**9:02 p.m.**: ATLANTA – KU’s players all said that Bill Self was pretty positive in the locker room despite almost letting a road lead slip away late for the second time in, well, two tries this season. But Russell Robinson was upfront and said that a ‘stern talk’ is probably coming in practice the next couple of days.KU had trouble sinking free throws and made a couple of mental errors late, but it still all looks the same in the win-loss column, as KU lives to stay in the Top-3 with a pristine 11-0 mark.Self said that his players made the decision that they did not want to foul GT when the Jackets were inbounding the ball ball with 8.2 seconds left down just three under their own basket, and instead wanted to defend the ball to the death. The gamble paid off.A couple of player observations…-Bill Self confirmed that he thought Brandon Rush was passive on offense, and the 11-point, six-rebound showing on the stat sheet isn’t bad, but the junior guard just didn’t go into takeover mode at any point, when with the way this game went, there were ample opportunities. But, then again, it’s just one game.-Don’t let the two late missed free throws sour an overall solid game for Russell Robinson, playing against the school he almost attended instead of KU. Robinson finished with a team-high 17 points, hit three threes and dished four assists. He also notched three steals (Sidenote: Robinson said he does _not_ regularly practice those 30-foot threes. I, for one, will call that bluff. It sure looked solid to me).-KU survived while being forced to go with a smaller lineup on a few occasions. Foul trouble was an issue for the Jayhawks, as both Darnell Jackson and Mario Chalmers fouled out and Darrell Arthur played just five first half minutes, finishing with four fouls to go with his six points and six boards.-13 assists to 18 turnovers for KU.-KU was outrebounded 34-29.-The Jayhawks tied a season high with nine blocked shots (third time that’s happened). Brandon Rush’s four swats tied a career best (four last year against Toledo).-Sasha Kaun was efficient off the bench for the third straight game, finishing with seven points, three rebounds and three blocks. His most impressive number, though, was a 5-of-6 showing from the free throw line.-KU allowed an opposing player to score 20-plus points (Lewis Clinch had 22) for just the third time this year. But, again, KU held its opponent under 50 percent shooting from the floor.I’ll talk to you Saturday, when KU takes on Miami (Ohio) at noon.**8:16 p.m.**: ATLANTA – Bill self loves the term ‘foot on the throat’ when talking about closing out teams. That certainly wasn’t the case in general terms tonight, as KU let a 13-point second half lead slip away in a near-tragedy late. Sherron Collins welcomed himself back to the active roster officially with the four late points, as KU again won ugly on the road.Be back in a bit with postgame stats and nuggets from the player and coach interviews.**7:30 p.m.**: ATLANTA – KU is again impressing in a new fashion. This time, it’s thanks to a smaller lineup after both Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson picked up each of their third fouls within a minute of each other. Rodrick Stewart came in to replace Jackson, giving KU a four-guard lineup with Sasha Kaun in the middle. The Jayhawks haven’t skipped a beat, as a Brandon Rush reverse dunk in the open court to give him 11 points (seven so far in less than eight second half minutes).**7:09 p.m.**: ATLANTA – New Georgia Tech football coach Paul Johnson (who Tom Keegan informed me yesterday was the Federal Government’s highest paid employee while the coach at Navy until he left a couple weeks ago) came out to introduce himself to the Ramblin’ Wreck crowd. He said the cliched lines such as ‘glad to be here’ and whatnot, then brought the crowd to his feet by saying that the one thing he’s certain of after one week on the job is ‘To hell with Georgia!’ Thought that was entertaining.**Some first half numbers of note…**-Sasha Kaun was 4-of-4 from the free throw line. In a game like this, free throws are crucial. And when one of the guys who’s struggled with them the most in his career is 4-of-4, that’s huge.-Brandon Rush is just 2-of-4 from the field, which isn’t a bad percentage, but there simply need to be more attempts. He hasn’t really been that assertive. The offense needs to flow through him more than it has.