What this means…from Columbia, S.C.
Gary Bedore, Journal-World KU men’s basketball beat writer
“KU showed a lot of desire in its final non-conference game of the season. The Jayhawks copied coach Bill Self, whose early technical foul seemed to fire up the squad.
Mario Chalmers continues to play great defense, with his quickness matching several steals once again.
It was good to see Darrell Arthur break out of his slump. It probably helps when the other team has a couple of goaltending calls as they did on Arthur’s shots.
It was a great way to enter conference play, not blowing a 14-point lead like the Jayhawks did at Depaul, but keeping their poise and winning.”
Chuck Woodling, Journal-World sports columnist
“I thought the Jayhawks were terrific in the second half. I thought they totally gassed the Gamecocks.
Bill Self didn’t play that many players, and four of the Jayhawks logged 30 or more minutes, which is a lot. South Carolina had five players log 30 or more minutes, and yet it was the homestanding Gamecocks who were gassed and not the Jayhawks.
So this was a testament to superior conditioning and ability.”
Inside the numbers
17: Not only was that freshman forward Darrell Arthur’s point total Sunday afternoon, but it was his most prolific offensive output since scoring 19 points on Nov. 25 in an 82-80 win over Florida. On top of that, Arthur had totaled 19 poitns on 6-of-26 shooting in KU’s three contests prior to the trip to South Carolina. Having a solid presence on offense in the post helped KU put to bed USC’s zone defense late in the first half, as Arthur scored two quick baskets as soon as Dave Odom’s team went away from traditional man-to-man defense. Though he did take a couple of bad shots. But, heck, nobody’s perfect.
5: That was Mario Chalmers’ steal total, and it marked the third time in the last four games in which the sophomore guard has used his quickness to register that same figure. He now has 43 swipes in 14 games he’s played, good for an average of just over three per night. Those steals have also led to a series of easy transition hoops for Chalmers, who is averaging 18.8 points per game over the Jayhawks’ last four outings.
18.8: That’s the shooting percentage on the afternoon of South Carolina’s Tre’ Kelley, who entered the game as the Gamecocks’ leading scorer, averaging just under 17 points per game. He had 10 points Sunday, but on just 3-of-16 shooting. You’ve got to give him credit for toughing it out after missing his first game Wednesday after 53 consecutive starts due to a sprained knee, but he was far from 100-percent, and KU’s defensive-minded trio of guards made him pay dearly. He had six assists, but that was mirrored by six turnovers.
80: That was KU’s free throw percentage Sunday, its best outing of the season from the line, surpassing a 77.3 percent showing on Nov. 15 in a win over Towson, when the Jayhawks canned 17-of-22. OK, OK, so KU only hit 4-of-5 Sunday, but still, it gives them a mark to shoot for the rest of the season at the line.
Just in case you missed it…
South Carolina’s crowd was never a factor. Anytime the Gamecocks had a big hoop, KU answered in quick fashion, just like the Jayhawks of old. Whether it was Sherron Collins slicing downcourt for a quick layup or Mario Chalmers finding someway to set up offense in a jiffy, after about five minutes into the game, the Jayhawks never gave the USC crowd reason to believe their team would pull off the upset, and KU neutralized what could have been a hostile and distracting environment.
Hopefully you didn’t miss it…
This was probably as sound of a victory as KU could have hoped for on the road, especially given what happened in its only other true road contest of the season at DePaul. Defensively, KU forced 16 turnovers, held USC to just a 38.8 field goal percentage and, with the exception of maybe a two- or three-minute stretch late in the first half, never relinquished momentum. That’s what a killer instinct is supposed to look like.
