12A
GAMEDAY
THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2006
KU
TIP-OFF
ATA GLANCE
Expectations are high for the Jayhawks in their regular season opener. Kansas made it through exhibition play with a pair of lopsided victories against Washburn and Emporia State. However, the Jayhawks were challenged in both games and didn't really pull away until the second half of each. Kansas led Emporia State, which was picked to finish ninth out of 10 teams in its conference, by only four at halftime Tuesday. The Jayhawks were unstoppable after halftime in their exhibition games, though, scoring a combined 99 points and holding opponents to 55 total second half points.
4 QUICK FACTS
4 number of straight home games Kansas has to begin the regular season.
6 — number of Jayhawks who averaged double figures during exhibition play.
34 — number of consecutive home-opener victories Kansas would have with a win.
77 total number of points Kansas has outscored Northern Arizona in two all-time meetings.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Freshman forward Darrell Arthur stole the show in his exhibition debut, leading all Jayhawks in scoring with 21 and nabbing an astounding six
Arthur
steals. He even threw in six boards, two blocks and a three pointer. However, in nearly as many minutes on
Tuesday, he made only three of 11 field goals on his way to 12 points. Arthur did bring down 10 rebounds, but that was against an undersized Emporia State team. Kansas fans will get a better idea of who the real "Shady" is Saturday against a taller Northern Arizona squad.
QUESTION MARK
How will Kansas' frontcourt fare against Northern Arizona?
Kansas out-rebounded an average sized Washburn team by only one and allowed Ichabod big men to score 55 points. Kansas performed better down low against Emporia State, but the Hornets were drastically undersized. This Northern Arizona team is bigger and better than Washburn, so Kansas' frontcourt had better be ready.
DOWN TO BUSINESS Regular season begins
KANSAS VS. NORTHERN ARIZONA 7 p.m., Saturday, Allen Fieldhouse, Jayhawk Television
Kansas
Offense
Offense is not a problem for Kansas. The Jayhawks shot 44.7 percent from the field as a team during exhibition play. Even without sharpshooter Jeremy Case, Kansas also proved dangerous from behind the three-point line. The Jayhawks three-point percentage was also 44.7 against Washburn and Emporia State. Kansas has benefited from second-chance shots and forwards Julian Wright and Darnell Jackson are a big reason why. The two combined for 20 of Kansas' 40 offensive rebounds during exhibition play. The third predominant member of Kansas' frontcourt is forward Darrell Arthur. Arthur was the Jayhawks' leading scorer in the preseason, posting 33 total points against the Ichabods and Hornets. Turnovers weren't really a problem for Kansas in its exhibition games, but it should be wary of getting careless with the ball on Saturday. Northern Arizona's only exhibition opponent committed 32 turnovers.
Defense
Northern Arizona
Arthur put on a defensive clinic against Washburn. In 22 minutes he had six steals, two blocks and four defensive rebounds. Guan Mario Chalmers wasn't far behind with three steals and three defensive boards. Against Emporia State, guard Sherron Collins is the team with three steals. In just two games, Kansas nabbed steals and Washburn and Emporia State combined for 47 turnovers. Kansas' defense has picked up in the second half of games. While Washburn's field goal percentage dropped slightly in the second half, Emporia State's percentage fell nearly 35 percent. Where Kansas clearly needs to improve on defense is rebounding. Washburn had two more.defensive rebounds than Kansas. Last Tuesday, Kansas had only four more defensive rebounds than Emporia State. Kansas also needs to play balanced defense. Washburn's post players combined for 55 of the Ichabods' 69 points. The next game, Emporia State's starting guards combined for 30 of the Hornets' 55 points.
Offense
Northern Arizona lost its best player from last season in Kelly Golob to graduation. Golob was an all-conference forward and led the team in scoring last season. But it isn't a stretch to say Northern Arizona will fill his scoring void with relative ease this season with a combination of inside play and long-range bombing. Four of the Lumberjacks' five starters from last season return from a team that won the regular season Big Sky title and was a win away from the NCAA tournament. Three players return that averaged double figures last season. Ruben Boykin, a 6-7 senior forward, was all-conference last season, averaging 13.3 points per game and 7.2 rebounds. Senior guard Tyrone Bazy was the conference newcomer of the year and averaged 11.5 points per game. Bazy scored 17 points in the Lumberjacks lone exhibition game but can be stopped if teams force him to shoot behind the arc. He was 0-3 shooting threees in the opener and hit only 6-of-60 three pointers a season ago. Senior guard Stephen Sir more than makes up for Bazy's ineptness beyond the arc. Sir, a sixth man last year, led the nation in three-point shooting percentage, hitting 48.9 percent of his three-point tries. Junior newcomer Nathan Geiser, a 6-4 guard from Northern Oklahoma College, shot 45 percent beyond the arc last season at NOC and averaged 17 points per game.
