FINAL: KU defeats MU, 77-56
Wow, Tyshawn Taylor has looked great in the second half of this game. At the end of the shot clock, he spins in the lane before putting in a fallaway jumper. He’s a perfect 5-for-5 after starting the game 0-for-8.
Xavier Henry is knocked to the floor on a foul. The MU fans cheer. Guess if you can’t beat ’em, beat ’em up?
Elijah Johnson misses a three, but Robinson is there for the rebound and stickback to put in KU’s final points.
KU closes out an impressive 77-56 victory.
KU 61/MU 42 — 7:39 left in second half
KU breaks MU’s press, and Xavier Henry uses an aggressve move to take advantage on the other end. He draws contact, putting in a layup while drawing a blocking foul. He also adds the free throw.
Aldrich with a big block inside, and it leads to a runout for KU. Collins beats two Tigers down the court, throwing in a quick layup to extend KU’s lead back to 11.
Reed swishes a three for KU, then turns to Tiller and barks something at him. You can tell Reed gets a little bit more pumped to play MU as a Kansas kid.
Taylor comes away with a defensive rebound, and he leads the break. He makes a great decision in transition, kicking out to the hot hand Reed for another three that swishes through. Reed is pumped, thumping his chest twice with his fist before MU calls timeout. Suddenly, KU has rebuilt a 15-point lead and sucked a lot of life out of the arena.
After starting 0-for-8, Taylor finally gets his first shot to go in, putting in a shot off the glass. Reed comes away with a defensive rebound, and he throws ahead to Taylor for another layup. Reed is having perhaps his best game of the year with 11 points and four rebounds.
KU 46/MU 40 — 11:45 left in second half
Collins misses two free throws. KU needed those.
Markieff Morris misses a shot inside, and Keith Ramsey puts a short jumper in on the other end to cut KU’s lead to nine.
Morningstar loses the ball in the lane, and that’s another turnover for KU. Once again, MU gets points on the run, as English is fouled on his way to the rim. He makes two free throws, and MU’s fans crank up the noise level down only seven.
MU is starting to rack up the team fouls with its aggressive play. Two quick whistles, and the Tigers are up to five this half.
Morningstar with another turnover, dropping the ball out of bounds in the backcourt. Self is furious. It looked like Morningstar wasn’t sure if he could pick up the ball in the backcourt when, in fact, he could. The fans let Morningstar have it, chanting, “D-U-I. D-U-I.”
Tiller drives into the lane, putting it in for two with a foul. He completes the three-point play, and MU has a 10-0 run.
Collins is fouled, and he hits two free throws to break KU’s drought. Perhaps more importantly, KU will be in the bonus the rest of the way.
Hustling for a rebound, Marcus Morris bangs his head hard into the scorer’s table — so hard the scorer’s table gives way a few feet. Play is stopped for him (predictably, the MU fans boo), and Marcus lays motionless for a few minutes while trainers attend to him. Even when he starts to get up, some MU fans clap, but others continue to boo. He finally gets to his feet and walks off on his own power to a mix of cheers and boos, but I don’t think we’ll see him back in this one. The trainers take him straight to the locker room.
KU 44/MU 33 — 15:57 left in second half
Aldrich makes it look easy on the first possession of the second half, catching it in the post, turning and putting in the short shot.
English follows with an open three for MU. The Tigers immediately press, and Taylor turns it over out of bounds after getting double-teamed in the backcourt. Zaire Taylor follows with a mid-range floater, and MU’s fans have reason to get back into this game.
Two more turnovers by KU, one from Collins and one from Marcus. That’s three straight empty possessions for KU. Not a good start to the second half offensively.
Taylor misses a jumper, but Aldrich is there to slam home the rebound. He hangs on the rim a few seconds to avoid an MU defender below him. The MU fans clamor for a technical foul but don’t get one.
