Volume 124 Issue 114
Friday, March 9, 2012
kansan.com
COMMENTARY
In 2008 I witnessed, what I thought was the greatest basketball game I had ever seen. No.5 Kansas absorbed the best blow No. 8 Texas could possibly deliver, and when the fight was done, Kansas was the team still standing.
I left the Sprint Center convinced both teams would soon meet again in the national championship game. While Kansas did go on to play in the national championship game — one that did become the greatest basketball game I have ever seen — Texas did not.
That game alone was the final battle Kansas needed to gain the confidence to win the even grander fight ahead. That game showed Kansas that their best was better than anyone else's in the country. And that game is why conference tournaments matter.
If you don't remember that game, or weren't watching, here is a quick recap: With both teams bringing their best, Texas took a one-point lead into halftime. Kansas made 15 of 25 threes on the night and won by 10. Mario Chalmers had 30 points and Brandon Rush had 19.
Kansas and Missouri. One last time, Part two.
Big 12 not just for show
And with this impending third Kansas-Missouri battle on the way, it's no understatement to say that the country will be watching closely.
So here we are: Less than 24 hours away from a possible Kansas City Armageddon.
And the effort Kansas will have to muster to beat Baylor a third time will be a strenuous one. If Kansas wins, fatigue will have set in by the time they get the opportunity to start to think about Missouri.
Friday night, the Jayhawks will once again play No 11 Baylor. Kansas absolutely dismantled Baylor in the schools' previous two outings, winning by a total of 32 points.
"I think it's hardest to beat a team the third time," Bill Self said. "Because sometimes the physiological advantage goes to the team that you've beaten. We played pretty good against Baylor both games, but we haven't gotten their best shot yet. And I anticipate getting that best shot tomorrow."
Sure, these conference tournaments are just a warm-up for the NCAA Tournament. But this "warm-up" is the greatest preparation tool for any collegiate sporting event. And it's only fitting that this series of major events precedes the NCAA Tournament — the grandest three weeks in sports.
So if this Kansas team — that has surprised the fans, the media, and coach Self already this season — can surprise us once more in Kansas City, it may not be the last surprise it holds.
If this team can beat a talented Baylor team once again, if this team can beat Missouri one last time in the rivalry's epicenter, then this team can do anything.
Edited by lan Cummings
Only two roadblocks stand in the way of basketball mayhem breaking loose on these streets, and both barriers are fairly formidable: Texas and Bavlor.
Women's golf travels southwest in hopes of invitational victory http://url.no/wx/zcJBk
CHRIS NEAL/KANSAN
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JOHNSON FINDS HIS SHOT, JAYHAWKS WIN
MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
twitter.com/udk_bball
KANSAS CITY, Mo., — Junior guard Elijah Johnson's uncle passed away last week and services were held Tuesday. Johnson was away from his teammates for three days, spending time with family. When he returned, coach Bill Self took notice of something.
In practice on Wednesday, in preparation for the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, Mo. Johnson's shot just looked right.
"It looked as pure as it looked all year long," Self said. "I told him that."
Johnson took the words to heart and scored a career-high 26 points on Thursday afternoon, as No. 3 Kansas (27-5,
16-2) defeated the Texas A&M
Aggies 83-66.
"I think coach kind of gave me a couple of words I needed to hear after going what I went through," Johnson said.
"You can't really double the post like you want to because he'll just kick it out every time,"
Ifonly Johnson could face the Aggies everyday. When the Jayhawks last faced them on Feb. 22 in College Station, Texas, Johnson scored 18 points in the first half and energized a stagnant bunch with his quick scoring. But in that game, Johnson scored much of his points with layups. On Wednesday afternoon, he thrived by way of the long ball, knocking down five of seven three-point shots and eight of 11 shots overall.
Aggies forward Khris Middleton said. "We just wanted to try to make it hard on the post and contest their threes, but they made most of those."
Junior forward Thomas Robinson, who finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds — his 23rd double-double of the season — both of his two three-point shots. It was the first game of Robinson's career that he made more than one three-pointer.
Despite a sloppy start that included a badly missed layup, senior guard Tyshawn Taylor turned it on as the game progressed. He hit three of four three-pointers and finished with 16 points.
With Johnson, Robinson and
SEE BASKETBALL PAGE 6
Loss leaves team with uncertainty
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
KATHLEEN GIER
kgier@kansan.com
KANSAS CITY, Mo., — The Jayhawks walked off the court with long faces. A victory against Texas A&M would have likely cemented a spot in the NCAA Tournament, but a loss sends them back to the uncertainty they have faced the past few weeks.
Kansas held a five-point lead in the first half and was only down two points at the break, but after the Texas A&M run in the second half, Kansas fell 78-63 to the defending national champions in the semifinals of the Big 12 Tournament.
Now the wait begins.
"When they attacked us, we didn't answer back," said junior guard Angel Goodrich. "In this league, you have to get an answer."
Kansas had five possessions to the final seconds of the shot clock. One ended in a last-second three-pointer from Goodrich, while the other four ended in shot-clock violations. These were a large part of the team's 16 turnovers compared to eight from Texas A&M.
Goodrich shot eight of 17 from the field and four of eight from
three to lead the Jayhawks during the game with 21 points and nine assists.
Freshman guard Natalie Knight, freshman forward Chelsea Gardner, senior forward Aishah Sutherland followed Goodrich in double figures. Asia Boyd was the only other Jayhawk to score in the outing, after knocking down a free throw late in the game.
"We ask a great deal from her, but she has stepped and answered over and over and over again," Henrickson said. "We just weren't aggressive enough behind her."
Gardner fouled out with 5:09 left in the game and the Jayhawks fell flat after, allowing a 6-0 run before scoring again two and a half minutes later.
The Aggies brought a balanced attack with four of their own players in double figures. Junior Kelsey Bone, senior Sydney Carter and senior Adora Elonu scored in their usual fashion, but the dagger was Alexia Standish, who scored a career-high 25 points after scoring just eight points in each of the first two series match ups. Standish started in the place of Kansas City native Tyra White who missed the game because of a foot injury.
Standish easily took over in her spot, draining six of nine three-point attempts and shooting eight of 13 from the field. Knight was charged with guarding Standish, but she scored through both of the man-to-man and zone defenses.
"We just kind of lost sight of the shooters, and that hurt us down the stretch," Knight said. "She knocked down big shots today."
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Goodrich and Carter battled at the point guard spot for all 40 minutes with similar stat lines. Texas A&M coach Gary Blair said that the Aggies looked at Goodrich coming out of high school and said the matchup comes down to passion and speed.
"Angel Goodrich is probably the best scorer and point guard in the league," Blair said.
Edited by Nadia Imafidon
The Jayhawks will return to Lawrence and take a couple days off before regrouping Sunday for film and a light practice. They have to wait for the selection show on Monday night, which will decide their placement next weekend.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
Junior guard Angel Goodrich jumps to get the ball to the basket during Thursday's game against Texas A&M. Full stop Kansas lost 63-78 in the Big 12 Tournament at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.