Post by MizzouTiger on Jan 19, 2008 12:56:35 GMT -5
www.kansascity.com/166/story/451335.html
KU-MU matchups
KU’s Darrell Arthur vs. MU’s DeMarre Carroll
EDGE >> KU
Carroll is Mizzou’s most intense starter. He’s a junkyard dog inside, scrapping for every point and seven rebounds a game. Arthur sometimes makes it look easy. He has the hops on Carroll, so he can go over him as well as around. If Carroll doesn’t block out, look out.
KU’s Darnell Jackson vs. MU’s Leo Lyons
EDGE >> KU
Jackson is Mr. Consistency while Lyons is Mr. Inconsistency. You know what you’ll get out of the 6-foot-8 Jackson: an intimidating force inside who provides 12.3 points and seven rebounds a game. Lyons might go off for 22 points as he did against Texas, or he might score four as he did at Iowa State.
KU’s Russell Robinson vs. MU’s Matt Lawrence
EDGE >> KU
Again, you’re talking consistency against what-are-ya-gonna-get-tonight. When Lawrence is hitting from three, he’s a force, as when he put in 28 points against Mississippi. When Lawrence isn’t hitting — and that is all too frequently — he shouldn’t be on the floor. Robinson won’t score a bunch. But you can count on his defense and he has blow-by ability on the drive.
KU’s Mario Chalmers vs. MU’s Jason Horton
EDGE >> KU
Because of his defense, Horton could give Chalmers fits. Because of his scoring ability, his rebounding ability and his unquestioned leadership, Chalmers could blow Horton away. Not to mention that Chalmers leads the Big 12 in steals. Horton simply has to defend Chalmers without fouling. At Iowa State on Wednesday, two early fouls put Horton on the MU bench and paved the way for Iowa State building a 14-point lead in the first half.
KU’s Brandon Rush vs. MU’s Stefhon Hannah
EDGE >> KU
Hannah can score with Rush, and perhaps will outscore Rush. But defensively, Hannah is all or nothing. He leads Missouri in deflections and steals, but he may also lead the Tigers in being beaten off the dribble-drive. Hannah sometimes goes one on three. Rush doesn’t have to.
The benches
EDGE >> KU
Keon Lawrence scored 18 points in Missouri’s upset of Texas last Saturday. But Lawrence then went one for 10 for two points in Wednesday’s loss at Iowa State. When he’s on, Lawrence can be as good as KU’s Sherron Collins, who hasn’t been a consistent force yet this season. When Lawrence is off, he’s as yesterday as actress Joan Collins. Sasha Kaun is one of the better big-man defenders in the league. Missouri counters with Darryl Butterfield. If Marshall Brown comes to play for 40 minutes, he could swing this edge to MU. But right now, KU gets it.
Intangibles
EDGE >> MU
When Missouri is most often the biggest underdog, the Tigers now and again seem to find a way against KU. Remember the Haley Twins? And Jason Conley’s last game in Columbia. And Christian Moody’s two bricks from the free-throw line with four-tenths of a second left? KU is unbeaten and Missouri unable to win close games. Perfect scenario for an upset?
Coaching
EDGE >> KU
Bill Self has the better team, from top to bottom. Mike Anderson is still depending on many of Quin Snyder’s players. Anderson may have to push buttons that aren’t available to him. Self’s biggest struggle may be determining which buttons to push. Is that coaching? Well, part of coaching is recruiting. Another part is just winning, baby.
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Mike DeArmond’s pick: KU 90, MU 61
Upsets aren’t upsets if you can see them coming. But it’s easy to envision what is likely to happen tonight. Kansas will jump out to a 10-point lead in the first 5 minutes and by the second half MU fans will be leaving in droves.
J. Brady McCollough’s pick: KU 83, MU 59
Kansas coach Bill Self has talked all week about how much he and his kids love playing at Mizzou Arena. They’ll love it even more after tonight’s game. The Jayhawks will be unaffected by the pressure the Tigers throw at them and will welcome the opportunity to run.
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(3) Kansas (17-0, 2-0 Big 12)
Hgt. Pts. Reb.
G 3 Russell Robinson 6-1 6.9 2.4
G 15 Mario Chalmers 6-1 12.2 2.8
G 25 Brandon Rush 6-6 11.7 4.5
F 00 Darrell Arthur 6-9 13.4 5.8
F 32 Darnell Jackson 6-8 12.3 7.0
Missouri (11-6, 1-1 Big 12)
Hgt. Pts. Reb.
G 3 Stefhon Hannah 6-0 14.1 2.7
G 12 Jason Horton 6-2 3.6 1.6
G 33 Matt Lawrence 6-7 9.8 2.9
F 1 DeMarre Carroll 6-8 14.9 7.2
F 5 Leo Lyons 6-9 11.6 4.5
¡ñ Time: 7 p.m.
¡ñ Place: Mizzou Arena
¡ñ TV/Radio: ESPNU/1400 AM, 1240 AM
Scouting report
Missouri assistant coach Matt Zimmerman breaks down the Kansas Jayhawks.
