2008 KANSAS BASKETBALL
21
FEBRUARY 17,2008
Defense rules against Buffs
Sluggish play turns into a positive against Colorado offense
BY MARK DENT mdent@kansan.com
Larry Brown watched some ugly basketball at KU's practice Feb. 14. Balls flew everywhere. No one looked sharp.
"We were ugh," coach Bill Self said.
After a few minutes, Self called a huddle to see what was wrong and asked the players if they were nervous because Brown was there. Every one of them raised their hands.
"You don't want to give him any bad breath about you," Jackson said.
Darnell Jackson admitted to trying too hard.
That practice might have been a mess, but the team left a better impression on
Brown on Feb.17. Kansas (24-2, 9-2) beat Colorado 69-45 with a dominant defensive performance in front of Brown and more than 200 former team members who were there for the 110-year reunion.
The former Jayhawks had to sit through a game that was bogged down by long possessions and few fast breaks, not typical KU basketball, but that's what Self wanted.
"We picked a good day to have average energy level," Self said, "because if you're really into it big time that's when they play the best."
After this game, Kansas didn't play for
Kansas outrebounded Colorado by 14. They also made half of their threes after shooting 15 percent in their last two games.
another week. Self said the time off would help his team rest and also calm down the fans who were getting worried after the previous week's loss to Texas.
"We still have the second-best record in the country," he said. "Something that's bad sometimes gets blown out of proportion. Losing isn't acceptable, but certainly it's part of life in the game of college basketball."
Jackson said that could happen soon if they stayed focused, and because of Brown, he was more motivated than ever to do that.
"He told us to have no wasted days," Jackson said. "If you're feeling bad or your stomach hurts, you have to go in there and push yourself."
Jon Goering/KANSAN
Junior guard Mario Chalmers and Colorado senior guard Richard Roby tangle in the Jayhawks' 69-45 victory in Lawrence on Feb.17.
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