THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 2014
PAGE 7B
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KANSAS TIPOFF
KANSAS VS. TEXAS FEB.22,6:30 P.M.,ALLEN FIELDHOUSE, LAWRENCE
BASKETBALL GAMEDAY
With the return of Embiid, Jayhawks can't underestimate Red Raiders or get into foul trouble
BLAIR SHEADE sports@kansan.com
AT A GLANCE
Texas stomped on Kansas, 81-69 back on Feb. 1 in Austin, Texas, but that was a game where the Jayhawks shot a season-low 38 percent from the field. Kansas will get a chance to settle the score this season at Allen Fieldhouse, where they haven't lost this season. If Kansas wins, the Jayhawks will have a commanding three-game lead in the Big 12 conference.
PLAYER TO WATCH
On Feb. 1 against Texas, Tharpe had only three points, three assists and two turnovers. His assist-to-turnover ratio was not good. Tharpe is on a two-game cold streak and will need a productive game to beat Texas. The ability to win or lose the game is in Tharpe's hands. He will need to figure out his turnover problems.
QUESTION MARKS
Can Wiggins continue his hot streak and lead the Jayhawks to a much-needed win?
Naadir Tharpe
The first meeting between the Longhorns and Jayhawks. Wiggins shot 2-12 from the field and finished with seven points. Since that game, Wiggins is averaging 17 points per game and has gone to the free throw line 41 times. If Wiggins can keep up his scoring production, then the Jayhawks will be a hard team to beat.
BY THE NUMBERS
Kansas has four players averaging double-digits scoring this season.
208 Allen Fieldhouse has been sold out for 208 consecutive games and counting.
Edited by Alec Weaver
The Jayhawks are third in the nation by shooting 50 percent from the field.
BABY JAY WILL CHEER IF
The Jayhawks box-out the Longhorns on the defensive end and don't allow Texas to grab offensive rebounds. On Feb. 1, the Longhorns out-rebounded the Jayhawks 44-37, and Texas had 19 of its 44 rebounds on the offensive glass. Kansas will need to finish the defensive possession by rebounding if they want a chance to win Saturday.
No.8 KANSAS (19-6, 10-2 Big 12)
STARTERS
Naadir Tharpe, guard
The mental mistakes just keep coming with Tharpe. On Tuesday he made careless turnovers by trying to drive and dish to the ball, but the ball would get intercepted. Tharpe lost the dribble three times against Texas Tech, which all led to six points. Tharpe's scoring was off, too. He sank his first shot of the game, but kept trying to force shots afterward. If Kansas wants a chance to beat Texas, then Tharpe will have to play an error-free game.
Wayne Selden, Jr., guard
The best shot of Selden's season came on Tuesday against Texas Tech. He hit a 3-pointer with less than two minutes left to bring the deficit to one. That three was only the second three of the night for him, and Selden didn't make a single free throw the whole game. When Selden gets to the free-throw line then his scoring increases because his low scoring totals show when he settles from long-range shots. Selden will have to stay physical and aggressive against Texas.
Andrew Wiggins. guard
The Jayhawks were carried by Wiggins' offensive and defensive play Tuesday night. He found himself around the basket for offensive rebounds, which won Kansas the game against Texas Tech. When Wiggins has aggressive and gets to the free-throw line, he will be hard to stop. Wiggins continues to help the team in all areas, but if one had to make a critique, one would say to stop shooting as many threes and drive to the basket more.
Perry Ellis, forward
The post-game scoring master didn't show up against Texas Tech. Ellis had trouble staying on the floor Tuesday night because he kept getting beat to the basket and was forced to foul. Ellis struggles with help-defense and allows too many offensive rebounds. Everyone knew his game would have to change when Emmiid returned to the lineup, but no one thought Ellis would only score four points after a 32-point game.
After coming back from the injury list, Embiid put up numbers that Jayhawk fans are known to see. But, from watching the game, Embiid isn't back to his normal self. On defensive, one could tell that his injuries were still bothering him because he was jumping to block shots in the paint. However, his offensive game looked like the Embiid people are use to seeing. He showed power by grabbing offensive rebounds, and he showed great footwork underneath the basket. The injuries will show against Texas on Saturday when Embiid has to face Texas' physical big men that beat up on Embiid during the previous meeting on Feb. 1.
Joel Embiid, center
TEXAS TECH (13-12,5-7 Big 12)
STARTERS
Isaiah Taylor, guard
One of the league's top freshmen, Taylor has been on a tear lately and has averaged 19 points in his last seven games, including a 23-point performance against Kansas in Austin, Texas. Taylor has been lights-out at the free-throw line in this span, where he has made 47 of 50 attempts.
Demarcus Holland, guard
Holland leads the team playing 31 minutes a game and averages eight points, five rebounds and three assists. He tied a season-high against Kansas in Austin with 11 rebounds. He scored just two points on four shot attempts against Iowa State on Tuesday.
Javan Felix, guard
Felix averaged seven points during a three-game span a month ago. Since then, he has averaged more than 20 points per game. The team's leader in field goal attempts, Felix launched a season-high 22 attempts (15 of them 3-pointers) against Iowa State but yielded just 16 points. He made just one field goal against Kansas in Austin.
Jonathan Holmes, forward
Like Taylor, Holmes averages 13.1 points a game, which leads the Longhorns. The junior is athletic and can score from inside or outside. He had one of his best games of the season against Kansas in Austin as he scored 22 points and went 9-10 from the foul line. Despite his Feb. 8 knee injury, he has recovered nicely and scored in double figures in his last two games.
Cameron Ridley, center
Ridley was surprisingly held without a field goal against an undersized Iowa State squad in his last game and played a conference-low 16 minutes. Ridley leads the team with 7.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks a game, both of which also rank in the top five in the conference. He can also get to the foul line, where he has attempted double-digit free throws in two of his last three games.
TEXAS TIPOFF
BRIAN HILLIX
sports@kansan.com
AT A GLANCE
Like Kansas, Texas only starts one upperclassman and is one of the youngest teams in the country. The Longhorns lost their first two conference games but came back to win their next seven and rise to second place in the Big 12, where they currently stand with a 9-4 conference record. Texas handed Kansas its first conference loss this season on Feb. 1 in Austin.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Isaiah Taylor
The freshman was able to get to the rim often in the teams' first matchup. His penetration led to eight free throws and was a big reason half of Kansas' active players were in foul trouble.
QUESTION MARKS
How will Cameron Ridley respond after his duck against the Cyclones?
In the team's last two losses, Ridley combined for just nine points and was held without a field in his last game, a loss to Iowa State. He was a big factor against the Jayhawks in Austin as he grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked four shots. Ridley won't need to score a lot of points against Kansas but will need to make his presence known low down.
BY THE NUMBERS
40. 7
Texas' rebounding average in conference play, first in the Big 12
7
Texas grabbed seven more rebounds than Kansas on Feb. 1 (44-37)
26 Texas went to the free-throw line 26 more times than Kansas on Feb. 1 (45-19)
BABY JAY WILL CRY IF
nansas gets into foul trouble. Six Jayhawks recorded at least four fouls against Texas on Feb. 1 while Andrew Wiggins fouled out. The Jayhawks gave up a season-high 45 free-throw attempts to the Longhorns, who took advantage and made 30.
Prediction: Kansas 81, Texas 76
Edited by Alec Weaver
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