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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2012
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
KANSAS TIPOFF
AT A GLANCE
PLAYER TO WATCH
Wait, there's another game to be played? After this weekend, you're excused if you happened to forget about Monday's visit to Stillwater, Okla. But coach Bill Self knows about this potential trap. The no. 4 Jayhawks (24-5,14-2) won't practice after the tiring overtime game to rest some legs, but they'll show up in hopes of claiming an outright hold of the Big 12 title. The last time these teams met, Kansas won 81-66, keyed by a blowout first half. However during the conference season, the Cowboys are 6-2 at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Jeff Withey, junior center
Witheyturned his ankle in the Missouri game and played just nine mostly ineffective minutes. Withey said on Twitter that his foot is fine and he will play Monday.
Withey
but Self hinted after the game that he may limit Withey's minutes. We'll see how he responds, but his game relies on aggression. Will he be able to swarm Cowboys if he's not 100 percent?
QUESTION MARK
How much is left in the tank? Saturday's overtime game was a long day of emotion and physicality. Senior guard Tyshawn Taylor played all but one of the 45 minutes. Will the Jayhawks be prepared or gassed by the time they arrive in Stillwater? Self may try to get guards Naadir Tharpe and Conner Teahan and forwards Kevin Young and Justin Wesley more playing time than usual. Although if the score is tight, Self may not have a chance to rest his key guys.
HEAR YE, HEAR YE
"If we could pick a game not to play on Big Monday, it would probably be that game."
Bill Self on tonight's game
BIG JAY WILL CHEER IF...
The Jayhawks make a statement that they can win two high-stakes games in three days, a critical trait to have come tournament time.
Jayhawks take on the Cowboys Kansas aims to strengthen its case for a No.1 seed
Taylor
KANSAS
Johnson
Releford
(24-5,14-2) STARTERS
Robinson
NO. 4 KANSAS VS. OKLAHOMA ST 8 P.M., GALLAHER-IBA ARENA, STILLWATER, OKLA.
TYSHAWN TAYLOR, GUARD
Taylor played 44 of 45 minutes on Saturday and was involved in nearly every score. He finished with 24 points and hit the two biggest free throws of his life, avenging his misses at Mizzou Arena. No one questions Taylor's skill or heart. The question is, how much can he really play?
Withey
J
Johnson made one of the best passes of the game on Saturday, feeding Robinson for a game-tying score at the end of regulation. He finished with eight assists and not a single turnover. Some may gripe about his average scoring totals. No matter, his improvements as a defender and passer have made Kansas a more dangerous team.
ELUAH JOHNSON, GUARD
Releford looked downright bad as a shooter against the Tigers. He missed six of his seven shot attempts. However he continues to play pressure-filled defense, both on-the-ball and in transition, and he often tips or retrieves loose balls. His game isn't flashy, but it helps win games.
TRAVIS RELEFORD, GUARD
THOMAS ROBINSON, FORWARD
After a few so-so performances, Robinson has reemerged as the favorite for national player of the year. He tallied 28 points and 12 rebounds against Missouri and blocked a game-winning shot attempt by sophomore guard Phil Pressey. Robinson shared words with Markel Brown at Allen Fieldhouse earlier this season, so he should be pumped up for this one.
JEFF WITHEY, CENTER
Withey is the biggest area of concern after a blissful weekend for Kansas fans. His ankle injury seems to be not too serious, however an injury to a starter with a team this thin makes people worry. Withey will likely have to handle limited playing time and the thought that he can't worsen the injury.
★★★☆☆
OKLAHOMA ST (14-15,7-9) STARTERS
MARKEL BROWN, GUARD
The sophomore guard played in all 34 games last season as a freshman and is second on the team this season with 5.3 rebounds per game. He's also just the third Cowboy to average double figures this season with 10.7 points per game. He played all 40 minutes in the first game against Kansas and finished with 21 points.
Brown
KEITON PAGE. GUARD
Page had a career-high 40 points against Texas last Saturday with an impressive 20-for-20 afternoon from the free-throw line. He's had 29 and 15 point games since then and will definitely be a threat to put up big numbers tonight. He's scored 15 points or more in six of his last seven games.
★★★☆
Page
BRIAN WILLIAMS, GUARD
Williams started in place of the injured Le'Bryant Nash in Saturday's 60-42 home victory over Texas A&M. He finished with 17 points and five rebounds in 37 minutes of action. Williams has started 16 games for the Cowboys this season and is averaging 8.5 points per game.
Williams
PHILIP JURICK, FORWARD
Jurick has only started 14 games this year but got the nod against Texas A&M Saturday. The junior-college transfer is in his first season at Oklahoma State and is third on the team with 5.2 rebounds per game. He played just five minutes in the first meeting with Kansas on Feb. 11.
Jurick
MICHAEL COBBINS FORWARD
Cobbins isn't an offensive threat (5.5 points per game) but he leads the Cowboys with 5.7 rebounds per game. He played 37 minutes against Kansas earlier this month but was invisible for most of that time, finishing with just four points and four rebounds on 2-for-6 shooting.
Cobbins
Prediction:
Kansas 76, Oklahoma St. 68
OKLAHOMA ST TIPOFF
AT A GLANCE
Oklahoma State is looking to get back to a .500 record this season with a victory over Kansas tonight in Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowboys sit at 14-15 on the year and are seventh in the Big 12 at 7-9 in conference play. They had an impressive 18-point victory over Texas A&M at home Saturday but have struggled against the top teams in the conference this season, going 1-4 against Kansas, Missouri and Baylor. Things recently got worse for Cowboys fans, however. NewsOk.com reported that freshman guard and second-leading scorer Le'Bryan Nash is out indefinitely after apparently fracturing his left hand in Wednesday's loss at Oklahoma.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Keiton Page, guard
Page
The senior guard grew up less than 30 miles from the Oklahoma State campus and has been a consistent starter since the latter part of
his freshman season in 2008-2009. He's averaged double figures each of the last three seasons and currently leads the Cowboys in scoring with 16.2 points per game. He's also started more games (27) than anyone else on the team.
Can "historic" Gallagher-Iba
Arena produce another upset?
Opened in 1938, it's the oldest basketball venue in the Big 12. It's known for its noise but its been said that since the renovation and raising of the roof in 2001, Gallagher-la hasn't been quite as loud. That hasn't stopped it from being a landmine for Bill Self, however, who's just 1-3 in the arena in his time at Kansas.
QUESTION MARK
"They basically have left it up to me. I'll decide on Monday. He really wants to play, but I'll decide on Monday what's best for him and we'll see."
HEAR YE, HEAR YE
Oklahoma State coach Travis Ford on Le'Bryan Nash's injured hand.
BABY JAY WILL WEEP IF...
The Jayhawks are emotionally drained from Saturday's Border War conclusion and appear sluggish on the court.