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Posted
by Tom Keegan
February 8, 2011 at 12:56 a.m.
Mario Little shoots to top of rankings
1. Mario Little: Had more points (17) than minutes and added five rebounds (three offensive) on a 7-for-9 shooting night.
2. Marcus Morris: Scored 17 of his 22 points in KU’s 57-point second half. Had five of his eight rebounds off the offensive glass and had three assists. For a guy who was scoreless 10 minutes into the game, he made quite an impact.
3. Markieff Morris: Asserted himself defensively with three blocked shots and had four assists and 16 points. Made 6 of 8 field goals, including 1 of 2 three-pointers, making him 4 of 5 from long range in the past two games.
4. Travis Releford: Had 10 points, three rebounds, an assist and a steal in 16 minutes. Great pump fake to set up baseline jumper at the end of the first half.
5. Brady Morningstar: In the past two games, he has 13 assists and zero turnovers. In the past 10 games, he has 38 assists and five turnovers, a ratio of 7.6-to-1.
6. Thomas Robinson: Yet again, he contributed a terrific game off the bench. In 15 minutes, he had nine points, seven boards, a blocked shot and two dunks.
7. Tyrel Reed: He made 2 of 4 three-pointers, had two assists, no turnovers, two blocked shots and two steals. Scored eight points and had trouble keeping Mizzou’s quick guards from getting by him, but was far from alone in that regard.
8. Tyshawn Taylor: The floater needs work. A lot of work. He led the team in field-goal attempts, generally not a good idea, with 14 and had four field goals. Did a nice job of penetrating, but should have dished more often.
9. Elijah Johnson: Played just four minutes and had two turnovers.
The Keegan Ratings: Season Standings
1. Marcus Morris (196 points)
2. Markieff Morris (184 points)
3. Tyshawn Taylor (155 points)
4. Thomas Robinson (146 points)
5. Tyrel Reed (136 points)
6. Brady Morningstar (132 points)
7. Josh Selby (89 points)
8. Travis Releford (84 points)
9. Mario Little (77 points)
10. Elijah Johnson (68 points)
11. Jeff Withey (43 points)
12. Royce Woolridge (4 points)
The Keegan Ratings: Big 12 standings
1. Marcus Morris (79 points)
2. Markieff Morris (68 points)
3. Brady Morningstar (66 points)
4. Tyrel Reed (54 points)
5. Thomas Robinson (52 points)
6. Tyshawn Taylor (46 points)
7. Mario Little (43 points)
8. Josh Selby (42 points)
9. Elijah Johnson (18 points)
10. Travis Releford (13 points)
11. Jeff Withey (10 points)
Comments
williepless 2 years, 4 months ago
Really revealing that Mario Little is just 3 points behind Tyshawn in your Big 12 standings ... Seems pretty accurate to me.
NJHAWK 2 years, 4 months ago
Keegan's ratings are a good indicator of who is playing well lately (i.e. in Big-12 games). Even though, TT is at #6 in Big-12 ratings, KU's offense has been very efficient lately.
MIZNIT 2 years, 4 months ago
Tyshawn isn't a bad point guard. However, he consistently seems to be the weak link on this team. I wonder how we'd look putting Reed at point, with brady and selby at the wings.
KU62 2 years, 4 months ago
We'd look not nearly as good. Penetration would suffer badly.
On at least half of Tyshawn's "misses", he should have been given an assist – he was pulling the Mizzou bigs his way and lobbing an easy OR putback for one of our post players.
kesmithstl1 2 years, 4 months ago
Agreed! And it's not like he is taking poor shots. They are layups and floaters. Isn't that what you want you point to be shooting?
Jacobpaul81 2 years, 4 months ago
Agreed. He gives us something none of the other players gives us. Apart from Tyshawn, no one on this team is a great dribble penetrator. Reed, Morningstar, Selby, Johnson. None have proven they can dribble drive. You have to have at least 1 player who can do that. In 2008, Russell Robinson played that role. He didn't score a lot, but his penetration drew defenders and allowed him to shuffle the ball off to other players. When teams started guarding the off man, Bill moved Sherron in and he'd get a bunch of points while the dribble penetration wasn't being doubled. When they started doubling it, back went in Robinson.
