What this means…from press row
Gary Bedore, Journal-World KU men’s basketball beat writer
“Obviously a whole different story tonight compared to the Oral Roberts disaster.
The Jayhawks appeared a bit shaky early, perhaps still stinging from the shocking loss.
But Darrell Arthur took care of the inside, while Sherron Collins and Mario Chalmers opened it up from the outside.
Not a bad Las Vegas Invitational opener, but obviously a lot of work to do before KU can hope to win any jackpots this season.”
Tom Keegan, Journal-World sports editor
“Their internal alarm clocks work. They didn’t miss their wake-up calls. The Jayhawks haven’t blended into an intimdating team yet, but the ingredients were certainly on display.
Darrell Arthur’s terrific hands and soft touch make him a better low-post scorer than anyone KU had a year ago. Sherron Collins and Mario Chalmers can put points on the board in a hurry when they get hot from beyond the arc. And Russell Robinson can be counted on to energize the team at both ends.
Bill Self nailed it when he summed up the game as a baby step in the right direction.”
Ryan Greene, KUSports.com editor
“One element which shouldn’t go overlooked from this game is the first half Julian Wright played.
Yeah, yeah, he scored 11 of his 12 points in the second half, big deal. In the first half, Wright was a key ‘glue guy’ who helped KU break Towson’s pesky zone. In that first half, he had four rebounds, two steals and an assist.
While focus may be something KU fights all season, one guy who Bill Self will never have to worry about in that realm is Wright. Not only does he have his head on straight off the court, but he always has the same presence on it. That’s continued to show consistently.”
Inside the numbers
50: That’s the percentage KU hit as far as three-pointers in the first half were concerned. The 6-of-12 effort, including three from Mario Chalmers and two from Sherron Collins, helped KU get the separation it needed when Towson held close, keeping the score at 18-17 at one point.
9: That’s how many blocked shots KU registered, with three of them belonging to Darrell Arthur. KU’s big men exposed their distinct height advantage in the paint, playing with the intensity Bill Self said he demands on a daily basis.
3: That’s how many assists junior Jeremy Case totaled in his first game action of the season. While he only played the final 22 seconds of the first half, he played more extensively in the game’s second 20 minute stanza. While he misfired on both of his three-point attempts, he established himself well at midcourt both offensively and defensively.
Just in case you missed it…
Offensive balance cannot find a much more true definition than the one KU provided Sunday night. The Jayhawks scored 44 of their 87 points in the paint. The two sides integrated, too, as plenty of KU’s inside points – such as several of Darrell Arthur’s game-high 26 – came off of dishes from the perimeter. KU out-assisted Towson 23-9.
Hopefully you didn’t miss it…
There might not be a smoother shooter in the open court on the KU roster than Mario Chalmers. Most Jayhawk fans got their first glimpse of it when he won the McDonald’s All-American three-point contest two years ago. But opponents will quickly catch on that when you leave No. 15 open, he’s dead-on. Chalmers was 3-for-6, and didn’t miss any of them in ugly fashion. One even spawned an Arthur put-back slam.
Yep, they really said it…
Julian Wright on whether Sunday’s win puts the Jayhawks back on track following their loss: “Nothing takes care of the Oral Roberts loss.”
Darrell Arthur on how plenty of his 26 points came from good ball movement: “I was just the open man today.”
Bill Self on his team bouncing back from last Wednesday: “We played better of course. You can’t play worse.”
Bill Self on the three-point shooting of Mario Chalmers and Sherron Collins: “I thought they were really big, because we ran bad offense.”