Marcus Morris with another turnover, and Tiller finishes with a fast-break layup. Timeout KU, which has started the second half with four turnovers in the first 3:59. The Jayhawks had just seven turnovers in the first half.
KU scoring — Marcus Morris 10 (5-for-6 shooting), Collins 8 (3-for-4 shooting), Markieff Morris 6 (3-for-3 shooting), Aldrich 5, Reed 5, Morningstar 2, X. Henry 2, Robinson 2.
KU was 17-for-34 from the floor (50 percent), 3-for-7 from three (42.9 percent) and 3-for-4 from the free-throw line (75 percent).
MU was 11-for-32 from the floor (34.4 percent), 1-for-11 from three (9.1 percent) and 1-for-3 from the free-throw line (33.3 percent).
KU out-rebounded MU, 25-15, in the first half. KU had seven first-half turnovers, while MU had six.
Halftime thoughts
• Two stats scream at me in the first half. No. 1 is the three-point shooting, where MU is just 1-for-11. The Tigers have missed plenty of open looks, too. No. 2, is turnovers, as KU has just seven giveaways. Those were two of the biggest keys coming into this one, and MU hasn’t capitalized in either area.
• Once again, KU is dominating the boards with a 10-rebound advantage. I’m sure Self would have taken that spread had you offered it to him before the game.
• Remember, MU came back from a 14-point halftime deficit to win last year. I wouldn’t count them out of this game just yet.
• It’s pretty amazing how well KU can play even when some of its best players don’t play or shoot well. Xavier Henry and Tyshawn Taylor combine to go 1-for-11 in the first half, and KU still leads by 16. So many teams in the tournament will have to have their best players play well. KU doesn’t necessarily need that to win.
KU 40/MU 24 — Halftime
Xavier Henry pulls down and offensive rebound and puts it back in for KU. Marcus Morris follows with a drive and tough layup off the glass.
Markieff Morris has checked back in for KU. Looks like he’s OK.
KU’s offense is really clicking now. Collins — who had shot just once all half — buries a three, and MU calls timeout.
The Jayhawks are one of the best teams I’ve ever seen at executing and getting two-for-ones at the end of the half. After getting possession with a minute left, Self motions for his team to hurry, and Collins buries a quick three. KU, once again, will have the last possession.
The execution pays off. Taylor gets a steal late in the shot clock for MU, and he’s able to bat the ball ahead to Collins, who puts in a layup with three seconds left.
Collins scores the last eight points of the half for KU, and the Jayhawks end the half on a 16-0 run.
KU leads, 40-24, at the break.
KU 26/MU 24 — 3:20 left in 1st half
The public address announcer keeps calling Markieff Morris, “Markrieff Morris”. Kind of a weird pronunciation.
After seeing his brother take over the scoring load for KU, Marcus Morris does the same. Marcus puts in two short shots inside, then buries a two with his foot on the three-point line. He holds his follow-through for a few extra seconds, and MU calls timeout down, 24-20.
Markieff Morris stays down on the court with an injury (maybe to his foot?). We’ll see if he checks back in this game.
Morningstar with an offensive rebound, and he puts in a fadeaway on the baseline. KU starting to pull away on the boards, 18-13.
MU 19/KU 18 — 7:16 left in 1st half
KU finds some success inside the paint, as Markieff Morris puts in consecutive baskets. The Jayhawks have a huge edge in there if they can get the ball to their bigs.
Reed misses a three, but Markieff is there once again for the rebound and stickback. That’s a 6-0 run for Markieff himself.
KU has pulled closer with lots of help from MU. The Tigers have missed three straight open threes.
KU is on the run, but Collins dribbles the ball off his foot, which results in a turnover. Bowers dunks it on the other end, and Collins’ struggles to be productive have continued in this game.
Thomas Robinson has checked in, and he comes out offensively with an NBA-like spin move around a defender to get a clear layup. Robinson has always showed those kinds of flashes of greatness.
