Monday, February 11, 2008

Keegan

Keegan: Top seed attainable for KU

By Tom Keegan

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Jayhawks take down Bears

The KU men's basketball team handled the scrappy Baylor Bears on Saturday night in Allen Fieldhouse.

KU Basketball

Austin, Texas — It's the time of year again when just about every day a game can be found on television that has implications for Kansas University's soon-to-be third-ranked basketball team.

Seeding for the NCAA Tournament creeps into the mind about now. Every play of every tight game involving an elite team on the tube gets run through the filter of what it means for KU's chances of landing a No. 1 seed for the second year in a row. Preferably, a high enough No. 1 seed that it won't have to face the nation's best No. 2 seed in the Elite Eight, as was the case in San Jose, Calif., when UCLA eliminated the Jayhawks.

At the moment, KU is in line for a No. 1 seed and can hold serve tonight with a Big Monday victory against Texas in the Frank Erwin Center, the only Big 12 arena in which Bill Self hasn't yet coached Kansas to a victory.

Baylor scored 90 points Saturday night against Kansas, but that didn't keep the Jayhawks from holding serve because they scored 100 points (64 in the second half) without a three-pointer.

Between the Baylor and Texas games for KU, a couple of wild televised Sunday contests resulted in a split for the Jayhawks' fortunes.

North Carolina and UCLA, regardless of how they both fared Sunday, would have been ranked behind Kansas in the national rankings to be released today. Still, it never hurts to build a cushion, and both are among the top handful of teams in the nation. That's reason enough for KU fans to root against both schools, unless one of them is facing another top-five team.

In the first game of a Fox Sports doubleheader Sunday, UCLA, which features the country's most talented, balanced starting five, suffered its third loss, on the road against Washington.

When North Carolina's home game against Clemson was joined in progress, the Tar Heels, still playing without injured point guard Ty Lawson, trailed 10-2. Clemson led by as much as 15 points in the second half and by 14 points with 7:33 remaining, only to lose in double overtime.

The Kansas players and coaches don't worry about what goes on around them, but it does add intrigue to the college basketball season for those emotionally invested in the team.

Today's polls likely will have Memphis ranked first, Duke second, Kansas third and North Carolina fourth. If the first three spots remain pretty much the same, it would mean Memphis likely would get the No. 1 seed in the South, Duke in the East, Kansas in the Midwest.

Omaha, Neb., is a lock for the first two rounds of the tournament for Kansas. Then, if KU is in the Midwest region, Detroit would be the site.

Plenty of time remains to ponder all that. For now, a guard-driven Longhorns team stands in the way of Kansas holding securely to its No. 1 seed. Oddsmakers made the Jayhawks 41â2-point favorites tonight, which sounds about right, give or take a half a point.

Home crowds tend to enhance a team's stamina, but KU counteracts that advantage with superior depth. Guards D.J. Augustin and A.J. Abrams, who combine for 49 percent of the Longhorns' scoring, average 37 and 36 minutes a game. Mario Chalmers is KU's only player to average as many as 29 minutes. Fresh legs make for accurate late-game shooting.

Comments

jcepp (anonymous) says...

It's so typical of Tom to throw out a stat w/o any context. Sure, Rush is averaging less than 30 for the season, which includes some games he played restricted minutes coming back from his knee.

But what about the conference season? Rush's average is more than 32 min per game. Leading the 'Hawks.

Anyone who has watched the 'Hawks play knows that Rush is the leading player in terms of minutes.

For Tom to suggest otherwise is an insult to the intelligence of his readers.

A Bill Mayer in waiting. Wow.

February 11, 2008 at 7:15 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

njjayhawk (anonymous) says...

Much of the KU - Baylor game coverage has centered on KU scoring 100 without the benefit of hitting any 3's. Fine. But what about Baylor scoring 90 in Allen Fieldhouse? What about the vaunted KU defense that was practiced by the Jayhawks the entire week prior to the Baylor game? To me, that's the story --- AND a real concern as we play at Texas tonight.

