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MONDAY, APRIL 2, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FINAL FOUR
CHRIS NEAI/KANSAN
A cluster of Jayhawks and Buckeyes reach for a rebound during the first half of Saturday night's NCAA Semi-Final game in New Orleans.
CHRIS NEAL/KANSAN
Junior forward Thomas Robinson competes with Ohio State's Jared Sullinger for a rebound during the second half of Saturday night's victory over the Buckeyes. 64-62.
结束页
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
Junior guard Travis Releford scores at the last second of the first quarter against Ohio State freshman forward Sam Thompson at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Releford scored 15 total points with eight rebounds. Kansas was down at the half 25-34 but Kansas came back and won against Ohio State 64-62.
Jayhawks not worried about being underdogs
MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
NEW ORLEANS — There's this funny blueprint the Jayhawks follow that probably shouldn't work.
It starts by missing everything. If it's a Kansas shot going up, it's probably not going to drop. Up next is the opposition heating up. If it's one of their shots, it's probably bound to fall. Then the layhawks trail. They seemingly always do.
But soon after, they start to buckle down. They take care of the ball. They score just enough points and get the stops they need. Finally, they win. They probably shouldn't, but they do. They always find a way.
"In't that weird?" senior guard Tyshawn Taylor said.
The blueprint was in full effect on Saturday against the Ohio State Buckeyes, so naturally Kansas abided by the steps and won 64-62.
“This has aged me a lot,” coach Bill Self said. “But I say this with sincerity: I've never had more fun coaching a group of kids. They drive me nuts, but they try so hard. They're stubborn and that's one of their greatest strengths.”
Kansas fans have seen this blueprint before in narrow victories against Missouri at Allen Fieldhouse and Purdue in Omaha, Neb., to name just a couple. And with this version of Kansas, this less talented but highly cohesive team, the blueprint just works.
"I'm still shocked," junior forward Thomas Robinson said about the team's last-second winning style. "I wish it stops
Against the Buckeyes, the blueprint went something like this. The Jayhawks shot 36.7 percent from the field in the first half, while the Buckeyes shot 46.2 percent. The Jayhawks, Self said, were slow and tight, perhaps wrapped up in the pressure of a Final Four game.
"We were playing in quick-sand." Self said.
But just as the blueprint goes, everything started to change. In the final seconds of the first half, Robinson corralled one of junior center Jeff Withey's seven blocks and passed to Taylor who quickly dribbled up the court. Junior guard Travis Releford dropped his head and sprinted as fast as he could. Taylor zipped a pass to Releford who converted a layup in the final second of the half.
Out of the break, the Jayhawkes started to click. In the first five minutes of the second half, they started to attack the hoop like Self had pleaded and ended up with three layups and a dunk.
The Jayhawks led for just 3:40 of this game, and one of those times occurred with 27 seconds to go. Withey stepped into the meat of Ohio State's defense, embraced contact and thought he had a foul and the basket. Instead he was called for a travel.
"When you see you're down double digits, it kind of takes the soul out of you a little bit," Taylor said. "But once you cut it to like nine or eight, you feel like you're back in the ball game."
With Kansas up 64-61 and six seconds remaining, Taylor overheard Buckeyes guard Aaron Craft tell his teammate William Buford
to run for it. Taylor used this as an excuse to ease the pressure on Craft and follow Buford. Taylor then intercepted Craft's pass and saw junior guard Elijah Johnson running toward the hoop on the other side of the court. Taylor skipped a pass that widely missed Johnson, but bounced right to Self. That could have ended the game. Instead, it gave the Buckeyes another life.
"It was like third-and-long and throw it out of bounds. Throw it away," Self said. "He wasn't even close to the receiver."
After the turnover, Self directed Releford to foul Craft; an atypical strategy considering Kansas' history in similar situations. Craft made the first free throw, but was called for a lane violation on the second attempt.
From there, the Jayhawks
simply had to inbound the ball They did and it was finally over. Now the Jayhawks, after another successful use of the blueprint, find themselves in Monday's national championship game.
"I came this far," Taylor said. "Might as well go home with a ship."
Robinson sees Kentucky, the same team that manhandled Kansas in New York City earlier this season, as an ideal opponent for the final game of the season—the game that crowns the NCAA's finest.
MLB
"It can't be scripted any better," Robinson said. "We're right back where we started."
Edited by Max Lush.
Kansas City drops 6-4 loss against Seattle
ASSOCIATED PRESS
PEORIA, Ariz. — Back from Japan, the Seattle Mariners needed a few innings on the field to brush off the jetlag and snap out of their slumber.
