KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / FRIDAY, MARCH 5, 2010 / GAME DAY
7A
KU TIPOFF AT A GLANCE
Kansas (28-2, 14-1) finishes out its regular season schedule at bitter rival Missouri (22-8, 10-5). Earlier this season, the Jayhawks dismantled the Tigers, 84-65 in one of their most dominant performances of the Big 12 schedule. This time, they travel to enemy territory where the Jayhawks lost last season in a 62-60 thriller where they led by as much as 14.
QUESTION MARK
After such an emotional game, will there be a letdown?
One of two things can happen — The Jayhawks can go to Missouri and feed off the hostile environment or they can let it consume them because Wednesday sucked them dry. It's a silly thought, but look at other road games this year, Oklahoma State being the most recent. On the other hand, this is Mizzou and no one wants to lose to them. The players, fans and coaches are all on the same page: Beat Mizzou.
HEARYE, HEARYE
"We have the No.1 seed locked up; we have the trophy locked up; we have a three game lead going into Saturday's game. But forget the records, we're playing Missouri and that's enough said."
- Coach Bill Self
KANSAS WILL TAME THE TIGERS IF...
... Cole Aldrich and/or Marcus Morris get a double double. This isn't taking anything away from Markieff Morris, because he's been great the past few games. But Aldrich and Marcus Morris need to get on track for Kansas to not give up these big leads. Kansas led by 12 early against K-State, but missed shots and poor possessions transferred to points the other way. Stabilizing the front court, getting easy baskets and getting fouls will negate those from happening.
SCORE PREDICTION
Kansas 75
Missouri 68
Collins
Taylor
KANSAS (28-2) STARTERS
Sherron Collins. guard
The only thing Collins needs to worry about now is finishing the regular season strong. An emotional letdown would be the worst that could happen, but Collins still has his goals set on getting a Big 12 Tournament championship and a national championship. He had his lowest scoring output in Big 12 play against Mizzou earlier this season with six points.
Tyshawn Taylor, guard
He had a decent game against the Wildcats Wednesday, scoring 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting. Defensively, it doesn't look good when Jacob Pullen and Denis Clemente combine for 41, but that wasn't all his fault with all of K-State's transition points. Taylor is still a steady option in the backcourt and has one or two solid plays per game.
Henry
Xavier Henry, guard
Best player on the team right now? Henry has to be with his most recent 19-point effort against Kansas State. He could have done a lot more damage if he wanted to, shooting 6-of-9 from the floor and hitting three three-pointers. He has only scored less than 15 once in the past seven games and will look to improve on the nine points he had against the Tigers earlier this season.
Morris
Marcus Morris, forward
The past few games have presented Morris with very few opportunities for a bounce-back game, either because he gets in foul trouble or someone else is doing the heavy lifting. He still has that turnaround jumper; he still goes
the rim with force; there is just less volume than that was earlier in the season.
Aldrich
Cole Aldrich, center
The junior center may have played his last game at the Fieldhouse and this would be his last time against the hated Tigers. His play in the past few games leaves much to be desired, but he is probably due for a domination session here shortly. He is averaging nine points and seven rebounds in his past three. He had 12 and 16 earlier this season against Mizzou, with a season-high seven blocks.
BORDER SHOWDOWN Jayhawks need to step it up in Tiger territory
NO. 2 KANSAS AT MISSOURI 1 p.m., MIZZOU ARENA, Columbia, Mo., CBS
MISSOURI
(22-8)
STARTERS
Zaire Taylor, guard
Taylor is remembered by Kansas fans for being the guy who dropped the Jayhawks last year with a buzzer-beating prayer that somehow found its way in. In the Tigers' last game, he got some practice in case he needed to do it again, going coast-to-coast for a game-winning layup as the clock wound down in a 69-67 OT victory at Iowa State.
Taylor
J.T. Tiller, guard
Tiller is widely recognized as the best perimeter defender in the entire conference. Lately, though, the senior has shown a little offensive flourish, posting double-digit scoring in his last three games. Since going scoreless against Nebraska, Tiller has averaged just shy of 13 points per game, four more than his season average.
Tiller
Kim English,guard
English
English is the leading scorer for the Tigers, but he's not terribly efficient in getting there. His last solid shooting day – better than 40 percent from the field – was when he went for 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting to lead Missouri in a mini-upset of Texas. English's M.O. seems to be having a game like that per every three or four. He's due.
Keith Ramsey, forward
On a team with so much stellar defensive guard play, it's surprising to see Ramsey second in steals for the Tigers this year with 1.6 per game. He's also second on the team in blocks behind fellow post Laurence Bowers. Ramsey, also second on the team in minutes
played, averages 5.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per game
Ramsev
Laurence Bowers forward
Bowers took over this starting spot when Justin Safford went down with an ACL strain. It was originally thought Safford would have surgery and miss the rest of the year but
the Tigers are going to try to get him back this season. Meanwhile, Bowers is struggling in the starting lineup. In two starts since Safford's injury, he's 3-for-17 from the field, including 0-for-7 in his debut.
Bowers
★★☆☆★
Tim Dwyer
AT A GLANCE
MISSOURI
TIPOFF
Xavier Henry
After losing by 19 in Allen Fieldhouse, it's easy to say that the Tigers are outmatched and won't be any more than a hassle for the No. 2 Jayhawks. That would be ignoring the years of history this rivalry has built up that suggests that the Jayhawks will roll in Allen and battle through a difficult game in Columbia. Last year, Kansas won by 25 in the Phog but fell 62-60 at Missouri. As Sherron Collins' last game against the hated rivals from across the border, though, it's hard to see the Jayhawks sleepwalking into this one.
QUESTION MARK
How will the frontcourt hold up?
In the last meeting between Kansas and Missouri, the Jayhawks' bigs annihilated the Tigers. Cole Aldrich and the Morrill combined for 38 points and 36 rebounds between the three of them. Since then, Missouri has lost its top power forward in Justin Safford and is now stuck on a rotation of Laurence Bowers, Keith Ramsey and Steve Moore, which doesn't bode well for the Tigers. Cole Aldrich and Marcus Morris have been less than stellar in the last few games, but if they're ever going to turn it back around, this might be the game.
HEAR YE, HEAR YE
"People didn't want to attack because he was in there and everyone was getting their shot blocked."
- Keith Ramsey on Cole Aldrich, who finished with seven blocks when Missouri visited Allen Fieldhouse
MIZZOU ARENA WILL
ROAR IF...
...Kansas shows up. That's pretty much the criteria for Mizzou fans to get rambunctious. So the house is going to be rocking because that's what a rivalry does. The other thing a rivalry does (usually) is make the two teams competitive to each other. The records don't matter in the Border Showdown, both teams are going to put on a show. Even though they were bad against the Jayhawks earlier this year, the Tigers will look much better at home.