8B
GAME DAY
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY MARCH 9 2007
KU TIP-OFF
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
The Jayhawks need to win this game to stay in the running for a No.1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. From there, things get a little fuzzier. Some analysts think the Jayhawks have to win out this weekend to be a top seed, others think beating Oklahoma would be enough.
STAR WATCH
Freshman guard Sherron Collins. In a close late-game sit-
ation, all eyes will be on him as he tries to handle Okla-homas pressure defense. He had bursts of success in Norman, but ultimately junior guard Russell Robinson was given the ball in crunch time. It'll be a good early-March test for the freshman.
QUESTION MARK
CAN KANSAS PUT THE GAME AWAY EARLY?
In an ideal world, the Jay-
hawks will go into half-time with a double-digit lead, put the game away to start the second half, and be able to rest key players for the rest of the week-end. Otherwise, fatigue may become an issue on Sunday.
3 REASONS KILWINS
TWO — Looking for No. 1. Kansas knows it needs a win to secure a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and that's one of this team's main goals for the season. Much like the Big 12 title, they're not going to let it slip away.
**THREE** — Home-court advantage. The game may be in Oklahoma, but the Big 12 Tournament will always be a series of Jayhawk home games. It's also a homecoming for coach Bill Self, who is from the area.
READY TO REPEAT
Kansas begins road to its second consecutive Big 12 Tournament
KANSAS VS. OKLAHOMA 11:30 Today, Ford Center, ESPN+
Kansas 27-4
OFFENSE
Only one thing worked for Oklahoma the last time these teams met, so you can expect lots of pressure defense today. Guards Sherron Collins and Russell Robinson will have to advance the ball up the court against double and triple-team defenses from the Sooners. If they can do it, there will be open teammates waiting on the other end.
"We've got good ball handlers, but you can't dribble against two or three people," Collins said after the game in Norman. "Your teammates have to make the right cuts." That will likely be an easier task today as Oklahoma tries to find some energy after a close game against Iowa State less than 24 hours ago.
DEFENSE
The Big 10 Conference may have games that end with scoring in the 50's, but for my money, the Jayhawk defense is still the best in the country. If Kansas takes a big lead early, the unit may put on the brakes to save energy for a full weekend of basketball, that includes a possible Sunday showdown with either Texas or Texas A&M. Coach Bill Self said he wants his teams focused for the full 40 minutes so they don't drop possessions like they against Texas A&M in Lawrence. "We've learned that one-possession games will determine the success of our postseason," he said. "We've got to take advantage of each possession.
Oklahoma 16-14
If the Sooners had found a way to score in the first half against Kansas the first time they played, they would have won that game. Oklahoma doesn't have enough firepower on offense and goes through too many stretches where it has trouble scoring. That was evident against Iowa State yesterday. The Sooners managed a five-point victory but only after coughing up a 14-point lead. It's too late in the season now for anything to be corrected or for a star to develop. But if Oklahoma is able to play an entire 40 minutes offensively, it could be a tough out for Kansas.
OFFENSE
MOMENTUM
The game may take place less than half an hour from Norman, but don't expect the crowd to be pro-Sooners. The Big 12 Tournament has always been a big event for Kansas boosters, and this weekend is unlikely to be any different. Self said that the biggest advantage will probably go to the other Oklahoma school. "I would think that Oklahoma State would, because their fans are really into it," he said. "OU will probably have an advantage over any team they play, but that's okay. I would think there will be a lot of Kansas people getting tickets to the game." The lunchtime tip-off will probably also keep some people away who won't get to Oklahoma until Friday night.
DEFENSE
Ask freshman Sherron Collins if Oklahoma's defense is any good. The Sooners used a full-court pressure that bothered Collins for the entire second half. Collins didn't score a point. But Collins wasn't alone, the full-court press hassled the entire Jayhawk offense. Kansas scored only 67 points and turned the ball over 16 times. The Sooners have used their defense to carry the team the entire season. It has never been their problem. Even during Oklahoma's six game losing streak, it held each opponent to 72 points or less. If
he full court pressure is just as successful as it was in Norman, the Sooners will at least be able to stick around for the entire game.
MOMENTUM
It is tough to have a whole lot of momentum after coming off a six-game losing streak, but the Sooners have to be feeling pretty good about their chances. First, they finally ended the streak by defeating Iowa State yesterday. It wasn't a spectacular victory, but now they remember how to win. The biggest thing Oklahoma has going for it is the Ford Center. The Sooners are playing less than an hour away from campus. The fan support in Oklahoma City will be tremendous and spark Oklahoma. Finally, the Sooners played the Jayhawks better than any team since Texas A&M. They figured out how to stop Kansas the first time and have confidence that they will be able to do it again.
