THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2008
KANSAS 109, TEXAS TECH 51
5B
CASE (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
minutes of the game. But in the second half, as Max Falkenstein said after the game, Case found the zone.
Kansas led 77-36 with 10:31 left in the game. Case proceeded to make a three-pointer on three of the jayhawks' next four possessions. After he sunk his last long ball, he handed out two assists. The run sparked by Case extended the KU lead to 93-40 with 7:14 remaining.
Kansas played brilliantly on offense all night. The Jayhawks scored a season-high 109 points, made 14 three-pointers and shot an absurd 59.7 percent for the game. Heck, the walk-ons came in with about six minutes left and still ran up the score.
"I could've taken Kobe tonight," Robinson said, referring to Lakers star Kobe Bryant. "Brennan Bechard could've taken Kobe tonight. Everybody was playing today."
The energy level was high for the second game in a row. Self talked earlier this season about peaking at the right time, in late February and early March. After back-to-back solid performances, Kansas might be doing just that.
"Just in this six day stretch," Self said, "we've looked like a totally different team."
Regardless of how much he plays in the next month, Case knows the end of his final season will be special. He's glad he stuck around through the tough times. Now, Case said he was happy to have years of memories and connections that would help him make it in his planned coaching career.
"I'm going to always be a Jayhawk," Case said. "It's in my blood now."
That's something all five seniors can say. Self said this class, the first one he's ever coached from the beginning to end at any of his coaching stops, matured in times of adversity to turn into one of the most successful classes in school history.
"To see them go through tough times," Self said, "and rally around each other, I take great pride in that...We couldn't have a better group of guys to represent us."
**Senior guard Russell Robinson battles Texas Tech guard John Roberson for possession in the backcourt during the first half. The Red Riders kept control of the ball on the scramble, whistled them for a 10-second violation. Robinson scored 15 points on perfect 5-for-5 shooting from the floor and 2-of-2 from the free-throw line.**
Robinson finds last game meaningful
—Edited by Sasha Roe
》 COMMENTARY
Jon Goering/KANSAN
KANSAN SPORTS EDITOR ckeefer@kansan.com
Russell Robinson's parents were nervous.
Theresa and Russell Robinson, Sr., who traveled from New York to be at Kansas' senior night, thought they may have worn out their son by constantly hanging around him the last few days.
Turns out Russell, Jr., wasn't the least bit tired. In fact, he was the one that exhausted the Texas Tech Red Raiders by leading Kansas to a 109-51 victory in his final game at Allen Fieldhouse.
You could see it in Robinson's eyes from the beginning. When the Jayhawk seniors were introduced at the start of the night, the other four seniors laughed and smiled.
Not Robinson. Behind the tears flowing down Robinson's face was a look of determination and finality. His lips were sealed and his eye brows stretched up to his forehead.
"It hit me," Robinson said. "It hit me that this was my last game. It is the last time I'll be out there."
He scored a team-high 15 points on a perfect five-for-five from the field. He also nailed three three-pointers and distributed three assists. Robinson said he could have guarded Kobe Bryant last night. The combination of offensive precision and defensive efficiency helped Robinson tear apart the Red Raiders like a long-distance relationship.
"That was a great way to go out," Robinson said. "It is definitely one I will remember - probably the one I will remember the most."
There's no disputing that
senior night belonged to senior guard Jeremy Case. For one night,
Case, who scored nine points on three three-pointers, was Allen Fieldhouse's favorite javhawk.
But without Robinson, Case would have never received the opportunity to make the raffers rumble. Robinson made sure all of his teammates got an opportunity to check into the game by putting away the Red Raiders at the beginning of the second half. Down by 23 at halftime, it was going to take a miracle for Texas Tech to get back in the game. Robinson made sure that didn't happen. He scored eight points in just more than two
minutes before checking out and watching his teammates continue the thumping.
There are quite a few point guards in America, North Carolina's Tyvon Lawson and Texas' DJ. Augustin come to mind, that are more talented than Robinson. Heck, there is probably one, sophomore Sherron Collins, on his team who's more skilled.
But none of those guys mean close to as much to their team as Robinson does to the Jayhawks. A two-time recipient of the "Mr. Jayhawk" award, Robinson embodies everything Kansas coach Bill Self wants his program to be. No
one competes, works or adjusts their role better than Robinson. And when Robinson gets that look in his eyes, Kansas isn't going to lose.
"Hopefully, if everything goes according to plan we could be back here making another speech in a couple of weeks," Robinson said at the end of his senior speech.
He is, of course, alluding to winning a national championship. If Robinson can play like he did against the Red Raiders, anything's possible.
Edited by Mandy Earles
SENIORS (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
points.
In his last game at Allen Fieldhouse, Robinson never hesitated and led Kansas' scoring barrage with 15 points. Kansas' floor leader didn't miss, shooting 5-of-5 from the field.
"I was feeling it." Robinson said.
That was just the opening act. Jackson displayed his soft shoot
notes
Sensational Senior Nights
A legend watching
ing touch to the tune of 10 points, and banged around Texas Tech's big men inside.
Well, a North Carolina high school basketball legend at least. Buzz Peterson, who was a more prized recruit out of high school than Michael
Sasha Kaun, with his mom in the stands, returned to the starting lineup and added 10 points.
It's been a while since Kansas last lost on a Senior Night. Back in 1982, the Jayhawks fell to Iowa State 63-61. That team, coached by Ted Owens, finished with a 13-14 record. Since then, Kansas has won 26 straight.
Then it was Jeremy Case's turn to heat up.
Jordan, watched the game as director of player personnel for the Charlotte Bobcats. Peterson played college basketball at North Carolina and later laced at Appalachian State, Tulsa and Tennessee. He took over at Tulsa after Bill Self left for Illinois.
Great communication
Self was very pleased with all five seniors' speeches after the game. "I told them writers for Bush, McCain, Obama or Clinton couldn't have done any better."
After missing on his first few attempts, Case finally rattled a three-pointer home with 9:53 to play in the second half. Case's father, Win, rose to his feet and slapped high-fives with Rodrick Stewart's father, Andrew.
"I got goosebumps," Case said after the game.
Moments later, Case did it again, draining a three-pointer from the left wing. He added another one, and then Stewart brought the house down with a three-pointer of his own.
One of Pat Knight's assistant coaches leaned over and asked Texas Tech's coach if he wanted a time-out. Knight just shrugged and shook his head no.
Self said this is the first senior class he's ever recruited and seen all the way through.
Not even time-outs could stop Kansas's seniors on this night.
"Seniors usually play pretty well on senior night," Self said. "That's the way it should be."
"I normally don't get emotional
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"We've been through it all," Jackson said. "We're just going to have to stay together as a family when we leave here. I know we're going to do that, because we're too close as a team. We look at each other like brothers."
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First Half
PRIME
7:06 - Texas Tech guard John Roberson knocks down a wide open three-pointer from the top of the arc. He converts on an identical shot 30 seconds later to bring Texas Tech within eight of Kansas.The Jayhawks respond by going on a 21-2 run to end the first half.
With 2:43 left, and Kansas leading 101-48, Bill Self reinserted his seniors for one final encore. One minute later, the quintet came off one-by-one and took one final bow. Robinson, the two-time Mr. Jayhawk award winner, walked off the Allen Fieldhouse floor for the final time and gave Self a bear-
publicly. "Self said. "But 1 almost choked up before the game"
5:54 - Sophomore guard Sherron Collins attempts to lob the ball to freshman center Cole Aldrich for an alley-oop. The pass lacks enough height for that to happen but Aldrich pulls it down anyway and goes over a Red Raider for a goal-shaking slam.
Second Half
2:57 - Sophomore forward Darrell Arthur grabs a rebound below the north basket. He looks up to find a streaking senior guard Russell Robinson at the other side of the court. Arthur winds up and throws a baseball-pass, which Robinson turns into two easy points.
5 seconds - Junior guard Mario Chalmers drives into the lane and goes up for a shot before Texas Tech forward D'walyn Roberts and center Esmir Rizvic cut him off. With his back to the basket, Chalmers tosses the ball to Arthur, who slams it home. The two run off the court laughing at the bizarre nature of the play.
17:30 Junior guard Brandon Rush loses his shoe. Rush still manages to pick up a loose ball and bring it down to the other side of the floor. He fails to make a wide-open three but doesn't slow down a step for more than 30 seconds without a shoe.
10:31 D-walyn Roberts sees an opening and takes the ball to the paint. He doesn't see Cole Aldrich, though. Aldrich elevates well above the rim and ferociously swats Roberts shot toward press row.
8:19 - Senior guard Jeremy Case nails his third three-pointer in less than two minutes. Case last scored in January against Nebraska, three games ago. But tonight, he receives a deafening applause from the Allen Field-house fans.
3:56 - Walk-on senior Brad Witherpoon drives down the baseline but is fouled. Witherpoon displays calmness from the charity stripe and hits both free-throws. The two points are Witherpoon's only points of the year and brings his career total to four points.
-Case Keefer
the HIGH low HIGHS
Russell Robinson Sr.
Senior night at Kansas is always special: the roses, the tears, the speeches and the fans. But something else impressed former Jayhawks' player Wayne Simien, who visited Allen Fieldhouse for the Colorado game on Feb. 16. "They're all going to graduate" Simien said
Yep, Robinson, Stewart, Darnell Jackson and Sasha Kaun will join Jeremy Case as KU graduates. Case graduated last spring.
Junior guard Russell Robinson finished with 15 points, but it was his dad who was the happiest man in the house. Russell Robinson Sr., a spitting image of his son, sat sevens row behind the Texas Tech bench and never stopped smiling.
The Red Panda Acrobat
Sure the basketball is great, but the half-time act alone is always well worth the price of admission. Monday was no exception. This act had me hooked at "Unicycle bowl flipping."The High/Low is always down for anything that includes a unicycle, an acrobat, and flipping cereal bowls on you're head with your feet.
LOWS
Possible Parent Trap?
Forget Senior Night for a minute. Senior guard Rodrick Stewart and his twin brother Lodrick Stewart could have really made things interesting on Monday night. Lodrick, who finished his playing career last season, sat 10 rows behind the Texas Tech bench. But don't you wish Rod and Lod would' have reenacted the movie, the Parent Trap? Imagine a scenario where Lodrick posed as Rodrick, and Rod comes out of the stands to give his senior speech. Wouldn't that be the top sports prank of all-time?
Missing the General
No offense to Pat Knight, but couldn't have his father, Bob, waited to coach in Allen Fieldhouse one more time before leaving the sideline. Knight resigned from Texas Tech on Feb. 5, and who doesn't already miss his white hair and black sweater vest?
Rustin Dodd
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