8B
GAME DAY
THE UNIVERSITY JAIDY KANSAN
FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 2007
FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2007
KU TIP-OFF
WHAT'S AT STAKE
The Jayhawks would remain in the four-way tie for first place in the Big 12 with a victory. With Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, and Kansas all knotted up, every victory will be key to finishing high in the conference - and securing a high tournament seed.
STAR WATCH
Sophomore forward Julian Wright busted out of a short slump with a dominating performance against Baylor. Wright
Wright
said he made an effort to contribute in all areas of the game, instead of just scoring points. If he has another game like
Wednesday's, he will reclaim his spot as one of the team's best players.
QUESTION MARK
CAN KANSAS BE PATIENT AGAINST AN OPPONENT LIKE COLORADO?
While not a great team, Baylor had good enough players that a comeback was not impossible. If the Jayhawks can take a big lead in the first few minutes Saturday, will they be able to keep their focus and put away the Buffaloes?
3 REASONS KU WINS
ONE — Somebody will step up. There are enough good players on the team that even if a few Jayhawks have a bad game, somebody else will have the hot hand and knock down shots.
TWO — Colorado is not very good. Even Missouri was able to beat this team by double-digits. If the Buffaloes pulled out an upset, it would be the Jayhawks' worst loss of the season. The Buffaloes only win was against Iowa State, who isn't as good as everyone initially though.
**THREE** — Home court advantage. Students haven't been able to see a game since school resumed last Friday. They'll likely show up in droves for a Saturday afternoon game.
HURTIN'HERD Jayhawk's take on Big 12's worst team KANSASVS. COLORADO 12:30 p.m.Saturday, Allen Fieldhouse, Channel 15
Kansas 17-3,4-1 Big 12
Offense
In the first half against Baylor, Kansas returned to its bread-and-butter of getting the ball inside the paint. But coach Bill Self pointed out after the game that while the offense was better, there is still room for improvement. In the first half, Kansas shot 64 percent from the field, and in the second half Baylor outshot the Jayhawks 42.4 percent to 39.4 percent. Also, knowing when to press for a basket and when to slow down and run a play is a tough skill – and one the Kansas guards are still perfecting.
Defense
This might be the best defense in America. Granted, it helps when the opponent goes 1-for-17 to open the game, as Baylor did on Wednesday, but the Jayhawks contributed to that with airtight defense and good communication among teammates. There's no reason to think that they won't hold the Buffaloes to a low point total.
Colorado 5-11, 1-5
Offense
It is highly unlikely that Colorado's anemic offense will muster more than 65 points against Kansas' defense, which is one of the Big 12's best. Junior guard Richard Roby, who thought about entering the NBA Draft last June, leads the Buffaloes in scoring, but his numbers have gone down significantly since last season. Roby's downward spiral has shot Colorado to the bottom of nearly offensive category in the Big 12. The only good news is that freshman Xavier Silas has led the team in scoring the past three games, showing that someone else on the team is capable of making a basket.
It's hard to tell which is worse for Colorado: its offense or its defense. Give the nod to the D. Any opponent that plays against the Buffaloes is likely to have its best offensive game of the season, because on average, Colorado allows 78.8 points per game in the Big 12. Only two Big 12 teams average more points per game than that, so it is extremely hard not to have a field day against the Buffaloes' defense. A lack of big men contributes to Colorado's defensive problems. Only one player taller than 6'9" averages more than 10 minutes per game.
Defense
CU
TIP-OFF
WHAT'S AT STAKE?
Pride. The Buffaloes have nothing to play for, and realistically, they haven't had anything to play for the entire season. At no point this year did Colorado have any chance for postseason play or even a winning record. The players can only play hard during Saturday's game and hope for the best.
STAR WATCH
Freshman Xavier Silas has
given bulls fans hope for the future.He's led the team in scoring during the past three games, scoring a combined 59 points against Iowa State,
Silas
Nebraska and Missouri, Silas,
a guard, is already a good all-
around player. He's shooting
the long ball at 34 percent clip
and he has the quickness to
beat his man off the dribble.
QUESTION MARK
CAN COLORADO WIN IN ALLEN FIELDHOUSE?