¡ñ They¡¯re the best team in the country, I think. They¡¯re so deep, and they¡¯ve got all these guys that have been around now a long time. Remember how it used to be two years ago people talked about how young KU was? They¡¯re all juniors and seniors now. They¡¯ve got a lot of guys who¡¯ve been through the battles and are pretty experienced, and they go deep on the bench.
¡ñ It¡¯s the best scoring team in the country. They score so fast. They handle the ball so well. They¡¯re all great passers. They seem to all be pretty unselfish, and they help each other.
¡ñ KU gives up 58 points per game. I think that¡¯s probably the lowest that we¡¯ve faced anybody this year. They will get out and pressure you. Their defense is outstanding. They use their hands so well. (Mario) Chalmers is the best defensive guard in our league, hands down. Inside, they defend the paint so good ¡ª (Sasha) Kaun, (Darrell) Arthur, (Darnell) Jackson, Cole Aldrich ¡ª all those guys defend the rim so good that you don¡¯t get a lot of easy baskets against them. It¡¯s very, very difficult to score consistently. Their opponents are shooting 38 percent against them.
¡ñ In six years with Coach Anderson, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever played somebody that steals the ball more than we do on paper, and they do. They do easily. They¡¯re blocking seven shots a game.
¡ñ They¡¯ve got a million stats that are great, but you look at the fact that they shoot 52 percent. That¡¯s unbelievable. I kind of like that scoring margin they¡¯ve got: plus-25. That¡¯s a quarter of century. They¡¯re just whupping people¡¯s butts.
¡ñ They¡¯re having to rely on (Arthur) a lot more. ¡ He is so darn long. He can shoot right over the top of you. He can post up and make a post move and score. He does everything good. He knows how to use space so good. It looks like some of the people they¡¯ve played on tape have tried to be physical with him, and he knows how to move and break contact and he¡¯s still pretty strong.
¡ñ Darnell Jackson, he¡¯s the heart and soul of their team. ¡ He is probably their most improved basketball player. He¡¯s shooting 67 percent from the field. Come on? That¡¯s unbelievable. Sasha Kaun, he¡¯s shooting 70. ¡ So they¡¯re dunking the ball, they¡¯re shooting real close to the basket.
¡ñ (Chalmers) is shooting a phenomenal rate from the 3. He¡¯s shooting 47 percent. If they¡¯re late in March and he¡¯s still shooting 47 percent, they may still be undefeated and they may be playing for a national championship.
KU-MU matchups
KU’s Darrell Arthur vs. MU’s DeMarre Carroll
EDGE >> KU
Carroll is Mizzou’s most intense starter. He’s a junkyard dog inside, scrapping for every point and seven rebounds a game. Arthur sometimes makes it look easy. He has the hops on Carroll, so he can go over him as well as around. If Carroll doesn’t block out, look out.
KU’s Darnell Jackson vs. MU’s Leo Lyons
EDGE >> KU
Jackson is Mr. Consistency while Lyons is Mr. Inconsistency. You know what you’ll get out of the 6-foot-8 Jackson: an intimidating force inside who provides 12.3 points and seven rebounds a game. Lyons might go off for 22 points as he did against Texas, or he might score four as he did at Iowa State.
KU’s Russell Robinson vs. MU’s Matt Lawrence
EDGE >> KU
Again, you’re talking consistency against what-are-ya-gonna-get-tonight. When Lawrence is hitting from three, he’s a force, as when he put in 28 points against Mississippi. When Lawrence isn’t hitting — and that is all too frequently — he shouldn’t be on the floor. Robinson won’t score a bunch. But you can count on his defense and he has blow-by ability on the drive.
KU’s Mario Chalmers vs. MU’s Jason Horton
EDGE >> KU
Because of his defense, Horton could give Chalmers fits. Because of his scoring ability, his rebounding ability and his unquestioned leadership, Chalmers could blow Horton away. Not to mention that Chalmers leads the Big 12 in steals. Horton simply has to defend Chalmers without fouling. At Iowa State on Wednesday, two early fouls put Horton on the MU bench and paved the way for Iowa State building a 14-point lead in the first half.
KU’s Brandon Rush vs. MU’s Stefhon Hannah
EDGE >> KU
Hannah can score with Rush, and perhaps will outscore Rush. But defensively, Hannah is all or nothing. He leads Missouri in deflections and steals, but he may also lead the Tigers in being beaten off the dribble-drive. Hannah sometimes goes one on three. Rush doesn’t have to.
The benches
EDGE >> KU
Keon Lawrence scored 18 points in Missouri’s upset of Texas last Saturday. But Lawrence then went one for 10 for two points in Wednesday’s loss at Iowa State. When he’s on, Lawrence can be as good as KU’s Sherron Collins, who hasn’t been a consistent force yet this season. When Lawrence is off, he’s as yesterday as actress Joan Collins. Sasha Kaun is one of the better big-man defenders in the league. Missouri counters with Darryl Butterfield. If Marshall Brown comes to play for 40 minutes, he could swing this edge to MU. But right now, KU gets it.
