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Extra! Extra! Write the headline

So, just how would you capture the euphoria of victory - or, god forbid, the agony of defeat - in just a few words?

As the Jayhawks get ready for their big game against North Carolina in the Final Four, we're giving everyone a chance to submit their suggested headlines for Sunday morning's paper.

Some advice: Be clever, descriptive and, of course, concise. Remember: Your optimistic words just might end up being prophetic.

For now, we'll stick with taking ideas for the national semifinal, the one pitting Bill Self and the No. 1-seeded Jayhawks against Roy Williams and his No. 1-seeded Tar Heels.

Show off your headlines by going to www2.ljworld.com/headline and leaving your suggestion in the comments.

San Antonio — North Carolina and UCLA arguably boast the best big men in the Final Four in Tyler Hansbrough and Kevin Love.

No team taking the Alamodome court this weekend, however, has the inside depth of Kansas University's Jayhawks, who boast a strong pivot presence in starters Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson and reserves Sasha Kaun and Cole Aldrich.

"I know UCLA and North Carolina have some great big men. There are proteges at K-State and big men all over the country. I think as a core, our guys have got it," said KU junior walk-on Matt Kleinmann, a 6-foot-10, 250-pounder who knows all about KU's inside presence after battling his tall, talented teammates daily at practice.

"We've got experience. We've got depth. Three of them are in the prime of their careers this spring. 'Shady' (Arthur), Darnell and Sasha all have the want-to. Cole gets better every day. His future is so bright," Kleinmann added.

Kleinmann - a brilliant student who is majoring in architecture and hoping to specialize in designing sports stadiums - says all of KU's big men present problems when trying to combat them in the paint.

At some point in time, he's guarded all of them.

The toughest man to move?

It'd be Kaun, a 6-11, 250-pound senior from Tomsk, Russia.

"You give him enough resistance, but keep your head away from him so when he turns he doesn't knock your lights out with his elbows," Kleinmann said. "He is a physical presence.

"He plays with the ball high all the time, does everything fundamentally sound," Kleinmann added of Kaun, who helped save the day in the Elite Eight against Davidson with 13 points off 6-of-6 shooting and six rebounds.

"People think he lost his starting spot (this year to Jackson), that his game is not as good as it once was. I think that's more about chemistry and other things than ability. His free-throw shooting was not good early in the year. He improved that at midseason. He went out and worked on that every day. He has that type of dedication."

Overland Park native Kleinmann is not surprised the 6-foot-8, 250-pound Jackson emerged as a force his senior season.

"I remember coach (Bill) Self asked me years ago in front of some guys on the team, 'Who do you think the best big man is between C.J. (Giles), Sasha and Darnell?' I said Darnell back at that time," Kleinmann said. "The way he's turned it on, he can impact every single possession.

"Darnell's not as tall as Sasha, so there's a better chance to contest his shot," Kleinmann noted. "He's not as explosive as 'Shady' just because 'Shady' is a freak athlete. But Darnell every time he gets the ball has the opportunity to go to the basket and get around you."

As far as 'Shady,' the 6-9, 225-pound sophomore really enjoys playing outside, maybe even more than in.

"When 'Shady' guards me I try to pump-fake him and hope he goes for a shot fake," Kleinmann said of Arthur. "He is so explosive and quick it's a joke. He's almost like a guard out there. Sometimes he'll step back and hit shots, sometimes he'll go hard and try to dunk it on your head."

Kleinmann says KU fans will love what 6-11, 240-pound freshman Aldrich will have in store next year as his minutes increase.

"He catches the ball, makes a quick turn and hits a right-handed or left-handed hook shot 10 feet from the basket. You see that, and you say there's no way this kid can be stopped when he puts it all together," Kleinmann said.

"I do like guarding Cole the most of all the guys just because there's little tricks of the trade you can learn to give yourself an advantage. Cole has not been around enough to know those.

"He's a smart player, and he's a tough player. People don't realize he's had to go through a lot of adversity. As a heralded freshman coming out here, playing against some upperclassmen he's persevered and he's playing quality minutes now," Kleinmann said.

As far as Kleinmann, KU coach Self hopes his contributions don't go ignored.

"He means a lot to this program," Self said of the former Blue Valley West standout. "He hasn't played much, but he has contributed. He helps our bigs get better on a daily basis.

"You talk about dedication. One night we got back from a road trip. It was 3 a.m. and the windchill was minus-10. Cindy (wife), Lauren (daughter), Tyler (son) and I are driving up the hill and we see somebody walking past us. I say, 'Matt, get in the car.' He said, 'I've got to go study.' We drive him where he's studying. He told us he's got to go 'til 10, 11 in the morning. That put it in perspective for me. He's pulling an all-nighter as soon as we get back from a trip. He gets out of the car, Tyler turned to me. I said, 'What do you think of that?' He said, 'Stud.'"

