Monday, February 23, 2009
Will Blake Griffin play tonight? That’s the question swirling around Norman, Okla., right about now.
Sunday morning Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel told reporters that no one will know whether Griffin, the consensus top college basketball player in the United States, will be ready to play until he is evaluated again sometime today. According to reports, an MRI scan came back clean on Sunday, but Capel said Griffin’s future would not be risked for one game, no matter how crucial it is.
His potential absence, however unfortunate for the Sooners, could end up being the difference between a fifth-straight Big 12 championship and a top-three finish conference for the Jayhawks.
But amid the conjecture and rumor surrounding Griffin’s status, one player’s influence on the game of the Big 12 season thus far is being overlooked: junior guard Sherron Collins. The question is which Collins will show up tonight on ESPN.
Will it be the unstoppable offensive force that tore apart Nebraska for 22 points on 12 shots, seemingly willing the Jayhawks forward when they most needed his presence? Or will it be the player who committed six turnovers, uncharacteristically missed key free throws and never looked comfortable against Missouri’s pressure defense on Big Monday two weeks ago?
Judging by Collins' dominant performance against the Cornhuskers, his performance against Missouri was clearly an aberration. As Jayhawks enter the conference stretch run that will decide where they finish, their best player is hitting his stride as well.
Nobody in the Big 12 is better than Collins with open real estate ahead of them. He is as efficient a scorer as there is in the conference — Collins is ranked in the top 10 in field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage and free throw percentage. And, most importantly, Collins is getting his points — 18 per game to be exact — without depriving his teammates.
Against Nebraska, Collins racked up three assists before he even took a shot. But once it became apparent Kansas needed a jolt, he took over the game, draining four jumpers in five possessions in just under two minutes.
The Cornhuskers couldn’t stay in front of him, and with the lead cut to six three minutes into the second half, Collins took over one final time. An acrobatic finish with a foul and two three-pointers later, one of which narrowly beat the shot clock, and Kansas had a 17-point lead it never relinquished.
Then, on cue, he took a backseat again, watching as Cole Aldrich and Markieff Morris made their marks in the paint. And that’s the key. Collins is picking his spots, taking over when the time demands it and spreading the offensive responsibility when his dynamic abilities would be better saved.
And as much has been made of the matchup between Aldrich and Griffin — if it even happens — Collins knows it is his responsibility to spark the young Jayhawks. Griffin or no Griffin, Kansas’ chances depend on Collins. And that’s just the way he wants it.
“We are going to be fired up,” Collins said. “I’m going to have them ready. That’s my job.”
— — Edited by Sam Speer
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