JGfromPK 2 years, 4 months ago
However, you also want your previously-highly-touted-once-thought-of-leaving-early-to-the-NBA point guard to be MAKING those shots. I love him, and when he's hot he is amazing, but he is so often out of control. Flying in too fast for your hands or your head is what causes lost passes, dribbles off of yourself, and piles of missed bunnies.
Control, control, you must learn control!
Jacobpaul81 2 years, 4 months ago
I love how people talk this way about Tyshawn, but he's just as out of control as Sherron was. Sherron had more offensive fouls whistled on him than any other Jayhawk I can remember. That guy was a charging machine... he just hit his shots when he didn't turn-it-over or charge. Half of that was playing behind Robinson who had superior control to either of them.
Alohahawk 2 years, 4 months ago
When TT is off the court, Selby needs the chance to run the point. I know he's turnover prone, and Self is probably leery about putting him in charge of starting the plays, but just once I'd like to see him start a play with the ball in his hands at the top of the key. If he's so much like Collins, why not give him the opportunity? I bet he would have better luck driving the lane, and shoot a better percentage of 3's. Some players are better at catch and shoot, others sizing up the opposition from the start.
ancient_hawk 2 years, 4 months ago
The offense STARTS from the wing. What good is it going to do for Selby to bring the ball down, and then make the initial pass?
bobku1967 2 years, 4 months ago
Tyshawn would be a much better player if he didn't shoot. KU doesn't need him to shoot, we are loaded with very good shooters. When Brady drives, he drives looking to pass. Tyshawn could learn something from Brady and pass more.
drgnslayr 2 years, 4 months ago
But then the other 4 players suddenly are guarded by 5 defenders.
KUGuyInTarheelLand 2 years, 4 months ago
Brady at point, Tyrel and Selby at the wings. He handles better, is a better interior passer than TT, plays under control, has better vision, is a better shooter...only thing is TT is a bit quicker on defense. Penetration would not suffer at all as TT does not drive nearly as much when Selby is in the game. TT is our weak link, and has been for 2 years.
kesmithstl1 2 years, 4 months ago
I agree with most of the Tyshawn haters to an extent. The careless turnovers are tough to live with, but don't question his shot selection. When a point guard penetrates, only good things happen. He won't keep missing those shots (in fact, he made a few toward the end of the game). Even if he does miss, our bigs have chances for offensive rebounds.
Also, last night on the Newell Post, I read some strange lineups some posters were throwing out. Ex. Reed, Morningstar, Dos Morris, and T-Rob. Like Jesse Newell said, who is going to dribble? Reed and Morningstar are great, but slashers/penetrators they are not! Elijah Johnson is not the guy, Selby turns it over more than Tyshawn, Releford and Little can't play point. That leave KU with Tyshawn!
Like it or not, KU needs him on the floor. The proof is in the pudding!!!
Rock_Chalk_25 2 years, 4 months ago
agreed...the only way Tyshawn plays well is if his confidence is high. Like it or not, he's not exactly the most mentally tough player out there. I have a hard time imagining Sherron giving Self the "Oops" face right after a turnover or silly foul. It seems every time TT makes a mistake, he glances over at Self to gauge his reaction and make an excuse. I have a feeling if he ever learns to let mistakes go and just try to refocus on his responsibilities as a PG he would be much more efficient.
So keep penetrating Tyshawn...good things happen when you do. Just look for the dump down drop off pass when driving the lane more often (TT is actually our best passer on the drive). Don't worry, that floater will start to fall according to the law of gravity...I mean the law of averages.
RCJH
Jacobpaul81 2 years, 4 months ago
And there were many times where Sherron's butt should have been benched because of his "oops" moments.
kesmithstl1 2 years, 4 months ago
I agree with that wholeheartedly!
JGfromPK 2 years, 4 months ago
That's a good possibility, that he's playing uptight. And it's not that his shot selection is necessarily bad, it's that he's missing a high percentage of what should be high percentage shots. He needs a little more focus for that energy.
HawkBBall 2 years, 4 months ago
When TT plays nonchalantly he gets picked, he makes careless passes, and shoots too much. When he concentrates, he takes care of the ball and makes plays. I would rather he be "tight" than "loose."