-Mario Chalmers scored 7 for KU, but they were 7 very quiet points. He could be bound for a second half much like the one seen in Southern Cal on Dec. 2, in which he bailed the Jayhawks out with 17 of their 34 points after the break.-Georgia Tech has been efficient from deep, going 4-of-7 from long range so far. Continuing to hit threes will be big for them staying within range. But Anthony Morrow, who has hit both of his deep attempts, has three fouls. Keep that in mind.-Tight rebounding match, with KU edging GT in the first half 15-14.**6:46 p.m.**: ATLANTA – I’m going to make a not-so-bold prediction in saying Brandon Rush is going to need to show up offensively if KU hopes to leave this place with a win. So far, he’s got just two points and hasn’t been very assertive at all, as GT is obviously keying on him within the framework of its zone defense. He’s gotten a couple of looks off from deep, but to no avail. He’s got to get it going at a high level.**6:26 p.m.**: ATLANTA – As an early diagnosis, I’d say KU has had an easier time establishing offensive rhythm than it did in Los Angeles a couple of weeks back, but Georgia Tech has been much more efficient in breaking KU’s defense than Southern Cal was.The one thing over the years that has proven to be a thorn in the Jayhawks’ side is the three-point shot if the opposition is hitting it regularly. The Jackets have already hit three of them, with each coming in timely spots. If Mario Chalmers can get going in the steals department like he has in his last four games (20 swipes), that could solve the problem pretty quick…Sidenote: Sasha Kaun is now 4-of-4 from the free throw line tonight. yes, you read that right.**6:00 p.m.**: ATLANTA – Forgot to mention, allegedly every NBA team is represented here in the form of scouts.**5:56 p.m.**: ATLANTA – Just took my seat, and we’re about a minute from the national anthem, starting lineups and all that good stuff. Still only about a half-full arena, which is kind of hard to understand, considering the place only holds 9,191 people. Either way, this place should get pretty loud. No notable injuries or what not from pregame warmups. Talk to you in a bit.**4:20 p.m.**: ATLANTA – Well just took a little walking tour of the Alexander Memorial Coliseum. It’s a nice little arena, and is very reminiscent of the Joyce Center at Notre Dame.We’ve got exactly 100 minutes until tip time here in Atlanta. Just to hopefully give you a feel for the arena and where KU’s playing tonight, [here are some photos][1] I shot while sauntering around. Enjoy.**1:36 p.m.**: ATLANTA – Good day, all. Updating you on something from the last installment in this blog regarding GT senior forward Ra’Sean Dickey:The 6-foot-10 post man, who missed the first semester due to academic ineligibility, will _not_ play tonight. While his academic status is still pending, it appears, he’s also [battling an old knee woe][2] that will keep him out regardless.We’re going to be heading out to the arena in about 30 minutes. I’ll get back at you once we’re settled in there.**12:48 a.m.**: ATLANTA – Have you ever felt as if you’ve started to take for granted how good of a basketball atmosphere Allen Fieldhouse presents?A great way to refresh your perspective is by sauntering in through the gates of an NBA regular season game.Well, at least one that’s not a nationally-televised, marquee matchup. That was the case when Tully Corcoran of the Capital-Journal and I took in Monday night’s Utah Jazz-Atlanta Hawks tilt in the downtown Philips Arena.After a couple of hours, looking back on the game, what we witnessed was actually a pretty good NBA regular season contest. The final – a [116-11 Atlanta win][3] – indicated the type of game it was, with lots of fast breaks, solid shooting and highlights.