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FRIDAY, MARCH 17, 2006
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 3B
Tournament
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Self knows that fans at Kansas have high expectations, especially come tournament time.
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If you like where you are, you better work your butt of to stay where it is," Self said. "It's not fair, but that's the reality of the way the game is when you coach at Kansas."
Kaun said that there was a distinct difference between this year's team and last year's team in that Self recruited nearly all of the players that are playing a significant role this season.
"This time we have a young group and a very coachable group," Kaun said. "He's just doing his job coaching us and just having fun doing it."
Kaun said he thought Bradley
and Kansas were similar.
They both feature a tall front court and a quick back court.
"They are a fast team and do a tremendous job pressuring the ball," Kaun said. "It's going to be a great match-up." Basketball Notes:
Should Kansas win tonight, the time of its game Sunday may change. Currently Kansas is scheduled to play at 11 a.m., which is the lone game being played, meaning it would be a national telecast on CBS.
Depending how Kansas' and other games play out, CBS can move start times.
Associate Athletics Director Jim Marchiony said Thursday that Kansas would find out after its game tonight, should it win, what time it would play Sunday — either at 11 a.m. or 30 minutes following the 11 a.m. game.
Edited by John Jordan
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He scored 17 points in his first game against Northern Iowa and grabbed 11 rebounds. His season really picked up toward the end.
He had a streak of five games in conference play where he averaged 19 points a game and the team went 4-1 during that streak.
O'Bryant arrived on NBA scouts' radar last summer when he attended the Michael Jordan Flight School in California and the Pete Newell Big Man Camp in Las Vegas. At that camp, he was roommates with Kansas sophomore center Sasha Kaun.
Kaun and O'Bryant have never played against each other in a game, but Kaun said he knew how talented the Bradley big man was, and said that it would be a challenge to slow him down in tonight's game.
"You have to make him feel you every possession, whether it's offense or defense," Kaun said. "You just have to play real physical with him. He's a big body and you have to play smart against him, you can't get in foul trouble."
O'Bryant said college recruiters doubted his desire and dedication to work hard.
Kansas will have one advantage when guarding O'Bryant and that's its depth at the forward position.
He said he used that as motivation every time he took the floor.
Kansas rotates four guys regularly, Kaun, sophomores CJ Giles and Darnell Jackson and freshman Julian Wright. Senior Christian Moody could see some minutes too.
Jackson said having so much depth at the front court positions could hurt O'Bryant when he faced off against Kansas.
"I think having so many guys available could hurt him because we all play a little different style of defense," Jackson said. "Not to mention, we'll all be fresher than he will."
— Edited by Meghan Miller
SPORTS
Game against Ole Miss rescheduled for Sunday
BY RYAN SCHNEIDER
rschneider@kansan.com
KANSAN SENIOR SPORTSWRIVER
After its first postseason victory in seven seasons, Kansas will take on Mississippi Sunday at 6 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse. The Rebels had a bye in the preliminary round of the WNIT.
The game was originally scheduled for Saturday afternoon, but Mississippi had problems finding a charter flight to Lawrence.
"It is actually good because it gives us two days instead of one," Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson said of the game being moved back a day. "Ole Miss is tremendously athletic."
The Rebels have one of the
nation's few point guards who averages a double-double on the season. Armintie Price, a 5-foot-9 inch guard, averages 17 points and 10 rebounds per game. Mississippi has three starters who average double-figures in points. The problem the Rebels will have against Kansas is its height. Mississippi only has one player over 6-2, while Kansas has three.
Mississippi lost in the semifinals of the Southeastern Conference Tournament to Louisiana State. 91-73.
As a team, Mississippi finished eighth in the Southeastern Conference with a 16-13 record.
Edited by Jodi Ann Holoptrek
Party
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When the Jayhawks were finally able to fatigue the Panthers it was a tie game at 39-39 with 9 minutes left. For the next 8 minutes, Northern Iowa did not make a shot from the field, ending any opportunity it would pull the upset and allowing Kansas to celebrate the victory in the game's final minutes. Kemp finished the game as the leading scorer, getting 18 points on 21 shots. Kemp also allowing Hager to block only two shots.
"I let her know I wasn't scared to shoot." Kemp said.
She added that it would be great preparation for players she might face if she decided to play professional basketball next year. The victory means Kansas will play the University of Mississippi on Sunday at 6 p.m. That game will be in Allen Fieldhouse. It will be the first round of the WNIT. Thursday night's game was part of the play-in round to narrow the field from 40 to 32.
"We had to prove that we were supposed to be in it," senior guard Erica Hallman said, "and I think we did a good job."
Henrickson said the team would try to build on the confidence it developed in Thursday's game, and perhaps nobody would be able to do that more than Kaylee Brown.
The senior guard had shot just 12-of-52 in her last six games, but found herself with an open look and a chance to put the game away with the Jeyhawks up seven and 3 minutes left. She drained a three and ran downcourt while getting high-fives from her teammates.
"It was good to see," Henrickson said. "It's been a while since we've seen her hit a big bucket in the corner."
Brown finished with nine points, and Hallman had 13, but the game was won inside, where Kemp and freshman forward Marija Zinic combined for 31 points. It was a typical March game, with both sides fighting for position and trying to muscle out the other players.
"At first you've got to play with the refs to see what you can do," Kemp said. "After we all figured it out we were able to go in there and get some good ones that probably should have been called on both ends."
Kansas will have two days to recover before taking the court again against Mississippi and getting another opportunity to extend the season.
"I was so anxious the entire week," freshman guard Ivana Catic said. "I couldn't sleep. I just want a chance to stay in the game and keep playing."
Edited by John Jordan
Carlv Pearson/KANSAN
Freshman forward Marija Zinic defends a Northern Iowa player Thursday night in Allen Fieldhouse. Zinic played for 23 minutes and scored 13 points in the first round of the WNIT.
Zinic
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With Northern Iowa's defense focused on stopping All-Big 12 senior forward Crystal Kemp in the paint, Zinic had numerous open looks at the basket.
"They doubled Crystal the whole time," Zinic said. "Basically, I was wide open. I was just trying to find a way to make the wide open shots."
Zinic's ability to knock down the open shots enabled Kansas to close a six-point Northern Iowa lead early in the second half. With the Jayhawks trailing by three with 9 minutes remaining, Zinic pulled down an offensive rebound, scored the basket and was fouled, giving her team the lead for good. Northern Iowa coach Tony DiCecco said Zinic was a better player than he realized when scouting Kansas before the game.
"I thought that Zinic did a good job and stepped up, which was the difference in the game," DiCecco said.
Zinic's play in the paint enabled Kemp to score easy baskets after UNI stopped doubling Kemp to focus on Zinic.
"She was able to finish tough shots," Kemp said. "She got on a roll being aggressive and that's what we need her to do."
For Zinic, the game marked the second consecutive game she scored in double figures off the bench. She scored 13 points against Northern Iowa and a career-high 14 points against Kansas State in the Big 12 Conference Tournament.
Zinic's teammates have credited part of her strong finish to the season to her adjustment to the English language. Zinic, a Novi Sad, Serbia and Montenegro, native, had never been to the United States before last fall.
"I think she had gotten more comfortable with the language and just her understanding of the game has become so much better," freshman guard Ivana Catic said.
Edited by James Foley
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