February 11, 2008 at 8:23 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

chuckberry32 (anonymous) says...

didn't get to see the game but I would guess that when you have so many opportunities to score points (without 3's) that you give the other team many possesions also. Sounds like it was an up and down game and Baylor apparantly made some crazy shots to boot. I'm not too worried about our D but I think we will get a much better look at it tonight.

February 11, 2008 at 8:26 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

nocaljayhawk (anonymous) says...

I agree with NJ---after hearing so much earlier this season about the "D" played by KU's guards, it seems to have evaporated in the past two or three weeks--seems like anyone can get into the paint around KU's guards, leading to easy shot opportunities and foul trouble for the bigs. This will be THE KEY to tonite's game and the season's ultimate outcome.

February 11, 2008 at 8:43 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

jayharchitect (anonymous) says...

Did anyone else read the title of this article and say to themselves, "no sh## sherlock"

February 11, 2008 at 9:09 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

dogsong (anonymous) says...

Keegan mentions that the Erwin Center is the only Big 12 venue that Self has never won a game. Correct me if I'm wrong, but Self has lost both games he has had in Lubbock as well. The Dora overtime game his second season and then the loss last year, right? I know that is getting really nit picky, but it's just another example of Keegan and the the LJW editors being both uninformed on the subject they are paid to be experts on and too lazy to check their facts. Keegan, I'm offering right now to do your editing for a measley $10 a week. drop me a line.

February 11, 2008 at 9:20 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

KU (anonymous) says...

I am just as concerned about dribble penetration as the rest of you guys. But Baylor has 4 guards that can get in the lane against just about anybody. The only team I've seen that can compare is Duke

The only guards Texas has that are good at penetrating are DJ Augustin and Justin Mason. Granted, Augustin's better than Baylor's 4, but when you only have to worry about defending one or two guys that want to knife through the defense you should be able to stay more fundamentally sound.

AJ Abrams is a spot up 3 shooter, essentially. He's always given KU fits and if he is as hot as he was against ISU Saturday it could be a long night. KU needs to face guard him all over the floor.

Atchley is a joke inside. Damion James is a solid forward and I don't know how we can match up with him. He's too quick for our bigs. This could be another Bill Walker-type mismatch for us.

Texas has such a short bench that you'd think this would be a big advantage for us, especially if we concentrate on getting our guards in the lane as much as they did Saturday against Baylor. We could get Atchley in early foul trouble and I don't think Barnes really trusts his big boy off the bench, Pittman.

February 11, 2008 at 9:27 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

okjhok (anonymous) says...

I agree with all of you. For the most part, it's best to just skip all of the writing on this site and just jump to the comments. At least you're reading stuff from people who seem to really understand what KU basketball is about and info that is really worth talking about. Keegan's stuff is usually about a week behind the current CBB landscape. Greene seems to have a pretty good handle on the situation, but as far as professional journalism, don't expect it here.

About the #1 seeds...I think KU would be better off with the South #1, in Houston, than in Detroit. The TX-KU fan base is better. If Tennessee can knock off Memphis, KU still has a shot at the overall #1, if they keep winning, and I think KU would prefer Houston over Detroit.

February 11, 2008 at 9:45 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

okjhok (anonymous) says...

KU, I think you underestimate Atchley and overestimate James. James is a stud, but he's a different player than Walker. He doesn't create the way Walker does, but he does bang. The important thing is get a body on James, otherwise he'll get boards over the top. I know Arthur can guard him, and maybe DJax, but not Kaun or Aldrich. In fact, the only favorable matchup for Kaun is probably Pittman, who doesn't play much. As far as Atchley, I think he's pretty solid. He boards admirably given his slight build and obviously has a pretty nice J. I think he's developed nicely during his time at UT.

February 11, 2008 at 9:53 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

RCKCHKJHWK92 (anonymous) says...

