Showing posts with label Elijah Johnson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elijah Johnson. Show all posts

Monday, March 11, 2013

Kansas Falls To Baylor, Still Wins Ninth Consecutive Big 12 Championship

The Kansas Jayhawks’ regular season ended in disastrous fashion, as the team was blown out by Baylor 81-58. Despite suffering its worst loss in seven years, Kansas was able to win a ninth consecutive Big 12 championship due to Kansas State’s loss to Oklahoma State earlier in the day.

Baylor easily played its best game of the season against Kansas, and was carried by two insane performances from Pierre Jackson and Cory Jefferson. Jackson scored 28 points with 10 assists, while Jefferson added 25 points. Jefferson, who had never hit a three pointer in his career, went three-for-three from behind the arc on Saturday, which puts the Bears’ performance into perspective.

Kansas not only struggled defensively, but the Jayhawks never got anything going on offense. Ben McLemore had a strong game, but Elijah Johnson struggled, shooting 3 of 13 from the field and adding only two assists next to three turnovers. Apart from McLemore, the lone bright spot for the Jayhawks was freshman Perry Ellis, who added 12 points.

Before Saturday, the Jayhawks had looked like the best team in college basketball recently. Kansas had won seven in a row, including a home blowout of K-State and two tough road wins against Oklahoma State and Iowa State. The Jayhawks still have the talent to go deep in the NCAA tournament, but they will have to get better play from Johnson. When the senior point guard plays well, Kansas is nearly unbeatable. Johnson played very well in last year’s NCAA tournament, which was a big reason why the Jayhawks advanced all the way to the national title game.

Up next for Kansas is the Big 12 tournament, where the Jayhawks will once again have the top seed. Kansas will face the West Virginia-Texas Tech winner on Thursday. If the Jayhawks defeat the Mountaineers or Red Raiders, they will face either Oklahoma or Iowa State.

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Monday, March 4, 2013

Kansas Blows Out West Virginia, Hosts Texas Tech Tonight

The Kansas Jayhawks are now two wins shy of a ninth consecutive Big 12 title. On Saturday, KU overcame a slow start and routed West Virginia 91-65.

Kansas was led by Ben McLemore, who broke out of his recent slump in a big way. The redshirt freshman scored a Kansas freshman record 36 points against the Mountaineers, shooting 12 of 15 from the floor, including five of six from three. Jeff Withey also had a big game for KU, as the senior center nearly notched his second triple double of the season. Withey ended up with 14 points, 10 rebounds and nine blocks, and Elijah Johnson added 12 points and 10 assists for Kansas.

After a rare three game losing streak, Kansas has picked up two tough road wins and blown out every team it has faced at home. A lot of that has to do with Johnson, who has found his shooting stroke and has limited turnovers. If Johnson has another hot March, the Jayhawks could be primed for another deep run in the NCAA tournament.

The Jayhawks could be primed for another big performance tonight, as they host Texas Tech on senior night. Kansas fans will be seeing Johnson, Withey, Kevin Young and Travis Releford for the final time in Allen Fieldhouse, and this is likely McLemore’s last home game as a Jayhawk as well. The Red Raiders won their last game - beating TCU on Saturday – yet it was only Tech’s third league win this season. TTU has been blown out by nearly every decent team it has faced recently, and it doesn’t appear that they can pose much of a threat to Kansas – especially in Lawrence on senior night.

If the Jayhawks can get past the Red Raiders tonight, they will play at Baylor with the Big 12 title on the line on Saturday.

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Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Kansas Storms Back To Beat Iowa State In Overtime

The Kansas Jayhawks moved closer to a ninth consecutive Big 12 title with a thrilling 108-96 win over Iowa State in Ames last night. The victory was Bill Self’s 500th career win, and the Jayhawks now have three winnable games remaining on their regular season schedule.

