THE UNIVERSITY JABY KANSAN
KU 92 - MU 74
5B
ball aga
first Missouri during Saturdays game in Columbia. Rush scored 21 points for Kansas, including three three-pointers and was 8-for-10 for shooting.
- Kansas got a visit from SportsCenter anchors Scott Van Pelt and Neil Everett during the game in Lawrence, but Missouri countered with Mike Hall and John Anderson on Saturday. The MU grads wore Bucknell and Bradley T-shirts.
In addition, the fans had their usual repertoire of distasteful and obscene chants and signs. One sign read: "If you cheer for KU, go kill yourself." If that is clever, then I must really be missing something.
> It was a tough shooting night for Russell Robinson and Mario Chalmer, who went a combined 2-of-13. They picked a good night to go cold, and those are two experienced players. They'll snap out of it, just like Brandon Rush and John Wright did when they had similar cold streaks earlier this year.
Coach Bill Self wore black sneakers as part of "Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness Weekend." Many coaches nationally joined the effort, which is taking place at www.cancer.org.
view from press row
My favorite, though, was when the official blew his whistle, pointed at coach Mike Anderson and gave the technical foul sign. The fans cheered, thinking the foul was against Kansas, and continued until the public address announcer said what happened.
"I told them, 'Their whole pregame is about Kansas. About winning in the fashion they did in the last two years. That should get you fired up.'" Self said.
> Before the Missouri players were introduced, the videoboard played a compilation of Tiger victories against the Jayhawks in recent years. Self told his players to watch it as a way of getting motivated for the game.
Missouri fans are the dumest in the Big 12, and it's not even close. First off, they boo everything. Sometimes they boo for no reason at all. Anytime a call was made against the Tigers, no matter how fair, they were out in full force. Then at halftime they pelted the referees while they were walking to the locker room with empty bottles, wadded-up paper and chewing tobacco canisters.
It wasn't the only reminders the players got. The Tiger football team was also introduced and brought out the Border Showdown drum they won in November
Michael Phillips
Freshman guard Sherron Collins goes up for a shot in the second half of the game against Missouri Saturday. Collins came off the bench to score 14 points and dive seven assists.
Top 3 Players
Wright
Julian Wright had a career- high 33 points to go with 12 rebounds, two blocks and a steal in 36 minutes of work.
Rush
Brandon Rush scored 21 points off 8-for 10 shooting and also pulled down seven rebounds.
Sherron Collins tame off the bench to score 14 points and dish out seven assists in 27 minutes.
Jayhawks run to victory
BY MARK DENT
COLUMBIA, Mo. — The concept is ob-so simple.
Do something good and you'll be rewarded.
And for Sherron Collins, that reward is running.
"It's always been if we make the other team shoot bad shots, we get the rebound and run," Collins said. "If they make basket, we have to walk it up. So on us if we want to run."
This greater amount of running, plus solid shooting and play in the paint, has allowed the layhawks to put more points on the board. They notched more than 90 points for the second game in a row and the third time in their last five games. Before this stretch, Kansas had only hit the 90-point mark twice all season.
The layhawks could run the ball as they pleased Saturday. Kansas defeated Missouri 92-74 largely because of transition points after beating full court pressure and a key stretch in the first half, where it held the Tigers without a field goal for several minutes.
A fast paced game was expected against the Tigers. Missouri used full-court pressure after almost every basket it scored.
But the Tigers' plan had one hitch; they couldn't score. Early in the first half, Kansas rarely let Missouri take
Wright benefited the most from the fast-paced play, scoring 33 points.
"The game was in slow motion to him today." Kansas coach Bill Self said. "He wasn't sped up. He was great."
a quality shot. The Jayhawks held the Tigers without a field goal for almost nine minutes. This gave Kansas the chance to run, and they did it well. It outscored Missouri 2-4 to two during that stretch, highlighted by seven points from sophomore forward Julian Wright.
Wright, whose speed and showtime playing style often led to turnovers, had a field day running on the Tigers. He beat the defense down the court for several easy layups and dunks in transition, highlighted by a two-handed throw down over Missouri's Kalen Grimes.
"Coach Self always said to catch it and go." Collins said. "And just go."
"I feel pretty comfortable." Wright said about playing fast. "As a big man, I think of layups all the time and the confidence of our guards. This tempo is pretty good, man. It's easier to play."
Collins said he also enjoyed playing at a fast pace. When the Tigers did score and set up their press, he had no trouble beating it. Collins used his quickness to dribble past traps and double teams.
and go and go because there's always someone behind you. So I just try to catch it and go."
Once Collins made it to the offensive end, he shared the ball with the big men. Big Jones dished out seven assists, with most of them going to Wright and junior forward Darnell Jackson.
Jackson and Wright scored easily, continuing the trend of dominance in the low post. Against Kansas State, the big guys accumulated 60 points in the paint, and they nearly did it again Saturday, scoring 58 against Missouri.
This streak of high-powered offense has a good chance to stay alive. Kansas' next three games are against Colorado, Nebraska and Kansas State. The lajhawks scored more than 90 points against the Buffaloes and Wildcats and had 43 points in the first half against the Huskers before slowing down in the second.
"We seem to be playing with a bit more confidence," Self said. "We seem to be attacking the lane better, and our shooting percentages are going up"
Kansan sportswriter Mark Dent can be contacted at mdent@kansan.com.
Edited by Ashley Thompson
---