FINAL: Kings of the Big 12! KU takes conference title with 72-64 victory over KSU

By Jesse Newell     Mar 13, 2010

KU vs. K-State

Nick Krug
Confetti pours over the Kansas Jayhawks as they hoist the Big 12 Tournament trophy after defeating Kansas State 72-64 Saturday in Kansas City, Mo.

Box Score

KU scoring — Marcus Morris 18, Reed 15, Collins 12, Aldrich 10, Markieff Morris 7, X. Henry 4, Taylor 3, Morningstar 3.

KU was 23-for-52 from the floor (44.2 percent), 2-for-8 from three (25 percent) and 24-for-31 from the free-throw line (77.4 percent).

KSU was 24-for-69 from the floor (34.8 percent), 8-for-22 from three (36.4 percent) and 8-for-14 from the free-throw line (57.1 percent).

KU out-rebounded KSU, 41-37. KU had 11 turnovers to KSU’s five.

FINAL: KU defeats KSU, 72-64

Horrible sequence for Collins, who loses control of a shot then fouls Pullen. Self grabs his forehead. KSU will have a chance to score with no time running off the clock.

Pullen misses the front end of the one-and-one, though, and Aldrich pulls down the board.

Reed is fouled, but he misses both free throws. Clemente flies down the court for a layup to cut KU’s lead to six.

Marcus Morris steps to the line with 35.5 seconds left, and he makes the first free throw. He misses the second, and Aldrich goes over the back for the quick whistle. That’s his fifth foul and will give KSU more chances at points with the clock stopped. The Jayhawks haven’t played smart down the stretch in this one.

Kelly misses the front end of the one-and-one, but KSU gets the rebound. Clemente fires up a high-arcing three, but it bounds hard off the back iron. Markieff skies to bring down the rebound, and he’s fouled immediately.

Markieff makes a free throw, and after a missed Pullen three, Collins grabs the rebound and runs out the clock.

KU wins the Big 12 tournament championship with a 72-64 victory over KSU.

KU 70/KSU 62 — 1:03 left in game

Curtis Kelly has a shot blocked by Aldrich, but a foul call comes from the backside official. “That’s not your call!” Self screams across the court.

KU beats the KSU full-court press, and Collins catches the ball at full speed. He takes the ball to the rim, ducks under a defender, and finishes with a layup on the other side of the rim.

Kelly is fouled again, this time by Markieff. KU would be better off letting Kelly take whatever hook shot he wants to take inside. The KSU forward makes both free throws.

Reed misses a floater in the lane, and in transition, Samuels is left wide open for a three. All the KU fans gasp at the same time. The attempt is short, though, and a hustling Marcus Morris throws his body into the lane for the defensive rebound.

On the other end, Reed feeds Marcus Morris with a low bounce pass, and Marcus fades to his back shoulder for a tough turnaround off the glass. That’s a big change of momentum there.

Pullen loses control of a shot inside, and KU comes away with the board. With his team leading by eight with 1:03 left, Self calls timeout.

KU 66/KSU 58 — 3:16 left in game

Markieff Morris with an errant pass, and KU is whistled for a backcourt violation. The Jayhawks would have had an opportunity to go up either 10 or 11 on that possession.

Pullen is starting to take over for KU, though. He uses a slick crossover move on the baseline to clear space before putting in a 16-footer over Aldrich, then follows the next possession with a three.

Collins pushes the ball off the make, finding Reed in the corner. The shot misses, but Clemente with a big mistake, as he fouls Reed to give him three free throws. Reed makes all of them. He really seems to save his best games for KSU and Missouri.

Pullen drives and draws a foul. His free throws give him seven straight KSU points since the media timeout.

KU is matching KSU blow for blow on the offensive end, though. After breaking the press, Xavier Henry is fed a pass on a baseline cut, and he makes two free throws after getting fouled. Let’s not overlook KU’s 19-for-22 shooting (86.4 percent) from the free-throw line.

Aldrich comes down with a KSU miss, and Collins delivers an NBA move on the other end, spinning in the lane before throwing in an eight-foot floater. Martin calls timeout, as the Jayhawks are up double digits for the first time today.

After the break, Collins comes away with a steal, and he fires ahead to Reed for a layup. KU’s fans rise to their feet.

Samuels is keeping KSU within striking distance. He hits two consecutive three-pointers, and those are huge shots for the Wildcats.

KU 53/KSU 45 — 7:48 left in game

Morningstar once again comes up with a composed play for KU, keeping his dribble alive until a KSU defender stops him. No one does, so Morningstar takes it all the way to the rim for a layup that is goaltended.

KSU cuts it to four, but Reed answers with a three from the wing. KU has done a good job of keeping K-State from making a big run.

Marcus Morris makes one of two free throws, and KU has pushed its lead back to eight.

KU 45/KSU 41 — 11:26 left in game

The pace has picked up, and so has the scoring.

Pullen puts in a floater. Markieff grabs an offensive rebound and puts in the stickback. Markieff follows with two more free throws.

Xavier Henry comes up with a block, and it starts the break for KU. Taylor puts in a free throw with a foul, and KU has grabbed some momentum.

It doesn’t last long. Jamar Samuels buries a three, and Clemente grabs a steal, gliding his way across the basket for a layup. Self calls timeout with KU’s lead down to two.

The Jayhawks execute perfectly out of the break, as Morningstar lobs to Marcus Morris for an alley-oop layup.

Morningstar comes up with the play offensively the next time down for KU, as he dribbles under the basket to find Aldrich for a dunk with a foul. Aldrich screams out his satisfaction, while Morningstar — with no emotion — walks toward the backcourt. Collins screams at Morningstar to congratulate him, making him at least offer a chest-bump to celebrate.

Clemente answers for KSU. He tries to draw a foul on a three-point attempt, contorting his body toward the defender on his shot. Reed doesn’t touch Clemente, but the off-balanced, circus shot still goes through. Unlucky break for the Jayhawks.

KU 35/KSU 28 — 15:56 left in game

KU is hitting the offensive glass more aggressively in the second half, as Marcus Morris and Aldrich both get their hands on rebounds.

Unfortunately for KU, that aggressiveness isn’t translating to the defensive boards. KU misses a box-out twice, though it doesn’t end up costing the Jayhawks, as Sutton misses a pair of free throws.

Marcus Morris uses a nice baseline move to get to the rim for a layup, then on the next possession, shoots in a baseline jumper over a defender. KSU calls timeout, as KU has its largest lead at eight.

Another three-second-in-the-lane call on KU. The Jayhawks have to be the nation’s leader in that call.

Higgins isn’t making any friends on the KU bench. He calls Marcus Morris for a charge on a move toward the basket. Self starts screaming at Higgins, and so do the KU fans.

KU scoring — Marcus Morris 8, Collins 8, Reed 5, Aldrich 5, Markieff Morris 2, X. Henry 2, Morningstar 1.

KU was 11-for-29 from the floor (37.9 percent), 1-for-3 from three-point range (33.3 percent) and 8-for-10 from the free-throw line (80 percent).

KSU was 12-for-38 from the floor (31.6 percent), 3-for-10 from three (30 percent) and 0-for-0 at the free-throw line.

KU had four turnovers, while KSU had three. KSU had 23 first-half rebounds, while KU had 22.

Halftime thoughts

No free throws for the Wildcats? This is a team averaging nearly 31 free throws per game. Great job by the Jayhawks in that regard.

KU’s perimeter defenders also have played well so far. Jacob Pullen is just 1-for-7 for two points, while Denis Clemente is 3-for-9.

No Jayhawk had more than four first-half rebounds. Aldrich had just three, and he needs to be better inside grabbing those loose caroms. We’ve seen him be dominant in the paint against the Wildcats earlier this season, but we have yet to see that today.

KU 31/KSU 27 — Halftime

Not a smart play by Aldrich, who barrels into the lane with a drive before trying to kick it out. The big man knocks over a Wildcat, and officials make the easy charge call. That’s two fouls on Aldrich, and those are the type of whistles your big men have to avoid.

Thomas Robinson tries to do too much offensively, putting up two consecutive shots in the lane that are rejected. Self looks frustrated.

Once again, KU pulls off perfect execution of a two-for-one at the end of the half. Collins drives around a screen, putting in a quick layup with 45 seconds left on the clock. KU will have the last possession.

Robinson doesn’t step out far enough on a screen, and Clemente hits the open three. Poor help defense there by the Jayhawks.

Collins is fouled on a drive, and he makes both free throws. Self checks in Conner Teahan for Robinson to avoid a potential foul.

Rodney McGruder puts in a stickback at the halftime buzzer. The officials originally count it, but after looking at the replay, they make the correct call and wave the basket off.

KU takes a four-point lead into the break.

KU 27/KSU 22 — 3:18 left in 1st half

Sutton gets the ball inside, but he hesitates before taking the shot. Though Cole Aldrich isn’t in the game, I swear Sutton was looking to see where KU’s big man was.

Pullen misses a shot, but Sutton sticks the rebound back in for two. KU had two guys trying to block Pullen’s shot but no one staying home to rebound. Sutton grabs his shoulder after making the layup.

Collins grabs a loose ball, and he finishes among the big men for two.

Self goes back to the Triangle-and-Two defense that has been effective against KSU earlier this year. The big key for KU is rebounding well out of the set defense.

Collins dumps inside to Aldrich, and he rolls a short shot in over a defender.

Aldrich makes a lazy pass that is tipped out of bounds by K-State. Self nearly screams, but he pins his lips together and fights the urge.

