Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Jayhawks No.1 in AP Poll
Kansas has held the top spot for two weeks. MEN'S BASKETBALL | 8B
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2010
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KANSAS 80, TEXAS 68
Offense pushes team forward
BY MAX VOSBURGH
mvosburgh@kansan.com
twitter.com/MVsports
If you bet that the Jayhawks two preseaon All-Americans would be the ones branding the Longhorns on Monday night, you were wrong.
Jayhawks overtake Longhorns
"Who would have ever thought that going into the season that wed win at Texas with Sherron and Cole going 5-for-23?" Bill Self asked after the game.
Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich did just shoot a combined 5-for-23 from the field, but Kansas still won by 12 points in Austin.
This game was a showcase of Kansas' talent away from Collins and Aldrich.
From the beginning, Kansas did an outstanding job of spreading the ball around. The trend continued and 12 minutes into the game, three Jayhawks had taken five shots, two had taken three, two had taken one and one had taken four.
"It was a good win because we're becoming a team," Self said. "We're not having to rely on one or two guys. Other guys are stepping up."
This balance was a key to the layhawks' 22-0 run that separated them from the Longhorns in the first half. During that 22-0 run, seven different players scored and no one person scored more than five points.
Marcus Morris is one player who helped turn attention away from Collins and Aldrich.
SEE VOSBURGH ON PAGE 4B
Morris has quickly become Mr. Reliable for the Jayhawks. He led the team with 18 points and was second in rebounding and assists.
Sophomore forward Marcus Morris slams down a dunk. Morris scored 18 points and had four assists during 29 minutes on the floor.
Weston White/KANSAN
Marcus, Xavier save Kansas from slow start
BY COREY THIBODEAUX
cthibodeaux@kansan.com
www.twitter.com/c_thibodeaux
AUSTIN, Texas — Marcus Morris sat after the game tapping his dislocated finger on the table.
"I can't really feel it; it's cool," he said about his right middle finger. "It's not going to stop me from playing. I tore something."
Despite the damaged digit, Morris continued his Big 12 surge, leading the Jayhawks with 18 points and eight rebounds in their 80-68 victory against Texas Monday.
But it wasn't as competitive of a game as most expected. In the first five minutes, Texas looked like the better team, and Kansas could do nothing except turn the ball over.
All of a sudden, trailing 8-14, the Jayhawks came alive, going on a 22-0 run with solid defense and mistake-free offense.
Finally, after a series of games where the Jayhawks looked anything like No.1, they showed it against the Longhorns.
Xavier Henry had a strong showing with 15 points on 6-of-13 shooting, but didn't notice his team was taking over the previously ranked No.1 Longhorns.
"I didn't even know we went on a 22-0 run. I was just excited to be playing," he said. "I knew we were scoring and playing good defense. I was just watching."
They also showed on the glass, where the Jahawhys outrebounded the Longhorns 45-34 even both were regarded as two of the biggest teams in the nation.
"We have a lot of fault on our team as far as rebounding and defending," Morris said. "I think we came out real aggressive. I think we took the first punch and never let up."
He blamed his unsuccessful night on Texas' Dexter Pittman.
The length of the Longhorns did make life difficult for Cole Aldrich. Aldrich, who did have six blocked shots, went 2-of-10 from the floor and ended up touling out with just under four minutes to go.
"There's a few I should have kicked out, but there are some big guys down there," he said.
But the layhawks held on in a drawn-out finish to an otherwise uncompetitive game.
Aldrich was hit with a technical for throwing an elbow after the play was blown dead. He said it was unintentional.
Coach Bill Self said he was glad to get through a game like this, as weird and unpredictable as it was.
Free throws off the technical and an-and-one play by Texas brought the Longhorns within eight with about 3:40 to go.
"It didn't have any rhythm either way, which probably helped us." Self said. "But it feels good to win a muddy game."
Edited by Sarah Bluvas
Junior center Krysten Booagard shoots over Kansas State forward Branshea Brown. Booagard hit 3-of-4 from the field for six points in the 70-60 win at Allen Fieldhouse on Sunday.
Jerry Wang/KANSAN
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Henrickson challenges forwards' performance
BY MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
twitter.com/maxrothman
Senior guard Danielle McCray tore the ACL in her left knee during Thursday's practice, promptly ending her career at Kansas.
Without their best long range shooter, the Jayhawks have slightly changed their plans and brought things inside.
So when Kansas defeated Kansas State 70-60 Sunday, it was derived from a recipe of doing more of everything that McCray didn't.
"We've got to establish an inside game, throw it to them early to give them some confidence and get some bigs in foul trouble," coach Bonnie Henrickson said.
Freshman guard Monica Engelman assumed McCray's starting position and led her team in scoring with a career high 16 points in a full 40 minutes of play. But Engelman is no McCray. Skillwise, someday perhaps. Role-wise, as of now, nowhere close.
"I think she went 4-for-6 in the sets that typically are for Danielle," Henrickson said. "But Monica's
been in that spot as Danielle's been in foul trouble."
Engelman was efficient in converting six-of-nine shots Sunday, but her shooting totals indicate that she is a popular option, but not the primary one. Through 20 games this season, McCray averaged just below 16 shot attempts per game. In only one of those 20 games did she attempt fewer than 10 shots
as Engelman did Sunday in a full 40 minutes. Reason being for the lone anomaly, McCray was benched because of severe foul trouble. She recorded just 28 minutes of play in a 54-49 victory against UCLA on Dec. 3.
approximate seven extra shots that McCray fired away, someone else is.
"She's got to keep people off the glass. I challenge her daily to be better on the defensive boards."
That's where Henrickson considers some interior design.
"We need production from the posts," junior forward Nicollette Smith said. "Bonnie has been pounding that into our brains."
Henrickson didn't even bother playing junior guards Marisa
By no means is this a criticism of Engelman. It would be unwise of her to shoot as much as McCray in her first career start, especially considering the success that she had by taking just nine shots. But if Engelman isn't taking those
BONNIE HENRICKSON Head coach
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"She's got to keep people off the glass." Henrickson said. "I challenge her daily to be better on the defensive boards."
Henrickson allotted bench minutes based on her team's needs. She gave Smith and Boogaard a total of 29 minutes, while senior Kelly Kohn was the only guard off the bench with just three minutes.
"Yesterday I felt like it was the right thing to do," Henrickson said. "I felt like our kids never got real fatigued."
Despite using a three guard starting lineup, 35 of Kansas' 70 points were scored by forwards and centers.
The emphasis on getting the ball to the post players cashed in when one might have thought that the only prize had just gone down to injury. No McCray, no problem. Kansas forced the ball inside and attacked the rim for high percentage and often uncontested shots. As a result, Kansas finished with a pristine 56 percent shooting from the field.
"I don't think we took a bad shot in the game," Morris said. "We were getting layups and knocking down free throws and that helped our percentage."
Edited by Kristen Liszewski