¢ Notes: KU's players practiced on Thursday at the San Antonio Spurs' practice facility.The Jayhawks attended the Final Four Salute Presentation on Thursday night, when players and coaches of all four teams gathered at the Marriott Hotel. Announcers Jim Nance and Billy Packer interviewed the coaches, who talked about their respective roads to the Final Four. Today, KU will hold a shootaround from 1 to 1:50 p.m. at the Alamodome. It is open to the public.

Bigs on Bigs

Kansas University has four scholarship big men. Each forward's thoughts on his frontcourt peers:

Darrell Arthur's take: "At practice, Sasha is toughest to go against. He has the biggest body. It's hard to get around him. On offense he has nice post moves. He's a banger. You can get nailed or dunked on. He's super strong.

"It's a battle every day at practice. Somebody different is killin' (inside) every day. It can be Cole, Sasha. Some days I'm killin'. Some days it's Darnell."

Sasha Kaun's take: "Shady's' probably the toughest for me (to guard). When he is alert and wants to get the ball, he can go up really high. 'Shady' is one of the best athletes on the team. It can get physical. When you are going after balls, maybe an elbow is (thrown) here or there. We all make each other better.''

Darnell Jackson's take: "I'd say all the post players are tough on a given day. Me, Cole, Sasha, 'Shady' and even Matt (Kleinmann, a walk-on). Some days Matt is on. It just depends how guys are feeling. We get out there talking trash and having fun in practice. Everybody knows everybody's scouting report on this team, so it's a lot of fun."

Cole Aldrich's take: "Sometimes I hate guarding Sasha. He is a beast. He can take me every time. Sometimes in practice I just can't stop him. I try to deny him, and they throw it over. I try to do this, that, somehow he finds ways to score.

"'Shady' and Darnell can step outside. Every once in a while they'll take me off the dribble. Once in a while, I'll get a little piece of their shot and talk a little smack to 'em. We have a lot of fun. 'Shady' and I will have little bets, like, 'I bet you I'm gonna block your shot more than you dunk.' Little bets like that really make us competitive. I've learned so much from those guys."

More like this

Arthur comes up big 10 comments / April 8, 2008
Final Four has ex-coach conflicted 14 comments / April 4, 2008
KU-UNC Matchups 2 comments / April 5, 2008
Keegan: Two KU seniors as tough as Tyler 8 comments / April 5, 2008
Aldrich still awestruck after gem 26 comments / April 6, 2008

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NH_JHawk (anonymous) says...

The butterflies have officially settled into my stomach. Is it Saturday night yet??We match up very well with the Heels at both the frontcourt and backcourt. Psycho T is a dominate post player, but we have the depth down low to be aggressive and cause him problems. I think we can wear him down. Let's hope those off balance fade away shots he likes to take, when the defense has their arms straight up, don't become unnecessary fouls and he goes to the line. I think he's over 80% from the stripe. Offensively, we cannot afford to have DA on the bench this game. Finally, if we limit Psycho's FT opportunities that's an advantage for Kansas since he scores a significant amount of his points there.

April 4, 2008 at 6:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

jayhawkinatl (anonymous) says...

I just hope DJ comes to play the next couple of games. He seemed sooooo out of it against Davidson.

April 4, 2008 at 7:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

plasticJHawk (anonymous) says...

I agree. I think we lose if there are a lot of fouls called. T is a great free thrower. I think 4 of their top 5 players are over 80% from the charity stripe. Their team will win if it comes down to free throws. Foul trouble could be an issue inside. Everyone talks about our depth and how we have 7 starters on our team. Lately those 7 guys have for the most part been our entire rotation (with Cole picking up a few minutes and Case playing a couple as well), and UNC has 8 guys in their regular rotation. If a couple of our big men get in foul trouble it's gonna be a long game.

April 4, 2008 at 7:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

ann42 (anonymous) says...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlZ3-E...

This should fire up all KU fans!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rock Chalk

NCAA Champs

April 4, 2008 at 7:59 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

sevenyearhawk (anonymous) says...

Sasha is strong like bull!

Good luck gentlemen, and ...

beak 'em, hawks!!!!

April 4, 2008 at 8 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

HawkFanEddie (anonymous) says...

May we please have KU players and/or coaches on the front of KUSports.com???

April 4, 2008 at 8:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

leikness (anonymous) says...

Punch him in the nose!!!!!!!!!!

April 4, 2008 at 8:20 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Topside (anonymous) says...

Sasha- "He will break you!"I want to get a shot of coach Williams at the end of the game doing a Capt. Kirk. kkkkkkkkkkkaun!!

April 4, 2008 at 8:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

Topside (anonymous) says...

PS- Got my SI yesterday and the Jinx is on. Hansborough was on the cover. Ha. make an early flight home tar heels!

April 4, 2008 at 8:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

cafranci (anonymous) says...

Jim Nance??? Come on, guys.

April 4, 2008 at 8:29 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

okjhok (anonymous) says...

