4B
KU 88 - UT 84
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, MARCH 12, 2007
Illinois, Kentucky may be favorable opponents
BY MICHAEL PHILLIPS
OKLAHOMA CITY — The brackets have been announced, the pairings are in, and the Jayhawks are playing against ...
Well, we don't know vet.
Kansas (30-4) was deemed the fourth best. No. 1 seed, meaning it will face the winner of the play-in game, which will be between Niagara (22-11) and Florida A&M (21-13) Tuesday night.
"I'm not sure that's all bad. We had that when I was at Illinois" coach Bill Self said. "I think we need to step back and take a breath, get our batteries recharged."
The Jayhawks will face the winner on Friday in Chicago.
"The good thing about it is that playing on Sunday, we get an extra day," Self said. "Monday will be an off day, Tuesday we'll look at Villanova and Kentucky a little bit, then after Tuesday night we can focus on the winner of the game."
Looking ahead and imagining various scenarios are activities synonymous with March Madness, and there's plenty to analyze in the lavahwks bracket.
If Kansas wins Friday, it faces the winner of Villanova (22-10) and Kentucky (21-11) on Sunday. Kentucky is a big-name team that hasn't fared as well as it would have liked this season.
"We're more familiar with Kentucky because we played them last year," sophomore guard Mario Chalerms said.
"I tell you what," he said, "I hope we play illinois, because that means we both won two games. I don't pull against those guys at all."
The second weekend would take place in San Jose, Calif. Illinois enters as a 12 seed, but Self's old school would catch the Jaylwaters if they could pull a pair of upsets.
The odds favor a Kansas game against Southern Illinois (27-6). The Salukis were the dominant team in the Missouri Valley
Conference this season.
On the bottom half of the bracket are Pittsburgh (27-7) and UCLA (26-5). The Bruins have a homestate advantage, as their opening round is in Sacramento and the second round would be in San Jose.
Most analysts listed them as the No.1 seed in the West, but they lost on the opening day of the Pacific-10 tournament, which, combined with Kansas' tournament victory, may have cost them the top seed.
Nationally, the tournament selection committee pulled an upset of its own by selecting Florida (29-5) as the best team in America instead of Ohio State, which was ranked No. 1 in both national polls.
"We've had that two years in a row now, with Colorado not being chosen last year," he said. "Our conference had three of the best five teams in college basketball this season."
In the Big 12 Conference, the surprise story was Kansas State (22-11) not making the tournament, a decision that Self called "ridiculous."
Sunday's game was further proof of the high-calibre of play at the top of the Big 12, and it almost overshadowed the selection show itself. By the time the layjacks had finished cutting down the nets, the show was beginning.
"I checked my watch, and thought, "We've got to end this right now," Self joked.
"We've just got to be ready for that first game," sophomore forward Julian Wright said.
The layhawks will have plenty of time to analyze the bracket in the coming days, but they refused to do much speculation on Sunday, citing historical precedent.
Kansan senior sportswriter Michael Phillips can be contacted at mphillips@kansan.com.
— Edited by Lisa Tilson
Amanda Sellers/KANSAN
Amanda Sellers/KANSAN
Coach Bill Self holds up the net after the Kansas victory against Texas in Oklahoma City Sunday afternoon. This was Self's second consecutive Big 12 victory. The Jayhawks will take on the winner of the Florida A&M and Niaqara game on Friday, March 16.
Freshman forward, Darrell Arthur, lobs a basket over Connor Atchley. The Kansas bench scored 28 of the final 88 points. Foul trouble with starting players later in the game let bench players see more time on the court.
Sharon Collins, freshman guard, shoots past Texas defender James during the final game of the Big 12 Championship in Oklahoma City. Collins was the top spinner for the Jayhawks putting up eight field-goals and two three-point shots. The Jayhawks defeated the Longhorns in overtime. BB-84.
before he could pass it away. After making the free throws, he pounded his chest three times; once for his mother, once for family friend Don Davis and once for his grandmother, who passed away last year.
