Thursday, January 24, 2008
Bill Self really wanted to go crazy on his team at practice on Tuesday. It had been way too long since he had chewed anyone out.
So, he went nuts on Darnell Jackson for a few minutes. The senior forward glanced at him and broke out a big smile.
“He’s just enjoying everything,” Self said. “I can’t get under his skin even if I tried.”
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Kansas Basketball vs. Iowa State
And Self has to be getting enjoyment out of Jackson, too. His breakout senior season continued Wednesday night in Kansas’ 83-59 victory. Jackson finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds.
Earlier this season, the stat-line would have been a surprise. Now, it’s normal. Jackson is the team’s second-leading scorer and top rebounder.
“It was the same routine,” Jackson said. “I just try to do what I can.”
The energetic, fun side of Jackson on display at Tuesday’s practice didn’t exist two years ago. Self said Jackson would’ve thought he was crazy if he lashed out at him in the past. That’s changed.
His mind is freer because it’s his senior year, and several family problems are finally out of his head. The attitude change has allowed Jackson to become Kansas’ main leader in the locker room. The teams feeds off his energy. So does the crowd.
“It’s a win-win,” Self said. “Darnell can bring up the mood in any room.”
The Jayhawks needed Jackson’s points and leadership Wednesday night in a game where Self said they lacked energy. Kansas (19-0, 4-0) won big and kept its perfect record intact, but the performance wasn’t up to par with earlier conference games against Nebraska and Oklahoma.
“That wasn’t the same team that was jacked up against OU,” Self said. “We didn’t have the same level defensively.”
That was apparent given Kansas’ inability to force turnovers. The Cyclones only turned the ball over 11 times, and the Jayhawks only had seven steals.
The Cyclones’ defense also made transition baskets hard to come by. They routinely sent just one or two players to the glass on offense and had three or four players go back to slow Kansas’ fast break. The game plan made senior guard Russell Robinson’s job a lot tougher.
“It seemed like every time there was an outlet pass,” Robinson said, “there was no transition game.”
The Jayhawks were still able to turn a 10-point halftime lead into a 22-point advantage early in the second half, but they needed Jackson and fellow big men Darrell Arthur and Sasha Kaun to do it. Iowa State limited Kansas’ running game and its guards’ scoring opportunities. Kaun, Arthur and Jackson nullified the defense’s attempts by combining for 43 points.
But Jackson didn’t stand out Wednesday night just because of his scoring. His 11 rebounds gave him his first double-double of the season. It was about time, too.
Coaches and players had been giving him grief for the last two months about his inability to reach double figures in scoring and rebounding. Jackson had 13 rebounds but only nine points one game. He had 17 points and nine boards in another.
Assistant coach Danny Manning started calling Jackson “trick” because he continually flirted with a double-double.
Finally, Jackson got one. Two years ago, who knows if Jackson would have even wanted to soak in the moment.
Now, with a care-free Jackson happy about his play and his team’s undefeated record, it shouldn’t be a surprise that he enjoyed the double-double. Once Jackson found out about his 10th rebound, he shared his happiness with Manning. He did something the coaches and players have seen him do a lot lately.
“I just looked at him,” Jackson said, “and smiled.”
—Edited by Samuel Lamb
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