4B
KU 94—PSU 59
THE UNIVERSITY OF DARRY KANSAN
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 2, 2007
THE POSTGAME WRAP-UP
Anna Faltermeler/KANSAN
Sophomore forward Darrell Arthur goes up for a block in the second half of the game against Pittsburg State in Allen Fieldhouse Thursday night. Arthur finished with 12 points and three assists in the Jayhawk win.
Kansas 94, Pitt State 59
Kansas, 1-0 Exhibition
<table><thead><tr><th rowspan="2">## Player Name</th><th colspan="3">TOT FG</th><th colspan="2">REBOUNDS</th><th>TOT</th><th>PF</th><th>PTS</th></tr><tr><th>FG-FGA</th><th>FG-FGA</th><th>FT-FTA</th><th>OF</th><th>DE</th><th>TOT</th><th>PF</th><th>PTS</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>04 Arthur, Darrell</td><td>5-8</td><td>0-1</td><td>2-7</td><td>2</td><td>2</td><td>2</td><td>2</td><td>12</td></tr><tr><td>24 Kaun, Sasha</td><td>4-6</td><td>0-0</td><td>1-2</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>3</td><td>9</td></tr><tr><td>03 Robinson, Russell</td><td>2-4</td><td>1-3</td><td>2-5</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>4</td><td>7</td></tr><tr><td>04 Collins, Sherron</td><td>7-10</td><td>3-4</td><td>1-1</td><td>0</td><td>3</td><td>3</td><td>2</td><td>18</td></tr><tr><td>15 Chalmers, Mario</td><td>4-7</td><td>4-5</td><td>2-2</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>14</td></tr><tr><td>02 Teahen, Conner</td><td>1-4</td><td>0-2</td><td>0-0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>05 Stewart, Rodrick</td><td>1-3</td><td>0-1</td><td>9-11</td><td>1</td><td>3</td><td>4</td><td>0</td><td>11</td></tr><tr><td>10 Case, Jeremy</td><td>0-3</td><td>0-3</td><td>2-2</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>1</td><td>1</td></tr><tr><td>11 Bechard, Brennan</td><td>0-1</td><td>0-1</td><td>0-0</td><td>0</td><td>2</td><td>2</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>14 Reed, Tyrel</td><td>1-2</td><td>1-2</td><td>0-0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>2</td><td>3</td></tr><tr><td>22 Buford, Chase</td><td>0-1</td><td>0-1</td><td>0-0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>1</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>32 Jackson, Darnell</td><td>3-5</td><td>0-0</td><td>0-2</td><td>1</td><td>2</td><td>3</td><td>2</td><td>6</td></tr><tr><td>40 Witherspoon, Brad</td><td>0-1</td><td>0-0</td><td>0-0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td><td>0</td></tr><tr><td>45 Aldrich, Cole</td><td>4-6</td><td>0-0</td><td>0-0</td><td>2</td><td>4</td><td>6</td><td>2</td><td>8</td></tr><tr><td>54 Kleinmann, Matt</td><td>1-1</td><td>0-0</td><td>0-1</td><td>3</td><td>1</td><td>4</td><td>0</td><td>2</td></tr><tr><td>TEAM</td><td></td><td></td><td></td><td>2</td><td>2</td><td>4</td><td></td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Totals</td><td>33-62</td><td>9-23</td><td>19-33</td><td>10</td><td>23</td><td>33</td><td>21</td><td>94</td></tr></tbody></table>
Kaun's locks steal the show
Exhibition college basketball games are usually about as exciting as "Disney on ice" performances. The year-after-year blowouts against helpless opponents have less meaning than Adam Sandler movies.
Beyond rooting for Kansas to reach 100 points and harassing the other team's players for throwing up air balls, even the fabled Allen Fieldhouse student section seems to doze off. But not this season. Not in a 94-59 victory against Pittsburg State. That's because the fans in attendance all wanted the answer to one question: How would senior center Sasha Kaun play accompanied by his new hairdo?
Kaun growing out his hair has been the predominant story leading up to the season for the Jayhawks. Junior guard Brandon Rush's recovery from knee surgery and the loss of Julian Wright to the NBA clearly aren't as significant.
BY CASE KEEFER
KANSAN SPORTS COLUMNIST
CKEEFFER@KANSAN.COM
Coach Bill Self referred to Kaun as "Screech" from the classic television show "Saved by the Bell." Teammates take pleasure in ridiculing the 6-foot-11 Russian for being a "pretty boy." But few had seen the curly brown mop in action before last night.
It didn't take long for Kaun,
and his hair, to make an impact against the Gorillas. Perhaps the loudest Allen Fieldhouse got all night was with 17:55 remaining in the first half. Sophomore guard Sherron Collins saw Kaun under the basket and placed a perfect alley-oop for the center to take advantage of.
The Jayhawks looked sluggish at times in the first half, but Kaun continually was the catalyst to pick them up. He sneaked up on Pittsburg State center Cory Abercrombie with just less than 12 minutes remaining and laid a block scary enough to intimidate the Kansas football team's defensive linemen.
"It was just a loose ball and I saw Sasha and threw it up. I saw a guy there and I didn't know if he could jump that high." Collins said. "But I knew Sasha could jump so I throw it up and knew he was going to go get it."
Kaun did more than go get it; he ferociously threw it down and got to the free throw line to convert a three-point play. A couple of possessions later, three Gorillas surrounded Kaun near the block but he simply went over all of them to record another crowd-pleasing bucket.
Coach Bill Self said that with only four true big men, the low post defense must improve. It has to start with Kaun. His second half wasn't nearly as impressive, and the Pittsburg State big men found it easier to operate and doubled their points in the paint.