Intangibles
EDGE >> MU
When Missouri is most often the biggest underdog, the Tigers now and again seem to find a way against KU. Remember the Haley Twins? And Jason Conley’s last game in Columbia. And Christian Moody’s two bricks from the free-throw line with four-tenths of a second left? KU is unbeaten and Missouri unable to win close games. Perfect scenario for an upset?
Coaching
EDGE >> KU
Bill Self has the better team, from top to bottom. Mike Anderson is still depending on many of Quin Snyder’s players. Anderson may have to push buttons that aren’t available to him. Self’s biggest struggle may be determining which buttons to push. Is that coaching? Well, part of coaching is recruiting. Another part is just winning, baby.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mike DeArmond’s pick: KU 90, MU 61
Upsets aren’t upsets if you can see them coming. But it’s easy to envision what is likely to happen tonight. Kansas will jump out to a 10-point lead in the first 5 minutes and by the second half MU fans will be leaving in droves.
J. Brady McCollough’s pick: KU 83, MU 59
Kansas coach Bill Self has talked all week about how much he and his kids love playing at Mizzou Arena. They’ll love it even more after tonight’s game. The Jayhawks will be unaffected by the pressure the Tigers throw at them and will welcome the opportunity to run.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(3) Kansas (17-0, 2-0 Big 12)
Hgt. Pts. Reb.
G 3 Russell Robinson 6-1 6.9 2.4
G 15 Mario Chalmers 6-1 12.2 2.8
G 25 Brandon Rush 6-6 11.7 4.5
F 00 Darrell Arthur 6-9 13.4 5.8
F 32 Darnell Jackson 6-8 12.3 7.0
Missouri (11-6, 1-1 Big 12)
Hgt. Pts. Reb.
G 3 Stefhon Hannah 6-0 14.1 2.7
G 12 Jason Horton 6-2 3.6 1.6
G 33 Matt Lawrence 6-7 9.8 2.9
F 1 DeMarre Carroll 6-8 14.9 7.2
F 5 Leo Lyons 6-9 11.6 4.5
¡ñ Time: 7 p.m.
¡ñ Place: Mizzou Arena
¡ñ TV/Radio: ESPNU/1400 AM, 1240 AM
Scouting report
Missouri assistant coach Matt Zimmerman breaks down the Kansas Jayhawks.
¡ñ They¡¯re the best team in the country, I think. They¡¯re so deep, and they¡¯ve got all these guys that have been around now a long time. Remember how it used to be two years ago people talked about how young KU was? They¡¯re all juniors and seniors now. They¡¯ve got a lot of guys who¡¯ve been through the battles and are pretty experienced, and they go deep on the bench.
¡ñ It¡¯s the best scoring team in the country. They score so fast. They handle the ball so well. They¡¯re all great passers. They seem to all be pretty unselfish, and they help each other.
¡ñ KU gives up 58 points per game. I think that¡¯s probably the lowest that we¡¯ve faced anybody this year. They will get out and pressure you. Their defense is outstanding. They use their hands so well. (Mario) Chalmers is the best defensive guard in our league, hands down. Inside, they defend the paint so good ¡ª (Sasha) Kaun, (Darrell) Arthur, (Darnell) Jackson, Cole Aldrich ¡ª all those guys defend the rim so good that you don¡¯t get a lot of easy baskets against them. It¡¯s very, very difficult to score consistently. Their opponents are shooting 38 percent against them.
¡ñ In six years with Coach Anderson, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever played somebody that steals the ball more than we do on paper, and they do. They do easily. They¡¯re blocking seven shots a game.
¡ñ They¡¯ve got a million stats that are great, but you look at the fact that they shoot 52 percent. That¡¯s unbelievable. I kind of like that scoring margin they¡¯ve got: plus-25. That¡¯s a quarter of century. They¡¯re just whupping people¡¯s butts.
¡ñ They¡¯re having to rely on (Arthur) a lot more. ¡ He is so darn long. He can shoot right over the top of you. He can post up and make a post move and score. He does everything good. He knows how to use space so good. It looks like some of the people they¡¯ve played on tape have tried to be physical with him, and he knows how to move and break contact and he¡¯s still pretty strong.
¡ñ Darnell Jackson, he¡¯s the heart and soul of their team. ¡ He is probably their most improved basketball player. He¡¯s shooting 67 percent from the field. Come on? That¡¯s unbelievable. Sasha Kaun, he¡¯s shooting 70. ¡ So they¡¯re dunking the ball, they¡¯re shooting real close to the basket.
¡ñ (Chalmers) is shooting a phenomenal rate from the 3. He¡¯s shooting 47 percent. If they¡¯re late in March and he¡¯s still shooting 47 percent, they may still be undefeated and they may be playing for a national championship.