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Posted
by Tom Keegan
April 1, 2012 at 1:37 a.m.
Thomas Robinson wills KU, tops rankings
1. Thomas Robinson: Played like a man who didn’t want his outstanding third and final season to end. Willed the team back into contention. Finished with 19 points and eight rebounds and committed just one foul.
2. Travis Releford: Made big-time positive contributions in a wire-to-wire clean game. Made 5 of 7 field goals, 1 of 1 three-pointers, 4 of 4 free throws, did not turn it over once, had an assist and two steals and totaled 15 points and six rebounds.
3. Elijah Johnson: Quietly cursed himself five times when he picked up his fourth foul with more than 12 minutes remaining, but overall had a terrific game, totaling 13 points and 10 rebounds. Confidently took it to the hoop and used his body well to ward off defenders. Made 6 of 9 shots.
4. Jeff Withey: Didn’t have the confidence to take it straight up a few times when he should have, but did a terrific job defensively. Might a replay of the game reveal he had more than the seven blocked shots for which he was credited? Defended Jared Sullinger into a 5-for-19 shooting night.
5. Tyshawn Taylor: Was thoroughly outplayed by Aaron Craft in the first half, but turned it around just in time to help his team finish strong. Made two free throws with eight seconds left, then stole the ball, then threw it away instead of dribbling out the clock. In short, a lot of cringe moments, and in the end another case of him steering the team to the finish line at the end. Dome three-point shooting totals: 0 for 20; 2012 overall NCAA tourney: 0 for 20; Career NCAA tourney: 3 for 40.
6. Kevin Young: His explosive leaping ability and non-stop hustle make him a terrific offensive rebounder. Four of his five rebounds in 11 minutes came off the offensive glass.
7. Conner Teahan: The benches combined to play 57 minutes and scored three points on Teahan’s shot with 8:20 left that drew KU within three points.
The Keegan Ratings: Season Standings
1. Thomas Robinson (336 points)
2. Tyshawn Taylor (311 points)
3. Jeff Withey (285 points)
4. Elijah Johnson (267 points)
5. Travis Releford (252 points)
6. Conner Teahan (192 points)
7. Kevin Young (173 points)
8. Justin Wesley (123 points)
9. Naadir Tharpe (87 points)
10. Merv Lindsay (11 points)
11. Jordan Juenemann (9 points)
Comments
buck2133 1 year, 1 month ago
from what I have seen, Withey is 3 blocks away from breaking the all-time blocks record for postseason play!
This is the "not updated" list:
Most Blocked Shots
http://www.cbssports.com/collegebasketball/ncaa-tournament/history/tournindyrec
I will say "unofficially" officially, Withey has 27 for this year's tourney!! Keep it up, Big Guy!!!
mhughes1 1 year, 1 month ago
How many does Anthony Davis have this year? Might be an interesting subplot Monday night.
buck2133 1 year, 1 month ago
according to espn.com, Withey has 27 and Davis has 23, after yesterday's games!
KUWorldTraveler 1 year, 1 month ago
Sorry, Withey has to be higher. Don't get me wrong, I love what T-Rob, EJ, and Releford brought tonight, but if we don't have Withey and instead have KY guarding him all game, we lose by 15.
icthawkfan316 1 year, 1 month ago
I agree. Hard to diminish any of what the players higher on Keegan's list did, but Withey was a man; single-handedly swung the advantage back in our favor.
REHawk 1 year, 1 month ago
Yeah, Withey was the stand-out game changer last night. Travis played like a very well oiled machine, and EJ had an A- game. Is very difficult to measure T-Rob's input because of his relentless will power. His dogged determination to keep winning sets an encouraging standard for the entire squad. Maybe that is what Keegan sees in placing Thomas so high on this list. The missed bunnies early in the game were almost exasperating. Thomas plays so sped up that the basket won't hold still for him until he has gained control of adrenalin and settled in to do what he does best. Bill Self very wise to sit him on the pine for a spell, helping him calm himself for a steadier return to action. His handstabbing early foul had him in line for the J. Wesley Award!
jhox 1 year, 1 month ago
You are right on target. A lot of guys stepped up but Withey's defense made him my MVP for the game, with EJ a close second TRob a close third, then Travis. That Withey block late, when he banged Craft's lay up off the glass was the key play of the game. He came out of nowhere. Craft had to be totally shocked.
JayHawkFanToo 1 year, 1 month ago
This is one of those times when 4 players are tied for first and the rest of the team tied for second. Unbelievable effort by all KU players.
Alohahawk 1 year, 1 month ago
R C J H G K U !!!!!
fourbagger 1 year, 1 month ago
Three blocks at the end of the game. Jeff Withey has to be number one.
actorman 1 year, 1 month ago
Two moments stood out for me from this game:
The incredible defensive stand where Withey blocked two shots in a row from Sullinger and then someone (Releford?) took a charge; and
The play with 2:20 left when Craft stole the ball and drove it all the way down for a layup to put OSU by 3. Why does that play stand out for me? Because EJ dogged him the whole way down but then made the brilliant move of backing off at the last minute and letting him score, rather than what surely must have been his instinct to try to challenge the shot. If EJ had challenged it there, there was a strong possibility that he would have fouled out, in which case the ending likely would not have been nearly as positive for the Jayhawks. Huge kudos to EJ for being smart enough to back off at that point.
actorman 1 year, 1 month ago
"Made two free throws with eight seconds left, then stole the ball, then threw it away instead of dribbling out the clock. In short, a lot of cringe moments, and in the end another case of him steering the team to the finish line at the end."
