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Redemption game

By Mark Dent

Originally published January 3, 2009 at 9:29 p.m., updated January 3, 2009 at 9:29 p.m.

This one really came down to the 4 ½ minutes. Yeah, there were the seven layups/dunks to start the game, the technical fouls given to both coaches, the way Allen Fieldhouse erupted when Mario Little knelt in front of the scorer’s table and the look on Sherron Collins’ face as he lay on the ground, tongue out like Michael Jordan, after tumbling to the floor after one of his several first-half crossover drives to the basket.

All of that mattered.

But Kansas’ 92-85 victory against Tennessee really came down to 4 ½ minutes, to five possessions, to Collins and Cole Aldrich.

At the 4:31 mark, Cameron Tatum made a three-pointer, pulling the Volunteers within seven at 77-70. They hadn’t been that close since it was 15-9.

When that ball fell through the net and Kansas coach Bill Self called a timeout, all those early season memories came flying back. The Jayhawks had been here before, the pressure situation. We’d all seen how they reacted. They’d turned into a bigger mess than Illinois’ political situation.

It happened against Syracuse – 13-point second half lead, opportunity to ice game by making free throws in the last minute, a loss in overtime. It happened against Massachusetts – blown lead followed by broken down play at the end, a one-point loss. And if you really want to get ugly, it happened against Arizona – nine-point second-half lead turned into 17-point loss.

A loss Saturday would’ve been brutal. Self didn’t want to tell his players the game was a must-win, but he did tell them it would’ve been awfully nice to win this one.

“There’s not many opportunities to get back games like this,” he would say.

And for a while, Kansas almost let the game slip away. The Vols had started making their threes, and they were pressing, using a stifling defensive style that made every inbounds pass an adventure. But a not-again feeling never took hold. Instead, the two “vets” calmed the team.

Collins reminded them in the huddle during the timeout that they had lost two games like this one. Aldrich told them they were up against Arizona, too, and he didn’t want that to happen again.

They didn’t mention these specific moments, but they had to have been on their minds: Aldrich was the one who failed to convert a free throw in the final seconds against Syracuse. He also disappeared against Arizona. They lost to Massachusetts largely because Collins saw the large deficit and tried cutting into it solo.

The less experienced players wanted to lean on Collins and Aldrich, and knew they should. Collins and Aldrich just hadn’t proved they could handle it yet.

So now they had another opportunity. Kansas had the ball after the timeout. Brady Morningstar threw the ball away. That was possession one. It got better on the next four.

Collins got to the foul line and made both free throws, 79-70. Aldrich broke free on an inbounds play, 81-70. Tyshawn Taylor found Aldrich for a dunk, 83-72. Collins got to the line again and made both free throws, 85-73.

That was all Kansas needed.

Those five possessions illustrate how this team, and Collins and Aldrich have matured in the last two months. Collins didn’t try to do too much for the most part. Aldrich demanded the ball at the end. It was a perfect finish.

“They know Sherron and I have the extra attitude from last year,” Aldrich said. … “We’ll bring them up when they’re down.”

Yes, Tennessee is overrated and its offense of jack up a three whenever you feel like it and pray that it banks off the glass won’t get them too far. And yes, the home crowd certainly willed them to that fast start and they won’t get anything like that, say, next week at Michigan State.

But Kansas made progress. As Self likes to say, you can’t divide this team into experienced guys and young guys. They’re all young. Even when Collins and Aldrich got all those big victories last season, they weren’t running the team.

This season, they are. They and their teammates have called them leaders all season. Now, after these 4 ½ minutes, they’ve proved they’re worthy of the title.

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