Monday Miscellany: A Rock-Chalk Triple-Double the Hard Way

This will be a brief look at the defending-champion Kansas Jayhawks' tournament victory yesterday, as a larger foe in Michigan State awaits them, but there are a few nuggets worth loading, you know where.

The Kansas City Star has a brief synopsis of the game here, but if you're not feeling like reading that much, here're a few bullet points:

* The two teams combined for 52 points in the first half, which, for KU, isn't good.

* How the Flyers, who put up some 70+ shots, and scored only 43 points -- you do the math -- managed to eliminate sixth-seed West Virginia in the first round is beyond me.

* KU guard Sherron Collins had a magnificent afternoon with 25 points and an impressive all-around performance.

* The story of the day, however, was Cole Aldrich, who had one assist, 13 points, 20 rebounds, and 10 blocked shots.

* Aldrich's afternoon yielded the first triple-double in Kansas history since the 1986 re-birth of NCAA tournament recordings (the association began noting steals and blocks in '86) of such stats. Former Jayhawk Wilt Chamberlain would've had numerous had the stat been noted back when he played.

* The last tourney triple-double happened in 2003 when Dwayne Wade posted one (points, rebounds, and assists) for Marquette.

* The last tourney triple-double with blocks goes back to 1992 when a guy by the name of Shaquille O'Neal slammed one home for LSU.

* The last time the Jayhawks and the (Michigan State) Spartans squared off was in January, when the Spartans earned the W in East Lansing, 75-62. Kansas, however, won 13 of their next 14 after the game, notching (at least a share of) their fifth consecutive Big XXII title.

Some highlights of yesterday's game:

(video courtesy of Rivals)

The Spartans and Jayhawks will meet Friday night in Indianapolis for the Midwest Regional Semi-Final. The tip will be at 8:37, and the good guys will be wearing the Crimson and Blue.
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Wednesday WhatYouWill: Young 'Hawks Win Convincingly

Last night, at Allen Field House, the championship banner was unveiled, and Kansas took Florida Gulf Coast University out behind the wood shed.

I'll be honest: elover joined me for last night's game, and, our focus was more on adult beverage consumption than watching this game. Early in the first it was semi close, but never again after.

J. Brady McCollough of The Kansas City Star has the beat in today's paper, and Upon Further Review breaks it down as well. As far as I can tell, though, there were two highlights:

1) The unveiling of the 2008 championship banner was apparently quite a spectacle. I guess they turned out the lights and shone some lone beams on the thing, causing Sherron Collins to say, "I almost dropped a tear."

2) The other highlight also involved Collins. The Young No. 4 not known as Tyler Thigpen "had a career-high 25 points on nine-of-14 shooting -- including four of six from three."

In the end, the 85-45 beatdown of the Eagles meant that this young squad can handle undermatched ballers. The banner display meant a little more, hanging beside the ones from 1922, '23, '52, and '88, especially considering that it was officially displayed on the birthday of one Phog Allen.



Rock Chalk, and Happy Belated, Mr. Allen.
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Monday Miscellany: My Defending Champion Kansas Jayhawks Unsoundly Edge My Alma Mater UMKC Roos

I knew the Jayhawks were going to enter the season as a young, green basketball team. Never did I imagine though, that they would open the season at home, against the University of Missouri-Kansas City Kangaroos, and toy with the idea of losing.

A look at the schedule by non-KU fans would see this game and call it a bogus match, a way to get an easy win. And one would struggle to mount an argument against that theory. One might not've noticed however, who was slated to start for this Jayhawks squad. Have a look here, here, here, here, and here. That's three sophomores, one junior, one senior, and, uh, four of the whitest guys on the planet.

Even still, I was surprised when the Roos hit the floor and drained a couple of early threes for their first lead of the game, one they would hold until late in the first half. The clubs entered the break at a tie, but I was practically convinced that this would be the first upset of the season for KU. Twas not to be, though, as the Jayhawks came out strong in the second, and finished with a 71-56 victory. No surprise that Sherron "Keep it in Your Pants" Collins led all scorers with 16. Aldrich and Reed weren't far behind with 13, 12 respectively. Markieff Morris threw in some surprises of his own as he pulled down 15 boards. One win down; 30 to go.
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Rock. Chalk (Note the lack of choke). Baby.

Damn. There is a God after all. The last time I was this amped up for a sequence of sporting events was, well, 20 years ago. Four rounds ago, I told my sister I didn't see a KU/UNC matchup happening this year, or anytime soon for that matter. In a flash, it was here, and the Jayhawks were destined -- I was sure -- to be eliminated by none other than Roy Williams' Tar Heels. When that insane spectacle of a game came and went, leaving 'Hawk Nation thrilled, floored, and hungover, I thought that that must've been our championship. Our moment in the sun was to go down in the books as sending Roy home. Never in a million years did I imagine the championship game would be so intense, so draining, so sweet.

I'm the first to admit -- Lord knows I took a lot of flack for it -- that just under seven minutes to go, I gave up. In my eyes, all hope was lost. John Calipari and his Memphis Tigers had the proverbial stranglehold on the game, and were prepared to send the 'Hawks home, again without the crown.

Fate had something else in mind.

I thought my friend Bean was insane when, at the seven-minute mark, he predicted overtime. In. Flipping. Sane. I was convinced that Kansas would be denied the title, Coach Self would be history, and Roy would secretly be please. Obviously, neither was true. Then, however, when the lost hope behind the lost hope began to fade, the inevitable, the absotively im-freaking-possible occurred.



I know there've been tons of last-minute/desperation attempts in the history of sports, but that three, for my money, was the ace of spades. That's right. A little Motorhead with your championship Tuesday never hurt. And then, the 'Hawks, knowing the historical significance of that Mario Chalmers tres, came out and dominated the overtime period. It was, and I don't think I'm alone, one of, if not, the best NCAA championship game I've seen this side of two decades. Yes. I'm biased. Sue me.



Lastly, before worrying about whether or not Self leaves for Oklahoma State, or Brandon Rush goes pro, or what have you, please click here, scroll to the comments, and note the one with the time stamp of March 17, 2008 @ 2:51 p.m. It has, for several weeks now, been my indisputable passion to type this closing statement.

Update: The naysayers must be the naysayers. It's inevitable. Here, however, is your non-Wikipedia, not-in-a-Microsoft-Excel-spreadsheet evidence that Chalmers' foot is behind the line. It's at the 2:17 mark. All apologies for the Linkin Park.



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