Kaun can be the voltage that electrifies Kansas into defining spurts this season. Or he could wind up more like the Screech by being constantly picked on, except it would come from opponents below the basket instead of classmates in high school hallwalls.
Either way, senior guard Rodrick Stewart said he would continue to pester Kaun about his hair.
Reed overcomes jitters after first possession
"Yeah, to be honest, I want to see how long it is going to get before he cuts it." Stewart said. "But it's a good look for him."
BY RUSTIN DODD
rdodd@kansan.com
Edited by Tara Smith
After growing up in Kansas and dreaming about playing inside Allen Fieldhouse, Tyrel Reed's first possession as a Jayhawk is something he'd rather forget.
With Kansas leading Pittsburg State 29-13 early in the second half, Pittsburg State's Keith Windom drove down the right sideline on the Jayhawk freshman. Windom turned the corner on Reed and burned the freshman guard for a layup. Kansas 29, Pittsburg State 15.
"My defense was not very good at all tonight, and they scored way to many on me." Reed said. "That's one thing I need to get better at. That is one thing I know with a little experience guarding all of our guards, it will get better in the future.
But Reed showed glimpses of the game that made him a Top 100 recruit out of Burlington High School in Burlington.
Reed played 15 minutes and finished with three points and four assists in his Kansas debut.
Reed's talent wasn't a secret coming out of Burlington — Roy Williams recruited him to North Carolina — but some people had doubts about how much Reed could contribute right away to a Kansas team stacked with talented guards.
"We have such great guards, I am just going to do what Coach Self tells me," Reed said.
And then there were those pesky Kirk Hinrich comparison. Whether it's the hair, the height — both are 6-foot-3 — or the ability to play both guard positions, Reed just can’t
Reed also showed he has a short memory. After surrendering the layup to Windom, Reed sparked Kansas to a 9-10 run that gave the Jayhawks their first 20 point lead of the day. After fellow freshman Cole Aldrich pulled down a rebound and threw an outlet pass to Mario Chalmers, Chalmers found Reed spotted up in the corner and Reed sank his first three-pointer in a Kansas uniform. Reed returned the favor on the next possession, finding Chalmers on the wing for an open three pointer. Kansas 35, Pittsburgh State 15.
get away from comparisons with the former Kansas star.
"Everyone compares me to Kirk Hinrich, and that's a great comparison to have, and I try to mold my game after him I guess you could say," Reed said.
Reed played both guard positions, manning the point guard spot for a length of time in the second half, and managed four assists in 15 minutes with no turnovers. But he still has a way to go before he gets words of praise from his coach.
"I thought Tyrel played fine," coach Bill Self said. "I've got Tyrel a little screwed up right now because I've got him thinking instead of just plaving."
"Whenever my name is mentioned with Kirk Hinrich it kind of sends chills through your body, but he's such a great player, I'm not even in his league."
But for Reed, the key word is "playing," and Reed's finally doing it in Allen Fieldhouse.
— Edited by Ashlee Kieler
basketball notebook
a
A REDSHIRT?
Think everyone played last night? Wrong. Sophomore guard Brady Morningstar never left the bench even in the waning minutes. He might not get off the bench all year.
Morningstar is considering using a redshirt, meaning he'd sit out this year to preserve an extra year of eligibility. Self said he talked with Morningstar and his family and they would make a decision soon.
"I think Brady can help us but when Brandon comes back and if he's 100 percent, there are some talented guys that are ahead of him," Self said. "That's something he needs to think about."
ARTHUR'S SLOW START
Sophomore forward Darrell Arthur has been the most improved player in practice so far, according to Kansas coach Bill Self. Surprisingly, he hardly touched the ball during the first half.
"We were disappointed at half time because he had zero attempts, but he had been fouled three times," Self said. "We were disappointed because we have to play through him. In the second half, to start the half I told our guys that is what we are going to do, play through him."
ALL FIVE SENIORS
"It's going to happen because two of our big guys are seniors," Self said. "That was unintentional, but I wouldn't be surprised if it happens a little bit."
They listened. Arthur scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half.
Russell Robinson, Jeremy Case,
Darnell Jackson, Rodrick Stewart
and Sasha Kaun were on the floor
together for a while during Thursday
night's game. No seniors played last
year. Now five seniors could play at
the same time.
Mark Dent
Pittsburg State, 0-1 Exhibition
**Player Name**
FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FAA OF DE TOT PF PTS
22 Lang,Nathan 4-8 0-1 0-0 1 5 6 4 8
55 Hutchinson,Michael 1-4 0-1 0-0 0 2 2 4 2
44 Abercrombie,Cory 6-11 0-0 2-2 3 3 6 5 14
05 Windom,Keith 2-6 1-5 2-2 3 2 6 1 7
24 Taylor,Carlos 2-5 1-2 5-8 0 3 3 2 10
01 Jackson,Aaron 1-5 1-2 2-2 1 0 1 2 5
03 Roe,Chris 0-1 0-0 0-0 0 3 3 2 0
30 Magana,Spencer 1-4 1-4 2-2 0 1 1 1 3
32 McCoy,Justin 3-3 0-0 0-0 0 2 2 4 6
33 Ivory,Jeff 0-1 0-0 2-2 0 3 3 1 2
42 Nash,Jerry 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 1 1 1 0
42 Burris,Seth 0-2 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 0 0
TEAM
3
3
6
Totals 20-50 4-16 15-18 8 28 36 29 59
REBOUNDS
Sarah Leonard/KANSAN
Russel Robinson,
senior guard,
dribbles past Pitt-
burg State's Carlos
Taylor. Robinson
finished the game
with seven points, five
assists and five steals.
The Jayhawks hit
the court again next
Tuesday night in Allen
Fieldhouse.