Mark Dent
OU TIP-OFF
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
The Season. If Oklahoma loses, it has to hop on I-35 and head back to Norman. There is no postseason guarantee for the Sooners. In fact, they don't have a chance for the postseason unless they win the Big 12 Tournament. At 16-14, the NIT is not going to be calling their number.
STAR WATCH
Senior guard/forwad Nate Carter Carter
was Oklahoma's leading scorer during conference play and really improved while Longar Longar was
Carter
suspended and then struggled after his suspension. Against Iowa State yesterday, Carter scored 22 points and only made five field goals. The reason? He was 12-13 from the foul line. He needs to be able to drive and draw fouls against Kansas today for his team to be successful.
QUESTION MARK
CAN THE FULL COURT PRESS WORK AGAIN?
There's no doubt that OU's pressure gave Kansas fits in the first meeting between these two teams. But hey, the Jayhawks are the No.2 team in the country. Surely they will know how to adjust the second time they see it. The Sooners have to find away to change and improve their full court press so it will surprise Kansas again.
ONE — Ford Center Curse. Kansas could have some reservations about playing at the Ford Center. That's where the Jayhawks lost to Bucknell in the first round of the NCAA Tournament two years ago.
TWO — Sooners' Postseason. This is it for Oklahoma. The Sooners will be playing all-out because this could be their last game. The Jayhawks could overlook the Sooners, who will be prepared to spring the upset.
**THREE** — Jeff Capel. His old team, Virginia Commonwealth, is headed to the NCAA Tournament. Capel will want to prove he can not only assemble talent, but that he can coach it as well. He could do that by defeating Kansas.
3 REASONS OU WINS
| Player | Avg. Min. | FG-FGA | 3FG-3FGA | FT-FTA | Avg. Pts |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Brandon Rush | 32.1 | 148-345 | 59-143 | 70-102 | 13.7 |
| Mario Chalmers | 29.1 | 129-267 | 48-122 | 70-91 | 12.1 |
| Julian Wright | 27.6 | 154-281 | 3-12 | 61-96 | 12.0 |
| Darrell Arthur | 19.6 | 134-251 | 0-4 | 56-87 | 10.5 |
| Sherron Collins | 22.1 | 106-212 | 41-96 | 38-51 | 9.4 |
| Russell Robinson | 28.0 | 65-150 | 20-62 | 59-90 | 7.0 |
| Sasha Kaun | 17.3 | 78-141 | 0-0 | 26-49 | 6.5 |
| Darnell Jackson | 14.8 | 61-105 | 0-0 | 52-81 | 5.6 |
| Brady Morningstar | 6.2 | 11-22 | 3-7 | 4-5 | 2.2 |
| Jeremy Case | 5.5 | 10-26 | 7-22 | 1-1 | 1.8 |
| Matt Kleinmann | 4.8 | 5-9 | 0-0 | 3-4 | 0.9 |
| Rodrick Stewart | 5.9 | 7-24 | 5-11 | 1-8 | 0.8 |
| Brennan Bechard | 2.0 | 1-2 | 1-2 | 0-0 | 0.3 |
| Brad Witherspoon | 1.6 | 1-6 | 0-2 | 0-0 | 0.2 |
Collins
JAYHAWK STATS
Sherron Collins 5'11"200 vs. David Godbold 6'5"215
Godbold
KEY MATCH-UP
It's time for the real Collins to come back. Bill Self said Collins could have made a case as Kansas' best player for the first 14 conference games. Then against Oklahoma something happened. He couldn't penetrate or beat the press. For the first time, he looked flustered. Against Texas he didn't do much better, not scoring again. Collins did have five assists against the Longhorns, but his scoring is important for the Jayhawks to be successful later in the NCAA Tournament. Oklahoma gives Collins the chance to turn things around against David Godbold and the Big 12
SOONER STATS
Player Avg. Min. FG-FGA 3FG-3FGA FT-FTA Avg. Pts.
Nate Carter 23.0 116-238 5-14 95-111 11.4
Longar Longar 26.9 121-217 0-0 46-81 10.7
Michael Neal 29.0 85-221 48-155 51-64 10.0
Tony Crocker 22.7 89-194 31-89 36-49 8.4
David Godbold 27.8 76-212 42-123 25-35 7.6
Austin Johnson 23.9 77-190 37-103 25-27 7.4
Taylor Griffin 23.0 66-163 2-20 48-73 6.3
Bobby Maze 18.4 50-109 1-8 14-19 5.8
Keith Clark 12.2 14-33 5-16 9-17 3.8
Kellen Sampson 2.8 4-10 4-9 3-4 1.4
Chris Walker 9.2 9-20 3-8 6-20 1.1
Beau Gerber 3.6 3-9 0-0 1-4 0.7
.