Previewing MSU vs. Kansas

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...The Detroit News



Players to watch

 Sherron Collins is one of the top guards in the country and often dominates games with a freakish mix of strength (5-foot-11, 205 pounds) and speed.

 Collins scored a career high 32 in Kansas' first-round victory over North Dakota State. He had 25 points and eight assists in a loss at Michigan State on January 10.



 "He's scoring big-time and putting up about 20 shots a game," Spartans G Kalin Lucas said of Collins. "We have to at least have six eyes on him at all times."

 The presence of C Goran Suton will be crucial for Michigan State.

 Suton will not only be counted on to score but play solid defense against Kansas' 6-foot-11 C Cole Aldrich .

 Against Dayton, Aldrich had a triple double with 10 blocks, marking the sixth time in NCAA Tournament history a player has registered a triple-double.





Key matchup

 If you like gritty matchups, there probably won't be one better than Sherron Collins vs. Travis Walton .

 Both players are two of the strongest and most vocal leaders of their respective teams.

  Collins, a junior, has 67 double-figure scoring games in his career, and led his team in scoring 34 times and in assists 44 times.

 Walton, the Big Ten defensive player of the year, scored a career high 18 against USC.

Significant stats

  ? Michigan State is 5-0 in NCAA Tournament games in Indianapolis dating to 1978. The statistic includes a Midwest Regional semifinal victory over No. 3 LSU and Midwest Regional final victory over No. 1 Notre Dame -- both in 1979.

 ? Since a Jan. 10 loss to Michigan State at Breslin Center, Kansas has won 16 of 18 games, including going 14-2 in the Big 12.

 

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(3) Kansas vs. (2) Michigan State
Friday, 9:37 PM

There is not a doubt in my mind that if USC had defeated Michigan State, Kansas would be facing an honest-to-goodness triangle-and-two defense in this game. With an offense where anyone not named "Sherron Collins" or "Cole Aldrich" is forbidden by state law to attempt a shot, the Jayhawks were born to face that look. The Spartans prevailed against the Trojans, however, and so Tom Izzo's defense will play KU straight up. Truth be told, that defense has had a lot of success this year playing opponents straight up. When MSU has the ball, this game will mark the first real test of their crash-the-glass mode of scoring. Aldrich is one of the finest defensive rebounders in the nation, playing for a team that yet again led the Big 12 in this category. This game could be bizarro Syracuse/Oklahoma: close but low-efficiency on offense.

 

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MSU vs. Kansas: Scouting report and more


...Detroit Free Press


Backcourt

Kansas has one of the best point guards in the country in junior Sherron Collins. Michigan State has a fine point guard in Kalin Lucas. MSU's top defensive player, Travis Walton, will match up against Collins, hoping to have the same success against him that he did in January. Although Collins scored 25 points in the first meeting, he scored only five in the first half and committed eight turnovers. Kansas also will be wary of Walton's shooting. He scored 11 against the Jayhawks in January and 18 against Southern Cal on Sunday. Fellow Kansas guards Brady Morningstar and Tyshawn Taylor stumbled in their first effort against MSU, scoring five and two points, respectively. But two months of growth should have them more prepared to face the Spartans.

Edge: Michigan State.

Frontcourt

MSU power forward Delvon Roe can grab rebounds and has the confidence to push past defenders for lay-ups. In January, Roe had five points and five boards against Kansas. KU freshman Markieff Morris fouled out in the last meeting between the teams and finished with four points and three rebounds. Since returning from his illness, MSU small forward Raymar Morgan hasn't had an outing that has matched his 13-point, eight-rebound game against Kansas on Jan. 10. Morgan could work well with Roe to help Goran Suton. Cole Aldrich is an NBA-caliber center and won't be shut down by the Spartans. But Aldrich isn't very mobile and could struggle if MSU plays an up-tempo pace. Aldrich got the best of Suton in January, but Suton had a mild case of food poisoning that limited his strength. Suton is coming off one of the best defensive efforts of his career, holding USC's Taj Gibson scoreless from the field.

Edge: Kansas.

Bench

This is MSU's strength, and it will be a bigger strength than it was in January. The Spartans can count on Chris Allen, Durrell Summers, Korie Lucious and Draymond Green to get double-digit points. That makes it more difficult for opponents to prepare for MSU. Kansas' bench is young, and the Jayhawks don't have much in the way of scoring besides shooting guards Tyrel Reed and Mario Little.