After winning the game and cutting down the net, Darnell ran to the stands and hugged his mother.
BIG 12 (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
"It was unbelievable," she said. "It's just amazing to be a part of something like that."
--created a high-demand ticket.
Having the top seed has its perks, and the Jayhawks spent the weekend in the New Orleans Hornets' locker room, usually inhabited by the NBA team that moved after Hurricane Katrina.
"I like it a lot," sophomore guard Brandon Rush said. "This is an NBA room, so there's big chairs and couches and lots of space."
It was also an improvement from the room they got last year in Dallas. When fitting 12 schools into an arena where usually two teams play, sacrifices were made. The lajhawks ended up in an auxiliary locker room that was lacking in amenities like personal space.
"This is another level," he said. "I'm surprised they don't have more than this."
Still, sophomore guard Mario Chalmers was surprised that the Hornets didn't get the luxuries that have become common among NBA teams — things like plasma TVs and card tables.
All the players were impressed, though, by one feature that must have been a welcome sight after a year of hotel rooms. The showers were of NBA calibration, including nozzles that were high enough for even the tallest players.
When he woke up Monday morning, the Big 12 Tournament was the farthest thing from Darrell Arthur's mind.
He woke up with a sharp pain in his chest and struggled to breathe. He feared he may have been suffering a heart attack. After calling his mom, he walked from his lajayawk Towers apartment to the Allen Fieldhouse trainer's room. From there, he was driven to the hospital, where doctors told him he was suffering from a lung virus.
As the virus cleared up, doctors cleared him to gradually increase his playing time, going from 10 minutes on Friday to near-full participation on Sunday.
"It was a little gas that got caught inside and made it hard for me to breathe." Arthur said. "They said it was just a mild virus that was going to be gone by the end of the week."
It was a rough weekend medically for Arthur, as his playing time was interrupted when he took a knee to the groin during Sunday's game.
"He tried to come back and give it a go, but they felt that he had a pretty good bruise," coach Bill Selt said. "He's just going to have to grind it out and play through it, because we need him."
"I think the virus is out now," he said. "I've got to go to the doctor in the morning for more tests."
I thought my ears were playing tricks on me, so I did a double-take. Sure enough, I had heard the man correctly. The scalper had two fingers thrust into the air.
"I need two for the women's game," he velled at nobody in particular.
Perhaps the best sign that Oklahoma City welcomed the Big 12 Tournament with open arms is this: the women played to sellout crowds all week, with tickets for the final game selling for twice what they were initially worth.
--created a high-demand ticket.
It was the first time the city had hosted the tournament, and the throngs of Oklahomans combined with the visiting swarm from Kansas
The hottest were for Saturday's men's games, featuring both Kansas and Oklahoma State.
Keith Preston, Valley Center graduate student, made the five-hour drive to the arena with his wife. Valerie, but the two watched the game on a television set up outside.
The ticket market boomed when hometown favorites Oklahoma State upset Texas A&M on Friday night. Anticipating some fans would leave, tournament organizers sold 13,000 tickets to the championship game, which took place in the 11,000-seat Cox Convention Center. Organizers guessed correctly, and the stadium was packed as Oklahoma defeated Iowa State.
"We'll try to buy tickets after a team loses," he said. "Right now, it's too expensive. They're asking for $100."
After the game, the party moved down the street to Bricktown, where jawhawk fans dominated the area bars.
"There's a lot of stuff to if you're 21, David Piatt. Needs deaher seni, said.
Back at their hotel on Friday and Saturday, the Jayhawks passed the time between games.
"We just get off our feet for a while and enjoy the win," freshman guard Sherron Collins said. "We'll go to the hotel and be around each other."
Unlike other teams, the Jayhawks aren't surprised when they win.
--in the NCAA tournament West Region.
