4.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
√
THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015
PAGE 9
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KANSAS TIPOFF
BLAIR SHEADE
@RealBlairSheady
AT A GLANCE
Last season, coach Bill Self and the No. 11 Kansas Jayhawks suffered a 12-point loss in Austin, but Kansas has won five of the last six games. The Texas Longhorns bring back four of its five starters and add top 2014 recruit Myles Turner. Kansas has won six of its last seven games including a seven-point win against No. 19 Oklahoma.
The freshman is having an up-and-down season, but Self called Alexander out on the game against Iowa State for not playing with a motor. Alexander responded to Self's comments and scored 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds against Oklahoma. The Kansas frontcourt needs a solid performance from Alexander to defend the Texas frontcourt.
Will Kansas have difficulty with Texas' height?
PLAYER TO WATCH
The Longhorns are the fourtnranked rebounding team in the NCAA, and the Jayhawks allow 39 rebounds per game. Kansas hasn't played well against teams with height similar to Texas' frontcourt, who leads the Big 12 with seven blocks per game. It might be tougher to stop Texas this season due to the lack of height in the Jayhawks frontcourt.
QUESTION MARK
Cliff Alexander
BY THE NUMBERS
39
BASKETBALL GAMEDAY
KANSAS VS. TEXAS JAN.24,1:00 P.M.,AUSTIN,TEXAS
Kansas is a 39 percent three-point shooting team, which leads the Big 12
-1 The Jayhawks have a turnover margin of -1
Kansas can shut down Myles Turner. The former 2014 top-five recruit chose Texas over Kansas after telling reporters Kansas was a favorite. Turner leads the Longhorns in scoring (11.8) and rebounds (6.8). Kansas will have a tough task to contain the Big 12 preseason freshman of the year.
72 The ninth ranked defense in the Big 12 allows 72 points per game
BIG JAY WILL CHEER IF
— Edited by Laura Kubicki
No.11 KANSAS (15-3,4-1 Big 12)
PROJECTED STARTERS
Frank Mason III, sophomore, guard
Frank Mason III, sophomore, guard
Mason is the MVP of this young Kansas team this season because of his ability to guide and control the offense. The sophomore scored 10 points against Oklahoma last Monday, extending his double-figure streak to 15 games. Mason also has made at least one three-pointer in 16 of the past 18 games.
Wayne Selden Jr., sophomore, guard
Haynes St. Sophora, guard
The sophomore is the vocal leader but has struggled shooting, with 34 percent from the field. Seiden is averaging about nine points per game, and he has only scored in double digits once since Big 12 play started. Seiden hasn't been as aggressive this season and has only shot four free throws over the past five
Kelly Oubre Jr., freshman, guard
Oubre scored a team-high 19 points against Oklahoma on Monday, the fourth-straight contest Oubre has reached double figures. He scored seven of the team's final 15 points to help Kansas fight off a Sooner comeback. Oubre is second on the team averaging over one steal per game and had two steals against Oklahoma, making it the fifth-straight game Oubre recorded multiple steals
Perry Ellis, junior, forward
Ellis is the Kansas scoring (12.8) and rebounding (6.7) leader. The junior scored 16 points against Oklahoma, which was his fifth time scoring double figures in the past seven outings. Ellis averages 2.4 offensive rebounds per game, which ranks seventh in the Big 12, and Ellis had three against Oklahoma on Monday. Freshman guard Devonte' Graham said Ellis has shown more aggressiveness over the past two games.
No.17 TEXAS (14-4,3-2 Big 12)
Jamari Traylor, junior, forward
The Chicago native only played 23 minutes against Oklahoma, as he couldn't play at full strength due to a hip flexor injury. Traylor didn't have a rebound and only scored four points against Oklahoma. Kansas will need a healthy Traylor if the Jayhawks want a shot against Texas' big front court.
PROJECTED STARTERS
Isaiah Taylor, sophomore, guard
Taylor was expected to take a quantum leap forward this season, returning the entire UT roster, essentially. A case can be made, though, that Kansas' Frank Mason has closed the gap on Taylor and surpassed him as the best guard in the league. In his past five games, Taylor has just 19 assists to 14 turnovers.
Demarcus Holland, junior, guard
Holland has kept quiet this season, averaging 7.6 points per game. He is much louder from behind the arc, shooting 45.5 percent, but has not made a three-pointer since Dec. 23, only attempting three over the past six games.
Jonathan Holmes, senior, forward
Consistency has been Holmes' biggest issue. He'll score double digits one game, then be held scoreless the next. The low point was a 0-for-10 outing against Oklahoma State a few weeks ago. He's got great size for a wing/post, checking in at 6-foot-8, 240 pounds and is relentless at the rim, chipping in with 6.7 rebounds per game.
Connor Lammert, junior, forward
The 6-foot-9, 240 pound forward will step back behind the line and shoot it, so look for him to try to stretch out the Kansas defense. Lamert shoots 77.3 percent from the foul line and rarely turns the ball over, but it's only a matter of time before Myles Turner takes his spot in the lineup. For now, he will contribute solid-effort minutes.
Cameron Ridley, junior, center
Last year, Ridley was an undeniable force down low, averaging 8.2 rebounds per game, but that number has plateaued to 4.8 this season. His blocked shots numbers are also slightly down, but fewer teams seem to be attacking him, as his fouls are down by almost one per game. Still, Ridley is third in the Big 12 in blocks per game (1.78)
TEXAS
TIPOFF
DAN HARMSEN
@udk_dan
AT A GLANCE
The Longhorns started the season as the biggest Big 12 title-cender outside of Lawrence. UT dropped two of its first three Big 12 games, but has since responded with wins against No. 16 West Virginia and TCU. A win would give the Longhorns the advantage over the Jayhawks for second-place in the Big 12.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Myles Turner
In just 22.4 minutes per game off the bench, the prolific freshman averages 11.8 points per game, 14th best in the Big 12. He rebounds well, ranking fourth in the conference with 6.8 per game and is near-automatic from the line, leading the Big 12 with an 88.3 free-throw percentage. He's not just a threat offensively, as he leads the Big 12 in blocked shots with 2.67 per game.
QUESTION MARK
Can Kansas find a way to get out in transition against Texas?
Bill Self said this Kansas team needs to run out and play fast because with a size disadvantage down low, it's not necessarily built to execute in the half-court. That's especially the case against Texas, which will try to slow Kansas down and bruise in the paint. The team that sets the tempo will play a big factor on Saturday in Austin.
BY THE NUMBERS
50/50
In games played in Austin, the Jayhawks-Longhorn series is tied 6-6.
42.8
Texas ranks fourth in the nation in team rebounding at 42.8 percent.
73.9
As a team, Texas shoots 73.9 percent from the foul line, leading the Big 12 in that statistic.
BABY JAY WILL CRY IF
Kansas cannot find an answer to the Longhorns' size. Texas leads the Big 12 with 42.8 rebounds per game and also has the best field-goal percentage defense in the conference (34.4 percent). Be it Kansas avoids Texans' long arms in transition, or through a Perry Ellis coming out party, the Jayhawks have to find a way to get easy baskets.
Edited by Drew Parks
Prediction: Kansas 76 Texas 72
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