KU 19/KSU 16 — 7:49 left in 1st half

Xavier Henry has a shot blocked, but Marcus Morris comes through with a ridiculously athletic play, catching the ball and hurling it towards the rim. The ball banks off the glass and goes through.

Collins draws a foul, and Martin marches over to grab his water bottle. Looks like he’s about a split second from chucking it towards the bench before regaining his cool.

Taylor misses a tough shot, but Marcus Morris is there for the stickback. Might not be a bad strategy for KU’s guards to take most of the shots with KU’s big men working on getting rebounding position inside.

Collins with a long alley-oop pass, and Xavier Henry slams it down. KU’s offense looked much better during that four-minute stretch between media timeouts.

KU 11/KSU 11 — 11:23 left in 1st half

Two blocks from KU (one from Marcus Morris, one from Tyshawn Taylor) extend KSU’s field-goal drought. The Wildcats start 0-for-11 before Wally Judge finally puts in a tip-in at the 14:43 mark.

KSU is being extremely physical defensively. KU is having trouble making any passes, much less running its sets.

Markieff Morris makes a tough baseline shot. KU might have to rely on jump shots if it can’t figure out a better way to attack KSU’s overpursuing defense.

Morningstar picks Clemente’s pocket, and he draws a blocking foul on his shot attempt. Clemente doesn’t like it, and he waves his hand in the air toward the official. The KSU senior is lucky to have avoided a technical foul for his show of frustration.

Clemente hides behind a screen and buries a deep three. Nothing complicated about that play.

Tyrel Reed answers with a guarded three of his own on the other end, getting a friendly roll off the rim and backboard. It looks like KU has the friendly rim (and KSU has the unfriendly rim) in the first half.

KU 5/KSU 0 — 15:52 left in 1st half

Eric Sorrentino notes something interesting early: KSU has 6-foor-5 Dominique Sutton guarding KU’s Sherron Collins. That means Denis Clemente is guarding the much bigger Xavier Henry. Interesting decision by KSU coach Frank Martin. I would guess he’s trying to make it tougher for Collins to score over length.

The biggest mismatch for KU offensively is still Cole Aldrich against Luis Colon. KU’s first three points come from Aldrich, as he’s fouled inside and also puts in a short baseline shot.

KSU can’t get anything to go down. Even the short shots are missing.

Jacob Pullen misses a three, and Martin is furious. “Pass the (bleepity-bleep) ball,” Martin yells across the court to Pullen.

KSU has started out 0-for-8 from the floor.

5:13 p.m.

Though I was expecting the crowd noise to be about equal, the KU fans have been much louder in the pregame festivities.

Will the KU fans keep their noise level up during the game? That doesn’t always happen in Kansas City for some reason.

4:48 p.m.

You still have time to check out the Cram Session. I just posted it on the left side of this page.

4:24 p.m.

Welcome back to the Newell Post Live, coming to you live from Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., where the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks are getting set to take on the No. 9 Kansas State Wildcats.

There are so many storylines in this one. Jacob Pullen vs. Sherron Collins. Kansas State trying to win its first Big 12 basketball championship. KU trying to finish off a sweep of the season series.

We know this for sure: The game will be physical and most likely will involve a lot of fouls (especially because KU has drawn John Higgins as an official for a second straight game).

The Jayhawks were able to avoid fouling against Texas A&M on Friday, and they need to do the same against Kansas State today.

I’ll go with KU in this one, but I expect a close game. Give me KU by two (Let’s go 75-73). Though KU might have more fans here today, I’m expecting the noise level to be fairly even, as K-State fans have been extremely loud throughout this tournament.

Be sure to vote in the poll at the left and use the hashtag #kubball to have your Tweets appear on the left side of this page. KUsports.com Big 12 blogger Eric Sorrentino is sitting next to me, and he’ll be Tweeting there under the name Big12_Spotlight. Be sure to join in the conversation with him.

FINAL: Fired-up KU takes down A&M, 79-66

By Jesse Newell     Mar 12, 2010

KU vs. Texas A&M

Nick Krug
Kansas guard Sherron Collins, second from right, celebrates with teammates Cole Aldrich, right, Elijah Johnson and C.J. Henry in the closing minutes of the Jayhawks' 79-66 win over Texas A&M on Friday in Kansas City, Mo.

KU defeats TAMU, 79-66

Aldrich with a big offensive rebound off a missed Collins three. KU will milk some more time off the clock.

Give credit to Self for adjusting his defense on the fly. His team’s 2-3 zone has given A&M some major problems in the second half.

The Rock Chalk Chant showers down with just over a minute left.

Collins checks out, and he has a few choice words for the A&M bench as he heads off the court. He then gives a final salute before slapping hands with Self.

Markieff gets a late steal, and he throws ahead to Taylor for a layup with a foul. The final score won’t indicate how close this game was.

KU closes out a 79-66 victory.

KU 74/TAMU 59 — 3:33 left in game

Collins makes another shot for KU. During a stoppage, he turns toward us and winks at KU radio broadcaster Bob Davis.

Aldrich catches a deflected pass for a steal, and Collins spins in the lane before getting fouled by Holmes. Collins hits both free throws, then checks out to a loud ovation.

Aldrich brings some attention inside, then kicks out to Xavier Henry for another three that swishes through. That’s a 16-0 run for KU, and Turgeon calls another timeout. Xavier is a perfect 3-for-3 shooting from three in the second half, and he’s up to 15 points.

Sloan hits a pair of free throws to break A&M’s long scoreless drought. The Aggies went nearly five minutes without a point.

KU 63/TAMU 57 — 6:41 left in game

Collins fires up a three from the left side, and it hits the front rim, pops straight up a few feet, then swishes through. KU has tied it at 51.

A&M responds, though. Khris Middleton uses an up-fake to free himself for a 16-footer that goes though, and Sloan follows with two free throws.

Collins is sparking the Jayhawks offensively without taking any shots. Again, his penetration opens up the perimeter, and two quick passes net Xavier Henry an open three that rattles in.

The next possession, Collins lobs to Markieff Morris, who catches the ball in the lane and lays it in for two. KU has regained the lead at 56-55, and Turgeon calls timeout.

Sloan once again makes a huge shot for A&M, putting in a baseline fadeaway over Morningstar with two on the shot clock.

Collins is playing some of his best basketball of the year right now, though. He feeds Markieff for another layup, then gets a steal and puts in a layup.

Later, Collins drives to draw attention, and two passes later, Xavier Henry shoots in a three. KU is up six, and Turgeon calls timeout.

Collins gets the fans fired up, and he gets tangled up with some A&M players on his way back to the bench. Officials separate the two.

On the media timeout, the two teams have to be separated again by Higgins, who calls a double technical. Turgeon is extremely angry (at Collins I think) and KU assistant coach Danny Manning comes on to the court to grab Markieff Morris and Collins to take them to the bench. Things are really heated up here.

TAMU 51/KU 48 — 11:56 left in game

Collins drives, then kicks out to Morningstar for a three from the corner that goes through. KU’s fans start to grow louder.

Aldrich nearly comes down with an offensive rebound, but after diving for it, he tips it out of bounds. Originally, the officials give it to Kansas, but after conferring, they correctly give it to A&M. KU athletic director Lew Perkins goes nuts in the row in front of me, grabbing his lower jaw with a shocked look on his face. He must not have seen it as well as I did.

Another drive by Collins, and he throws a no-look feed to Tyrel Reed for another three. Swish. A&M calls timeout, as KU is down just one after an 8-0 run.

With the building about to get really loud, Holmes sinks a tough, 18-foot fadeaway with one second left on the shot clock. Big shot for the Aggies to break up the momentum.

TAMU 47/KU 40 — 15:45 left in game

Aldrich gets a lob inside, and he slams it home with one hand. After going through the hoop, the ball comes back to Aldrich, and he slaps it back out of bounds. Could this be the start of a mean streak for Cole?

KU turns it over, but Marcus makes it worse by fouling B.J. Holmes in transition. With three fouls, Marcus goes back to the bench.

Loubeau puts in a layup, and A&M has a 6-0 run. Self calls timeout with his team down seven.

After Collins is fouled on a drive, things get chippy between him and A&M’s Bryan Davis. Higgins steps in, telling them both to “shut up.” They eventually do.

In transition, Morningstar puts in a layup, but he’s called for a charge. It didn’t look like A&M’s Holmes was set. The KU fans go nuts, and as soon as the Aggies get the ball to the other end, the same official calls a quick travel on A&M. “Nice makeup call!” Self screams across the court, saying what every other KU fan in the building was thinking.

KU scoring — Collins 12 (4-for-7 shooting), Markieff Morris 6, Taylor 5, Aldrich 4, X. Henry 4, Morningstar 2, Marcus Morris 2.

KU was 13-for-23 from the floor (56.5 percent), 4-for-8 from three (50 percent) and 5-for-7 from the free-throw line (71.4 percent).

A&M was 14-for-28 from the floor (50 percent), 3-for-7 from three (42.9 percent) and 7-for-8 from the free-throw line (87.5 percent).

KU out-rebounded A&M, 14-12, in the first half. KU had 12 turnovers, while A&M had six.

TAMU guard Donald Sloan had 13 first-half points on 5-for-10 shooting.

Halftime thoughts

Looking at the box score, I was surprised the Jayhawks shot so well (56.5 percent) in the first half. Obviously the 12 turnovers have hurt the Jayhawks quite a bit, because when KU is getting shots, it’s scoring.

Here’s an interesting statistic: KU had just one first-half offensive rebound, and that was a team rebound. No Jayhawk actually grabbed one of his teammates’ misses.

