Lzen
03-13-2007, 12:20 PM
Title game ended 20 minutes before brackets released had no influence on seeding
By Kevin Haskin
The Capital-Journal
Published Tuesday, March 13, 2007
LAWRENCE — The unfavorable timing of the championship game in the Big 12 Tournament is often ridiculed by conference coaches.
Bill Self, of Kansas, is among many who would prefer to see the tournament end Saturday. His opinion is as credible as any after guiding the Jayhawks to their second consecutive title in the conference tournament with an 88-84 overtime victory against Texas.
The game was decided about 20 minutes before the NCAA Tournament bracket was announced Sunday, and later it was revealed the outcome in the Big 12 title game would not have affected the No. 1 seed Kansas (30-4) obtained in the West Region.
"We got in the locker room after clipping the net and had about three minutes,'' Self said. "I told them to get their sweatshirts on and go to the room and when we got there, the show was coming on. It wasn't really choreographed as much as we'd like for it to be, but still, it's an exciting time for any player that's ever had a chance to play in the tournament.''
The overtime may have helped the much-maligned Big 12 in some respects, because basketball fans who watched the Big Ten championship and were awaiting the NCAA Selection Show got an opportunity to see Kansas beat Texas in a thrilling finish.
"It was a long day, but we turned it into our favor and won the tournament, then we got a No. 1 seed,'' said freshman guard Sherron Collins after leading Kansas with 20 points.
Most importantly for the Jayhawks, surviving an OT test in a championship atmosphere can't hurt their preparation as they carry an 11-game winning streak into the NCAA Tournament. They open at 6:10 p.m. Friday against the winner of today's play-in game between Niagara and Florida A&M, which is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff in Dayton, Ohio.
"I don't think it ever hurts you to play close games,'' Self said. "In recent memory we've played enough close, grind-it-out games, and certainly been tested. ... Here of late, five of the last six have come down to the last couple of minutes and we needed that.''
To get into a grind with Texas, the Jayhawks pulled off their largest rally in their storied history, overcoming a 22-point deficit. And they did so with two ailing players — center Sasha Kaun (bruised back) and forward Darrell Arthur (bruised pelvic bone) — unable to contribute down the stretch.
In addition, forward Julian Wright made a key contribution in the first half after drawing two fouls, while guard Mario Chalmers fouled out in overtime after hitting a critical 3-pointer to tie the game in regulation. Foul trouble, Self said, actually lessened what fatigue the Jayhawks felt because he was forced to regulate minutes for everyone except Brandon Rush, who logged 44 as Kansas' principle defender on Texas star Kevin Durant.
Afterward, the Jayhawks placed the trophy in the center of the locker room and never really rejoiced too loudly, though the quick tune-in to CBS abruptly curtailed any celebration.
"It was a good weekend for us, but it wasn't near as celebratory as it was in Dallas,'' Self said, referring to the 2006 Big 12 Tournament championship. "Our guys understand that there's a lot more going on than just being content with what occurred. If that's not the case, we won't have a chance to go very far.''
Kaun, Arthur sore
Self said Monday that Kaun was experiencing some stiffness in his lower back stemming from a hard fall in the first half of Sunday's game against Texas.
In addition, Arthur is scheduled for four to five treatments a day to treat a bruised pelvic bone, which prevented the backup forward from playing down the stretch against Texas.
Self hoped both players would be available to practice today after the Jayhawks were off Monday.
http://cjonline.com/stories/031307/haw_155871310.shtml
By Kevin Haskin
The Capital-Journal
Published Tuesday, March 13, 2007
LAWRENCE — The unfavorable timing of the championship game in the Big 12 Tournament is often ridiculed by conference coaches.
Bill Self, of Kansas, is among many who would prefer to see the tournament end Saturday. His opinion is as credible as any after guiding the Jayhawks to their second consecutive title in the conference tournament with an 88-84 overtime victory against Texas.
The game was decided about 20 minutes before the NCAA Tournament bracket was announced Sunday, and later it was revealed the outcome in the Big 12 title game would not have affected the No. 1 seed Kansas (30-4) obtained in the West Region.
"We got in the locker room after clipping the net and had about three minutes,'' Self said. "I told them to get their sweatshirts on and go to the room and when we got there, the show was coming on. It wasn't really choreographed as much as we'd like for it to be, but still, it's an exciting time for any player that's ever had a chance to play in the tournament.''
The overtime may have helped the much-maligned Big 12 in some respects, because basketball fans who watched the Big Ten championship and were awaiting the NCAA Selection Show got an opportunity to see Kansas beat Texas in a thrilling finish.
"It was a long day, but we turned it into our favor and won the tournament, then we got a No. 1 seed,'' said freshman guard Sherron Collins after leading Kansas with 20 points.
Most importantly for the Jayhawks, surviving an OT test in a championship atmosphere can't hurt their preparation as they carry an 11-game winning streak into the NCAA Tournament. They open at 6:10 p.m. Friday against the winner of today's play-in game between Niagara and Florida A&M, which is scheduled for a 6:30 p.m. tipoff in Dayton, Ohio.
"I don't think it ever hurts you to play close games,'' Self said. "In recent memory we've played enough close, grind-it-out games, and certainly been tested. ... Here of late, five of the last six have come down to the last couple of minutes and we needed that.''
To get into a grind with Texas, the Jayhawks pulled off their largest rally in their storied history, overcoming a 22-point deficit. And they did so with two ailing players — center Sasha Kaun (bruised back) and forward Darrell Arthur (bruised pelvic bone) — unable to contribute down the stretch.
In addition, forward Julian Wright made a key contribution in the first half after drawing two fouls, while guard Mario Chalmers fouled out in overtime after hitting a critical 3-pointer to tie the game in regulation. Foul trouble, Self said, actually lessened what fatigue the Jayhawks felt because he was forced to regulate minutes for everyone except Brandon Rush, who logged 44 as Kansas' principle defender on Texas star Kevin Durant.
Afterward, the Jayhawks placed the trophy in the center of the locker room and never really rejoiced too loudly, though the quick tune-in to CBS abruptly curtailed any celebration.
"It was a good weekend for us, but it wasn't near as celebratory as it was in Dallas,'' Self said, referring to the 2006 Big 12 Tournament championship. "Our guys understand that there's a lot more going on than just being content with what occurred. If that's not the case, we won't have a chance to go very far.''
Kaun, Arthur sore
Self said Monday that Kaun was experiencing some stiffness in his lower back stemming from a hard fall in the first half of Sunday's game against Texas.
In addition, Arthur is scheduled for four to five treatments a day to treat a bruised pelvic bone, which prevented the backup forward from playing down the stretch against Texas.
Self hoped both players would be available to practice today after the Jayhawks were off Monday.
http://cjonline.com/stories/031307/haw_155871310.shtml