Saturday, February 3, 2007
With the game on the line, everyone expected Texas A&M; to get the ball to Acie Law. It's what he did with it that was surprising.
The senior guard made a three-pointer that put the Aggies on top as they defeated the Jayhawks 69-66.
Law’s final stat line showed 23 points, but only one three-point basket – the game-winner. Jayhawk defender Brandon Rush wasn’t expecting it.
“I thought he was going to drive on me,” Rush said. “He hadn’t shot a three all game, so I played off him a little bit. I still contested it pretty good, it just went in.”
That final play was the culmination of a rally that began nine minutes earlier for Texas A&M.; With the Jayhawks up 11 and looking to put the game away, they instead allowed the Aggies to make back-to-back three-pointers.
“We broke down defensively a couple times, and it cost us,” junior guard Russell Robinson said.
Once the Aggies got momentum, they capitalized, going on a 17-4 run to finish the game. Kansas coach Bill Self said that in all four of the Jayhawks’ losses, he’s noticed a common theme.
“It’s all come down to us not getting stops at the end of the game,” he said. “We can look at offense or whatever, but we have to figure out a way to get stops with the game on the line.”
Part of that can be attributed to Law’s dominance. Even after Rush was moved over to cover him, Law was still able to create shots for himself, including two free throws that sealed the victory.
Aggie coach Billy Gillespie also had a few tricks ready for the game. With Kansas up three and a minute to play, he had Marlon Pompey foul junior forward Sasha Kaun. Instead of Kansas being able to set up offensively, Kaun received a one-and-one at the free throw line, and missed the first. Self called it a “good play” by Gillespie.
For complete coverage, read Monday's The University Daily Kansan
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View from press row:
-Yes, A&M;’s celebration was excessive and uncalled for, but I’m willing to overlook it. This is the biggest victory for the program in at least a decade, and it was an emotional, hard-fought game. Acie Law’s emotions got the better of him, and he apologized for it within minutes of the game ending.
-Fans certainly got their money’s worth out of this game. How many games include a technical foul, diving time-out, three-second violation, five-second violation, goaltending, two jump balls, a bloody nose, an alley-oop and a big man making a three-pointer?
-Not to be overlooked is how loud the Allen Fieldhouse crowd was throughout the game. In the final three minutes, the building became so noisy that A&M; coach Billy Gillespie had to yell in the ears of his players to make himself heard. It’s the sort of home-court advantage that makes other schools jealous.
-My biggest concern about this Jayhawk team is that they can play too many styles of basketball well. We’ve seen them run with running teams and grind it out with physical teams, but rarely do the Jayhawks force a tempo on the game. By letting other teams play the way they want to, it gives them a level of comfort.
-Bill Self can’t say it, so I will: the technical foul given to Kansas in the second half was baloney. The team and coaches were reacting to a charging call that they thought the officials missed. In a physical game like Saturday’s, you have to expect coaches to lobby on behalf of their players.
-Upsets like Kansas State defeating Texas and Colorado defeating Oklahoma State are fun to watch, but are going to end up costing the Big 12 Conference when the tournament rolls around. The perception nationally is that the Big 12 is weak this year, and when two of the conference’s marquee teams lose to big underdogs, that’s not going to help anything out. Kansas and Texas A&M; will both make noise in the tournament, and Texas will go as far as Kevin Durant takes it, but nobody else in the conference can be considered a serious contender right now.
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