4B REWIND
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2007
Jon Goering/KANSAI
Senior forward Darnell Jackson goes for an offensive rebound during Thursday night's game against Washburn in Allen Fieldhouse. Jackson had five. defensive rebounds to go along with his 10 points.
BASKETBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
a flat-footed three-pointer alone in the corner. The Jayhawks were on top 20-13.
His best — and scariest — play came with four minutes left in the half. Rush leaped five feet away from the basket for a transition lay-up and fell to the ground out of bounds causing plenty of worried gasps from the crowd. He got up a second later, grabbed an offensive rebound and tipped the ball in.
"I asked him, 'Did that feel good?' " Self said. "He said, 'Yeah that felt good.' He needed to challenge somebody and have somebody knock him on his can and get right back up. That was good. I think that will help him."
His first-half stat line read like this: seven points, two assists, three rebounds in 12 minutes. When Rush entered the game the second time, Kansas led 17-13. The Jayhawks built a 32-16 lead by the time he exited the game with 2:37 left in the half.
"He was as good as a performer
as we had tonight," Self said. "He was a big bright spot for us. He got knocked down, and that needed to happen. He went to the goal hard one time, and that needed to happen. I thought he did some good things. I was real happy for him."
So, Rush came back — how did the rest of the team do? Not quite good enough yet, Self said. He said that the defense was still a work in progress and that the team didn't play well enough early in the first half.
The Jayhawks turned it around in the second half by going down low. Arthur scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half, and senior center Sasha Kaun scored all nine of his in the second half.
Kansas also made seven three-pointers, including two each from freshmen Conner Teahan and Tyrel Reed, as the jayhawks put up 58 points in the second half.
Rush never left the bench during the last 20 minutes. Trainers told Self
that Rush could only play 10 minutes, and Self said he wanted to keep Brandon in for a longer time during the first half so he wouldn't have to sit during halftime and warm up his knee again. Self said they wouldn't know how long Rush could play during the next game for a few days.
The knee didn't bother Rush all night. He said he felt like his normal self and didn't even feel out of breath when he came out of the game. The only worries he has now are mental, and he said those are starting to fade away.
The knee problem? That's a thing of the past.
"If they bump into the knee," Rush said, "I won't feel the pain. "They're going to be hurting, not me."
Edited by Ashlee Kieler
Chase Buford, freshman guard, Brandon Rush, junior guard, and Sherron Collins, sophomore guard, celebrate a second half dunk by senior guard Rodrick Stewart. Collins broke his game down Sunday's night game. Collins is expected to be put for six weeks.
<table><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">## Player Name</th><th colspan="10">REBOUNDS</th></tr><tr><th>TOT-FG FG-FGA</th><th>3-PT FG-FGA</th><th>FT-FTA</th><th>OF</th><th>DE</th><th>TOT</th><th>PF</th><th>TP</th><th>A</th><th>TO</th><th>BLK</th><th>S</th><th>MIN</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>00 Arthur, Darrell...</td><td>4-8</td><td>0-0</td><td>6-8</td><td>0</td><td>5</td><td>5</td><td>3</td><td>14</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>2</td><td>25</td></tr><tr><td>24 Kaun, Sasha...</td><td>4-4</td><td>0-0</td><td>2-6</td><td>4</td><td>3</td><td>7</td><td>3</td><td>10</td><td>0</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td>03 Robinson, Russell...</td><td>2-5</td><td>1-4</td><td>3-5</td><td>0</td><td>3</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>8</td><td>6</td><td>4</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>27</td></tr><tr><td>05 Stewart, Rodrick...</td><td>3-5</td><td>1-3</td><td>2-4</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>4</td><td>3</td><td>9</td><td>4</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>19</td></tr><tr><td>15 Chalmers, Mario...</td><td>4-6</td><td>1-3</td><td>1-2</td><td>0</td><td>4</td><td>4</td><td>1</td><td>10</td><td>5</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>29</td></tr><tr><td>02 Teahan, Conner...</td><td>2-2</td><td>2-2</td><td>2-2</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>2</td><td>8</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>5</td></tr><tr><td>10 Case, Jeremy...