PAGE 6
TUESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2012
THE UNIVERSIT
Kansas 28 | 36----64
ATM Texas A&M 30 | 24----54
JAYHAWK STAT LEADERS
Points
Robinson
18
Rebounds
Robinson
Assists
KANSAS
10
4
Releford
Player Pts FG-FGA 3FG-3FGA Rebs A TO's
T. Robinson 18 4-10 0-0 10 1 5
J. Withey 10 2-5 0-0 4 0 1
T. Taylor 17 6-9 3-6 1 2 2
E. Johnson 4 1-7 0-6 2 1 2
T. Releford 8 4-8 0-3 5 4 0
N. Tharpe 0 0-0 0-0 0 0 1
C. Teahan 5 2-7 1-5 3 0 1
J. Wesley 0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
K. Young 2 1-1 0-0 1 0 0
Totals 64 20-47 4-20 30 8 12
KANSAS 64.
TEXAS A&M
Player Pts FG-FGA 3FG-3FGA Rebs A TO's
D. Loubeau 15 7-18 0-0 7 0 3
K. Davis 2 1-1 0-0 0 0 1
N. Hibbert 3 1-3 1-1 0 0 3
D. Harris 4 2-4 0-1 8 7 2
E. Turner 24 7-18 4-8 6 4 3
J. Green 0 0-0 0-0 0 0 1
D. Alexander 6 2-3 2-2 1 1 2
Z. Kinsley 0 0-1 0-0 1 0 1
R. Turner 0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 54 20-48 7-12 27 12 16
GAME TO REMEMBER
Tyshawn Taylor, senior gaurd
Game after game, Taylor keeps proving that he's a changed player. Against the Aggies, he was the only offensive spark when his teammates were drained of energy and ineffective. He scored an efficient 17 points, hitting six of his nine shots, swiped 3 steals and surrendered only two turnovers. He only played 28 minutes because he committed four fouls, but it was nonetheless a fine game for a steadily improving leader.
GAME TO FORGET
Taylor
Eliiah Johnson; junior gaurd
Johnson's been in this spot before and it's usually for the same reason; he's either thinking too much or not thinking at all. On Monday night, he missed all six of his three-point shots, quite possibly because his mind was muddled with the previous shot. When he wasn't thinking, he was disrupting offensive sets that Self designed for a reason. This is Johnson's first bad game since his three-game Hawaiian hangover, so give him a mulligan for now.
QUOTE OF THE GAME
Johnson
"We're just shooting the ball so bad. Good gosh."
— coach Bill Self
Self
KEY STATS
This was the Jayhawks' free throw rate on Monday, which bailed them out of what Self called a miserable shoot night.
20-23
4-20 Kansas couldn't find a rhythm from the three-point line, shooting this subpar rate from deep.
The number of blocks by Withey, who continues to disrupt opposing of- fenses with his size and force.
- Kansas trailed 30-28 at the half, just the second time this season it has occurred at home.
NOTES
- The 30 rebounds by Kansas were the fewest all season, going back to March 2 of last season against Texas A&M.
- Thomas Robinson's four blocks tied a career high.
- leff Withev's 3.3 blocks per game lead the Big 12
MEN'S BASKET
Withey stands tall against Aggie guards
KORY CARPENTER
kcarpenter@kansan.com
A possession in the second half of Monday night's 64-54 Kansas win over Texas A&M summed up Jeff Withey's defensive potential in a Jayhawk uniform. It wasn't one of his eight blocks, however. An Aggie guard drove the line, pump-faked, then stopped. He was face-to-face with the 7-foot junior center just a few minutes after having a shot swatted away. He wasn't going to let that happen again, and for Withey and the rest of his teammates, that was just fine. The shot was forced up without much confidence and Withey quickly grabbed the rebound.
"Just him being a presence in there makes guys change their shots and think twice about coming in there," senior guard Tyshawn Taylor said. "Him being a presence makes us better defensively. Our guards feel like we can pressure the ball a little bit more because we have help back there who can contest the rim."
Withey's eight blocks were his second most of the season, just one shy of his nine-block performance against Long Beach State in December. Much like teammates Thomas Robinson and Elijah Johnson, Withey's first half performance was just okay, but not up to coach Bill Self's expectations.
Bill Self was far from pleased with his team after the 10-point win, as said Withey's defensive performer helped carry the load when the tear struggled.
"He expects a lot of us and a lot out of me, and a lot of times I come
He did just that in the second half, blocking five more shots and committing zero turnovers while nearly collecting a double-double the hard way with blocks instead of rebounds.
out pretty slow" Withey said. "I just need to get my energy up and get in the flow of the game quicker."
The Kansas guards harassed their Texas A&M counterparts nearly the entire game, and if you listen to Taylor, Withey's presence was a big part of that style. Everyday entry passes were suddenly a chore, and if A&M got by the pressure, they had Robinson and Withey to deal with.
rree throw line," Texas A&M coat Billy Kennedy said. "Kansas is ven aggressive and very good defensively."
We were trying to get to the free throw line, but with their length and their size we weren't able to get to the
"It did a lot tonight because w obviously didn't play very well." He said. "He did a great job of altern and blocking."
"I said before the season I though he had a chance to lead our league shot blocking, and he's obviously a pace to do that."
Edited by Christine Cur
Junior forward Thomas Robinson blocks a shot by Texas A&M's senior guard Zach Kinsley during the second half of Monday night's win at Allen Fieldhouse, 64-54.
CHRIS NEAL/KANSA