Thursday. February 14. 2013
Volume 125 Issue 73
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY GANSAN
kansan.com
COMMENTARY Talent alone not enough to win
The worst mistake Kansas can make this Saturday is to take Texas lightly.
The Jayhawks often have a "we are Kansas" aura of infidelity. They don't always have to fight for the 50/50 balls, or fight hard through a screen, or make the extra pass instead of taking a guarded shot. Other teams do that, and it means a loss. The Jayhawks do that, it simply means they win by fewer points.
This way of thinking has already stung the Jayhawks three times this year. First, it was Oklahoma State. The Cowboys are a capable team, but the Jayhawks were playing at the Phog. The mighty Jayhawks playing at home is the equivalent of giving the Karate Kid a bug-zapper. He's going to catch the fly with the chopsticks; there's no need to make it any easier.
However, Jayhawk pride got the best of Kansas, and it went down at home to Oklahoma State in a game that wasn't as close as the score made it appear.
Despite the loss, Kansas players continued to underestimate their opponents, in this case TCU. The Horned Frogs are the doormat of the Big 12. They are the turnstile to get into the subway. But to get through the turnstile, you have to pay your dues. The Jayhawks did not appear to take the game seriously, and it resulted in an embarrassing unset.
Finally, it seemed as though Kansas went into the Oklahoma game with the mentality that there was no way it could lose three games in a row. Spoiler alert: Kansas lost.
It took the knowledge that the Jayhawks were capable of continued failure to cause the team to come out and lay a beat down on the Wildcats. Kansas needs to go into every game with the mindset that if they do not play their absolute best as a team, a loss to any team in the country is possible.
A win requires more than having outstanding talent, although it certainly helps. More often than not, talent trumps all else. But knowledge of that talent can sometimes be a detriment. Once Kansas realized that its talent was not enough after its three-game losing streak, it dug down on defense, boxed out and rebounded, and battled for loose balls. The result being a blow out of a top-ten team.
Kansas players can not afford to think the losing streak was an anomaly. If they do, Texas could sneak out of the Fieldhouse with a win. The Longhorns, a perennial power in the Big 12, are having an off year. By record alone, they should not pose much of a threat, although former five-star recruit Myck Kabongo is returning to the lineup after a suspension for improper contact with an agent. Nevertheless, Kansas must approach the game as if it is the underdog.
The victory over Kansas State was not a remedy for all of Kansas' problems. It still struggles with a half-court offense, with low post scoring, and with turnovers. Thinking the problems are fixed is a sure recipe for regression.
Kansas should still play with swagger, but swagger as a result of current play, rather than talent based potential.
Edited by Tyler Conover
PHOG ADVISORY
Sophomore guard Naadir Tharpe looks for an open player while being defended by Texas sophomore guard Myck Kabongo during the first half of the game. Kansas won against Texas 73-62.
KABONGO IS BACK
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
Having its star player back might ignite Texas
BLAKE SCHUSTER
bschuster@kansan.com
All year long there have been two questions looming over this Texas team before they visit Lawrence on Saturday:
How bad are the Longhorns?
How much better does Myck Kabongo make them?
Kabongo adds speed, court vision and a basketball IQ that takes the Texas offense to a much more dangerous level.
The Texas team that will take James Naismith Court this weekend won't be like the squad Kansas faced in Austin a month ago. This time, the Jayhawks will have to prepare for a versatile point guard that is capable of changing the makeup of the Longhorns.
And now that Kabongo's
23-game NCAA suspension for receiving—and lying about—impermissible benefits has been lifted, Kansas will be playing a rejuvenated and retooled group of Longhorns.
"The Myck Kabongo returning to Texas situation is overrated," said ESPN Big 12 writer Jason King. "I think it's being overplayed. I don't think Myck Kabongo would have a made a huge difference for that team this season."
but considering the amount of coverage Texas will be getting on Saturday with ESPN College Gameday coming to town, he'll likely still be motivated to prove himself.
But King's argument isn't that the jayhawks shouldn't worry about Kabongo, rather that Texas' problems this season extend beyond the play of its point guard.
Just don't tell that to the Longhorns. In Kabongo's first game back Wednesday night versus Iowa State, the reinstated guard had 13 points, seven assists and grabbed four rebounds. You could chalk it up to an emotional return,
The Longhorns are second to last in the conference in the free throw percentage,last in rebounding defense and last in turnover margin.
A point guard can solve a lot of problems, but not all of them.
"He's a good player," King said of Kabongo. "But not an All-Star. He had a mediocre season as a freshman and I think it's just an excuse Texas is using for a bad season."
Yet Kansas coach Bill Self doesn't seem to be taking Kabongo's return lightly. He too calls Kabongo's return dangerous for the Jawhaws.
At least that's what the idea is. There are still those who believe Texas' chances won't improve even with the sophomore's return.
