12B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, APRIL 4, 2008
KU
TIPOFF
(ALMOST) FINAL SHOWDOWN KANSAS GETS ITS SHOT AT UNC ON SATURDAY
KANSAS VS. NORTH CAROLINA 7:47 p.m., Alamodome, San Antonio, CBS
ATAGLANCE
Kansas fans better hope that Kansas isn't as nervous as it was last week against Davidson. The Jayhawks, except Kaun, played tight the entire game and nearly lost to an inferior team. That can't happen against the Tar Heels. They're too good and too fast. They could run Kansas out of the gym if the players get off to another poor start. But fans need not worry too much. The Jayhawks should be relaxed after finally making the Final Four and ready to play. They'll be ready early.
This is the guy who is going to have to guard Tyler Hansbrough. Jackson is too small and Arthur doesn't have
WHO TO WATCH
the drive or the discipline.
Kaun will be the best defender against Hansbrough. He's tall, strong and physical. The only
problem is that Kaun is also one of the most inconsistent players in KU history. Sure, he had a great game last time, but can he do it again? This could be the last game of his career so he better be as fired up as he was against Davidson. If he holds Hansbrough to his average, call it a success.
Is Kansas a team of destiny?
QUESTION MARK
That's the overriding question. Kansas fans endured 20 years of March heartbreak since the Jayhawks' last title in 1988. Two more victories could erase all of those painful memories. It starts with North Carolina and Roy Williams tomorrow. Williams contributed to 15 of those non-championship seasons while at Kansas. Now he stands as an obstacle. Can it just be coincidence? The script is in place for a special weekend for Kansas. But the question remains, as it does every March: Is this really the year?
HEARYE, HEARYE
"I'm not a rookie. Even though I haven't coached in the final four yet, there are other big games throughout a season, but none of the magnitude of this. I don't feel like a rookie. I've been doing this a little while. Certainly, I do think every time you experience something, you potentially benefit from it. I would hope that if I have the opportunity to coach in the Final Four again, I hope I'm better than I am the first time because you always learn something."
Kansas (35-3,13-3) THE PROJECTED STARTING 5
Russell Robinson, 6-foot-1 senior guard
Robinson has been going up against some of his toughest defensive jobs in the NCAA Tournament - from Wink Adams to Scottie Reynolds to Stephen Curry. Now, he's got Tyron Lawson. He's really good.
North Carolina (38-2,14-2)
Mario Chalmers, 6-foot-1 junior guard
A little bit more consistency this time, please. Chalmers matched Curry basket for basket in the first half of Sunday's game before disappearing in the second half. If Kansas wants to win this high-scoring ball game, Chalmers has to be at his best for all 40 minutes.
Brandon Rush, 6-foot-6 junior guard
Rush meet your twin, Wayne Ellington. The two players are remarkably similar - good athletes with great outside shots. Rush has the edge on defense, though. When Rush scores easily, Kansas is a better team.
THE PROJECTED STARTING 5
Darnell Jackson, 6-foot-8 senior forward
Arthur has yet to be a factor this entire tournament, and Kansas hasn't even played a team with a decent frontline. On Saturday, he'll face a terrific frontcourt and the best big man in the country not named Michael Beasley. If he's ever going to step up for the Jayhawks, it has to be on Saturday night.
It's been a long time since Jackson has taken over a game like he did a few times in the middle of the season. Foul trouble and possibly plain old fatigue have caused his minutes to go down recently.
Darrell Arthur, 6-foot-9 sophomore forward
Injuries have slowed down Lawson for much of the season but when he's in, few guards can do as much as him. While he was out, North Carolina slightly struggled. Now that he's back, the Tar Heels are playing their best basketball.
Ty Lawson, 5-foot-11 sophomore guard
THE SIXTH MAN
Sasha Kaun, 6-foot-11 senior center
He's been the first man off the bench lately for Kansas and was the most important player on Sunday. If Kaun didn't have a great game (13 points and six rebounds), the Jayhawks would be watching Davidson play North Carolina. It's that simple.
Mario Chalmers
The Jayhawks decide not to run with the Tar Heels. Carolina runs better than any team in the country, and Self said Kansas is going to play its usual uptempo style and try to match them. Not a good idea. Kansas can play both ways and has a superior defense. The Jayhawks should try and slow the game down because they probably won't win a running match.
If Ellington is on from outside, Kansas could be in trouble. Hansbrough will definitely light it up inside, but the Jayhawks can at least prevent Ellington from playing well. If they don't, Carolina will have a much easier time.
