http://www2.kusports.com/videos/2012/mar/25/35509/
**Jesse Newell:** Welcome back to the GameDay Cram Session, as Kansas is taking on North Carolina on Sunday afternoon in the Elite Eight in St. Louis, Mo.
Matt, how do you think North Carolina coach Roy Williams handled the numerous questions he received Saturday about his history with Kansas?
**Matt Tait:** I thought Williams was great. For starters, he gladly answered every KU question thrown at him and gave some great insight into how much he still loves KU, what 2008 meant to him and how much he respects and admires Bill Self. Just great stuff. I covered coach Williams when I was in school and I grew up with his son, Scott. It was a lot of fun to be around him again. Class act all the way.
**JN:** Yeah, I was impressed as well.
It seemed like Williams was content with the fact that the questions were coming, so he was relaxed and answered all of them patiently.
It’s amazing how much differently this game feels compared to the KU-UNC matchup in 2008. Back then, it seemed like a lot of KU fans wanted to get Roy.
This year, it seems like KU fans are much more concerned with getting back to the Final Four.
Honestly, that’s a good thing, because these two teams deserve — in this game — to have the focus on them.
Speaking of the game, Matt, how would you describe the demeanor of the North Carolina players after interviewing them in the locker room Saturday?
**MT:** I’ll say this … I thought the Kansas players were loose and I thought the Carolina players were even looser. That surprised me. Especially with Kendall Marshall’s status up in the air, I expected them to be a little tighter. I think both sides showed some very genuine joy in the fact that they’re playing this game. Two elite programs, trip to the Final Four on the line, so much history on both sides … it was really cool to see everyone on both sides enjoying the heck out of the moment.
**JN:** It’s funny you mention how loose KU seemed, because I feel like we haven’t seen any of that from the Jayhawks during the actual games in this tournament.
How else can you explain KU’s horrific shooting the last two games? In Self’s nine seasons at KU, he’s 2-7 when his team has shot an effective field goal percentage of 39 percent or lower.
The two wins? Last Sunday against Purdue (38.7 eFG%) and Friday against N.C. State (38.3 eFG%).
Not only has KU shot it poorly, but it’s also rushed up bad shots. Tyshawn Taylor has been impatient, while Thomas Robinson also has tried to do too much on occasion.
In his postgame talk after the N.C. State win, Self reminded his players that they were much better offensively when they made the defense work by moving the ball quickly side to side.
We’ll see if KU shows better composure this time after laboring offensively in each of its previous three tournament games.
All right, Matt, what’s your prediction for this game?
**MT:** I’ll take Kansas by four in a classic.
I went with UNC in my bracket, but I’m going with KU now and that’s because of the injury to UNC point guard Kendall Marshall. If he plays, he’ll be limited and that will be an advantage for KU. If he sits, that, too, will be an advantage for KU, who will make UNC reserve and Marshall replacement Stilman White pay way more than Ohio did on Friday night.
**JN:** I had this as my original pick and see no reason to change it now: I’ll take KU by three.
If North Carolina does have a weakness defensively (besides not forcing many turnovers), it’s that the Tar Heels have a habit of allowing a lot of three-pointers.
Ohio exposed this a bit on Friday, as the Bobcats were able to penetrate and kick out effectively while making 12 of 32 threes (38 percent).
I think KU will get open shots from the outside. And this is the game the Jayhawks will have to hit some of them.
No, KU doesn’t have to make up for its 12-for-54 performance from three so far in the tournament (22 percent). But I think if the Jayhawks can shoot right at their season average from three (35 percent) while taking a high number of open shots on the perimeter, they stand a great chance of winning this game. Something like 9-for-26 would be a big boost for KU, especially with as well as UNC defends inside.
Also in KU’s favor is the fact that UNC relies heavily on two-pointers for its offense. KU enters as the No. 1 two-point defense in the country (40 percent), so if Jeff Withey can stay on the floor and KU can get back in transition, I like the Jayhawks’ chances against an average-shooting Tar Heels’ team.
All right, Matt, who’s your Hawk to Rock?
**MT:** Let’s try this one more time … I’ll go with Tyshawn Taylor who simply has to be due for a big game.
Taylor has not been as bad in this tournament as his shooting numbers suggest. And I think his ability to frustrate the UNC offense on D and get to the rim on offense will give Kansas a dimension that UNC doesn’t have without Marshall and also one that will give the Carolina D a tough time. Beyond that, I think this is the game his jumper returns. You know the cliche … Big-time players step up in big-time situations. This is as big as it gets for KU and for Taylor’s legacy.
**JN:** Give me Thomas Robinson.
One of North Carolina’s biggest strengths offensively is offensive rebounding, and Robinson is pretty much the only KU player who can prevent the Tar Heels from dominating the glass.
