THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012
PAGE 7
KANSAS TIPOFF
AT A GLANCE
A date with Kentucky in Madison Square Garden. A trip to Hawaii to face Duke. Two instant classics against Missouri. A Big 12 regular season championship. All were special, but to coach Bill Self and the Jayhawks, these events of the past don't mean nearly as much as what starts tonight. It's finally time for the NCAA tournament, fondly known as March Madness to America. The brackets have been filled out, and the time is now. It all starts for Kansas with Detroit, a No. 15 seed that can match most teams in athleticism. Junior forward Thomas Robinson is likely off to the NBA after this season, and senior guard Tyshawn Taylor will graduate. For these two leaders, it's their last go with the Jayhawks. Will it end with a heartbreak or a championship?
PLAYER TO WATCH
Thomas Robinson, junior forward
In future games, Withey or junior guards Travis Releford and Elijah Johnson may be the ones to watch. But in this opening- round game
Robinson
against Detroit, it's Robinson who must be keyed on. In the Big 12 tournament loss to Baylor, Robinson scored 15 points and had brief moments of dominance. However, for much of the game he was lackadaisical. If he wants to consider himself a true leader of this team and one of the best players in the country, he should be able to prove it from the start.
How far can Kansas go?
QUESTION MARK
With Robinson and Taylor, two of the most talented players in the country, one may think that the Jayhawks have a real shot at a national title. But with little depth behind them, foul trouble, an injury or a cold streak could end their tournament run fast. There are several variables to consider when assessing Kansas' vitality in the tournament. One of the most important variables is junior center Jeff Withey, who has shown flashes of both brilliance and ineptitude. If Withey can disrupt opposing offenses and play tough inside, he gives the Jayhawks a necessary third threat. If he proves ineffective, whether it's a match-up issue, lack of aggression or foul trouble, Kansas may fall short of its ultimate goal.
"Just because of my situation, I feel like I have to have a deeper purpose to play for."
HEAR YE, HEAR YE
Thomas Robinson, junior forward
BIG JAY WILL CHEER IF ...
Kansas blows out Detroit to a large enough degree that television sets across the country switch to other action.
The beginning of the Madness Kansas' fate falls on Robinson and Taylor NO.2 KANSAS VS.NO.15 DETROIT 8:57 P.M., CENTURYLINK CENTER, OMAHA,NEB.
KANSAS (27-6,16-2) STARTERS
Taylor
Johnson
Releford
TYSHAWN TAYLOR, GUARD
If you haven't paid close attention, Taylor is this team's second fiddle. If you've watched closely, you know that he's every bit as important to this team's success as Robinson. By creating space for he and teammates and bringing life to Kansas with circus shots and beautiful, arcing threes, Taylor has been the man this season.
Robinson
ELIJAH JOHNSON, GUARD
What will the tournament bring out of Johnson? Will it be more like the 26 points he dropped on the Aggies last week in Kansas City, Mo., or the goose egg he posted against Florida Atlantic on Nov. 30? Johnson is perhaps the least-predictable Jayhawk, but his importance to the team is paramount. He defends well and saves Taylor's energy by occasionally taking over point-guard duties.
★★★☆☆
TRAVIS RELEFORD, GUARD
Withey
Releford badly needs to shut someone down. He loves to stop the opposing team's best player, but he simply hasn't succeeded in the past few weeks. That was highlighted by Texas' J Covan Brown's 33 points in Allen Fieldhouse on March 3. Self will keep his eye on Releford and ensure that the effort never ceases.
THOMAS ROBINSON, FORWARD
He's only a junior, but consider this tournament Robinson's last hurrah. He will almost certainly go to the NBA after this season, so the question now has got to be: Can he really lead this team to a title? The pieces are there, but can it really happen? Starting tonight, with Robinson at the helm, we'll start to find out.
★★★★
For all of the incredible talents of Taylor and Robinson, few possess what Withey can bring to the table. He's 7 feet tall, agile and has great timing. Most teams have nothing close to that. If he can become a mismatch and avoid disappearing from games, Kansas' title chances suddenly skyrocket.