KUGuyInTarheelLand 2 years, 4 months ago
The ONLY reason he made them at the end is because the defense backed off because there were no more fouls to give. Had Missouri not been in foul trouble, he would not have been making those shots. He hasn't all year long.
kesmithstl1 2 years, 4 months ago
well then he is smart for attacking!
KU_FanSince75 2 years, 4 months ago
Our bench was fantastic last night! That will be a plus going into the Big Dance.
LAJayhawk 2 years, 4 months ago
They shot 14 of 17 for 82.4%!! Remarkable.
slowplay 2 years, 4 months ago
Little did not have a better game than Marcus Morris or Markieff for that matter. That said, he did play well as did Releford, with both getting quality minutes.
Theutus 2 years, 4 months ago
I disagree, McM was invisible in the first half, MK was invisible in the second and committed a flagrant foul....
Little played a complete game, putting up better numbers in less time... He also fought for some really tough offensive boards amongst the Missouri bigs... He also gives us a legit threat from mid range that we've been missing....
Little was the best player on the court last night.
LAJayhawk 2 years, 4 months ago
Aside from the fact that Mario was leading the team in points and rebounds at the half despite playing less minutes, he deserves the top spot because he was the spark for this whole team. He took over when the game was tough, made HUGE rebounds against bigger guys and HUGE shots that pushed us ahead.
Morris twins both played well, and Marcus undoubtedly picked it up in the second half. But Theutus is 100% correct. Mario played a wonderful and complete game and was the catalyst for us keeping up, then blowing them away. He absolutely deserves the number 1 spot.
Jacobpaul81 2 years, 4 months ago
Last night was closer to what I expected pre-season from this team. 3 guys on the court at one time who would be quick, long, athletic and shoot it from anywhere on the court. I always expected Little to start alongside the Morris twins but he's never been given that opportunity and his beyond little mid-season situation killed that possibility. Clearly he's working hard to get up to speed and catch up with the team.
Of the guards, he's the smartest offensive player. He puts himself in the right spot, he takes only the shots he knows he can make, and he's a threat so he draws defenders away from the middle, creating separation so that the Morris twins are free to rebound. Defensively, he's not super strong, but he's a senior and he knows what's expected.
NJHAWK 2 years, 4 months ago
+1. Great post. Little has a great range, smooth shot, and court awareness.
KUGuyInTarheelLand 2 years, 4 months ago
I agree completely. And honestly, if he plays in the middle, no he isn't that strong. But he knows how to get position and get tough rebounds. However, if he plays on the wing as a 2 or 3, then he is very strong for his position. He is not super quick like TT or Selby, but there are very very few guards in the country that could out muscle him. Him hitting those 3s tonight, and being mature in his overall shot selection, is going to help him get more minutes. The fouls however won't. But that I don't put solely on him. He is out of position when he is down low, and undersized a majority of the time. So the fouls kind of build up without him doing a whole lot.
LAJayhawk 2 years, 4 months ago
Yep. It would be tough for anyone not to foul with the size and weight advantage he gives up inside, especially when our guards are letting everyone's grandmother drive the lane and he is forced out of position.
Of course, he did make a couple stupid fouls -- one that was 96 feet from the basket -- but mistakes are always going to be made in a game. He more than corrected for that with his outstanding play in every other facet.
Simply put, Mario looked fantastic last night.
REHawk 2 years, 4 months ago
Unless Elijah and Jeff produce some solid minutes soon, it begins to look like a 9-man rotation by tournament time. The lower leg problems for Josh, Tyrel and Travis might lend a few more opportunities for EJ to prove himself; but unless the 3 bigs and Little dig into major foul trouble, Jeff appears to be iced until next season.
Theutus 2 years, 4 months ago
I think it's quite obvious that Self isn't going to give Elijah enough leash to do much this year....
What little mistakes Taylor makes every 3rd or 4th posession, EJ can't make once without hitting the bench for the remainder of the half....
His confidence is gone and it shows... Self is putting all his cards on TT.. That's just how it's going to be i guess.
hawk_of_ages 2 years, 4 months ago
This really isn't hard to figure out.
EJ: 4 minutes, 2 turnovers. TT: 35 minutes, 2 turnovers.