Edge: Michigan State.

Coaching

Bill Self broke his championship jinx by beating Memphis in last year's NCAA tournament final, but Self had a decent tournament r?sum? before that, including stops at Tulsa and Illinois. Spartans coach Tom Izzo has a .737 NCAA tournament winning percentage -- fifth-best among active coaches. He is coaching in his eighth Sweet 16 in the past 12 years.

Edge: Michigan State.

Intangibles

Kansas is the reigning national champion. Although the bulk of that squad is gone, being the titleholder is a confidence booster. MSU has done well in Indianapolis, going 5-0 in NCAA tournament games there.

 

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Jayhawks better now, but so are Spartans



INDIANAPOLIS -- When Kansas visited East Lansing two months ago, the Jayhawks were an inexperienced group seeking an identity after the departure of seven players from last year's national championship team.
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Michigan State, with home-court advantage and a maturity edge, handled the Jayhawks, 75-62, on Jan. 10.

So much can change in a short period of time in college basketball. Kansas regrouped after the loss and won a fifth consecutive regular-season championship in the Big 12.

With more big-game experience on their r?sum? and improved chemistry, the Jayhawks are eager for today's rematch against MSU in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament at Lucas Oil Stadium.

"I think we're more mature as a team," freshman guard Tyshawn Taylor said. "When we played Michigan State earlier, it was our second away game of the season. I think we were like 11, 10 games in -- still young, still going through some things, some growing pains like a young team does."

Taylor was one of the players who experienced growing pains. He scored two points in 18 minutes. His season scoring average is 9.8 points.

Kansas' standout players -- point guard Sherron Collins and center Cole Aldrich -- will handle much of the load again today, but they'll need assistance from their teammates to handle the arsenal of threats MSU has.

Reserve guard Tyrel Reed scored 10 points in 20 minutes in the first meeting. But with the exception of Aldrich, the Jayhawks struggled against the Spartans' defense.

"It's going to be fun," Aldrich said of the rematch. "They really took it to us (in January). They're a really good team. They're strong and physical, and they will get out and run."

Like MSU -- which played without Delvon Roe at full strength and now has reserves such as shooting guard Durrell Summers and power forward Draymond Green contributing valuable time -- Kansas will have different faces in the mix. Junior guard Mario Little missed most of the nonconference season because of a leg injury and was just getting back into game shape when Kansas faced MSU.

Coach Bill Self knows the teams that met in January are much better today.

"You're going to see two relatively healthy ballclubs that are probably playing the best ball they've played," Self said. "I hope we're playing the best ball we played all year this weekend because it will certainly take that (to win)."

 

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Ready for rematch

Jayhawks expecting physical matchup


...LJWorld


Kansas University basketball big-man coach Danny Manning met with walk-on center Matt Kleinmann prior to Tuesday?s practice in Allen Fieldhouse.

??(Tick) him off. Just (tick) him off,? Kleinmann said of his working orders on how best to prepare Cole Aldrich for what he?s to face in the Sweet 16 today against ultra-physical Michigan State (8:37 p.m., Lucas Oil Stadium).?Coach Manning said, ?Lean on him. Be physical with him. Push him as hard as you can.?

?I told Cole, ?I?m going to annoy you.? That was my one warning to him. That I was going to push him, knee him, kick him, elbow him as much as I could all week.?

Kleinmann?s work culminated in a Thursday morning practice at the Indiana Pacers? training facility in which the Jayhawks, according to coach Bill Self, ?went as hard as we have all year.?

?I feel like I?ve been in a wrestling ring with him (Aldrich),? said Kleinmann, 6-foot-10, 250 pounds.

Aldrich realizes the pushing, shoving and clawing at practice has been with his best interests in mind.

In all, six Spartans guarded the 6-foot-11, 245-pound Aldrich in KU?s 75-62 loss to the Spartans on Jan. 10 at Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich.

?They threw everybody at me,? Aldrich said of a game in which he scored 14 points off 4-of-9 shooting (six of eight from the line) and grabbed 11 rebounds in 36 minutes.

