THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 2012
PAGE 7B
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Despite lower expectations at the beginning Self shows coaching expertise this season
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kansas coach Bill Self answers questions during a news conference, Saturday, March 24, in St. Louis, Kansas defeated North Carolina and is scheduled to play Ohio State in the Final Four game on Saturday
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NEW ORLEANS, La. — The question has been dressed in different ways, asked by countless people in every situation imaginable: Is this the best coaching job of Kansas coach Bill Self's career?
The second-seeded layhawks have played a who's who of major college basketball: Duke and Kentucky, Missouri and Baylor. They beat Ohio State during the regular season, the team they'll play in the Final Four on Saturday night, and won their record eighth straight Big 12 title.
And they've done it with an All-American forward, Thomas Robinson, who hardly got off the bench last year, one of the nation's most dynamic guards, Tyshawn Taylor, whose career has taken more plot twists than a telenovela, and one of the best shot-blockers in school history, Jeff Withey, who averaged all of 6.2 minutes per game last season.
It was such a mish-mash of talent that even Self tried to temper expectations of a fan base that considers anything less than a trip to the Final Four to be just another year.
"When we started, I think the reality was, 'I hope we're good enough to get in,' Self said. "The players that we thought these guys could become, they've become."
Does that mean Self has done the finest job培养 of his career?
He's still not biting on that one.
"I don't know that you should rate." Self said earlier this week, before the team departed for New Orleans. "I'll say this: This has been one of the easier coaching jobs we had because it's been easy to get guys to buy in and be exactly what we want them to be"
So if Self isn't willing to rate his teams, perhaps his players will take the bait.
Conner Teahan is a good place to start. The fifth-year senior red-shirted last season so that he could play more minutes in his final year. That means he's the lone player left from the 2008 team that cut down the nets for the school's fifth national championship.
"I'm impressed by his coaching performances every year. He does a great job regardless of the team," said Teahan, often the first player off the bench and a dangerous outside shooter.
“This team might not have as much talent,” he said, “but then it's just as hard to manage a lot of talent. When you have a team that's really, really talented, you got to have guys that are going to buy into the system
and not be selfish, and he does a good job of doing that."
Most people believe the Jayhawks of the past couple seasons were far more talented.
Two years ago it was Sherron Collins and Xavier Henry getting the attention, and last year it was the Morris twins, Marcus and Markleiff, along with freshman guard Josh Selby. But despite all that firepower, the Jayhawks headed home early come March.
"He took a team a lot of people didn't think would be — let alone in the Final Four — to the top of their conference. To be able to do that says a lot," said Taylor, a four-year starter.
Taylor said this season has reminded him of his freshman year, when Kansas lost several stars from its title team. Expectations were a bit lower, yet the layhawks rallied around several former role players to win 27 games and reach the second weekend of the NCAA tournament.
Of course, the big difference is that this team is still playing.
Maybe it's fairer to compare this year's squad to the championship team, which was also the last team Kansas had in the Final Four. Both of them had go-to scorers, both had marquee wins over big-name programs, and both relied on defense to make everything work.
"The '08 Final Four team would be favored, but I'm not sure the '12 Final Four team would buy into that at all." Self said, musing on a dream matchup between two versions of the lajhawks.
"It's unbelievable to me how much these guys enjoy competing. The longer they compete with each other, the more they like each other," he said. "This is a close team. We've had some close teams in the past, but I don't think we've had a team this close."
Even though Self appears unwilling to admit it, his coaching performance during this NCAA tournament — from a straight X's and
O's standpoint — has been nearly flawless.
Kansas dominated smaller Detroit in its opening game, and then ran into red-hot Robbie Hummel and Purdue. Self switched from his standard man-to-man defense to a triangle-and-two, allowing Kansas to finally shut down the Boilermakers' star and ease ahead in the closing seconds.
Self returned to the zone in the regional semifinals against North Carolina, and so appeared to confuse the Tar Heels that coach Roy Williams wasn't even sure how often it was used. Williams guessed one or two possessions; Self said it was the
final eight minutes.
Either way, the switch coincided with the jayhawks' push to victory.
"Besides the X's and O's part about it and him just him understanding the game, the coaching staff does a good job breaking down every team and having us prepared," Taylor said. "I haven't been around other coaching staffs to know, but I don't see it being any better because we're well prepared for every game and we know the scouting report on every team really well."
Sounds like someone's willing to admit this may be Self's best coaching job.
BASKETBALL
Love key in leading Timberwolves to defeat Bobcats, 88-83
ASSOCIATED PRESS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Kevin Love is playing so well this month he's beginning to garner MVP consideration.
And rightfully so.
Sure, the Minnesota Timberwolves might be on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff picture, but Love's
numbers are getting harder and harder to ignore.
Love had 40 points and 19 rebounds Wednesday night to lift the Minnesota Timberwolves to an 88-83 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats.
It was Love's third-highest point total in March, and pushed his scoring average in 15 games in the month to 31.2.
Love has scored at least 20 points in 14 of his last 15 games and has 44 double-doubles on the season, including nine straight games.
Before the game, Bobcats coach Paul Silas said Love without question should be considered an MVP candidate and his opinion didn't change after he dominated his young big men Bismack Biyombo and Byron Mullens.
"If he continues to do what he's doing for a good portion of his career he's going to be one of the best ever," Silas said. "He's just tenacious. That ball goes up and he's there. And he's strong ... The young boys we have are not ready for that. So that makes it difficult."
As for all of the MVP talk, Love said, "In some ways it's warranted, but we need to win a lot more
games in order to be anywhere close to that."
Love said he feels like he's worked hard on his conditioning to get where he is and he's in a good groove when it comes to shooting the ball.
"I'm not stopping." Love said.
"I'm continuing to get better."
Love got some needed help against the Bobcats.
Point guard Luke Ridnour had a season-high 14 assists and added 15 points for Minnesota, fighting to get into playoff contention in the Western Conference. Forward Anthony Tolliver added his first double-double of the season as well, with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
But Love was the key.
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