JEFF WITHEY, CENTER
DETROIT (23-13, 11-7) STARTERS
RAY MCCALLUM, GUARD
McCallum will be the only McDonald's High School All-American on the court in Omaha tonight. He was recruited by a number of high-profile schools. His decision to play for his father gave the Titans instant credibility in the Horizon League, and his performance, with 15.6 points per game, hasn't disappointed.
McCallum
JASON CALLISTE, GUARD
CHASE SIMON. GUARD
Simon averaged 13.5 points last season and reached the 1,000-point mark for his career early on this season. He averages an identical 13.5 points per game this season as a senior and is the team's second-leading scorer. The Detroit native has been quiet his last two games with only 6.5 points, but in three of his four games before, he had at least 17 points.
Calliste
DOUG ANDERSON, FORWARD
The junior guard averages 10.4 points per game this season and had 17 points against Valparaiso in the Horizon League tournament championship last week. It was his fifth game with more than 15 points, but Calliste has struggled against BCS conference opponents this season. He averaged just 6.2 points in those four games.
Anderson is in his first season at Detroit after leading Mott Community College to the finals of the NJCAA tournament last season. He averaged 15.5 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in two seasons at Mott and was a top 40 junior college recruit, according to rivals.com. He averages 9.1 points and 4.7 rebounds this season.
Simon
BETRONS Anderson
LAMARCUS LOWE, FORWARD
Lowe is second on the Titans with 4.9 rebounds per game. At 6-foot-10, he'll be tasked with guarding Jeff Withey when both players are in the game. He's the only legitimate big man with size in the Titans' starting lineup. While he's not a natural scorer, his defense will play a big part in tonight's outcome.
MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
★★☆★★
Lowe
Elijah Johnson
PHOTO BY CHRIS NEAL
Prediction Kansas 84,Detroit 69
DETROIT TIPOFF
AT A GLANCE
Detroit finished behind Youngstown State and Valparaiso in the Horizon League regular season but defeated both teams last week on its way to the conference tournament championship. The Titans were just 11-7 in conference play and needed the conference tournament title to earn an NCAA tournament bid, their first since 1999. They earned a No. 12 seed in the 1999 tournament and defeated UCLA in the first round, 56-53. The Titans feature five players who average double digits and have one of the best players in the Horizon League — sophomore guard Ray McCallum. His dad, also Ray McCallum, is in his fourth season as Detroit's head coach and has experienced his most success this season with 22 victories.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Ray McCallum, sophomore guard
McCallum isn't the average Horizon League player. He was a McDonald's High School All-American
as a high school senior and chose to play for his dad at Detroit rather than Arizona, UCLA and Kansas among others. Self said he and his staff recruited McCallum early on but had the feeling he would choose to stay at home. Last season, McCallum became the first Detroit true freshman to be named to an All-Horizon League team. He led the Titans in scoring last year as well as this season. He averages 15.6 points per game.
QUESTION MARK
Can Detroit overcome the odds?
No. I'm not just talking about the odds of upsetting Kansas. I'm talking about overcoming the odds of using the completely wrong recipe for an upset and hoping for an upset. Let's look at a pair of Kansas recent disappointing NCAA tournament losses. Last season against VCU, the Rams hit 12 of 25 from three-point range. In 2010, Northern Iowa hit nine three-pointers. Detroit makes just 4.6 three-pointers per game. Slowing the game down to a snail's pace and limiting possessions is also a good tactic. The Titans, however, aren't incredibly slow. At 67.4 possessions per game, they're right in the middle of the pack nationally.
HEAR YE, HEAR YE
"Robinson? I can handle Robinson. He has to handle me."
Senior center Eli Holman on facing Thomas Robinson.
BABY JAY WILL WEEP IF ...
The Titans give the Jayhawks a scare like the Syracuse Orange got yesterday against UNC Ashville.