?Let?s see ? there was Delvon Roe, (Idong) Ibok, (Goran) Suton, (Marquise) Gray,? he said of specific Spartans who took turns on him.

?I?m missing two. I can?t think of them all, there were so many,? added Aldrich, who also was harassed by Draymond Green and Raymar Morgan.

?They are big, strong, physical, will bang on you down low, try to wear you out. They love to run. They crash the boards, get their hands on everything. Playing against big, strong teams like (Tom) Izzo?s ... it?s fun.?

Coincidentally, the defensive plan Aldrich will face tonight is one the Jayhawks used to perfection last year in the Final Four.

?Against Tyler Hansbrough, we threw as many big bodies as we could at him,? Kleinmann said of North Carolina?s big man, who had his hands full with Sasha Kaun, Darrell Arthur, Darnell Jackson and Aldrich in the Jayhawks? semifinal victory.

?You saw how that turned out,? Kleinmann added. ?It?s pretty good strategy. You?ve got guys with fresh legs. You tell them, ?You are only going to be in the game for 10 minutes, so push him (Aldrich), make him tired.? It?s an effective strategy.?

Aldrich ? he?s coming off last Sunday?s triple-double against Dayton ? insists he and his teammates will be ready for tonight?s challenge.

?I think we can take a lot from the first time we played them,? Aldrich said. ?Our offense really struggled until the 12-minute mark. We had problems in transition. They really get back on defense. We feel we?ve improved a lot since then, and I?m sure they have, too. I just see it as a fun game.?

KU coach Self says the No. 3-seeded Jayhawks (27-7) need to play as hard as they have all season to stand a chance of downing the No. 2 seed Spartans (28-6).

That?s the reason for this week?s intense practices, ones that have included the hard knocks inside on Aldrich.

?One thing we?ve tried to accomplish at practice is to get the guys to realize how tough and strong Michigan State is, how tough they are on the glass,? Self said. ?They whipped us on the glass that first game.?

Michigan State, which is the nation?s top rebounding team (10.1 margin to KU?s 7.2) outboarded the Jayhawks, 42-31.

?Boxing out is 25 to 50 percent of it,? Self said of the key to rebounding tonight. ?The other part is having guys that are relentless on the glass, (with) want-to, not allowing yourself to get blocked out and hitting somebody, going after every ball with two hands.

?Tom (Izzo) over time has done the best job in America of coaching rebounding, and their stats back it up. Against them, you have to go attack the ball. You have to hit and go as opposed to hit and wait.?

Of course, Self believes his big man will respond to the challenge. Aldrich had 20 boards Sunday against Dayton.

?I haven?t had anybody like Cole that?s come this fast,? Self said of the sophomore who averages 14.8 points and 11.0 rebounds. ?The thing about Cole is, he?s not even strong yet. He still needs a ton of lower-body strength. He?s just developing, his offensive repertoire, his game. He hasn?t come close to reaching his ceiling. It?s exciting.

?I?ve only been around one true big guy that could impact the college game like him, and that was ?Big Country? (Bryant Reeves) at Oklahoma State. Cole has a chance to be the best big guy I?ve been around that is a true center.?

Of course, it?s not only about Aldrich tonight.

Sherron Collins, who scored 57 points and had 10 assists against just two turnovers in first- and second-round victories over North Dakota State and Dayton last week in Minneapolis, is the other half of KU?s dynamic duo.

Collins had 25 points, eight assists against eight turnovers versus MSU in East Lansing.

?It?s going to be a tough game. I like games with contact, to hit and get hit,? Collins said.

Self doesn?t know how well Collins will play in the MSU rematch, but he does know the junior will show up with fire.

?The day before we played Memphis last year, I asked Sherron, ?Who can guard (Derrick) Rose?? He said, ?I can.? I said, ?No, you?re too little. He?ll post you,??? Self related.

?He said, ?No, I can guard him.? I said, ?We?re going to have to probably put somebody a little bigger, stronger, tougher on him.? He said, ?Watch, just put me on him.? That?s how he operates.

?He defended him pretty well. He didn?t shut him out, but certainly for 30 minutes defended him very, very well.?

As far as guys not named Collins and Aldrich, Self, who had one-on-one chats with Tyshawn Taylor and the Morris twins this week, thinks KU?s supporting cast will be ready.

