Do statistics lie? In the case of Kansas University’s men’s basketball team, a few do.
Take a close look at KU’s stats and you’ll see the Jayhawks have committed only two fewer turnovers than their opponents. That’s a surprising number for a team with 15 wins in 17 starts. Giveaways are usually indicative of a team with woes.
Not Kansas.
“I think we’ve been able to overcome a lot,” KU junior guard Kirk Hinrich said following Saturday’s 74-67 win over Oklahoma in Allen Fieldhouse, “whether it’s turnovers or free throws.”
The Jayhawks are hardly world-beaters at the foul line, either. On Saturday, for example, they made only 18 of 31 at the foul stripe.
No doubt if you had told OU coach Kelvin Sampson on Friday night that Kansas would have 18 turnovers and miss 15 free throws he would have been smiling from here to Muskogee.
Only Jeff Boschee, who made all three of his charities, was immune from the free throw yips Saturday. Drew Gooden missed 4 of 9, Collison 5 of 10 and Hinrich 3 of 6.
“It was just one of those days,” Gooden said. “Free throws weren’t clicking. The concentration wasn’t there. They either go down or they don’t. You can’t dwell on it because it’s all mental.”
If anyone should be dwelling on his free-throw shooting, it’s Collison. The 6-foot-9 junior was a 67.4 percent foul shooter as a freshman, a 62.5 percent shooter last year, but only a 53.8 percent free thrower this season.
Collison is creeping close to Kenny Gregory territory. In Saturday’s game, Collison suffered the ignominy of having Sampson send in a player Jozsef Szendrei for the sole purpose of fouling Collison and sending him to the free-throw line.
Three-point goals: 6-16 (Ere 3-3, Selvy 1-2, Detrick 1-3, Price 1-7, White 0-1). Assists: 10 (White 4, Price 3, McGhee, Detrick, Selvy). Turnovers: 19 (McGhee 3, Ere 3, Price 3, Selvy 3, White 2, Detrick 2, Brown, Szendrei, team). Blocked shots: 5 (Detrick 2, Selvy 2, Brown). Steals: 11 (White 4, Selvy 3, Price 2, McGhee, Detrick). |
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Three-point goals: 2-7 (Boschee 2-4, Gooden 0-1, Langford 0-2). Assists: 16 (Hinrich 7, Collison 4, Miles 2, Boschee 2, Gooden). Turnovers: 18 (Miles 5, Gooden 4, Hinrich 4, Collison 2, Boschee, Langford, Simien). Blocked shots: 6 (Collison 3, Gooden, Hinrich, Langford). Steals: 8 (Gooden 2, Hinrich 2, Miles 2, Collison, Boschee). |
| Oklahoma | 25 | 42 | 67 |
| Kansas | 30 | 44 | 74 |
Officials: Scott Thornley, Lonnie Dixon, John Higgins. Attendance: 16,300.
“That was probably a smart play,” Collison said. “I haven’t been shooting free throws that well. But it worked out well for us.”
Collison converted just one of the two charities, but Szendrei had screwed up by grabbing Collison while he was running down the floor without the ball and the OU player was whistled for an intentional foul. Thus KU retained possession after Collison’s free throws. It was a critical possession, too, with Kansas nursing a seven-point lead and 1:08 showing on the clock.
As it turned out, the Jayhawks were able to erase about 22 more seconds before Hinrich was fouled. Hinrich made just one of the two, but those were 22 seconds the comeback-minded Sooners would never have back.
Incidentally, if Collison is worried about his falling free-throw percentage, he didn’t sound like it.
“I’m long on most of them,” he said, “so I have to work on a softer touch.”
How are the Jayhawks overcoming their tendency toward turnovers and their hot-and-cold free-throw shooting? Easy. By shooting lights out from the floor.
All season the Jayhawks have been shooting around 50 percent and darned if they didn’t shoot exactly 50 percent (27 of 54) against the Sooners.
A week ago today, the Jayhawks were not worried about their free-throw shooting or their turnovers. They were concerned about proving their 10-point loss at UCLA the day before was an anomaly.
Some might say the Bruins gave the Jayhawks a wake-up call. Whatever, it’s a cinch the Bruins didn’t do the two ranked Oklahoma schools any favors. First, KU humbled O-State last Tuesday night and now they’ve handed the Sooners only their second defeat of the season.
Now those two games are history. They served their purpose. They proved the UCLA loss was not the precursor of a midseason slump. They proved Kansas can defeat ranked teams even when a few cylinders aren’t firing.
Over the long haul, though, they’re merely stepping stones because KU still has a dozen more conference games remaining before the postseason.
