Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Track loss still a 'success'
Track team falls to Missouri, but boasts individual victories SPORTS | 1B
TUESDAY, JANUARY 19,2010
New face, same old game Jayhawks make repeat mistakes WOMEN'S BASKETBALL |1B
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COMMENTARY
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/KANSAN
KANSAS 89, TEXAS TECH 63
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Balance is key to success
BY MAX VOSBURGH
mvosburgh@kansan.com
twitter.com/MVsports
Although senior guard Sherron Collins scored only nine points in the Jayhawks' victory against Texas Tech on Saturday, things couldn't have gone any better.
To prove this point, simply consider the Jayhawks' last five games.
What separates this team from so many others in college basketball is depth. Depth spreads points among many players, making it more difficult for the other team to stop one high-scoring player. When Collins is forced to do it all, bad things normally happen.
Kansas had success against Temple in Philadelphia Jan. 2, easily winning 84-52. In that game, no one had an outstanding point total. Collins scored 14 points but wasn't the lead scorer; freshman guard Xavier Henry was with 15 points.
Sophomore Marcus Morris had 13 points and junior center Cole Aldrich had 10. Sophomore guard Tyshawn Taylor nearly scored in double digits with eight points.
The Jayhawks struggled against Cornell at home on Jan. 6. They trailed most of the game and were fortunate to come out with a 71-66 victory. As a team, the Jayhawks made just 37 percent of their shots. Collins had 33 points, almost half of the team's total points. Only two other players scored in double digits.
In Kansas' 76-68 loss at Tennessee on Jan. 10, the Jayhawks continued to struggle shooting and made just 38 percent of their shots. Collins led the team with 22 points, and, again, only two other players scored in double digits.
Then Kansas defeated Nebraska 84-72 Jan.13. Collins led the team with 22 points but three other Jayhawks scored in double figures.Like in the Temple game, no one had a point total that stood out.
Kansas showed enormous passion and energy in the Big 12 home opener versus Texas Tech Saturday. The Jayhawks won easily 89-63. Collins scored only nine points, while three Jayhawks scored in double figures and six had seven or more points.
Marcus Morris led the team with 20 points and was the third different leading scorer in the last five games.
The bottom line is, if the Jayhawks don't rely Collins to do all the scoring, they'll win easily. They struggle most when they become flustered and begin looking to Collins on every possession. Collins is an outstanding player, but Kansas plays best when he blends in with the pack
Edited by Sarah Bluvas
where the players in with the pack.
If the Jayhawks distribute
the scoring evenly like they did
against Texas Tech, they should
capture their sixth straight Big 12
Conference championship with
few problems.
Jayhawks cruise past Red Raiders
Junior guard Tyrel Reed hustles to grab a loose ball against Texas Tech. Reed had three assists and five points in the Javahawks 89-63 victory.
Weston White/KANSAN
Morningstar, Reed deliver on defense against Texas Tech
BY COREYTHIBODEAUX
cthibodeaux@kansan.com
twitter.com/c/thibodeaux
At times during Kansas' 89-63 win against Texas Tech, junior guards Tyrel Reed and Brady Morningstar had a stretch where they looked more like freshmen than seasoned veterans.
Despite several errant passes and uncharacteristic miscues, Kansas coach Bill Self still stuck with the duo because of one thing: hustle.
"I thought he went brain dead a couple possessions when he turned it over — he and Tyrel both," Self said of Morningstar and Reed. "But they both played so hard and got us some extra possessions."
Those mistakes were overshadowed by their continued intensity on defense and plays that don't show up on the stat sheet.
With the help of Morningstar and Reed, the Red Raiders only managed to shoot 32.8 percent from the field and their leading scorer, Mike Singletary, was held scoreless.
Last year, Reed's role was to shoot threes off the bench and Morningstar's role was to defend. But with a multitude of scorers and athletic players, their roles have taken on new meanings.
For instance, Reed only finished with five points. With a career-high three steals and consistent ball pressure, his biggest contribution came on the defensive end, which Self said is new for Reed.
But it's not as if Reed's offensive efficiency has deteriorated.
"He's become a guy that doesn't have to make shots to play well," Self said, "I think that's really positive."
Reed is averaging five less minutes per game than he did last year, but his field goal percentage is up from 40.7 percent to 45.3 percent from the floor — 41.2 percent from behind the arc.
"My shot feels good. Guys are getting me open," Reed said. "Nothing more than that."
The same can be said of Morningsta, who missed the first nine games due to suspension. Though his percentages are up, he's a far cry from the 30-plus minutes he gave the Jayawhaws last year.
"He's a better athlete than maybe what I say," Self said, "But he's gotten a lot of extra possessions just by being active."
When it comes to basketball IQ, Self said,
Sherron Collins was the best on the team
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Injury forces team to look at backup plans
BY MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
twitter.com/maxrothman
The point guard position is clearly in limbo.
In Kansas' 72-59 victory Sunday against Missouri — the Jayhawks' first game without injured freshman point guard Angel Goodrich — coach Bonnie Henrickson exercised a rather makeshift triad of ball-handlers. And for round one of the experiment, it proved passable.
Coch Bonnie Henrickson junior guard Rhea Codio in the second half Sunday at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas defeated Missouri 72-58.
"Bonnie's got a lot of options that she can use at point," Missouri coach Cindy Stein said. "I didn't really see them lose much."
Read more about Sunday's game on page 7B
Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN
For now, words like Stein's will allow Henrickson to breathe easy. However, one home game cannot and will not tell the entire story of plans A, B and C.
With Goodrich's injury, Jacobs assumed the starting role against Missouri. Before the injury, Jacobs
Plan A is senior guard LaChelda Jacobs.
averaged just 8.3 minutes per game. On Sunday she started for the first time this season, totaling two points, two assists and tied for a team-leading seven rebounds. Jacobs did a fair job of keeping a fast offense moving, but was often sloppy and careless in committing five turnovers.
"I kind of got antsy in the second half," Jacobs said. "I've got to get back in that flow and rhythm of things."
every two minutes.
Plan B — junior guard Rhea Codio — was once an afterthought this season. When she was the third option, she gave Henrickson no reason to shove more minutes her way. Going into Sunday's game, Codio had committed 13 turnovers in just 29 minutes of play. That's nearly one turnover
Henrickson said that she realizes that she cannot ask Jacobs or Codio to fill Goodrich's shoes. After all, expecting Jacobs or Codio to lob a pass to junior Krysten Boogaard over the defense as Goodrich once did would be an unfair request.
Nonetheless, Codio's role is now etched as the primary backup at point guard. In Sunday's win, she played nine minutes and did her part. She didn't record a turnover.
"That's not their strength and I'm not going to ask them to play like that." Hendrickson said.
But any competitive team must be ready for the next possible injury
Plan C is where the real improvisation starts.
Senior Sade Morris, a traditional shooting guard, played point guard at the end of Sunday's game.
guard.
"We may need plan A. plan B and plan C. And she would be plan C." Henrickson said of Morris.
Henrickson said she thinks that Morris is a good enough ball handler to play and succeed at point
"That three guard lineup gives you a little bit more offensive firepower." Henrickson said. "You've
"We talked about it just as soon as Angel went down," Henrickson said.
With a lineup that features two post players and three shooting guards, Kansas is certainly equipped to score.
0
at least got to be near all three of them."
Whether its plan A, B or C handling the ball, the Kansas point guard position will either be a defining cog or a glaring hole in the equation. There just might not be any middle ground.
Edited by Cory Bunting
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