Volume 124 Issue 84
kansan.com
Friday, January 27, 2012
COMMENTARY Taylor is Kansas' no.1 key
Thomas Robinson is the undisputed face of this Kansas men's basketball squad. Yes, fans have always loved the junior forward for his budding talent, his electrifying dunks and his NBA superstar potential. But it took a tragedy, the death of his mother Lisa Robinson just over a year ago, for Robinson to become Kansas' favorite son.
But while Robinson may receive the most adoration, he is not the most important player on this incarnation of the Jayhawks. That honor belongs to the man who at times has been the red-headed stepchild of the Kansas community: Tyshawn Taylor.
Monday's surprising slugfest with Texas A&M would have had a much more sour outcome than the ultimate 64-54 Kansas win had Taylor been the turnover-prone, groan-inducing guard from earlier this season. Yes, Robinson finished with a team-high 18 points, but 10 of those points came from free throws. Taylor was a much more efficient 6-for-9 shooting with 17 points and, more importantly, only two turnovers. Robinson finished with five.
Taylor had more 3-pointers (3-for-6) than teammates Conner Teahen and Elijah Johnson combined (0-for-9). Johnson forced several momentum-killing shots, at times looking like the new old Tyshawn Taylor. But make no mistake: it was the new Taylor who bailed his Jayhawk teammates out of a humiliating home loss on Monday.
One game is a small sample size, but Taylor has been a revelation since the start of conference play. Aside from an eight turnover blunder against Kansas State, Taylor has had more than four turnovers only one time. In his last two games against Texas and Texas A&M, he has had only two turnovers. And back-to-back career-highs of 28 points led the Jayhawks to big wins against Iowa State and Baylor.
Unfortunately, Taylor's recent hot streak includes an all-too-common Twitter tirade on Jan. 6 in which he said his critic's criticism was invalid because they "can't ball." "I'd appreciate y'all criticism more but y'all can't do stuck to being a fan," Taylor wrote, then quickly deleted. While that defense is absurd, it hard to imagine being in his shoes in one aspect. He has hundreds of people constantly criticizing his every move online, most behind the guise of anonymity. It's hard to fault him for lashing out, no matter how illogical the response is.
For the Jayhawks to have any shot at a national championship, they need to get six consecutive games out of good Tyshawn. The fact that it seems like a real possibility that the twice-suspended senior guard could string those games together is a credit to just how far he has come.
It is also a testament to coach Bill Self, who seems to have the patience of Job.
Edited by Max Rothman
HARD ROAD AHEAD
CHRIS BRONSON /KANSAN
Jayhawks begin tough four-game slate
Junior center Jeff Withey slams home a dunk during the second half of Kansas' game against Baylor at Allen Fieldhouse where Withey contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds in the 92-74 victory. Tyshawn Tavlor assisted on the play.
MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
It starts north at Iowa State, where the "Hilton Magic" may be resurrected. Then at Missouri for possibly the final game in Columbia between the Jayhawks and the Tigers, the supreme rivals of the midwest. Then south at revenge-seeking Baylor, a national title contender with a sour taste in its mouth from two recent losses. Finally finishing not even 90 miles west at Kansas State for round two of the Sunflower Showdown. These are No. 5 Kansas' next four road games.
"I don't think there's any question this is the toughest stretch of our season," coach Bill Self said. "Starting out right now."
On Saturday,
1 p.m. at the Hilton
Coliseum in
Ames, Iowa, the
lavahwicks will
possessions he spends on White will depend on how he fares. If it leads to a rebounding deficit, like the previous game when the Cyclones won the battle of the boards 49 to 41, Self will use a rotation of Withey and possibly junior forward Thomas Robinson, junior forward Kevin Young and sophomore forward Justin Wesley.
"I don't think there's any question this is the toughest stretch of our season."
"We've got to do a better job of getting in there and cleaning stuff up," Self said of rebounding.
face Cyclones' star sophomore forward Royce White. Here's a player who logged a doubledouble by halftime and finished with 18 points and 17 rebounds in a narrow loss at Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 14.
White dribbles, passes and moves like a point guard, but at 6-foot-8,270 pounds, packs the punch of a center.