Coach Bill Self said they treated the first two victories with a business-like attitude instead of partying.
"They're just ready to get back to their rooms and play PlayStation," he ioked.
With Kansas playing early in the day, the players had the afternoons to themselves while the assistant coaches remained at the Ford Center to scout out the opponent.
During dinner, the coaches showed video of the next opponent, stopping occasionally to offer insights into possible match-ups and weaknesses.
Self said that this year's team was particularly good about keeping its focus in hectic situations like the tournament.
"If our guys aren't focused, then we won't have a chance to go very far," he said. "So many things could throw your focus off. It could be agents, runners, media requests, friends, girlfriends, family members, tickets, cell phones. All of the sudden you start trying to be something to a lot of people, and you've lost it."
That hasn't happened to this year's team. Left to themselves after the scouting session, the players didn't tear up the town.
"You've got to get away from basket, ball for a while," Robinson said. "We'll watch a movie and play some cards."
Now that two of their big goals have been achieved, they head to Chicago to chase a third.
Perfection is the goal in March, as the Jayhawks begin to put their regular season success behind them. Their new chant was unveiled after Self brought down the last pieces of the net. It's simple, but catchy.
--in the NCAA tournament West Region.
"I love the way this team is playing," sophomore guard Brandon Rush said. "Everything is going perfect right now. We're playing well on defense and on offense, and we're running up the court like we're supposed to"
Throughout the season, the Jayhawks finished their huddles by yelling "Big 12 champs" in unison. Last weekend, they shifted their battle cry to "tournament champs".
"National champs."
Kansan senior sportwriter Michael Phillips can be contacted at mphillips@kansan.com.
Edited by Katie Sullivan
Champions take short rest, focus shifts
O KLAHOMA CITY — Bill Self didn't get all gung-ho about being the No.1 seed
Good thing Self and his squad can rest up before their first-round game against the play-in game winner Florida A&M or Niagara in Chicago.
"I'm pretty worn out right now, so I wasn't ecstatic," Self said. "I thought we'd get a one seed, but I'm tired."
Coming off one of the most impressive wins in the Big 12 Tournament against Texas, 88-84, Kansas deserves, and needs, some rest.
BY DREW DAVISON
KANSAN SPORTS COLUMNIST
DDAVISON@KANSAN.COM
Sophomore guard Brandon Rush took over the game Sunday to carry the jayhawks to back-to-back postseason conference championships
Rush, who played 44 of the 45 minutes against Texas, not only scored 19 points, but played great defense on Texas freshman sensation Kevin Durant.
"I tried to pressure him; make him use his right hand a lot more," Rush said.
THE |
It worked. Durant had 19 of his 37 points at the 7:37 mark in the first half. Then Rush began guarding him.
Now, the layhawks' focus shifts from winning the Big 12 to winning the NCAA tournament.
Rush and his team overcame the best college basketball player in the country and cut down the nets for a second time this season, locking up a No.1 seed.
Upsets happen all the time in the tournament, but not in the No. 1 vs. No. 16 match-up. The West Region appears to have favorable match-ups for the Jayhawks. But, realistically, two or three teams in the country have the talent and depth of Kansas, those being Florida, North Carolina and, arguably, Ohio State.
The potential second-round match-up for the layhawks will be against recognizable basketball programs, Kentucky and Villanova. Kentucky has Randolph Morris
Free first
After two first round exits, however, Self and his team aren't looking ahead.
and Villanova has Scottie Reynolds, both great players. Outside of them, neither team poses any glaring problems for Kansas.
"We got to stay focused on what we are trying to do and that's get past the first round." Rush said.
Self and his team have four days to rest up after an exciting weekend in Oklahoma City.
"I really am not that fired up right now." Self said. "But. I will be"
Come Friday, the team and the fans will be too.
Davison is an Overland Park senior in journalism.
— Edited by Lisa Tilson
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