The Mariners split two mid-week games against Oakland in Japan, and their regulars hadn't played since Thursday. Given two days to get readjusted back in the United States, players nevertheless acknowledged they were still a bit sluggish.
Miguel Olivo and Kyle Seager hit consecutive home runs during a six-run sixth inning and Seattle rallied past the Kansas City Royals 6-4 Sunday in its first game since opening the regular season at Tokyo Dome.
Munenori Kawasaki had three hits for the Mariners, who used six projected starters. He had two hits in the sixth inning alone.
Olivo's three-run homer tied it at 4. Seager, batting .357, followed with his fourth home run of the spring.
"I did some work this offseason to try to use my hips and my shoulders a little bit more." Seager said. "It's just spring training and everything, but it feels good to be able to drive the ball a little more."
Two walks later, Kawasaki singled in a run for his second hit of the inning.
"In that inning, we all woke up and we started to hit," Olivo said, adding that it felt like early morning to him. "You know, we were still feeling like we were on Japanese time. I think by (Monday) it'll pass, hopefully."
Mike Moustakas homered and hit a two-run double for the Royals, who played their projected opening day lineup. Bruce Chen struck out six and walked one while allowing three hits in four shutout innings, his final-tune up before starting the season opener Friday against the Los Angeles Angels.
"Bruce was dialed in. He just kind of real quickly got to midseason form." Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. "Using his fastball, changing speeds, keeping the ball down. Another good outing. He's ready."
Four earned runs were charged to Royals reliever Tim Collins, who got only two outs. Alcides Escobar had three hits for Kansas City and Jeff Francoeur added two.
Seattle's Blake Beavan made his last start of spring training and is next scheduled to pitch April 10 in Texas in his regular-season debut. He allowed four runs and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings.
The Mariners set their starting rotation for the first full week of games, with Jason Vargas going Friday in Oakland, followed by ace Felix Hernandez on Saturday. Hector Noesi pitches April 9 in Texas and Kevin Millwood on April 11.
Vargas starts again April 12 and Hernandez gets the ball April 13 for Seattle's home opener.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Joke between Releford and Young helps Jayhawks late
Young likes to shoot around 20 to 30 free throws before the game so he feels comfortable enough to shoot them in the action. And every time he does this, Releford asks to get a couple of shots in. Young will deny Releford, saying he wants a few more shots of his own.
MIKE VERNON
mvernon@kansan.com
NEW ORLEANS — Before Saturday night's game, junior guard Travis Releford pulled the same joke on freshman forward Kevin Young that he has every game this season. Only this time, the joke turned into reality. This time, the joke helped send Kansas to the national championship game.
Then, the joke comes.
Releford tells Young that he doesn't need to shoot a million free throws before the game. That he shouldn't overthink his free throws. Two free throws to get the feel, and he's good.
"He'll just say, 'hey, all you need is two,' Young said. "All you need is two. Watch, get out of the way' I'll move out the way and he shoots two. And then he's ready to go."
There was a strange dynamic of Ohio State fans screaming, hoping to keep their slipping lead, and Kansas fans silently awaiting the free throws, stunned their team was even in the game.
And Releford got to put his
The first of his two visits to the free throw line came with two minutes and 48 seconds left in the game. Kansas was one point shy of a share of the lead for the first time since the clock read 18:06 in the first half.
words of advice to use Saturday, as he made four pressure-filled free throws that helped Kansas beat Ohio State 64-62.
The pressure was on, but instead of overthinking the free throws, he shot them just as he would in practice. He had the "feel," just as he told Young.
But then Kansas lost its lead, until a whistle put Re联邦 on the free throw line once again. Just like last time, Kansas was trailing by one and needed the two freebies from Re联邦.
Yet he did not stress. He delivered.
Releford gave the Jayhawks a 60-59 lead that they never let go of.
"My whole thought process was just take my time, relax and knock these free throws down," Releford said. "And that's what I did."
The first shot dropped. Tie game. 55-55. The second followed. Kansas took the lead, 56-55.
It was Releford who was the unexpected hero during Saturday's game. He made four pressure-filled free throws when the Jayhawks needed them most. He guarded Ohio State stud William Buford for the entire game while scoring 15 points of his own.
Sure, Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson will get most of the attention for the rest of the week, but they'd be getting that attention back home in Lawrence if it wasn't for Releford.
"We obviously wouldn't have been close to winning the game without him tonight," senior guard Conner Teahan said. "He was more aggressive than I've seen him in a long time."
As for Releford, while he may not have admitted it, he knew the stakes when he stepped up to the line late Saturday night. They were no joke.
"I can't remember any bigger shots that I've made," Releford said.
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Edited by Christine Curtin
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