KANSAN
15, 2009
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY MARCH 5, 2009
TTU84,KU65 5B
ETBALLREWIND
Ryan McGeeney/KANSAN
I was ready to pen a column on how securing the Big 12 title at Texas Tech would have been a wel come development and that these Jayhawks can realistically set their sights on April.
Instead the Final Four band-wagon lost a few members last night. Red Raiders senior guard Alan Voskul's domination from behind the arc — 35 points, 9-of-14 three-point shots — and 33.3 percent field goal shooting by the Jayhawks in response ensured a horrid night for Kansas. Foul trouble for Kansas big men, a peppering of turnovers and no rhythm established by either Aldrich or Collins ensured not only a beat down but a breakdown across the board.
MONTEMAYOR
(CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Any team can have a terrible night when everything goes wrong. Kansas already had two of them — a Dec. 23-84-67 loss at Arizona and a 75-62 defeat at Michigan State. But the timing of this one and who it was against was the real head scratcher.
The attitude preceding this game was equally disappointing. Collins told reporters before the game, "it's a great feeling to clinch on the road. You do it on the road, you get to celebrate in somebody else's locker room."
That bulletin-board material and Senior Night for Voskuil equaled the best show by a Texas Tech team that entered the game 12-17 and 2-12 in the Big 12.
Kansas' effort in response lacked fire, motivation and, well just about anything positive.
That said, this team is as capable as any to pick up the pieces and reestablish themselves. After all, coach Bill Self's candidacy for National Coach of the Year didn't die in one night. A fiery rebound from last night's showing and a successful postseason would further highlight the job he's done this year, as this is a rough time of year to be licking wounds.
Edited by Carly Halvorson
owls over a Te
round exit a la 2005 and 2006.
as Tech defender in a drive toward the basket during Wednesday night's game in Lubbock.
RyanMcGeenew/KANSAN
Ryan McGeenev/KANSAN
Jayhawk coach Bill Self watches in silent frustration as Wednesday night's game against Tech Nees丁 down to an 84-65 defeat for the Jayhawks in Lubbock.
UP NEXT
Kansas vs Texas Saturday, 3 p.m. Allen Fieldhouse Lawrence
TV: CBS (5,13)
Follow the game with live commentary at Kansan.com
VIEW FROM PRESS ROW
IT WAS OVER WHEN ...
Texas Tech's Mike Singletary scored over sophomore center Cole Aldrich with four minutes remaining to make the score 68-58. At 6-foot-5, Singletary should not be able to exploit 6-foot-11 Aldrich in the paint. But the points symbolized more than that. A 10-point deficit with four minutes remaining doesn't necessarily mean a game is over, but it did in this case. Everything was going wrong for the Jayhawks and this was one last reminder that it was simply not their night. Singletary finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
GAME TO REMEMBER ...
Texas Tech senior guard Alan Voskuil
The Red Raider seniors said they wanted one last big victory that the fans could rush the court for to end their career. Voskuil's career-night granted them that wish. Voskuil scored a career-high 35 points and went 9-for-14 from three-point range. Kansas tried to guard him in a variety of ways, but it just wouldn't work. Sure enough, the Red Raider faithful rushed the court after the game.
Junior guard Tyrone Appleton
GAME TO FORGET ...
Appleton
Because Appleton didn't even make the trip to Lubbock. Appleton had to watch the Jayhawks struggle from Lawrence. He got sick when he boarded the team bus en route to the airport and a decision was made for him to stay behind. Of course, Appleton might not have even played. He's appeared in seven of Kansas' 13 conference games and usually only when the game is decided and time is expiring. Still, missing a basketball trip because of a stomach illness is never something to remember.
STAT OF THE NIGHT ...
8:2. That was the Jayhawks' turnover-to-assist ratio in the first half. That can usually explain an implosion and finding yourself down by 18 points late in the first half. Texas Tech stifled Kansas offensively and the Jayhawks couldn't control the ball.
FIRST HALF
Case Keefer
PRIME PLAYS
14:07 — Kansas flashed its first sign of life with this alley-oop from Sherron Collins to Marcus Morris. Morris slipped behind the defense for an easy finish.
13:03 — On his senior night,
Texas Tech sharp-shooter Alan
Voskuil torched Kansas. Seven
minutes into the game, Voskuil
hit his fourth three-pointer to
put the Red Raiders up 21-10 and
force a timeout. Voskuil finished
the first half with 16 points.
0:08 — Kansas' incredible string of first-half buzzer beaters came to an end with Collins' bricked three-pointer.
0:00 — Relegated to the bench because of foul trouble, Cole Aldrich finished the first half with no field goals or rebounds for the second time in Big 12 play. Aldrich was 4-of-4 at the free throw line, but he played just nine minutes after racking up his second foul with eight minutes to play.
SECOND HALF
3:06 — This Voskul three-pointer increased Tech's lead to 12 and Kansas never crept back into single digits. Voskul hit 10-of-16 beyond the arc en route to a career-high 35 points.
4:03 — Rarely do two players foul-out on separate plays with the exact same time on the clock, but that's exactly what happened. Marcus Morris went to the bench after grabbing Texas Tech's Mike Singletary. Then, Tech's Robert Lewandowski pushed Cole Aldrich following Singletary's second free throw to earn himself a fifth foul.
7:43 — After getting whistled for an over-the-back call, Marcus Morris said something that triggered referee Rick Hartzell to slap him with a technical foul. Morris and coach Bill Self were both whistled for second-half technicals.
BIG 12
Taylor Bern
13:26 — Kansas came out of halftime on fire, but consecutive Voskuil three-pointers buoyed Tech as the Red Raiders led wire-to-wire.
GAME NOTES
THREE JAYHAWKS
NAMED ACADEMIC ALL
BIG 13
Senior center Matt Kleinmann, sophomore guard Tyrel Reed and sophomore center Cole Aldrich all received recognition Wednesday. And it had nothing to do with basketball.
The Big 12 Conference named Kleinmann, an architecture major, and Reed, an exercise science major, to the Academic All Big 12 First Team. Aldrich, a communications studies major, made the second team.
To make the first team, an athlete must compile at least a 3.2 grade point average. The cut-off for second team selection is a 3.0 GPA.
SENIOR NIGHT
MASSACRE
Yes, that's an accurate description of Wednesday night's game. But it's also exactly what happened last year when the layhawks and the Red Raiders met in Lawrence on Kansas' senior night.
Kansas walloped Texas Tech 109-51 last season on its senior night. A year later, it's still being talked about. Kansas coach Bill Self
reminisced on the game earlier this week.
"Everybody played well and they couldn't do anything right," Self said. "It was one of those deals where it couldn't go worse for them and couldn't go better for us."
Kansas recognized seniors Russell Robinson, Darnell Jackson, Sasha Kaun, Rodrick Stewart and Jeremy Case that night.
It was Texas Tech's senior night Wednesday and it honored seniors Rogdrick Craig, Alan Voskui, Michael Prince, Esmir Rizvic and Damir Suljagic in a ceremony before the game.
KANSAS CONNECTION
Texas Tech freshman forward Robert Lewandowski is a bit more familiar with the Jayhawks than his teammates.
A year ago, Lewandowski was in high school at Blue Valley West in Overland Park. After not receiving recruiting interest from schools in the area, Lewandowski wound up at Texas Tech.
He started his 18th game Monday and fouled out without scoring any points.
Case Keefe