What this means…from press row
Gary Bedore, Journal-World KU men’s basketball beat writer
“Julian Wright and Brandon Rush both showed up on the same night, which is good for KU, which again had trouble putting away a visiting team.
Wright played well the second half as did Sherron Collins. Wright picked a good night for his career-high because, again, this was a game still in doubt most of the way. I’d say the stars of the game, make that the half, were Wright and Collins.
It’s time to keep plodding away at practice for the Big 12 season is near and the Jayhawks are still far from a smooth machine on offense.”
Chuck Woodling, Journal-World reporter/columnist
“You have to love the way Kansas has played defense in the first half this season.
Saturday night was just another example. Can you believe KU’s foes are scoring an average of only 24.1 points in the first 20 minutes? If it weren’t for the Oral Roberts anamoly, the average would be even lower.
ORU scored 39 points in the first half of that 78-71 win in the second game of the season, and is still the only team to lead the Jayhawks at the break (39-34).
Rhode Island almost was the sixth team this season to post a score in the teens in the first half against Kansas, but Jimmy Baron’s three-pointer at the buzzer gave the Rams 22 points instead of 19.”
Ryan Greene, KUSports.com editor
“It was eerie for awhile how similar the first half against Rhode Island was to the first half against Detroit, in which KU ran out quick and then went on fumes for a series of minutes.
Julian Wright made 19 second half points look easy, flowing within the offense and doing what he does best – finishing around the hoop.
Don’t underestimate Sherron Collins’ minutes. Play like that will be needed from him much more often, because you never know who will get sick next on this team. Russell Robinson makes three players in about five days.
Next Saturday is huge, as it’s really only KU’s second road game of the season. Better get a road win under your belt to survive in the Big 12.”
Inside the numbers
47: That’s how many point URI scored in the second half, which was the most KU has allowed in the final 20 minutes of a game this season. The Jayhawks outscored the Rams by just three in the second stanza, but luckily for them, their magical offensive flow didn’t fade.
9: That’s how many minutes junior Russell Robinson played after having vomited and been sick all afternoon. He needed two bags of IV fluid before the game and toughed out most of the first half before sitting the second. Gotta give him some credit for that.
5: That’s how many assists Mario Chalmers and Sherron Collins each registered in the final stat book. That preaches to how well the Jayhawk defense pressured the backcourt to force transition opportunities. It also speaks to Chalmers and Collins toughing their way into the paint to create easy dunks. KU dunked the ball 10 times, including five from Julian Wright.
Just in case you missed it…
Bill Self called this the best game Sherron Collins has played since arriving in Lawrence. Collins had seen some struggles of late, but everything was working for him Saturday night. Two big highlights came first with a stretch in which he found Sasha Kaun and Julian Wright in close for easy dunks after drawing the defense away from the KU big men in the paint. Later in the second half he made up for a ball he lost with the shot clock expiring, regained it, floated down the baseline and dropped in a beautifully soft jumper.
Hopefully you didn’t miss it…
The 42 points sophomores Brandon Rush and Julian Wright were the most they had tallied as a duo this season, comparing only to the 37 they combined to account for against Northern Arizona in the season opener on Nov. 11. It goes to show how deadly of an offense KU can have when both of them are on like that. KU didn’t defend particularly well, but it goes to show that great offense can overshadow porous defense on many occasions.
They said it…
Bill Self on Julian Wright, Darnell Jackson and Darrell Arthur all missing from the starting lineup: “We had a time management issue with three of our athletes in the last couple of days – Julian, Darnell and Shady…I didn’t start Darnell against Winston-Salem because something similar happened, so just to be consistent, we’re going to do that.”
Bill Self on Wright’s monstrous second half: “No, it’s a product of him going to the game. Lets just call it like it is. First half, first two times he touched it, he had shots and tried to pass it. Second half he squared up andd he made basketball plays.”
Bill Self on the play of Sherron Collins: “Russell is really good at getting in the lane, Mario’s become very good at it, but Sherron, that’s how he’s played his whole life. Just get it and go, that’s natural for him. The thing about tonight that was good is when he got in there, he passed it. A lot of times he tries to score over those gusy and it doesn’t turn out so good.”
Brandon Rush on KU allowing 50 second half points: “They shot 50 percent in our house, so I don’t think that’s good at all.”
Sherron Collins on Russell Robinson playing the first half sick: “We knew Russ was sick before the game. He’s tough, just trying out to come out and play through it, but halftime just got the best of him. I tip my hat off to him, he’s tough, and I’m learning everything i can from him. I think it most likely was coach’s (choice for Robinson to sit the second half) becausce I think if he had a choice he would have still played.”
