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MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THE GRADING SCALE
Withey blocks Buckeyes' shot at title game
Commentary by:
NATHAN FORDYCE
nfordyce@kansan.com
OVERALL PERFORMANCE
The Kansas Jayhawks weren't supposed to beat the Ohio State Buckeyes and throughout most of the game, that looked to be true. At one point they were losing by 13 in the first half and went into the half trailing by nine. But then, just like every other game during this tournament, the Jayhawks flipped a switch. The defensive intensity appeared and caused problems for the Buckeyes. Shots started falling and the Buckeyes' lead began to diminish. Despite having 17 turnovers, the Jayhawks found a way to persevere and claim victory once more. They out-rebounded the Buckees 41-30. The Jayhawks appear to be on a mission, and despite not getting everything out of Taylor and Robinson for much of the game, they find a way to win. They have continued to prove all the experts wrong and now find themselves in the national championship game against the Kentucky Wildcats. That's a statement that outside of the Kansas faithful, no one believed. Now they have one more game, a chance to be champions.
GRADE: A
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CHRIS NEAL/KANSAN
Teahan's struggles with shooting continued against the Buckeyes. He went just 1-of-5 for three points. He did have two assists and a rebound. Teahan needs to find a way to get in a rhythm against Kentucky on Monday. He's shooting just 24 percent from the field and 21 percent from three in the tournament.
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
Johnson has been the Jayhawks' best player throughout the entire tournament and on Saturday night, he continued his strong form. He scored 13 points on 6-for-9 shooting despite being bothered with foul trouble. Johnson notched his first double-double of his career. Johnson has been terrific, hitting big shots when the Jayhawks needed them the most.
Everybody talks about how Kentucky's freshman Anthony Davis blocks shots, but Withey, accomplished something Davis will never be able to do. He had seven blocks and those seven blocks were the most ever recorded during a Final Four game, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Withey also aggravated Ohio State's star forward, Jared Sullinger throughout the entire game, causing Sullinger to flop more times than soccer players and couldn't get off any good shots. Withey caused him to play away from the basket and held him to 5-of-19 shooting. Withey also grabbed eight rebounds and a steal. Withey scored just four points on 2-of-4 shooting, but he denied at least 14 Ohio State points, and that's not including altering other shots that went array.
CHRIS NEAL/KANSAN
Junior forward Travis Releford GRADE: A+
Taylor's struggles continued against the Ohio State Buckeyes Saturday Night. He's yet to hit a three-point shot, going 0-for-3 in the game and 0-for-20 in the tournament. He had some crucial turnovers throughout the game — one in the final 10 seconds — but thankfully for him and the Jayhawks, the Buckeyes couldn't capitalize on all of them. But with the bad, comes the good with Taylor. He did score 10 points on 3-for-11 scoring, but he had nine assists and was solid on the defensive side of the ball.
CHRIS NEAL/KANSAN
As good as Johnson was, Releford was even better. His strengths have always been on defense, but Saturday — and really throughout the tournament — has stepped up on the offensive side of the court. He scored 15 points on 5-of-7 scoring and went 4-of-4 from the stripe. Releford hit two free throws with 2:48 to play that gave KU a 56-55 lead, its first lead since the score was 2-0. He came up with big buckets all night and was a pest on defense. He grabbed six rebounds and recorded two steals.
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
CHRIS NEAL/KANSAN
If you would've turned the game on during the first half, you would have seen Robinson struggling. He was trying too hard to get shots and forcing things up. But in the second half, it was a completely different Robinson. He scored 11 of his team-high 19 points in the second half. He was more vicious going to the hoop and wouldn't let the Buckeyes deny him at the rim. The Jayhawks would like him to be more efficient from the field — he shot just 44 percent from the field. He also grabbed eight rebounds, with three of those on the offensive glass.
Young's energy is undeniable. He comes off the bench and is just a spark with hustle on every play. His high-octane motor causes him to get in foul trouble, but he is able to keep plays alive more times than not. Out of his five rebounds, four were on the offensive side of the ball. He failed to score, but his energy and relentlessness is what Kansas needs coming off the bench.
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
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