THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2012
MEN'S BASKETBALL
PAGE 7
Jayhawks unaffected by upcoming rematch
Kansas must first focus on the Aggies, then the Tigers
MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
There's some game coming up on Saturday, but you wouldn't know it by asking the Javahaws.
"We will not mention Missouri," coach Bill Self said. "Except to tell them that we're not going to mention Missouri until after the game Wednesday"
Talking before they were swarmed by reporters, junior forward Thomas Robinson and senior guard Tyshawn Taylor prepared for questions about Missouri.
"It's understandable; it's a big game," Taylor said. "Everybody's excited about it. But we've got to still take care of business Wednesday."
No. 4 Kansas (22-5, 12-2) visits College Station, Texas, for tonight's game against Texas A&M at 8.
Including non-conference games, the Aggies have the highest scoring defense in the league, allowing 60.2 points per game, .2 points better than Kansas.
In the first match-up between the teams this season, the Jayhawks won 64-54, but they shot just 37.9 percent from the
field in the first half and trailed 30-28 at halftime. Junior guard Elijah Johnson missed all six of his three-point shots and the Jayhawks dished a conference-season low of eight assists. The 82-73 victory against Iowa State on Jan. 14 was the only other game of the season where Kansas trailed at halftime at Allen
"We will not mention Missouri, except to tell them that we're not going to mention Missouri until after the game Wednesday."
BILL SELF Kansas coach
Fieldhouse.
"Here, we labored to make a basket, but they did too," Self said. "It's got a Big 10 middle-of-the-season type feel to it."
Aggies coach Billy Kennedy likes to use the shot clock to his team's advantage. His offense will work the ball around
perimeter to eat clock and disrupt rhythm. This strategy keeps the ball out of the hands of Kansas' playmaking scorers. Defensively, they will try to force Kansas into long possessions and difficult shot attempts.
"Not many teams are good for those 35 seconds," Robinson said of the shot clock. "Their transition defense was really good the first time we played them, and it continues to be good."
The Aggies proved on Jan. 23 they can hang with the Jayhawks. Even with that big Missouri game coming up on Saturday and student campers lining the floors of Allen Fieldhouse, Self won't let his team forget about Texas A&M.
"Out of fairness to them and all their hard work and effort they put in," Self said, "I think it would be such a disservice to allow them to look past what is just as meaningful a game as the game is on Saturday."
Edited by Gabrielle Schock
Junior forward Thomas Robinson hits a lay-up during the first half of the Jan. 23 game against Texas A&M at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks trailed A&M during the first half of that game, but came back to win it. The Jayhawks travel to College Station tonight for their second game of the season against the Aggies.
CHRIS NEAL/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
NBA
Legends of the Phog: Jayhawks in the NBA
JONATHAN ROSA
jrosa@kansan.com
Rush leads the league in three-point percentage, yet despite shooting 53.8 percent, he will not get the opportunity to play against former-Jayhawk teammate Mario Chalmer in the three-point contest. On Saturday, Rush scored eight points, going three of seven from the field and hitting two three-pointers in as many attempts. He also had four rebounds, two blocks, one steal and one assist.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Morris received great news from the Rockets on Monday, as the organization announced it recalled him from the D-League affiliate Rio Grande Valley Vipers. While he was available to play on Monday, he sat out in the game against the Grizzlies. Morris averaged 22.8 points and 9.1 rebounds in 10 games with the Vipers and had two blocks.
The Thunder went without several players during Monday's match-up against the Hornets, one of whom was Collison because of a left quad contusion. This was good news for teammate Cole Aldrich, who gained playing time in his absence. In 19 minutes, Aldrich put up four points with three rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
On Feb. 13, Selby was assigned to the Reno Bighorns, the NBA D-League affiliate of the Memphis Grizzlies. He's averaged 2.9 points and 1.4 assists on 38.9 percent shooting in 10.3 minutes during his first season with the Grizzlies. His best game came on Dec. 30, when he tallied nine points and seven assists in 26 minutes. Over the weekend, Selby took the court with the Bighorns and put up 24 points (7-12), shooting two of three from beyond the arc, and had eight rebounds in 30 minutes of playing time.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Gooden did not travel with the team over the weekend because of a sprained wrist and reoccurring knee soreness. There is no timetable for his return. Gooden last played on Feb. 15, when he up put 11 points, five rebounds and two blocks in 26 minutes of playing time. Forward John Leuer is starting in his place.
— Edited by Gabrielle Schock
BIG 12 BASKETBALL
K-State upsets Mizzou 78-68 in Columbia
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Rodney McGruder scored 24 points and Kansas State upset No. 3 Missouri 78-68 Tuesday night, the Wildcats' second win this season over the Tigers.
Kansas State (19-8, 8-7 Big 12) led 40-30 at halftime and by 16 points in the second half after a twisting McGruder layup before a late run by Missouri (25-3, 12-3) got the Tigers within 63-60 with six minutes remaining.
2:21 left, but Jordan Henriquez answered with an alley-oop dunk following a Tiger timeout. The Wildcats extended the lead on two free throws by Henriquez after a Steve Moore foul on a missed Michael Dixon 3-pointer and built a cushion from the foul line in the final minute.
Missouri trailed by 4 after two free throws by Michael Dixon with
Thomas Gipson added 13 points for Kansas State, which connected on 53.8 percent of its field goals for the game.The Wildcats were even better in the second half, converting 14 of 24 for 58.3 percent.
Associated Press
1951
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