The last time the Buffalofoes beat the Jayhawks in Lawrence was in 1983. That year, Larry Brown's boys lost to Tom Apke's team 75-74. Kansas has only lost to its neighboring state five times in Allen Fieldhouse history.
3 REASONS CU WINS
ONE — A scoring explosion. Richard Roby has scored 30 or more points twice this season. For Colorado to have a chance, Roby will need to score a minimum of 25 points.
TWO — Karma. The ball is bound to bounce Colorado's way sometime this year. After having everything go wrong from Ricardo Patton's resignation to snowed out games, perhaps something will finally go right for the Buffaloes.
**THREE** — Tae Kwon Do. TV commentators used to harp about how Patton practiced martial arts in his spare time and how it made his Colorado teams tougher. To win this game, the Buffaloes will need anything to give them a lift, even Tae Kwan Do.
JAYHAWK STATS
| Player | Avg. min. | FG-FGA | 3FG Pct. | FT-FTA | PTS Avg. |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Brandon Rush | 32.5 | 96-231 | .391 | 46-70 | 13.7 |
| Mario Chalmers | 28.4 | 81-169 | .363 | 38-48 | 11.5 |
| Darrell Arthur | 21.1 | 93-177 | .000 | 43-63 | 11.5 |
| Julian Wright | 27.6 | 94-174 | .222 | 37-60 | 11.4 |
| Sherron Collins | 20.0 | 66-129 | .460 | 16-22 | 8.9 |
| Sasha Kaun | 18.2 | 49-83 | .000 | 16-29 | 6.7 |
| Russell Robinson | 28.9 | 34-90 | .308 | 47-69 | 6.4 |
| Darnell Jackson | 14.5 | 38-68 | .000 | 34-50 | 5.5 |
| Brady Morningstar | 7.0 | 8-17 | .250 | 0-0 | 2.1 |
| Jeremy Case | 6.9 | 5-17 | .267 | 0-0 | 1.4 |
| Matt Kleinmann | 5.6 | 3-5 | .000 | 1-2 | 0.9 |
| Rodrick Stewart | 6.2 | 4-14 | .429 | 0-5 | 0.7 |
| Brennan Bechard | 1.6 | 0-0 | .000 | 0-0 | 0.0 |
| Brad Witherspoon | 1.4 | 0-3 | .000 | 0-0 | 0.0 |
Robinson
KEY MATCH-UP
Russell Robinson
6'1"200
vs.
Dominique Coleman
6'3"180
Coleman
If these two guard each other during the game, it will be a match-up of two steady, experienced players. Coleman is the only senior for the Buffaloes who gets a decent amount of playing time and helps his team in other ways than scoring. He hands out the most assists and grabs the second-most rebounds of anyone on his team. Robinson has struggled at times this season, but he is still Kansas' most experienced ball-handler. Against Baylor, he had four assists and only one turnover.
BUFFALO STATS
| Player | Avg. min. | FG-FGA | 3FG Pct. | FT-FTA | PTS Avg |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Richard Roby | 31.2 | 91-258 | .237 | 63-85 | 16.7 |
| Xavier Silas | 29.9 | 61-156 | .343 | 35-53 | 11.3 |
| Dominique Coleman | 27.6 | 67-139 | .200 | 33-53 | 10.8 |
| Jermyl Jackson-Wilson | 24.1 | 47-89 | .000 | 36-54 | 8.1 |
| Jeremy Williams | 19.3 | 44-92 | .308 | 22-38 | 7.1 |
| Kal Bay | 21.7 | 32-97 | .364 | 13-17 | 6.6 |
| Marcus King-Stockton | 18.8 | 26-59 | .000 | 12-26 | 4.0 |
| Dwight Thorne II | 15.0 | 10-45 | .125 | 6-10 | 1.9 |
| Sean Kowal | 8.3 | 5-13 | .000 | 6-9 | 1.0 |
| James Inge | 3.7 | 3-7 | .000 | 1-3 | 0.7 |
| Chase Perkowski | 3.8 | 1-1 | .000 | 2-2 | 0.8 |
| Marc Van Burck | 4.0 | 0-4 | .000 | 2-2 | 1.0 |
| Trent Beckley | 2.0 | 0-1 | .000 | 0-0 | 0.0 |
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