8B
SPORTS / FRIDAY, JANUARY 15, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
KU
TIPOFF
AT A GLANCE
With the nation's longest home court win streak at 51, the Kansas Jayhawks host the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Jayhawks are 10-0 in Lawrence against the Red Raiders. But in their meeting in Lubbock, Tex., last season, Texas Tech defeated Kansas B4-65 — something the Jayhawks remember well.
PLAYER TO WATCH
To remain a dominant center, Aldrich must be effective when double trained. To
put it into perspective, let's look at the current top-ranked team. Texas Longhorns center Dexter Pittman averages only three more points than Aldrich but shoots a Big 12-leading 72.5 percent from the floor. Aldrich is at 54.5 percent. The Jayhawks should be able to draw double teams away from Aldrich to give him open shots, but, just as his coach tells him during the game, Aldrich has to take the shot.
Aldrich
QUESTION MARK
Will another player emerge as a consistent sidekick to Sherron Collins?
Even when Collins wasn't
COUNTDOWN TO TIPOFF
putting up monster numbers earlier this season, he played consistently. Xavier Henry led the Jayhawks for the first part of the season
Collins
but he's leveled out slightly and isn't getting as many shots as before. Cole Aldrich also isn't getting as many chances to shoot and is instead faced with a constant double team. The Morris twins and Tyshawn Taylor show flashes of great play but burn out for a couple games before coming
HEARYE, HEARYE
back strong.
"School tomorrow, but I don't think I got any classes. Got to check my schedule."
— Sherron Collins after the Nebraska game on
KANSAS FACES EVEN MATCH Collins' recent surge should bring in another win at home
KANSAS VS. TEXAS TECH 12:45 p.m.Saturday,ALLEN FIELDHOUSE,Lawrence,Big 12 Network
Collins
KANSAS
(15-1)
STARTERS
Sherron Collins, Guard
In his past three games, Collins averaged 25.7 points per game, by far his highest streak at any point this season. Coming off a four-for-five three-point performance at Nebraska, he averaged 41.5 percent from behind the arc.
Tyshawn Taylor, Guard
Henry
Taylor was recently scrutinized for saying he didn't know his offensive role, but maybe his statement was lost in translation. He said his goals are to defend well, find his open teammates and give it all he has, which he has done lately by scoring double figures in back-to-back games. But his turnover rate — seven in the past two games — needs to be lowered.
Xavier Henry, Guard It has been a quiet month for the freshman phenom. In the past five games, Henry averaged only 10.6 points per game, bringing his once-astronomical numbers back down to Earth. Henry may be deferring to Sherron Collins, or perhaps defenses are getting more tape on him. Whatever the case, Henry simply focuses on the man in front of him. "Basketball is basketball," he said.
Xavier Henry. Guard
Thomas Robinson, Forward
Robinson
Aldrich
Kansas coach Bill Self said Wednesday's game may not be the last time we see Robinson in the starting lineup, but the freshman forward hardy impressed when he did start. Robinson played only eight minutes with no rebounds or shot attempts. Maybe all Robinson needs is a home start to get going.
Cole Aldrich, Center
Morris
On the glass, Aldrich has been as good as they come. He averaged 10.4 rebounds per game and 3.7 blocked shots. On offense, though, Aldrich ranks fourth on the team with 10.6 points per game. His numbers need to increase if the Jayhawks want to be Big 12 contenders.
SIXTH MAN
The sophomore showed improvement after being benched for lack of effort. He has scored 11.1 points per game and double figures in five out of his last seven games.
SIXTH MAN Marcus Morris. Forward
Marcus Morris, Forward
- Corey Thibodeaux
TEXAS TECH (12-4) STARTERS
John Roberson, Guard
John Roberson, Guard
Texas Tech lives and dies by its guard play,
and it all starts with Roberson, who is coming off a 25-point outburst in an overtime loss to Missouri. Tipping the scales at just 165 pounds, Roberson has exhibited impressive court vision this year, leading the Red
Cole Aldrich
Raiders with 5.4 assists per game.
Roberson
Nick Okorie, Guard
Okorie, whose offensive numbers aren't quite as good as sixth man David Tairu, provides the Red Raiders with a senior presence at the two guard that Tairu, a junior college transfer, can't. Okorie is a defensive whiz, and his 20 steals are second only to Roberson's 27.
Mike Singletary, Guard
Okorie
Singletary, a 6-foot-6,
217-pound junior swing-
man, may be the first
player Xavier Henry faces
that has the same type of
NBA-ready body. Single-
tary will challenge Henry
with his ability to work
Singletary
the inside. Singletary's a particularly strong rebounder from a guard position, and his 15.4 points per game tops the Red Raiders.
Dwalyn Roberts,
Forward
Roberts has started all 16 games for the Red Raiders and is extremely efficient in the paint. He knocks down 62 percent of his shots, but, unlike Kansas forward Marcus Morris, hasn't shown an ability to step outside and knock down the three.
Roberts
Darko Cohadarevic, Center
Conadarevic 6-foot-9 stature seems to make him a starting center by default. He averages a respectable, if wholly unamazing, 7.1 points and 5.1 rebounds.
Cohadarevic
SIXTH MAN
David Tairu, position
Tairu is one of the better sixth men in the conference. He trails just Singletary and Roberson with 12.4 points per game. Tairu's weakness, and it's a glaring one, is his unacceptably low assist numbers, particularly for a guard. He's got just eight assists, against 17 turnovers, on the
entire season.
Tim Dwyer
Edited by Sarah Bluvas
TTU
TIPOFF
AT A GLANCE
QUESTION MARK
Kansas matches up well with the Red Raiders at every position, which may spell early disaster for Texas Tech. Sherron Collins may be the only point guard in the Big 12 who consistently outplays Roberson, and Collins' recent hot streak will test Roberson's considerable defensive ability.
Can Tech's frontcourt hang with the suddenly reenergized Morri?
Bill Self went out of his way to compliment both Markieff and Marcus Morris' production Wednesday against Nebraska. While Marcus' 19 points and seven boards were the stat line of the game, Markieff's drop-step dunk was the play of the night Wednesday. Cohadarevic and Roberts will have their hands full.
HEAR YE, HEAR YE
"Let's call it like it is, nobody else did anything. We had no post presence inside, we had nobody else making shots, our whole team - collectively - played very, very poor. . . They whipped us in every capacity."
Bill Self after last year's loss to Texas Tech
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
*all games in bold are at home
Jan. 20 BAYLOR
Jan. 23 Iowa State, Ames, Iowa
Jan. 25 MISSOURI
Jan. 30 Kansas State, Manhattan
Feb. 3 Colorado, Boulder, Colo.
Feb. 6 NEBRASKA
Feb. 8 Texas, Austin, Texas
Feb. 13 IOWA STATE
Feb. 15 Texas A&M College Station, Texas
Feb. 20 COLORADO
Feb. 22 OKLAHOMA
Feb. 27 Oklahoma State, Stillwater, Okla.
March 3 KANSAS STATE
March 6 Missouri, Columbia, Mo.
7