Not a good half for Xavier Henry. I liked him in this matchup against A&M, too. He had four points and two turnovers in 13 minutes. I would look for him to be a key for KU in the second half.

Free throw recap: Texas A&M has eight, while KU has seven. Neither team has been spectacular in this area yet.

TAMU 38/KU 35 — Halftime

Taylor pulls down a defensive rebound, but after sprinting to the other end, he fires a pass to the outside off of Brady Morningstar’s hands. Though Taylor made a bad pass and will get the turnover, Morningstar didn’t do a good job of spacing himself out on the fast-break opportunity.

Taylor leaps for a steal, then fires a one-handed baseball pass upcourt for Collins. The senior guard corrals it, then makes an athletic move to put in a layup around a leaping Walkup. TAMU coach Mark Turgeon calls timeout.

Collins gets called for a foul away from the ball, and he isn’t happy. He talks to the official for an extended length of time, trying to plead his case. It looks like Collins thinks he was pushed first. Self yells across the court to tell Collins to calm down.

Morningstar makes a nifty baseline move, putting in a reverse layup amongst the trees inside.

Taylor misses a shot at the buzzer, and KU trails by three at the break.

TAMU 34/KU 29 — 3:16 left in 1st half

Aldrich fires a nice pass over the top to Markieff Morris, but he can’t get the layup to go down. We don’t talk about this a lot, but the Jayhawks are gifted with some big men that are exceptional passers.

Collins with a drive and spin move before putting in a 10-foot floater in the lane. That kind of move is going to be tough for any defender to stop.

A&M is taking advantage of KU’s high number of team fouls. The Aggies put in four straight free throws on one-and-ones, and they’re now 5-for-6 from the line.

After making such a nice move in the lane a few seconds ago, Collins tries to do too much, going to a fadeaway jumper off the dribble that bricks away.

Robinson misses a layup in the lane. Markieff turns it over on the next possession. KU is up to 10 turnovers with 3:16 still to go in the first half.

KU 26/TAMU 25 — 7:23 left in 1st half

Tyshawn Taylor curls around traffic, then drives to the basket for a two with a foul. The three-point play gives KU its first lead at 18-16.

Marcus Morris picks up his second foul, and he checks out. That’s a big blow for KU with 11 minutes still left in the half.

Loubeau is a first-team, all-conference-type of player against KU this year. His baseline jumper beats the shot clock, and he’s up to seven points on 3-for-4 shooting.

The Aggies score seven straight points, and KU has looked lost the last two days without Collins on the floor. Self checks his senior guard back in quickly to try to limit the damage.

KU makes a run to regain the lead, with Markieff Morris draining an open three from the top of the circle.

Just when the crowd gets fired up, Higgins calls a ticky-tack foul on KU’s Thomas Robinson. Self smiles while talking to Higgins after the call. I wish I knew what he said to him.

TAMU 16/KU 15 — 11:36 left in 1st half

A&M’s Nathan Walkup is left all alone for a three-point attempt, and he swishes it, holding his follow-through up an extra second for good measure.

Sherron Collins answers with a three, but TAMU’s Donald Sloan takes it straight down the court and puts in a floater in the lane. Self calls timeout. That’s the second time in the last two games KU has been beaten down the court after an inbounds pass by the other team.

Aldrich comes down with a defensive rebound, but he tosses the outlet pass out of bounds. You don’t see this often, but Collins shows visible frustration with KU’s junior center. He says something to Aldrich, then glares at him for a couple seconds, wanting him to focus better this game.

Collins follows with a three, slapping his chest with his right palm afterwards. The Jayhawks’ leader has started this game well — something he hasn’t done in a few games.

TAMU 11/KU 7 — 14:54 left in 1st half

Kansas immediately breaks out the full-court press after a turnover by Cole Aldrich. After trapping, Marcus Morris rips away a steal, but he loses the handle after a few dribbles for KU’s second turnover.

Xavier Henry is left alone in the corner, and he rattles in a three for KU’s first points.

Cole Aldrich is forced to help late defensively, and he fouls Texas A&M’s David Loubeau from behind. Just 2:25 in, Aldrich needs to be careful with fouls.

Aldrich has a pass slip out of his hands, and that’s KU’s fourth turnover in the first three minutes. The Jayhawks have come out sluggish in their second straight game this tournament.

Loubeau puts in a layup, and he continues to give KU fits inside. He had 17 in the first matchup, and he has three already.

Marcus Morris travels, and KU can’t get shots up at the moment.

KU’s pressure creates a steal, and Markieff Morris beats everyone down the floor for a two-handed jam. That’s one way to get things going offensively.

Loubeau with another two, this time over Marcus Morris. KU coach Bill Self is livid, screaming at his players on the court to pick up the defense.

5:56 p.m.

John Higgins is one of the officials today. He and Self usually don’t get along too well.

5:30 p.m.

Our GameDay Cram Session from live at the KC Power and Light District is available in podcast form by clicking on the link at the left.

5:15 p.m.

Welcome back the Newell Post Live, coming to you from Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., where the No. 1 Kansas Jayhawks are getting set to take on the 23rd-ranked Texas A&M Aggies.

It’s been a great couple days hanging out with KU fans at the KC Live Block in the Power and Light District. Remember, we have a KUsports.com booth between Johnny’s and Tengo Sed Cantina in the Live Block. Go there to sign up for prizes and also pick up some KUsports.com goodies.

We’re also getting ready to post a video of Tom Keegan and me hosting a Jayhawk trivia contest from the stage of the Live Block. Special thanks to former Jayhawk Brad Witherspoon for helping us out on stage.

One quick key to look for in today’s game against Texas A&M.

Most of the Aggies’ games this season have either been won or lost at the free-throw line.

A&M gets 25 percent of its scoring from free throws — the 21st-highest split in the country. The Aggies average 27 free throws per game, while their opponents average 20.

In its eight losses, TAMU has averaged giving up 29 free throws to its opponents.

Though it wasn’t talked about much, a major reason KU won the first matchup was because it won the free-throw battle. KU was 18-for-26 from the line, while A&M was just 5-for-11. Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon even made mention of the statistic in his postgame press conference, as he was a bit frustrated with the whistle he received at home.

I’d keep a close eye on the free throws again this game. If A&M gets above its season average of free throws (27) and KU shoots under A&M’s opponents’ average (20), I would think the Aggies would have a great chance of pulling off the upset.

Be sure to vote in our poll on the left and also use the hashtag #kubball to have your Tweets appear on the left side of this page.

FINAL: 2,000! Collins, Aldrich lead KU to 80-68 victory over Texas Tech

By Jesse Newell     Mar 11, 2010

KU-Texas Tech

Box score

FINAL: KU defeats TTU, 80-68

Aldrich with a nifty move inside, putting in a soft layup off the glass. Cohadarevic misses a long jumper, and with just two minutes left, KU’s 12-point lead should be safe.

Collins drives, then dishes to Reed in the lane for a layup. Self claps his hands in satisfaction.

The Rock Chalk Chant starts with just under a minute left.

C.J. Henry checks into the game for his first action in a long time. He was injured early in the Big 12 season.

KU wraps up an 80-68 victory.

KU 73/TTU 63 — 3:40 left in game

Cohadarevic puts in a tough turn-around. He’s up to 14 points on 7-for-10 shooting after barely touching the court yesterday against Colorado.

Aldrich travels, and Self yells at his team, “Get back! Get back!” after the ball is inbounded. Roberson still beats KU down the court, wiggling around Taylor for a layup with a foul. Self screams in frustration, then calls timeout to try to (again) refocus his team.

KU’s two best players step up with the lead down to two. Aldrich picks off an offensive rebound, and Collins turns it into points with a three from the wing.

Following a TTU turnover, KU finds Xavier Henry in the corner, and he buries the three. The quick 6-0 spurt boosts KU’s lead to eight, and after TTU calls its final timeout, Collins urges the KU fans to rise to their feet.

Collins adds two free throws, and KU has turned its game up at the right time.

KU 64/TTU 59 — 6:58 left in game

Vicious block by Aldrich, who pins the ball against the glass. Markieff takes a charge, and the defensive plays have given KU some momentum.

Taylor dishes to Xavier Henry, who buries a three from the left wing. KU extends its lead to 10 briefly.

The Jayhawks are trying to play at a frantic pace offensively, and Self holds up both palms, telling his team to settle down.

Collins is whistled for his fourth foul on a defensive rebound attempt. The senior guard is rarely in foul trouble, but he’ll go to the bench with 8:10 left.

Nice pass by Markieff Morris, who dropped a nice pass to Morningstar on a backdoor cut to get KU an easy layup.

Another nice pass by Markieff, as he lofts the ball over the defense to Aldrich for a two.

KU gets beat down the court after the two — a rarity with a Self team — and Roberts slams it home. Self calls timeout. Tech isn’t fading away.

KU 53/TTU 45 — 11:55 left in game

Xavier Henry with a steal, and he finishes on the other end with a layup. Perhaps his last three will get him going defensively, too.

Perhaps the strategy of having Aldrich try to score over a defender isn’t unsound. Aldrich has been getting the ball deep in the lane, but he’s had trouble getting his shot in over the big body Cohadarevic.

Collins once again gives KU a spark, dribbling into the lane before kicking out to Morningstar for a three. Collins has an extra burst in his step, perhaps because he rested to much in the first half.

Cohadarevic hammers Markieff hard on a layup try, and it starts a jawing session between KU and TTU’s players. Markieff has some words for Cohadarevic, and Marcus Morris delivers talks some as well to defend his brother. Collins pulls Markieff Morris back before getting back up in Cohadarevic’s face to let him know the act wasn’t appreciated.