Wayne Ellington, 6-foot-4 sophomore guard
The Alamodome Will Rock for KU If...
Mark Dent
Marcus Ginyard, 6-foot-5 junior forward
Ginny is a streaky shooter. He rarely blows up but at times he can contribute from the outside. Carolina needs him more to be a lockdown defender. Expect him to guard Rush for most of the game.
Deon Thompson, 6-foot-8 sophomore forward
Thompson is a solid second man to Hansbrough. He scores about eight points, grabs about four rebounds and plays good defense. He's athletic and long and should match up well against Arthur.
Tyler Hansbrough, 6-foot-9 junior forward
It's safe to say that Hansbrough is at least the second best player in the country. He scores at will and rebounds about as good as any big man. Everyone raves about how hard he works, but he's also a tremendous athlete.
Danny Green, 6-foot-6 junior
If Hansbrough is the best player, Green is the best dancer. He's best known for giving his team energy during warmups with his dance moves and then during the game as a reliable slasher and shooter.
Rustin Dodd
Phog Allen Will Roll Over In Over In His Grave If...
Kansas loses by double digits. This would be a disaster. The season would end on a bad note, and to make matters worse, Roy Williams will have defeated his old school. The KU fans who haven't forgiven Williams will be inconsolable. They'll have new hatred for him and could turn on Bill Self, Here's the worst case scenario: North Carolina rolls and because of all the angst from fans, Self decides to split for Oklahoma State.
UNC TIPOFF
AT A GLANCE
Roy Williams has been dreading this day for five years. If he had it his way, North Carolina would never have to play Kansas. He still cares a lot about the Jayhawks and has to feel bad about the way KU fans have treated him since he left. People wondered if Williams was focused for the Final Four in 2003 when North Carolina courted him to be its coach. Will he be focused enough this time or will playing Kansas cause distractions? Williams has said multiple times this week that the game is about the players. It really isn't. This is still KU vs. Roy.
WHO TO WATCH
Tyler Hansbrough is going to score, but Kansas can handle that. The Jayhawks have beat DJ. Augustin and
—Bill Self
Ellington
Michael Beasley before. The key for the Tar Heels will be getting solid production from someone else. Ellington could be the guy. He can go for major scoring bursts a la Brandon Rush but hasn't been able to develop enough consistency to be a star this season. Ellington will be ready to go for this game and will provide some serious problems for Kansas.
Can Carolina play defense?
QUESTION MARK
Earlier this season, Roy Williams scolded his players for being lax on the defensive end. They could score all they wanted, but their defense was sub par. The Tar Heels played close games against Clemson and Georgia Tech
— teams they should have beat easily — because of their poor defense. Toward the end of the year, they started to tighten up. North Carolina defended well against top ACC teams such as Duke. In the tournament, Carolina has won easily because of its offense. Defense hasn't really mattered. It will matter against Kansas. The Jayhawks play tight defense, and the Tar Heels will have to at least make some stops if Kansas makes it a slow-paced game with a small number of possessions.
HEARYE. HEARYE
"Well, no disrespect to Kansas State, but it is different. Against Beasley, we did a great job with him and held him to 39 points, so there is a difference. Getting the floor spread allows Hansbrough to get more easy touches than Michael gets. So there are some differences there."
— Kansas coach Bill Self on the difference between Hansbrough and Michael Beasley.
