Advertisement
Advertisement
Back to Men's Basketball coverage
West Virginia guard Jevon Carter (2) left, reaches in to steal the ball from a fast-breaking Wayne Selden Jr., (1) in a game between the Jayhawks and the Mountaineers at the WVU Colliseum in Morgantown, W.V. Tuesday.
Advertisement
West Virginia’s basketball team, which has been referred to as “Press Virginia” this season and last because of the Mountaineers’ effective full-court defense, harassed Kansas University into a season-high 22 turnovers in the Jayhawks’ 74-63 loss on Jan. 12 in WVU Coliseum.
That’s six more turnovers than the Jayhawks’ next worst ball-handling outings — at Iowa State and at home against Kansas State.
“Mentally, they get in your head a little bit,” KU junior forward Landen Lucas said of the No. 10-ranked Mountaineers (19-4, 8-2), who enter today’s 6 p.m. game in Allen Fieldhouse a full game ahead of No. 6-ranked KU (19-4, 7-3) in the Big 12 race.
“Even at practice (against six, seven defenders at a time), we say, ‘OK now we’re going to work on them trapping,’ and as soon as that is said, everybody is looking for the trap instead of running your own stuff,” Lucas added.
Kansas junior forward Landen Lucas discusses some of West Virginia’s strengths the day before the Jayhawks’ rematch with the Mountaineers. Lucas says WVU sends a lot of guards to the glass, which makes it more difficult for opponents to rebound. Lucas also thinks West Virginia’s pressure defense can “get into ...
“All the plays you work on, you get out there, you’ll be in the middle of a play looking for somebody to come trap you. They might not even be near you or about to trap you. Because of all the hype that gets put out there, you are expecting one to come. Sometimes that will throw you off your game. If we play our own game, play tough and the way we should play, then we’ll be just fine.”
Frank Mason III had seven turnovers, Wayne Selden Jr. six and Devonté Graham just one in the first KU-WVU meeting.
“They played pretty good ‘D.’ They always do. They were pressing. They got a lot of turnovers,” said KU sophomore guard Svi Mykhailiuk, who went 0-for-4 from the field with one turnover and one assist in Morgantown. “We are working on breaking their press. We try to simulate what they are going to do on defense (at practice). They have a pretty good press. It’s hard to break,” Mykhailiuk added.
With games coming up against No. 10 West Virginia and No. 3 Oklahoma this week, Kansas sophomore guard Svi Mykhailiuk says the Jayhawks are about to play two of their most important Big 12 games. KU struggled in a road loss at WVU in January, and Mykhailiuk says the Jayhawks ...
The key, coach Bill Self said, “is not so much just beating their press, but making them pay for pressing. We didn’t do that at all the first time. We got numbers a few times and didn’t make them pay at all. We didn’t convert. We’d get three-on-one and try to throw a lob and come up empty or drive in there and they’d rotate and take a charge. They made several plays like that especially early that allowed them to take control of the game,” Self added.
The Jayhawks are in a position they either win tonight and move into a tie with the Mountaineers or drop two back in the standings.
“We put ourselves in pretty good position, but we still have to handle business this week. We all know that. We know how important it is and what’s on the line,” Lucas said. The Jayhawks also will meet Oklahoma at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Norman.
“It’s exciting,” Lucas added, “because every year I feel like there’s been a time it’s kind of like a gut-check time. This is what separates those teams that do win the championship and teams that don’t. So we really need to make sure we focus in this week and do what we need to do to win.”
KU, which is looking for a 12th straight league title, is 5-0 at home and 2-3 on the road in league action. West Virginia is 4-1 on the road and 4-1 at home.
“They’ve got some tough games left, but put themselves in great position. If they are able to come in here and leave happy tomorrow, they’d be without question the front-runner to win the league,” Self said of WVU. “They’d have won five road games, the equivalent of four because they lost one at home. That’d be pretty impressive at this juncture.”
Holton update: West Virginia is 2-1 without forward Jonathan Holton, who recently was suspended. Coach Bob Huggins said Monday that Holton “probably won’t” play versus KU.
“I think Huggs does the best job of anybody in our league, regardless of what pieces he has, they all fill the role. To me, he has about 10 guys he can put out there,” Self said. “Of course you want Paige (Jaysean, 26 points vs. KU) out there. Of course you want Williams (Devin, 17 points, 12 rebounds vs. KU) out there and others out there, but I think whoever is playing well that day he plays. They are all athletic. They have interchangeable parts. I know he (Holton) is point of the press and has given us fits with his activity. They’ve done fine since he’s been suspended, too.”
