UCLA gets rematch with KU

Kansas forward Kevin Young splits Georgetown defenders Hollis Thompson (1) and Otto Porter (22) after a steal during the first half Monday, Nov. 21, 2011 at the Lahaina Civic Center.

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KU vs. Georgetown

Podcast episode

Press Conferences & Post-Game Interviews

KU coach Bill Self and players

KU coach Bill Self, Tyshawn Taylor, Elijah Johnson and Travis Releford talk to reporters following the Jayhawks' 67-63 victory over Georgetown on Nov. 22, 2011.

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KU vs. Georgetown

• Tyshawn Taylor recovers from second-half cramps in KU victory

• Late bloomers: KU slips past Hoyas

• Keegan: Nelson changes game for UCLA

• KU hoops notebook: KU hurt by cramps a decade ago

• Georgetown coach frustrated by loss, team's defense

• The Keegan Ratings

• Box Score

Lahaina, Hawaii — A rematch of Kansas University’s thrilling 77-76 victory over UCLA, contested on Dec. 2, 2010, in Allen Fieldhouse, takes place in the semifinals of the Maui Invitational on Tuesday in Hawaii.

Game time is 8:30 p.m. in Lahaina Civic Center. It’ll be shown live on ESPN.

Several of the key participants in that game graduated last spring or declared for the NBA Draft as underclassmen.

Then a senior, Mario Little sank a free throw with seven-tenths of a second left to bust a 76-76 tie and give KU its second-straight victory over the Bruins in a series UCLA leads all-time, 10-6.

KU had beaten UCLA, 73-61, on Dec. 6, 2009, in Los Angeles.

Little had been “bumped” on a shot attempt by junior Malcolm Lee, a player who turned pro after the season. Little, who missed the second free throw on purpose, became hero on a day Tyler Honeycutt scored 33 for UCLA. Honeycutt, who hit a three with :05 left to knot the score, turned pro after his sophomore season.

His 33 points were the most against KU since Kansas State’s Michael Beasley hit for 39 on March 1, 2008.

The end of the game proved “disappointing” to UCLA coach Ben Howland, who watched the replay before heading to a postgame media session.

“It was really, really a poor way to end a game on a call,” Howland said at the time. “Just for anybody who hasn’t seen it, both 23 (Little) and Malcolm Lee were putting their hand on the ball at the same time at .9 seconds. So, normally, you wouldn’t make that kind of call at that point in the game unless it was very obvious.”

Marcus Morris, who turned pro after his junior year, had 16 points and six boards for KU. Little finished with nine points.

As far as current returning players ... KU senior Tyshawn Taylor scored eight points in a key 13-2 run that turned a 64-60 deficit into a 73-66 lead with just under three minutes to play.

Taylor finished with 17 off 7-of-10 shooting. Thomas Robinson had two points in 18 minutes; Elijah Johnson had a point, in 10 minutes while Travis Releford and Jeff Withey did not score in nine and two-minutes respectively.

For UCLA, returning players include sophomore center Joshua Smith (17 points, 13 rebounds vs. KU); junior forward Reeves Nelson (five points, five boards); senior guard Lazeric Jones (11 points, four turnovers); senior guard Jerime Anderson four points and soph guard Tyler Lamb (two points). Nelson initially missed his flight to Hawaii with the rest of his teammates, but was on hand for the first-round game versus Chaminade.

UCLA has added reinforcements this year in former North Carolina big men, David and Travis Wear, 6-10, sophomores out of Huntington Beach, Calif.

The (1-2) Bruins started the year off with a pair of shocking losses — to Loyola Marymount (69-58) and Middle Tennessee State (86-66). Those games were played in the Los Angeles Sports Arena, UCLA’s current home while renovations are being made to Pauley Pavilion.

KU and UCLA also played in the 2007 NCAA Tournament. UCLA won, 68-55, in the West Regional Finals in San Jose, Calif.

Five of the 16 all-time meetings have come in the NCAAs, UCLA winning all five.

The series dates to 1958. UCLA won the first eight meetings, but KU has taken five of the past seven.

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coloradojayhawk 1 year, 6 months ago

Considering how lousy the refereeing looked tonight for both teams, the UCLA coach has another chance at being disappointed with a bad foul being called at the wrong moment (not saying it was a bad foul last year, but he thought it was).

railer20 1 year, 6 months ago

Bad officiating? Jeff Withey was clearly being way to physical and yelled way too loud after his dunk!

On a more serious note, I like what Withey has brought to the table so far...he is actually playing more aggressive than what I figured he would....Let's get another one tonight boys!

jhwksrock 1 year, 6 months ago

Officiating wasn't very good. Missed travels, hard fouls not called, and no-fouls that were called. At least it was consistent.

hewn 1 year, 6 months ago

Maybe you mean it was equally bad for both teams. What you just described doesn't sound very consistent at all.

spongebob 1 year, 6 months ago

Nah, it was consistent... just not very accurate. :-)

PismoBeachKansasUSA 1 year, 6 months ago

Lots of moving screens last night that didn't get called. The only good thing you could say about the officials is that they were equally bad for both teams. KU definitely got away with a few pushes and shoves here and there.

I can see how Georgetown got in that overseas preseason fight on-court. They are pretty physical. Good to see KU not afraid to hit 'em back.

actorman 1 year, 6 months ago

I didn't think the call last year was a bad call, but you are so right about the officiating in the KU-Georgetown game, coloradojayhawk. It was one of the worst-officiated games I've ever seen. The only good thing about is is that they were equally horrible on both sides.

yates33333 1 year, 6 months ago

The UCLA game I remember most is the one where baseball announcer Curt Gowdy kept getting our players names wrong, and the referees kept calling sweat fouls on our front line. Yet, UCLA barely beat a KU team that was at least 10 points better than they were. This was a UCLA team after Wooden's fantastic run in the 60s. It was an NCAA tournament regional playoff game. I believe it was in the early 80s or maybe late 70s.