I also have to give kudos to TK for a perfect description of Tyshawn's game -- in fact, that pretty much describes Tyshawn's season.
baldwinjhawk 1 year, 1 month ago
DUDE you could win the bracket contest! That's awesome. Maybe you should start your own Bracketology and kick lunardi's tired a** to the curb...lol
actorman 1 year, 1 month ago
Thanks Baldwin. The only problem is that I have to pick KU to win every year and people in other parts of the country might get a little irrritated about that.
ColdCoffee 1 year, 1 month ago
Withey at #4, really? Crucial blocks at the end of the fist half and throughout the second. Limiting Sulllenger throughout, and an amazing shot that should have put KU up by five but was somehow whistled for a travel? Nah, I give him and TRob tops. The prophet and ghost right behind. Withey made a couple of bone headed plays (shot stripped and pass to Releford's ankles); but if Withey doesn't play the minutes he does, we lose this.
fupduck 1 year, 1 month ago
I believe Withey is our own " Star Wars" defense program! Thanks Ronald, for the idea, and thanks Jeff for implementing it!!!!! Young helps a lot too, but sadly doesn;t get credit.Also, Jeff doesn't get cold , as a rule. I am proud to be a Wheathead!!!!
ParisHawk 1 year, 1 month ago
Just watched the game on ESPN online. There was so much great play from so many players! I would hitch Jeff up a bit on the grounds that some of the other guys' best plays came off of his blocks; they are almost hockey assists the way he directs them.
Most of the best plays involved more than one player, which shows how great a team this is and how limited is the interest of this ranking thing.
KU62 1 year, 1 month ago
This whole season, Keegan has been close-but-no-cigar on the impact of player's (except points scored) contributions, and the players know that full well and still play for the team. The prevailing attitude seems to be
"Frankly, dear Tom, we don't give a damn."
swunruhawk 1 year, 1 month ago
All the blocks by Withey were great. However, one block being overlooked. Kevin Young on Sullinger. That was nice.
PikesPeakSmitty 1 year, 1 month ago
Withey much higher, TRob much lower. Our team is soooo much better when TRob doesn't force it on offense. He's not a shooter. EJ has become such a threat!
hawk_of_ages 1 year, 1 month ago
I disagree about knocking T-Rob down. We've started to take him for granted a bit. He was slow to get going, but he made huge shots down the stretch.
fansincewilt 1 year, 1 month ago
I have to agree with the exception I might switch Johnson and Withey. Releford was everywhere in this game. He was a difference maker tonight and deserves #2. Thomas was definitely #1. The opposite teams have to focus on T-Rob which causes much disarray when nothing seems to work on him. He will get much better but in this raw stage he was still by far the best man on the court tonight. He is going to be a star in the NBA. Now, he has to prove that the AP got it wrong putting Davis POY. He said it all at the end, "I'll be ready."
fhqwhgads 1 year, 1 month ago
i think elijah has figured it out finally. even this season, i was hoping that he would not be another super athletic guy that just shoots open 3s. he has really figured out how to create shots for himself and how to make other players better. he has figured out how to use his athleticism to destroy teams. i know i'm biased, but off the top of my head, i don't see a better guard in college basketball next year than elijah.
cshjhawk 1 year, 1 month ago
T-Rob appeared to be rushing his shots during the first half. During the second half however, he seemed more relaxed and the shots made were good high percentage ones. The double team by T-Rob and Jeff put the mojo on Sullinger and diminished his ability to find anyone for open shots! Finally, the efforts by Jeff, EJ, Travis, Conner, and KY clearly refuted the assertion by the CBS and ESPN analysts that KU comprised a two man tag team of T-Rob and TT. Rock Chalk!
drgnslayr 1 year, 1 month ago
I know most of our Hawks played a great game... but EJ is on a streak down the stretch. It has become a big enough factor that going forward he'll be scouted as a late game threat. As long as EJ does what he does at the end, I'm giving him honors in here to sit atop the Hawk nest. His trey was our pull-away!
Elijah
S eal T he U biquitous D eal
Johnson
EJ makes it easy for me. Copy/paste every game now.
He came through again... delivering the blade to the throat of OSU with his layup giving us our biggest lead of the game of 3 points at the end. It all went down hill for OSU after that...
I believe that is three games in a row where EJ became the "assassin of dreams" for our opposition!
One more time, EJ!
Bring it on Monday, and you will be immortalized with the rest of this team and the most-popular KU team in Jayhawk history!
Jayhawk1958 1 year, 1 month ago
I have to go with Releford on this one. His 15 point contribution saved the game for us.
Underdog777 1 year, 1 month ago
I also think Travis was the major difference maker, points at the end of the first half. Plus the 2nd half steal and layup plus free throws (4) that put us up on two different occasions were major, game changing plays.
oldalum 1 year, 1 month ago
Hard to place these guys after such a game. #1 should have been TEAM.
Alohahawk 1 year, 1 month ago
+1 Agree, as I indicated in my post above, and as the diversity of opinions posted by everyone would seem to indicate. This is a TEAM that's getting harder and harder not to believe in.
On another note: Zagsblog.com has two recent articles about TT. One relating to yesterday's game, and the other about his chance to attain a national championship in college, and also in high school (Mythical, since it is not attained by a playoff - Like KU's two national championships declared by the Helms Foundation.)
The_Big_B 1 year, 1 month ago
Withey played defense like a man, but played offense like a schoolgirl (again).
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