Roberts and Marcus Morris pick up off-setting technical fouls. Is that Marcus’ first technical all year?

Marcus gets called for a moving screen, and that’s a double whammy for KU. Not only is it Marcus’ fourth foul, it also wipes away a three-pointer by Reed. Self yells across the court at the official, saying, “You’ve got to be kidding me!”

KU 47/TTU 37 — 15:54 left in game

Xavier Henry finally gets a three to go down, and his face says it all. The freshman pushes out a deep exhale after his shot goes through, and instead of feeling excitement, you can tell he feels relief for finally getting one to go down.

KU 44/TTU 34 — 17:26 left in game

Collins looks refreshed after sitting for a while with three fouls, putting in a three to start the second half. Marcus Morris follows with a 16-foot jumper. Collins curls around a screen and hits a shot from the elbow. The Jayhawks look bouncier offensively, if that makes any sense.

Xavier Henry misses a three, but Marcus Morris is underneath to grab the offensive rebound and stick it back in for two. The crowd comes to life for the first time all day.

Tyshawn Taylor is bailed out with a whistle on his layup attempt (looked like a clean block from Singletary), and KU has scored on its first five possessions of the second half.

KU scoring — Collins 9, Marcus Morris 7, Aldrich 7, Markieff Morris 6, X. Henry 2, Reed 2, Taylor 1.

KU was 10-for-28 from the floor (35.7 percent), 2-for-7 from three (28.6 percent) and 12-for-13 from the free-throw line (92.3 percent).

TTU was 12-for-30 from the floor (40 percent), 1-for-7 from three (14.3 percent) and 7-for-10 from the free-throw line (70 percent).

KU had eight first-half turnovers, while TTU had seven. Both teams had 20 rebounds.

One other stat of note:

KU had just three offensive rebounds in the first half. The Jayhawks had 19 offensive rebounds in their first matchup against the Red Raiders.

KU 34/TTU 32 — Halftime

D’Walyn Roberts hits a free throw, and Singletary puts in a reverse layup to tie the score. Self calls timeout.

Two bad possessions in a row for Thomas Robinson, who turns it over with a bad pass before blowing a wide-open layup in transition on the next poessession. Self has no choice but to check Aldrich back in.

Big momentum swing, as Markieff Morris goaltends a Cohadarevic layup, but the officials don’t call it. Knight goes nuts on the sidelines (as he should), jumping up and down and waving his hands side to side. Markieff is fouled in transition, and his free throws give KU a four-point swing.

Another layup inside for Markieff. His teammates have set him up well, but he’s been KU’s best finisher in the paint so far today.

Without Collins in there, KU looks disorganized on its final shot attempt. Reed finally drives, but his layup attempt is well off.

The Jayhawks take a slim two-point lead into the break.

KU 28/TTU 25 — 3:57 left in 1st half

KU’s quick run a few minutes ago won’t be the knockout blow. Roberson rises up for a three, and after a turnover by Xavier Henry, Reese puts in a layup with a foul. Suddenly, TTU is down just two again.

Xavier Henry tries a drive, but he’s called for a charge. Self immediately checks him out, asking him why he didn’t kick a pass out to the perimeter after getting into the lane. On the sideline, Self looks like he’s watching a team he doesn’t recognize when viewing his team today.

Both teams can’t get open shots to go down. TTU is just 1-for-6 from three (16.7 percent) after making 39 percent of its threes in Big 12 play.

Collins fouls Nick Okorie on a three, and that’s three fouls on Collins.

Markieff gets a three-second-in-the-lane violation. KU has been unlucky with that call this year.

KU 25/TTU 17 — 7:52 left in 1st half

This might be the quietest full crowd I’ve ever heard. KU fans, for some reason, tend to be nearly silent when they travel to K.C.

Markieff Morris misses a layup, and KU has gone 4 1/2 minutes without scoring a point.

Collins is fouled on a drive, and his free throws break KU’s scoreless string.

TTU’s Brad Reese misses a one-handed slam, and the ball caroms all the way back to mid-court. Cohadarevic later turns it over, and he sits on the court for a few extended seconds, showing up the officials. I don’t think they appreciated that.

It took a few minutes, but Collins has found his form. He drives in, finding Marcus for a layup, then on the next possession takes it all the way to the rim for two.

In transition, Brady Morningstar finds the hot hand on the wing, and Collins buries the three.

A weird sequence follows. TTU calls timeout. Coach Pat Knight barrels three-fourths of the way across the court to yell at an official. Knight immediately gets T’ed up. That’s a bad technical at a bad time for TTU, which was hanging in this game. KU has enough of an advantage without getting free points.

Collins puts in both technical free throws, and he’s on a personal 7-0 run in this game.

KU 14/TTU 13 — 11:41 left in 1st half

Tyrel Reed with the poke away defensively, and Marcus Morris works on a layup drilll, missing two guarded ones inside before getting the third to go down.

The two reverse roles the next possession, as Marcus saves the ball from going out of bounds for a steal and Reed gets a two on the other end.

Sloppy play by both teams so far. TTU has four turnovers and KU has three. Both teams are trying to play fast, but neither are valuing the basketball particularly well.

Singletary rattles in a tough 18-foot jumper. He told me after yesterday’s game that he believed he would rely more on his jump shot than his driving against KU because of the Jayhawks’ many strong shot-blockers in the lane.

KU 10/TTU 9 — 15:27 left in 1st half

Right from the tip, Kansas tries to establish its presence inside. Cole Aldrich is fed the ball in the paint, and he hits a turnaround hook with a foul.

Marcus Morris follows with a three-pointer from up top, and KU has a 6-0 lead.

Sherron Collins gets away with a travel, but he turns it over anyway, throwing a pass to John Roberson, who finishes on the other end with a layup. When was the last time Collins started a game well? I honestly can’t remember.

Collins turns it over again, and once again it turns into easy points for TTU, as Mike Singletary gets an uncontested jam.

TTU is chosing to not double-team Aldrich in the post. We’ll see if that affects how KU attacks the Red Raiders offensively.

TTU’s Darko Cohadarevic spins around Aldrich for a layup, and KU coach Bill Self yells at Aldrich, telling him to “pull his head out.” The coach isn’t happy with his big man early.

11:30 a.m.

Great KU contingent here. We aren’t full yet, though, with lots of empties left in the upper deck. Maybe those are the tickets the scalpers were holding.

11:20 a.m.

The Missouri loss has resulted in tons of available tickets out there. While walking toward Sprint Center, I’m not sure I’ve ever seen so many scalpers with so many available tickets. That should benefit any KU fans looking to get tickets for Friday or Saturday’s games.

10:44 a.m.

Welcome back to the Newell Post Live, coming to you from the Live Block of the K.C. Power and Light District. If you’re coming to the Big 12 tournament, be sure to check out our KUsports.com booth, located between Johnny’s and Tengo Sed Cantina in the Live Block portion of the K.C. Power and Light District (the block underneath the covered roof).

While here, sign up for prizes that will be given away later today. Also, Tom Keegan, Eric Sorrentino and I will be doing a “Spodcasters Live” at 4 p.m. from our booth, so join us for that.

If you aren’t coming to K.C., be sure to check out KUsports.com at 4 p.m. for a live stream of the “Spodcasters Live” from the K.C. Power and Light District.

FINAL: Texas holds off Iowa State, 82-75

By Jesse Newell     Mar 10, 2010

Texas forward Damion James (5) tries to shoot over Iowa State center Justin Hamilton (41) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Big 12 tournament Wednesday, March 10, 2010, in Kansas City, Mo.

If you want to join in the Big 12 Tournament conversation, use the hashtag #big12ku to have your Tweets appear in our grid on the left side of the page.

UT defeats ISU, 82-75

Texas makes enough of its free throws down the stretch. James comes away with two significant offensive rebounds off free throws.

Brackins checks out, and he tries to hold back tears as he hugs teammates. It looks like he’s checked out of his last collegiate game.

Be sure to check back Thursday for full coverage of KU’s quarterfinal game against Texas Tech. Also remember that at 4 p.m., Tom Keegan and I will be shooting a Spodcasters Live from the Live Block of the K.C. Power and Light District. Hope to see some of you there.

UT 71/ISU 64 — 2:10 left in game

ISU picked a bad time to miss seven straight shots — an offensive lull that will most likely cost the ‘Clones any chance at winning this game.

UT 67/ISU 59 — 7:50 left in game

Just when the Cyclones start to make it interesting — pulling within one — the Longhorns respond with three straight productive offensive possessions. James hits a huge three, and Pittman follows with two consecutive shots in the paint.

You have to give credit to UT, which has had an answer each time ISU starts to make a run.

UT 45/ISU 40 — 13:39 left in game

At least part of UT’s struggles offensively this season have to be attributed to the Longhorns’ inability to share the basketball. UT is averaging assists on just 49.2 percent of its field goals, which ranks 275th nationally (national average is 53.6 percent). For comparison purposes, KU gets assists on 59 percent of its made field goals.

Tonight, the Longhorns have just seven assists on 19 field goals (36.8 percent). It’s a lot tougher to score when teammates aren’t creating open shots.

UT 31/ISU 28 — Halftime

Two bad turnovers by ISU — one by Diante Garrett, one by Craig Brackins — ruin a golden opportunity for the Cyclones to tie the game or take the lead.

UT’s offense has gone into its “Which long jumper should we settle for this time?” mode, so I definitely wouldn’t count the ‘Clones out of this one.