?Our team is young, naive, green,? Self said. ?It?s been fun to see them go through this. The focus has been great. Hopefully we play relaxed and play well.?

 

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Bedore?s Kansas basketball notebook

...LJWorld





Shooting woes

Kansas University guard Brady Morningstar enters having hit nine of his last 35 shots over seven games, including six of 25 threes.



?Every shooter misses shots. I?ve missed some the last couple games,? Morningstar said. ?I look for my shot. It?ll start falling. I?ve got to knock down open shots to help take the pressure off Cole (Aldrich) and Sherron (Collins).?




One key matchup

Morningstar, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 187 pounds, will guard Raymar Morgan, who is 6-8, 225.

?He?s good, strong, physical. He plays hard,? said Morningstar, who scored five points and had three rebounds in KU?s 75-62 loss to the Spartans on Jan. 10 in East Lansing, Mich. Morgan had 13 points and eight boards.

?I?m sure people will think he?ll dominate,? Morningstar added. ?I guarded a lot of players his size this year, like Budinger (Chase, Arizona). I will not back down, neither will he.?

Rush in the house

Former KU guard Brandon Rush attended KU?s practice Thursday morning at the Indiana Pacers? practice facility.

The Jayhawks were in the stands for the Pacers? victory over former KU guard Mario Chalmers? Miami Heat on Wednesday. They had seats halfcourt, about 20 rows up.

?I loved it. It?s the first time I?ve seen those two in the NBA,? Morningstar said. ?Brandon watched practice today. He was going to lift (weights). Coach Self asked him if he had any advice for us. He said, ?Go out there and play.? He?s always been a man of few words,? Morningstar added, laughing.

Collins laughed when asked about Rush?s talk to the team.

?He said this is our time. He told us to ?Do our thing,??? Collins said.



Rematches

Self has compiled a 16-4 record (at KU and Illinois) in games his teams played after suffering a loss earlier in the season.

?I?ve never thought about that,? Self said. ?Usually if you lost to a team that you are going to play twice, it?s happened because you played in their building and the return game is in your building, so you should have an advantage.?

On Billy G

Self on rumors that his buddy, Billy Gillispie, may be fired after two seasons at Kentucky.

?I don?t think it?s fair. Nobody cares what I think,? Self said. ?You?ve had a lot of coaches out there over time that struggled in their first few years on a job. One of them lives and resides in Durham, N.C.,? Self added of Duke?s Mike Krzyzewski.

?Ten Final Fours later and three national championships later they?re probably glad they didn?t move on that (firing him). I think Billy is the same way. Given time, Billy will have Kentucky competing for championships again.

?Obviously in today?s time, patience is not one of society?s virtues,? Self added. ?It?s win and win now. It?s a quick fix on everything. Sometimes I think you have to step back and think big picture, what would be best over time? There?s no doubt in my mind they?ve got the right guy at the helm. But he?s going to need a little bit of time.?

Taylor will be OK

KU guard Collins said he hasn?t had many one-on-one chat sessions with freshman guard Tyshawn Taylor this week.

Taylor struggled a bit in wins over North Dakota State and Dayton last weekend.

?I haven?t talked to him as much this week as last week,? Collins said. ?He understands what is expected, to calm down, don?t think as much. He?s getting a feel for it (tournament play).?

Collins said he could tell early on how Taylor would fare in a game.

?Probably the first three minutes, five minutes,? Collins said. ?The biggest thing with him is being consistent.?

?I want to help the team the best way I can, by playing hard,? Taylor said. ?That?s what I?m going to do.?




Stephenson appears to be KU-bound

The recruiting world believes Lance Stephenson, a 6-foot-5 senior guard from Lincoln High in Brooklyn, N.Y., will play college basketball at Kansas University next season.

?He really wants to play for Bill Self,? a source told Zach Smart of the NBE Basketball Report. ?He had a great visit (to KU), and they essentially sent Danny Manning as the Mariano Rivera in this situation to close the deal.

?Lance understood the magnitude of this decision,? NBE Basketball?s source added. ?He flirted with the idea of revitalizing the St. John?s program and sort of sprouting into a New York City icon by putting SJU and New York City back on the map. But realistically, he wants to win at a big-time program, and Kansas is a perfect fit for him.?