Saturday, January 3, 2009
FINAL Kansas wins
It came down to the final minutes.
Kansas came up big on its last possessions and put away Tennessee. The Volunteers were within seven with about four minutes left. In these situations this season, Kansas had wilted. Not this time.
The Jayhawks scored on six of their next seven possessions and extended their lead to 12. Tennessee cut it back to the final margin after fouling Kansas at the end several times.
This is the biggest victory of the season for Kansas. Sherron Collins finished with a season-high 26 points. Aldrich had 22 and Tyshawn Taylor had 12.
Photo Gallery
Men's Basketball vs. Tennessee
The Jayhawks beat out the Tennessee Volunteers Saturday in Allen Fieldhouse.
Next up for the Jayhawks is Siena on Tuesday, followed by a tough road game against Michigan State on Saturday.
1:34 Kansas leads 87-77
The Jayhawks have responded since Tennessee cut the lead down to seven. After a Morningstar turnover, Kansas has scored on every possession.
Aldrich has four of those points, along with four for Collins and two for Taylor. Tennessee continues to jack up threes and miss most of them. Looks like KU should win this one.
4:33 Kansas leads 77-70
Cameron Tatum just made a three-pointer, cutting KU's lead to seven.
It hasn't been this close since the first half. We've already seen Kansas blow leads to Syracuse and Arizona. Will it happen again?
10:29 Kansas leads 63-50
Tyshawn Taylor has finally started showing up today.
He's scored the Jayhawks' last six points. The first four came on nifty drives to the basket, ending in layups. The last two came on a dunk, from an inbounds pass from Morningstar.
Taylor has struggled a bit lately, so it's a good sign that he's playing well in the second half of this game.
Another update: Wayne Chism took a shot at Marcus Morris when the refs weren't looking. Nothing was called, and Marcus didn't retaliate.
15:42 Kansas leads 50-37
The half-court offense is working.
Everything has settled down - the fans, the players, the tempers. And after halftime, Kansas is performing far better than it did at any point in the last 10 minutes of the first.
Morningstar and Reed have each made a three-pointer. Marcus Morris scored inside and then took a charge on defense. KU is rolling right now.
But will it last? Tennessee shot just 29 percent in the first half. That will likely change. The Vols should keep it close.
Halftime- Kansas leads 40-31
It's been an entertaining half, that's for sure.
There were technicals, dunks, small fights and a lot of noise from the crowd. All of those aspects have made this game seem a whole lot closer than nine points.
But it is a solid lead for Kansas, and the Jayhawks have to be pleased with their effort thus far. That said, the game is far from over.
Kansas still isn't performing well in its half-court offense. Every time the Jayhawks have to run their offense, Sherron Collins decides to take the game over himself. Most of the time it's not working.
The Jayhawks need to get it inside, like they were doing in the opening minutes.
4:42- Kansas leads 35-24
So about the game getting chippy. It just got fully chipped, if that makes any sense.
Bill Self was whistled for a technical foul, and Tennesse converted both free throws. It all started with a foul call on Quintrell Thomas.
Thomas was setting a pick on offense and was called for a block. It was close, probably could've gone either way. Self was screaming. The refs tried to calm him down. They weren't successful. Thus the tech.
This is his second of the season. The first came against UMass and it crushed the Jayhawks. This isn't a good time get a technical, that's for sure.
8:06 Kansas leads 25-16
The game is slowing down and the Jayhawks are struggling.
Tennessee is forcing them to play their half-court offense. Kansas can't do it. Turnovers are happening on almost every possession. It's been over four minutes since KU scored.
The Volunteers are on a 7-0 run.
Tempers are flaring too. Sherron Collins was getting chippy with a Vol a minute ago and so was Marcus Morris. Then, Bobby Maze started hugging Tyrel Reed for a bit after the whistle blew.
11:19 Kansas leads 25-9
Maybe those fans were right to cheer so loudly for Mario Little.
Since he checked in, nothing has gone wrong. The Jayhawks have gone on a 10-0 run. Here's how it happened:
Sherron Collins bounced in a three. Cole Aldrich hit a jump shot. Tyshawn Taylor made a layup. Brady Morningstar swished a long three.
Not bad. Kansas is bouncing right now. Tennessee is dragging. Who knows if it will keep up, but the Jayhawks look like the superior team right now.
One more thing. Aldrich and Collins have both been out for about the last minute. We'll see how long that continues.
14:40- Kansas leads 15-9
So now we find out if Mario Little is the savior. He checked in for the first time all season.
When he came to kneel down in front of the scorer's table, you would've thought Jacque Vaughn was striding into the Fieldhouse. It will be interesting to see how Little does. Remember, if he's not feeling good this game or Tuesday, Kansas can still choose to redshirt him if he doesn't play against Michigan State.
16:46 - Kansas leads 12-5.
Well, it's certainly a good start. Kansas is running and attacking the basket.
So far the Jayhawks have hardly put up a shot from further than three feet. There's been Sherron Collins layups, Cole Aldrich and Markieff Morris dunks and Tyshawn Taylor drives.
Kansas clearly has more energy at this point. Defensively and offensively. The highlight so far on defense - that would be Brady Morningstar with two straight blocks. The only negative news so far? The Morris Twins have combined for three fouls.
Oh, and one more thing. You gotta love how Tennesse wears the headband. Eight of their players are sporting one.
MORE PREGAME
Forgot to add this nugget. Mario Little was warming up with the team, in uniform.
Self had said there was a possibility he could play. We'll find out soon.
PREGAME
They've lost to Syracuse, giving away a late lead. They've gotten blown out by Arizona, giving away an early lead.
The Jayhawks' third major test of the season comes today and who knows how it's going to turn out?
Kansas looked good in beating Albany on Tuesday, but that team was, well, Albany. This game is going to show how ready Kansas is for the big boys.
It could also determine KU's NCAA Tournament future. Yes, it is early, but the Jayhawks have an RPI around 90. They need to get a quality victory in order for that change.
Tennessee would definitely count as one. The Vols have lost to Gonzaga and Temple but are still ranked among the top 15 teams in the country. And they're fast.
Bill Self says they're quickest team KU has faced all season. Marcus Morris said the same. This is a big game and one Kansas really needs. With a tough road game at Michigan State looming next week, this could be the Jayhawks' best opportunity for a quality non-conference victory.
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