UT 29/ISU 25 — 3:00 left in 1st half

Damion James is well on his way to another double-double (10 points, 6 rebounds). It’s amazing that with such a talented cast around him that no one else has been able to step up as a consistent second scorer behind him this year.

UT 27/ISU 21 — 7:23 left in 1st half

ISU’s Craig Brackins is playing with a heavy brace on his knee. This year couldn’t have turned out the way he planned. To me, he’s a lot like Kansas’ Cole Aldrich — many fans might tell him he should stay for another year, but he should go pro to make sure to get paid.

The Cyclones are scoring OK, but they’re not making it tough enough on Texas defensively. The way to beat the Longhorns isn’t to outscore them, but instead, it is to make them earn every point.

UT 15/ISU 15 — 10:50 left in 1st half

Iowa State hanging close. Marquis Gilstrap and Justin Hamilton both help, stepping up to make mid-range jumpers. It’s amazing how much better a team’s offense looks when players make open 15-footers.

UT 11/ISU 9 — 15:30 left in 1st half

I haven’t been able to see much of the game yet (after coming back from interviews), but I can tell you that Iowa State has a great crowd here tonight. We’ll see if the home-like atmosphere helps the Cyclones tonight.

8:38 p.m. — Little Mac update

I’ve got some sad news to report in my quest to change Keiton Page’s official nickname to “Little Mac”.

Turns out Page doesn’t even know who Little Mac is.

“I’m going to have to find that one out,” Page said to me with a laugh following OSU’s 81-67 victory over OU. “I’m going to have to look that one up.”

Even though Page doesn’t know (yet) of the boxer of Nintendo fame, that doesn’t mean he isn’t endorsing the “Little Mac” nickname.

“That’s fine with me. These guys have pretty much given me every nickname there is,” Page said. “I’ll take any nickname that’s out there. … These guys — they call me anything that has to do with small. Anything that has to do with short in their head, they’re going to call me it.”

OSU defeats OU, 81-67

James Anderson and Tiny Gallon exchange one-handed slams to add some life to the end of this game.

OSU coasts to the 14-point victory.

OSU 79/OU 59 — 3:59 left in game

Backup point guard Fred Gulley hits a three for OSU. He was 0-for-19 from beyond the arc this season before that attempt.

Why not, right?

OSU 65/OU 50 — 7:51 left in game

I’ve decided I’m going to ask Keiton Page about his new nickname, “Little Mac,” after the game. Will he endorse it? Stay tuned …

OSU 55/OU 40 — 11:46 left in game

I can’t believe what I just saw. Keiton Page missed a three. Take a moment to let that sink in.

Muonelo hits a free throw, breaking OSU’s six-minute, 44-second drought to start the second half. OU put together an 11-0 run before that.

Just after a three pulls OU to within 10, Little Mac comes back with an uppercut blow. He picks Mason-Griffin’s pocket in the backcourt, then puts in a layup with a foul, screaming to the crowd a few feet in front of me. That completes a quick 6-0 run for OSU.

OSU 45/OU 32 — 15:39 left in game

OU’s Tommy Mason-Griffin is one inch taller than OSU’s Keiton Page. I just noticed that by looking at them guarding each other. That’s even with Page gaining an extra half-inch by growing his hair long.

I’d love to say that OU scoring the first nine points of the second half means the Sooners can still get back into this game, but I can’t. I just don’t see it happening, especially because the Sooners’ defensive lapses usually sabotage their comebacks.

It’s interesting to see how different coaches deal with their underachieving teams. Texas Tech coach Pat Knight screams until his face is red. OU coach Jeff Capel, meanwhile, encourages and claps for his team until his hands are red. Different philosophies for sure.

OSU 45/OU 23 — Halftime

What an embarrassing half for Oklahoma. OSU coach Travis Ford has had his team hold the ball up top to waste time, and there’s still two minutes left in the first half.

Can we get a mercy rule? A running clock? Both coaches to sign a contract for the game to end at halftime?

OSU 40/OU 19 — 3:50 left in 1st half

Not much to add. Page is 9-for-9 from three against KU/OU this game, and Matt Pilgrim is 11-for-11 from the floor against KU/OU this game. Amazing.

OSU 36/OU 15 — 6:10 left in 1st half

Can there be a call for over-the-back when a player is laying on the floor? I just saw it. Obi Muonelo slipped getting out to Steven Pledger, and the rebound came back toward both of them. While still on the ground, Muonelo lunged for the ball, and Pledger was whistled for over the back when he went, well, way over Muonelo’s back (Muonelo was still on the floor; he had to go over his back).

Vicious, vicious one-handed dunk off an alley-oop by Matt Pilgrim. There’s another guy I haven’t seen miss a shot live this year.

“Little Mac” strikes again! Another three, and he’s 4-for-4 from deep — matching his shooting against KU.

It doesn’t take him long to do one better. Little Mac hitches up another deep three, and it hits front rim, then backboard before bouncing in. I’m beginning to wonder if I’ll ever see him miss a three in person.

OSU 24/OU 5 — 11:21 left in 1st half

Ken Pomeroy just responded to me on Twitter. Wow, the power of the Internet.

Page with another long two. He can’t miss.

OU can, though. Two points for OU in the first six minutes and counting. Is it too early to wonder whether Jeff Capel’s job might be in jeopardy next season?

Ho hum. Page hits another three-pointer a couple steps behind the arc. OU calls timeout, and I love Roger Franklin’s reaction for OSU. He goes into an Incredible Hulk-like pose, flexing his biceps while bringing his fists toward his stomach. He then holds the pose, waddling forward toward the bench while crouched over a bit. You’d have thought it was Franklin that hit the three-pointer himself.

OSU 13/OU 2 — 15:55 left in 1st half

Keiton “Little Mac” Page only seems to light up the nets when I’m watching him.

He went 4-for-4 from three during the OSU-KU game. Then he went a combined 1-for-13 from three against Texas A&M and Nebraska.

Sure enough, he opens this game with two consecutive threes. That’s 6-for-6 in games this year that I have seen live. Meanwhile, with help from the two threes, OSU opens the game on a 9-0 run, perhaps already delivering the knockout blow against lifeless Oklahoma.

5:45 p.m.

Some quotes from my interviews with Texas Tech’s Mike Singletary and John Roberson in the locker room after their victory over Colorado about about their upcoming game against KU.

Singletary

“We’re playing the No. 1 team in the country. What more could you ask for?”

“I don’t think anybody is picking us to win this game by any means. It’s OK. They can do all that. We’re going to stay tight in here as a family, and we’re going to go out and compete. We’ve beat Kansas before. We beat them last year, and we’re a better team than last year. It’s not that they’re unbeatable by any means. They’re a great team, but they’re not unbeatable.”

Roberson

“It’s always nice to play the No. 1 team in the nation, because there’s no pressure on you. They have everything to lose. We’re going to come out with no pressure on us and just play basketball.”

Also of note:

Both players talked about how physical KU was — especially defensively — in the teams’ first matchup.

Singletary said it took him a few days to get over the fact that he didn’t score any points against KU in the first matchup. He said KU’s physicality took him out of his game. After watching the film, he think he can attack KU’s defense differently on Thursday.

Singletary said that while he was able to get some layups today against CU, he’s expecting that he’ll have to rely a lot more on his jumpshot Thursday against KU because of shot-block presences Cole Aldrich, Markieff Morris and Marcus Morris inside.

FINAL: NU defeats MU, 75-60

MU cuts it to eight at one point, but gets no closer.

Pretty funny gesture by the KU fans in attendance, as a few of them start up the “Rock Chalk Chant” with 39 seconds left in NU’s victory.

The Huskers close out an impressive 15-point win.

NU 64/MU 51 — 3:36 left in game

Nebraska goes scoreless over the next four minutes, which isn’t the best way to protect a lead. The Huskers still keep most of their advantage, though, thanks to their defense. MU isn’t much of a jump-shooting team, and it has showed with the bad shooting we’ve seen in the last few minutes.

Richardson follows with what will probably be the game-decider for Nebraska. He launches in a deep three while also getting fouled, giving NU a 13-point lead with just over three minutes to go.

NU 61/MU 47 — 7:30 left in game

The Missouri boo-birds are out. A round of boos from the faithful here follows every call against the Tigers. NU actually still has more fouls than MU this half, 8-5.

I can’t help but think of this story when I see Miguel Paul. Anyone else?

NU 54/MU 39 — 11:57 left in game

NU is hanging in there. Coach Doc Sadler uses one of timeouts to give his players a rest, and it will be interesting to see how he uses his other three timeouts. The coach will most likely be using his timeouts for breathers rather than strategy.

NU 48/MU 33 — 15:41 left in game

Brandon Richardson hits a three and Jorge Brian Diaz follows with a layup. MU falls further behind.

Meanwhile, MU’s Kim English keeps jacking up terrible shots for the Tigers. Those are especially bad when MU desperately needs points.

Halftime thoughts

Nebraska shooting 13-for-22 (59.1 percent) and 5-for-10 from three (50 percent) explains the halftime score pretty well.

Like I said earlier, as hard as it is to believe, NU had the height advantage. The Huskers out-rebounded the Tigers, 19-11, in the first half. If MU can’t rebound any better than that, then this will be the second-to-last game of the Tigers’ season.

Interesting stat: No NU player took more than four shots, and no NU player missed more than two shots in the first half.

NU 39/MU 28 — Halftime

Scary moment for MU, as big man Steve Moore appeared to bang his head on a camera lens while falling out of bounds. After grabbing the side of his head, he walked off under his own power a few minutes later.