**Quick synopsis**: Atlanta didn’t lead by more than five until late in the fourth quarter. Utah’s [C.J. Miles][4] had a chance to tie it with a corner three-pointer with four seconds to go after [Ronnie Brewer][5] stole a pass at midcourt, but it drew nothing but iron and all but ended the game (remember when [KU was recruiting Miles back in the day][6] and ultimately wound up with Brandon Rush as its freshman swingman instead?). [Carlos Boozer][7] was an absolute manchild, scoring 39 points and ripping 12 boards. But Atlanta’s young nucleus of [Joe Johnson][8], [Al Horford][9], [Marvin Williams][10] and [Josh Smith][11] went equally nuts on offense, while veteran point guard [Anthony Johnson][12] scored 17 and dished 14 assists, playing added minutes with [Acie Law][13] (_surely_ you remember him) out with a bum ankle.The experience as a whole was pretty solid, though. It was entertaining, which the purpose of the NBA is, afterall. On top of the game playing out pretty evenly, ticket costs to sit in the lower level didn’t involve us sawing off our arms at the box office, concession costs didn’t leave us reaching into our pockets and feeling nothing but lint and the A-Town Dancers were pleasant to look at (hey, I’m an Average Joe warm-blooded male).Of course, you’ve still got to deal with the professional sports atmosphere redundancies, such as the Kiss Cam or the guy trying to hit a free throw at halftime with a sweet prize on the line, but is having a harder time in doing so than trying to justify the existence of Rocky V.The one thing I remember when sitting down in our seats, though, was wondering to myself: Why would a fringe NBA prospect considering making the jump to the NBA opt for _this_ instead of a raucous collegiate atmosphere?For example, when Horford was honored before the game at midcourt as the NBA’s November Rookie of the Month, it fit the ‘if a tree falls in the woods and no one’s there to witness it’ mold, with the seats barely peppered with butts five minutes before tip-off. A year ago, the guy was a Zeus in Gainesville.Then, of course, you remember that the NBA is this fantasyland where the likes of [Erick Dampier][14] can make more than $10 million a year, there’s no classes and no final exams.Game, set, match: NBA_**Now, on to tonight’s game…**_Given Georgia Tech’s 4-4 record out of the 2007-08 gates, it’s easy to think that this game could be nothing more than a good-looking name brand college basketball matchup.For the most part, though, on paper the Jayhawks and Jackets are a lot alike. Each team has five players averaging double figures in the point column, each team shoots right around 50 percent from the field and just below 40 percent from three-point range.But on offense is where similarities end.Defensively – an area Bill Self’s teams have been able to hang their hats on the past few seasons – the Jayhawks have a distinct advantage. KU is allowing just 58.6 points per game to its opponents on 37.5 percent shooting. On the flip side, Paul Hewitt’s squad is giving up an average of 79.4 points per game on 46.2 percent shooting.Essentially, if KU shows up offensively better in its second true road contest of the season than it did in the first, the Jayhawks could make quite the statement. In that game – at Southern Cal on Dec. 2 – KU shot just 37.9 percent from the floor and was bailed out offensively by Mario Chalmers’ 17 second half points.There are two potential stopgaps for Georgia Tech. One is that the Jackets haven’t played a home game since Nov. 9, meaning the fans at a basketball school will be clamoring for a good showing after such a hiatus. The other is the return of senior forward [Ra’Sean Dickey][15] from having been academically ineligible for the first semester. The 6-foot-10, 250 pound post presence carries averages over his career of 8.7 ppg and 5.1 rpg. His presence will be needed, given that the Jayhawk big men are coming off of arguably their best collective performance of the season in Saturday’s blowout of Ohio (Darnell Jackson, Darrell Arthur, Sasha Kaun and Cole Aldrich combined for 39 points, 27 rebounds and five blocked shots in a total of 75 minutes on the floor).**_Here’s what I’ll be looking for…_****-It’s hard to tell if in fact he did put on weight** while recovering from a stress fracture in his foot, but Sherron Collins, now with two brief appearances off the bench under his belt since returning, is due a breakout game. This game could be a prime opportunity for that to happen. Collins was explosive and efficient in the season’s first two games before getting hurt, averaging 16 points and five assists per showing. He’s still coming off the bench since his return, and if Georgia Tech keeps this game tight, he’s a good candidate to help KU pull away late.