer and top rebounder.
The energetic, fun side of Jackson on display at Tuesday's practice did not exist
"It was the same routine." Jackson said. "I just try to do what I can."
two years ago. Self said Jackson would've thought he was crazy if he lashed out at him in the past. That's changed.
His mind is freer because it's his senior year, and several family problems are finally out of his head. The attitude change has allowed Jackson to become Kansas' main leader in the locker room. The teams feeds off his energy. So does the crowd.
"It's a win-win," Self said. "Darnell can bring up the mood in any room."
The Jayhawks needed Jackson's points and leadership Wednesday night in a game where Self said they lacked energy. Kansas (19-0, 4-0) won big and kept its perfect record intact, but the performance wasn't up to par with earlier conference games against Nebraska and Oklahoma.
"That wasn't the same team that was jacked up against OU." Self said. "We didn't have the same level defensively."
That was apparent given Kansas' inability to force turnovers. The Cyclones only turned the ball over 11 times, and the Jayhawks only had seven steals.
The Cyclones' defense also made transition baskets hard to come by. They routinely sent just one or two players to the glass on offense and had three or four players go back to slow Kansas' fast break. The game plan made senior guard Russell Robinson's job a lot tougher.
"It seemed like every time there was an outlet pass," Robinson said, "there was no transition game."
The layhawks were still able to turn a 10-point halftime lead into a 22-point advantage early in the second half, but they needed Jackson and fellow big men Darrell Arthur and Sasha Kaun to do it. Iowa State limited Kansas' running game and its guards' scoring opportunities. Kaun, Arthur and Jackson nullified the defense's attempts by combining for 43 points.
But Jackson didn't stand out Wednesday night just because of his scoring. His 11 rebounds gave him his first double-double of the season. It was about time, too.
Coaches and players had been giving him grief for the last two months about his
inability to reach double points in scoring and rebounding. Jackson had 13 rebounds but only nine points one game. He had 17 points and nine boards in another.
Assistant coach Danny Manning started calling Jackson "trick" because he continually flirted with a double-double.
Finally, Jackson got one. Two years ago, who knows if Jackson would have even wanted to soak in the moment.
Now, with a care-free Jackson happy about his play and his team's undefeated record, it shouldn't be a surprise that he enjoyed the double-double. Once Jackson found out about his 10th rebound, he shared his happiness with Manning. He did something the coaches and players have seen him do a lot later.
"I just looked at him," Jackson said, "and smiled."
—Edited by Samuel Lamb
CONTINUED COVERAGE ON PAGE 4B
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Learning what it takes to bring home defeat
BY B.J. RAINS
birains@kansan.com
This is the second and final part of Kansan writer B.J. Rains' behind-the-scenes look at the Kansas women's basketball team's trip to Waco, Texas.
WEDNESDAY, 8:55 A.M. — Kelly Kohn was the first player to stroll into the room for breakfast, followed shortly by Chakeitha Weldon and the rest of the team. The buffet was filled with eggs, bacon, sausage, French toast sticks and pancakes. Plus, there was a chef making omelettes in the corner of the room.
10:45 A.M. — The team pulled into the parking lot of the Ferrell Center and walked straight onto the court for the shootaround. The arena was empty, and the noise of basketballs bouncing on the floor and the players and coaches talking echoed throughout the building. They used the morning shootaround on game day to get used to shooting in the arena and to have one last walkthrough of the opposing team's offensive and defensive sets.
Because the game would be on CSTV, the announcers were at the practice. Play-by-play broadcaster Ann Schatz was asked what she thought of Henrickson and the job she had done at KU.
"She really has these kids thinking
championship basketball in arguably the best conference in America," Schatz said. "People have to be careful to not expect everything at once. Look at the players and there's only one senior that gets minutes. The rest of them are underclassmen. And now they are her recruits, and they are getting to know the system. They will make big strides this year, tangible strides because they already have. But next year, I think they could just be unbelievable."
After the short film session ended, it was clear that Hendrickson and her staff had done everything possible to get their team ready for the game.
1:45 P.M. — After arriving back at the hotel, the team gathered again in the meeting room to watch the DVD scout tape that the coaches had given each player about Baylor. This was the third time that the players had watched the film, counting the one they were supposed to watch on their own and the time the players watched it in Lawrence before practice. Assistant coach Karen Lange was assigned to scouting Baylor, so she talked the team through their plays and players as Henrickson and others added their comments.
The buffet was filled after the film
Contributed photo
Coach Bonnie Henrickson instructs her team one last time before the Jayhawks face No. 6 Baylor last Wednesday. The team maneupped on oranges as they listen to Henrickson just moments before tio off.
SEE BEHIND THE SCENES ON PAGE 6B
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