Meanwhile, the photographer underneath the basket seemed to have no sympathy for Moore. Instead, he was giving him the death stare, as I’m pretty sure Moore snapped one of his lenses in half — something I’m sure that could cost in the hundreds of dollars to repair.

MU’s Laurence Bowers puts in a layup before the halftime buzzer, but MU is still scuffling.

All seven NU players have scored at least four points, and the Huskers lead by 11 at half. You have to wonder if fatigue might play a factor late, though.

NU 36/MU 24 — 3:27 left in 1st half

The craziest thing about this game so far? Nebraska has an overwhelming height advantage.

Missouri has had its chances to cut into NU’s lead, but the Tigers can’t seem to get a timely three-pointer to fall. Every time I watch MU, though, I keep waiting for that quick 8-0 run it always seems to get.

NU 29/MU 16 — 7:47 left in 1st half

The GameDay Cram Session for Thursday’s KU-Texas Tech matchup is now available for those of you that are interested.

Just when it looks like Missouri is starting to recover from its slow start, NU’s Jorge Brian Diaz finishes a transition opportunity with a fast-break layup and foul.

The Cornhuskers have creatively attacked the Tigers’ press so far, having one player cut upcourt while having the passer lead a long bounce pass to his intended target. Not only has that helped NU escape pressure, it’s also led to fast-break opportunities for the Huskers.

NU 20/MU 9 — 11:34 left in 1st half

The Sprint Center has filled up since the start of the Missouri game. I’d say we’re at about 85-percent capacity right now — pretty impressive considering the day/start time.

The hometown MU fans can’t like what they’re seeing right now, though. Nebraska is not only playing smart, it’s hitting a ton of shots.

I still think once MU turns up the heat defensively, NU is going to have problems in this game.

NU 10/MU 6 — 15:47 left in 1st half

When I positioned myself on press row after postgame interviews, the score was Nebraska 8, Missouri 2. Don’t know how it happened, either. This game isn’t going how I thought it would yet.

When I get time, I’ll share some postgame comments from Texas Tech’s John Roberson and Mike Singletary talking about their upcoming matchup against KU.

FINAL: TTU defeats CU, 82-67

TTU isn’t seriously challenged by CU in the games final minutes, coasting to the victory.

I’m off to get quotes, so I might not get back until a little after the start of the next game.

TTU 71/CU 58 — 3:59 left in game

This game has slowed to a crawl with numerous free throws, and that’s not good for anyone in the arena.

Both teams have been sloppy with the basketball. Tech keeps turning it over against the press, but CU hasn’t been able to cut the deficit. Not the prettiest of games.

TTU 61/CU 46 — 7:54 left in game

CU at least is trying to catch up by speeding up play, but the Buffs’ full-court press is woefully inadequate. Twice, CU guard Nate Tomlinson has been the last line of defense on a three-on-one break for TTU. Full-court presses shouldn’t be that risky.

It’s “shoot threes and pray” time for the Buffs.

TTU 52/CU 39 — 11:50 left in game

What a meltdown by CU. Up to 15 turnovers, and now the Buffs are starting to get manhandled on the glass (27-19).

Knight tells his team to slow a possession down, but the Red Raiders charge instead, as David Tairu gets a pass under the basket and dunks it home. Knight claps his hands together.

TTU 43/CU 34 — 15:17 left in game

Lots of “I’m going to jump in the air without knowing where to go with it” passing from TTU. The Red Raiders have gotten away with it today, but I’m not sure it will be as easy to do that tomorrow.

The turnover problems continue for CU. The Buffs are turning it over before they can get a shot up.

Halftime thoughts

First off, if you haven’t seen it yet, check out our plans at KUsports.com for the Big 12 Tournament here in KC. We’ll have plenty of stuff going on at the Live Block of the K.C. Power and Light District, so be sure to stop by there if you’re coming to the game/s.

A quick glance at the stat sheet shows where it has all gone wrong for Colorado: turnovers. The Buffs have 11 already, and during their three-game winning streak, they haven’t had more than 14 turnovers in any game.

Roberson has the line of the game with 12 points, 4-for-5 shooting from three, four assists, two turnovers and a steal.

• CU’s Marcus Relphorde has 10 points on 4-for-9 shooting with three steals. He’s played like an all-conference guy every time I’ve seen him live this year.

TTU 35/CU 31 — Halftime

Roberson knocks down a stepback three just before the buzzer. He screams, “Let’s go!” to his teammates, the happiest scream TTU has had all day.

TTU 32/CU 26 — 1:34 left in 1st half

Suddenly, the once-efficient Buffaloes can’t score. TTU takes advantage, taking its first lead.

John Roberson is starting to heat up for the Red Raiders, as he has nine points on 3-for-4 three-point shooting. My only regret with him is that I wish his name was easier to pronounce. I always say “Ro-ber-son” instead of the correct “Rob-er-son”.

CU looks tired. Alec Burks looks especially winded, getting back slowly on defense after a made basket. Are the Buffs not used to the low altitude?

CU 20/TTU 16 — 7:49 left in 1st half

It’s either all going good or all going bad for Tech. Doesn’t seem to be much in between.

The last four minutes, the Red Raiders played with emotion. More importantly, they also played defense. A big key was simply getting back defensively, as CU had been getting easy opportunities by simply running faster. That shouldn’t happen.

On another note, I thought it was interesting to see the entire TTU coaching staff yell at the same time when a Red Raider player didn’t dive on the floor for a loose ball. I know that always happens during a KU loose ball, but the screams were just as loud for TTU. Then again, the Red Raiders have already shown today that they like screaming in any circumstance.

CU 18/TTU 8 — 11:20 left in 1st half

It’s not getting any prettier for TTU. Mike Singletary screams at Nick Okorie to play defense before the media timeout. Usually, you don’t see players single each other out on the court like that.

On the less serious side, Cory Higgins has averaged 27 points over his last three games, and he finished a nice move under the basket with a reverse lay-in. I’m thinking it has to be his shiny pink shoes, which stand out like Cole Aldrich in a sea of Colorado Buffaloes forwards.

CU’s Dwight Thorne II has some nice white sneaks as well, which would be the best fashion statement on perhaps every other team in the Big 12. Too bad for him that Higgins is on his team.

CU 10/TTU 5 — 15:54 left in 1st half

Colorado has won three straight, and Texas Tech has lost seven straight. The game here has reflected that so far.

Texas Tech is getting beat in transition. Colorado, one of the worst rebounding teams in the nation, is getting offensive rebounds.

Lots of yelling for TTU: Coach Pat Knight at his players, players at each other, players at coaches. This has the look of a torn team.

11:37 a.m.

I thought I’d share this link with you before the actual Big 12 Tournament begins.

The link shows KenPom’s projections of the Big 12 Tournament. KU fans should be happy, as the Jayhawks, according to the projections, have a 65.2 percent chance of winning this year’s conference tourney.

Kansas State (11 percent) is second, followed by Baylor (8.2 percent) and Texas (5.1 percent).

11:20 a.m.

Welcome back to the Newell Post Live, coming to you from the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., where the Big 12 Tournament is about to begin.

I’ll be live-blogging from here all day, so be sure to check back early and often.

If you want to join in, use the hashtag “#big12ku” to have your Tweets appear in our grid on the left side of the page. I’m going to venture into the Twitter world for the first time today, so be sure to help guide me along.

FINAL: UMass stuns KU, 61-60

By Jesse Newell     Dec 13, 2008

Nick Krug
Kansas players Sherron Collins, left, and Cole Aldrich watch from the floor at the buzzer as UMass players celebrate their 61-60 win over the Jayhawks Saturday, Dec. 13, 2008 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

KU scoring

Collins 19 (6-for-21 shooting), Aldrich 12, Reed 9, Morningstar 7, Teahan 5, Marcus Morris 4, Taylor 3, Thomas 1.

KU finished 21-for-62 from the floor (34 percent). UMass was 22-for-48 (46 percent).

UMass 61/KU 60 — FINAL

Collins gets the ball coming around a screen, and he forces up a long shot with the left hand that bounces out. Teahan gets the rebound, but he’s hounded inside. He tries to get the ball back out to an open Reed, but Reed’s shot goes up after the buzzer. UMass comes away with the stunner.

UMass 61/KU 60 — 13.3 seconds left in game

Lowe is fouled after getting into the frontcourt, and he misses both free throws. On the other end, Lowe grabs Collins on a drive, and two officials blow the whistle. KU still isn’t in the bonus, though. Timeout, UMass.

UMass 61/KU 60 — 27.8 seconds left in game

Collins is fouled on a drive but makes only one free throw. On defense, the Jayhawks look to come away with a steal, but the same official that T’d up Self makes a phantom call on Taylor just as the freshman is coming away with a steal.

After a UMass free throw, Collins stepped up and drained and NBA three-pointer to pull KU within one at 61-60.

UMass 60/KU 56 — 55.4 seconds left in game

Marcus Morris shoots and misses a three out of the timeout. Even Lew Perkins is disappointed with that shot.

Marcus Morris gets a foul with 1 second left on the shot clock. Questionable call at best. Harris makes both free throws.

KU can’t buy a shot. After two missed threes and two offensive rebounds by Morningstar, Collins misses a forced-up shot from 18 feet.

The Jayhawks get a stop but again can’t make a three. Morningstar and Reed both miss threes, and Gaffney pulls away the rebound.

UMass steps out of bounds to turn it over, but KU is running out of time.

UMass 58/KU 56 — 3:34 left in game

KU’s defense forces a shot-clock violation, and Taylor drives around a pair of defenders for a layup inside.

