8A SPORTS
FOOTBALL (CONTINUED FROM 10A)
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAS
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2009
State in the conference opener Oct. 10. But the Jayhawks haven't forced stops in the crucial, outcome-deciding moments of games.
"It's something that we have to get fixed as a defense because that seems to be the case," senior defensive back Justin Thornton said. "We play good all the way to the fourth quarter, and then we give up a run right there at the end that makes it look like they whooped us. And that wasn't the case at all."
Two weeks ago at Kansas Sate, Kansas' defense was placed in a nearly identical situation.
After Kansas cut the lead to 17-10, Kansas State started a drive with 5:20 left in the game. The Jayhawks couldn't get a stop, and the Wildcats ran out the rest of the clock.
The only difference against
Nebraska last Saturday? The Cornhuskers scored a touchdown on their final drive.
"It hurts," Mangino said after the game. "There's no question we needed a stop."
Faced with third and 10 from Nebraska's 37-yard line late in the fourth quarter, Cornhusker running back Roy Helu Jr. took a pitch outside for a 30-yard gain.
But he also said the problem wasn't simply an issue of fundamentals.
Kansas' defenders couldn't corral Helu Jr. along the sideline, and Tharp said after the game that the Jayhawks took poor angles during the play.
"It's our mindset." Tharp said. "We just have to get it in our minds that they're not going to get any more points or get any more yards on us, and we have to shut them down. I'm not sure
why we don't have that mindset right now"
In a 35-28 victory against Southern Mississippi Sept. 26, Kansas' defense allowed plenty of yards but buckled down in the fourth quarter.
"You could call it bad luck but I kind of see that as a scapegoat," Tharp said. "Our defense had a shot and we let it slip by. I'd say it's our fault."
In the moments after the loss to Nebraska Kansas' players voiced a similar opinion. But this time, it was from a different perspective.
After that game, the Jayhawks talked about the importance of a defense tightening its straps in the final quarter of play.
Follow Jayson Jenks at twitter.com/JaysonJenks.
— Edited by Nick Gerik
Senior defensive end Maxwell Onygebule wraps up Nebraska running back Dontrayevous Robinson. Onygebule recorded five tackles and a sack in the 31-17 loss to Nebraska.
Jerrv Wano/KANSAN
Parting the waters
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jessica Hardy from the USA swims in a women's 50-meters breaststroke heat at the FINA short course swimming World Cup in Berlin Sunday. Hardy clocked 28.80 seconds at the meet to break the record-mark of 28.96 she set on another meet in Stockholm four days ago.
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Thursday, Nov 19
ARI HEST
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Los Angeles Lakers guard Jordan Farmar, right, passes the ball as Denver Nuggets rookie guard Ty Lawson comes in to cover in the fourth of the nuquets. 105-79 victory in Denver on Friday. Lawson played for North Carolina before the NBA.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL Freshman Wall shows off talent in Kentucky victory
LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky coach John Calipari looked up at the clock after Miami of Ohio tied the fourth-ranked Wildcats with six seconds left and wondered if he should call timeout.
www.thebottlenecklive.com
John Wall didn't give him a chance.
Wall's jumper was through the net to give the Wildcats a 72-70 win Monday night and Kentucky's newest superstar was running down the floor pounding his chest in joy.
The heralded Kentucky freshman quickly grabbed the inbounds pass, raced by his coach in a blur and pulled up from 15 feet.
Wall finished with 19 points and five rebounds in his highly anticipated debut as the Wildcats (2-0) escaped the RedHawks (0-2).
NBA
Wall was forced to sit out Kentucky's season-opening win over Morehead State last week as part of an NCAA suspension for accepting improper benefits from his AAU coach.
Associated Press
ASSOCIATED PRESS
College star adjusts to the pros
BY ARNIE STAPLETON
Associated Press
DENVER — Everybody knew about Ty Lawson's speed at North Carolina. Just as impressive is how quickly the Denver Nuggets' new backup point guard is adjusting to the NBA.
Fellow Tar Heels alum and Nuggets coach George Karl has notoriously had little use for rookies, but he's making an exception for this exceptional player, saying even he didn't expect this smooth of a transition.
"I can't deny that. He's pretty mature for a young kid," Karl said.
Lawson is averaging 10.3 points, 2 boards and 3.2 assists in 21.8 minutes through his first 10 NBA games.
Yet, it's more his hustle and pluck, matters that don't necessarily show up on the stat sheet, that are wowing teammates, coaches, opponents and fans alike.
Take his pickpocketing of Kobe Bryant in the first half Friday night and his amazing dunk over 7-foot D.J. Mbenga in the second half that were the highlights of Denver's 105-79 demolition of the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.
These were the kinds of things that had the Nuggets practically salivating even a year ago, before Lawson decided to return to Chapel Hill, where he helped lead the Tar Heels to the NCAA championship as a junior.
"Well, when Roy Williams whispers to you that he's the best point guard he's ever coached — I mean, he'd had a few good point guards," Karl said.
Lawson's guru in Denver, Chauncey Billups, said the energetic rookie has made a seamless transition to the pros because he and the system are a perfect fit.
Like Friday night, when Bryant thought he had picked up the loose ball only to watch helplessly as Lawson swooped around from behind and tipped it upcourt for the breakaway basket.
"He's in a great situation because he's in a fastbreak offense, just run up and down and play. He's not in a structured offense," Billups said. "So, it's easy for him and he'd done a great job of coming in and using what he does best and that's his speed. And that's something that we need."
"I'm lower to the ground than most people," explained Lawson, who's 5-foot-11. "And the thing I do is tip it and keep it going and go get it."
While best known for his baseline-to-baseline velocity, Lawson became an all-around threat last season by shooting 53 percent from the field and 47 percent from 3-point range.
His speed and hustle remain his forte.
Karl said he's never seen a player so deft at coming up with loose balls as Lawson. He always
this version of the Nuggets can be better than the one that took the Lakers to six games in the Western Conference finals last summer.
Thanks to Lawson, Karl insists
"Ty gives us a guy that we've never had before," Karl said. "We have a guy that can GO"
Lawson said he figured he's adjust quickly to the NBA once he saw the offense Karl was running.
"Basically, we run the same system as Carolina, up and down, so that's helping me out a lot more than people think. And just hard work." Lawson said.
Along with having a superstar in Billups serving as his mentor.
"I just love that he's real humble, he's quiet, he listens when you're trying to help him out. He has a really good understanding of the game for a young player," Billups said.
golden basketball years to have a protege as easy to work with as Lawson.
And Lawson's presence should benefit Billups, too, by keeping him fresher down the stretch.
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Last year, Billups tired out toward the end of the Nuggets' long playoff run because he had to log so many minutes just getting them there that his tank was empty when he needed to push them over the top.
"He's been priceless," Lawson said. "He tells me everything from what to do on the road to what to do on the basketball court. If I have a question, I go straight to him. He can't be replaced."
"There times out there where George wants me to come back in and Ty's playing good, and I'm like, 'Let him play.' Billups said. "Let him play."
Well, eventually, the plan is for Lawson to do exactly that.
Although he certainly seems to have a lot left in him, Billups is in his 13th season, and he said he's grateful now that he's in his
That way, he gets his rest along with a front-row view of this sensational speed demon who's playing like he's been in the league forever.
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