Elijah Johnson, who has been criticized all season for some poor play, had one of the most legendary performances in Kansas history. The senior scored a career-high 39 points, including eight in the final 29 seconds of regulation and 12 in overtime. Travis Releford added 19 efficient points, and Jeff Withey was a force in the paint to help Kansas keep pace with the red-hot Cyclones in the first half.

Iowa State nearly pulled off the win by hitting an insane 17 three pointers – a school record. The Cyclones’ 22-game home winning streak was snapped when Iowa State went cold in overtime as Johnson continued to score at will for the Jayhawks.

The Iowa State fans proceeded to throw plastic megaphones and concessions at the Kansas players after the game, due to Johnson dunking the ball with only a few seconds remaining on the clock. Johnson and Self both apologized for the dunk after the game.

Kansas has now passed the two toughest games it had on the backend of its schedule – on the road against Oklahoma State and Iowa State. Kansas hosts West Virginia and Texas Tech in its next two games, and the Mountaineers and Red Raiders are two of the weakest teams in the conference. The Jayhawks finish the season on the road against Baylor, who has been inconsistent all season. Kansas State, currently tied with Kansas in first, still has to travel to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State and also plays Baylor on the road. The road wins over OSU and ISU have put Kansas in a great position to once again win a Big 12 championship and earn a high seed for the NCAA tournament.

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Monday, February 18, 2013

Kansas Blows Out Texas

The Kansas Jayhawks may have turned a corner after a disastrous three-game stretch in which they lost to lowly TCU and appeared to be out of the Big 12 title race. After blowing out Kansas State on Monday, KU turned in another impressive performance on Saturday, embarrassing Texas 73-47.
 
Due to the NBA All-Star break, many former Kansas greats were on hand to see Mario Chalmers get his jersey retired. The current KU squad didn’t disappoint, stifling Texas from the opening jump ball with a great defensive effort led by center Jeff Withey. Withey’s two blocks gave him 265 for his career, breaking Texas’ Chris Mihm’s Big 12 record. Withey also chipped in 15 points, 11 rebounds and four steals. Travis Releford added 15 points in a hot shooting night from beyond the arc, while Ben McLemore added 13 points.
 
Texas isn’t a good team, but the Longhorns looked downright terrible at times against Kansas nation-leading defense. Texas shot 22 percent from the field and two of 21 from three, while turning the ball over several times in the second half for easy transition baskets for Kansas. McLemore turned one into a 360-degree dunk that wound up being the top play on ESPN’s SportsCenter Saturday night.
 
Kansas fans have to feel good about how the Jayhawks responded to their three-game losing streak. KU has regained its focus on defense, and the offense finally looks alive. Senior point guard Elijah Johnson has started to playbetter as well, and sophomore Naadir Tharpe has looked impressive in the past couple of games. If the Jayhawks get good production from the point guard position, the team could be primed to make another deep run in the NCAA tournament.
 
Kansas’ biggest game of the season is coming up, as the Jayhawks travel to Stillwater to face Oklahoma State on Wednesday in a battle for first-place in the Big 12. The Cowboys also won on Saturday, defeating Oklahoma in overtime.
 
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Monday, February 11, 2013

Kansas Looks To Snap Losing Streak Tonight Against Kansas State

The Kansas Jayhawks have lost three straight games for the first time in eight years, and things do not get any easier tonight. KU will host Kansas State, who currently has a one game lead over the Jayhawks in the Big 12 standings. The game will begin at 8:00 p.m.

K-State currently controls its own destiny in the Big 12, but it will likely take a rare win over Kansas to take the league crown. The Wildcats have lost 45 of 48 against Kansas, and have been routinely blown out in Allen Fieldhouse.  The two teams met earlier this season, and KU prevailed 59-55 in Manhattan.

The key to beating KState will be outside shooting, as the Wildcats have hit 41 percent of their threes during its current win streak. KSU struggled from three against KU in the first meeting between the two schools, with Rodney McGruder and Angel Rodriguez shooting a combined 8 of 22. Despite Kansas’ struggles, KState will have to shoot better than the 35 percent clip it had the last time it faced the Jayhawks.

