PAGE 10
FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NCAA TOURNAMENT
Detroit guards stand out among teammates
KORY CARPENTER
kcarpenter@kansan.com
MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
CHASE SIMON, SENIOR GUARD
EXPERIENCE:
Simon is in his third year at Detroit and has averaged 30 minutes or more each season. This season, he plays 33.7 minutes per game — second on the team — and has played 37 minutes or more on 14 occasions. He's also started all 35 games for the Titans this year and has 98 starts in his three-year career at Detroit. While he's not the best player on the Titans' roster, Simon is the least-likely to be star struck against Kansas tonight.
SCORING:
He's second on the team with 13.5 points per game, identical to his numbers last season. Against BCS opponents St. Johns and Mississippi State, Simon had 20 and 17 points respectively. His scoring is incredibly streaky, but if he's on, he's tough to spot. For every two-, five- or six-point performance, he has just as many 18-, 20- or 24-point games.
GETTING TO THE LINE:
One thing that seems to irk coaches at any school at any level is the opponent scoring while the clock is stopped, especially when that opponent is looking to make a comeback. Simon was third in the Horizon League with 181 free-throw attempts and has had a few games this season with double-digit free-throw attempts. It's certainly not something to bank on, but Simon getting to the line could extend the game and keep Detroit within arm's reach.
For all of his experience, Simon is still prone to turning the ball over on a regular basis. He was second in the Horizon League with 96 turnovers and averages 2.7 per game. In four games against BCS conference opponents, he averaged 3.5 turnovers per game. He had at least six less than the 77-64 loss at Cleveland State. His turnover rate nearly doubled in losses this year, with four per game.
It seems too easy to call Detroit 'not another 15 seed,' but there might not be a better way to describe the Titans from the Horizon League. They finished third in the regular season but won four-straight conference tournament games by a combined 50 points, including a 20-point drubbing of the regular season champs, Valparaiso, in the championship game. They have a balanced scoring attack with five players averaging double figures, but two players stand out among the rest: Ray McCallum and Chase Simon.
RAY MCCALLUM, SOPHOMORE GUARD
PEDIGREE:
ATHLETICISM:
McCallum is the coach's son and certainly plays like one. He's unselfish, tough and does whatever it takes to win. McCallum was recruited by UCLA, Arizona, Florida and even a bit by Kansas, but he chose to play for his father at Detroit. Now that's dedication. Like his father, McCallum compensates for his smaller stature (he's just 6-foot-1, 180 pounds) with the grit and fire of a winner.
uses hustle and a high basketball IQ to get
what he wants.
He may not look like Tyshawn Taylor, but McCallum has freaky athleticism for a little guy. He can jump with the best of them and drive to the hoop at will. He uses this athleticism to create opportunities for others and score with relative ease. The Jayhawks have the athleticism to match McCallum, but that may not change much. He's a creative scorer who
PASSING:
McCallum is a gifted passer who often attacks the basket, draws several defenders and finds an open teammate for easy points. He has an ability to find someone
for easy points. He has innate ability to find someone
at the right time with a darted pass, whether it's inside or by the perimeter. He leads the Titans with 3.94 assists per game and is a primary reason why his team boasts six players that average at least nine points per game.
LITTLE RANGE:
For all of McCallum's strengths, he simply hasm found his stroke from the three-point line. He shoots just 25 percent from behind the arc. Despite averaging 3.43 three-point attempts per game, he has converted a three-point shot in just 16 of 35 games this season, or 45.7 percent. The Jayhawks have fallen in the tournament the past two seasons because of Northern Iowa and Virginia Commonwealth's three-point prowess. That shouldn't be an issue against the McCallum-led Titans.
Edited by Katie James
GAME INFORMATION
WHERE: Omaha, Nebraska
WHEN: Friday, March 16, 8:57 p.m.
TV: Tru TV
20 KANSAS 12 SOFTBALL
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Johnson remains humble in success
KORY CARPENTER
kcarpenter@kansan.com
JOHNSON PREPARED TO STEP UP
OMAHA, Neb. — Junior guard Elijah Johnson's minutes per game spiked tremendously, from 13.7
minutes last year,
to 32 this year.
He ranks third
among Kansas
players in scoring,
with 9.7
points per game,
but hasn't always
been consistent.
Coach Bill Self ar
Johnson
"I try not to be too full of myself. I try to be humble. But I'm aware of my talent," Johnson said Thursday afternoon. "I'm starting to become more aware of what I can do to help this team, and I think it's going to be an extra little boost for us in
teammates have talked about Johnson's potential many times throughout the year.
March."
LEARNING FROM A LOSS
Kansas hasn't lost back-to-back games since November 2005. The team rattled off 10 straight victories after its Dec. 19 loss to Davidson and nine in a row after dropping a close game to Missouri on Feb. 4. The Jayhawks are coming off of a loss once again, after bowing out to Baylor in the Big 12 Conference tournament semi-finals last weekend in Kansas City, Mo. Johnson said the loss to Baylor humbled the team.
"Who knows, if we win that game and beat Missouri, how big wed be on our high horse?" he said.
Detroit sophomore guard Ray McCallum was a McDonald's All-American player in high school and chose to play for his father at Detroit, passing on schools like Arizona, UCLA, and Kansas. Bill Self said McCallum looks longer than he did in high school. Senior guard
RAY MCCALLUM
Tyshawn Taylor called him "terrific," but the Jayhawks may have found a weakness in McCallum's game.
"One thing we learned about him just briefly is that he really doesn't want to guard too much, so we're
going to put him in situations where he has to be a defender," Taylor said. "Maybe that will weigh him down offensively."
In the one-and-done format of the NCAA Tournament, a small slip up could end a season — as Jayhawk fans know all too well. Tyshawn Taylor said his team realizes that when they aren't fully focused, they can lose to just about anyone, and past hiccups in the tournament are prime examples.
A NEW SEASON
"We understood why we lost those games. We didn't come to play," Taylor said of losses to Northern Iowa and VCU. "We thought if we showed up wed beat those teams. Those two years helped us this year because we understand that we can't just show up."
FAMILIAR FACES
Taylor and Johnson took a break from answering questions about their team to talk about the Missouri Tigers, who are also playing at Omaha.
"I root for the Big 12 regardless once the conference is over," Johnson said.
"They're not in our conference, they're in the SEC," Taylor responded. When pressed for more, Taylor added, "I hope they're enjoying the weather."
Taylor wasn't as clear about his support for Missouri.
- Edited by Ian Cummings
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
RECYCLE RECYCLE RECYCLE
Liberty Hall
March 26
7:30 pm
Free Admission
the Bali's Campus Association
Sponsored by the Baha'i Campus Association Education Fire.com
PLEASE RECYCLE
FOOTBALL
Tight end picks Kansas granted extra eligibility
Former Notre Dame tight end Mike Ragone has been granted a sixth year of eligibility and is coming to Kansas, according to the South Bend Tribune.
Ragone was ranked third for tight ends in the class of 2007 on Rivals. com.
PLEASE RECYCLE
He caught 11 passes for 109 yards in his four seasons at Notre Dame.
The 6-foot-4, 250-pound tight end had three reconstructive knee surgeries during his tenure at Notre Dame, including one that kept him out of most of the 2011 season.
Ragone will be reunited with quarterback Dayne Crist and coach Charlie Weis.
"I'm pretty excited right now," Ragone said via cell phone to the South Bend Tribune. "I want to do big things, now that I have this chance."
— Mike Vernon
4