8B
GAME DAY / WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
KU
TIPOFF
AT A GLANCE
These teams have two of the top defenses in the Big 12 and they feature the league's top two shot blockers — Ekpe Udoh (4.4 per game) and Cole Aldrich (3.7). Kansas and Baylor rank No.1 and No.2 in both field goal percentage and field goal percentage defense. The Jayhawks are 14-2 all-time against the Bears, splitting last year's season series 1-1. The last time these teams played, Baylor won 71-64 in the 2009 Big 12 Championship. Kansas was the No.1 seed while Baylor was a No. 9 seed. Baylor went on but lost to Missouri.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Xavier Henrv
We all know Sherron Collins
can score whenever he wants. Re-
cently, Henry said he would defer to his senior leader when the pressure was
Henry
high. But Collins countered by challenging the freshman to step up more offensively. This game will be fast-paced and suited to Henry's style, so now would be the time to prove that he can keep up with Collins, even if he won't admit it.
How will the Jayhawks at tack the zone?
QUESTION MARK
Baylor plays a 2-3 zone and the team has a lot of length. The Jayhawks had trouble against zone defenses this year when they couldn't establish a post game and resorted to jumpshots. Don't expect a huge game from Marcus Morris or Cole Aldrich. Brady Morningstar and Sherron Collins said the key was to keep the ball moving and hit open shots.
"If you just rely on shooting three-pointers all game, if you're hitting them that's good," Morningstar said. "But if you're not, you've got to get some other ways. I guess we'll see how we play."
HEARYE HEARYE
"Well I'm neutral. And, uh, can they both lose?"
— Before the Texas and Kansas State game Monday, coach Bill Self ksed about which team he would root for.
KANSAS ENTERS THE ZONE
The Bears' stellar 2-3 zone defense awaits the Jayhawks tonight. NO.3 KANSAS VS. NO.25 BAYLOR 8 p.m., ALLEN FIELDHOUSE, ESPN2
Collins
KANSAS (16-1) STARTERS
Sherron Collins, guard
Collins said he would enjoy this game because of Baylor's fast style. He leads the Jayhawks with 15.6 points per game, which is good for 10th in the Big 12. He is hitting 86.2 of his free throws, second in the league, and is currently going on 11 straight makes.
Taylor
Tyshawn Taylor, guard
The sophomore has scored double figures in two of the last four games,but was ineffective for the most part against Texas Tech. He played a season-low 12 minutes in that game. Taylor ranks 11th in the Big 12 with 3.7 assists per game and is 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio with 1.9 per game.
The two-time Phillips Big 12 Rookie of the Week is second on the Jayhawks with 15.1 points per game. His point production has dropped off significantly in the past few weeks, but it took a small step forward after he scored 14 against Texas Tech. The zone coverage Baylor plays will give Henry plenty of chances to knock down shots. If he does, expect 20-plus.
Xavier Henry, guard
Henry
Marcus Morris, forward
Morris
Morris has averaged 19.5 points in his last two games. But we've seen flashes like this dissolve into ineffectiveness. He has vowed to keep the aggression through the rest of the season, so maybe the benching against Nebraska worked. He ranks third on the team behind Collins and Henry, scoring 11.6 points per contest. He is second on the team with 5.4 rebounds
Cole Aldrich, center
per game.
Aldrich is one of three players in the Big 12 averaging a double double, with 10.8 points and 10.2 rebounds. A teary-
Aldrich
eyed Aldrich talked Monday about losing his grandmother, Ann Aldrich, over the week-end. Her health was weighing on his mind and some have speculated that it was affecting
that it was affecting his play. But neither Aldrich or coach Bill Self would ever admit it. "He's an absolute stud," Self said after announcing Aldrich's grandmother's passing on his weekly "Bill Self Show."
SIXTH MAN
BRAITH MAN
Brady Morningstar, guard
The revolving door of six men contin-
ues to benefit the buoyant Girls.
The revolving door of sixth men continues to benefit the Jayhawks. Each game
a new hero emerges and Morningstar is at the forefront at the moment. He had a season-high eight points and six rebounds against the Red Raiders, in addition to a platoon of
defensive gems. In eight games this season he has 26 assists to only eight turnovers.
Morningstar
Corey Thibodeaux
BAYLOR
(14-2)
STARTERS
Carter
Carter is listed at 5-foot-11, but Sherron Collins has at least a couple inches on the pint-sized Baylor point guard. It hasn't provided too much of a problem for Carter, who is the leading assist man in the Big 12 with 7 per game. He can also score when he has to, averaging 15.3 points per game.
Tweety Carter,guard
If Carter is passive in his shot selection, then Dunn is relentless. He's a natural scorer who can put the ball in the basket from anywhere on the floor. His 56 three-pointers lead the team, as do his 99 field goals. Dunn averages 19.1 points per game, good for third in the conference.