Do statistics lie? In the case of Kansas University’s men’s basketball team, a few do.
Take a close look at KU’s stats and you’ll see the Jayhawks have committed only two fewer turnovers than their opponents. That’s a surprising number for a team with 15 wins in 17 starts. Giveaways are usually indicative of a team with woes.
Not Kansas.
“I think we’ve been able to overcome a lot,” KU junior guard Kirk Hinrich said following Saturday’s 74-67 win over Oklahoma in Allen Fieldhouse, “whether it’s turnovers or free throws.”
The Jayhawks are hardly world-beaters at the foul line, either. On Saturday, for example, they made only 18 of 31 at the foul stripe.
No doubt if you had told OU coach Kelvin Sampson on Friday night that Kansas would have 18 turnovers and miss 15 free throws he would have been smiling from here to Muskogee.
Only Jeff Boschee, who made all three of his charities, was immune from the free throw yips Saturday. Drew Gooden missed 4 of 9, Collison 5 of 10 and Hinrich 3 of 6.
“It was just one of those days,” Gooden said. “Free throws weren’t clicking. The concentration wasn’t there. They either go down or they don’t. You can’t dwell on it because it’s all mental.”
If anyone should be dwelling on his free-throw shooting, it’s Collison. The 6-foot-9 junior was a 67.4 percent foul shooter as a freshman, a 62.5 percent shooter last year, but only a 53.8 percent free thrower this season.
Collison is creeping close to Kenny Gregory territory. In Saturday’s game, Collison suffered the ignominy of having Sampson send in a player Jozsef Szendrei for the sole purpose of fouling Collison and sending him to the free-throw line.
Three-point goals: 6-16 (Ere 3-3, Selvy 1-2, Detrick 1-3, Price 1-7, White 0-1). Assists: 10 (White 4, Price 3, McGhee, Detrick, Selvy). Turnovers: 19 (McGhee 3, Ere 3, Price 3, Selvy 3, White 2, Detrick 2, Brown, Szendrei, team). Blocked shots: 5 (Detrick 2, Selvy 2, Brown). Steals: 11 (White 4, Selvy 3, Price 2, McGhee, Detrick). |
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Three-point goals: 2-7 (Boschee 2-4, Gooden 0-1, Langford 0-2). Assists: 16 (Hinrich 7, Collison 4, Miles 2, Boschee 2, Gooden). Turnovers: 18 (Miles 5, Gooden 4, Hinrich 4, Collison 2, Boschee, Langford, Simien). Blocked shots: 6 (Collison 3, Gooden, Hinrich, Langford). Steals: 8 (Gooden 2, Hinrich 2, Miles 2, Collison, Boschee). |
| Oklahoma | 25 | 42 | 67 |
| Kansas | 30 | 44 | 74 |
Officials: Scott Thornley, Lonnie Dixon, John Higgins. Attendance: 16,300.
“That was probably a smart play,” Collison said. “I haven’t been shooting free throws that well. But it worked out well for us.”
Collison converted just one of the two charities, but Szendrei had screwed up by grabbing Collison while he was running down the floor without the ball and the OU player was whistled for an intentional foul. Thus KU retained possession after Collison’s free throws. It was a critical possession, too, with Kansas nursing a seven-point lead and 1:08 showing on the clock.
As it turned out, the Jayhawks were able to erase about 22 more seconds before Hinrich was fouled. Hinrich made just one of the two, but those were 22 seconds the comeback-minded Sooners would never have back.
Incidentally, if Collison is worried about his falling free-throw percentage, he didn’t sound like it.
“I’m long on most of them,” he said, “so I have to work on a softer touch.”
How are the Jayhawks overcoming their tendency toward turnovers and their hot-and-cold free-throw shooting? Easy. By shooting lights out from the floor.
All season the Jayhawks have been shooting around 50 percent and darned if they didn’t shoot exactly 50 percent (27 of 54) against the Sooners.
A week ago today, the Jayhawks were not worried about their free-throw shooting or their turnovers. They were concerned about proving their 10-point loss at UCLA the day before was an anomaly.
Some might say the Bruins gave the Jayhawks a wake-up call. Whatever, it’s a cinch the Bruins didn’t do the two ranked Oklahoma schools any favors. First, KU humbled O-State last Tuesday night and now they’ve handed the Sooners only their second defeat of the season.
Now those two games are history. They served their purpose. They proved the UCLA loss was not the precursor of a midseason slump. They proved Kansas can defeat ranked teams even when a few cylinders aren’t firing.
Over the long haul, though, they’re merely stepping stones because KU still has a dozen more conference games remaining before the postseason.