Somebody explain to me why KU if they get a #1 seed has to go to Omaha (3+ hours away) then Detroit (14+ hours away). But Duke or NC plays in Raleigh (30 min. away) then Charlotte ( 2 hours away)
They wouldn't leave their home state until the Final Four! BS!
This seems to happen every friggin year.

February 11, 2008 at 10:22 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

KU (anonymous) says...

okjhok.....We're going to have to agree to disagree about Atchley. He's their #1.....really their ONLY......post player. In Big 12 games he's averaging 25 minutes and 8 points and 5 rebounds.

If KU had ONLY Arthur or ONLY Jackson or ONLY Kaun (for that matter ONLY Aldrich), and the production was that low from the 5 spot, we would be up in arms. If Kaun or Aldrich played 25 minutes a game, they would be near double-doubles; Shady and Jackson DEFINITELY would be double-double guys with that many minutes. I still maintain that Atchley is not that good, especially against playing against legitimate post players.

Barnes rides his starters HARD. Their starter with the LEAST minutes on the year has more minutes than ALL of KU's roster except Chalmers. If KU played their starters that many minutes (which I am NOT advocating), we'd have 5 guys averaging at least 12 points a game and a couple of guys averaging double-doubles.

I overestimate James? I said he was a "solid forward". He's averaging a double-double! The reason I think he's trouble is because we don't have a big that can match his quickness. If Arthur has to guard him all night, Arthur will be on the bench with 3 fouls in the first half.

February 11, 2008 at 10:28 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

okjhok (anonymous) says...

KU...when I said you overestimate James, I based it on your comment comparing him to Walker. You're right, he's good. I'd go so far to say he's a stud. But he can't create offensively the way Walker can. He gets a lot of garbage points and rebounds. That's not a bad thing, just reality. He's an athletic scrapper. I know what you're saying about Arthur. If he regresses back to his bad habits, he'll be in foul trouble. If he plays the way he's capable of, he can match or outplay James. That's what I'm hoping for.

February 11, 2008 at 10:44 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

leikness (anonymous) says...

okjhok - agreed on rather being in Houston. The showing in Detroit a couple of years ago for the Bradley game was horrible. Bradley fans were 200% louder then KU fans.

February 11, 2008 at 10:49 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

okjhok (anonymous) says...

RCKCHKJHWK92...I wouldn't say this happens every year. In fact, it's rare that a team doesn't have to leave its state before the FF. I wouldn't worry too much about KU having to travel to Omaha, which has been sold out for a long time (you can probably guess who ate up those tix). The regional sites don't seem very fair to me, though. When Detroit is considered Midwest, that's a problem.

February 11, 2008 at 11:02 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

Let's face it, Detroit sucks. A fair amount of the people that want to go to the regional there may end up having to stay in Canada, and that's not an easy task these days considering they may not let you in because of a DUI you got during the Reagan Administration or something like that.

One positive is that it's not a terrible trip for all the KU alums and fans in the Chicago area, one of our bigger alum pops. in the nation. Hopefully the ChiHawks will step up and represent well, cause lord knows Detroit ain't that easy nor desirable a locale for any other large KU fanbase in the nation to travel to.

February 11, 2008 at 11:23 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

lalawguy (anonymous) says...

Actually, it is becoming more common that top seeds can play in their home state up until the Final Four. UCLA did it twice in a row the past two seasons -- once as a No. 1 seed and the next as a No. 2 seed. This year, the Bruins will have to settle for a trip to Pheonix after spending the first two rounds in Anaheim (which is practically in UCLA's backyard) before they can get to the Final Four. But given that either Duke or NC will get the "home state" advantage this season, the streak will likely continue. It does look like in 2009, though, no state will host more than one venue.

February 11, 2008 at 12:21 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

leikness (anonymous) says...

okjhok - who do you think ate up the tickets in Omaha? If you're thinking Nebraska, just an FYI that they were only available to Creighton season ticket holders and they pretty much bought all of them before they went on sale to the public. I got my 2/session though!!

