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Monday, December 1, 2008

Gary Bedore’s KU Basketball Notebook

By Gary Bedore

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Self looking for options to stop ‘Amazing Al’

Kent State University senior guard Al Fisher has been known as “Amazing Al” since his career-high 35 point performance lifted the Golden Flashes to a 76-74 overtime victory over Saint Louis on Nov. 19 in the Billikins’ gymnasium.

The 6-foot-1 reigning Mid-American Conference Player of the Year — who visits Allen Fieldhouse for today’s 8 p.m., tipoff — scored 16 of Kent State’s 17 points in overtime, including the game-winning layup with 2.1 seconds left.

“He’s their conference player of the year. He’s strong. He’s good. He can go get his own shot,” KU coach Bill Self said of Fisher, who erupted for 27 of Kent State’s last 28 points (in the final 9:18) at Saint Louis.

“Do we have a lockdown defender yet? I don’t know. I’d hope Brady (Morningstar) and Tyshawn (Taylor could become that). I don’t know if we have somebody who can go guard him.”

Fisher averages 21.8 points off 52.5 percent shooting. He has made 12 of 30 threes for 40 percent.

Flashes have shown flashes in ‘08

Kent State opened with victories over North Carolina Central, Saint Louis and UNC Wilmington. Over the weekend, the Golden Flashes lost to Illinois (69-63, OT) and Texas A&M (77-71) at the South Padre Island Invitational.

“They are good. They’ll be tough. They play in a great league,” Self said of the Mid-American Conference. “They had Illinois where they wanted them. The A&M game was a great game. This team is capable of beating anybody they play.”

Collins, Singletary share Chicago ties

The Golden Flashes’ second-leading scorer is Chris Singletary, a 6-4 junior from Chicago who averages 15.2 points off 46.7 percent shooting. He has made five of 17 threes.

“They’ve got some big wings. I know one of ’em from Chicago, Chris Singletary,” former Chicago Crane High guard Sherron Collins said of the former Farragut High standout. “He’s solid. He’s good.”

Kansas, Kent State in elite company

Kent State, which went 28-7 a year ago, went cold against the University of Nevada-Las Vegas in a 71-58 first-round NCAA Tournament loss last March in Omaha, Neb. ... The Jayhawks and Kent State are two of seven teams to have won 20 games in each of the past 10 seasons. ... The two teams are meeting for the first time. Kent State is 3-4 against the Big 12; KU is 8-1 versus the Mid-American Conference. ... Kent State beat Oklahoma State, 69-61, in the first round of the 2002 NCAA Tournament. Kent State reached the Elite Eight that year. ...Kent State is led by first-year head coach Geno Ford, a former all-MAC guard at Ohio. He takes over for Jim Christian, who left for TCU after six seasons as Kent State’s head coach. Ford was previously head coach at Shawnee State University in 2001–02 and at Muskingum College from 2005-2007 ... KU guard Tyshawn Taylor, who sprained his left ankle in Friday’s victory over Coppin State, practiced over the weekend.

Comments

Toto_the_great (anonymous) says...

Who's KU's lone lost against a MAC team... Univ StL in the late 90s?

December 1, 2008 at 5:56 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jhawk23 (anonymous) says...

Toto,
I was at that game in St. Louis. It was Ryan Robertson vs. Troy? Robertson. Little brother came out on top that night. I seem to remember SLU being in Conference USA then.

December 1, 2008 at 6:56 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Toto_the_great (anonymous) says...

That's right. The memory was a little frozen at 6:00 a.m.

December 1, 2008 at 7:40 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

KUPROUD (anonymous) says...

Bill is looking at Brady as a possible defensive stopper. I hope he's right. Brady sure had a sweet shot against Coppin, and I think we need him to keep getting the minutes, even with Mario entering the picture.

December 1, 2008 at 8:26 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

mbmerriman (anonymous) says...

Toto:

Ball St. at the Maui Invit.

December 1, 2008 at 8:51 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Toto_the_great (anonymous) says...

Oh yeah, Testicle Tech. Bad day... a lot of yelling. Blocked it from memory.

December 1, 2008 at 9:51 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

"They've got some big wings."--Sherronatron

The National Basketball Weather Bureau issues this Severe Weather forecast for tonight's game against Kent State.

On defense, between 7:30 and 9:30 am cst, ku defense will over-defend the trey stripe, funnel the action inside where our bigs hold advantage and play occassional zone to confuse them.

KU's offense will play directly into the bigs frequently, where KU holds sharp advantage, but we will also see KU's Sherronatron and Quantum use superior quickness to drive and dish.

This is a game where Little's absense could be felt sharply, if a) Little were able to play lock down on the perimeter as reputed, and b) Kent State were hot from outside and c) KU were to need stops to stem a TRI-tide.

So: we can be hand wringers, or we can be grateful for this early test to help these Jayhawks figure out how to handle the big wings they are sure to meet in conference and post season.

December 1, 2008 at 10:08 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

topekahaig (anonymous) says...

hey bill ....we love ya but how about a little more Releford !

December 1, 2008 at 10:12 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

ChicagoJHawk (anonymous) says...

"They are good. They’ll be tough. They play in a great league.... This team is capable of beating anybody they play.” - okay so I understand he can't come out & say we're going to blow this team out or that they suck, but was all that really necessary?? I know it's just coachspeak but let's not get too carried away here. Who knows? We may even lose tonight but to say Kent State can beat anyone they play is just a little bit of an exaggeration! That and the fact that they don't play in a great league either.

December 1, 2008 at 12:06 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Yahweh (anonymous) says...

A tournament team with a returning player of the year versus a very green KU team? I don't know ChicagoJ. I figure we'll win, but these guys could put up a good fight.

December 1, 2008 at 12:49 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

ChicagoJ,

Boy, do I hope you are right as rain, but again big wings and an excellent starting PG could cause this young team some problems, unless the bigs really take over. We need about 40 points from the bigs tonight, or it could be an unpleasant night. The Kent States and Xaviers and Bradley's on their good years are capable of strong play and upsets on hot trey nights, especially against young high major teams.

December 1, 2008 at 5:07 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

JNHawks (anonymous) says...

could somebody please post an internet site where the gAme can be viewed?

December 1, 2008 at 5:20 p.m. ( | suggest removal )