**3:43 p.m.**: The game itself was pretty underwhelming, as were the spirits of the players and coach Self after the game…not too high, not too low. KU was supposed to win this game, did win this game, took in the honoring of the program’s history and now everyone moves on.One of the hot topics after the game was Darrell Arthur’s defensive job done on Richard Roby. The CU leading scorer on the season, who scored 22 against KU on Feb. 2, was held to just two points on 1-of-11 shooting in 26 minutes played.Arthur helped spearhead an effort to bounce back from Monday’s horrendous second half rebounding performance. Against Colorado, KU won the rebounding battle 38-24. The most impressive piece of that was KU snatching 26 defensive rebounds against five Colorado offensive boards, then Colorado getting just 19 defensive caroms while KU took 12 down on the offensive end.The schedule lays out nicely at the moment for the Jayhawks, who now have six blank days until playing at Oklahoma State. Self said he expects his team to get a couple of days off in that stretch, as KU has a chance to take advantage of the scheduling break by resting up a bit more than usual for the stretch run.That said, here’s some final numbers…-KU was 8-of 19 from three-point range after going 4-of-26 in the last two games combined.-Three Jayhawks (Robinson, Chalmers, Rush) had five assists apiece. KU had 22 dishes compared to 12 turnovers. Colorado turned it over 15 times and had just nine dimes.-Some impressive individual lines for KU…Brandon Rush: seven points, seven rebounds, five assists…Mario Chalmers: 13 points, five assists, three rebounds, two blocks, two steals…Sherron Collins: five points, five rebounds, three assists…Cole Aldrich: six points, four rebounds, three blocked shots.Talk to you later this week. Thanks for joining.**2:31 p.m.**: Cole Aldrich certainly deserves mention for his six points, four rebounds and three blocks off the bench today. Plus, Tyrel Reed may have made a case for himself for some more playing time down the stretch, hitting a pair of three-pointers late.This one certainly wasn’t much of a contest after the break. Be back in a bit with postgame interview nuggets and notes plus some numbers.**2:16 p.m.**: Interesting play by Bill Self just outside of the nine-minute mark in the second half, subbing Tyrel Reed in for what looks like some extended run.The freshman from Burlington, who’s had injuries this season to each ankle, has been relegated to the bench for much of the conference season. Since Big 12 play began, he’s had four DNPs, including in three of the last four games. He hasn’t played more than five minutes in a league game, and that came in a Jan. 26 blowout of Nebraska.But this is a good chance for Self to see what he has in the freshman, who as you may remember looked great in summer intrasquad scrimmages and early in the non-conference season. His minutes have been pretty much non-existent since suffering his first ankle woe against Arizona.If Self likes what he sees, this could open competition back up between Rodrick Stewart and Reed for significant minutes in the ninth spot in the rotation, one would have to think.Reed’s shown some legit athleticism so far (and hit a three as I just typed that) and some range. No time better than the present to get a look at him, with KU about to hit the stretch run in conference play.**2:09 p.m.**: If one thing is clear today, it’s that KU’s second loss of the season didn’t shake the team going into the next game like the first one did.The Jayhawks are up 50-24 right now roughly midway through the second half. In fact, KU went from the under-16 TV timeout to the under-12 on an 11-0 run.So far, there isn’t much to draw from this game in terms of KU rebounding tougher, simply because of how much the Jayhawks overwhelm the Buffaloes on the glass with their size and athleticism. What this game has shown, though, is that the three-point shooting was nothing more than a statistical anomaly, really, in the past two games.The Jayhawks are a solid 6-of-13 from deep in this game, and the offensive edge today has come mostly without Darrell Arthur – KU’s leading scorer – needing to do much. His first four points of the game, which spanned roughly 25 minutes of play, came on a couple of alley-oop lobs. He’s slipped in four more since then, but as was already said, the game’s pretty much in hand.**1:53 p.m.**: Great sign spotted in the front of the student section, reading “Barack Chalk Jayhawk.” I like the way that fan thinks.**1:44 p.m.**: Halftime was good stuff, with the University introducing every KU hoops alum in attendance today. The 1988 team, with much of it in attendance, was saved for last with a video showing the final five seconds of the title game and the ensuing celebration playing on the video screens.As for this game, here’s some first half numbers of note…-Richard Roby was held scoreless on 0-for-6 shooting after netting 22 in the first meeting between the two teams.-KU was 4-of-9 from three-point range, matching its total number of deep conversions from the past two games combined. Collins, Rush, Chalmers and Robinson each hit one.-The Jayhawks outrebounded the Buffs 16-12, including allowing just three CU offensive boards while KU pulled down 11 defensive caroms.-Mario Chalmers had the first half’s best line: five points, five assists, no turnovers, two steals, two blocked shots.**1:23 p.m.