Taylor is called for a hand-check, and after the foul, Self is T’ed up. Self probably deserved a T earlier, but he didn’t deserve that one. I was watching him the whole time, and all he did was throw both arms away from him in disgust. I did not see him say one word. Harris made both free throws. What a big call at a crucial time in the game.

KU gets a stop, and Aldrich hits a turn-around on the other end to pull KU back within one at 55-54.

Lynch gets a layup and free throw inside to respond for UMass.

Collins comes back with a layup off a drive. KU’s defense forces another shot-clock violation, and the Jayhawks will have the ball after the break.

UMass 53/KU 50 — 7:19 left in game

Harris hits a three from the corner, and Collins makes another stupid play, immediately forcing a bad three up. His leadership has definitely left something to be desired today.

Later, Morningstar takes one all the way to the rim, putting it off the glass for two.

After Self subbed three freshmen in, Marcus Morris tied the game with a turn-around jumper.

Taylor gets a big block, but instead of kicking back out to Collins for a three in transition, he drives all the way in and misses a tough shot. Markieff Morris get the rebound and is fouled but misses both free throws.

Gaffney gets a rejection inside on a Morris twin, and David Gibbs turns it into points, hitting a three from the corner in transition. Coming in, Gibbs averaged 2.4 points per game.

UMass 47/KU 46 — 11:56 left in game

A tough shot by Lowe rattles in, but Reed answers with another three to give KU a 46-45 lead.

Aldrich goaltends on a Lynch shot, and UMass grabs back the lead.

UMass 43/KU 43 — 13:22 left in game

Following a Lynch free throw, the just-subbed-in Reed hits a three from the side to cut the lead to two.

After a big block from Aldrich, Collins drove around Gaffney for a left-handed layup to tie it. Great move by Collins to get around the long shot-blocker. Timeout UMass.

UMass 42/KU 38 — 15:26 left in game

Gaffney forces up a shot over Aldrich that falls in. After a bad shot by Morningstar, Gaffney hits two free throws.

Collins answers with a pull-up jumper from 16 feet. Later, Aldrich gets a stuff inside to pull KU back to within six at 40-34.

Reed has blood coming out of his nose, so he’s taken out of the game. It’s too bad, as he’s been KU’s best player so far today.

Harris floats another two off the glass before Teahan gets loose underneath for a lay-in on an inbounds play.

After a steal, Collins gets an offensive rebound and bounces one in for two.

KU scoring

Cole Aldrich 8, Sherron Collins 7, Brady Morningstar 5, Tyrel Reed 3, Conner Teahan 3, Marcus Morris 2, Tyshawn Taylor 1, Quintrell Thomas 1.

KU was 8-for-28 from the floor (29 percent), while UMass was 15-for-27 (56 percent). The Jayhawks are dominating the boards, 24-11. The Minutemen, meanwhile, have made 5 of 11 threes (46 percent). KU has made 2 of 9 shots from the outside (22 percent). The Jayhawks also have 10 turnovers.

I was mistaken earlier when I said Gaffney had two fouls, as he actually has three. He’s been a force inside with six rebounds, four blocks and three steals. The Jayhawks would be helped immensely if they could get his fourth (and fifth) foul.

KU needs better leadership in the second half. Collins once again was playing with his emotion and not with his head. Aldrich had a pair of bad turnovers and wasn’t as active as he needed to be. All five of KU’s freshmen were benched during crunch time.

Who will step up for KU? The Jayhawks will need someone to do so in the second half if they hope to make up the rest of this deficit.

UMass 36/KU 30 — Halftime

Gaffney wiggles around his man inside for two. He’s giving KU fits inside, as he has five rebounds and four blocks according to our unofficial stats.

Collins gets two free throws after a questionable call on the outside. It looked like Collins walked from our vantage point. He made both free throws.

Harris schools Collins on a move to the rim, and much like the Syracuse game, Collins raced to the other end to try to make up for his mistake. He missed a forced shot, but KU received the ball out of bounds. Tyrel Reed followed with a three, then drew a charge on the other end to get some positive momentum for KU.

Teahan keeps the mojo going, coming around a screen and scooping in a layup with a foul. His free throw cut the lead to 34-26.

Collins followed with a steal and was fouled in transition. This is probably the loudest I’ve heard any KU crowd this year. Collins hit both free throws.

All KU’s freshmen are on the bench. Interesting to see Self do that when he needed a run.

After surviving a defensive possession, Morningstar gets an over-the-back call on Gaffney, the big man’s second foul. Self was hot on the sideline, wanting a foul earlier in the possession. All of KU’s assistant coaches had to restrain him, as he came within an eyelash of a technical foul.

Morningstar hit the two free throws, but Lowe answered with a basket on the other end.

Collins went coast-to-coast in the final 6 seconds but missed a short shot off the glass before slapping the floor in frustration.

UMass 29/KU 18 — 3:50 left in 1st half

Tyrell Lynch puts in an open 15-footer in the lane. He waited for a KU player to guard him, but when no one did, he went ahead and drained the open shot.

Aldrich forces a terrible pass inside, and Harris finishes on the other end with a layup. UMass up six. Timeout KU.

Another turnover KU, and Harris drains another three. That’s 12 points for him.

KU misses another outside shot, and Lynch hits from 18 feet. UMass up 11.

Collins is making some horrible decisions out there. He forced up a three with KU down, and on the next possession, threw a ball off the bottom of the rim on a drive. He needs to settle down on the offensive end, as he’s trying to force too much right now.

Quintrell Thomas finally breaks KU’s slump, as after getting fouled inside, he makes a free throw. Aldrich cleans up the second miss, getting an offensive rebound and drawing Tony Gaffney’s first foul. Aldrich hits both freebies.

The crowd gets into it but is quickly silenced when Glass hits his second three to go with a foul. He’s making quite an impression in his second start for UMass.

UMass 17/KU 15 — 7:59 left in 1st half

UMass’s Chris Lowe gets one to bounce in on a drive to the lane, but Morningstar answers on the other end with a three from the top.

After two straight Minutemen baskets. Self calls timeout. He’s not happy, giving some extra screams to Markieff Morris.

Following the break, Taylor forces up a bad shot but is bailed out by a foul, making one of two free throws. Later, Harris hits a three from the side, and the KU fans are concerned as they see their team fall behind 17-15.

KU 11/UMass 8 — 11:42 left in 1st half

Aldrich hits a guarded baseline jumper, and Collins twirls under the basket before laying one in for two.

Self continues to hound his players on the sideline about their defensive assignments. Before the media timeout, Brady Morningstar is getting lectured.

This looks to be a scary team for KU to go up against, and I think Self knows it.

KU 6/UMass 3 — 15:48 left in 1st half

UMass’s Matt Glass gets the first points, a three from the top of the key. Coming in, Glass averaged 2.1 points per game.

Cole Aldrich gets a two off an offensive rebound, and Marcus Morris follows with a turn-around in the lane to give KU the lead at 4-3.

A quick move by Tyshawn Taylor to the basket gets an open shot for Aldrich, who drains the 8-footer.

KU coach Bill Self has been on his team early. He has yelled at them often to take care of their assignments on the defensive end. Doesn’t seem like he’s overlooking the Minutemen.

1:04 p.m.

The public-address announcer just said this:

“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to Kansas City and the Sprint Center, home of the Jayhawks!”

It just didn’t seem right.

By the way, the starting five is back to Collins, Aldrich, Morningstar, Marcus Morris and Taylor.

12:54 p.m.

Let me clarify as well: KU’s games against Washington and Syracuse at the Sprint Center earlier this year were not home games because they were part of a tournament.

12:52 p.m.

This is technically a home game for KU, meaning the alma mater was performed and I’m assuming the intro video will be played.

The Jayhawks have a 30-game home winning streak on the line. Wouldn’t it be a shame if the Jayhawks ever lost that streak because of a setback at the Sprint Center?

12:40 p.m.

A random sampling of the signs in the KU student section: “Rock Chalk Mohawk,” “Brady Morningsleeves,” “Go Cole Train,” and “I’m glad I’m watching KU instead of studying for finals.”

12:35 p.m.

Official Steve Welmer has once again graced the Jayhawks with his presence. Is that KU game No. 2 or No. 3 for him?

12:30 p.m.

First report on the mohawks from Tyshawn Taylor and Sherron Collins: I don’t think they look that bad. Their hair is so short to start that the style is nearly impossible to see from the side.

Make sure to vote in the poll on the left to let your feelings about mohawks be known.

12:10 p.m.

Welcome back to The Newell Post Live, coming to you from the Sprint Center where the Kansas Jayhawks are getting ready to take on the UMass Minutemen.

A few notes on UMass to start things off:

•Ricky Harris leads the team with a 21.3 point-per-game average. He’s also hitting 43 percent of his three-pointers. Interestingly, through eight games, he has just 10 assists. Look for Tyshawn Taylor to get this defensive assignment.

• Tony Gaffney, or “T-Gaff” as they call him, comes in as UMass’s main force on the boards. He’s averaging 12.9 rebounds and 5.4 blocks per game. He’s also second on the team with a 13.3-point average. Though he only stands at 6-foot-8, the Boston University transfer has some ups. According to the media guide, he also likes to play Solitaire in the locker room before games.

• The Minutemen aren’t getting much production from their bench. UMass has four players averaging 12 points or more per game (Harris, Gaffney, Chris Lowe, Anthony Gurley), but everyone else is averaging 4 points per game or less.

• UMass coach Derek Kellogg spent eight seasons as an assistant at Memphis. He was a three-year starter for UMass in the early ’90s under former coach John Calipari. When he was recruited by Calipari, one radio personality in the area said that Calipari should be fired for wasting taxpayer money. Kellogg turned into a two-year captain for the Minutemen.

