Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Achilles tendon, chink in the armor, soft underbelly— no matter what you want to call it, the lack of contribution from the Kansas bench is the festering wound that could spoil the Jayhawks’ season.
This issue shoots to the surface when the Big 12 schedule calls for the Jayhawks to play multiple games in a short time span, as was the case Tuesday night when the Jayhawks played their third game in six days.
Early in the second half, the Jayhawk starters wore their fatigue on their sleeves. After the starters played a combined 85 of 100 possible minutes in the first half, the Wildcats quickly erased a ten-point halftime deficit and even took a brief 37-36 lead.
Entry passes fell into the awaiting arms of Kansas State defenders and the costly turnovers started adding up.
On a team with more depth, the coach would send out a spark-plug player to try to re-energize the players. Bill Self doesn’t have that luxury.
The bench scored two points and contributed only 30 minutes to the Jayhawks’ victory against the Wildcats.
Both of the bench points came from free throws by senior forward Conner Teahan in the waning moments of the game.
But the scariest moment for the Jayhawks came after forward Thomas Robinson was called for a charge with 4:09 left to play, which brought Kansas State fans in Bramlage Coliseum to their feet.
The crowd, who didn’t see the replay, believed Robinson deserved an additional technical foul, which would have sent Robinson to the showers before the final buzzer.
The replay clearly showed Robinson restraining himself, but the question of “What if?” must linger in the Jayhawks’ minds. What would happen if they were to lose either national player of the year candidate Robinson or junior center Jeff Withey?
Neither sophomore Justin Wesley nor junior Kevin Young, the Jayhawks’ reserve forwards who receive the most playing time, have shown that they can handle a long stretch in crucial minutes and contribute across the court.
For now, the Jayhawks get brief relief with four days to regain their legs before they take on Texas Tech this weekend.
But weakness is something to be feared, as it will be most vulnerable in post-season play. When the Big 12 tournament comes around, the Jayhawks will be forced to play three games on consecutive days.
And when the NCAA tournament rolls around, the Jayhawks will face increasingly tougher teams with only two days of rest between every other game.
What happens then if Robinson, senior guard Tyshawn Taylor or other Jayhawk starters hit early foul trouble? Someone from the bench will be forced to step up or else spring football will arrive early to campus.
— Edited by Christine Curtin
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