Most of Kansas’ problems start at point guard, where senior ElijahJohnson has struggled mightily during the Jayhawks losing streak. In the past three games, Johnson is shooting 9 of 37 from the floor, including 5 of 21 from three. Even worse, he has had several costly turnovers late in games when KU still had a chance to pull out a win. If Johnson can take care of the basketball and hit some shots, the Jayhawks’ struggling offense will begin to look a whole lot better.

Kansas has struggled recently, but the Jayhawks began to look better against Oklahoma on Saturday. KU is due for a good game, and it may come at home where Allen Fieldhouse will be rocking. This could be the point where the Jayhawks turn it around – or its streak of conference titles will be on life support.

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Thursday, February 7, 2013

TCU Shocks Kansas In Biggest Upset Of The Year

It will go down as the biggest upset this season in college basketball and the worst loss a Bill Self Kansas team has ever suffered. Last night, the Kansas Jayhawks were shockingly upset by TCU in Fort Worth, 62-55.

After a rare loss at home to Oklahoma State, most thought that Kansas would come out fired up against TCU. It didn’t happen, as the Jayhawks only scored an embarrassing 13 points in the first half. The Jayhawks only shot 30 percent from the field, including a horrific 3 of 22 from beyond the arc. Efficient scorers Jeff Withey and Travis Releford didn’t get many shots, while reserve point guard Naadir Tharpe attempted 15. Worst of all, struggling point guard Elijah Johnson continued to play terrible basketball, once again missing shots while turning the ball over at will.

To sum this loss up as “shocking” would be putting it too lightly. In terms of RPI, this was the biggest upset in the last 20 years of college basketball. The Jayhawks, who have knocked off top teams like Ohio State and Kansas State on the road, looked outclassed from the beginning against TCU. With two straight losses, it may be panic time in Lawrence if the Jayhawks can’t get out of their funk.

The loss also had a huge impact on the league race, as the Big 12 is now wide open. Kansas and Kansas State are tied for first, while suddenly red-hot Oklahoma State sits only one game behind. The Jayhawks will need to regroup quickly, as they have two tough games coming up – a road contest against Oklahoma and home against KSU. If Kansas can win these two games, it will once again be in the driver’s seat for a ninth straight Big 12 title. However, after last night, that is looking like a slim possibility.

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Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Kansas - TCU Preview

For only the second time this season, the Kansas Jayhawks will be looking to rebound from a loss. TCU may provide the perfect opportunity for KU to right the ship, as the Horned Frogs are winless in conference play. Tonight’s game will begin at 8:00 p.m.

Kansas has struggled offensively over the past month, and the poor play finally caught up to them on Saturday. Against Oklahoma State, the Jayhawks shot only 41 percent and committed 16 turnovers. Much of the focus has been on Elijah Johnson’s struggles, and rightfully so – the senior has 19 turnovers in KU’s past five games while shooting a dismal 24 percent from the floor.

Self has said that he will stick with Johnson at point guard, and KU fans have to remain optimistic that the senior point guard will regain the form he displayed in last year’s NCAA championship game run. While Johnson figures things out, the Jayhawks will continue to rely on freshman sensation Ben McLemore for scoring. McLemore is now averaging 16.4 ppg and has become a consistent force for Kansas, while Jeff Withey and Travis Releford have also been consistent.

TCU has struggled to adjust to the Big 12, and hasn’t been very competitive in league play this season. The Horned Frogs are averaging only 49 points and shooting 35 percent in league play, and shot only 33 percent from the floor while getting blown out on Saturday at Texas. Despite Kansas’ offensive struggles, the Jayhawks still boast one of the top defenses in the country. If the Horned Frogs want to keep this one close, they’ll need some early shots to fall.

This game on paper has all the makings of a blowout, but Kansas has played down against inferior opponents several times this season already. Still, the Jayhawks are too talented for TCU, and Kansas should be able to get rid of the bad taste in their mouth from Saturday’s loss fairly quickly.

