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B6
CHAMPIONSHIPS BY THE DOZEN
STARTING FIVE
ZOLE ALDRICK
Sophomore center
COLE ALDRICH
'Aldrich was Kansas' rock down low in this season, averaging 7.7 rebounds per game. He also provided the scoring a forward in a Bill Self team can be expected to provide with 9.4 points per game.
SHERRON COLLINS
Junior guard Collins had an outstanding 2008-09 season for the Jayhawks in which he averaged 18.9 points. Along with an average of 5.0 assists per game, Collins had his best year as a Jayhawk statistically this season.
KANSAN.COM
Junior forward The Chicago native missed all of the previous season with an injury, so a standout junior year earned him Big 12 Newcomer of the Year honors. Little averaged 4.7 points per game and 3.7 rebounds per game.
MARIO LITTLE
TYSHAWN TAYLOR
Freshman guard
Taylor also made
the Big 12 All-Rook-
ie team and was a
unanimous selection.
Taylor recorded 9.7
points per game in
his freshman year and
3.0 assists per game.
He originally signed a
letter of intent to play
at Marquette, but wen
back on it to join Self
and the Jayhawks.
TYSHAWN TAYLOR
MARCUS MORRIS Freshman forward The freshman and his brother were two of the best freshman players in the nation in this season. Marcus was named to the Big 12 All-Rookie team
Jeff Jacobsen/KU Athletics
The Jayhawks raised a fifth national championship banner in Allen Fieldhouse at the beginning of this season, and measured up to the last season in a decent way.
SEASON AT A GLANCE
KANSAS 87
FEB. 23, 2009
OKLAHOMA 78
Stormin' Norman: KU wins Big 12
CASE KEFFER
originally published in 2009
NORMAN, Okla. Two blue blurs raced across the floor at the Lloyd Noble Center as the buzzer sounded on Kansas' 87-78 victory against Oklahoma.
It was junior guard Sherron Collins running up the sideline smiling and freshman guard Tyshawn Taylor sprinting toward the middle of the court. Eventually, the two paths of celebration met.
They shared a quick exchange, telling each other "good game," before Collins added an extra message.
Collins, Taylor and the Jayhawks are done waiting now. Kansas (23- 5, 12-1) is in sole possession of first place in the Big 12 Conference and three victories away from winning its fifth straight Big 12 regular season championship.
"He was like, 'Man, this is what we've been waiting for.'" Taylor said.
The Jayhawks have Collins, Taylor and sophomore center Cole Aldrich to thank for it. Aldrich might not have had the energy to sprint across Oklahoma's gym after the game, but his presence was as important as anyone's.
After all, Aldrich recorded a career-high 20 rebounds. Taylor set a career-high with 26 points. Statisticians don't keep career-highs of big shots, but Collins would have certainly passed his.
But Self didn't want to take too much credit. Heck, he wasn't even the one calling the shots by the end of the game.
"This was a great win," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "You don't see this too often from young kids."
At least three times, Collins waved off the plays Self wanted from the bench with the game on the line. Self was helpless.
"I have no choice," Self said. "He's got the ball."
14
Not that Self would want it any place else. Collins reaffirmed that Monday when he tied a career high with 26 points.
Twice, the Sooners trimmed the Jayhawk lead to three points within the final five minutes. Both times Collins refused to run the Jayhawks' offense. He took three-point shots from the top of the key and swished them to ensure Oklahoma wouldn't get any closer.
The Jayhawks appeared to be in a position where they could coast to victory with 11 minutes remaining and their lead at a game-high 20. It wasn't that easy.
"He feels like it's his
ream," Self said. "I'm really proud of him. He's been great."
Collins' biggest shot came with 2:30 remaining. The crowd had reached deafening levels after Oklahoma freshman Willie Warren — who had a team-high 23 points swished a three-point shot to make the score 74-71. The next possession, Collins received a pass from Taylor and made one of his own. Oklahoma never got it down to a one-possession game again.
Of course, Kansas may have never been in that position without Taylor. Oklahoma opened the game on a 22-8 tear. At that point, Collins gathered the team and told them not to let this one slip away.
Taylor must have listened. He made three three-point shots before the end of the half to finish the first 20 minutes with 16 points. Kansas went into the locker room with a 36-29 lead.
"I told him it was his game," Self said. "He was great. Tyshawn — best game he's had in college."
Self stopped right after that statement. He wondered aloud if it might have been Aldrich's best as well.
Aldrich crippled Oklahoma's offense by dominating the glass and getting nearly every loose ball around him.
He also scored 15 points. But on a night where no other Jayhawk totaled more than three rebounds, Aldrich's 20 rebounds might have been the difference.
"I knew I had a lot," Aldrich said. "I thought, 'Well, I'm going to try to get every board I can.'"
Of course, this might not have happened if Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin would have played. Griffin — the favorite to be named the national player of the year — averages 22 points and 14 rebounds per game and could have neutralized Aldrich inside.
Griffin sat out of the game with a concussion. Self admitted the Jayhawks were at an advantage playing the "Blakeless" Sooners. But Aldrich wasn't so sure the outcome would have changed.
"With or without Blake, they're a great team," Aldrich said. "They showed that tonight."
With Collins, Aldrich and Taylor performing as they did Monday, Kansas can call itself a great team one that's now at the top of the standings in the Big 12.
No wonder Collins and Taylor didn't slow down once the game ended.
"We feel pretty good," Collins said.
BY THE NUMBERS
1-- Bill Self won his first AP Coach of the Year in this season. He would later win his second AP Coach of the Year in 2016.
2-- A young Kansas team included only two seniors: Matt Klienemann and Brennan Bechard.
8-- Kansas suffered losses against Michigan State two times, both of which Michigan State was ranked No. 8 in the nation. The first was during the regular season and the second ended the Jayhawks' season in the Sweet Sixteen.
NEWS
Swine flu (H1N1) kills 103 people in Mexico. The epidemic later spread to the United States later in the year.
North Korean government pardons two American journalists after a visit from Bill Clinton.
President Barack Obama was sworn into office for his second term as president on Jan. 20,2009.
Pittsburgh Steelers defeat Arizona Cardinals 27-23 in the Superbowl
POP CULTURE
James Cameron's "Avatar" became the highest-grossing film of all time in this year.
Lady Gaga's "The Fame" came out in this year. The album was nominated for five Grammy awards and won two.
Walter Cronkite
NOTABLE DEATHS:
Michael Jackson
Steve McNair
Patrick Swayze
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