Woodling: Kansas needs a scare

If the whole is equal to the sum of its parts, then why is so little attention paid to the first half of basketball games?

The reason seems obvious. No team ever has won a game without playing the second half, so why bother?

A sports writer assigned to cover a basketball game, for instance, really doesn't have to show up until after intermission in order to do a competent job of reporting because, heck, nobody ever writes about the first 20 minutes.

Not that I'm saying I didn't show up until halftime of Saturday night's Kansas-Rhode Island men's game in Allen Fieldhouse. I was there for the tipoff because, well, I always am.

This time, however, I went with the mind-set that I would concentrate on the first half because if you study the big picture, you'll realize the Jayhawks have been dynamite on defense in the first 20 minutes.

Saturday night was typical. Rhode Island shot a dreadful 20.5 percent in the first half, missing 31 of 39 shots, and it wasn't because the Rams are poor shooters. The Jayhawks covered them like fleece.

That, for the most part, has been the Jayhawks' pattern all season.

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2006-07 Dec. 30 KU-URI Hoops

If Jimmy Baron, one of the nation's deadliest three-point shooters, hadn't drilled a trey at the buzzer, Rhode Island would have become the sixth team to score in the teens against Kansas prior to the break.

As it was, the Rams settled for 22 points, which, as it turns out, is about average for opponents' first-half point totals against the Jayhawks. In its 14 games, KU is surrendering an average of just 24.1 points in the opening half. That's right. A mere two dozen points.

The most points KU has given in a first half is 39. That was to Oral Roberts University in what was - at least for the 2006 portion of the Jayhawks' schedule - the anomaly game. To this day, no one really knows how the Golden Eagles were able to come into Allen Fieldhouse and seemingly knock down every shot.

ORU is also the only team that has been able to fashion a halftime lead against Kansas. The Eagles led, 39-34, on the way to their astonishing 78-71 triumph in the second game of the regular season.

In the Jayhawks' other defeat - a 64-57 late swoon at DePaul - Kansas led 28-17 at halftime, then went in the defensive tank by giving 47 points to the Blue Demons in the second half.

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KU vs. Rhode Island

Curiously, KU did basically the same thing against Rhode Island, holding the Rams to 22 points at the halfway mark, then springing a defensive leak and giving, yes, 47 points to the Rams.

Why the Jayhawks have been lights out defensively in first halves and either so-so or stinko the rest of the way probably has something to do with human physiology. Bodies are fresher at the outset than they are down the stretch.

Still, every game is different, and you had the feeling Saturday night the Jayhawks could have played better defensively in the second half if they really had needed to.

Subconsciously, though, these KU players have been around long enough to know Rhode Island was incapable of putting a scare into them.

And that's what the Jayhawks need right now. They need to experience the fear of possible defeat. They need to go into a game afraid they'll lose, and they shouldn't have to wait too long with a trip to South Carolina coming up a week from today.

KU vs. Rhode Island

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skragglydoo 6 years, 4 months ago

this article is 2 years late. very observent chuck.

klineisanazi 6 years, 4 months ago

I am not so sure a loss would help. They have already lost to ORU and DePaul. Last year they turned it up for conference play, but only after two consecutive losses.
I have given up trying to figure these guys out. They play lights-out until they get about 15 points ahead, and then they relax just enough on both ends to let the opponent back in. The Jayhawks got it done and at times looked great. But a little "fire in the belly" is something this team could use in March.

coldsplice 6 years, 4 months ago

Chuck-What was ORU and DePaul? They don't need a scare for God's sake-they've had that already! What they need is a killer instinct, and after watching KU for over 30 years, I can honestly say, they don't have it yet. I'ts very frustrating to watch games like BC, Detriot-M. I hope someone on the court can light them up because it's tough for a coach to try and teach "guts"...(paging Mr. Rush)

jimjones 6 years, 4 months ago

What they need is a coach.

Sparko 6 years, 4 months ago

The difference between a jarring 30-point win and acomfortable 11 point win is sometimes a little luck too. Daniels hit some dreadfully considered shots. Falling over, on his heals, over two defenders, that kind of thing. Plus, I am going to hammer the officials--they were off again. There was a swing of 10 or more points based on some silly calls. Jackson's dubious moving screen gave Barron another chance to score before half-time, which to my mind was why the call was made in the first place. Then there was the phantom goal-tending call, and some timeouts allowed which prevented tunr-overs. Some fast break opportunities were negated by uncalled fouls too.

I saw the whole game, but must tell you. I was not disappointed in the effort or defense I saw. I am impressed that the team never got close to panic when rebounds careened wildly to Rhode Island, or Daniels' forced shots fell, or a BANKED three pointer went in from 40-feet. Kansas may need to perform a voodoo ritual to help its bad luck. I swear, since Bradley shot that 50-footer to end the first half on the tournament game, Kansas' opponents have been light's out lucky. ORU's three-point shooter had one career before torching us for seven, IIRC. You can be the best team in basketball and lose to a team which does not miss guarded jumpers. That is basketball. For all of our love of the game, it comes down to who shoots well on a given night, or who fouls out. It is an imperfect game, played by imperfect beings, that is prefectly exciting. But there is never such a thing as not beating an opponent badly enough--Sheez, Rhode Island was fouling to the end of a game they had already lost. They played their best ball of the season in the Second Half, and lost that by three.

danharris1 6 years, 4 months ago

jimjones,why don't you move back to Missouri!

rockchalkjayhawk4ku11 6 years, 4 months ago

I totally agree danharris1

jimjones 6 years, 4 months ago

ralsterKUMed95. If you're going to quote Reagan or anyone else, get the quote right. Egad kid, you're barely able to communicate. Stop embarrassing yourself.

ralsterKUMed95 6 years, 4 months ago

jimjones continued comments about Coach remind me of a past presidential quote: "...there he goes again!.." Hey, wasn't there a "jimjones" that drank some funny punch (along with dozens of followers) down in Guyana several years ago? NOW we know why his "cup is always half empty"! Some people would win the lottery and still be pissed that they didnt win it 2 weeks later to get even more $$!!

My point on the logic: So if we have won several in a row, and jimjones is NOT giving credit to coach, he then is obviously giving it to the players. SO, if we lose, he will still blame the coach first--so why would he not blame the players (since he by default is crediting them for the wins right now)? So far I have seen inconsistent logic coupled with consistent overall negativity, which I find quite amusing, and this poor soul keeps giving us more and more fodder. So in anticipation, uh, mrjones, please tell us now, for the record, what you think of the University of Kansas basketball coach, Bill Self? And also tell us what you think of his over-400 Div1 wins as a head coach (in his 40s), with all the current focus on Bobby Knight and the alltime record for wins? Could you also please comment on your understanding of what a university looks at when hiring a head coach: his win-loss record, persona, and recruiting ability OR that his teams play pretty or ugly or inconsistent? So tell us whatcha think. Again. jimbo. And while you are pondering which shoe to taste now, please tell us your understanding of the W-L record of KUs Mens Basketball team at this point in time?

BabyJay5953 6 years, 4 months ago

Why do people continue to jab Self? If you miss Williams so much, cheer for North Carolina and leave Kansas basketball alone. Something tells me that those who are bashing Bill Self, will be all on the bandwagon when he bring home a National Title, something Williams never brought to Lawrence, Kansas.

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