**8:32 p.m.**: Well, a couple of injury notes to report first…-Darrell Arthur tweaked a calf muscle yesterday in practice, hence him not running the floor with the same efficiency as always tonight. Yet, the sophomore big man scored 16 points in 19 minutes. He only had one rebound, though. Bill Self joked that he hoped the calf injury can be to blame for the rebounding production, saying ‘he had one more than me tonight.’-Sherron Collins turned his ankle in practice last Thursday and has been playing on it ever since, not wanting to sit out. Self wasn’t sure if it was the ankle on the same leg which kept him out six games late in the non-con season.Now to some final numbers…-Believe it or not, Darnell Jackson’s 21 points and 11 rebounds produced his first double-double of the season. Self mentioned that Jackson is playing with such ease right now that even yesterday, when the coach attempted to ride some of his players in practice, Jackson could do nothing but smile, knowing Self was doing so just because he hadn’t in awhile. Good stuff.-Self credited ISU’s perimeter defense for keeping KU’s three looks to a minimum. KU was just 5-of-10 from long range, and Self said his team took what the Cyclones gave it. That worked just fine, as KU outscored ISU in the paint 42-16.-KU had 22 assists on 32 field goals. Brandon Rush and Mario Chalmers each had six. For Rush, the six dimes tied a career high.-Iowa State was just 6-of-28 from three-point range.-Rodrick Stewart’s lone bucket of the game, coming with less than a second to play, covered the spread set by Vegas of 23.5 points. Wild.Self said the energy was one area he could nit-pick from Wednesday night, but otherwise, it was just another night at the office for the Jayhawks, again holding an opponent under 50 percent from the floor (19-of-61 was ISU) and balancing the scoring (5 Jayhawks in double figures). Ho-hum. That’s what several of these games in Big 12 play could be like the rest of the way with a few exceptions.That’s not a bad ISU team, though. The starting lineup, with four guys standing 6-foot-6 or taller, defended the perimeter well, and the Hilton magic could be tough for the Jayhawks when they make the four-hour trek north on Feb. 27.It’s been fun. I’ll talk to you Saturday afternoon, maybe sooner. Peace out.**7:48 p.m.**: Conner Teahan isn’t in yet, but the ‘Con-ner Tea-han’ chant just started, meaning this one’s done.Have I mentioned I love 6 p.m. tip-offs?Be back after postgame interviews with some final notes, nuggets and numbers.**7:40 p.m.**: Feb. 27 in Ames will be no easy task.**7:29 p.m.**: Here’s some swagger for you…First, Sherron Collins pulls the shake-and-bake crossover, putting Rahshon Clark on his butt atop the key. The only thing that will keep Clark safe from the SportsCenter Top 10 is that Collins missed the step-back three. It still drew oohs and aahs from the Jayhawk faithful.Then, as Darnell Jackson scored his third straight field goal – this one from high atop the key – he held three fingers in each hand up as he backpedaled down the floor. Then, seeing it was a two-pointer, he looked left at the ref, shrugged his shoulders and smiled.Can’t say they’re not having fun.**7:20 p.m.**: Brandon Rush has the stat line of the night without question. Eight points, six assists and no turnovers, to this point.This game has been so ho-hum so far, and you’re starting to get the idea that this is how it could be for plenty of the Big 12 season…A funny halftime note…Several student-athletes who made the first semester honor roll were honored on the floor, and after leaving the court, some milled around for a bit. Todd Reesing was one of them, and he was walking back and forth behind my seat on the baseline for a little while right in front of a full student section. Not one person yelled a thing at him or seemed to recognize who he was. That’s too bad. He needs a shirt that just says ‘I am Reesing.’**6:57 p.m.**: Some first half numbers of interest…-KU was 7-of-8 from the free throw line. They didn’t get there a ton, but at least made them.-Not many turnovers through one half. KU had just four giveaways, while Iowa State only had five.-ISU is looking like it wants to live and die by the three. Of the Cyclones’ 25 field goal attempts, 12 were from long range. Four of those shots were made.-Brandon Rush had five assists in the first half. That’s a season high and one short of his career best. He only took four shots, including a 2-of-2 showing from three-point land, but he hasn’t been needed much so far. The big men are getting the heavy work, with Arthur and Jackson combining for 12 of KU’s 29 shot attempts….and hitting eight.**6:34 p.m.**: Now you’re seeing what happens when it all clicks for Iowa State. When Brackins and Johnson are hitting from outside the paint, this is a dangerous team. But KU’s balance is showing here. While KU can go inside and outside on offense and is showing that off at will, the ‘Clones are pretty much one-dimensional…and they’re showing that off somewhat. When the shots were falling, the Jayhawk lead collapsed to six points. When they stopped, KU blew it back up to double digits. I honestly think this Iowa State team is one good point guard away from being an NCAA Tournament club.