Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Austin, Texas — Texas came into Monday’s much-hyped matchup with one certifiable fact. They could score the basketball.
Through the first 23 games of the season, there wasn’t a team in the Big 12 that was averaging more points per game than the No. 14 Longhorns, who were scoring more than 84 per contest.
Photo Gallery
Kansas Basketball vs. Texas
Photos from the Jayhawks' 80-68 victory Monday night in Austin. Kansas was led by Marcus Morris' 18 points and eight rebounds.
Credit Cole Aldrich, credit Brady Morningstar, credit really anyone who saw minutes for the Jayhawks Monday night, because holding the Longhorns to 16 points below their season average in an 80-68 victory took the entire Kansas roster.
“That’s a main part of our team,” Marcus Morris said. “We’ve got a lot of guys you can go to. Xavier stepped up big today. We needed him to step up today. Sherron stepped up at the guard position and Cole got in early foul trouble but he rebounded big. Markieff gave us good minutes and I did OK.”
The most telling defensive statistic of the night was the 22-point margin in points off turnovers. Not only were the Jayhawks forcing turnovers — they forced 17 and scored 27 points off them — but also on the rare occasion that they turned the ball over, they were quick enough back that Texas still couldn’t find a way to score.
Outside of Damion James, who just might be the best all-around player in the country, and J’Covan Brown, who hit even contested shots late, the Longhorns managed just 16 points.
Video
Coach Self comments on postgame
Kansas coach Bill Self discusses the 80-68 victory over Texas.
The Jayhawks transition defense was dominant at worst Monday night, holding Texas to just two fast break points. Kansas had success holding the Longhorns and their quick guards — Self called Dogus Balbay “probably the best athlete in the conference” Friday — because everyone was getting back on defense.
“We made them go against five guys, which was very effective until J’Covan got hot late,” Self said. “I thought we guarded really good. We didn’t guard Damion in the first half, but other than that we played great.”
Video
Marcus Morris and Xavier Henry share thoughts after Texas win
Marcus Morris and Xavier Henry take questions from the media following Kansas' 80-68 victory over the Texas Longhorns.
Aldrich was his usual self in dominating the middle defensively — finished with a game high six blocks — and Morningstar did his usual phenomenal defensive work on the perimeter, picking three steals and causing general havoc for Texas’ backcourt.
The Jayhawks were able to hold massive Texas center Dexter Pittman off the boards and off the scoreboard for most of the night. Pittman, who measures in at 6 feet 10 inches and 290 pounds, managed just three points and three boards on the night, and the Jayhawks won the rebounding battle 45-34.
“We knew they were a good rebounding team,” Henry said. “They talked about them all week as being a good rebounding team, so we just had to go out and rebound and be tough.”
Morris was hesitant to crown the Jayhawks as a dominant team, though.
“I don’t think there’s a dominant team,” Morris said. “We have a lot of faults on our team as far as rebounding and guarding. I think we came out real aggressive against these guys. I think we took their first punch and never let up.”
The Jayhawks may have had faults early in the season in terms of rebounding and defense, but those woes vanished Monday night.
They were a dominant team.
— Edited by Michael Holtz
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