THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 3. 2012
PAGE 7
KANSAS TIPOFF
AT A GLANCE
The Jayhawks have had some big games this season. They played Kentucky in Madison Square Garden, Duke in the Maui Invitational and Ohio State at Allen Fieldhouse, and that excludes conference play. But this game, possibly the final contest between Kansas and Missouri at Mizzou Arena, may top them all. Missouri is off to the Southeastern Conference after this season and because of it, Kansas has threatened to end the rivalry altogether. While these two teams are still going at it, the hatred is intact.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Jeff Withey, center
Withey has risen to the occasion in the greatest of stages this season. The Tigers, small but quick, simply don't have any player like Withey. Self will need him to play aggressively throughout the
Withey
game, limit his fouls and continue to hassle opponents that attack the basket. The Jayhawks need junior forward Thomas Robinson and senior guard Tyshawn Taylor to be at their best. If Withey does the same, coach Bill Self has an unmatchable weapon.
Can Kansas keep up with Missouri's speed?
QUESTION MARK
Like the Jayhawks, the Tigers like to run, run, run. Missouri coach Frank Haith often deploys four guards and one post player to wear out opponents. Off the rebound, Missouri does all it can to accelerate into the fast break. Self will likely combat this strategy by playing junior guard Travis Releford as more of a forward. Releford's combination of strength and speed could help contain Missouri's quickness. His defensive prowess may be one of the most important factors in this game.
"I want to get this W. I'm not letting anybody in that gym, stadium, state, anything stop me."
HEAR YE HEAR YE
— junior forward Thomas Robinson
BIG JAY WILL CHEER IF...
Withey and Robinson use their size to dominate and create shots for teammates.
Taylor
KANSAS (18-4,8-1) STARTERS
A final showdown in Columbia The beginning of the end to an infamous rivalry. NO.8 KANSAS VS.NO.4 MISSOURI 8 P.M., MIZZOU ARENA, COLUMBIA, MO.
Taylor has been scorching hot in the conference season and Self has repeatedly called him one of the best guards in the nation. If Taylor wants to prove his place among the country's best, there's no better game to do it than Missouri. Taylor will be matched up against sophomore guard Phil Pressey, providing fans with one of the fastest and possibly most entertaining match-ups of the season.
Johnson
Releford
TYSHAWN TAYLOR, GUARD
It's on Johnson to hit the big shot on the road if Taylor and Robinson have scoring droughts. Senior guard Conner Teahan has knocked down just 22 percent of his three-point shots in Kansas' past four road games. When Johnson struggles, it's because he thinks too much about his last shot attempt, rather than focusing on his next one. Self said that as a defender, Johnson was dialled in on Wednesday. The same kind of focus could make Johnson a focal point on Saturday.
Self has asked Releford to do it all this season: score, rebound and defend at three different positions. If the Jayhawks succeed tomorrow, it'll be partly because of Releford's consistency in multiple roles. He'll be tasked with shutting down Missouri's high-speed offense, then turning stops into offensive opportunities. Scoring will likely be at a premium, and while Releford may not be the guy logging two points, he'll be the guy starting the play.
ELIJAH JOHNSON, GUARD
TRAVIS RELEFORD, FORWARD
ROBINSON
THOMAS ROBINSON, FORWARD
It's games like these that will define Robinson's season. He could care less about 20 points and 17 rebounds against Oklahoma if his team can't leave Columbia, Mo. with a victory. Scouts and fans alike will monitor how Robinson manages two or three defenders flying at him at once. If he makes proper decisions, such as finding the open teammate and taking what the defense gives him, the Jayhawks will be in good shape.
Pressey
(20-2,7-2) STARTERS
PHIL PRESSEY, GUARD
WITHEY
MISSOURI
Pressey
MATT PRESSEY. GUARD
Listed at 5-foot-10, Pressey is one of the quickest guards in the country. He leads Missouri's fast breaks and runs the offense in half-court sets. He leads the Big 12 in assists, with more than six per game and is a challenge for opponents to guard. He can score, too, notching double-digit points in six conference games, including an 18-point performance in Missouri's 84-73 victory against Texas on Jan. 14.