Selden OK: Self said Selden apparently is over his bout with the flu. He said Mason was not injured when he appeared to tweak his ankle late in Saturday’s win at TCU. And he said Hunter Mickelson (high ankle sprain) should be available tonight but is not 100 percent.
KU-Nebraska series in works: The Lincoln (Neb.) Journal-Star reports KU and Nebraska have agreed to play a home-and-home series starting next season, with the first game to be played at Allen Fieldhouse.
KU officials would not confirm the report to the Journal-World, as they do not comment on future basketball series until contracts have been signed. The Journal-Star reported the contract had not yet been signed. If the Huskers of the Big Ten do play in Allen next season, it would mean the return of former KU guard Andrew White III, who is currently a junior at NU following his transfer from Kansas.
Kansas leads the all-time series 170-71 with a 31-3 advantage in the Big 12.
Comments
Yonatan Negash 6 years, 3 months ago
I'm overly concerned about KU winning this game because we will win.
Mostly interested in seeing how KU will win tonight. All should be concerned if we make the same mistakes as before by letting WV dictate the game, be the aggressor, and smacks us in the mouth.
Hoping to see Frank Mason take care of the ball better than he did the last game against WV
Equally hopeful our biggies play tough, smack WV in the mouth early not the other way around.
Most important, hoping the referees calls fouls against WV, they got away with murder during the last game.
We need a to make a statement tonight by blowing them out before Saturday's big game.
I also believe KU will win Saturday's game at OU.
Gerry Butler 6 years, 3 months ago
Do you also believe in Santa Claus & the tooth Fairy? I Love my Jayhawks but also realistic, if we don't play better then we have been recently then Oklahoma will hand it to us on a platter. Have to agree we did play better last game, at least the 1st half and then just kinda even keel 2nd half , but still better. Very tough week
Jay Scott 6 years, 3 months ago
You didn't watch OU against Texas, or KSU? If anyone is playing badly it's them.
Dale Rogers 6 years, 3 months ago
Oklahoma will be pumped to play us after that 3 OT game at the Phog. But first let's get past West Virginia.
Yonatan Negash 6 years, 3 months ago
Gerry -
I'm all in when it comes down to the Jayhawks.
If it means I'd have to believe in "Santa Claus & the tooth Fairy"; so be it. I can't be on the fence when it comes to the Jayhawks.
I've watched the Jayhawks for over 25 years now. I've watched every game believing we'd win, why else would that change now?
Robert Brock 6 years, 3 months ago
KU was victim to turnovers in Morgantown. Then, a few days later, Texas went there and had no difficulty with the WVU press at all. That's because the Horns moved and passed well.
KU suffers when the ball is in Frank Mason's hands and when he decides to do too much by himself. Give Frank some rest on the pine - Devonte can run the offense!
Suzi Marshall 6 years, 3 months ago
Love the idea of bringing AWIII back to AFH for a game his senior season. I'd love to see AWIII score 50 points with a dozen 3s with NU losing by double figures. I hated to see him go but very happy he's doing well.
Deb Fitch 6 years, 3 months ago
ahh the return of the slob and ugly basketball. What we know as a beautiful game, Huggins manages to make it hard to watch.
RJ King 6 years, 3 months ago
especially if we're on the losing end of that mess.
Benz Junque 6 years, 3 months ago
If Ku played as hard and as aggressive as West Virginia does on a night in night out basis we'd had five more national title banners hanging in the rafters.
Kit Duncan 6 years, 3 months ago
Agree, Deb. If every team played Huggins' style of basketball fans of the game would find another sport to watch.
It's kind of like the saying, "I went to watch a fight and a hockey game broke out!"
Glen Miller 6 years, 3 months ago
Boring or not, he's one of the best at making the roster he has work. They don't have the athletes or the accolades that other teams do.... but I'm not sure that we have the room to talk about the product on the floor being sloppy. Have you watched our team this year?
Harlan Hobbs 6 years, 3 months ago
Nice comment, Suzi. Andrew is a class act from a class family. Would be great for him to get a warm welcome from the fans.
Cam Shef 6 years, 3 months ago
I'm more concerned about tonight's game then saturday against Buddy and the Miracles. Doubt he has another 46 pt performance left in his bag-O-tricks. And if that's what it takes to lose by 3, then that's going to be a problem the second time around.
Bryce Landon 6 years, 3 months ago
Kansas playing Nebraska again? No! Absolutely no! We should have NOTHING to do with those Big 12 backstabbers, just like we should not have had anything to do with Colorado!
Commenting has been disabled for this item.