Kansas Defeats North Carolina, Advances To Sweet 16

As usual, the Kansas Jayhawks are the only Big 12 team left in the NCAA tournament. KU overcame a poor first half on Sunday to eventually take down UNC 70-58. The win advances the Jayhawks to the Sweet 16 for the third consecutive year.

The first half couldn’t have gone worse for Kansas, as the team continued the sluggish play it showcased in its narrow round one victory over Western Kentucky. The Jayhawks constantly turned the ball over and failed to make several layups. Some timely baskets by Travis Releford and solid defense kept Kansas in the game, and the Jayhawks entered the break down by nine.

The second half was a completely different story for KU, as the Jayhawks ultimately outscored the Tar Heels 49-28 in the period. Kansas finally hit some threes, and Jeff Withey dominated the paint on both ends of the floor. Withey finished with 16 points, 16 rebounds and five blocks, while Releford added 22 points and 8 rebounds in his last college game in his hometown of Kansas City. Naadir Tharpe also finally woke up for the Jayhawks, burying a couple of threes in the second half to help KU secure the victory.

Withey has emerged as a consistent force for Kansas, but Releford may be the biggest X-factor on the team. The fifth-year senior is one of the best perimeter defenders in the country and also an efficient scorer. Often as Releford goes, so does Kansas – the Jayhawks are 26-0 this year when he scores at least nine points and 4-5 when he doesn’t. Given Elijah Johnson and Ben McLemore’s inconsistent play, the Jayhawks will need Releford to continue to produce if they want to make a second-consecutive Final Four.

Up next for Kansas are the Michigan Wolverines. The Jayhawks will play at 6:37 p.m. this Friday in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

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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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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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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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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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Kansas - Kansas State Preview

The stakes are higher than normal for this year’s first installment of the Sunflower Showdown, as (3) Kansas and (11) Kansas State will be playing for sole possession of first place in the Big 12. Both schools are currently undefeated in league play.

Despite riding a nation-leading 15 game winning streak, the Jayhawks have struggled recently, squeaking out narrow victories over Iowa State and Texas. Kansas has struggled offensively, yet has been bailed out routinely by a great defensive effort led by the nation’s best shot blocker, Jeff Withey. Kansas does have the potential to get hot on offense, especially if freshman Ben McLemore, who leads the Jayhawks in scoring with 16.4 ppg, can get into a groove.

The Wildcats have won eight games in a row, and senior Rodney McGruder has been largely responsible for KSU’s recent surge. McGruder is averaging 15.5 ppg this season, and has been on a tear since conference play began. McGruder will most likely draw Kansas’ Travis Releford, who is one of the best perimeter defenders in the entire country. In the Wildcats two meetings with the Jayhawks last season, McGruder struggled, shooting only 9 of 30 from the floor and 1 of 7 from three. If KState is going to turn the tide against KU, he will have to find a way to be a factor offensively.

The Jayhawks are a ridiculous 22-2 in Bramlage Coliseum since it opened in 1987 and have won 44 of the last 47 meetings. While KU has struggled offensively lately, they still have more firepower than KState and could be due for a big game. The matchup between Releford and McGruder will be the key to this one. If McGruder can continue to play well, KState will have a strong shot at the upset. If Releford once again shuts McGruder down, it may likely be business-as-usual for the Jayhawks in Manhattan.

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Saturday Recap - Kansas Likely to be Ranked Number One

Kansas made a strong win for the number one ranking in the nation with a season sweep of Iowa State. KU beat Iowa State 89-66 in Lawrence, moving to 9-1 in the Big 12 and 24-1 overall. After starting the season ranked seventh, achieving the number one ranking would be another sign that Bill Self has done one of his best coaching jobs with this year's team.

KU has been able to maintain its momentum despite several key injuries, including freshman sensation Josh Selby and key reserve Thomas Robinson. Tyrel Reed and Jeff Withey are also battling nagging injuries but shouldn't miss any time. The key to the Jayhawks' season will be how healthy can Kansas get by March - a full strength KU squad could easily contend for a national title.

KU was in this same position last season, however something feels different about this year's team. Last year, Kansas struggled throughout the year to put away lesser opponents and failed to execute on basketball's different stage. Since the loss to Texas, KU has ran through the league and managed to not miss a beat despite injury problems. When healthy, this team is arguably the best team in the country, but any more injuries could derail KU's campaign for a second national title in the past four seasons.