JEFF WITHEY, CENTER
The older brother of Phil, Matt Pressey transferred to Missouri from Navarro Community College before last season. He's started every game for the Tigers but is sixth on the team in scoring with just 7.7 pointer per game. Pressey struggles to shoot the ball with consistency, coming into the game at 39.1 percent from the field and 31.5 percent from behind the three-point line.
★★★☆
★★☆☆☆
English is having a much better year than last season, when his offensive numbers saw considerable drop-offs across the board. His scoring is back to 14.1 points per game, like it was his sophomore season. He is consistently shooting more than 50 percent for the first time in his career. His three-point shooting is nearly 50 percent as well, and with more than 100 three-pointers taken, the number isn't a fluke.
MARCUS DENMON, GUARD
KIM ENGLISH, FORWARD
The tallest Tiger is 6-foot-9 senior center Steve Moore and he only averages 15.9 minutes played per game. Withey, a 7-footer, is the one player in this game who doesn't have a proper match-up. Self has always said that his best offense is inside-out, playing through his post players. He's not talking about Robinson only. Withey will have his touches inside and his steadily improving left hand makes him even more dangerous. Keep the shot blocking and altering coming, the offense will follow.
Denmon has been in the discussion for National Player of the Year for most of the season and is a near shoe-in for first team All-Big 12. He averages 17.2 points per game, good enough for fourth in the Big 12. He's had three 30-point games this season. Denmon is the biggest offensive weapon for Tiger coach Frank Haith, but he isn't immune to an off-night, finishing with six points in two Big 12 games.
English
RICARDO RATLIFFE, FORWARD
Kory Carpenter and Max Rothman
Ratliffe is the only forward in Missouri's starting five. He leads the nation in field goal percentage with 75.1 percent. He isn't a volume shooter, with just three conference games with double-digit shot attempts. But, he obviously makes them count. Ratliffe will probably guard Jeff Withey in the post, and while he loses a couple of inches in the matchup, he has the bulk to give Withey a challenge.
Ratliffe
Prediction:
Kansas 68, Missouri 65
MISSOURI TIPOFF
AT A GLANCE
ESPN's College Gameday comes to Columbia, Mo., for the first time on Saturday, as No. 4 Missouri looks to remain unbeaten at home this season. The Tigers are 12-0 in Mizzou Arena and are looking for their first victory over Kansas since the 2008-2009 season. That 62-60 victory was cemented by a last-second shot by former Tiger guard Zaire Taylor. Missouri leads the Big 12 in a number of offensive categories, including scoring (81.2 points per game) margin (plus 17.4), and field goal percentage (49.8 percent). The Tigers are currently tied for second in the Big 12 at 7-2 and a victory over Kansas would give them a share of first place heading into the second half of the conference season. Saturday's contest may be the last Border Showdown in Mizzou Arena in the foreseeable future.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Kim English, guard
English
As noted, English will have his hands full guarding Robinson in the post, Offensively, however, he will have the advantage if Kansas sticks with its normal
starting five and Robinson is forced to chase him around the perimeter. After a subpar junior season, English is having the best shooting season of his career. He's making 51.2 percent of his shots from the field after never shooting above 40 percent his first three seasons. He's also having success from the beyond the three-point line, entering Saturday's game at 49.5 percent, the best of his career as well. If English is making open shots early, it could force coach Bill Self to switch to a smaller lineup, effectively giving up one of his biggest advantages over Missouri.
What do the Tigers do defensively?
QUESTION MARK
Missouri plays a four guard lineup with Rattliffe as the only starting forward. Many people talk about Mizzou's inherent match problem for opponents with the small lineup, but the Kansas frontline of junior center Jeff Withey and junior forward Thomas Robinson will be no easy task for Missouri, either. English starts out of position, and it seems he will be tasked with guarding Robinson. English, listed at 6-foot-6, will almost certainly need help when Robinson receives the ball in the post. Mizzou will probably double-team when Robinson catches the ball, but English will need to deny him from getting good position near the basket, which would make a possible double-team useless. If Missouri can successfully double-team in the post on Robinson and Withey, they will severely hamper Kansas' ability to use its biggest advantage. If not, the Jayhawk big men could have huge nights.
HEAR YE HEAR YE
"There is no question we want to continue to play Kansas."
— Missouri coach Frank Haith
BABY JAY WILL WEEP IF...
Missouri's fast break is in full effect, wearing Kansas out with its slew of quick guards.