**: KU might have been caught a bit by surprise in the first meeting of the year at how much Richard Roby had tightened up his game and become so much of a team-first guy. He had 22 minutes in a sound performance in Boulder, not forced to start chucking up whatever shot he saw until the closing minutes with the game well out of reach.Today, the Jayhawks have simply stuck on him better, rather than tried some scheme against him. The senior, who came in averaging 17.1 points per game, is scoreless, having played all 17 minutes so far, and has one personal foul. Nothing’s working for him, as the Jayhawk guards are helping out well on him on the perimeter and he’s found no comfort driving to the rack. Good thing for him a ton of NBA scouts aren’t at this one.**1:03 p.m**: KU certainly isn’t showing the hangover it did against Colorado after its first loss of the season a couple of weeks back. The scoreboard may not indicate it, but KU is playing much more energetic and solid ball today than it did on its trip to Boulder.The Buffs are again going with the slow-it-down approach, milking as much of the shot clock as possible, but you can tell that CU’s younger players are rushing it a bit, maybe intimidated a tad by the crowd and such. KU has taken advantage of that so far.In the first meeting, Colorado played with some swagger and gave signs that it could hang with Kansas for awhile. It’s just not there today, I don’t think. The separation on the scoreboard should come eventually.**12:34 p.m.**: Speaking of throwback cheerleading uniforms, I wonder if [this dude][1] is here. If so, I must meet him and shake his hand.**12:29 p.m.**: This place is all throwbacked out. It’s not just the KU unis. The cheerleaders – male and female – are wearing circa 1988 getups, the mascots are wearing 1988 throwbacks and so on and so on. It almost feels like the game today is merely a footnote…**11:19 a.m.**: Quick uniform note…Some of the KU walk-ons just sauntered out onto the floor in the circa 1988 throwback blue uniforms. They look pretty sharp. Cole Aldrich did not get his wish for short shorts, and the uniforms will not have the players’ names on the back.Colorado is wearing its alternate gold duds, like it did in meeting No. 1 this season.**10:43 a.m.**: This will be a very different gameday experience, as I’ve just plopped down in the baseline seat. The main reason? There’ll be no students seated in the end zone behind me today.Yes, the normal student section on the end of the visitor’s bench today is where [the KU hoops alumni in town][2] will watch the game from. It’s probably the perfect game for the University to take away the student seats for, however, since it’s a Saturday morning (most students are still busy being passed ou…er, sleeping) and it’s Colorado. Not exactly a marquee matchup, but KU has plenty on the line.**Quick Sidenote(s)**: Stacey King is the color man for the ESPN-Plus telecast today. In case you forgot, KU will honor the 1988 national title team at halftime of this game. On the opposing side in that game? King as a member of the Oklahoma Sooners.Also, today’s officiating crew includes one of my favorites (and probably yours), Steve Welmer.**Back to the game**: When I say KU has plenty on the line, that’s because, just like the first loss of the year to K-State, Monday’s setback in Austin contained a lot of glaring holes for the Jayhawks.A few that stuck out to me? Rebounding toughness in the second half, three-point shooting and getting the ball consistently into the bigs in the second half.The three-point shooting might be just more of a quick swoon thing, I think. It’s not like KU hasn’t gotten the looks its wanted from deep in the past two games (26 attempts). They just haven’t dropped (four made). KU was just 3-of-9 from long range in a 72-59 win over CU on Feb. 2 in Boulder.The big guys inside, however, namely Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson, could have plenty to do with the outcome today. In the first half Monday, the two just went to work, combining for 25 points. They scored a combined 35 at the end of the night, but were simply out of the flow of the game after halftime, when Texas’ Damion James went beyond doin’ work, but rather hard labor. He outrebounded KU himself (13-12) in the second stanza.No one holds a grudge over to the next game on KU’s roster than Darnell Jackson, in my opinion. Darrell Arthur, more of a laid-back dude, is becoming a regular penciled-in 20 points each game.Those two combining for 40-plus today is certainly not a far-fetched idea. Colorado is weak inside. Between Jermyl Jackson-Wilson and Marcus King-Stockton (both a pain to type on your keyboard repeatedly), they racked up eight fouls in 27 minutes of run against KU in Boulder. Scoring output? Seven points. Total.So foul-prone, low-scoring big men on the other side? I’d say the chances of Arthur and Jackson going off are pretty good. Though don’t freak out if KU is a little sluggish in the first half.That’s traditionally how the Jayhawks have been after losses, and this predates even the Bill Self era. It has something to do, I think, with how much emphasis is _put_ on winning in the first place at KU. The Jayhawks were tied 30-30 with the Buffs after one half in Boulder. I don’t think it’ll be tied here at the break, but it might take KU a few minutes to wake up.**Prediction: Kansas 88, Colorado 64** – Jackson scores 26, Arthur 18. KU hits six threes. Richard Roby – a much-improved team player under first-year coach Jeff Bzdelik – will get his numbers (averaging 17.1 ppg and 6.4 rpg). No David Harrison-like blowups.Talk to you in a bit before tip-time. [1]:
[2]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/2008/feb/14/list_returnees_weekends_ku_basketball_reunion/?mens_basketball