The junior enters as the No. 1 defensive rebounder in the nation percentage-wise, and he’s going to have lots of opportunities to help his team by ending possessions and out-toughing the UNC big men for boards.
A high-tempo game plus an amped-up Robinson plus a lot of UNC missed shots could potentially add up to one of the best rebounding games of his career.
Give me 20 rebounds for Robinson in a close KU win.
**Predictions tally (through 36 games)**
Tom/Matt: 29-7 record, 320 points off (8.9 points off/game)
Jesse: 32-4 record, 273 points off (7.6 points off/game)
Hawk to Rock
————
**Tom Keegan/Matt Tait**
Towson: Tyshawn Taylor (4th in Keegan ratings)
Kentucky: Tyshawn Taylor (1st in Keegan ratings)
Georgetown: Elijah Johnson (4th in Keegan ratings)
UCLA: Tyshawn Taylor (2nd in Keegan ratings)
Duke: Elijah Johnson (4th in Keegan ratings)
FAU: Jeff Withey (4th in Keegan ratings)
South Florida: Tyshawn Taylor (1st in Keegan ratings)
Long Beach State: Elijah Johnson (7th in Keegan ratings)
Ohio State: Thomas Robinson (2nd in Keegan ratings)
Davidson: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
USC: Jeff Withey (4th in Keegan ratings)
Howard: Kevin Young (4th in Keegan ratings)
North Dakota: Elijah Johnson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Kansas State: Tyshawn Taylor (5th in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma: Tyshawn Taylor (4th in Keegan ratings)
Texas Tech: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Iowa State: Elijah Johnson (4th in Keegan ratings)
Baylor: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Texas: Thomas Robinson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Texas A&M: Thomas Robinson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Iowa State: Tyshawn Taylor (1st in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Missouri: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Baylor: Thomas Robinson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma State: Thomas Robinson (2nd in Keegan ratings)
Kansas State: Tyshawn Taylor (2nd in Keegan ratings)
Texas Tech: Thomas Robinson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Texas A&M: Tyshawn Taylor (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Missouri: Thomas Robinson (2nd in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma State: Travis Releford (7th in Keegan ratings)
Texas: Tyshawn Taylor (2nd in Keegan ratings)
Texas A&M: Tyshawn Taylor (4th in Keegan ratings)
Baylor: Jeff Withey (2nd in Keegan ratings)
Detroit: Tyshawn Taylor (4th in Keegan ratings)
Purdue: Thomas Robinson (4th in Keegan ratings)
N.C. State: Tyshawn Taylor (7th in Keegan ratings)
**Average: 3.1st in Keegan ratings**
**Jesse Newell**
Towson: Conner Teahan (6th in Keegan ratings)
Kentucky: Elijah Johnson (4th in Keegan ratings)
Georgetown: Kevin Young (9th in Keegan ratings)
UCLA: Elijah Johnson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Duke: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
FAU: Tyshawn Taylor (7th in Keegan ratings)
South Florida: Elijah Johnson (6th in Keegan ratings)
Long Beach State: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Ohio State: Travis Releford (5th in Keegan ratings)
Davidson: Jeff Withey (5th in Keegan ratings)
USC: Elijah Johnson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Howard: Tyshawn Taylor (1st in Keegan ratings)
North Dakota: Conner Teahan (5th in Keegan ratings)
Kansas State: Travis Releford (1st in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma: Elijah Johnson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Texas Tech: Travis Releford (2nd in Keegan ratings
Iowa State: Thomas Robinson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Baylor: Kevin Young (9th in Keegan ratings)
Texas: Travis Releford (5th in Keegan ratings)
Texas A&M: Tyshawn Taylor (1st in Keegan ratings)
Iowa State: Jeff Withey (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma: Conner Teahan (6th in Keegan ratings)
Missouri: Kevin Young (8th in Keegan ratings)
Baylor: Jeff Withey (1st in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma State: Tyshawn Taylor (4th in Keegan ratings)
Kansas State: Travis Releford (4th in Keegan ratings)
Texas Tech: Kevin Young (4th in Keegan ratings)
Texas A&M: Jeff Withey (2nd in Keegan ratings)
Missouri: Travis Releford (6th in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma State: Jeff Withey (6th in Keegan ratings)
Texas: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Texas A&M: Jeff Withey (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Baylor: Kevin Young (5th in Keegan ratings)
Detroit: Jeff Withey (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Purdue: Tyshawn Taylor (3rd in Keegan ratings)
N.C. State: Jeff Withey (1st in Keegan ratings)
**Average: 3.8th in Keegan ratings**
