Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Northern Iowa guard Ali Farokhmanesh had a choice on Saturday. He could pass up a wide open three-point shot and work some time off the clock or he could try to give his team a two-possession lead with just more than 30 seconds left in the game.
Farokhmanesh took the shot and the Jayhawks were finished. In a way, his shot told the story of the game: One team looked as if it had a killer instinct and the other team looked as if it was trying not to lose.
Heading into Saturday’s game against the Panthers, Kansas looked like a lock for the Final Four. With the leadership of Sherron Collins, the inside presence of Cole Aldrich, and a wealth of young talent, the Jayhawks were ready to roll through their regional. But something was missing.
Kansas had a great season this year. The Jayhawks won their sixth straight Big 12 regular season title, defeated Kansas State for the Big 12 Tournament Championship and became the third team in Division I history to reach 2,000 victories. But through it all, it looked as if the Jayhawks never fully developed a killer instinct.
The Jayhawks won several close games this season that could have easily been blowouts. On several occasions, Kansas would go on a good run and build a 10- or 12-point lead. However, instead of keeping it going, the Jayhawks sometimes seemed content with their advantage. It never led to a loss during the regular season, but it also did not help Kansas prepare for the NCAA Tournament.
Just three weeks ago, Kansas defeated Kansas State in Allen Fieldhouse. Even though the Jayhawks ended up winning by 17 points, they never really put the game away until late in the second half. Kansas jumped out to a quick 15-4 lead, but seemed to lose some of its intensity after building its lead. The Wildcats are a good team, but the Jayhawks had a big chance to blow them out early.
The NCAA Tournament is not just about the nation’s best team. It’s about upsets, Cinderella stories, and great fi nishes. But, more than anything, it’s about who has the killer instinct that it takes to put the other team away. On Saturday, Northern Iowa played with more of a killer instinct than Kansas did. The result was a quick 10-2 lead and a Kansas team that played on its heels for most of the game.
By the time the Jayhawks started to play more aggressively, it was too late to make up the difference. After cutting a seven-point lead to one in about 30 seconds, Northern Iowa found Farokhmanesh open ahead of the Kansas full-court press. Most players would have passed up the shot, but not Farokhmanesh against the Jayhawks. He knew it was his chance to put Kansas away, and he took it.
The Jayhawks were obviously playing with a lot of pressure on them on Saturday, but they really
needed to play to win instead of playing not to lose. Kansas looked almost defensive, as if it was trying to stave off an upset, when it could have been aggressive right from the start and blown out the Panthers.
As soon as Northern Iowa gained some confidence, the Jayhawks were forced back on their
heels. The Panthers kept being aggressive and the Jayhawks could never catch up.
Winning the NCAA Tournament takes a real killer instinct, and on Saturday, the Jayhawks did not find theirs until it was too late.
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