Do statistics lie? In the case of Kansas University’s men’s basketball team, a few do.
Take a close look at KU’s stats and you’ll see the Jayhawks have committed only two fewer turnovers than their opponents. That’s a surprising number for a team with 15 wins in 17 starts. Giveaways are usually indicative of a team with woes.
Not Kansas.
“I think we’ve been able to overcome a lot,” KU junior guard Kirk Hinrich said following Saturday’s 74-67 win over Oklahoma in Allen Fieldhouse, “whether it’s turnovers or free throws.”
The Jayhawks are hardly world-beaters at the foul line, either. On Saturday, for example, they made only 18 of 31 at the foul stripe.
No doubt if you had told OU coach Kelvin Sampson on Friday night that Kansas would have 18 turnovers and miss 15 free throws he would have been smiling from here to Muskogee.
Only Jeff Boschee, who made all three of his charities, was immune from the free throw yips Saturday. Drew Gooden missed 4 of 9, Collison 5 of 10 and Hinrich 3 of 6.
“It was just one of those days,” Gooden said. “Free throws weren’t clicking. The concentration wasn’t there. They either go down or they don’t. You can’t dwell on it because it’s all mental.”
If anyone should be dwelling on his free-throw shooting, it’s Collison. The 6-foot-9 junior was a 67.4 percent foul shooter as a freshman, a 62.5 percent shooter last year, but only a 53.8 percent free thrower this season.
Collison is creeping close to Kenny Gregory territory. In Saturday’s game, Collison suffered the ignominy of having Sampson send in a player Jozsef Szendrei for the sole purpose of fouling Collison and sending him to the free-throw line.
Three-point goals: 6-16 (Ere 3-3, Selvy 1-2, Detrick 1-3, Price 1-7, White 0-1). Assists: 10 (White 4, Price 3, McGhee, Detrick, Selvy). Turnovers: 19 (McGhee 3, Ere 3, Price 3, Selvy 3, White 2, Detrick 2, Brown, Szendrei, team). Blocked shots: 5 (Detrick 2, Selvy 2, Brown). Steals: 11 (White 4, Selvy 3, Price 2, McGhee, Detrick). |
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Three-point goals: 2-7 (Boschee 2-4, Gooden 0-1, Langford 0-2). Assists: 16 (Hinrich 7, Collison 4, Miles 2, Boschee 2, Gooden). Turnovers: 18 (Miles 5, Gooden 4, Hinrich 4, Collison 2, Boschee, Langford, Simien). Blocked shots: 6 (Collison 3, Gooden, Hinrich, Langford). Steals: 8 (Gooden 2, Hinrich 2, Miles 2, Collison, Boschee). |
| Oklahoma | 25 | 42 | 67 |
| Kansas | 30 | 44 | 74 |
Officials: Scott Thornley, Lonnie Dixon, John Higgins. Attendance: 16,300.
“That was probably a smart play,” Collison said. “I haven’t been shooting free throws that well. But it worked out well for us.”
Collison converted just one of the two charities, but Szendrei had screwed up by grabbing Collison while he was running down the floor without the ball and the OU player was whistled for an intentional foul. Thus KU retained possession after Collison’s free throws. It was a critical possession, too, with Kansas nursing a seven-point lead and 1:08 showing on the clock.
As it turned out, the Jayhawks were able to erase about 22 more seconds before Hinrich was fouled. Hinrich made just one of the two, but those were 22 seconds the comeback-minded Sooners would never have back.
Incidentally, if Collison is worried about his falling free-throw percentage, he didn’t sound like it.
“I’m long on most of them,” he said, “so I have to work on a softer touch.”
How are the Jayhawks overcoming their tendency toward turnovers and their hot-and-cold free-throw shooting? Easy. By shooting lights out from the floor.
All season the Jayhawks have been shooting around 50 percent and darned if they didn’t shoot exactly 50 percent (27 of 54) against the Sooners.
A week ago today, the Jayhawks were not worried about their free-throw shooting or their turnovers. They were concerned about proving their 10-point loss at UCLA the day before was an anomaly.
Some might say the Bruins gave the Jayhawks a wake-up call. Whatever, it’s a cinch the Bruins didn’t do the two ranked Oklahoma schools any favors. First, KU humbled O-State last Tuesday night and now they’ve handed the Sooners only their second defeat of the season.
Now those two games are history. They served their purpose. They proved the UCLA loss was not the precursor of a midseason slump. They proved Kansas can defeat ranked teams even when a few cylinders aren’t firing.
Over the long haul, though, they’re merely stepping stones because KU still has a dozen more conference games remaining before the postseason.