Dunn
Anthony Jones, forward
Jones is a monster at small forward, measuring 6-foot-10. His length will make him a nightmare for Xavier Henry when the Jayhawks have the ball, as the Bears play a tenacious 2-3 zone that is particularly successful because of the Bears' length. It may make sense to combat Jones' size with Marcus Morris at the three, but Bill Self nixed tha in the week.
Jones
Ekpe Udoh, forward
Udoh may be the most complete player on the Baylor roster. He has an Aldrich-esque defensive presence, leading the Big 12 with almost 4.5 blocks per game, and he can change the course of a game on either end of the floor.
He averages just more than game and a conference
He averages just more than 14 points per game and a conference-best 11.4 reboundss.
Udoh
Josh Lomers,
center
Lomers' biggest contribution is his wingspan. A legitimate 7-footer, Lomers anchors Baylor's zone defense with a
steady veteran presence under the hoop. He's solid offensively, averaging 7.2 points per game, but is a surprisingly poor rebounder. He averages 3.8 per game.
Lomers
SIXTH MAN
Quincy Acy,guard
Acy is an absolute weapon off the bench and continues the flow of guards with passing-lane-filling length. He stands at 6-foot-7, meaning he can come off the bench at either
forward position without a huge drop in defensive presence. He averages 9.1 points per game.
Acy
Tim Dwyer
BAYLOR TIPOFF
ATAGIANCE
The Jayhawks have the ability to break the Bears' zone if they don't turn the ball over. That will likely translate into increased minutes for Brady Morningstar — who may start ahead of Tyshawn Taylor.
and Tyrel Reed, both of whom have a reputation as smart players. The biggest threat at the Jayhawks present is their three-joint shooting ability. The easiest way to beat a zone defense, other than getting the ball inside, is to knock down perimeter shots. The Jayhawks' 42 percent mark from distance tops the conference.
PLAYERTOWATCH
Marcus Morris
LaceDarius Dunn
Dunn has been on a rampage since conference play began,
Beveringham
12-best
25.3 points per game. Brady
Morningstar,
Tyshawn Taylor and Tyrel Reed
will split time
defensively on Dunn, but,
silencing him.
Dunn
is likely out of the question. If they are able to slow him down to the tune of 15 points or so, the Jayhawks should roll.
QUESTIONMARK
Who wins the battle at power forward?
Ekpe Udoh's is a force on both sides of the ball, as detailed to the left, but Marcus Morris hasn't been bad himself since the Jayawicks entered conference play. Morris' 19.5 points per game and 7.5 rebounds in Kansas' two conference games lead the team. Udoh is right there behind him with 13.7 points and 11 rebounds in Big 12 play.
HEARYE, HEARYE
"Like he said, nobody can beat you if they can't score on you."
- Sheeron Collins, asked about why Sell was upset the last time Baylor visited Kansas, a 100-90 lot of 90 layhawks victory
BIG 12 SCHEDULE
Game
Time (CT) TV Channel
6:30 p.m. TTSN
8 p.m. ESPNU
ALLEN FIELDHOUSE WILL ROCK IF...
The Jayhawks come out sniping. The goal of a zone defense like Baylor's is to stop the ball from getting inside, so hot shooting from three-point range renders it basically ineffective. Don't be surprised if Tyshawn Taylor's minutes are cut again in favor of Tyrel Reed and Brady Morningstar, both of whom are better shooters from distance.
PHOG ALLEN WILL ROLL OVER IN HIS GRAVE IF...
SCHEDULE
Kansas commits 15-plus turnovers. Eight to 12 turnovers will happen against a defense with the Bears' collective length and one-man block party, Ekpe Udoh, in the paint. If the Jayhawks give away many more possessions than that, though, the Allen Field-house faithful could get silenced in a hurry.
Prediction:
KANSAS 84, BAYLOR 71
Date Opponent TV Channel Time
Jan. 23 at Iowa State ESPN 1 p.m.
Jan. 25 MISSOURI ESPN 8 p.m.
Jan. 30 at Kansas State ESPN 6 p.m.
Feb. 3 at Colorado ESPN2 8 p.m.
Feb. 6 NEBRASKA ESPNU 5 p.m.
Feb. 8 at Texas ESPN 8 p.m.
Feb. 13 IOWA STATE ESPNU 7 p.m.
Feb. 15 at Texas A&M ESPN 8 p.m.
Feb. 20 COLORADO Big 12 Network 3 p.m.
Feb. 22 OKLAHOMA ESPN 8 p.m.
Feb. 27 at Oklahoma State ESPN 3 p.m.
March 3 KANSAS STATE Big 12 Network 7 p.m.
March 6 at Missouri CBS 1 p.m.