Volume 124 Issue 122
kansan.com
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
COMMENTARY
Matchup of the guards
Come Saturday night at 8, most eyes in New Orleans' Superdome will focus on the battle of two NBA lottery picks: Kansas junior Thomas Robinson and Ohio State sophomore Jared Sullinger.
Both were named Associated Press First Team All-Americans on Monday. They faced off all summer long in camps with the best prospects. Their first matchup was scheduled for Dec. 10, 2011, in Allen Fieldhouse, but Sullinger's back spasms kept him from playing.
It's the battle we wanted in December but had to wait until March for. NBA scouts might not blink for two hours straight.
But what the NBA wants doesn't really matter at the Final Four. The more meaningful matchup is the point guard position: senior Tyshawn Taylor vs. sophomore Aaron Craft.
Taylor probably won the December matchup, dishing out 13 assists and leading his team to a victory. But Taylor also turned the ball over seven times — four directly influenced by Craft.
Craft, who averages 2.5 steals a game, also forces tons of turnovers not tracked on a regular box score. According to Sports Illustrated's Luke Winn, who has tracked Craft's turnover production all season, Craft had taken eight charges, forced seven offensive fouls and created 40.5 miscellaneous turnovers in 36 games heading into the Sweet 16.
The guy, simply put, is a defensive maestro.
Taylor survived Craft's incessant defending in December. Taylor has also improved dramatically since conference play started, rendering everything he did before January almost useless to analyze.
But if there's a player who can get Taylor to revert to his jump-passing and out-of-control-driving ways, it's Craft. A few bad stretches from Taylor could put the Jayhawks behind by six or eight points. Coming back against the country's second-best defensive unit, according to Kenpom. com efficiency ratings, wouldn't be a stroll down springtime Jayhawk Boulevard. It'd be an uphill climb up 14th Street.
Taylor definitely has the tools to win the matchup. He's a better scorer and a focal point of Kansas' offense.
If Taylor can handle the defensive pressure and limit turnovers, the Jayhawks will be in the game until the final whistle.
But if Craft can disrupt Taylor's game on the offensive end, this game will come down to the role players for Ohio State and Kansas, where the Buckeyes might have the advantage.
If he plays a great game, full of tough, driving layups and three-pointers he hasn't hit in the tournament, the Jayhawks will play on Monday night.
Edited by Gabrielle Schock
EXECUTING SUCCESS
Coach Bill Self tries to rally his troops during the second half of the Jan. 28 game against Iowa State , where Kansas trailed most of the game and was defeated 64-72, delivering their first conference play loss. The team has made an effort to absorb as much coaching as possible from Self throughout the season.
LEARNING CURVE,WINNING EDGE
MAX ROTHMAN
MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Since senior guard Tyshawn Taylor has been around, coach Bill Self has had the same belief.
He's not here to coach effort. When he does, you've got problems — virulent screams, a reddened face and such.
Instead, Self is here to teach execution. Where to set the off-ball screen to create an open three-point shot. How to double-team a forward who can play inside and out. When to take a risk on a steal or sit back and just play defense. These are some of Self's teachings of wisdom. He doesn't babysit or remind guys how to sweat.
"The challenges are coaching guys when you have to manage egos, roles, chemistry and getting all the guys to buy in," Self said. "This has been one of the easier coaching jobs that we've had because it's been easy to get guys to buy in and be exactly what we want them to be."
At the beginning of this season, the Jayhawks knew they were green. Other than Taylor, the Jayhawks hadn't played much. Last season, junior forward Thomas Robinson averaged 14.6 minutes per game; junior guard Elijah Johnson averaged 13.7 minutes per game and junior center Jeff Withey hardly sniffed playing
time, checking in at 6.2 minutes per game. There was much to learn and the Jayhawks were open to this reality.
suit," Taylor said.
"We understood that we didn't understand" Tavlor said
From the earliest hours of September's boot camp to this week's preparations for Ohio State in New Orleans, the Jayhawks have absorbed all they can from Self and his staff to execute as efficiently as possible.
"Execution isn't our strong
That much was evident against Purdue in the round of 32, when the Jayhawks shot 29.4 percent from the field in the first half but escaped with a 63-60 victory and advanced to the Swee
TYSHAWN TAYLOI Junior point guan
Sixteen.
One thing Self and the Jay hawks agree could not be questioned, even a gainst Purdue effort.
to get to that goal, we have to buy into him teaching us," Taylor said of Self. "We have to want to learn, we have to want to work hard, and we want to have to get better every day. That's the attitude we've had since the beginning of the season."
" We understood
Robinson has been a poster
child of effort. He has grabbed 11.8 rebounds per game this season and posted 26 double doubles. These numbers don't happen without full-fledged energy.
Now that the Jayhawks have gotten this far, they've had time to reflect on their flaws. They've analyzed the losses to Kentucky, Duke, Davidson, Iowa State, Missouri and Baylor. And in each loss, Taylor noted that effort wasn't the issue.
