NSAN
2009
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2009
KU 60, UD 43
7B
BALLREWIND
the clock. Aldrich finished with 13 points, 20 boards and 10 blocks for Kansas' first ever triple- double
Weston White/KANSAN
reciated.
Collins on fast
known
n't keep
of his
o ensure
ed after
1:20 left on
freshmanaid. "He
It worked to perfection. The Flyers shot 22 percent from the field - making only 16 of 72 shots
led the Kansas
used a combination of its standard man-to-man defense and a triangle-and-two zone to keep Dayton off balance offensively.
— which was the best Kansas has held an opponent to all season. The Jayhawk defense helped make a relatively stale offensive day — Kansas went 3-for-16 from the three-point range and 11-for-22 from the free-throw line —
Self prefers to win with defense, anyway.
"These are the games I've always loved," Self said.
Because of the sloppiness, the Flyers were able to stay in the game for most of the afternoon. Kansas didn't lead by double digits until just more than 12 minutes remained when Collins penetrated the lane for a lawup.
Aldrich added a layup a couple minutes later to give the Jayhawks
irrelevant.
Dayton forward Chris Wright attempted a flatter in the lane, but Aldrich swatted it for his 10th block of the day. He had officially reached a triple-double.
a 42-30 lead. It wasn't until six minutes remained, however, that it became clear the Flyers were done.
Aldrich, however, didn't find out until the end of the game when senior center Matt Kleinmann checked in for him. The Kansas fans began chanting
"I think you got it," they said.
"triple-double" and a few of Aldrich's teammates came up to him.
Got what? Aldren asked.
"A triple-double" they said.
"Really? That's pretty sweet," Aldrich said.
It was an appropriate response for the player most responsible for sending the Jayhawks to the Sweet Sixteen.
Edited by Jesse Trimble
against Da
.
wyton. Little shot three--of-four with one three for
Weston White/KANSAN
Weston White/KANSAN
**Freshman forward Markieff Morris** snags a loose ball to maintain possession Sunday afternoon during Kansas' 60-43 victory against the Dayton Flyers. Morris pulled in five boards with just two points.
VIEW FROM PRESS ROW
Cole Aldrich got his 10th block of the day when Chris Wright went up from about five feet away from the basket. The Jayhawks had just taken a 13-point lead at 49-36 off of a Sherron Collins free throw with six minutes remaining and the Flyers were desperate. They needed something good to happen immediately to prove they could stay in the game. Aldrich didn't let it. He tortured Wright below the basket all day and that play was no exception.
IT WAS OVER WHEN ...
GAME TO REMEMBER ...
Sophomore center Cole Aldrich
Aldrich
Aldrich said he wanted to leave his hometown with a smile on his face. He got a little more than that. He put smiles on everyone's faces. His teammates. His parents. His grandparents. Self said he didn't know how Aldrich would handle returning home to play in the NCAA Tournament before the week began. The final verdict? Perfectly, in Self's words.
GAME TO FORGET ...
Freshman guard Tyshawn Taylor
Taylor
Because Aldrich and Collins both had career days, Taylor's off-day was easily overlooked. That probably won't be the case with the rest of the tournament. As the level of competition increases so must Taylor's contributions to the Jayhawks. Against Dayton, he had three points on 1-for-5 shooting and six turnovers. He looked out of control and routinely made foolish passes. Taylor has been inconsistent all year. Most freshmen tend to be. But it's time for it to come to an end.
STAT OF THE NIGHT ...
16-for-72. That's what Dayton shot from the field. Pretty bad.
PRIME PLAYS
FIRST HALF
Case Keefer
0:53 — Aldrich finally made a layup and free throw after going scoreless for more than 16 minutes. He finished the first half with nine points, 11 rebounds and four blocks.
10:45 — Dayton forward Chris Wright's nickname is Superman. He probably can't leap tall buildings, but Wright does have the hops to stare at the rim. He flashed that skill midway through the first half as Cole Aldrich could only look up and stare.
5:08 — Dayton's Marcus Johnson dove into CBS' Gus Johnson to save a loose ball. The play eventually led to a Wright tip-in that pulled the Flyers within 23-21.
2:30 — Kansas' never-ending possession — the Jayhawks grabbed four offensive rebounds in a row — ended strangely. With Cole Aldrich at the free-throw line, a Dayton band member stood up and waved two trombones while his band-mates yelled "Two Trombones." Affected or not, Aldrich missed both free throws.
Tavlor Bern
GAME NOTES
COLLINS, ALDRICH ADDRESS FUTURES
With the NCAA tournament comes increased national media attention.
SECOND HALF
1:20 — Conner Teahan and Matt Kleimann subbed in for Collins and Aldrich. On Sunday they combined for 38 points and 27 rebounds. Kansas' two-headed monster is the main reason coach Bill Self is heading to his third-straight Sweet Sixteen.
With increased national media attention comes increased questions about the NBA for Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins. Aldrich and Collins, however, have answered the questions the same as they have all season.
4:48 Collins dribbled around the baseline and lofted a turnaround jumper. Collins rarely smiled on Sunday, but the ease of what should have been a difficult shot brought a grin to his face.
"I haven't thought about leaving," Collins said. "As of right now, I'm staying."
"I haven't though about it at all," Aldrich said. "The one thing I'm trying to do is get better as a player."
14:00 — This was the beginning of the end for Dayton. Sherron Collins banked a turnaround jumper just inside the three-point line to beat the shot clock and put Kansas up 35-28.
5:43 — Aldrich stuffed Chris Wright to make Kansas history. With his 10th block, Aldrich became the first player in school history to record a triple-double.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford currently lists Aldrich as the 16th top prospect in the draft and a lottery pick. Ford ranks Collins as the 47th best prospect and a late first to early second round selection.
APPLETON RETURNS
1.
Junior guard Tyrone Appleton missed Saturday's practice to return home to Gary, Ind., to attend a funeral of one his best friends, who was shot and killed earlier in
Appleton, however, got back to Minneapolis late Saturday night to play in the game against Dayton. He got in for one minute at the end of the game and scored one point on a free throw.
the week.
"I've been all right," Appleton said. "It's a totally opposite emotion — go home to bury my close friend and then come back to a game. But I've had my teammates around here to tell me it's all right."
FUTURE OPPONENTS
If Kansas wants to reach the Final Four, it could potentially have to avenge two defeats from earlier in the season.
Kansas lost to Michigan State, who it will face Friday in Indianapolis, 75-62 on Jan. 10 in East Lansing, Mich. Another non conference loss came at Arizona, where the Wildcats beat the Jayhaws 84-67 on Dec. 23.
The winner of the Arizona versus Louisville game will face the winner of Kansas versus Michigan State game in the Elite Eight.
Case Keefer