JAYHAWK STATS
<table border="1"><tr><td>Player</td><td>Mins</td><td colspan="2">FG-FGA 3FG-3FGA</td><td>Rebs</td><td>Points</td></tr><tr><td>25 Rush, Brandon</td><td>29.3</td><td>164-388</td><td>78-18</td><td>5.1</td><td>13.1</td></tr><tr><td>00 Arthur, Darrell</td><td>24.3</td><td>202-372</td><td>2-12</td><td>6.1</td><td>12.7</td></tr><tr><td>15 Chalmers, Mario</td><td>29.7</td><td>154-295</td><td>70-147</td><td>3.1</td><td>12.7</td></tr><tr><td>32 Jackson, Darnell</td><td>24.3</td><td>163-263</td><td>2-6</td><td>6.7</td><td>11.2</td></tr><tr><td>04 Collin&#x27;s, Sherron</td><td>23.3</td><td>108-232</td><td>36-100</td><td>2.1</td><td>9.2</td></tr><tr><td>03 Robinson, Russell</td><td>27.6</td><td>81-192</td><td>34-106</td><td>2.8</td><td>7.4</td></tr><tr><td>24 Kaun, Sasha</td><td>17.8</td><td>105-167</td><td>0-0</td><td>4.0</td><td>7.3</td></tr><tr><td>05 Stewart, Rodrick</td><td>11.6</td><td>35-71</td><td>5-16</td><td>2.2</td><td>2.8</td></tr><tr><td>45 Aldrich, Cole</td><td>8.1</td><td>41-79</td><td>0-0</td><td>2.9</td><td>2.7</td></tr><tr><td>02 Teahan, Conner</td><td>3.2</td><td>16-27</td><td>12-20</td><td>0.5</td><td>2.3</td></tr><tr><td>14 Reed, Tyrel</td><td>6.5</td><td>18-35</td><td>11-24</td><td>0.5</td><td>2.1</td></tr><tr><td>10 Case, Jeremy</td><td>5.0</td><td>17-45</td><td>11-29</td><td>0.3</td><td>1.6</td></tr><tr><td>11 Bechard, Brennan</td><td>1.8</td><td>5-9</td><td>2-5</td><td>0.3</td><td>1.2</td></tr><tr><td>54 Kleinmann, Matt</td><td>2.3</td><td>3-7</td><td>0-0</td><td>0.7</td><td>0.4</td></tr><tr><td>40 Witherspoon, Brad</td><td>2.0</td><td>0-4</td><td>0-3</td><td>0.3</td><td>0.2</td></tr><tr><td>22 Buford, Chase</td><td>1.6</td><td>1-9</td><td>0-6</td><td>0.4</td><td>0.2</td></tr></table>
PREDICTION
85-83 Kansas
Kansas slows down the Tar Heels, barely. The Jayhawks win, and fans can finally get over the loss of Roy Williams from five years ago.
Teahan Three Point-o-Meter Will freshman walk-on Connor Teahan get the opportunity to play tonight? This meter tells all.
TAR HEEL STATS
<table border="1"><tr><td>Player</td><td>Mins</td><td>FG-FGA</td><td>3FG-3FGA</td><td>Rebs</td><td>Points</td></tr><tr><td>50 Hansbrough, Tyler</td><td>32.9</td><td>283-522</td><td>0-6</td><td>10.3</td><td>22.8</td></tr><tr><td>22 Ellington, Wayne</td><td>31.1</td><td>229-486</td><td>77-186</td><td>4.4</td><td>16.6</td></tr><tr><td>05 Lawson, Ty</td><td>25.2</td><td>138-264</td><td>29-81</td><td>2.7</td><td>12.8</td></tr><tr><td>14 Green, Danny</td><td>22.3</td><td>155-330</td><td>53-141</td><td>4.9</td><td>11.4</td></tr><tr><td>21 Thompson, Deon</td><td>21.3</td><td>140-291</td><td>0-0</td><td>4.8</td><td>8.4</td></tr><tr><td>01 Ginyard, Marcus</td><td>28.1</td><td>98-219</td><td>12-28</td><td>4.5</td><td>7.1</td></tr><tr><td>32 Stepheson, Alex</td><td>14.7</td><td>69-127</td><td>0-0</td><td>4.7</td><td>4.4</td></tr><tr><td>04 Frasor, Bobby</td><td>16.3</td><td>13-38</td><td>9-30</td><td>1.8</td><td>3.2</td></tr><tr><td>11 Thomas, Quentin</td><td>15.9</td><td>43-76</td><td>3-13</td><td>1.4</td><td>3.2</td></tr><tr><td>13 Graves, Will</td><td>5.2</td><td>27-67</td><td>19-42</td><td>1.5</td><td>2.3</td></tr><tr><td>40 Copeland, Mike</td><td>4.2</td><td>12-18</td><td>0-0</td><td>0.9</td><td>1.3</td></tr><tr><td>15 Tanner, J.B.</td><td>1.7</td><td>5-13</td><td>5-12</td><td>0.1</td><td>0.9</td></tr><tr><td>24 Wood, Surry</td><td>2.1</td><td>6-11</td><td>0-0</td><td>0.5</td><td>0.9</td></tr><tr><td>45 Little, Greg</td><td>1.5</td><td>2-11</td><td>1-6</td><td>0.5</td><td>0.5</td></tr><tr><td>02 Campbell, Marc</td><td>1.9</td><td>3-10</td><td>2-6</td><td>0.2</td><td>0.4</td></tr><tr><td>35 Moody, Patrick</td><td>1.9</td><td>1-7</td><td>0-0</td><td>0.5</td><td>0.3</td></tr><tr><td>30 Wooten, Jack</td><td>1.9</td><td>2-7</td><td>1-5</td><td>0.4</td><td>0.3</td></tr></table>
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