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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2012
MEN'S BASKETBALL
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Withey's improvements gain national notice
MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
After Monday night's 59-53 victory at Kansas State, a reporter asked junior center Jeff Withey if he expected an outburst like this.
In his past three games, Withey has averaged 20.3 points, 12 rebounds and 6.3 blocks per game. He was named the Big 12 Player of the Week on Monday, then the Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week on Tuesday.
"Yeah he did, yeah he did," Taylor said. "I felt it."
After the reporter's question, Withey kept mum. Instead, senior guard Tyshawn Taylor, answered it for him.
Withey smiled and gave in.
"My teammates around me, they lift me up all the time," he said. "In practice, they're always on me. They never let me get away with anything."
All of this comes after Withey was held scoreless in the 74-71 loss on Feb. 4 at Missouri. Coach Bill Self told Withey the Tigers "punked" him.
But Withey is playing his best basketball as a Jayhawk, proving it against a physical team like Kansas State.
"He played really good against Baylor and he played really good against Oklahoma State, but he was
a lot better tonight than he was in either one of those games," Self said on Monday. "This was a big-boy game. He had 18, 11 and nine on a night when Thomas wasn't Thomas. I thought he was just fabulous."
Junior forward Thomas Robinson, who averaged 18.1 points per game going into Monday's Sunflower Showdown, scored just 10 points. He also committed four fouls and five turnovers.
"They sent a lot of guys at [Robinson]," Taylor said. "They were rough with him down there, banging him a little bit."
As a National Player of the Year candidate and double-double machine — second in the nation, with 18 on the season - Robinson usually draws the opposition's best post defender.
This fact regularly frees Withey of defensive pressure, allowing him to score in the paint before a hand is there to hinder.
"Thomas is probably going to be the main focus for everybody on their scouting report," Taylor said.
Now, Kansas' challenge is to find a way to make both thrive together.
CHRIS BRONSON/KANSAN
— Edited by Gabrielle Schock
"He's a beast in the paint," Taylor said of Robinson. "So he's going to find ways to score."
Junior center Jeff Withey puts his arm over junior forward Thomas Robinson during a dead-ball period in the second half as Kansas State battled back Monday night at Bramlage Coliseum. Withey recently earned two awards for his play, as he's averaged 20.3 points, 12 rebounds and 6.3 blocks in his last three games.
CONFERENCE STANDINGS
BASKETBALL BIG 12 RANKINGS
KORY CARPENTER
kcarpenter@kansan.com
1. KANSAS (21-5, 11-2)
Kansas survived its toughest remaining road test of the season Monday night in Manhattan and should take care of business against Texas Tech and Texas A&M in the next week. An eighth-consecutive Big 12 championship is theirs if the Jayhawks don't trip up in the final five games.
Last three games: victory at Baylor (68-54), victory vs. Oklahoma State (81-66), victory at Kansas State (59-53)
Next three games: Texas Tech, at Texas A&M, Missouri
2. MISSOURI (23-2, 10-2)
The Tigers still have a trip to Allen Fieldhouse awaiting them on Feb. 25. But until then, they deserve the top spot in this week's rankings. The rematch with Kansas could decide the NCAA tournament's No.1 seed for the St. Louis region.
Last three games: victory vs. Kansas (74-71), victory at Oklahoma (71-68), victory vs. Baylor (72-57)
Next three games: Oklahoma State, at Texas A&M, Kansas State
3. BAYLOR (22-4, 9-4)
The Bears had the talent to win the Big 12 this season, coach Scott Drew just couldn't put it all together. They were swept by Kansas and Missouri and are facing yet another season where first-class talent didn't quite live up to the hype.
Last three games: loss vs. Kansas (68-54), loss at Missouri (72- 57), victory vs. Iowa State (79-64)
Next three games: Kansas State, at Texas, Oklahoma
4. IOWA STATE (18-8, 8-5)
Cyclones coach Fred Hoiberg has done a remarkable job this season in positioning his team for an NCAA tournament berth. And when they get to the NCAA tournament, 6-foot-8-inch, 270-pound forward/point guard Royce White will be a tough matchup for any opponent.
Last three games: loss at Oklahoma State (69-67), victory vs.
Texas A&M (69-46), loss at Baylor (79-64)
Next three games: Oklahoma, Texas Tech, at Kansas State
5. TEXAS (17-9, 7-6)
coach Rick Barnes and his group of freshmen haven't quite lived up to expectations. But how much can you expect out of a group of freshmen? He also has an upperclassman in J'Covan Brown, who's never seen a shot he didn't like, which can be good and bad.
