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2008 KANSAS BASKETBALL
KANSAS 88 74 KANSAS STATE
MARCH 1,2008
January's bad memories trigger revenge
BY MARK DENT mdent@kansan.com
When practice ended on Feb. 29, the players walked off the floor thinking it was one of their best of the season.
Then, coach Bill Self brought out a video. Movie time.
Except, the players hadn't been anticipating this blockbuster. The feature presentation included all the negative images from the first half of Kansas' January game against Kansas State.
Brandon Rush saw a lack of pressure. Russell Robinson saw how much harder K-State's guards played. If the lingering memories of K-State's Jacob Pullen, Clent Stewart and Bill Walker doing whatever they wanted against them weren't enough, this tape pushed the guards over the edge.
"Everybody got mad," Robinson said. "We said to each other that we have to go out there with all the energy."
And they did. Kansas defeated Kansas State 88-74 on March 1 at Allen Fieldhouse, running away with the game in the first few minutes. The victory alleviated the woes the Jayhawks had been feeling from their first matchup with the Wildcats, put them into a tie with Texas for first place in the league and showed just how good they could play when they brought enough energy.
"They handled us at Bramlage," Self said. "Tonight, we were the aggressor and handled them."
The Jayhawks forced four turnovers and two jump balls in the first five minutes. On the second one, Stewart and Sasha Kaun dove into a scuffle near the free-throw line for several seconds. Stewart got up scowling. Bill Walker got up limping. Kansas didn't back away from anything all night.
The initial burst of energy gave the Jayhawks a 21-point lead by the nine-minute mark. By halftime, Kansas had ten steals and forced 14 turnovers. Stewart, Walker and Pullen — three players who toasted the Jayhawks in January — made a total of three field goals and seven turnovers. It also helped that Walker and Michael Beasley got into early foul trouble.
When Beasley got back in, the Jayhawks were too far ahead and too focused to let his 39 points make a difference.
"They had us on our heels," K-State coach Frank Martin said.
Aside from intensity, Kansas was just
pretty darn good. Rush shot three-point daggers. Darnell Jackson and Darrell Arthur got the ball inside. Sherron Collins barked orders for his team and scuffled with Darren Kent. Five players scored in double figures.
Amidst all the balance, Collins and Rush stood out. Both have dealt with injuries this season, and both had their best games since sustaining those setbacks.
Collins barely played at the Oklahoma State game after sitting out the entire week of practice. Against Iowa State, Self called Collins a shell of his former self. But in this game, he collected four steals, beat everyone down the court for layups and scored in traffic.
The running, jumping Collins could be returning for good, too, in place of the hobbling, limping one that Kansas fans have seen too often this season. Team doctors said that Collins' knee bruise should heal soon, and when it does, he'll be pain free.
Rush's injury hadn't lingered like Collins' but he hadn't put together a great performance since his ACL tear in May. Rush shot brilliantly and defended well for stretches but never pieced together a complete game He finally did on Saturday scoring 21 and staying aggressive for all 40 minutes in front of a small army of NBA scouts there to watch Beasley.
"Every game," Rush said, "I go out and play where my heart is. Tonight, I think I proved a little point."
The Jayhawks as a team might have done the same. They showed a relentless attitude to attack, which was evident from their 15 steals and 23 offensive rebounds. Self said they did everything else the same during the games they'd struggled. The plays hadn't changed; the mindset had.
So, did this game mark the true turning point? Was it the sure sign that Kansas was back to playing the way it was in December, when fans salivated, bracketologists penciled the Jayhawks in as a guaranteed No.1 seed and players lived in a dream world where a perfect season was the hottest topic?
"Guys just had more energy." Self said. "We played with a swagger tonight."
There was still a long way to go, but if Kansas could maintain the passion it played with in this game, a promising future seemed likely.
"I told them," Self said, "You'll play even harder on Monday."
Jon Goering/KANSAN
The Jayhawks pull out a victory against the Wildcats, 88-74, to avenge their loss against the Wildcats in January. "They handled us at Bramlage," coach Bill Self said. "Tonight, we were the aggressor and handled them."
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN