Sports WE WILL BREAK YOU THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2010
Game day poster inside
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Remember your Kansan for tonight's game.
Senior night success Swimming & diving wins final home meet of season. SWIMMING | 3B
KANSAS 84, IOWA STATE 61
PAGE 1B
Cole Aldrich on the rebound
The big man leads Kansas with 19 points
BY COREY THIBODEAUX
cthibodeaux@kansan.com
twitter.com/cthibodeaux
AMES, Iowa—The things ailing Cole Aldrich earlier this season don't seem to affect him anymore.
The All-American version of the junior center made one of his rare appearances this season, leading the Jayhawks with 19 points and 11 rebounds in their 84-61 victory against the Iowa State Cyclones Saturday.
For the past few months, life took its toll on Aldrich. Bronchitis slowed him down earlier this season and his grandmother, Ann Aldrich, passed away last weekend after struggling with lung cancer.
After the game, Aldrich displayed his characteristically upbeat attitude.
"It it just feels good to be back," he said. "I've been through a lot of slumps this year and been through a lot of stuff. It's tough. It weighs on me. But I'm just going out and giving my heart."
Now Aldrich is healthy and has had time to grieve for his grandmother's passing. Coach Bill Self said those factors are the main reasons for his resurgence.
Aldrich even admitted this has been a disappointing season thus far.
"I do think that's a big part of it with him," Self said. "He's got a bit of a freer mind now."
"I would say other than one game, I really haven't played up to my standards or the guys on the team's standards," he said. "Other than that Memphis game, I've been sub-par, but it's coming back for me."
The other reason for his big performance Saturday was the
Weston White/KANSAN
Junior center Cole Aldrich turns for a jump shot in the middle of the paint Saturday afternoon against Iowa State. Aldrich led Kansas to a 84-61 victory with 19 points and 11 rebounds.
SEE RECAP ON PAGE 8B
Weston White/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Senior guard Sherron Collins shoots the ball over Missouri guard Zare Taylor on March 1, 2009 at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks will host the Tigers at the Fieldhouse tonight.
Mizzou, Border Showdown looms
BY COREY THIBODEAUX
cthibodeaux@kansan.com
twitter.com/c_thibodeaux
MIZZOU GAME DAY
The Border Showdown.
If the vast amount of students camping in Allen Fieldhouse since Thursday isn't enough to explain what this rivalry means to Kansas, junior center Cole Aldrich can sum it up in one word.
Inside today's Wave.
PAGE 10
"Mizzou," he said. "All you've got to say is 'Mizzou.'"
"The Fieldhouse is going to be rocking," he said. "It's a rival game and one of those hardnose
The Jayhawks play host to the Tigers for their first matchup of the season tonight. Aldrich has a feeling this game will trump any played in Lawrence all year from an energy standpoint.
games that you're going to have to get on the floor and really fight."
Last season, the Jayhawks and Tigers split the series, each winning at home. In their loss at Missouri, the Jayhawks committed 27 turnovers, a perfect example of what their pressure defense can do.
SEE PREVIEW ON PAGE 7B
COMMENTARY
Henry adds depth to Jayhawk bench
C. J. Henry couldn't physically get on the bus to Ames, Iowa, after getting undercut
in practice
Xavier Henry's game pretty much stayed in Lawrence too. In 19 minutes in Kansas' 84-61 victory against Iowa State, Henry hit just 2 of 10 shots and missed all six 3-point attempts. The game that had Kansas fans drooling in November and December wasn't anywhere near Hilton Coliseum.
Self noticed. If he stayed on the bench in the second half any longer, the state of Iowa might have pressed loitering charges.
Because of Self's philosophy to only worry about the game at hand, Henry will need to get back on track in Kansas' Big Monday showdown with Missouri tonight. Sherron Collins, Cole Aldrich and Brady Morningstar all played more than 30 minutes in a game that was realistically over midway through the second half.
BY CLARK GOBLE
cgoble@kansan.com
twitter.com/clark_goble
Coaches Karen Lange and Bonnie Henickson walk off the floor after Kansas lost 81-69 to Oklahoma. The loss was the second straight for the Jayhawks, donning them to 11-7 on the season and .4 in Ain't 12 Conference play.
I understand that Self wants Aldrich to get back into All-American shape and since he was visibly tired in the second half, that's a good idea. But giving Morningstar the most minutes he's played this season 53 hours before
a hectic rivalry game seems a little silly.
Missouri coach Mike Anderson will have his Tigers at their typical frenetic pace, trying to make the layjahays endure 40 minutes of hell. Or at least 40 minutes of a less-than-comfortable-environment. Guards and posts alike will be breathing hard.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Missouri's press will create more possessions, which will turn up the tempo. Self will be forced to use more bodies than usual, maybe enlisting Elijah Johnson at times.
If Collins gets wined, Henry needs to be willing to attack the press and get to the basket. He's made just six of 25 three-point attempts in Big 12 play, so he needs
SEE COLUMN ON PAGE 9B
Sooners overwhelm Jayhawks, 81-69
BY MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
twitter.com/mrothman
NORMAN, Okla. — If Wednesday was an excruciating gut check, Saturday's game against Oklahoma was the settling reward. Well, for a few minutes at least.
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN
Then a harsh reality reared its ugly head: Kansas was brutally overmatched and fell 81-69 at No. 13 Oklahoma.
In a game that began so differently from Wednesday's 53-42 loss at Iowa State, the layhawk bench looked as shocked as the speechless Sooner crowd. Kansas jumped out to a 16-6 lead in the opening nine minutes with a collective and diverse effort.
"We came out with a lot of energy," senior guard Sade Morris said.
Senior guard Danielle McCray was scoring again and forwards sophomore Aishah Sutherland and freshman Carolyn Davis were having their way in the paint. Even senior LaChelda Jacobs was running a serviceable point guard.
"We threw out a pretty good punch in the first half," Morris said.
enough.
Then Oklahoma junior guard Darnielle Robinson had seen
for a lavup.
Putting the scoring responsibility on her shoulders, the preseason second team All-American drove to the hoop with premier quickness, either passing outside to an open shooter or continuing
Robinson successfully achieved what few previous opponents had done before: expose Morris's defensive weaknesses. Morris simply struggled to contain a much speedier Robinson.
"She's a great playmaker," Henrickson said.
Robinson also exhibited suffocating defense with her vision and awareness.
SEE OKLAHOMA ON PAGE 10B