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THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 2013
KANSAS TIPOFF
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
AT A GLANCE
With Kansas State tipping off against Oklahoma State at 12:30 on Saturday afternoon the Jayhawks will know well before their match with Baylor whether they will be playing for sole possession of the Big 12 title or a share of it. If Kansas and Kansas State both claim a portion of the title it'll be the fourth time on the Jayhawks' championship streak that they've tied for first.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Elijah Johnson, Guard
ing has been off the charts the past few games, which means he's seeing the court a lot better. But Johnson needs to keep up his hot score touch it
Johnson
the Jayhawks are going to reach their potential. If he does start to rack up points the game could be over in a hurry.
Can Ben McLemore light it up on the road?
QUESTION MARK
Since going off for 22 points in Columbus, Ohio against the Buckeyes, McLemore hasn't had any noteworthy performance on the road. Whether it's a mental issue or just a case of home-sickness, there's no reason McLemore shouldn't be a main benefactor of the Kansas offense regardless of the venue.
BY THE NUMBERS
3
Ben McLemore has recorded three games with at least 30 points, a Kansas freshman record.
5 Jeff Withey has recorded five double- doubles in his last seven games.
35. 1
Kansas field goal percentage defense best in the nation.
Kansas wins its ninth straight Big 12 title. Only Baylor stands in the way.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
Freshman guard Ben McLemore drives through the defense as his teammate senior center Jeff Withey sets up a screen during Monday, Jan. 14's game against Baylor in Allen Fieldhouse where the Jayhawks won 61-55. McLemore had 17 points.
BIG JAY WILL CHEER IF...
McLemore
Jayhawks try for ninth straight KU hopes to extend its Big 12 championship streak NO.4 KANSAS VS.BAYLOR 5 P.M., FERRELL CENTER, WACO, TEXAS
KANSAS
(26-4, 14-3)
STARTERS
Johnson
Releford
Young
Here's two reasons Ben McLemore needs to score at least six points on Saturday. He breaks Danny Manning's freshman record of 498 points and would reach the 500 plateau. It also would help McLemore's confidence to dominate on the road like he does at home. Regardless he's still the most dangerous player on either team.
BEN MCLEMORE, GUARD
TRAVIS RELEFORD. GUARD
On Senior Night Self called Releford "the rock" of the Jayhawks as well as the best perimeter defender in the nation. That's saying a lot given Kansas sits atop the Big 12 in field goal defense, but it'd be hard to argue against those sentiments. Not to mention he's good for 12 points per game and leads the Jayhawks in field goal percentage (59.1).
Very few teams in college basketball have an energy guy like Kevin Young who is also willing to do the dirt work and scrap up front. Keeping Young in the starting lineup down the stretch turned out to be one of the better decisions of the year for Bill Self. Not to mention his play above the rim has been a nice addition to Jayhawks' offense.
There's arguably no Jayhawk playing better right now than Elijah Johnson, and he still hasn't reached his peak. In the last two games, Johnson has had 19 points and 22 assists. The only thing Kansas coach Bill Self would like from his senior point guard is to see him shoot the ball a little more. Against Texas Tech, he attempted just eight shots.
KEVIN YOUNG. FORWARD
ELUAH JOHNSON, GUARD
There isn't too much left for Withey to prove in college basketball. Unflappable shot blocker? Check. Elite rebounder? Check. Post game? Check. 3-point specialist? Check. The only thing that matters now is if Withey can continue to use all assets of his game at this high of a tempo. All signs indicate that's highly likely.
JEFF WITHEY, CENTER
Withey
(17-13,8-9)
STARTERS
Heslip
BRADY HESLIP, GUARD
Hestip is a 3-point marksman who's struggled from beyond the arc as of late, making only three of his last 16 attempts. For the season, he is shooting 39 percent from 3-point range. In the first matchup with Kansas this season, Hestip played only 17 minutes and had a quiet night offensively, missing all three of his shots and failing to score a point.
Jackson
A.J. WALTON, GUARD
Walton has fouled out four times this season, which may be something Kansas looks to exploit. He is the Bears' best rebounding guard at 3.5 rebounds per game and his 52 steals lead the team and is third in the Big 12. He had two steals when Baylor came to Lawrence earlier this season.
PIERRE JACKSON, GUARD
Jackson is right behind Walton with 44 steals, and he is fourth in the Big 12 in that category. He averages 19.1 points per game, which leads Baylor and tops in the Big 12 over Kansas' Ben McLemore by 2.6 points per game. He had a frustrating night in his first game against Kansas, shooting only 2-12 from the floor and 1-5 from 3-point range on his way to 10 points. Still, Jackson is in strong position to make All-Big 12 First Team.
CORY JEFFERSON, FORWARD
Jefferson
The junior shoots 57 percent from the field, third in the Big 12 behind Kansas' Travis Reileford and Jeff Withey. He is also fourth in the conference with an average of 8.3 rebounds per game and second with 1.97 blocks per game. Like Jackson, Jefferson never established an offensive rhythm in the first game against Kansas, failing to register a single point. Still, he and Isaiah Austin form one of the Big 12's best front courts.
Austin
ISAIAH AUSTIN, CENTER
The freshman's 8.9 rebounds per game are second in the Big 12, and his 1.54 blocks per game are fifth. He is similar to Iowa State's Georges Niang in that Austin can step out and hit the 3-pointer, drawing Kansas' Jeff Withey away from the basket where he does his best defending. Only Heslip and Jackson have attempted more 3-pointers ior Baylor than Austin, who shoots 32 percent from beyond the arc.
Blake Schuster and Geoffrey Calvert
PREDICTION Kansas 82, Baylor 73
BAYLOR TIPOFF
AT A GLANCE
At one point this season, the Bears were 14-5 and looking at a decent seed in the NCAA Tournament. But they've lost eight of their past 11 games, including five of their last six, and are now firmly outside of the tournament. Barring a win against the Jayhawks and a couple of victories at least in the Big 12 Tournament, Baylor will be relegated to the NIT. However, Baylor might be the third-most talented team in the conference after Kansas and Oklahoma State.
Pierre Jackson, guard
PLAYER TO WATCH
Jackson
A strong candidate for First Team All-Big 12. Jackson has been on an offensive tear as of late, leading Baylor in scoring in four of the past five games and averaging 22.6 points per game during that span. He leads the conference in scoring and assists. If Baylor wants to make a final push to impress the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee, the senior will be the one to lead the charge.
Does Baylor still believe in itself?
QUESTION MARK
This is the final home game for Pierre Jackson and A.J. Walton, and it's a must-win game to keep Baylor even in the neighborhood of the NCAA bubble. But Baylor has only won three games in the past month and hasn't been getting victories despite having an abundance of talent. The Bears had Kansas State on the ropes last Saturday but then conceded the game-winning 3-pointer as time expired. If Baylor plays like it has the past month, the game will be just as ugly as the one in Allen Fieldhouse earlier this year.
BY THE NUMBERS
3
The number of Baylor's victories in its past 11 games.
Of the Bears' eight conference victories, only one has come against a team with a winning record.
22. 6
Pierre Jackson, the Big 12's scoring leader, is averaging 22.6 points per game for Baylor in the past five games.
BABY JAY WILL WEEP IF...
Isaiah Austin goes off Iowa State twice nearly upset Kansas this season, in part because its forwards were able to convert 3-pointers, which meant Withey had to leave the paint and guard on the perimeter. Austin shot 2-4 from 3-point range at Allen Fieldhouse earlier this season and had 15 points. If he gets hot from outside, it could let Jackson penetrate the lane without worrying about Withey's presence.
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