**-Sasha Kaun’s recent exit from a mini-slump now** gives KU one of the nation’s best frontcourts to match one of its best guard sets. Not many teams can claim that, I’m guessing. In his past two games, Kaun is averaging 11.5 points and six rebounds per contest. He and Dickey are the nearly the same size, with Kaun owning a one-inch advantage in height. He could be big in helping KU try to cancel out the GT senior’s return to action.**-For the past two seasons, when he’s truly on his game**, there’s no player I’ve enjoyed watching play more than Mario Chalmers. As a junior, though, he’s started the season better than he ever has in a KU uniform. While Chalmers’ 12.8 points per game (second on the team) has been nice, his most impressive stats have surrounded his scoring, as he leads the team in three-pointers made (19), assists (52) and steals (33). Just like he was at USC, he’ll be a difference-maker in Atlanta. Count on that.Semi-informed projection: KU 74, Georgia Tech 63What will you all be looking for tonight? Lets discuss it.**_On a final note before heading to bed for the night…_**Thanks to a recent request, here’s an update on some former Jayhawks now playing elsewhere in the NCAA…-In his first two games as an Oregon State Beaver, [C.J. Giles][16] hasn’t had such a hot start. The junior forward’s much-anticipated appearance in orange and black has seen him foul out twice in a total of 22 minutes played. It looks like it could be a long season in Corvallis, as Oregon State’s most recent showing was a [79-62 loss][17] _at home_ to Tennessee Tech.-[Micah Downs][18] is Gonzaga’s fourth-leading scorer so far, putting in 10.3 points per game so far for the No. 18 Bulldogs. The thin guard, though, leads the team in rebounding, pulling down 5.9 boards per effort.-[Nick Bahe][19] is enjoying a solid senior season so far, averaging 7.0 points per game for the 7-1 Creighton Blue Jays.-Numbers-wise, the most successful former Jayhawk still playing elsewhere is [Alex Galindo][20], leading Florida International in both scoring (12.6 ppg) and rebounding (6.4 rpg). It’s mixed success, however, as the Golden Panthers are off to a 3-5 start this year.-Going into tomorrow night’s game against New Mexico State, the New Mexico Lobos are 9-2 under first-year head coach Steve Alford. One of his top producers so far has been senior [J.R. Giddens][21]. The former Jayhawk is averaging 11.6 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds per game.-Finally, also deserving of some mention even though he’s graduated, is [Keith Langford][22]. The former KU slasher is the leading scorer and rebounder on the NBDL’s top team, averaging 24.9 ppg and 6.60 rpg for the 7-1 Austin Toros – the minor league affiliate of the San Antonio Spurs. The most interesting sidenote here? His head coach in Austin is Quin Snyder.Sorry to get a bit long-winded there. Talk to you later on today. [1]: http://www.flickr.com/photos/7424845@N07/sets/72157603495532571/ [2]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2007/dec/18/robinson_picked_ku_over_tech/?mens_basketball [3]: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/boxscore;_ylt=AgiiVRK2HN_R7xcu1qLsSe45nYcB?gid=2007121701 [4]: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3960 [5]: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4142 [6]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2004/aug/28/prep_miles_to/ [7]: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3632 [8]: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3520 [9]: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4245 [10]: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3928 [11]: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3834 [12]: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3207 [13]: http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/4289 [14]: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/players/profile?playerId=0181 [15]: http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/players/37919 [16]: http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/players/37843 [17]: http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/recap?gid=200712160450 [18]: http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/players/46623 [19]: http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/players/33773 [20]: http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/players/37839 [21]: http://sports.yahoo.com/ncaab/players/33772 [22]: http://www.nba.com/dleague/playerfile/index.jsp?player=keith_langford
