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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY MARCH 6 2009
COUNTDOWN TO TIPOFF
KU
TIPOFF
AT A GLANCE
Want good new about Kansas' appalling 84-65 defeat to Texas Tech Wednesday? If the Jayhawks beat the Longhorns Saturday and have a good run through the Big 12 Conference Tournament next week in Oklahoma City, it won't matter. All Kansas has to do is beat a weaker-than-usual Texas squad Sunday to be alone at the top of the Big 12 standings. If they win the tournament Kansas could still conceivably be a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Beat Texas and the worst-case scenario looks to be a No. 4 seed. Kansas can also use the loss as a catalyst to re-focus itself.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Freshman forward Marcus Morris
Marcus is probably the only Jayhawk who played well in Lubbock, Texas Wednesday. He recorded 11 points, eight rebounds and a steal.
He looked to be in a rhythm — grabbing offensive rebounds and putting them back up — before he got a technical foul in the middle of the second half that soiled
an otherwise steady performance. Marcus always talks about playing aggressively. He finally seems to be doing it His physicality below the basket is at an all-time high and he understands that his primary objective is to battle for rebounds.
Who the heck was that team that played Texas Tech and will they show up again?
QUESTION MARK
Kansas' performance at United Spirit Arena was so bad it's impossible to know where to start. It shot 33 percent for the game, Sherron Collins missed 16 shots and Cole Aldrich grabbed a season-low three rebounds. If that team shows up in Allen Fieldhouse the game against Texas will be as one-sided as a cage match between a python and a rabbit. But Kansas usually reserves its stinker performances for road games. It has won 40 in a row at home, the nation's longest winning streak, and hasn't had a legitimate scare there all season.
HEAR YE, HEAR YE
"It's pretty remarkable that a team that could perform as poorly as we did tonight was able to be 13-2, I guess, and clinch a tie with a chance to win it outright Saturday."
—Kansas coach Bill Self after the Texas Tech game
"We're a good team that can play great, but there isn't much margin for error. And guys kind of lose it and lose focus. We just didn't have that competitive edge that I think we've played with for the most part, all season."
Kansas coach Bill Self after the Texas Tech game
NO CARE TO SHARE
A Kansas win would guarantee sole ownership of the Big 12 title
KANSAS (24-6,13-2) STARTERS
Collins
Sherron Collins, 5-foot-11 junior guard
Collins can't drop from five stars because he's been too valuable to Kansas this season. Even the most elite players have off-days as Collins did against Texas Tech. Jayhawk fans just need to hope it was the last.
Taylor
Tyshawn Taylor, 6-foot-3 freshman guard
Taylor actually played well in sports of the Texas Tech game. He had three steals — two of which came when Kansas seemed to be mounting a comeback — and 11 points. He's a dangerous player who can break the game open at any moment.
NO. 9 KANSAS VS. TEXAS
3 p.m., ALLEN FIELDHOUSE, Lawrence, CBS
Brady Morningstar, 6-foot-3 sophomore guard
Morningstar
What has happened to Morningstar's status as Kansas' best defender? For the second time in 10 days, he couldn't guard his man against Texas Tech as Alan Voskuil exploded for 35 points.
Morris
He's separated himself from the other power forwards on Kansas roster. Marcus is now the guy Self wants in the game in its pivotal moments. Confidence wise, Marcus could use one more strong performance heading into the Big 12 Tournament.
Marcus Morris, 6-foot-8 freshman forward
★★★☆☆
Aldrich
Cole Aldrich,
6-foot-11
sophomore
center
One game doesn't diminish what Aldrich has meant to the Jawhaws this
year. Now, two or three games might. But don't expect Aldrich to have another eight-point, three-rebound performance the rest of the season.
Tyrel Reed, 6-foot-3 sophomore guard
Abrams
SIXTH MAN
Reed hasn't scored in double figures in 10 games. Out of the
TEXAS (20-9, 9-6) STARTERS
Jayhawk rotation players, he is also the biggest defensive liability. But when his three-point shots are falling, man, he can be good.
A. J. Abrams, 5-foot-11 senior guard Goodlord can Abrams shoot. The problem is he can't create his own shots unless he gets the ball in transition. Kansas will pay special attention to the talented senior, but his quick release will allow him to get shots off either way.
A.J. Abrams, 5-foot-11 senior guard
Balbay
Dogus Balbay, 6-foot-0 sophomore guard
This guy can play. Unlike his backcourt mate, he just can't shoot. It hasn't mattered too much so far in Balbay's seven starts. He drives, he dishes and he finishes around the rim. Six assists against Baylor attest to his abilities.
Justin Mason, 6-foot-2 junior guard Mason is Texas' designated garbage man. Don't let his stature fool you. He will do just about everything from rebounding, solid defense and scoring. He won't be a defensive focus for Bill Self, but Mason can't be ignored.
