+
KANSAS TIPOFF
+
BEN CARROLL
@BCarrollH91
AT A GLANCE
BASKETBALL GAMEDAY
KANSAS VS. UTAH
DEC. 13, 2:15 P.M., KANSAS CITY, MO.
Kansas didn't have the prettiest game against Georgetown on Wednesday, but it was good enough to pull out the win. After defeating the Hoyas 75-70, the Jayhawks are on a six-game winning streak and heading into the Utah game with a lot of confidence. In the midst of a tough stretch against multiple NCAA Tournament-caliber teams, Kansas should be battle-tested heading into a clash with No. 13 Utah.
What's going on with rotation?
Freshman Kelly Oubre Jr. and sophomore Brannen Greene received increased minutes against Georgetown, suggesting the Kansas rotation is far from being solidified. Sviatosvlad Mykhailiuk, who has started multiple games, played only five minutes with one field goal attempt on Wednesday. Oubre, Greene and Mykhailiuk seem to be battling for playing time.
One of the most inconsistent players for Kansas this season, Greene exploded for a team-high 19 points on 5-for-6 shooting. He made all five of his 3-point attempts and all four of his free throws. With Kansas trailing, Greene made three 3-pointers in a three-minute span to help the Jayhawks regain the lead in the second half.
QUESTION MARK
PLAYER TO WATCH
Brannen Greene guard
59 3-point field goal percentage.
BY THE NUMBERS
26
Brannen Greene misses from 3-point range (5 attempts) and free throw line (4 attempts).
Kansas can find ways to stop Utah's offense from taking control of the game. With Utah averaging 80.6 points per game and Kansas only scoring more points than that just two times this season, the Jayhawks will need to defend the Utes better than what other teams have this season to leave the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., with a win.
Kansas defense held Georgetown guard D'Vauletes Smith-Rivera to 20-percent shooting, 26 percentage points below his season average.
BABY JAY WILL CHEER IF
No.10 KANSAS (7-1, Big 12)
PROJECTED STARTERS
Wayne Selden Jr., sophomore, guard
Selden is one of three Jayhawks, playing major minutes, at least 25 per game. In the first seven games, Selden has scored at least nine points in five of them. In games in which he doesn't score many points, he finds other means of contributing — for example, his nine assists against Rider.
No.13 UTAH (5-2, Big East)
Mason is another major provider for the layhawks this season. He, too, averages major minutes (31.6), which is nearly double what he played last year. He is an 87 percent free-throw shooter and a 50 percent 3-point shooter (7-14).
Frank Mason III, sophomore, guard
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, freshman, guard
Svi is budding into a key addition to this year's Kansas team. He set career highs in minutes played (32) and points scored (11) against Michigan State. He snags 2.7 rebounds a game and shoots just under 30 percent from 3-point land.
Perry Ellis, junior, forward
Ellis is the third jayhawk averaging major minutes (28.3) and leads all other jayhawks in points per game (14.6) and rebounds (6.7). Ellis has four of Kansas' 16 dunks this year.
Landen Lucas, sophomore, forward
Lenton Lucas, Signatories to the
Lucas averages 10.7 minutes per game, but he works hard for his playing time and makes the most out of every play. Against Michigan State, he only played eight minutes but scored six points, which put him on pace for a 30-point game if he played the entire 40 minutes. In just nine minutes against Florida, Lucas seized six rebounds.
★★★☆☆
PROJECTED STARTERS
Brandon Taylor, junior, guard
Taylor was one of three starters to score in double-digit figures against Wichita State, scoring a game-high 17 points. He averages 11.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
Delon Wright, senior, guard
Wright is in many 2015 NBA mock drafts and he should be. He averages major minutes every game (31.1), while scoring 15 points on 75 percent, 4.7 rebounds and 5.1 assists. He also has eight blocks in seven games and shoots 47 percent from 3-point range.
Kenneth Ogbe, sophomore, guard
Kentem Goble, sophomore, guard
Ogbe is from Germany and stands at 6-foot-6. He scores 7.1 points and pulls down 2.7 rebounds per contest. His best game of the season came against Alabama State. He shot 50 percent from the field and from behind the 3-point line while scoring a season-high 19 points.
line while scoring a season-high 19 points.
Jakob Poeltl, freshman, forward
Poettl is only a freshman, but he is already a main part to this Utah team. He averages 12 points and 9.6 rebounds. He is 7 feet tall, a player the Jahywhas are missing this year on the roster. He is Utah's best rebounder, grabbing at least 10 boards in five of Utah's first seven games. He also blocks three shots a game. He will be a key player Saturday.
Chris Reyes, sophomore, forward
Reyes is not much of a scorer and averages more rebounds per game. He averages 4,7 points and 4,9 rebounds. His best game came against No.16 San Diego State when he scored eight points and nine rebounds.
UTAH TIPOFF
BEN CARROLL
@BCarroll91
AT A GLANCE
The Utah Utes moved way up the polls this week and now sits at No. 13 in the AP, just three spots behind Kansas. Just like the Jayhawks, the Utes have played two other top-25 teams, winning one and losing the other. They lost by a slim margin of four points on the road against San Diego State, but overcame Wichita State by one point in overtime last Wednesday.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Dakarai Tucker,
guard
The junior guard has flares of bright spots in the early season. He missed the first four games for the Utes due to injury, but has been a big-time scorer since coming back, netting 31 points in three games. He came off the bench against Wichita State and dropped a season-best 13 points, while adding four rebounds.
QUESTION MARK
Will the offense slow down against 10th-ranked Kansas?
As mentioned before, Utah has played two top-25 teams and its offense has dwindled drastically in those two games. When not playing a ranked team, the Utes score an average of 89.2 points, while scoring 59 points when matching up against ranked teams.
BY THE NUMBERS
The average number of points Utah scores per game this season. That number is ranked No. 22 nationally.
80.6
524
Utah's field-goal percentage. It is good for eighth overall.
3
The number of times Utah has scored at least 90 points in a game this season
BABY JAY WILL CRY IF
Utah's Jakob Poelti finds a way to be productive. The freshman averages almost a double-double a game, with marks of 15 points and 9.6 rebounds per game. He shoots an impressive 74 percent and has three double-doubles on the year. He scored 24 points on a perfect shooting day (10-10) and grabbed 12 rebounds against North Dakota.
STEAL THIS DEAL!
Prediction: Kansas 80 Utah 67
$65.99
$39.99
50" x 60"
Blanket
IN STORE AND ONLINE
VALID THRU
12/24/14
KUBOOKSTORE.COM
+