I like EJ, but I don't care how much "upside" he has -- a player should have to earn his minutes. Period.
REHawk 2 years, 4 months ago
Of course, if Tyshawn pulls a back to back 4 for 14 shooting night vs. Iowa State, we might see hopes re-ignite for the EJ camp.
kesmithstl1 2 years, 4 months ago
2 turnovers in 4 minutes, hardly worthy of any playing time!
Theutus 2 years, 4 months ago
If you are gonna judge EJ on that scale, lets do it across the board... How many times has TT made 2 or 3 turnovers in a matter of 30 seconds? A LOT.
He still see's 35 minutes/game.
hawk_of_ages 2 years, 4 months ago
"How many times has TT made 2 or 3 turnovers in a matter of 30 seconds? A LOT."
If that actually happened, and I'm not sure it has this season, I guarantee Self pulled him for it.
ralster 2 years, 4 months ago
I thought Little was the X-factor. One of the nicest, hardest working assists Ive ever seen when he worked/faked every Mizzoocreature for the feed to TRob for the dagger-jam! (Dont confuse "x-factor" with any reference to xaveeyay, as I did say "hardest working" as that definitely applies to Mario Little).
Little's 3pt shots go thru the basket so perfectly, it makes him look like a player ready for the next level, especially the beat-the-buzzer-pullup,fade-left-trey. Why cant we play him 20mpg along with Reed at the 3? And 10mpg at the 4 where we are short-handed? Releford needs to play also--he looks 100% again.
LAJayhawk 2 years, 4 months ago
"Why cant we play him 20mpg along with Reed at the 3? And 10mpg at the 4 where we are short-handed?"
Totally agree, the problem is the minutes available. This would come at the expense of Josh and Brady (the latter who is playing remarkable basketball at the moment). I think the better option is 10 minutes relief at the 4 and 10 minutes at the 3 -- depending on foul trouble and who is having an off game.
I also agree that Releford deserves to be in there. Again it's at who's expense, though? He will need to be used in a "who's not playing well" situation. I don't expect more than 8 to 12 minutes a game for him.
And, really, our bench is playing huge in the role they are in right now. When you have Little, Releford and TRob coming off the bench (possible all-conference players anywhere else), you've got such a powerful tool set. If one of the Morris's decides to lose his mind and punch a guy again, any of those guys can fill in and we lose very little (um... no pun intended).
LAJayhawk 2 years, 4 months ago
I was disappointed with much of Taylor's play, but I have to point out that the "almost" steal where he jumped into press row off the in bounds pass was one of the best plays of the night. If we would have held onto the ball, everyone would have talked about that play. It was amazingly athletic.
However, that is the major disappointment for me with Taylor. He is freakishly athletic and has ridiculous body control, but just doesn't control the ball as well as a PG should. That's a common problem with combo guards that Self loves to recruit, but the other side of it is that he can't shoot either. I do love to see him driving aggressively -- as that makes a HUGE difference offensively when a guard can get in the lane -- he just has to make better decisions. A lot of the shots that people are calling "high percentage" were simply not that high percentage. They were floaters he was trying to toss off the absolute top of the backboard over two 6 foot 10 guys in his face. That is a tough shot for Allen Iverson, let alone for Tyshwan Taylor. Speaking of which, the kid needs to not take his example from the aforementioned AI (not suggesting he is, but...4 of 14 is going down that road...) and start taking it from Rajon Rondo: score when the offense is open for it, otherwise defer to the immense scoring talent around you and pick up 75 assists a game. He can get to the lane with anyone guarding him. He just needs to make better decisions.
And I get the put back baskets from our bigs on his misses, but I'm sure that is no where in his mind when he is tossing up those ugly floaters. Plus, an offensive rebound is a terribly inefficient way to make a pass. I'm just saying....
I get that he gets all the PG minutes, and I don't expect that to change. He is our best option at PG. A lot of our season is going to ride on him. I just want to see some improvement before March. We know he can do it. He's shown flashes.
drgnslayr 2 years, 4 months ago
Congrats to Mario!
squawkhawk 2 years, 4 months ago
Whew! The title of the article scared me for a second. I thought Mario had gotten himself into a gun fight this time.
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