KU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Creighton visits tonight. 3B
SPORTS
WHY, I OUGHTA … Bob Knight, right, congratulates Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski on his 903rd win. Story on page 5B
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LAWRENCE JOURNAL-WORLD LJWorld.com/sports Wednesday, November 16, 2011
KENTUCKY 75, KANSAS 65
LOUD AND CLEAR
Nick Krug/Journal-World Photos
KENTUCKY GUARD MARQUIS TEAGUE CELEBRATES A DUNK in front of Kansas players Tyshawn Taylor (10) and Conner Teahan (2) and UK teammate Terrence Jones during the second half. Kentucky beat KU, 75-65, Tuesday in New York.
UK pulls away, makes statement By Gary Bedore gbedore@jlworld.com
NEW YORK — The winningest college basketball program of all time looked quite a bit better than No. 2 ... at least on Tuesday night. Kentucky’s roster full of future NBA millionaires used a 15-2 second-half run (that stretched to 24-7) to bust a halftime tie en route to a 75-65 victory over Kansas University in the nightcap of a Champions Classic doubleheader in Madison Square Garden. The Wildcats led by as many as 17 points — 54-37 with 10 minutes left — before KU staged a late rally. “They are so talented one through seven. I really think they’ll be amazing,” KU senior point guard Tyshawn Taylor said. Playing close to his Hoboken, N.J., home, he scored a game-
Wildcats’ swats flummox KU
high 22 points off miserable 3-of-13 shooting. The 6-foot-3 senior, who had five of his shots blocked, did get fouled enough to account for 15 of 17 free-throw shooting. Backcourt partner Elijah Johnson went 3-of-11 on a night the Jayhawks hit 33.9 percent of their shots to the Wildcats’ 51 percent. “They are so tall, and they get out and go,” Taylor said. “We competed. We played well at times. We just didn’t take care of the ball (14 turnovers to UK’s 19). It sucks to lose, but it’s a learning experience. It’s not like our season is over. “I feel like I just lost a championship, but really we’re just two games into the season. We’ll learn from this. Kentucky is young, but we are inexperienced, too.” KANSAS COACH BILL SELF TALKS with forward KU coach Bill Self thought his Thomas Robinson after Robinson fouled out against Kentucky. Please see KANSAS, page 4B
NEW YORK — Five minutes into the second half of Tuesday night’s game against Kentucky in renovated Madison Square Garden, Elijah Johnson, Kansas University’s springy junior guard who revels in punishing rims, took the pass in the left corner and took off toward the hoop. Time for him to make a poster, except that he passed it to Justin Wesley. That’s what watching teammate after teammate get shots swatted from Kentucky defenders who seemingly weren’t in the play can do to a would-be dunker’s confidence. Shot-blockers alter shots. Shot-blockers who come from so far away so quickly and with such long reaches do more than alter shots. They alter decisions, such as Johnson’s passive one. Tyshawn Taylor repeatedly took the opposite approach, hurrying to get shots
Tom Keegan tkeegan@ljworld.com
off, perhaps figuring if he didn’t hurry, a shot-blocker would swoop in to send his shot into the stands. Still, many of his shots were swatted. He was far from alone in that regard. Kentucky center Anthony Davis blocked seven shots, and forwards Terrence Jones and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist swatted three apiece. “It’s nice when you can block shots,” Kentucky coach John Calipari said. “We’re pretty long.” Please see KEEGAN, page 4B
Turnover turn-around has helped KU football By Matt Tait mtait@ljworld.com
With Kansas University’s football team losing eight straight since starting the season 2-0, finding tangible evidence of improvement has been difficult. However, in the past few games, the Jayhawks have shown growth in the area of creating turnovers. After forcing just one turnover in the first five games, KU has recorded nine turnovers in
the past three games and 12 in the past five. “I think if you go back and look at us from Oklahoma on, I think we have made more plays defensively,” defensive coordinator Vic Shealy said. “And I think you’re seeing more what you would call defensive ball plays, which gives you a chance to get turnovers and get off the field on third down.” Junior safety Bradley McDougald (two takeaways, three pass break-ups and 32 tackles in the
past three games) has done a lot of the heavy lifting for the KU defense in the turnover department, but he went the unselfish route when asked about his contribution. “It gives our offense more momentum,” McDougald said. “It can totally swing the momentum of the game. Even if we don’t score, we take away clock so it’s a win-win situation for our defense.” Gill said Tuesday he thought the encouragement to look past
the yardage totals and hone in on takeaways helped turn things around. “As I told them, the offense is going to move the football in the Big 12 Conference, but we have to find a way to create turnovers,” Gill said. “When you create turnovers, your players, both offensively and defensively, get excited. They’re going to run around with more enthusiasm when you cause some fumbles and get interceptions. It brings some energy to your football team.”
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I think if you go back and look at us from Oklahoma on, I think we have made more plays defensively.”
Defense shifting back to 4-3? A lot was made this offseason about the KU defense switching to a 3-4 set in order to get more speed and linebackers on the field. Now it seems as if the Jayhawks have shifted back to the 4-3 look that employs four defensive linemen and three linebackers. “Yeah, we’ve been in the 4-3 the majority of the time now,” — Kansas senior defensive tackle Patrick University football Dorsey said. defensive coordinator Vic Shealy Please see FOOTBALL, page 3B