Withey, perhaps the biggest project of them all, remembers what it was like before the season opener against Towson.
"All of those things that caused us to lose those games are correctable," he said.
"We came into the season a bunch of bright-eyed kids," he said.
— Edited by Caroline Kraft
Now they are a bunch of Final Four-bound Jayhawks.
ADMINISTRATION
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Barry Hinson and Bill Self laugh at Late Night in the Phog in 2009.
ESPN, CBS report Hinson accepted position at USI
CBS and ESPN have reported that University of Kansas Director of Basketball Operations Barry Hinson has accepted the head coaching position at the University of Southern Illinois, Kansas Associate Athletic Director Jim Marchiony could not confirm the news.
Hinson worked at the high school ranks before becoming an assistant under Bill Self at Oral Roberts in 1993. He was named head coach in 1997 after Self left Oral Roberts, and he later became the head校 at Missouri State in 1999, compiling
a record of 169-117. He was fired in 2008 and joined the Kansas staff in 2010. He has been with the University ever since.
Known for his meticulous attention to detail, Hinson's responsibilities include setting up team meals and making travel arrangements, among others.
Hinson will replace Chris Lowery, who was fired after failing to make the NCAA tournament since the 2006-2007 season; The Salukis haven't finished in the top three of the Missouri Valley conference since 2008.
-Kory Carpenter
BASEBALL
Pitchers lack consistency on the road
TYLER ROSTE/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Kansas' pitching struggled on Tuesday night against Missouri State, giving up a three-run lead early in the game. Although the coaching staff considers Tanner Poppe, pictured above, to have the best arm on the team, Poppe only played 1.2 innings Tuesday and exited the game with another loss, moving his record to 0-4 on the season.
ANDREW JOSEPH
ajoseph@kansan.com
The Kansas baseball team (10- 14) continued its struggles away from Lawrence, falling to Missouri State 9-8 on Tuesday night.
Tuesday night's game was a battle of two teams heading in opposite directions. Missouri State (20-6) is now winner of eight in a row, and the loss was Kansas' fourth-straight defeat and seventh in nine games.
Looking to end a three-game losing streak, the Kansas offense put up three runs in the top of the first inning, but that lead was gone before the Jayhawks could record two outs.
"This was a devastating loss," coach Ritch Price said. "This was the kind of game - had we won - that could have turned out season around."
The Jayhawks' starting pitching staff was the focal point of the team's impressive 5-2 start in
February, but that consistency dissipated as March rolled around. Freshman pitcher Drew Morovick lasted just a third of an inning before Price turned to his bullpenn. Morovick surrendered five runs on five hits and recorded just one out. With a 2-1 record and 7.50 ERA, Morovick problems often come in the early innings.
"The problem with Drew today was that he was getting behind in the count every hitter and repeatedly found himself in fastball counts." Price said. "They are all juniors and seniors – a team picked to win their league – they didn't miss a barrel."
Senior pitcher Jordan Jakubov struggled as well in relief, giving up three runs on four hits. Jakubov's ERA climbed from a solid 2.70 to 4.00. Freshman pitcher Robert Kahana stopped the bleeding with a scoreless 4.2 innings pitched, striking out three and one walk. The Kansas offense responded with four runs in the fourth inning, and junior shortstop Kevin Kuntz' leadoff triple in the sixth inning set up Ka'iana Eldredge's RBI single to tie the game at 8-8.
4
Junior closer Tanner Poppe entered the game in the seventh inning with two outs, and he was able to get out of two jams with runners on base. The coaching staff considers Poppe as Kansas' best arm, but he has struggled with the transition from starting pitcher to the closer.
"Today, I really just wanted to simplify things," Kuntz said. "I wanted to use my hands and not use too much of my body in the swing."
"I'm not sure exactly what it is about him," Price said "We'll watch the video tomorrow and breakdown the hitter analysis, but Tanner has a great arm. He's faced some tough luck here at the end of the last few ballgames."
Poppe entered the game with an 0-3 record and 6.28 ERA plus three saves. Poppe went 1.2 inning, and junior shortstop Kevin Kuntz' leadoff triple in the sixth inning set up Ka'iana Eldredge's RBI single to tie the game at 8-8.
Kuntz finished the game with a two-for-five performance at the plate with two runs scored and an RBI. Kuntz's basic approach at the plate helped keep the Jayhawks' rally alive heading into the later innings.
nings Tuesday night, allowing one run on three hits; however, that run was the game-winner off the bat of Missouri State's Kevin Medrano. Poppe's record now stands at an alarming 0-4.
With Kansas getting back into Big 12 play Friday against Texas Tech, the team is hoping that Holglund Ballpark can help put an end to the losing streak.
"It always helps going back home and having our fans there, but at the same time, we need to keep going out there and play hard and compete." Kuntz said.
Edited by Caroline Kraft
4