That's probably overstated.
In two games against the Jayhawks last year Kabongo went 1-11 from the field with eight assists and four rebounds. Not exactly a game-changing stat line.
As King puts it, Texas has a lot of nice players, and a lot of role players but no studs. Which is quite a change for a program that's recently produced NBA talents like Kevin Durant, LaMarcus Aldridge, D.J. Augustin, Cory Joseph and Tristan Thompson.
It's not just all about production when it comes to Kabongo, however. It's about the dynamic he brings to the Longhorns.
"We don't have rhythm," Texas
head coach Rick Barnes said after Texas fell to Oklahoma State last Saturday. "We don't have anything going. I realize some of it is because Myck plays point differently. All year long, we have tried to get consistency and we haven't."
There's no doubt that Texas and its fans expect that consistency to return with Kabongo.
Even Barnes sets the bar high for the sophomore who King says has yet to reach elite status.
When he was asked to answer the two looming questions Barnes joked with reporters.
"I think wed be 23-0," Barnes scoffed. "Number one in the country."
Reporting contributed by Ryan McCarthy
— Edited by Elise Reuter
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Comeback queens back in action
NATHAN FORDYCE
nfordyce@kansan.com
Twenty-two point deficit, not a problem.
Early in the season, the Kansas Jayhawks came back from an 18-point deficit to defeat Iowa State in overtime. So why not make it even more thrilling?
Fueled by senior guard Monica Engelman and her career-high 26 points, the Jayhawks found a way to erase the large deficit and win 76-75. The big come-from-behind victory was the fifth comeback of the season.
"I couldn't be more proud (of our team), to just to not give in, and hang in and hang in." Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson said. "We just got stops, played aggressive and confidentially and played together and shared the ball. We got some offensive rebounds, got possessions, got some free throws and took the lead and kept the lead."
The Jayhawks came into the
In the opening
Frogs looked like
they were well on
their way to an
easy victory and
notch their first
as a member of
the Big 12. Led by
freshman guard
Zahna Medley
and her 27 first
But basketball, like all sports,
isn't played on paper.
In the opening half, the Horned
game as favorites over the TCU Horned Frogs, who were without a win in the Big 12 at 0-11.
"I couldn't be more proud (of our team), to just to not give in, and hang in and hang in."
It's what the Jayhawks are accustomed to doing this season, come back and find a way to win a miracle.
half points, the Jayhawks looked to be in trouble.
Entering the second half, the Jayhawks found themselves in a 22-point deficit as they trailed 49-27. But then that switch flipped and the Jayhawks began to cut into the lead.
Engelman scored 18 of her 26 points in the final 20 minutes on
BONNIE HENRICKSON
head coach
With 12:35 to go, they had cut it down to 15. With 5:09 to go, just 10. And with 3:27 to go, the Jayhawks claimed their first lead of the game as they went up one.
7-of-12 shooting.
Sophomore forward Chelsea Gardner also had a career day as she grabbed 18 rebounds and had six blocks. Much lik
Engelman, the bulk of Gardner's damage was done in the second half comeback. She muscled her way 10 of her 18 rebounds and four of her six blocks in the crucial half'
Behind the career days of Gardner and Engelman, the Jayhawks erased its largest halftime deficit in exactly 25 years when they defeated Iowa State.
Senior forward Carolyn Davis posted her third double-double of the year and did so entirely in the
It's remarkable the Jayhawks were able to survive the onslaught in the first half. They had 19 of their 23 turnovers in the opening half which led to 20 of the 47 Horned Frogs points.
Senior guard Angel Goodrich dished out 10 dimes to help her teammates get open shots and continue to cut into the lead and ultimately take the lead.
The Jayhawks defense found a way to stop Medley from having her way as she did in the first half. Medley shot just 2-of-11 from the field for eight points in the second half, this after the 8-of-11 first half performance.
second half. Davis joined her 6'3" frontcourt teammate Gardner with 10 rebounds, 13 for the game, in second half. Davis also added 10 of her 19 points in the final 20 minutes as well.
All year the message to the Jayhawks had been win the boards and on Wednesday night, the Jayhawks not only won the boards, they dominated with. With Davis
and Gardner leading the way, the Jayhawks grabbed 58 rebounds with 22 of them coming off the offensive glass, which led to 17 second-chance points.
Not even senior center Lutricia Lovings and her average of 9.7 rebounds per game could help the Horned Frogs on the glass. They only had 34 rebounds while Lovings was well below her season average withfive.
Winning against teams that are supposed to be beaten is always crucial. And now with the Big 12 season quickly coming up on the end, the Jayhawks couldn't afford to suffer a brutal loss to the Horned Frogs. With the victory, the Jayhawks improved to 6-6 on the season within the Big 12 which keeps them right in the thick of things for the conference.
1.
Edited by Tyler Conover
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