February 11, 2008 at 12:37 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

okjhok (anonymous) says...

No, I definitely wasn't inferring that NU got many of those tix. I was referring to KU fans, but I didn't know that the Creightonians bought so many of them. That's certainly interesting. I'm thinking a fair amount of those will end up in the hands of KU fans.

February 11, 2008 at 1:21 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

okjhok (anonymous) says...

Especially when you consider Creighton won't be dancing. That is, unless they win the MVC tourney.

February 11, 2008 at 1:22 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

txrockchalk (anonymous) says...

leikness -

Is the University of Nebraska at Omaha hosting the 1st and 2nd round games in Omaha? Unless the rules have changed, it wouldn't do the Creighton fans any good to buy up all of the tickets (other than possibly for scalping purposes) if their school is the host.

February 11, 2008 at 1:26 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

KU (anonymous) says...

Creighton and the Missouri Valley conference are the hosts of the opening rounds in Omaha, not UNO. Maybe the Creighton fans are just good basketball fans that want to see top-notch basketball. If they got first dibs because they're season ticket holders, that makes sense. Is it that surprising that in a town without a major professional franchise that people would snatch up tickets for the Big Dance?

February 11, 2008 at 1:45 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

okjhok (anonymous) says...

No, UNO isn't hosting...it's Creighton and the MVC. I forgot about that rule, tx
http://www.ncaasports.com/basketball/...

February 11, 2008 at 1:46 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

okjhok (anonymous) says...

I was just checking out the latest poll...http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/rankings?poll=2&year=2008&week=15

Looking at it reveals just how much balance there is this year in the top 5 or 6 teams. I don't think anyone can confidently say who the best team in that group is. Can't wait for tourney time...

February 11, 2008 at 2:01 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

txrockchalk (anonymous) says...

Good point, KU. They are always supportive of the College World Series too.

Yeah okjhok, we got burned one time in KC for 1st and 2nd round games by that dreaded rule.

February 11, 2008 at 2:01 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

okjhok (anonymous) says...

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/ranking...

February 11, 2008 at 2:02 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

txrockchalk (anonymous) says...

That Tennessee vs. Memphis game on February 23rd is setting up to be a good one...

February 11, 2008 at 2:24 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

leikness (anonymous) says...

Creighton fans got the opportunity to buy at 3 different times, one ticket for each season ticket they had. So if you had two season tickets, you got the opportunity to buy up to 6 total all session passes. I live here. People are just pumped about it in general, they get excited about any sporting event that comes to town (see US Olympic swim trials this summer). I think it's going to be a very hard ticket for KU fans to pick up.

February 11, 2008 at 2:26 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

BCRavenJHawkfan (anonymous) says...

Face it, the reason UNC, Duke or UCLA on the other side of the country, never have to travel far or out of their state is that they have venues. As much as I hate to say it, what is in Kansas as a venue besides Kansas City? Wichita? I was born and raised in Kansas and hate to admit this but it is a fact, there are no true venues for the Midwest west of the Mississippi river.
All these circumstances should make one appreciate even more the good fortune we had in '88 with Kemper as the final 4 site.

February 11, 2008 at 4:16 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

St. Louis, Dallas, OKC, Minneapolis, and possibly Denver (Den could also pass as a West Regional venue)

All the above are better than Detroit, and west of the Miss.

February 11, 2008 at 4:30 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

mr_lawrence (anonymous) says...

Hey, Motown is a cool city and Chicago is nearby with a huge KU fanbase. Plus remember that in 88, Kansas played the opening rounds in Nebraska and came out of the Detroit regional. And if the regional goes well this year, we'll play in Texas anyway - in San Antonio, a better city than Houston.

February 11, 2008 at 5:46 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jross1972 (Johann Ross) says...

Kansas City has the sprint center, and the qwest center is fine. I dont know much about venues outside of Kansas to be honest, but the two mentioned are certainly capable of hosting a regional

February 11, 2008 at 7:01 p.m. ( | suggest removal )