"I thought he controlled the game," Self said of White's performance. "Without question."
If the Cyclones keep the score close, the Jayhawks could face the "Hilton Magic," a moniker for the intensity of the fans
Junior center Jeff Withey will be tasked with guarding White. The exact number of
BILL SELF Coach
in Hilton Coliseum.
Senior guard Conner Teahan said that the attendance doesn't affect the volume of the building.
"Just a couple of buckets or
one run can really bring them right back in the game and definitely bring their fans back in the game," Teahan said.
Withey's length and athleticism may be Kansas' best way to halt White, the ruckus of the coliseum and its most difficult portion of the schedule.
"He keys our success about as much as anybody," Self said of Withey. "He makes it awful hard to score on us when he's blocking and altering like he is right now."
—Edited by Nadia Imafidon
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Kansas faces Griner and nation's top squad
RYAN MCCARTHY
rmmarthy@kansan.com
If you haven't seen Brittney Griner yet, you're missing out.
The 6-foot-8 center from Baylor continues to dominate women's college basketball as she's midway through her junior year season.
It's not just because of her height. It's not just her ability to dunk, a rarity in women's basketball.
It's her incredible reach on defense that has opponent's game planning around her.
"She's ridiculously talented of intensively," said Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson. "I'm not trying to discredit her on that end, but
lyn Davis, who will be matched up with Griner for almost the entire game.
"You have to steal possessions and not give them extra possessions."
Both Davis and Griner are natives of Houston, so dealing with Griner on the court is nothing new.
"The fact that she can alter so many without coming really far outside the paint," Davis said. "The defensive pressure she has and the presence in the paint makes everyone not want to go for those shots that you usually want to take."
This weekend, the Kansas women's basketball team will have the daunting task of defending Griner and the No. 1 Lady Bears (19-0, 6-0 Big 12) on Saturday at 7 p.m. in Waco, Texas.
she is more impactful on the defensive end."
With a wingspan of over seven feet, three inches, Griner consumes any basketball that comes inside the paint. She leads the NCAA with 5.3 blocked shots per game.
Over the past five years, Davis competed against Griner; she has
Bonnie Henrickson COACH
The layhawks (16-3, 5-2 Big 12) must rely on their own post player, 6-foot-3 junior forward Caro-
"Just the way she can run the floor," Davis said. "You would think of someone with that stature of 6'8" wouldn't be
able to run, but she can run the floor just as well as any other big. I think her ability to adapt to the women's game as much as she has and her ability to grow as a player, she's changed a lot since her freshman year."
seen vast improvements in her game.
The defensive end is not the only place where Griner makes an impact, he also does an excellent job of making open shots. Currently, she is eighth in the country averaging 22.7 points per game.
"She can shoot over you with her length," Davis said. "You can double-team her, you can triple-team her, but sometimes she'll
make those shots. It just one of those things where you have to respect a certain player will make those shots."
What's overlooked about Griner is her court vision. She looks for the open player more often than not, which makes her a more dangerous player.
"It would be different if she was selfish," Henrickson said. "It would be different if she wasn't a good passer, but if you put those two things together on top of how talented she is, she's like a really, really good point guard. She can get everyone else involved."
One of the other players in charge of double — and sometimes triple — teaming Griner will be 6-foot-2 senior forward Aishah Sutherland. Like Davis, Sutherland understands Griner is a special player who needs close attention.
"I've seen that's she's gotten stronger," Sutherland said. "She's able to run the floor better than she did when she first came to the Big 12."
Regardless of how demanding this game will be for Kansas, the team has to play an almost perfect game to get by Griner and the Bears.
"You have to steal possessions and not give them extra possessions," Henrickson said. "Griner doesn't miss a lot of shots but when she does, we have to make sure we defensive rebound."
- Edited by Ian Cummings
—Edited by Ian Cummings
CHRIS BRONSON/KANSAN
Sophomore forward Carolyn Davis tries to block a shot on Baylor's Brittney Griner in the first half of last year's Big 12 Championship at Municipal Auditorium. Griner is averaging 5.3 blocks and 22.7 points per game this season. Kansas travels to Baylor for Saturday's game.