Momentum
Kansas didn't have the most productive preseason. Although standout freshmen Arthur and Collins look like the genuline articles, veterans have been dropping like flies. In a matter of days, starting center Sasha Kaun injured his knee, guard Jeremy Case pulled his groin, Chalmers sprained his toe, and center C.J. Giles was dismissed from the team. Chalmers is the only one expected to play on Saturday. On the bright side, the Jayhawks should no longer have to deal with the distractions Giles brought to the team and now that they are playing for real, coach Bill Self won't be mixing and matching lineups as much. The key (healthy) elements of this team - players like Russell Robinson, Chalmers, Collins, Brandon Rush, Wright, Arthur, and Jackson - should play better on both ends of the court the more minutes they play together.
Defense
It wasn't defense that won Northern Arizona the Big Sky championship last year. The Lumberjacks gave up 70.7 points per game and their opponents shot 45.2 percent. In comparison, the Jayhawks gave up only 61.3 points per game and held opponents to 37 percent. In the lone exhibition game, Northern Arizona gave up 74 points to a Division II team, Fort Lewis College.
-Shawn Shrayer
Russell Robinson
Momentum
Northern Arizona opens the regular season with a 1-0 record in the exhibition season. The Lumberjacks ended last season in a funk. After winning the Big Sky regular season title, they lost their final two games of the season both at home. The first loss was to Montana 70-63 In the Big Sky postseason tournament championship, which would have earned Northern Arizona a spot in the NCAA tournament. The second was a season-ending loss to Delaware State in the first round of the postseason NIT.
NAU TIP-OFF
ATAGLANCE
Northern Arizona enters the game a big underdog to No. 3 Kansas. The Lumberjacks will have to depend on their deep backcourt. Emporia State was able to exploit Kansas' perimeter defense. If the Lumberjacks sophomore point guard Josh Wilson, who led the team with 195 assists last season, can get into the lane and kick the ball out to the Lumberjacks' prolific three point shooters, they could surprise the Jayhawks. They are the type of experienced mid-major team, like a Ball State or Richmond, that can provide a big time program like Kansas an early head-scratching defeat.
4OUICKFACTS
6 — number of seasons spent in college by senior guard Steven Sir, who earned a sixth season from the NCAA after missing one season for transferring and another season to an injury.
2 number of seasons it took Sir to rank fifth on the career three-point field goal list at Northern Arizona.
8 number of seasons spent by Mike Adras as the coach of the Lumberjacks. Adras was the coach of the year last season in the Big Sky Conference.
516 — number of assists for Northern Arizona last season. Point guard Josh Wilson had 19 assists, more than doubling Tyrone Bazy, who was second on the team with 79 assists.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Nathan Geiser, a 6-foot-4 transfer from Northern Oklahoma
Geiser
ma College, came off the bench in the lone exhibition game for Northern Arizona and was the leading scorer against Fort
Lewis College. Geiser comes off the bench to provide the scoring punch that Sir brought last season.
QUESTION MARK
Will Northern Arizona be able to shoot three pointers against the Kansas defense?
Last year Northern Arizona's Stephen Sir led the nation in three-point field goal percentage. Against Washburn and Emporia State, Kansas has held its opponents to only 26 percent from three-point range.
NATIONAL GAMES OF INTEREST
Florida Atlantic at Oklahoma State, 8 p.m. Friday
BY C.J. MOORE
Jayhawk fans will see some familiar faces in this game. Former Kansas guard Rex Walters is in his first season coaching FAU.
Sean Sutton, Oklahoma State coach, is also in his first full season as the head coach. Sutton took over midway through last season for his father Eddie Sutton.
Walters, who led the Jayhawks to the Final Four in 1993, took over this season for former KU assistant Matt Dohrerty.
Oklahoma State, led by junior guard JamesOn Curry, is picked to finish third in the Big 12 this season by the coaches.
FAU also has several other former Jayhawks on their bench. Former Kansas basketball manager Justin Bauman is now the Director of Basketball Operations at FAU.
Jarrod Gravatt, who was a Kansas student last year, is now a manager at FAU.
UAB at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 5:30 p.m. Sunday
Mike Davis makes his debut with UAB after stepping down from Indiana last season. UAB matches up with Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the John Thompson Foundation Classic in Milwaukee. Wis.
Davis takes over for Mike Anderson, who left to coach Mizzou this season. The Blazers have been to three straight NCAA tournaments, losing to Kansas in 2004 in the sweet 16.
Wisconsin-Milwaukee has been to two straight NCAA tournaments, making a sweet 16 run in 2005 and losing in the second round last season to eventual national champion Florida.
Pepperdine at No. 16 Washington, 9:30 p.m.Sunday
Hawes, a freshman from Seattle, was recruited by Bill Self but picked Washington over Kansas. Hawes Joins another McDonalds All-American in Jon Brockman to form one of the best young frontlines in the nation.
McDonalds All-American and highly recruited big man Spencer Hawes makes his debut for the Huskies.
Pepperdine, which lost to Kansas 63-43 last season, is usually one of the top teams in the West Coast Conference, the same conference as west coast power Gonzaga. The Waves had a down season last year, finishing the season 7-20. Vance Walberg takes over the program this year after Paul Westphal stepped down in March.
Pepperdine junior center Jarrad Henry play,ad his high school basketball at Bishop Miege in Kansas City.
1
---