</td><td>1-5</td><td>0-3</td><td>0-0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>3</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>10</td></tr><tr><td>11 Bechard, Brennan...</td><td>1-1</td><td>1-1</td><td>0-0</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>3</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>14 Reed, Tyrel...</td><td>3-6</td><td>2-3</td><td>0-0</td><td>0</td><td>2</td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td>8</td><td>2</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>14</td></tr><tr><td>22 Buford, Chase...</td><td>0-1</td><td>0-1</td><td>0-0</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>25 Rush, Brandon...</td><td>3-5</td><td>1-2</td><td>0-1</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>0</td><td>7</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td>32 Jackson, Darnell...</td><td>4-7</td><td>0-0</td><td>2-2</td><td>5</td><td>2</td><td>7</td><td>1</td><td>10</td><td>0</td><td>2</td><td>2</td><td>2</td><td>23</td></tr><tr><td>40 Witherspoon, Brad...</td><td>0-1</td><td>0-1</td><td>0-0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>2</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>45 Aldrich, Cole...</td><td>1-5</td><td>0-0</td><td>1-3</td><td>2</td><td>2</td><td>4</td><td>0</td><td>3</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>0</td><td>15</td></tr><tr><td>54 Kleinmann, Matt...</td><td>0-0</td><td>0-0</td><td>0-0</td><td>
Kansas 92. Washburn 60
Stewart brings highlights
Monster dunk, block earn senior's first standing ovation
BY RUSTIN DODD
rdodd@kansan.com
For more than two years, Kansas fans have been waiting to see the real Rodrick Stewart — a guy with the ability to change a game with an acrobatic block or electric dunk. It took Stewart more than two years to show Kansas fans what his capable on a basketball court, but it took him only 37 minutes to earn his first standing ovation.
Against Washburn Thursday, Stewart finished with nine points, four assists, four rebounds and two plays worthy of SportCenter's Top 10.
The crowd noticed.
With 3:30 left in the game, Stewart exited to a roaring ovation from both the students and the season ticket holders — and what was that the students were chanting?
"The other years I was kind of scared to try things. I was playing not to mess up," Stewart said. "If you're just going out there, letting the game come to you and not trying to force things, it makes it so much easier."
"Rod-rick Ste-wart," clap-clap
clap-clap-clap.
Stewart's renewed confidence showed against Washburn. And with
But Stewart hasn't always been the guy fans are talking about after games. After transferring from Southern California in December 2004, Stewart averaged 0.8 points per game in his first two seasons at Kansas. But Stewart didn't keep his head down, and he credited last season's Southern Illinois game in the NCAA tournament — a game in which he scored three points in nine minutes — for giving him motivation to work last summer.
Sherron Collins out until Jan.1 with a foot injury and Brandon Rush easing into the rotation, it was the perfect time for Stewart to show Kansas fans what he can bring to the table.
in transition. That was a very, very athletic play."
"You're only going to be as good as you pull yourself, so I put in the work, and to be honest, I felt like I had no choice but to get on the court," Stewart said.
With Collins out, Stewart will most likely fill Rush's spot in the starting line-up until Rush is 100 percent healthy. That's fine with Stewart. He has no problem hearing his named called out during the pregame introductions.
"Right when Sherron got hurt, I was like man, anytime one of your players get hurt it's an unfortunate situation," Stewart said. "At the same time, that's when players have to step up."
Then came the "The Block." Stewart made up for his own turnover, hustled back on defense and swatted a Washburn layup attempt off the backboard.
"That's the highest I've seen him jump since he's been here," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "But he almost got hung on his dunk, I thought. But that was an unbelievable block
And if fans got tired of talking about junior Brandon Rush's return, they were probably talking about Stewarts' two highlights. First came "The Dunk."
It came when Russell Robinson started a fast break with an emphatic block on a three-point attempt. Robinson chased down the loose ball and found Rodrick Stewart streaking down the middle of the floor. Stewart did the rest, putting down a powerful one-handed flush.