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Monday, February 4, 2013

Elijah Johnson Continues To Struggle For Kansas

Kansas’ 85-80 loss to Oklahoma State on Saturday seemed shocking to many, given how dominant the Jayhawks have been at home for the last several years and Kansas’ high ranking in the polls. However, the Jayhawks had been asking to be upset for months, narrowly escaping several inferior teams before Saturday. The problem in Lawrence all starts at point guard, as Elijah Johnson continues to struggle for KU.

Johnson nearly single-handedly lost the game for Kansas on Saturday. The senior shot 3 of 14 from the floor and committed four costly turnovers in the second half that led to easy transition buckets for the Cowboys.  The Jayhawks had a four point lead late in the second half, and good point guard play would have allowed KU to put the game away. Instead, Johnson handed it to OSU on a silver platter.

Johnson has 19 turnovers against 19 assists in his last five games, while also shooting a poor percentage from the floor. After excelling as a shooting guard late last season next to Tyshawn Taylor, Johnson simply hasn’t looked comfortable playing the point this year.

The problem for Kansas is a lack of depth – Naadir Tharpe is the only other player capable of playing the point, and the young guard has struggled with consistency this season. Tharpe hit some big shots for KU on Saturday, but he is best used as a change-of-pace of the bench. A Tharpe-Johnson backcourt also presents problems for Bill Self, because it means he has to sit either Ben McLemore or Travis Releford, both who are playing at an extremely high level for Kansas.

Self has said that he will stick by Johnson, and really he doesn’t have any other choice. Kansas fans will continue to hope and pray the senior figures it out and plays at a higher level. The Jayhawks have all the pieces to win a ninth straight Big 12 title and make another deep NCAA tournament run. However, if Johnson continues to play poorly, KU could be in trouble.

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Friday, February 1, 2013

Kansas - Oklahoma State Preview

While it hasn’t always been pretty, the Kansas Jayhawks have made it to this point in the Big 12 season undefeated in conference play, and currently have a two game lead over several teams tied for second. KU will look to stay undefeated and increase their lead on Saturday, when the Jayhawks host the Oklahoma State Cowboys. The game is scheduled to begin at 3:00 p.m.

The Jayhawks’ struggles on offense lately have mostly been a result of sloppy guard play, particularly from senior point guard Elijah Johnson. Johnson has been prone to turnovers, and is struggling to score from both beyond the arc and in the lane. Ben McLemore has quickly turned into Kansas’ best offensive weapon, and Jeff Withey and Travis Releford are both efficiently scoring as well. If Johnson can return to the form he displayed in the latter portion of last season, Kansas’ offense will greatly improve.

Oklahoma State is one of the most talented teams in the league, and many pegged them as the second-best team behind Kansas before the season started. OSU is 4-3 in Big 12 play, however all three losses have come on the road to good teams – Kansas State, Oklahoma and Baylor. The Cowboys narrowly beat Iowa State at home on Wednesday, thanks to Marcus Smart’s layup with only seconds left on the clock. If Oklahoma State can defeat Kansas in Lawrence, they will take a huge step towards locking up an NCAA tournament berth and will be officially part of the Big 12’s upper tier of teams.

Kansas has won 102 of its last 103 home games; however Oklahoma State provides a huge challenge. If Kansas can finally get its offense to wake up, they shouldn’t have much trouble handling the Cowboys. However, if KU continues to shoot poorly from three and turns the ball over, Oklahoma State has the talent to pull the upset.

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Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Kansas Defeats West Virginia

The Kansas Jayhawks’ new number one ranking was quickly put to test, as the team got all they wanted from West Virginia in Morgantown last night. Despite blowing a big early lead and some sloppy play, KU hung on to win 61-56. The Jayhawks now have a nation-leading 18 game winning streak, and sit alone in first place in the Big 12 with a 7-0 record.