MU 17/KU 10 — 11:30 left in 1st half
Bowers gets a tip-in for two on the offensive glass. The next possession, he fights for another offensive rebound. MU is more than holding its own on the boards so far.
Sherron Colins falls down defensively, and Self motions for him to get up. Collins is late doing that, and J.T. Tiller puts in a jumper over him. Self calls timeout and checks in Tyrel Reed for Collins.
Marcus Morris ends the KU drought with a layup, but English follows with another three and Marcus Denmon hits a jumper. The crowd is going crazy here, already sensing that the Tigers are playing well enough to pull the upset.
KU 5/MU 4 — 15:30 left in 1st half
Laurence Bowers sinks a long two for the first points of the game. Once again, KU is late getting out to a shooter near the perimeter.
After turning it over on KU’s first possession, Cole Aldrich responds with a dunk and foul. He completes the three-point play with the free throw.
Kim English misses a long three, Better defense there by KU.
Marcus Morris takes at least four steps on a move to the rim, and he’s called for a travel. Two turnovers already for KU.
Aldrich misses a shot, but he tips in the follow. The big man is too eager on the defensive end, though, getting a reach-in whistle. KU coach Bill Self makes the quick substitution to get Markieff Morris into the game.
12:37 p.m.
Our pregame chat is open. I’ll be talking there until gametime.
Just a reminder to use the “Submit a question” link to post a score prediction, to submit a comment or to ask a question.
Today’s random question: Did you think the Antlers’ prank on Tyshawn Taylor was funny or mean?
12 p.m.
Welcome back to the Newell Post Live, coming to you from spacious Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo., where the second-ranked Kansas Jayhawks are getting set to take on the Missouri Tigers.
After nearly getting run off the road by J.T. Tiller’s red truck in the parking lot, we have arrived safely in the arena. KU’s players are trickling onto the court for warmups, and they are all being greeted warmly with, as you’d expect, a round of boos from the Missouri students gathered here.
I actually always enjoy when KU matches up with Mizzou because I know that there will be great pregame analysis over at the MU fan site Rock M Nation.
Friend of the blog Bill Connelly once again provided an extensive and interesting statistical breakdown of the Jayhawks. Yeah, there’s a twinge of homerism you’ll have to deal with, but it’s worth it to read the statistical breakdown he’s done.
Perhaps the most interesting I found is his breakdown of KU’s adjusted game score per minute statistic, which attempts to illustrate the complete performance of a player over the course of the season. In that statistic, Collins is fifth among KU’s regulars (behind Cole Aldrich, Marcus Morris, Xavier Henry and Markieff Morris). I think this once again says what most of us have suspected for a while: Collins has received a lot of deserved praise, but because of his recent slump and poor shot selection, he hasn’t had nearly the positive value to the team as he did earlier in the year and perhaps last year as well.
Also, Ross Taylor compiled two pregame, 10-minute podcasts that you still have time to check out. One of those interviews features yours truly, so it’s obviously the best breakdown of the game that is available on the Internet (I’m joking of course).
Be sure to check out those links and also interact with our features on the left side of this page. We have a poll up, and also be sure to use the hashtag #kubball to have your Tweets appear in our grid.
Final: MU defeats KU, 62-60
It turns out to be an unlikely hero for MU. On the last possession, Zaire Taylor gets a step inside the three-point line before shooting. His shot bounces hard off the rim and high in the air before falling in.
With 1.4 seconds left, Morningstar launches a full-court pass to Aldrich. The big man turns around and gets up a shot with some contact, but it’s well off with no whistle. MU hangs on for the win, and soon after, the students rush the floor.
MU 60/KU 60 — 23.5 seconds left in game
Right when KU needs him, Little steps up. He calmly swishes a 16-footer from the side, tying the game at 60. MU calls timeout, and barring a turnover, will have the last shot in regulation.
MU 60/KU 58 — 49.7 seconds left in game
The Tigers respond with yet another run. Lyons ties the game at 58 with two free throws after Collins uncharacteristically misses two at the line.
After a missed shot by Collins, J.T. Tiller hits a shot from 14 feet to give MU its first lead since the first half.
KU 56/MU 51 — 3:49 left in game
Seven straight points for MU, capped by a three from Carroll that bounced up, out, then back in again.
KU is up to 23 turnovers. The Jayhawks can’t afford any more giveaways if they hope to hold on.
Aldrich gets called for a clear-out after grabbing a rebound, and Self is livid. Three coaches hold him back. A bad call for sure, with a nice flop by a Tiger to seal the deal.
Reed gets a pair of free throws to push KU’s lead back to five.
Another turnover for KU. That makes 25. How many more can the Jayhawks withstand?
KU 54/MU 43 — 7:57 left in game
Turnovers are killing KU. The Jayhawks have turned it over on three of their last four possessions. Meanwhile, MU has found its offense, and six straight points from Lyons followed by two free throws by Zaire Taylor cuts KU’s lead to three at 46-43.
Who else but Tyshawn Taylor steps up when the Jayhawks need him most. He gets a tough floater to go in, and in transition, he scoops up his own miss before getting a two and foul.
After an Aldich block, Releford drives down the middle of the MU defense for a two and foul, and KU has responded to MU’s run with an 8-0 spurt of its own. The Jayhawks are seeing some great poise and maturity from young players in the last few minutes.
KU 46/MU 35 — 11:41 left in game
MU cuts it to 12, but Little takes a few dribbles into the lane and nails a tough 14-foot turn-around. Carroll makes a jumper, but Little gets fouled on his way to the rim, making one of two free throws. More and more, Little is looking like the No. 3 scorer that KU needs.
Taylor gets a steal, then banks one in on the other end. Self has shown a lot of patience with him tonight.
Taylor jumps in the air with no plan in mind. He lands with the basketball. Turnover No. 6. Self squishes his temples together.
KU really needs to be careful with fouls. The Jayhawks already have nine personals this half, and with MU struggling to score, the free-throw line is an easy way to get points. Double-bonus the rest of the way for MU (Did you expect anything less on the road?).
KU 39/MU 27 — 15:50 left in game
Marcus Morris gets fouls two, three and four in a matter of 38 seconds, as he’s whistled for two fouls then picks up a technical after bumping into an official. I don’t have a good angle, but from here, the contact didn’t look intentional.
MU’s fans start to get into it, but Collins and Aldrich calm the storm for KU. Collins throws a pass inside to Aldrich, who puts in a layup for two, and on the next possession Collins drives all the way to the basket for a spinner off the glass.
Another turnover by Taylor, who charges in. With as well as Reed has been playing, I’m not sure why Taylor even started the half.
Lyons and Carroll get jumpers to go down, and the crowd’s back in it. KU’s defense hasn’t been as sharp here in the second half.
After a timeout, Morningstar gets all the way to the basket before putting in an athletic scoop shot. Collins follows with a free throw and 18-footer, and KU has weathered another potential MU run.
KU scoring
Reed 6, Taylor 4, Aldrich 4, Little 4, Collins 4, Releford 4, Marcus Morris 2, Markieff Morris 2.
KU was 12-for-33 from the floor (36.4 percent), 2-for-12 from three (16.7 percent) and 4-for-4 from the free-throw line (100 percent).
MU was 7-for-29 from the floor (24.1 percent) 1-for-10 from three (10 percent) and 1-for-4 from the free-throw line (25 percent).
KU out-rebounded MU, 30-15. KU had 12 turnovers to MU’s 10.
Halftime thoughts
• What a great half defensively for KU. Nothing for MU came easily. The Tigers also were only 1-for-10 from three, which shows you how well Reed and Morningstar are fighting through screens to get to shooters.
• If you would have told me that KU would make just 2 of 12 threes in the first half, I would have guessed the Jayhawks would have been down by at least eight.
• Mike Anderson has that look in his eye like he did four years ago against Kansas when he was coaching UAB. Remember the double-technical and ejection? Anderson’s already thrown his coat, so he’s walking a thin line.
• MU fans seem dejected at the moment. It really came through when Tiller’s first free throw spun around and out. The collective groan from the crowd summed up the fans’ emotions pretty well. The Tigers just can’t seem to get a shot to go down.
KU 30/MU 16 — Halftime
The Jayhawks are getting a ton of extra-chance opportunities, but they can’t seem to get the easy ones to go down.
Morningstar is locked up on MU’s Matt Lawrence, and Lawrence can’t get free for any threes. So far, the Tigers’ best three-point shooter is 0-for-2.
Collins decides to not hold the ball out for the last shot, but KU doesn’t get hurt by it. Though Marcus Morris misses a shot inside, MU’s J.T. Tiller clanks a pair of free throws after getting fouled.
Right before the buzzer, Taylor gets a scoop shot to go off the glass and in, and KU goes to the break nearly doubling MU’s point total.
KU 26/MU 15 — 3:22 left in 1st half
Turnover No. 4 by Taylor, who simply dribbles it out of bounds. He’s a liability out there right now. Travis Releford quickly checks in.
KU has done a great job so far of breaking the press. The Jayhawks look composed and haven’t been forced into bad decisions.
Releford gets hammered while going to the basket, and he makes both free throws (He was a 40-percent free-throw shooter coming in). Releford takes it to the basket on the next possession, finishing with a layup. He’s given KU another threat with his cuts and drives to the basket.
KU’s defense has been great so far. MU is 7-for-22 (31.8 percent) from the floor with 10 turnovers. The Tigers only average 12.6 turnovers per game.
KU 22/MU 13 — 7:39 left in 1st half
Tyrel Reed drains an open three to give KU a 15-11 lead.
Taylor tries a fancy, between-the-legs dribble in traffic, and MU snatches it away. That’s three turnovers for him in less than 10 minutes.
Quick move by Collins, who swerves around Carroll before floating in a two. Reed follows with a deep three after a pair of offensive rebounds, and the Jayhawks have a 12-2 run.
MU 11/KU 10 — 11:44 left in 1st half
A couple of tough calls go against KU (as often happens on the road). Marcus Morris is called for a questionable charge, and Brady Morningstar is called for cheap foul when an MU player falls down on a fast break.
Collins comes back with two smart decisions in transition, though, throwing a nice lob to Aldrich for a slam before turning down a three for a pass inside to Mario Little for a layup.
Markieff Morris forces a turnover with a trap, then gets a tip-in on the other end. He’s been a spark for KU in his first minutes tonight.
Six turnovers for KU. The Jayhawks are on pace for roughly 30 turnovers. They won’t be able to keep that up if they hope to have any chance.
KU 2/MU 2 — 15:47 left in 1st half
Is the ball slippery? Both teams are having problems holding onto it (along with their footing) in the earlygoing.
Both teams look nervous and hesitiant. KU already is struggling with turnover woes, as the Jayhawks have given it away three times.
The first points come 3:22 in, as a Marcus Morris steal leads to a Tyshawn Taylor dunk.
8:08 p.m.
It doesn’t look like there’s an empty seat in here. Students are lining the aisles, as there aren’t enough seats for all of them.
They’re ready for this one.
7:51 p.m.
It’s good to know that the “M-I-Z-F-K-U” chant is alive and well.
The MU students have poured in for this one. There are so many students here that many are getting sent to overflow sections of the arena. A few are standing on rails at the top of the student section. I’ve also noticed a wide variety of anti-KU shirts, such as “Flip the Bird” and “M-I-Z Beat KU,” along with too many men from the Antlers wearing dresses that are too small for them.
7:37 p.m.
Looking at the statistics, here are three scary numbers for KU fans:
19.2 The number of turnovers Missouri forces per game, which is No. 1 in the Big 12. KU, meanwhile, has turned it over 14.2 times per game, which is second worst in the conference.
30.9 The percentage of three-pointers that MU’s opponents have made this season, which also is best in the Big 12. KU, meanwhile, has made 41.9 percent of its threes in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks only have had one game where they haven’t shot better than 37 percent from three-point range, and that was an ugly 66-61 home victory over Colorado.
0 The number of losses MU has at Mizzou Arena this year. The Tigers are 14-0 at home this season.
7:10 p.m.
It must be a big game by seeing some of the reporters floating around the media room.
I’ve seen Dennis Dodd from CBS Sportsline, Jason King of Yahoo! Sports and Joe Posnanski of the Kansas City Star. With MU’s recent surge, it looks like a lot of the national media members are paying attention to the rivalry game this year.
For those who feel like you need to be pumped up a little more for this Border War matchup, click on the audio on the left (Warning: This clip contains some profanity).
7 p.m.
After going to a smaller gym last week at the Ferrell Center in Waco, Texas, walking into Mizzou Arena was a bit overwhelming today.
If the Ferrell Center is a chapel in size, then Mizzou Arena is a cathedral. The open-air gym has a high, high ceiling, so high in fact that I could barely read the names on the small, retired jersey banners hanging from the rafters.
Maybe it’s just the constant reflection of the ribbon video boards, but the arena seems to have a gold glow to it as you look around, with the yellowish light making it feel a bit eerie almost. The arena, with a second level consisting almost entirely of luxury suites, reminds me a lot of the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. It definitely feels like an NBA venue has been dropped in the middle of the MU campus.
6:30 p.m.
Welcome back to the Newell Post Live, coming to you from Mizzou Arena in Columbia, Mo., where No. 16 Kansas is getting set to take on No. 19 Missouri in the Border War.
An interesting topic came up in the office a couple days ago: Halfway through the season, who would be leading the Big 12 coach of the year vote?
As a refresher, here is how the conference teams were picked in the preseason poll:
1. Oklahoma (3)109
2. Texas (4)107
T3. Baylor (2)103
T3. Kansas (3)103
5. Texas A&M79
6. Oklahoma State69
7. Missouri51
8. Kansas State50
9. Nebraska49
10. Texas Tech39
11. Iowa State20
12. Colorado13
And here’s how the teams stand now:
1. Oklahoma9-0
2. Kansas8-0
3. Missouri7-2
T4. Kansas State5-4
T4. Nebraska5-4
6. Texas4-4
7. Oklahoma State3-5
T8. Texas A&M3-6
T8. Baylor3-6
10. Texas Tech2-6
T11. Iowa State1-7
T11. Colorado1-7
Obviously a lot can change in the second half of the conference season, but here is my ranking for the Big 12 coaches so far:
1. Mike Anderson, Missouri. The Tigers, behind DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons, have exceeded all expectations. Anderson seems to finally have his system fully implemented at Missouri, and at 20-4, the Tigers are a near-lock for the tournament.
2. Bill Self, Kansas. Let the debate begin: Was Self’s best coaching job last year or this year?
3. Jeff Capel, Oklahoma. Coaches of the league favorite rarely get the coach of the year honor, but if the Sooners go 16-0 in conference, Capel should make room on his mantle for the trophy.
4. Doc Sadler, Nebraska. Wins the award for getting the most out of the least amount of talent.
5. Frank Martin, Kansas State. The Wildcats’ five-game win streak, which includes wins over Texas, Missouri and Texas A&M, has been impressive. If the Wildcats can stay at the No. 4 spot in the Big 12, they will be dancing in March for the second straight year.
Quick trivia: Who won last year’s Big 12 coach of the year? I’ll give you the answer later.