You better believe it’s big news when Kansas’ basketball team ices six of six shots from three-point range.
“When we made some outside jumpers, I looked down to their bench and they were talking,” said Kansas coach Larry Brown, referring to Oklahoma State’s players and coaches. “Leonard (Hamilton, OSU coach) was yelling at his assistants. That’s what I do, too.”
The Jayhawks, who used that perfect shooting from the three-point stripe to trip the Cowboys, 78-68, on Wednesday in Stillwater, hope to continue firing away on Saturday against Iowa State.
Tipoff is 3:10 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse. A live telecast is available on Channels 27 and 41.
“I know Iowa State has had the philosophy to pack the inside against us, to make us beat ’em with the jump shot,” said Brown. “I imagine we’ll have to shoot well from the perimeter and create scoring opportunities off our defense. That can give us shots.”
Brown insists he isn’t ordering his troops to fire up three-pointers at this stage of the season.
No more than usual, anyway.
“I’ve been begging our kids to shoot three-pointers against zones all year,” Brown said. “But Kevin (Pritchard) is 3-23, Milt (Newton) 7-19 and Lincoln (0-15) (entering Okie State game). We hadn’t been successful. I don’t think we’ll be a team that takes 25 three-pointers a game. We don’t rebound that well and our best player is an inside player. But hopefully we’ll be a better three-point team.”
Newton hit three treys, while Pritchard added two and Gueldner one versus Okie State.
“If we make three-pointers, I’m sure Danny will be happy,” said Brown. “It’ll make things easier for him.”
Manning was superb when Kansas, 14-8 overall, 34- in the Big Eight, met the Cyclones (16-8, 2-6) back on Jan. 13 in Ames. The 6-10 senior scored 32 points.
Iowa State, however, grabbed a 38-21 first-half lead and KU could creep no closer than six the rest of the way.
At that time, however, the Cyclones possessed a 13-2 record and looked like one of the country’s biggest surprise teams.
ISU, however, has fallen upon hard times, dropping six straight games, including an 87-75 loss to lowly Colorado on Wednesday in Boulder.
“They’ve had a tough schedule,” said Brown. “They had to play Oklahoma back-to-back (dropping home and home games on Jan. 27 and 30). That’s difficult. And they lost (Gary) Thompkins. He’s one of the best players in the conference.
“Losing him is like taking (Steve) Henson off K-State’s team. You look at those kids and individually they’re not the best. But you see the effect they have on their teams. It’s dramatic.”
Thompkins, a 6-3 senior, has missed the past two games with mononucleosis and is out indefinitely. Thompkins had been averaging 11.1 points and 5.9 assists per game.
Also hurting Johnny Orr’s club is poor rebounding. At 6-8, Lafester Rhodes is the team’s tallest starter. The senior, who scored a school-record 54 points in an early-season win against Iowa and 19 versus KU, is averaging 21.9 points and seven boards. Jeff Grayer, a 6-5 senior, averages 24.9 points and 9.6 rebounds.
“Iowa State is not the best rebounding team in the conference,” said Brown. “They’ll be great against us, there’s no doubt in my mind.”
After Rhodes and Grayer, ISU’s firepower drops in a hurry. Mark Baugh, a 6-5 frosh, averages 3.5 points; Mike Born, a 6-1 junior 6.6 and Terry Woods, a 5-9 soph. 8.1. Top reserve is 6-5 junior Elmer Robinson, averages 11.3 points. Robinson potted 20 versus KU in the first meeting.
Notes
-Brown on KU’s NCAA hopes: “Everybody asks me. I always hope with our conference tournament and the quality of our conference. I don’t think the way our team is now, we can look past the next game. Georgia Tech has made it at 16-12, Kentucky 16-12. But I don’t want to get caught up in that. I don’t want to be in unless we deserve to go. I don’t enjoy hearing coaches talk whose teams are on the bubble. I know the hurt of kids whose teams don’t get the opportunity. I don’t want to make a case for it.”…
-Will Brown take center Sean Alvarado off the red-shirt list? “If Mike Masucci can’t come back (from concussion) we’ll have to use him,” Brown said. “We’ve got two JV guys and Clint (Normore, football player) on the club now. It’s kind of an eerie feeling. Every time we practice another kid can’t play and it seems like it’s always front-court players.”…
-Brown on former KU assistant Bob Hill being named Topeka Sizzlers’ coach. “I’m thrilled. He should be in coaching. He has a gift.”…