Kansas was led by Jeff Withey, who had another big game on both ends of the floor. Withey finished with 15 points, 7 rebounds and 4 blocks, anchoring another stout defensive performance from the Jayhawks. Kansas has held its past six opponents to fewer than 60 points, which has been crucial due to the team’s lack of offensive production.

Early on, it looked like the Jayhawks were on their way to a blowout. KU built a 15 point lead, only to turn the ball over repeatedly and allow the Mountaineers to quickly get back into the game. Kansas had 16 turnovers in the game, and point guard Elijah Johnson once again struggled to put together a consistent performance.

The Jayhawks also struggled from the free throw line, hitting a dismal 18 of 34 attempts. The poor free throw shooting and turnovers wasted a solid shooting night from the floor, as KU hit 54% of the field goals they attempted.

Kansas will be back in action on Saturday, when they host Oklahoma State (13-5, 3-3). West Virginia’s next three games are against the teams that currently sit with the Mountaineers towards the bottom of the conference – Texas Tech, Texas and TCU. WVU will have to find a way to win all three if it wants to get back into the NCAA tournament discussion. The Mountaineers have never missed the big dance under head coach Bob Huggins.

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Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Kansas Once Again Beats KState In Manhattan

Kansas seized early control of the Big 12 conference race last night, edging Kansas State 59-55 in Manhattan. The Jayhawks have now won 16 straight games, and are still unbeaten in conference play. KU has won 45 of its last 48 games against KState, including a 23-2 mark in Bramlage Coliseum.

During the second half, it appeared that the Jayhawks were going to put the Wildcats away for good thanks to Ben McLemore. The redshirt freshman, who will be an early in pick in next year’s draft, scored five consecutive points to give Kansas a 10 point lead. However, KState got an answer from Shane Southwell, who hit consecutive three pointers to keep the Wildcats close. Southwell, who had a career high 19 points, also got KSU within three late, however KU closed the game out at the free throw line.

The 59 points were a season low for Kansas, and concerns about the team’s offense continue to grow. Kansas is averaging only 61 points per game in its last four contests, relying on its stout defense to grind out wins. While KU’s defense will keep them in every game, Bill Self will have to address the offense and try to get better play out of senior point guard Elijah Johnson, who has struggled mightily in conference play.

On paper, this is the toughest regular season game the Jayhawks had remaining, and the win now makes them heavy favorites to claim a ninth-straight Big 12 title. KU will face Oklahoma at home on Saturday, which should provide the team with another tough test. The Sooners are 4-1 in conference play this season, including impressive recent wins over Oklahoma State and Texas.

KState will have to regroup quickly, as they travel to Ames on Saturday to face Iowa State, who also only has one loss in conference play – which came in overtime in Lawrence against Kansas.

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Tuesday, February 22, 2011

KU Routs Oklahoma State Despite Missing Tyshawn Taylor

Kansas has suspended starting guard Tyshawn Taylor for an undisclosed reason, citing that the junior has violated team rules. Taylor has had an up and down season so far, averaging a shade under nine points and five assists per game.

This latest incident is yet another setback for the talented yet troubled Taylor. Last season, Taylor's Twitter resulted in Bill Self taking the internet away from the guard. Even worse, Taylor was injured in a campus fight which also resulted in a suspension. KU fans keep waiting for Taylor, who has flashed signs of greatness in his time in Lawrence, to grow up. Unfortunately, that seems like a lofty dream at this point.

Fortunately for Bill Self, his team is once again one of the deepest in the country. KU ran all over Oklahoma State 92-65 in a game that was never in doubt. Elijah Johnson had a monster game for the Jayhawks, and the Morris twins dominated an overmatched Oklahoma State team from the start. KU has survived key injuries and two suspensions this season due to a ridiculous stockpile of talent and depth, which will make it tough to beat in March. In its quest to catch Texas in the Big 12 standings, KU picked up a key victory and lived to fight another day.

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