**6:24 p.m.**: Darrell Arthur had a tough opening minute, with an airball, a turnover and a foul, but after a quick stint on the bench, he did what he does best, scoring six points on three straight buckets from three different spots on the floor….and just as I typed that he picked up his second foul and headed back to the bench…whoops…But it shouldn’t matter much, because Iowa State’s big men don’t seem to keen on the idea of playing in the post, but rather taking 10- to 12-foot jumpers. That’s not working out so well so far.**6:01 p.m.**: Iowa State might have the best pedigree guys in the league on one roster.Freshman Charles Boozer is the brother of Utah Jazz power forward (and former Dukie) Carlos Boozer. Junior Sean Haluska is the brother of New Orleans Hornets rookie and former Hawkeye standout Adam Haluska, one of the best shooters in Big Ten history.Sean doesn’t share his brother’s outside proficiency, though. Or at least the numbers look that way. He plays 15 minutes a game and is 0-for-26 from three-point range this year. Eesh.**2:55 p.m.**: Hello a bit early, thanks to tonight’s 6 p.m. tip time. I’m certainly not complaining.A few minutes ago I went and checked the line on tonight’s KU-ISU meeting to find that the Jayhawks are a 23.5-point favorite. Keep in mind that the Cyclones are 12-6 overall and have won two straight Big 12 contests since dropping their league opener to Baylor.But still, the line looks more than fair to me, considering how the Jayhawks have fared in returns to the floor after tough showings so far this season. Here’s a few examples…**-After needing an 85-foot Mario Chalmers three-pointer** to hold of Southern Cal, 59-55, on Dec. 2, KU went nuts on Eastern Washington three days later, including a combined 32 points on 13-of-20 shooting from big men Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson. In the 85-47 blowout, KU outrebounded EWU 48-27.**-If it weren’t for a late steal-and-score by Sherron Collins** to seal a win at Georgia Tech on Dec. 18, who knows what would have happened after a second half lead slipped in Atlanta. The Jayhawks buckled down defensively four days later in a Saturday matinee, thrashing Miami (Ohio) 78-54 at home. The score is even more impressive considering Miami scored 20 of those 54 points in the game’s final 8:37 against mostly KU reserves.**-Most recently, KU coach Bill Self was far from pleased** with the first half his team played on Jan. 8 before running away from Loyola (Md.) 90-60 in Allen. The Greyhounds trailed just 26-22 at the 5:08 mark before the Jayhawks entered the intermission on a 15-2 run. After the game came Aggressiveness-gate ’08, with Bill Self asking for more offensive involvement from Brandon Rush. Four days later came a no-doubter from start to finish in Lincoln, as KU opened its Big 12 slate with a 79-58 whooping of Nebraska. The Jayhawks dominated the ‘skers on the boards (37-24), hit free throws (13-of-16) and got Rush going offensively (19 points, including five threes).That brings us to tonight. Yeah, Eddie Hightower got a little whistle-happy on Saturday in Columbia and that slowed the game significantly, but how about these numbers? KU hit just 22 of 55 field goal attempts, made just 28 of 45 free throw looks and scored…get this…two fast break points. Of course, things could have been worse, considering what happened to then-Top-5 residents North Carolina and UCLA that afternoon.Now, the schedule lays out nicely, with home games against ISU and Nebraska before going to Bramlage next Wednesday night. The Cyclones bring a couple of nice pieces with them, namely sophomore Wesley Johnson (team-high 13.5 ppg) and freshman Craig Brackins (12.8 ppg, 5.1 rpg). Jiri Hubalek (12.2 ppg, 7.3 rpg) isn’t bad in the post, too. But ISU’s guard play leaves a bit to be desired, and I’d say KU’s backcourt has a good chance of taking this game over while looking to bounce back from a 4-of-12 performance from three-point range at Mizzou.**Prediction: KU 84, ISU 68**. (I’m not saying KU covers, given their history this year of having visitors cover spreads with meaningless late-game runs)**One more pregame note**: Earlier today, the [Dallas Morning News][1] reported that South Oak Cliff High [will forfeit its 2005-06 state basketball title][2]. KU’s Darrell Arthur was a senior on that team, and the crown is being taken away from the record books because a player was used late in the season who should have been academically ineligible, according to a DISD internal investigation. Arthur was not the ineligible student-athlete.Talk to you before the tip. [1]: http://www.dallasnews.com [2]: http://www.hsgametime.com/dfw/sharedcontent/dws/content/topstories/stories/012408dnspohssoc.4ea9b4a7.html