REHawk 1 year, 6 months ago

Foul #5 on Withey certainly appeared to be a ticky-tac call.

KuKain 1 year, 6 months ago

I think Bilas said it best, "That's lame". I wish he would broadcast more of our games, really enjoy his commentary.

kuwells 1 year, 6 months ago

Foul no. 5 was not a foul. What was that?!?

Brock 1 year, 6 months ago

Withey must have frowned...flagrantly! :)

jaybate 1 year, 6 months ago

I love it!!

A flagrant frown!

PHOF

drgnslayr 1 year, 6 months ago

I was once T'd up in a tournament for just looking at a ref. I didn't say a word, no ridiculous expression, no compromising his personal space, nothing. We were heavily-favored in that tournament and took second because of getting ripped in this game. On top of it all, we received the "sportsmanship trophy" as a make up and my coach gave it to me. Today it rests soundly in my attic.

Refs are like cops. It doesn't take many bad ones to trash the rep of all of them.

I've had beers with a ref who eventually spilled his guts and told me he has called "gremlin fouls."

It was at this point that I confirmed to myself that refs tend to not be the sharpest knife in the drawer!

zsn 1 year, 6 months ago

The call on Withey should rank up there with that infamous call on Gurley (at Mizzou, 1998?) for getting his lip cut on some dude's elbow!! As I recall, we were trailing, making a furious comeback, and that elbow, foul-call etc ruined the momentum and we were never really in the game.

As for "gremlin fouls" I'll admit that it isn't always the refs' fault: when going up for a shot/lay-up etc, if the defender is playing close we were taught to slap our thigh with the off-hand and 95% of the time the ref will react to the slapping sound and call a foul. Of course, you also run the risk of getting T'd-up, as you go to that well one too many times (as we unfortunately found out)

drgnslayr 1 year, 6 months ago

Love the thigh slap comment. Never tried it but sure it could work!

WilburNether 1 year, 6 months ago

Don't you just love it when Ben Howland whines? Uh, Ben...it was clearly a foul, an obvious call, and last time I checked, the games are 40 minutes long.

It is simply stupid to assert that officials should not "decide the game" with a call. The fact is that a NO-call can decide a game just as much as a call can. Anyone who saw Alonzo Jamison being hammered to the floor in Lincoln by two Nebraska players on what would have been a last-second, game-winning lay-up knows that. The gutless, incompetent officials did not make that call, and KU lost in overtime. That gutless no-call decided the game.

Officials need to call the game according to the rules for the full 40 minutes, whining by the likes of Ben Howland notwithstanding.

hewn 1 year, 6 months ago

A few years ago KU lost at Texas Tech on an incredibly bad no-call. Aaron Miles was driving the lane with a few seconds left, KU down by one. He was grabbed on both arms and basically tackled. Called for a travel. Texas Tech ball. Game.

I'm sure that's how Ben Howland would have preferred the game to go last year.

jaybate 1 year, 6 months ago

Ben Fouland likes for his players to be able to foul to win.

Ben Fouland is a one trick pony.

Once other teams began to play the Howland Hack'n'slap, Ben Fouland's great three year run at UCLA came to a full stop.

He's a mediocre coach who should never have been hired at UCLA.

UCLA needs to run him ASAP, because Fouland is slow on the bench, not inventive off the floor, and the game has passed him by.

He has one strength and it is a worthy one. He can get guys to play hard.

But then anyone with a long enough needle can do that.

Fire Fouland.

Bring some respectability back to Westwood.

It is a shame to have a hack running one of the premier programs of the country.

jaybate 1 year, 6 months ago

Everyone is creaming about KU defense, and the guarding has been good, but the disruption stat was just not up to snuff against the Georgetown Annoyas.

Strips to TO: 4/12

Terrible!!!!

Just terrible.

Someone on KU has to figure out how to strip.

Justin Wesley is one likely prospect. He's not worrying about scoring, just defending. He's got the athleticism to play the lane and strip some post feeds. We need two strips a game from him.

Elijah is the guy who has to become a strip artist on the perimeter, but he's worrying about his trey too much. Shoot the rock and quit fretting Elijah. Go to your awesome athleticism, play the lanes and get some strips!!!!!

Yo, TRob, playing post is not entirely about muscle. You could strip a few too.

Conner! You've got the anticipation. You've got a new set of feet. Watch tape of Tyrel. He folded into the lane on the opponent's defensive rebound and stripped at least one or two a game by catching the guards and bigs as they started up the floor!!!!! Get us two that way.

Tyshawn, I know Self has put the big yoke on your shoulders and you are having to help everyone everywhere on defense, but you are the man and so you must get a couple of strips, too.

This team needs ten strips a game. Period.

Tell every one.

Ten strips a game, or no man comes back alive!!!

drgnslayr 1 year, 6 months ago

Look at the photo above... did Bill just throw a strike? I've seen that body language at the Bowl-a-rama!
Tonight our crew of KU fans will throw a cheese theme party during the game. We figured it would be a real crime to not have good cheese to go along with all of Howland's whine.
Note to TT: pinch, pull up and hold the under part of your nose several times during the game tonight and when you begin to feel the cramps return. I'm not sure why, but it helps.