Last three games: victory at Texas A&M (70-68), victory vs. Kansas State (75-64), victory at Oklahoma (69-58)
Next three games: at Oklahoma State, Baylor, at Texas Tech
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6. KANSAS STATE (17-8, 6-7)
Next three games: at Baylor, at Missouri, Iowa State
Last three games: victory vs. Texas Tech (65-46), loss at Texas (75-64), loss vs. Kansas (59-53)
LarryvilleKU
IT'S A LAWRENCE TRING
The Wildcats are one of the toughest teams in the conference and rebound the ball as well as anyone. They simply can't put the ball in the basket. Monday night against Kansas was a great opportunity for a marquee victory to put on their NCAA tournament resume, but much like the rest of their season, that opportunity slipped away.
7. OKLAHOMA STATE (12-13, 5-7)
The Cowboys are fighting for an NIT berth at this point in the season. Freshman guard Le Bryan Nash will be very good next season, but the team didn't have enough firepower to compete this year.
Last three games: loss vs. Baylor (64-60), victory vs. Iowa State (69-67), loss at Kansas (81-66)
Next three games: at Missouri, Texas, at Oklahoma
Next three games: at Missouri, Texas, at Oklahoma
8. TEXAS A&M (13-12, 4-9)
Next three games: Missouri, Kansas, at Oklahoma State
Last three games: loss vs. Texas (70-68), loss at Iowa State (69- 46). victory at Texas Tech (47-38)
It seems like a long time since the Aggies were picked to share the Big 12 championship this season with Kansas. Also losers of four straight, they haven't been able to score consistently or stay healthy this season.
9.0KLAHOMA (13-12, 3-10)
Last three games: loss vs. Missouri (71-68), loss at Texas Tech (65-47), loss vs. Texas (69-58)
Now that the Sooners have lost four straight games, any faint hopes of an NCAA tournament have been washed away. The nucleus of the team will return next season, and coach Lon Kruger is one of the best in the conference. They should compete near the top of the Big 12 in 2012-2013.
Next three games: at Iowa State, Oklahoma State, at Baylor
10.TEXAS TECH (8-17, 1-12)
Texas Tech coach Billy Gillispie has a really young team this season, which could be good looking to the future. It could also mean trouble, because he certainly has his work cut out for him moving forward.
Last three games: loss at Kansas State (65-46), victory vs. Okla homa (65-47), loss vs. Texas A&M (47-38) Next three games: at Kansas, at Iowa State, Texas
— Edited by Corinne Westeman
ASSOCIATED PRESS
NBA
Lin makes buzzer-beating basket, Knicks win
TORONTO — Linsane!
Jeremy Lin made a tiebreaking threew-pointer with less than a second to play to cap his finishing flurry of six straight points, and the New York Knicks rallied to beat the Toronto Raptors 90-
The NBA's first American-Taiwanese player, Lin had 27 points and a career-high 11 assists in his first game since being named Eastern Conference player of the week.
87 Tuesday night, extending their winning streak to six games.
Jose Calderon scored 25 points, Linas Kleiza had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan scored 14 for the Raptors.
The season-high crowd of 20,092 roared as Lin drained a pull-up jumper from the top with half a second to play, giving the Knicks their first lead since the opening quarter.
Amare Stoudemire returned from a four-game absence with 21 points and Tyson Chandler had 13 for New York.
Toronto's Rasual Butler airballed his attempt at the buzzer as the Knicks swarmed their newest
.
Up 75-66 to start the fourth, Toronto widened its lead with a three-point play by Barbosa before the Knicks stormed back with a 10-0 run, cutting it to 78-76 and forcing the Raptors to call timeout with 6:22 remaining.
hero at center court.
Kleiza stopped the run with a
Toronto led 87-82 with less than two minutes to go when Iman Shumpert stole the ball from Calderon and drove in for an uncontested dunk. After a missed shot, Lin completed a three-play play.
driving layup, Amir Johnson added a hook shot and, after Lin made one of two from the line, Barbosa layup made it 84-77 with 4:49 left.
Barbosa missed a three for Toronto and Shumpert missed a jumper, but Chandler grabbed the rebound. Lin took the ball near midcourt and let the clock run down before launching the decisive shot.
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