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2008 KANSAS BASKETBALL
Sprint Center stagger
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Sophomore forward Darrell Arthur struggles for a turnover against Nebraska's guard Paul Velander. The Jayhawks didn't play with much energy, yet they defeated the Huskers 64-54 at the Sprint Center on March 14.
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Ugly play plagues both teams in Jayhawks' victory
BY MARK DENT mdent@kansan.com
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It was a fittingly ugly finish for an ugly game. Kansas beat Nebraska 64-54 on March 14 at the Sprint Center but the Jayhawks never seemed completely interested or energized even after making a run early in the second half.
Kansas didn't look like a team that was peaking at just the right time in the opening round game. The Jayhawks played passionless in the first half. Kansas matched its lowest point total for a half this season, trailing 27-22 to the Huskers.
Sophomore forward Darrell Arthur picked up two fouls and four turnovers early. His performance reflected the rest of the team's. The Jayhawks turned the ball over 12 times, which led to 15 Nebraska points. Kansas needed a 16-4 run early in the second half to break away.
Thing is, the players and Self didn't mind
that the team played out of whack. Better now than later.
In the grand scheme, this game hardly mattered. All the players said they wanted to win a third straight Big 12 Tournament, but they knew the more important tournament would start the next week. Self, as much as he preaches about the importance of conference play, agreed. He also pointed out that it's routine for top teams to struggle in the first round of conference tournaments.
"I told our guys we needed this," he said. "You don't like it when your team doesn't perform, but how many teams in the NCAA Tournament play well when they haven't been behind?"
Rush and Robinson maintained that they didn't overlook Nebraska, but something wasn't right against the Huskers. The Jayhawks didn't play with the intensity they showed during the last four games, and they would have to dial it back up, unless they wanted the season to end early.