THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2012
COUNTDOWN TO TIPOFF
PAGE 7
Kansas vs. Washington State 9 p.m. Kansas City, Mo.
KU
TIPOFF
AT A GLANCE
Kansas (2-1) enters the CBE classic still trying to figure out which piece of the puzzle fits where and what each player's role will be. The offense has been particularly inconsistent, looking at times like a well-oiled unit and at other times like five people who have never played together before.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Perry Ellis, freshman forward
HEAR YE. HEAR YE
After a stellar first game, Ellis has been a virtual non-factor for the Jayhawks in their last two games. The freshman will have an opportunity to show Kansas coach Bill Self that he can be a more physical player against a team that has size in the forward position.
"I'm set on four starters, and I'm not even close to being set on the fifth. I don't know who's better off the bench or who's better starting. We haven't given Kevin Young a chance to start because of his hand."
Bill Self on the fifth spot in the starting lineup
BIG JAY WILL CHEER IF...
The Jayhawks hit their open shots. Through three games, the Jayhawks have seen many open looks from beyond the arc, but they have yet to capitalize on them. If they do start making shots, the game will be over before it begins.
QUESTION MARK
Will someone step up and claim the starting spot at the forward opposite Jeff Withey? Through three games, neither Jamari Traylor, Perry Ellis or Kevin Young have established themselves as the guy who deserves to be in the starting lineup. Ellis has had flashes of offensive brilliance, and Traylor is looking freakishly athletic, but they haven't done enough to distinguish themselves.
KANSAS
2-1,(0-O BIG 12)
STARTERS
FOR MORE BASKETBALL UPDATES,
FOLLOW US AT @UDK_SPORTS
Johnson
Elijah Johnson, Senior Guard
For sports, Johnson has looked like the offensive leader he has the potential to be, but for the most part, he has yet to break out of the passive groove he's played in. He awoke in the second half against Chattanooga. If he can keep that momentum going, he and the Kansas offense will be in for a big day.
Releford
Travis Releford, Senior Guard
To say that Releford's 3-point shooting this season has been bad would be an understatement, but the senior's biggest contribution continues to be on the defensive end, and as long as he continues to play tenaciously on defense, his offensive woes will be forgotten.
McLemore
Ben McLemore, Freshman Guard
Young
Coming off his 25-point outing, the explosive McLemore will be expected to play a major role in the offense once again, but the other significant contribution he can make is on glass down low, where his rebounding will be an added boost, and an offensive put-back could ignite the Jayhawks.
Kevin Young, Senior Forward
Young hasn't looked like his previous self since returning from a broken hand last week. The Jay-hawks will need him to play with energy from the get-go as they try to play their first complete game of the season.
Withey
Jeff Withey, Senior Center
Withey will have to come out and play tough for a whole game defensively against Washington State, as he will be charged with shutting down their leading returning scorer from last season, 6-foot-10-inch Brock Motum.
Ethan Padway
WASHINGTON ST.
2-1,(0-O PAC 12)
STARTERS
DaVonte Lacy, Sophomore Guard
Lacy was a Pac 12 All-Freshmen honorable mention last season. As a sophomore, he will be depended upon to score points. Last season, Lacy averaged 8.5 points per game. This season, he has averaged 11.3 ppg after three games. Lacy has quick hands, and creating turnovers is one of the strengths of his game.
Lacy
Royce Woolridge, Sophomore Guard
Woolridge is a bit of a combo guard, and WSU will need him to handle the ball at times. In his one year at Kansas, Woolridge played in 16 games and played 2.8 minutes per game. He has a much more important role at WSU and will need to have a big game for the Cougars to compete with the Jayhawks.
Dexter Kernich-Drew, Sophomore Guard
Wooldridge
Kernich-Drew may get the start in place of Mike Ladd, the senior who is out for the season with a torn ligament in his thumb. WSU does not have many experienced players on their roster. Kernich-Drew is one of the few guards with experience that could replace Ladd. Sophmore Brett Kingma, a transfer from Oregon, is another option at this spot in the Cougar starting line-up.
Kernich-Drew
DJ Shelton. Junior Forward
Shelton is a 1-foot-10-inch redshirt junior with one year of Division I experience. He has been an important piece of the WSU team this season as the team's leading rebounder, but only had four rebounds against Pepperdine. The Cougars can't get dominated on the boards by Kansas if they are going to compete, and they will need Shelton to do his part.
Shelton
Brock Motum, Senior Forward
Motum is 6-foot-10-inch forward from Brisbane, Australia. Last season was the break-out year for Motum. He went from being fifth on his team in scoring with 7.6 points per game in his sophomore season to being the top scorer in the Pac 12 with 18 ppg. Motum was named the Most Improved Player in the Pac 12. He had a rough game on Friday against Pepperdine, though, scoring 15 points, shooting 4-13 from the field.
Motum
Max Goodwin
WASHINGTON STATE TIPOFF
AT A GLANCE
Washington State (2-1) is a team that is trying to develop chemistry in these early season games, as they have added eight newcomers to the team this season. In the Cougars' most recent attempt, they did not fare so well, losing 56-58 to Pepperdine, a team that was 0-2 going into the game. The media that cover the Pac 12 ranked WSU near the bottom of the league this season at No.10. Senior guard Mike Ladd recently tore a ligament in his right thumb, which could end his college career.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Royce Woolridge, Sophomore Guard
This is a game that Royce Woolridge has probably been looking forward to for a long time. Woolridge spent most of his freshman season at Kansas on the bench. At the end of the year, he transferred to Washington State where he sat out for a year and is now eligible to play. The redshirt sophomore will start tonight against his former team, and he may feel like he has something to prove.
HEAR YE, HEAR YE
"It's tough when you have an injury, it's really difficult when you have a season-ending injury, and it can be at times devastating when you have a career-ending injury, and him being a senior, he's finished here at WSU."
— Washington State coach Ken Bone on senior guard Mike Ladd's injury
BABY JAY WILL CRY IF.
Royce Woolridge comes into the game with a chip on his shoulder and shoots lights out against his former team. That is probably the only thing that could stop Kansas from winning its first game at the Sprint Center this season. Even then it seems unlikely.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
Coach Bill Self shares a word with senior center Jeff Withey on the bench during Thursday's game against Chattanooga in Allen Fieldhouse, where the Jayhawks won 69-55.
Prediction:
Kansas 72, Washington State 65
---
1