• Though UMass doesn’t have an impressive record at 2-6, it has played well in its last two games. The Minutemen lost in overtime to Boston College, 85-81, last Saturday before beating Holy Cross, 73-59, on Wednesday.

FINAL: KU defeats UW, 73-54

By Jesse Newell     Nov 24, 2008

Nick Krug
Kansas guard Tyrel Reed steals a pass intended for Washington guard Elston Turner during the first half of the CBE Classic Monday, Nov. 24, 2008 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo.

FINAL: KU wins, 73-54

Collins misses a three, but Aldrich is right there for the stickback.

Travis Releford checks in at the 2:44 mark for his first action. Looks like he’s the one that’s being left out of the Jayhawks’ eight-man rotation.

After a rebound by Reed, KU runs the transition to perfection, as a Taylor feeds Aldrich for a thunder dunk.

Following a steal, the Jayhawks run well again, as Releford gets a layup inside off a Reed assist.

Conner Teahan gets a three from the top, and maybe that will help get him out of his shooting slump.

The clock runs out, ending a solid effort for KU, especially on the defensive end.

KU 60/UW 44 — 3:52 left in game

Morningstar is late on a rotation, and Washington drains a three. Self isn’t happy, yelling out at both Reed and Morningstar.

Aldrich follows with an NBA move inside, faking outside before cutting back into the lane for an easy lay-in.

The Huskies hit another three from the corner, but Collins responds with two more on a dribble drive.

Isaiah Thomas puts in another three, and suddenly the ice-cold Huskies have hit three long-range shots in a row.

Off a nice feed by Morningstar, Marcus Morris gets an easy layup inside.

KU 52/UW 33 — 7:22 left in game

Reed hits a 15-foot fallaway jumper, and KU’s up 49-28.

Following a three from Washington, Marcus Morris shows a nice turnaround in the lane. He still has fumbled a few inside and hasn’t had the best of hands while receiving the ball tonight.

KU 47/UW 28 — 11:55 left in game

Collins drive in and forces a blocking call, which brings a standing ovation from the pro-KU crowd. Pretty sure it’s the first blocking call we’ve seen tonight. He hits both freebies.

Collins follows by stealing the ball from Brockman before laying it in on the other end.

Two more blocks by Aldrich, who’s having one of the best games of his career. That’s six blocks for the sophomore.

KU 43/UW 28 — 15:59 left in game

Marcus Morris gets two on a nice feed inside by Collins.

Morningstar gets beat on a curl inside, and Quincy Poindexter makes him pay with a three-point play.

Collins follows with his own three-point play, making a shot in the lane and the subsequent free throw.

Taylor hits a floater, and Marcus Morris adds a turnaround jumper to push KU’s lead to 41-28.

Off a Morningstar steal, Taylor rattles in a dunk, and Washington calls timeout. Collins does jumping jacks at mid-court, urging the fans to get out of their seats and cheer. They do just that.

Kansas scoring

Cole Aldrich 8, Sherron Collins 7, Tyshawn Taylor 6, Markieff Morris 4, Marcus Morris 4, Brady Morningstar 3.

KU was 13-for-24 from the floor (54 percent), 1-for-4 from three-point range (25 percent) and 5-for-6 from the free-throw line.

Also of note, Aldrich has four blocks, and KU has seven as a team.

Washington also shot miserably in the first half, making just nine of 38 shots (24 percent). The Huskies were just 1-for-10 from three-point range.

Also a concern for KU: Washington was dominant on the boards, out-rebounding KU, 28-13. UW had 17 offensive rebounds, and Brockman had 10 by himself. The Jayhawks are fortunate to be up 10 with such a discrepancy.

KU 32, UW 22 — Halftime

Markieff Morris finishes a nice move with a shot off the glass inside.

KU continues to play a 2-3 zone, presumably to stay out of any more foul trouble.

Tyshawn Taylor hits a floater in the lane, but after a possession where Washington couldn’t score despite getting five-plus offensive rebounds, Taylor misses a wide-open transition layup after getting a feed from Collins.

Big play for KU at the end of the half, as Justin Dentmon is blocked inside by Aldrich with 5 seconds left. Quickly, the Jayhawks threw it upcourt to Taylor, who hit a finger roll just before the buzzer to give KU a 10-point halftime edge.

KU 26/UW 22 — 3:50 left in 1st half

KU comes out next defensive possession with a 2-3 zone, and the Huskies miss a pair of open threes.

Aldrich hits a 16-footer on a feed from Collins, and KU is up 23-14.

After a missed free throw, Brady Morningstar hustles to get a steal. He was bumped while going up for the shot, putting in a layup before throwing his fist out in celebration. He finished the three-point play to put KU up 10.

Quintrell Thomas gets two fouls in a matter of 30 seconds, and he now has three personals. He’ll have to sit the rest of the half.

Brockman gets a stickback on an offensive rebound, capping a 6-0 run that cut the KU lead to 26-22.

A bad pass inside by Taylor leads to his best highlight as a Jayhawk. After racing back on defense, Taylor got way above the rim to reject a layup by Isaiah Thomas out of bounds.

KU 19/UW 14 — 7:43 left in 1st half

Chiefs running back Larry Johnson is shown sitting in the stands, and he draws immediate boos from the fans. He still had a smirk on his face and seemed to almost enjoy it.

Collins is called for a charging foul, and that’s two on him. Morningstar comes in to replace him.

Aldrich gets a two inside, and KU leads 17-8.

Collins comes back in with 9:24 left. We’ll see if he can avoid his third foul.

Aldrich turns a bad pass into a good one, snatching it away from a defender before slamming it home.

Marcus Morris picks up his second foul, again on a charging call. This officiating crew is a charge-happy bunch.

Marcus and Markieff Morris have both gotten into brief scuffles with Washington players in the last minute. Both could stand to settle down a bit.

KU 15/UW 8 — 11:55 left in 1st half

Sherron Collins hits an 18-foot fadeaway, then nods in satisfaction as he goes back down the court. That’s seven points on 3-for-3 shooting for him.

With a young team out there (Morris twins, Tyrel Reed, Morningstar, Taylor), Marcus Morris finishes with a tough move inside, going under the basket before pivoting back into position for a layup.

KU 7/UW 7 — 15:34 left in 1st half

Sherron Collins hits his first shot, a pull-up from 15 feet to give KU the first points.

Interesting that Self is having Marcus Morris guard Jon Brockman. It’s worked well so far.

Cole Aldrich, after getting double-teamed inside, finds an open Marcus Morris for a lay-in.

Already, KU has had two charges, one on Taylor and one on Marcus Morris.

Isaiah Thomas is proving to be a pesky defender and also a capable scorer. He skies over the defense for a three from the top of the circle.

Aldrich responds, though, once again finding the open man on a double-team. This time, it’s Collins, who drains a three from the left wing to tie the score at 7.

Aldrich misses an easy one, then picks up his first foul going for an offensive rebound. Double whammy for the Jayhawks.

8:56 p.m.

KU starters: Sherron Collins, Brady Morningstar, Tyshawn Taylor, Marcus Morris, Cole Aldrich.

8:53 p.m.

A good KU crowd tonight at the Sprint Center, but not close to a sellout. Many of the upper sections are more full than the lower sections. Interesting.

Keep an eye on Travis Releford tonight. Remember, he’s from Kansas City, Mo., so this is truly a homecoming for him.

8:35 p.m.

Syracuse holds on, winning 89-83. Great game for quick sophomore point guard Jonny Flynn, who finished with 18 points on 5-for-7 shooting. Paul Harris, from Niagara Falls, N.Y., like Flynn, also had 18 points. The Orange won despite a so-so game from former McDonald’s All-American Eric Devendorf, who had nine points on 3-for-11 shooting.

Interesting scenario now for the loser of the KU-Washington game, as that team will have to take on a disappointed (and ranked) Florida squad.

8:04 p.m.

Syracuse has pulled ahead of Florida in somewhat of a surprise (74-67, 6:45 left). Both teams are big and athletic and look like they could pose matchup problems inside for KU.

7:16 p.m.

Welcome to the Newell Post Live, coming to you from the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., where Kansas is getting set to play Washington in the CBE Classic later tonight.

Syracuse and Florida have tipped off, so we’ll get to some observations of that game a little later.

For now, let’s get to three keys for the Jayhawks as they go up against the Huskies.

1. Avoid the whistles

Washington’s 6-foot-7 forward Jon Brockman is a preseason All-American and has averaged 20.3 points and 11.3 rebounds through three games this season.

The Jayhawks will need to have all of their available bodies to throw at him defensively, meaning it will be important for both Cole Aldrich and Marcus Morris to avoid the early fouls that have plagued them in the first two games.

2. Make outside shots early

KU has already shown a tendency to be a streaky team from the outside, going 1-for-13 from behind the arc against UMKC before making 7 of 18 three-point shots against Florida Gulf Coast. Sherron Collins, Tyrel Reed and Conner Teahan have seemed to have more confidence when the early shots have been falling, so we’ll see if they get off to a hot start tonight.

3. Guard the perimeter

KU’s newcomers are still learning to play defense the way coach Bill Self wants them to but, ready or not, they’ll get a tough challenge tonight. KU’s guards will especially get tested, as WU senior guard Justin Dentmon is averaging 15 points per game and freshman Isaiah Thomas (no relation to Isiah Thomas) has posted 12.3 points per contest. Watch closely to see how guys like Tyshawn Taylor and Travis Releford handle their assignments on the defensive end.

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