Big questionsDoes KU's frontcourt have what it needs to slow Tar Heels?Okay, that was the title of the piece, yet I see no mention of it in the article, just a love fest for our bigs. Anyway, I DO think our frontcourt has what it needs. Granted, KU hasn't gone against a player like Hansbrough yet this year, but in a game where I think everyone's intensity will be high, Hansbrough's greatest strength will be negated.

April 4, 2008 at 8:37 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

BCRavenJHawkfan (anonymous) says...

What's up with this headline; "Does KU's frontcourt have what it needs to slow down Tar Heels?"Come on.I think the proper headline is "Does Tar Heel frontcourt have enough depth to go the distance against Jayhawks?"

April 4, 2008 at 8:44 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

fan408785 (anonymous) says...

okjhokWhat about Beasley?

April 4, 2008 at 8:47 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

LAJayhawk5 (anonymous) says...

Psycho T can suck it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!What a huge tool!!!!!!!!!!! Suck it, huge tool!!!!!!!!!

April 4, 2008 at 8:58 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

kushaw (anonymous) says...

How come ESPN can't do one feature article on KU this week? They seemed to have gotten the other 3 schools in! A lot of story lines that could have received National attention, but all is lost. Thanks ESPN!

April 4, 2008 at 9:05 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

ChicagoJHawk (anonymous) says...

ann42, I've seen that video before but it's still awesome; just watched it again.I'll say what I've been saying all season long. As long as we just go out there & play our best there is nobody out there that can beat us. The only team that can beat us is us. Now that we're in the final four I don't feel any different about that.Go out there & give them everything you've got Jayhawks!! As long as you do all that (and the officiating is fair) I'll be proud of this team regardless of the final result.national champs 2008!! rock chalk jayhawk go ku!!!!

April 4, 2008 at 9:10 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

ramsrevenge (anonymous) says...

kushaw - my thought exactly! The only stories they have up about Kansas are from the Davidson game. They've done individual stories of the other 3 schools numerous times now. Oh well, just more fuel to the fire!!I'm so pumped!!

April 4, 2008 at 9:31 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

okjhok (anonymous) says...

fan408785,Do you consider Beasley to be even remotely similar to Hansbrough? I mean, in terms of their style of play? I certainly don't.

April 4, 2008 at 9:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

kushaw (anonymous) says...

Here is the 1991 Final Four game between KU and UNC where Dean Smith got ejected. It shows the last couple of minutes the game and of course Dean Smith getting ejected! This was in the Charlotte Observer today.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kh5_IDbZGig

April 4, 2008 at 9:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

soobawls (anonymous) says...

So whats the deal with T? He is retarded or something?

April 4, 2008 at 9:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

kushaw (anonymous) says...

This guy is such a tool! I hate the Charlotte observer! I guess the Tarheels are going to roll 85-74. http://videos.charlotte.com/vmix_host...

April 4, 2008 at 10:12 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

kushaw (anonymous) says...

By the way that guy in the Charlotte Observer had no idea why the "C" is a differenct shade of color in UCLA. And these people call themselves sport journalists.

April 4, 2008 at 10:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

dagger108 (anonymous) says...

okjhok - What I think fan was saying is that Beasley is a quality big, not that he is like Tyler. I think it is also generally accepted that Beasley is by far the most talented big this year and in a while because of his inside and outside game. We didn't handle him well in the low intensity output (4 KU) first game, but did much better in the second.Tyler's strength is definitely his continous intensity. I won't even hypothesize that we can match his intensity, because I have yet to see one complete game where any of our bigs match his continous intensity.Even the Davidson game, where Sasha was lauded for his great (intense) game, and rightly so, he didn't match Tyler's continous intensity. There were several times when Davidson's players, guards even, just snatch rebounds from under Sasha's nose, sometimes without him even making an attempt at the rebound. There was one play where Brandon was boxing out a teammate on the far side of the court while telling Sasha to get the rebound, which Sasha watched while a Davidson guard came up to take the rebound and give them an extra possession. Against UNC, Tyler will take that in for a dunk.My perspective is probably influenced by having just watch Tyler get all sorts of rebounds, dunks, ..., just because he went after every ball with an intensity that no KU big has shown for a whole game, or even the 20+ minutes they play.There was a big step up in intensity after the OSU loss, but it seemed to slip again during the tourney. And yes, I know they won the first 3 by 20+, and I also know they played intense for about half a game in each. They'll need absolutely complete games this weekend. If they can play every moment of every possession with the utmost intensity, they can win. There is too much talent in this FF to otherwise even be competitive.Rock Chalk

April 4, 2008 at 10:29 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )

dminear60 (anonymous) says...

kushaw: Shoddy journalism on ESPN's part. It is as if there are only 3 teams in the final four. KU Sports...please do not put UNC's players on our website...how about pics of our team?

April 4, 2008 at 10:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )