Thomas Robinson adjusts to defensive attention

By Gary Bedore     Dec 24, 2011

Nick Krug
Kansas forward Thomas Robinson shoots over USC guard Alexis Moore during the first half Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011 at the Galen Center.

? There will be upcoming basketball games, especially in Big 12 Conference play, in which Kansas University All-America candidate Thomas Robinson will be double- and triple-teamed.

Games like Thursday’s 63-47 victory over USC, in which the 6-10, 237-pound junior power forward muscled his way to just 10 points off 5-of-12 shooting with nine rebounds in 30 minutes.

“I mean, it’s going to happen all year,” said Robinson, who had two steals, but also lost five turnovers. “They did a good job making sure I didn’t get angles or to the rim. Props to them.”

Robinson — he also was shadowed by more than one defender en route to 21 points (7-18 shooting, 18 rebounds) in last Monday’s 80-74 loss to Davidson — at least knows what to expect when he takes the floor.

“We know there will be teams that focus in on me like they did,” Robinson said of USC. “Coach (Bill Self) warned us before we went into the game it would be that type of game and be like that. I’ll watch tape and learn from it.”

Robinson applauded his teammates for “stepping up” on Thursday.

Elijah Johnson had 14 points, Conner Teahan 13 and Tyshawn Taylor 10.

As a team, KU plodded its way to 25 points the first half and 38 the second, mostly in halfcourt offense.

“We don’t have a choice but to have fun,” Robinson said of games in which the pace slows down. “We’ll have a lot of those games. We came out sluggish tonight, but we guarded for the most part.”

Talkin’ treys: Conner Teahan (4-7 threes) joked with a USC fan who was sitting in the front row much of the game.

“One of the kids said something about me missing a shot in the corner,” Teahan said. “I told him I’d make the next one for him. I made it. Then in the second half when I started off a little cold, he got on me. Then I made those two (late) I smiled at him. You know what, maybe he was the reason I was making ’em. He started talking and they started going in for me. It was all in good fun.”

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