THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
ANSAN
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 2012
PAGE 9
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KANSAS VS. Michigan State 6 p.m. Atlanta, Georgia
KU
TIPOFF
AT A GLANCE
The Jayhawks enter their Champion's Classic game against Michigan State coming off a win in their season opener; however, the win was an ugly one that saw the Jayhawks make just two of their 21 3-point attempts. When that game is put next to a pair of underwhelming exhibition games, it's easy to see that Kansas has a lot to work on throughout the season if they want to compete for their ninth straight Big 12 Conference Championship.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Senior Forward Kevin Young
Young returns to the Jayhawks line-up after missing two weeks with a broken bone in his hand. If he truly is healthy and able to contribute, his energy will be a welcome boost to a team that has found its offense struggle at times to get going.
HEAR YE. HEAR YE
"They may practice in football pads and helmets tomorrow, and our guys want to practice with pillows."
-Bill Self
BIG JAY WILL CHEER IF.
The Jayhawks establish an early presence inside. Michigan State is a physical team, so Kansas must prove it can take a punch and get back up early on. Physical was never missing from the Jayhawks when Thomas Robinson was down low, but since he's left, they haven't shown the same attitude
QUESTION MARK
The four seniors all have extensive experience in big time matchups, but they will also employ many players that have never played on a big stage before. If the young guys come out playing nervous, the layhawks could find themselves facing an early deficit.
How will the Jayhawks respond to the big arena atmosphere?
Johnson
KANSAS 1-0,(0-0BIG12) STARTERS
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
Eliiah Johnson, Senior Guard
Johnson was the Jayhawks most disappointing player in the season opener, scoring just four points and touling out of the game in 22 minutes of play. The team won't be able to survive another game like that from Johnson against a talented and aggressive team in Michigan State.
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
Senior guard Elijah Johnson quickly passes the ball to an open teammate before a Southeast Missouri State opponent can steal the ball. The Jayhawks defeated the Redhawks at Allen Fieldhouse on Friday 74-55.
Travis Releford, Senior Guard
Releford
Releford had a miserable shooting day against Southeast Missouri State, making just three of his 11 shots, but what really hurt the Jahawks was his team-leading four turnovers, not something the team wants to see from the guy they expect to be the second ball handler on the court.
McLemore
Ben McLemore, Freshman Guard
BEN MCCLELLEN, FRESHMAN SUNDAY
McClellen has shown his athletic ability on multiple occasions with his high-rising dunks. His ups will be especially important for gating rebounds against a Michigan State team that's bigger and tougher than any opponent Kansas has faced this season.
Ellis
Perry Ellis. Freshman Forward
Ellis became the first freshman to start the season opener for the Jayhawks since Xavier Henry in 2009; and he did not disappoint, showing his scoring touch with 15 points. The Jayhawks will need Ellis to be aggressive offensively, drawing fouls and putting to the free throw line.
Jeff Withey, Senior Center
Withey will need to boost his physicality up a notch against a tough Michigan State front court. While Withey will be the tallest player on the court whenever he's in the game, the Spartans trot out a pair of forwards that both outweigh the senior center.
— Ryan McCarthy
MICHIGAN STATE
STARTERS
0-0
Keith Appling, Junior Guard
Junior point guard Keith Appling tends to play big in big games. Last season he scored more than 20 points against Duke, Florida State, Indiana and Wisconsin. Appling is in his second season of playing point guard for Izzo and is Michigan State's leading returning scoring. He is quick, athletic and has the highest vertical leap on the team. He is a tough defender who will attack the rim on offense. In the game against Connecticut, Appling scored 17 points with 4 assists and committed only one t
Branden Dawson, Sophmore Guard
Dawson has very good rebounding instincts on both ends of the court and is the leading returning rebounder for Michigan State with 4.5 per game. He can defend multiple positions due to his strength and length, and has become one of the best defenders in the Big Ten. On offense Dawson can get into the paint and finish above the rim.
Gary Harris, Freshman Guard
A 6-foot-4-inch freshman, Harris was a 2012 Mr. American. His offensive game is impressive. Harris will stretch the defense with his deep shooting range and he has good ball skills to go along with his athleticism. On defense Harris could still benefit from some experience, but he has the frame to become a good defender with time. Tom fizz recruited Harris out of Gary Ind., away from Big Ten rivals Indiana and Purdue. Harris's mother, Joy, was a WNBA player for the Detroit Shock.
Derrick Nix, Senior Center
Nix is a big part of Michigan State's toughness and physicality. The biggest strength for Nix is his wide body. He uses it to play tough post defense and score in the paint. Last season Nix ranked such in the Big Ten in field-goal percentage while scoring eight points per game. He is 6 foot 9 inch, weight 270 pounds and has dropped more than 35 pounds since coming to Michigan State. He plays below the rim with excellent post moves thanks to his great hands and footwork.
Adreian Paine, Junior Center
Payne is an amazing athlete especially considering his size. He is 6 foot 10 inch with a wingspan of 7 foot inch and a vertical leap of 38 inches. He has a wilt-wounded game including outside shooting, though he is still working to develop his range to the 3-point line. Payne is a junior and is already just five blocked shots from entering the top 10 shot blockers in Spartan history.
Michigan State will be coming into tonight's game jet lagged. They lost their season opener at Ramstein Air Base in Germany to Connecticut 66-62 Sophomore guard Travis Trice, who led the Big Ten freshmen in 3-point shooting percentage last season, is unlikely to play against Kansas due to concussion symptoms. Michigan State is very similar to Kansas on defense with strong perimeter defenders and a shot blocker to protect the rim.
AT A GLANCE
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Sophomore Guard Branden Dawson
Michigan State's defensive presence in the paint becomes too much for the Jayhawks and forces them to settle for jump shots, which has become a trend for Kansas early in the season. Kansas needs Jeff Withey to score and if he can't get close to the basket that likely will not happen. Getting into the paint is a difficult task against the size and toughness of Michigan State's frontline of Derrick Nix and Adrian Payne.
BABY JAY WILL CRY IF...
Sophomore Branden Dawson suffered a torn ACL in March but opted to play without a brace in the first game of the season. The decision paid off as Dawson looked as explosive as ever in his first official game back from surgery. He scored 15 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, had five steals and played 34 minutes against Connecticut. Coach Tom Izzo said after the game that Dawson played well but his time off showed as he was less productive later in the game.
"Plenty of film coming back," coach Tom Izzo told the Detroit Free Press on playing Kansas. "(Witch) an 8- or 9-hour flight coming back, we'll have a lot of ability to watch film. We'll have exhibition games, some games from last year, but going into it, (UConn was) just too big of a game."
HEAR YE. HEAR YE
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Kansas 64, Michigan State 59
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