Mason
Damion James, 6-foot-7 junior forward James is a physical specimen and Texas' second leading scorer at 15.6 points per game and its leading rebounder with 9.5. He fancies himself both post and perimeter threat, and odds are the Morris' will find themselves guarding him.
Reed
James
Dexter Pittman, 6-foot-10 junior center
Brennan Bechard
Pittman is listed at 298 pounds, more than 50 pounds more than the next closest player on the Texas roster. That load doesn't allow him
to play a lot of minutes, but if his treatment of Blake Griffin is any indication,
Cole Aldrich will have his hands full.
Pittman
SIXTH MAN
Gary Johnson, 6-foot-6 sophomore forward Johnson is a similar player to James,
although he
Johnson
n can't have the same perimeter game. Nevertheless, Johnson brings a valuable offensive spark off the bench despite his losing inches to most of the players he matches up with,
UT TIPOFF AT A GLANCE
Texas isn't necessarily on the bubble, but a victory against Kansas would seal a spot in the NCAA tournament. After a fast start to Big 12 play, the Longhorns leveled off, leaving some wondering if they could recover. But once Rick Barnes inserted Turkish point guard Dogus Balbay into the starting lineup things have begun to turn around. Texas has won four of its last six games — the only losses coming on the road against Oklahoma State last week and Texas A&M in mid-February. Those road struggles could come back to haunt them in Allen Fieldhouse.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Senior guard A.J. Abrams
Senior guard A.J. Abrams is arguably the best pure shooter in Big 12 history. If Texas has any chance of knocking off Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse, Abrams is going to have to do his best Alan Voskuil
impression. In all likelihood, the Jayhawks will either face guard Abrams or shade pressure to wherever he is on the court. That's made possible by point guard
Abrams
Dogus Balbay's complete inability to knock down outside shots. Nevertheless, Abrams will run off screen after screen and whoever has the assignment of guarding him will have a long night.
QUESTION MARK
Will the Longhorns' trouble winning on the road follow them to Lawrence?
Texas is 16-4 on home and neutral courts. Its record isn't so good in hostile gyms. The Longhorns are 4-5 on the road and sport black eyes in Stillwater, College Station, Lincoln and Norman during Big 12 play. That isn't even mentioning a narrow overtime victory against Colorado in Boulder. Allen Fieldhouse figures to be the most raucous atmosphere Texas plays in this season, especially considering what is at stake for Kansas. If recent history is any indication, the Longhorns will have trouble handling it.
HEARYE, HEARYE
"I asked them if they wanted to be a 25-win team that got knocked out of the tournament in the first round, or did they want to be a team like us that could get on a roll and get things clicking?"
Texas coach Rick Barnes after defeating Baylor
"I told them at the beginning of the season that we were going to play the kind of schedule that if we do what we need to do, it'll cover us," Barnes said. "You don't need to be listening to these people on the TV. They don't know."
— Texas coach Rick Barnes after defeating Baylor
BIG 12 SCHEDULE
Game
Colorado at Kansas State Texas Tech at Iowa State No.15 Missouri Texas A&M Oklahoma State at No.4 Oklahoma Nebraska at Baylor
Time (CT)
12:30 p.m.
12:30 p.m.
1 p.m.
2:30 p.m.
3 p.m.
Big 12 Network
Big 12 Network
ESPN2
ABC
Big 12 Network
Channel
Case Keefe
ALLEN FIELDHOUSE WILL ROCK IF...
Kansas wins the Big 12 Conference championship outright. Yeah, that just means if they win. A celebration will ensue that only Allen Fieldhouse could host. Players cutting down the nets. A celebratory video. A smiling Bill Self. Look for it all Saturday if Kansas can beat Texas to win the title at home, as it did in 2007.
PHOG ALLEN WILL ROLL OVER IN HIS GRAVE IF...
TOP 25 SCHEDULE
One of the Longhorns has a Kevin Durant-like performance. Durant exploded for 32 points in the 2007 game, which Kansas came back to win 90-86. But that was one of the best college basketball players ever. Texas has no Kevin Durants this year. A.J. Abrams can shoot and Damion James is a versatile force. But if either has a career day, it will be because of defensive inefficiency from the Jayhawks.
PREDICTION KANSAS 90,TEXAS 76
Game
Time (CT) Channel
Name Time (CT) Channel
No. 1 Connecticut at No. 4 Pittsburgh 11 a.m. CBS
Tulane at No. 3 Memphis 12 p.m. CSS
Oklahoma State at No. 5 Oklahoma 2:30 p.m. ABC
No. 6 Louisville at West Virginia 8 p.m. EPSN
No. 11 LSU at Auburn 3 p.m. ESPN 360
No. 12 Missouri at Texas A&M 1 p.m. ESPN2
Washington State at No. 13 Washington 4:30 p.m. CBS
No. 25 Syracuse at No. 15 Marquette 1 p.m. Big East Network
Oregon at No. 17 UCLA 2:30 p.m. ABC
No. 18 Xavier at Richmond 6 p.m. N/A
California at No. 21 Arizona St. 1 p.m. CBS
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