Post by MizzouTiger on Feb 13, 2008 9:32:29 GMT -5
www.kansascity.com/sports/story/485900.html
KU must lean on Arthur, Jackson
By JASON WHITLOCK
AUSTIN, Texas | It’s crazy now, the Big 12 title race and the Kansas Jayhawks’ identity.
Where we go after this — after the Texas Longhorns nipped the third-ranked Jayhawks 72-69 Monday night, catapulting the Kansas State Wildcats into the conference lead and emphasizing KU’s need to prioritize its offensive options — is anyone’s guess.
What we know is the league’s most talented team, Kansas, has lost the two difficult tests it’s faced inside the conference. The Jayhawks have now lost at Kansas State and at Texas.
The Hawks lost both games for the exact same reason: They forgot to let Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson butter their bread.
After staking Kansas to a four-point halftime lead by combining to score 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting, Arthur and Jackson took a backseat in the second half as the Longhorns asserted control. The combo scored 10 points and took just nine shots after the break.
Meanwhile, Russell Robinson, Sherron Collins, Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush finished the evening nine of 31 from the field and four of 16 from three-point range.
Kansas performs at its highest level when it plays inside-out, when Arthur and/or Jackson get a couple of touches down low before a shot is fired.
There’s no use in continuing the façade that Rush is KU’s best or most important player. That’s no knock on Rush. The offseason knee injury he suffered has hampered him all season. He’s still not totally confident. Plus, his personality isn’t that of a go-to player. And, more than anything, he’s not as talented as Arthur.
With the game on the line in the final seconds and Kansas needing a three-pointer to tie, 5-foot-11 guard A.J. Abrams blocked Rush’s baseline bomb.
“Brandon took his time getting it off,” Bill Self said, “and A.J. did a good job of closing out.”
Rush took three shots, hit one field goal and one free throw in the second half. He finished with 10 points.
And my dream of Collins getting 100 percent healthy and becoming an end-game beast isn’t going to materialize, either. Sherron has never found his true rhythm this season. Monday night Sherron connected on just one of six shots. He was tired from chasing Abrams and D.J. Augustin on the defensive end.
Nope. From here out, this should be Arthur and Jackson’s team. They have to be the first and second options on most offensive possessions. They’re good enough to carry the Jayhawks.
Arthur isn’t Michael Beasley, but he’s good enough to put up 20 and eight a lot of nights. He backed up his 23-point night against Baylor on Saturday with 22 more points on Monday against a solid Texas front line.
“I think we did a good job getting the ball inside,” Chalmers said.
Not true. Kansas’ guards settled for quick and difficult shots.
“I think they just outmanned us in the second half,” Self said.
That’s not good to hear about a Self-coached team 25 games into the season. No way a Self team should get out-toughed, not even on the road. It will be interesting to see how they handle this comeuppance. It was easy to write off the K-State loss and blame it on all the emotion inside Bramlage Coliseum.
The Jayhawks showed some real flaws Monday night, shortcomings that might open a door for Texas, Texas A&M or, dare I say, Kansas State to win the Big 12 crown.
Wow, think about that for a moment. With eight games to play, K-State, 17-5 and 7-1, is in control of the league race, completely in charge of its destiny, owning a victory over Kansas, 23-2 and 8-2, and a future home date with Texas, 20-4 and 7-2.
Yeah, the Wildcats are likely to slip somewhere before they reach back-to-back games with Texas and at Kansas (Feb. 25 and March 1), but they can fix any problem they might create. I can’t imagine the Cats losing more than once during a four-game stretch against Texas Tech, Missouri, Nebraska and Baylor.
I could also see a scenario in which the Wildcats lose to Baylor, Texas and Kansas and blow this entire season. However, that’s not a prediction. At least K-State has known from day one its success is predicated on feeding Michael Beasley the ball.
Kansas thinks it can win big games with a different hero each night. Not true.
KU must lean on Arthur, Jackson
By JASON WHITLOCK
AUSTIN, Texas | It’s crazy now, the Big 12 title race and the Kansas Jayhawks’ identity.
Where we go after this — after the Texas Longhorns nipped the third-ranked Jayhawks 72-69 Monday night, catapulting the Kansas State Wildcats into the conference lead and emphasizing KU’s need to prioritize its offensive options — is anyone’s guess.
What we know is the league’s most talented team, Kansas, has lost the two difficult tests it’s faced inside the conference. The Jayhawks have now lost at Kansas State and at Texas.
The Hawks lost both games for the exact same reason: They forgot to let Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson butter their bread.
After staking Kansas to a four-point halftime lead by combining to score 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting, Arthur and Jackson took a backseat in the second half as the Longhorns asserted control. The combo scored 10 points and took just nine shots after the break.
Meanwhile, Russell Robinson, Sherron Collins, Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush finished the evening nine of 31 from the field and four of 16 from three-point range.
Kansas performs at its highest level when it plays inside-out, when Arthur and/or Jackson get a couple of touches down low before a shot is fired.
There’s no use in continuing the façade that Rush is KU’s best or most important player. That’s no knock on Rush. The offseason knee injury he suffered has hampered him all season. He’s still not totally confident. Plus, his personality isn’t that of a go-to player. And, more than anything, he’s not as talented as Arthur.
With the game on the line in the final seconds and Kansas needing a three-pointer to tie, 5-foot-11 guard A.J. Abrams blocked Rush’s baseline bomb.
“Brandon took his time getting it off,” Bill Self said, “and A.J. did a good job of closing out.”
Rush took three shots, hit one field goal and one free throw in the second half. He finished with 10 points.
And my dream of Collins getting 100 percent healthy and becoming an end-game beast isn’t going to materialize, either. Sherron has never found his true rhythm this season. Monday night Sherron connected on just one of six shots. He was tired from chasing Abrams and D.J. Augustin on the defensive end.
Nope. From here out, this should be Arthur and Jackson’s team. They have to be the first and second options on most offensive possessions. They’re good enough to carry the Jayhawks.
Arthur isn’t Michael Beasley, but he’s good enough to put up 20 and eight a lot of nights. He backed up his 23-point night against Baylor on Saturday with 22 more points on Monday against a solid Texas front line.
“I think we did a good job getting the ball inside,” Chalmers said.
Not true. Kansas’ guards settled for quick and difficult shots.
“I think they just outmanned us in the second half,” Self said.
That’s not good to hear about a Self-coached team 25 games into the season. No way a Self team should get out-toughed, not even on the road. It will be interesting to see how they handle this comeuppance. It was easy to write off the K-State loss and blame it on all the emotion inside Bramlage Coliseum.
The Jayhawks showed some real flaws Monday night, shortcomings that might open a door for Texas, Texas A&M or, dare I say, Kansas State to win the Big 12 crown.
Wow, think about that for a moment. With eight games to play, K-State, 17-5 and 7-1, is in control of the league race, completely in charge of its destiny, owning a victory over Kansas, 23-2 and 8-2, and a future home date with Texas, 20-4 and 7-2.
Yeah, the Wildcats are likely to slip somewhere before they reach back-to-back games with Texas and at Kansas (Feb. 25 and March 1), but they can fix any problem they might create. I can’t imagine the Cats losing more than once during a four-game stretch against Texas Tech, Missouri, Nebraska and Baylor.
I could also see a scenario in which the Wildcats lose to Baylor, Texas and Kansas and blow this entire season. However, that’s not a prediction. At least K-State has known from day one its success is predicated on feeding Michael Beasley the ball.
Kansas thinks it can win big games with a different hero each night. Not true.