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SPORTS
NL CY YOUNG GOES TO GIANTS' STAR
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tim Lincecum was named the best pitcher in the National League. MLB | 6B
WWW.KANSAN.COM
BREW: ROYALS MAY REGRET DRAFT PICK
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2008
Instead of Tim Lincecum, Kansas City drafted underachiever Luke Hochevar. MORNING BREW | 2B
KANSAS 103, EMPORIA STATE 58
PAGE 1B
PERFECT SWARM
Aldrich, Collins lead offensive onslaught against Hornets
BY CASE KEEFER ckeefer@kansan.com
Maybe being a member of the Big 12 Conference has rubbed off on the Kansas basketball team.
The Big 12 has become known for astronomical offensive statistics this year because of the efficiency of its football teams. But Kansas put together an impressive offensive attack of its own on the basketball court in a 103-58 exhibition victory against Emporia State.
Even Texas Tech quarterback Graham Harrell or Texas quarterback Colt McCoy would envy this one. That the Jayhawks scored the most points they had in an exhibition game in four years only began the list of absurdities.
Junior guard Sherron Collins and sophomore center Cole Aldrich combined for 39 points despite playing only four minutes each in the second half. Kansas scored 56 points in the paint and added 30 on fast breaks. And get this — the Jayhawks shot 80 percent from the field in the first half.
"I didn't know we shot that well," Collins said. "Now, I'm more happy that we did that."
It all started with Aldrich, who recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Kansas focused on getting the ball into the low post from the start.
Aldrich made the first basket on an entry pass from Collins, Freshman forward Quintrell Thomas, who made his first start for Kansas, added an easy two points down low on the next possession.
Aldrich's most important points came midway through the first half. He used a pump fake and a nifty post move to shed a Hornet defender and score, which put the Jayhawks ahead 24-18.
Then, the offense exploded. Kansas went on a 19-1 run over the next six minutes to take control of the game permanently. Aldrich, of course, keyed in the takeover.
He slammed a pair of one-handed jams and swatted two Hornet shots away like they were nagging bumblebees.
"Cole was unbelievable tonight," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "He's not going to make all those shots every game."
Particularly, two of those shots. In case the Allen Fieldhouse crowd failed to realize how potent Aldrich was, he showed off a part of his game no one had seen before.
SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE 4B
Junior guard Sherron Collins drives to the basket during the first half of foursie game against Emporia State at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas defeated Emporia State 103-85, led by Collins' 22 points, including 7-for-9 shooting from the floor and 6-for-1 on the free-throw line.
Joe Goering/KRAMS
Jon Goering/KANSAN
Two who cannot let the whole team down
After Kansas lost six players to professional basketball,including five to the NBA Draft,everyone knew that the scoring load this season would fall on the only two experienced players: Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich.
Collins, a junior guard, averaged 9.3 points a year ago as the sixth man, and Aldrich, a sophomore center, showed signs of stardom in the Final Four when he dominated North Carolina's Tyler Hansbrough. With seven newcomers, everyone knew this team would need big years out of both Collins and Aldrich for this season to be successful.
After two exhibition games, including Tuesday's 103-58 domination of Emporia State, it's pretty apparent that the two are ready for the challenge — and they know it
"It starts with me and Cole" Collins said. "Me and Cole have to be the centerpiece of the puzzle. Once we get going and Cole gets a block or I get a steal or a basket, it just gets everybody going."
The 6-foot-11 Aldrich dominated the inside, scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds while playing only four minutes in the second half. He even hit two deep jumpers just inside the three-point line and showed the confidence and swagger needed to be a major post presence for coach Bill Self and the Jayhawks.
Collins, meanwhile, did just about everything on Tuesday. He hit threes, he drove the lane, he hit pull-up jumpers — the game just seemed easy to him. Collins, who had the big steal and three-pointer that fueled the comebreak against Memphis, scored 22 points for the second consecutive game and appears ready to handle the task of mentoring five freshmen and two junior college transfers.
"He's not going to make all of his shots," Self said. "But I think he's doing a pretty good job of leading a bunch of guys."
SEE RAINS ON PAGE 5B
FOOTBALL
Struggling defense still looking for answers
Poor tackling cited as main reason for Jayhawks' problems on defensive side of the ball
Junior safety Darrrell Stuckey attempts to tackle Nebraska running back Roy Heal Jr. during the Jayhawk 45-35 loss in Lincoln. Kansas has been experiencing troubles with poor tackling by the defense this season.
BY B.J. RAINS
rains@kansan.com
Weston White/KANSAI
Trying to pinpoint the reason for the surprisingly poor Kansas defense this year would be like trying to tie a shoe with one hand - it's tough.
The pass rush has been poor. The secondary has struggled and has made personnel changes. The pass defense has had some of the worst statistical performances in the history of the school. Each game, it's been something different.
Lately, a fourth factor, poor tackling, has doomed the KU defense. In each of the Jayhawks' three Big 12 losses — at Oklahoma, against Texas Tech, and at Nebraska — poor tackling has been a theme of the postgame press conferences. It was most noticeable on Saturday, as Nebraska was able to break several tackles to turn short gains into big plays.
"We're just not a good tackling football team right now," coach Mark Mangino said. "We're having trouble getting people on the ground on the first hit."
And while some have pinpointed the spread offenses of the Big 12 and how it's hard to make a lot of open-field tackles, Mangino stressed that wasn't the problem with his 6-4 squad.
"We're having trouble right in the box." Mangino said. "We brought somebody blitzing into the gap where they ran the ball on three or four occasions and didn't put him on the ground."
Players have different reasons for the dismal tackling but it's hard to determine just what the major reason is. The Jayhawks did lose Aqib Talib and James McClinton on the defensive side of the ball, but they returned nine starters from a team that was considered a good tackling team in 2007.
The 2007 squad allowed only 16.4 points per game while this year's defense has been shredded for 28.2 points per contest.
that there's no urgency to get to the ball or anything. If we don't correct it for this game then it's going to be a long game."
Indeed, the Jayhawks will face one of the top offensive teams in the nation in No. 3 Texas on Saturday, meaning the Jayhawks' tackling woes better improve quickly or it could get ugly — fast.
"We're just playing too straight-legged right now," said linebacker James Holt. "We don't have enough guys flying around to the ball. When we watch film, we can see
"We work on it every day in practice," Mangino said. "We teach it and reteach it and some players have improved greatly because of that work — and some have not."
One reason for the tackling struggles could be because of some injuries the KU defense is struggling to overcome. Caleb Blakesley and Richard Johnson Jr. have been banged up on the defensive line and linebackers Joe Mortensen and Mike Rivera are battling lingering knee injuries.
"People aren't able to run around like they can when you have that going on," Holt said of the injuries. "It's hard to get around if you only have so many people flying to the ball. It just makes it hard to tackle because if you have one-on-one tackling, it makes it easier for the runner to get by you."
With two games remaining in the reg.
"There's no sugarcating it or getting around it," Justin Thornton said. "As you
ular season, including Texas and No.12 Missouri, better tackling is imperative to helping the Jayhawks have any chance of pulling off the upsets.
can see, we've lost a few games and you can probably attribute that to poor tackling. Either you tackle well or you don't, and when you don't tackle, you don't win"
Edited by Scott R. Toland