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KANSAN.COM
CHAMPIONSHIPS BY THE DOZEN
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STARTING FIVE
RUSSELL ROBINSON Sophomore guard Robinson was named to the Big 12 All-Defensive team in his first of three years as a Jayhawk starter. Robinson was the facilitator of this team, averaging 9.3 points and 4.6 assists per game.
MARIO CHALMERS Freshman guard This was Chalmers' worst shooting season at Kansas, shooting 44.5 percent from the floor and only 37.5 percent from three point range. But the Alaska native had much more in store for him in the coming years.
Jeff Jacobsen/KU Athletics
NOV.11,2006
KANSAS 82 FLORIDA 80 (OT)
Julian Wright scores career-high 21 points
> SHAWN SHROYER originally published in 2006
AS VEGAS - For five games, Kansas searched for an identity. Late Saturday night, it found one.
"Our guys were ready, focused, they played with a free mind, they weren't up tight and weren't trying to hang onto something. They went out and tried to take it," coach Bill Self said.
What No.* 10 Kansas took away was No.1 Florida's perfect record and any doubt that the Jayhawks could be one of the elite teams in the country this season, winning 82-80 in overtime and taking home the Las Vegas Invitational title.
"We could have been 0-5 and we still would have come out and played hard against Florida," junior guard Russell Robinson said.
Considering all that Kansas had been through, the upset against the defending national champions gave the impression that the Jayhawks' recent struggles might be behind them. Kansas shot well, rebounded well and defended well against the best team it'd played in the Bill Self era.
But, as well as Kansas played as a team on Saturday, one player set the tone for Kansas — tournament Most Valuable Player, sophomore forward Julian Wright.
When there was any question as to who would make a play for Kansas, he answered.
"Julian, in the first half, was just as good as a guy can be in college," Self said. "I thought he was fabulous."
"To be honest with you, I thought we were down by 20 with the way we played in the first half," Donovan said. "I was shocked it was only a six point game."
Wright refused to let the Jayhawks fall behind in the first half. At one point, he scored six straight points for Kansas, and of the Jayhawks' last eight points of the half, he had five. He finished the half with 17 points and Kansas went into intermission up 37-31.
Far from out of the game, Florida came roaring back in the second half. Florida's starters scored a combined 29
Of course, Kansas didn't expect Florida to roll over. The Gators were crushing opponents before Saturday, winning by 40.5 points per game. Self drilled that fact into his players to keep them focused.
Wright's performance left Florida coach Billy Donovan feeling lucky that his team was still in the game at halftime.
"Coach used that as motivation last night," Robinson said. "He said, 'Hey, if you don't do what you've got to do, you're going to get beat by 40.'"
points in the first half and combined for 29 points after halftime.
lay-in to put the Jayhawks up 81-80.
What Self said clicked as the Jayhawks matched the Gators' intensity, even when Wright's production dropped off.
Wright said the victory was a result of players looking to make plays. "We're not going to always blow a team out," Wright said. "Once we have a mentality that we just play simple and make plays, eventually the scores take care of themselves."
and scored six of Kansas' 12 overtime points, finishing the game with 19 points.
Although finishing with a team-high 21 points and 10 rebounds, Wright added just four points after halftime. His teammates picked him up. Arthur, Robinson, and sophomore guards Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush combined to score 41 points after the half.
Following two of Arthur's free throws that brought Kansas to within one, 80-79, Wright came up with a steal and called timeout before Florida could get a jump ball call. On the ensuing possession, Chalmers found Rush underneath for a
BRANDON RUSH Freshman guard
Freshman guard Rush led the Jay hawks in scoring with 13.5 points per game from the wing, along with 5.9 rebounds. That was good enough for Big 12 Freshman of the Year and All-Big 12 First-Team, the first player to accomplish that in the Big 12, making him one of the best freshman performers in Kansas history.
Florida rallied in the second half and at the end of regulation, the game was knotted 70-70. It was only fitting that Arthur would be the Jayhawk who took over in the extra session.
Arthur grabbed three key rebounds in overtime
SASHA KAUN
JULIAN WRIGHT Freshman forward Wright, alongside Sasha Kaun, provided a nice frontcourt presence for Kansas after Wayne Simien graduated. Wright averaged 8.5 points and 4.6 rebounds in his freshman season, including a strong performance in the win over Texas to win the conference tournament.
sophomore center, Kaun, at 6-foot-11, was second on the team in rebounds with 5.3 per game. He started in 29 of the team's 33 games after starting in only two games as a freshman.
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