Do statistics lie? In the case of Kansas University’s men’s basketball team, a few do.
Take a close look at KU’s stats and you’ll see the Jayhawks have committed only two fewer turnovers than their opponents. That’s a surprising number for a team with 15 wins in 17 starts. Giveaways are usually indicative of a team with woes.
Not Kansas.
“I think we’ve been able to overcome a lot,” KU junior guard Kirk Hinrich said following Saturday’s 74-67 win over Oklahoma in Allen Fieldhouse, “whether it’s turnovers or free throws.”
The Jayhawks are hardly world-beaters at the foul line, either. On Saturday, for example, they made only 18 of 31 at the foul stripe.
No doubt if you had told OU coach Kelvin Sampson on Friday night that Kansas would have 18 turnovers and miss 15 free throws he would have been smiling from here to Muskogee.
Only Jeff Boschee, who made all three of his charities, was immune from the free throw yips Saturday. Drew Gooden missed 4 of 9, Collison 5 of 10 and Hinrich 3 of 6.
“It was just one of those days,” Gooden said. “Free throws weren’t clicking. The concentration wasn’t there. They either go down or they don’t. You can’t dwell on it because it’s all mental.”
If anyone should be dwelling on his free-throw shooting, it’s Collison. The 6-foot-9 junior was a 67.4 percent foul shooter as a freshman, a 62.5 percent shooter last year, but only a 53.8 percent free thrower this season.
Collison is creeping close to Kenny Gregory territory. In Saturday’s game, Collison suffered the ignominy of having Sampson send in a player Jozsef Szendrei for the sole purpose of fouling Collison and sending him to the free-throw line.
Three-point goals: 6-16 (Ere 3-3, Selvy 1-2, Detrick 1-3, Price 1-7, White 0-1). Assists: 10 (White 4, Price 3, McGhee, Detrick, Selvy). Turnovers: 19 (McGhee 3, Ere 3, Price 3, Selvy 3, White 2, Detrick 2, Brown, Szendrei, team). Blocked shots: 5 (Detrick 2, Selvy 2, Brown). Steals: 11 (White 4, Selvy 3, Price 2, McGhee, Detrick). |
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Three-point goals: 2-7 (Boschee 2-4, Gooden 0-1, Langford 0-2). Assists: 16 (Hinrich 7, Collison 4, Miles 2, Boschee 2, Gooden). Turnovers: 18 (Miles 5, Gooden 4, Hinrich 4, Collison 2, Boschee, Langford, Simien). Blocked shots: 6 (Collison 3, Gooden, Hinrich, Langford). Steals: 8 (Gooden 2, Hinrich 2, Miles 2, Collison, Boschee). |
| Oklahoma | 25 | 42 | 67 |
| Kansas | 30 | 44 | 74 |
Officials: Scott Thornley, Lonnie Dixon, John Higgins. Attendance: 16,300.
“That was probably a smart play,” Collison said. “I haven’t been shooting free throws that well. But it worked out well for us.”
Collison converted just one of the two charities, but Szendrei had screwed up by grabbing Collison while he was running down the floor without the ball and the OU player was whistled for an intentional foul. Thus KU retained possession after Collison’s free throws. It was a critical possession, too, with Kansas nursing a seven-point lead and 1:08 showing on the clock.
As it turned out, the Jayhawks were able to erase about 22 more seconds before Hinrich was fouled. Hinrich made just one of the two, but those were 22 seconds the comeback-minded Sooners would never have back.
Incidentally, if Collison is worried about his falling free-throw percentage, he didn’t sound like it.
“I’m long on most of them,” he said, “so I have to work on a softer touch.”
How are the Jayhawks overcoming their tendency toward turnovers and their hot-and-cold free-throw shooting? Easy. By shooting lights out from the floor.
All season the Jayhawks have been shooting around 50 percent and darned if they didn’t shoot exactly 50 percent (27 of 54) against the Sooners.
A week ago today, the Jayhawks were not worried about their free-throw shooting or their turnovers. They were concerned about proving their 10-point loss at UCLA the day before was an anomaly.
Some might say the Bruins gave the Jayhawks a wake-up call. Whatever, it’s a cinch the Bruins didn’t do the two ranked Oklahoma schools any favors. First, KU humbled O-State last Tuesday night and now they’ve handed the Sooners only their second defeat of the season.
Now those two games are history. They served their purpose. They proved the UCLA loss was not the precursor of a midseason slump. They proved Kansas can defeat ranked teams even when a few cylinders aren’t firing.
Over the long haul, though, they’re merely stepping stones because KU still has a dozen more conference games remaining before the postseason.
