Quick Hitters: Iowa State (Round Three)

The Kansas Jayhawks lost their ninth game of the season yesterday as they fell to Iowa State 94-83. The game was close throughout most of the forty minutes but Georges Niang and Iowa State put on an offensive clinic, shooting 54% from the field and 57% from behind the arc. Let’s take a look at some of the other reasons why Iowa State was able to pull out a win against the Jayhawks in the Big 12 semifinals yesterday:
1. Stopping the Big Three: Kansas had one of their worst defensive performances of the season yesterday giving up 90 points for the second time in three games, and Iowa State’s big three had a lot to do with that. Melvin, Ejim, and Niang combined for 64 points, eight three-balls, 13 rebounds, four steals, and two blocks. With this type of production from their big three, Iowa State is almost unbeatable especially when the other team isn’t playing well on the defensive end of the floor. Our whole team needed to lock down defensively to make sure that the big three didn’t get off to a good start, but unfortunately they weren’t able to accomplish that last night.

2. First shot defense/Rebounding: Kansas’ first shot defense was pretty awful last night. Tharpe and Selden didn’t to guard the perimeter with any intensity which led to 11 three-pointers for Iowa State. For some reason, our guards kept going under the Cyclones’ ball-screens, which led guys like DeAndre Kane and Melvin Ejim to create enough space to get their shots off. Kansas needs to communicate better defensively to make sure there’s always someone going over the top of screens so that this doesn’t keep happening. As for rebounding, Kansas won the battle of the boards grabbing 35 rebounds as opposed to Iowa State’s 31. While it was a good thing that we were able to out-rebound them, the Cyclones were hitting so many shots because our first shot defense was so bad which made it hard for the Jayhawks to grab a lot of extra defensive boards like they usually do.

3. Perry Ellis/Naadir Tharpe: These two Jayhawks couldn’t of had a more opposite game if they tried to. While Perry put up 30 points, seven rebounds, and a steal to help keep Kansas in the game, Naadir Tharpe went zero of five from the field finishing with five free throws, nine assists, and two turnovers. If it hadn’t been for Perry, the Jayhawks would have found themselves trying to catch up from behind the entire game. Naadir played another bad game with the exception of his nine dimes. The problem with Naadir is that he’s not consistent. He can put up big numbers for the Jayhawks in some games, but in others he can’t even hit a shot. If Kansas wants to make a deep run in the Tournament, Naadir has to come to play because when he is effective the Jayhawks usually come away with a win.