KANSAN
0.2009
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2009
KU 62, MSU 67
7B
BALLREWIND
Weston White/KANSAN
State. Reed came off the bench to shoot 1-2 from the field with one clutch three to give the Javhawks a 56-53 lead with 5 minutes left
Weston White/KANSAN
on White/KANSAN
:k. Kansas failed
Sophomore guard Brady Morningstar skies for his second dunk of the first half Friday. Morningstar stole the ball from the Spartans' Korie Lucious and his slam gave the Jawhacks a 10-point advantage.
MEN'S (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
"Basketball this time of year comes down to one or two possessions," Self said. "And that's certainly what happened tonight."
forced the Spartans into desperation.
Michigan State won those possessions. The Spartans recovered from their five-point deficit and tied the game at 60 in less than two minutes after point guard Kalin Lucas drove the lane to free Raymar Morgan for a dunk.
Collins raced to the basket on the other end, but got careless with the ball and lost it when attempting a pass to Aldrich. Turnovers plugged the Jayhaws all night. Collins had six of Kansas' 19.
Taylor said the biggest thing was that Kansas just couldn't get a stop with the game on the line. Michigan State's possession after Collins' turnover was the best example.
Lucas, who finished with 18 points and seven assists, blew past Collins and rose for a 10-foot jump shot. Collins fouled him and the shot still swished. After the three-point play, Michigan State led 63-60.
"The biggest thing," Self said, "was we turned the ball over."
After Collins' two uncharacteristic gaffes, he still received a final shot at redemption: a free throw.
"I got an 'and-one' called on me," Collins said shaking his head. "It was a big play."
With 19 seconds remaining and Kansas trailing 65-62, Collins got to the line for a one-and-one, Collins, who earlier in the season set the Kansas record by making 35 straight free throws, shorted the first attempt and Michigan State corralled the rebound. The Spartans had knocked off the defending national champions.
"I think we were relying too much on Sherron to make plays for us," Taylor said.
That was the story all year,
Most of the time, it worked.
Friday night, it failed.
Edited by Sonya English
VIEW FROM PRESS ROW
IT WAS OVERWHEN ...
Junior guard Sherron Collins missed the front end of a one-and-one with 19 seconds remaining. The free-throw attempt hit off the front of the rim and Michigan State's Travis Walton got the rebound. Kansas trailed 65-62 when Collins got to the line after being fouled by Walton. A comeback looked improbable at that point, but not impossible. After Collins' missed free throw, a victory did become impossible. Collins said everything about the free throw felt right when he released it, it just didn't go in.
GAME TO REMEMBER...
Senior center Goran Suton
To be honest, no Kansas player is going to want to remember this defeat. But, depending on how Michigan State's NCAA Tournament runs, this was Suton's finest hour. He aggravated Cole Aldrich in the low post and recorded nine rebounds, five steals and a block. Offensively, Suton was even better. He routinely hit outside shots thought to be out of range for most big men and recorded 20 points. He went 8-for-16 from the field and 1-for-3 from three-point range.
Suton
GAME TO FORGET ...
Sophomore guard Tyrel Reed
Reed fouled out in 21 minutes of play, but that wasn't his only offense. He had three points and passed up a number of open looks. He finished 1-for-2 from the floor. Defensively, he also looked helpless — letting his man penetrate without much resistance. It's too bad this distinction can go to only one player, but everyone not named Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich probably deserved it. The role players didn't, well, play their roles.
Reed
STAT OF THE NIGHT ...
11:19. That's the Jayhawks' assist-to-turnover ratio. It's simply not good enough to win an NCAA tournament game.
Case Keefer
FIRST HALF
PRIME PLAYS
12:28 — A defensive specialist, Brady Morningstar isn't known for his dunks. In fact, Friday's breakaway slam may have been his first successful dunk of the season.
6:00 Lightning strikes again as Morningstar makes his second steal and finishes his second breakaway with another slam. Morningstar had six points at halftime but missed all three of his second-half shots.
0:00 — After originally waving it off, the referees looked at Goran Suton's last-second jump shot and ruled that he beat the clock. Suton's buzzer-beater gave him 13 first-half points and pulled Michigan State within seven.
3:27 — Cole Aldrich's dunk put Kansas up 13, its largest lead of the game. Aldrich finished the first half with 10 points, eight rebounds, four assists and two blocks.
0:19 — A questionable foul sent Collins to the line, where the 80 percent free-throw shooter missed the front end of a one-and-one. It was just Kansas' second missed free throw of the game.
LOCKER ROOM SCENE
0:14 — Cole Aldrich couldn't corral Collins' missed free throw, which forced Tyrel Reed to foul Lucas — Michigan State's best free throw shooter. Lucas drilled both to propel his team into the Elite Eight while ending Kansas' season.
SECONDHALF
— Taylor Bern
GAME NOTES
0:48 — in a play that involved eachteam's star, Kalin Lucas pump-faked Sherron Collins to drawa foul while hitting the jumper. Lucas added the free throw to move ahead 63-60.
It's the most emotional setting in sports — the loser's locker room in an elimination game.
2:07 — After missing a free throw, Durrell Summers saved the looseball from going out of bounds and Spartan coach Tom Izzo called a timeout. On the next play Michigan State scored to tie the game at 60-60.
Kansas' was no exception. Sophomore guard Brady Morningns star bawled. Sophomore center Cole Aldrich sobbed.Most of the other Jayhawks stared straight down at the floor.
There was certainly no lack of emotional comments to match the mood.
"We all didn't want it to end." Aldrich said. "We've got 16 brothers on our team. I would not trade any of them."
Collins' frustration showed in a couple of puzzling comments.
"feel like, right now, if we play this game again," Collins said, "we win by 20 or something."
"I didn't want it to end this way," Collins said. "I would have rather gotten blown out than lose in a close game."
A hot topic of conversation in the locker room was whether the
COLLINS, ALDRICH
TALK ABOUT LOOMING
DECISION
defeat to Michigan State would be Sherron Collins and Cole Alrich's last game as Jayhawks.
Both have the opportunity to declare for the NBA Draft. Although neither gave a definitive answer on their future, Collins was a little clearer.
"Right now', Collins said, "I'm coming back."
Collins said the only way he couldvisionhimself leaving was ifKansas coach Bill Self does research and determineshis draft stockwas the highest it could get.
Aldrich laid out no specific plan.
He kept his responses to NBA
Draft questions vague.
"I'm not worried about that right now," Aldich said. "it's going to take me a good while to get over this one, because this one really hurts."
Collins and Aldrich have a while to decide as the deadline for early entry applicants to the NBA Draft is not until April 26th.
Case Keefer