4B
KU 97 - KSU 70
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 8,2007
KEALING (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Coach Bill Self will tell you his team played great during both games; that they managed to finish on Wednesday when they quit during the last five minutes of Sunday.
That will tell you what's the big difference between the team that took the court Wednesday and the one that left the floor on Saturday.
"We've got to learn to close out games," sophomore guard Brandon Rush said. "This was one of the first games where we played 40 minutes."
Halleluja! Play 40 minutes. A great idea - one that could really turn things around. Never mind that the idea has always been to play from tip-off to buzzer.
This Kansas team has talent coming out of its ears. But, for some reason, the players seem to think that once they have a lead, it'll stick around. Maybe that worked in high school, but there are too many teams in college basketball that are too good for that attitude to get the team very far.
Everything seemed to go right for Kansas Wednesday night. The quart of inside men scored 41 compared to 22 points they had
Saturday, Freshman guard Sherron Collins said the forward's performance, especially off the bench, really were key to the game.
The unanswered question that is looming out there is whether the Jayhaws can win a game where everything doesn't go their way. Self said the biggest difference Wednesday was his team made shots
Can the Jayhawks win a game with their defense, when their shots don't seem to be finding the bottom of the net?
That's going to happen this season. If not during the regular season then during the tournament.
And the real question will be whether the jayhawks find a way to string things together and build a win. Or, will the team run away again, like it has four times this season?
If they do, check under the bleachers at Allen Fieldhouse. I didn't have a chance to check there Wednesday night.
"We've worked on setting lots of screens for people," freshman forward Darrell Arthur said.
Kealing is a Chesterfield, Mo., senior in journalism and political science.
where the domination originated
Edited by Mark Vierthaler
VICTORY (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Indeed, the layhawks scored 26 points on second chances. Self attributed that to the guards penetrating to the inside, and the big men following up on the rebounds.
"Our guards did a good job of getting in the paint," he said.
The victory brings a sense of relief back to Jayhawk fans, who had heard in the days leading up to the game that these Wildcats were a better team than had previously visited the fieldhouse.
"They're still tough," Rush said, "it just wasn't their night."
The players all talked of the need to put Saturday's loss to Texas A&M behind them.
In that game, the Jayhawks matched the Aggies physically, but were unable to turn possessions into
"There were a lot of similarities to Saturday," Self said. "The difference between being good and being great is if the ball goes in the hole."
That's what happened Wednesday for Rush, who finished with a team-high 18 points, as well as including four three-pointers.
points late in the game.
Freshman guard Sherron Collins, who occasionally guards Rush in practice, said that you have to step out to guard him when he shoots a three, because he's proven he can make it. Collins didn't have encouraging advice for future opponents.
"He can shoot and he can drive," he said. "I don't know how to guard him."
Kansen senior sportswriter Michael Phillips can be contacted at mphillips@ansan.com.
—Edited by Lisa Tilson
Darnell Jackson, junior forward, pushes past the Kansas State defense to shoot. Jackson contributed 10 points to theJackson 97-70 win over the Wildcats.
Lisa Lipovac/KANSAN
Russell Robinson. junior guard. blocks a shot by Kansas State guard Lance Harris. Kansas beat Kansas S
big 12 rankings
1. Texas A&M 20-3,8-1
2. Kansas 20-4, 7-2
3. Kansas State 17-7,6-3
5. Oklahoma 14-8, 5-4
3. Texas 16-7, 6-3
6. Oklahoma State 18-5, 4-4
7. Texas Tech 15-9,4-5
8. Nebraska 14-8,3-5
9. Missouri 14-8,3-6
9. Iowa State 12-11,3-6
9. Iowa State 12-11, 3-6
11. Baylor 12-10, 2-7
11. Colorado 6-13, 2-7
Top 3 Players
Rush
Brandon
Rush had a defensively strong game, up guarding Wildcat star Cartier Martin who scored
well below his season average. On
the offensive side, Rush netted 18
points, four of which were three-
pointers.
Jackson
Darnell Jackson
Jackson played 17 minutes.
recorded his third double- double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds
Arthur
Darrell Arthur was the best freshman on the court against the Wildcats. Despite fouling out, Arthur
scored 14 points and grabbed four rebounds.
1st Half
2nd Half
Anna Faltermeier/KANSAN
Kansas coach Bill Self instructs players from the sideline of Wednesday's game against Kansas State.
Michael Phillips/KANSAN
The Wildcats did a lot of scoring from the free throw line, which is not reflected on the shot chart. K-State made a total of 30 free throws, including a 7-of-8 performance from Cartier Martin, who has made 93 percent of his free throws during conference play. K-State also did well when they got the ball inside, but those opportunities were few and far between. Meanwhile the Jayhawks were able to effectively move the ball into the paint. In the second half, they had 19 layups, denoted by the green spreading out from the basket. Information compiled by KU Athletics.
ate.
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