Sunday, January 14, 2007
AMES, Iowa – Never had a dunk looked so good.
With Kansas facing a 1-1 start to Big 12 play with about two minutes left in overtime at Hilton Coliseum, Brandon Rush took flight. Mid-air, his hands met a perfectly placed Mario Chalmers pass in time to throw it down and tie the game. But that wasn’t the main his slam looked more graceful than usual.
No, Rush’s slam packed more significance because it was Kansas’ first dunk of the entire game. And for a team that usually misses two throw-downs each game, that’s not normal.
“We didn’t get that many fast break points,” Rush said. “We just didn’t get up and down the floor like we wanted to.”
Kansas’ inability to force turnovers left the Jayhawks unable to get not only dunks but all easy points in transition in their 68-64 overtime victory against Iowa State.
Forcing turnovers is usually a major part of Kansas’ offense. The Jayhawks average about 10 steals per game, and in Wednesday’s game against Oklahoma State, they stole the ball 17 times, leading to 23 fast-break points.
But Kansas must have realized larceny was wrong against Iowa State. The Jayhawks only picked the Cyclones’ pockets twice and had two points in transition.
“I don’t want to say we were lethargic, but we didn’t have the same energy that we had against Oklahoma State,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “We didn’t score in transition, because we didn’t score off our defense.”
No one could blame Chalmers and Kansas’ other guards for not trying. Iowa just wasn’t affected by their pressure.
Cyclone guards Mike Taylor and Corey McIntosh handled the ball well for the entire game. From Kansas’ first basket in the first half to deep in the second half, the Jayhawks unsuccessfully tried to defend the duo in the backcourt.
“Iowa State did a good job of protecting the ball, making the easy passes and getting open,” said Chalmers, who leads the team in steals with 49 and had six against Oklahoma State. “It was kind of hard to fill the passing lanes and get steals.”
Although the Jayhawks struggled with their pressure, they held the Cyclones to only 58 points in regulation and a frigid 37 percent shooting. Plus, when Kansas needed to force a turnover most, Rush came through with a steal.
After Rush received the alley-oop to tie the game, he popped the ball loose from Taylor at half-court and cruised to the hoop. One rim-rattling jam later, and Rush had given the Jayhawks a 65-63 lead.
‘I just sensed it,” Rush said. “He thought he had a clear lane so I just reached in and tapped it from behind and got a nice steal. A nice dunk too.”
The impressive steal and slam by Rush gave a positive ending to a game that could have easily gone the other way, and sealed a hard-earned road victory.
“This is a road win in our league,” Self said. “The guys hung in there and played tough.”
Collins to start for injured Robinson
Guard Russell Robinson’s ankle injury will force freshman Sherron Collins into the ...
Jayhawks need overtime to defeat Cyclones in ...
AMES, Iowa - After a sluggish first half, the Jayhawks came back ...
No. 1 seed in sight after big ...
Coach Self and his team look at each game rather than buying ...
Jayhawks roll over Red Raiders
Three little guards make a big effect
The point guard trio of Russell Robinson, Sherron Collins and Mario Chalmers ...
Hawks showcase speed in season opener
The men's basketball team scored 19 points in transition against Longwood Friday.
Kansas cruises in season opener
Kansas had a 25-10 run during the first seven minutes of the ...
Not looking ahead of Big Red
With K-State coming up, KU could have played with Nebraska with a ...
Basketball rewind: Kansas vs. Texas A&M
A look back at Saturday's men's basketball win against Texas A&M.
Kansas conquers Iowa State
With a 75-64 victory, the Kansas men’s basketball team is regaining its ...
Jayhawks attack through air in victory
Several SportsCenter-worthy dunks led to a rowdy 83-56 victory for Kansas.
Keefer: Cowboys give Jayhawks the boot in ...
Saturday just wasn’t the Jayhawks day when they faced the Cowboys at ...
Sherron Collins fills big shoes
Subbing for injured Russell Robinson, Collins plays a strong game. His nervousness ...
Kansas takes hit from Iowa State, 72-36
After a three-game winning streak, the Jayhawks were defeated by the Cyclones.
Jayhawks weather the Cyclone storm
Editor's note: Special memories made during past ...
The Wave editor Scott Toland explains how special being a Jayhawk is ...
Kansas sets pace against Cyclones
Iowa State tries Kansas’ uptempo style of play and fails miserably.
Jayhawks prepare for stronger opponents
The Kansas men’s basketball team is preparing to meet a tougher opponent ...
Jayhawks narrowly defeat Tigers 76-70
Sloppy play plagued the Jayhawks throughout the game, but the team was ...
Spurts credited for Jayhawks’ latest success
The men's basketball team keep adding up those points in a short ...
Basketball Gameday: November 20, 2007.
This is the basketball gameday.
Two at a time
No outside shot was no problem for the Kansas Jayhawks. They fought ...
Jayhawks destroy Cowboys 87-57
With Big 12 conference play underway, it was time for Brandon Rush ...
Jayhawks rout Huskers to even Big 12 ...
Arthur’s shot inspires team
After Darrell Arthur’s 15-foot jump shot, Kansas rallied to the cause, bringing ...
Jayhawks win second conference game
Game goes down to final seconds
Darnell Jackson Gets First Double-Double
Darnell Jackson’s first double-double and relief from some family problems have helped ...
Final: Jayhawks dominate in final exhibition game
Kansas holds a 55-21 halftime lead against Pittsburg State
Intense Jayhawks dominate K-State
Kansas showed more aggression Saturday night than it had all season and ...
Jayhawks hope to repeat 2005
Two years ago Kansas beat Iowa State 24-21. The team hopes to ...
Rothman: Withey needs to use his height ...
As Robinson sits out for the next two game, Jeff Withey steps ...
Key Plays: Kansas at Iowa State
Women's basketball defeats Iowa State in two ...
Junior forward Carolyn Davis scored 18 of her 21 points during the ...
Aldrich shines with help from Collins, team
Cole Aldrich and Sherron Collins form an unbeatable offensive duo
Lack of efficiency leads to Jayhawks’ loss
Kansas ends their four-game winning streak with a 59-49 loss to Iowa ...
Kansas edges Arizona in thriller
Last week, the majority, if not all, of Kansas fans were getting ...
Chalmers shoots Kansas past Portland State
After scoring a career-high 30 points against Texas on Sunday, Mario Chalmers' ...
Big men roll over Fort Hays State
Self says game held positives, Hawks still have long way to go.
The grading scale: Tough loss to Iowa ...
Nathan Fordyce grades the Jayhawks' performance against Iowa State Saturday.
11-0
Kansas sent Iowa State home with a 45-7 defeat. The Jayhawks will ...
From left: Kimberlee Hinkle, Libby Johnson and Hannah ...
1 comment
Kansas Jayhawk fans hold aloft a reproduction of ...
2 comments
Erin Saupe, a Ph.D. student from St. Cloud, ...
1 comment
0 comments
Armed robbers continue to threaten.
3 comments
Lecture from Greg Mortenson, co-author of New York ...
0 comments
Comments
Use the comment form below to begin a discussion about this content.
Sign in to comment
Or login with:
OpenID