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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2015
PAGE11
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KANSAS TIPOFF
BLAIR SHEADE
@RealBlairSheady
AT A GLANCE
BASKETBALL GAMEDAY
KANSAS VS. TEXAS TECH FEB. 10 8 P.M. LUBBOCK, TEXAS
Can Kansas bounce back?
No. 8 Kansas is coming off its fourth loss of the season and second in the Big 12, but hasn't lost two consecutive games this season, averaging a 16-point margin of victory after losses. Coach Bill Self is 64-8 following a loss, and he said the offense isn't producing — averaging 72 points per game, which ranks 71st in the country. The Jayhawks currently have a one-game lead on Iowa State in the Big 12 race.
Last season, Texas Tech gave Kansas a run for its money. It took Andrew Wiggins a last-second tip-in to take the lead and leave Lubbock with a win. This season, the Jayhawks can't look at Red Raiders and assume this is an easy victory after crushing Texas Tech by 32 on Jan. 10. The last time Kansas played back-to-back road games, the Jayhawks almost lost to TCU.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Some call Greene a three-point assassin, but in reality, he's a great shooter without defensive skills. Greene can provide instant offense off the bench, shooting 62 percent from three and grabbing over three rebounds per game. Despite this, the sophomore has had 11 turnovers to his eight assists during Big 12 play.
QUESTION MARK
Brannen Greene, sophomore, guard
155
BY THE NUMBERS
The Jayhawks have made 155 three-pointers this season, shooting 40 percent
Kansas scores more points in the second half than the first half. The Jayhawks haven't played a complete game this season. Even though Kansas' record says it's successful, some of the wins have been ugly. The Jayhawks have been outscored by 21 points in the second half over the last seven games. Saturday was the first game this season when Kansas took a halftime lead but lost.
Cliff Alexander scored in double figures eight times this season and won every
16
Kansas's average margin of victory after a loss is 16 points
BIG JAY WILL CHEER IF
No.8 KANSAS (19-4,8-2 Big 12)
PROJECTED STARTERS
Wayne Selden Jr., sophomore, guard
The sophomore has relied on threes too much this season, and that's not Selden's game. Last season, Selden went to the free throw line 89 times, showing he can take the ball to the basketball and absorb contact. This season, Selden has taken almost twice as many three-pointers as free throws, showing he's settling for threes. Selden has shot threes well lately, making nine of his last 12 three-pointers.
Frank Mason, sophomore, guard
The floor general for Kansas is also the prime scorer for the Jayhawks. Mason is a prime scorer because, as the point guard, he has a 6-5 double figure scoring streak. But his scoring has become more difficult the past three games. Against Kansas State and Iowa State, the sophomore was held scoreless until the second half, and against Oklahoma State, Mason was held to only four second half points.
TEXAS TECH (12-12, 2-9 Big 12)
Kelly Oubre Jr., freshman, guard
The only freshman in starting lineup has struggled recently. Even though he scored 16 points against Iowa State two weeks ago, Oubre took 15 shots that game. Against Oklahoma State, Oubre couldn't stay on the court due to his lack of offensive
production, scoring just one point and grabbing only three rebounds. The freshman is known as the best NBA prospect on the team, but hasn't been the clear-cut best player on the team
Perry Ellis, junior, forward
Self always says the offense will run through Ellis because of the high-low offense Self implements. The only problem with Ellis in the offense is the junior doesn't have a great post game. Ellis still leads the team in scoring at 13 points per game, but when it comes to scoring in traffic, Ellis often gets blocked. He leads the team in rebounding as well, and recorded his sixth double-double of the season against Oklahoma State.
Jamari Traylor, junior, forward
Known for his hustle on the court, Trayler rounds out the starting five. The junior plays the least amount of minutes among the starters, but he plays an important role. Self said Trayler's lack of energy in Stillwater was a reason Kansas gave up an 11-point second-half lead. Kansas needs the hustle from Trayler to spark
★★★☆☆
PROJECTED STARTERS
Robert Turner, senior, guard
Often the single upperclassman in the starting lineup, Turner's job is to bring a mature and calmming presence to a young and turbulent team. He shoots his free-weights well at 71.7 percent and gets to the line often. Tuesday will be Turner's last shot at the Jayhawks after Andrew Wiggins and company stole one in Lubbock last season in the waning seconds.
Randy Onwuasor, sophomore, guard
Onwuasor chips in 5.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game for the Red Raiders. He's not a threat from deep, making just 26.2 percent of his attempted three-pointers. Against Kansas, Onwuasor scored just three points on 1-of-6 shooting
Devaugntah Williams, junior, guard
Averaging 10.5 points per game this season, Williams is an engine of a sputtering Red Raider offense. Sometimes he goes, sometimes he doesn't — depends on the day. In wins against Kansas State and Iowa State, he scored 22 apiece. But in losses to Oklahoma, West Virginia and Iowa State, he averaged a smidgen over three points. Williams shoots the league's 11th best three-point percentage at 35.3 percent,
Zach Smith, freshman, forward
The freshman checks in at 6-foot-8 in the post. Smith ranks sixth in the Big 12 in blocked shots per game at 1.48, but the offensive game is still developing. He's averaged just 5.3 points in over 26 minutes. In Texas Tech's win over Kansas State, Smith scored nine points and added eight rebounds. Against Kansas, he scored eight points but was held to three
Norense Odiase, freshman, center
The six-foot-nine freshman from Fort Worth, Texas, has seen his minutes increase throughout the season. Odiae averages 6.0 ppg and adds 4.3 rebounds, ranking seventh in the league in offensive rebounds at 2.26 per game. He scored four points in the last matchup with Kansas, but turned the ball over three
BLAIR SHEADE
@RealBlairSheady
TEXASTECH TIPOFF
AT A GLANCE
The Red Raiders have just two wins against conference opponents, but those coming against some of the league's front-runners — Iowa State and Kansas State — have been at home. Texas Tech shot nearly 46 percent from three against then No. 9 Iowa State, and nearly 54 percent from the field against Kansas State. The problem is that for the better part of the year, shots have not been falling for Texas Tech.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Devaugntah Williams, junior, guard
Kansas can't allow Williams to get loose. He will shoot a high volume of shots until he is benched. He does have streaky tendencies: a 0-for-9 from three against Houston was followed up a few weeks later with a 3-of-4 against West Virginia.
QUESTION MARK
Can Kansas bury a team on the road?
there were encouraging signs against Texas, but over the course of the season, Kansas has had the worst time pulling away from teams outside of Allen Fieldhouse. Against TCU, Kansas snuck out unscathed, but Saturday against Oklahoma State it left an indelible mark in the loss column. Look for a killer instinct Tuesday, the Jayhawks will need to hone it before tournament time.
BY THE NUMBERS
62.0
Texas Tech scores the fewest points per game in the Big 12 and ranks 297th in the nation in that category
10.67
Texas Tech averages the lowest assists per game in the Big 12 and ranks 301st in the nation in that category
Since losing three straight in Lubbock (2005, 2006, 2009), the Jayhawks have won the last five matchups in the United Spirit Arena (now known as the United Marketaerts Arena).
Prediction: Kansas 77, Texas Tech 65
BABY JAY WILL CRY IF
Texas Tech isn't a punching bag used for venting the weekend's frustrations. In the Bill Self era, Kansas has only lost in back-to-back games nine times — nine times in twelve years. That's fewer times than Self has won conference championships. Expect Kansas to get strong efforts out of its post players after getting dominated on the boards in the second half against the Oklahoma State.
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