"I started my freshman year at Southern California, and to start here, it means so much more because you're on one of the biggest stages and you want to go out there and produce."
— Edited by Tara Smith
Jon Goering/KANSAN
Senior guard Rodrick Stewart makes a pass during Thursday night's game. Stewart started the game at guard. He had nine points and four rebounds in 19 minutes.
Lineup changes help Hawks
But what happened next wasn't part of the plan. As the announcer emphatically yelled "6-foot-4 senior from Seattle, Wash," to welcome Stewart, 6-foot-11 senior Sasha Kaun trotted onto the court.
long time for this moment. Stewart, who has only played an average of five and a half minutes per game in his Kansas career, made his second career start as a Jayhawk last night in a 92-60 victory against Washburn. He said hearing his name announced to the Allen Fieldhouse crowd was surreal.
Rodrick Stewart had waited a long time for this moment. Stewart who has only
"I was sitting there on the bench and Sasha started walking out," Stewart said. "Then it was like 'six-four senior', and he ran back. I was like, 'awk, man.'"
Unfortunately for the lajahwacks, Stewart's introduction wasn't the only blunder Kaun contributed in the game. Kaun lost two turnovers, committed two fouls and missed two free throws within the first two minutes.
When Kaun fouled for the second time, Kansas coach Bill Self had seen enough. Self benched Kaun for the rest of the first half.
BY CASE KEEFER
KANSAN SPORTS COLUMNIST
CKEEFER@KANSAN.COM
"I told Sasha, I said, 'You're contributing to getting us off to a bad start just because of making a bone-headed play,'" Self said.
There's a simple cure Self can use to prevent similar beginnings in the future: Start Darnell Jackson. Every time Jackson, who currently serves as Kansas's sixth man, has come in for Kaun this season, he has completely outshined him.
The best exhibit of that phenomenon occurred against the Ichabods. Jackson came in and made an immediate change to bring the Jayhawks out of the ditch Kaun had dug.
Jackson blocked an Ichabod three-point shot and nailed a jumper from the free-throw line right after subbing in to spark the Jayhawks. He proceeded to the locker room with a team-high 10 points
at halftime.
Kaun played better in the second half and logged 10 minutes, 10 points and only one foul. But that doesn't change the fact that Jackson should be a starter on this team.
After the game, Stewart said he was willing to undertake any role to help Kansas to a national championship. Me too, Rod, and my first suggestion is make Darnell Jackson a member of the Jayhawk starting five.
Kaun still shot 2-for-6 from the free throw line and had four turnovers in 12 minutes. That is not Kansas basketball. Jackson scraps for every loose ball, elevates with no hesitation and sacrifices his body play after play. Kaun doesn't play nearly as aggressive. His first half play gave me a worse headache than I get when listening to John Denver.
Luckily, Kaun couldn't mess up Stewart's second memorable occurrence of the night. Stewart thundered a ghastly slam dunk down and made a beautiful block in transition in the final five minutes of the game.
basketball notebook
Edited by Elizabeth Cattell
Conner Teahan is making Self
playing-time decision by showcasing his shooting stroke. Teahan, a freshman walk-on guard, scored eight points on a perfect 2-for-2
PERFECT
Teahan
from three-point range and 2-for-2 from the foul line. He'll still probably find it tough to get minutes because Self said there were too many guards ahead of him.
A GOOD COMEBACK
after he committed a foul "75-feet from the basket" early on in the first half, Kaun, a senior center, only played two minutes the rest of the half. The
THE LINEN
FRIDAY
Self was livid with Sasha Kaun
second half was a different story.
Kaun played 10 minutes and didn't
miss a shot on his way to nine
points.
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P.A. ANNOUNCER ON THE DL
Hank Booth, Kansas' P.A. announcer for football and basketball, did not announce Thursday's game. Jim Marchiony, assistant athletic director, said that Booth hurt himself from a fall and that he did not know when Booth could return. Brian Hanni, who does color commentary for the KU women's basketball team, did the announcing Thursday night. Marchiony said he didn't know who would do it for the football game Saturday.
Mark Dent