February 19: News Headlines Digest
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Also see our Daily Threads, February 19, and the News Digest for Yesterday, February 18, as well as Daily Threads for Yesterday, February 18 ####
###** Tubby Smith: Andrew Wiggins negates strong Texas Tech effort**###
First-year Texas Tech coach Tubby Smith did just about everything a coach could do to set his team up for an upset Tuesday night in United Spirit Arena.
He has partaken in marketing efforts, handing out free tickets to students to revive interest in basketball. He had his team motivated to give its best effort. His switching defenses played a part in Kansas University having trouble running its offense to completion and finding consistent rhythm.
But he wasn’t celebrating afterward because his efforts and those of his hustling players fell just short, 64-63, when Andrew Wiggins’ follow shot feel through the hoop with two seconds remaining.
####Wayne Selden hits critical three after slow start####
Kansas University freshman guard Wayne Selden wasn’t lacking in confidence as he went up for a huge three-point shot attempt with 2:34 left and the Jayhawks down by four points to Texas Tech on Tuesday night in United Spirit Arena.
He put perfect touch on the ball, cutting the deficit to 59-58 in an eventual 64-63 victory.
####Keegan: Joel Embiid thrives in return to Kansas lineup####
After the bumps and bruises that tend to gain steam through the night settle in, more will be known about just how close freshman Joel Embiid’s long, graceful, athletic body is to a full recovery from knee and back injuries.
This much already is known: He was far enough recovered to play a huge role in Kansas University getting out of a United Spirit Arena with a victory.
####Here’s the February 18: Post-game Roundup - KU vs Texas Tech thread.####
Also see our Daily Threads, February 19, and the News Digest for Yesterday, February 18, as well as Daily Threads for Yesterday, February 18
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They forgot to give Embiid an assist on that last play for his “pass” to Wiggins.
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About time Wiggins made a layup!
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@approxinfinity ESPN.GO article LUBBOCK, Texas – Kansas coach Bill Self felt more than a little fortunate that his No. 8 Jayhawks pulled out a 64-63 win against a very tough Texas Tech team.
Andrew Wiggins’ layup with 2 seconds left lifted Kansas to victory Tuesday night.
“I think sometimes you could say they were a little lucky,” he said of the Red Raiders. "They threw some in at the end of the shot clock that maybe weren’t the highest percentage shots, and we were a little lucky that the ball just happened to bounce to Wigs there at the end. That’s part of it.
Freshmen Carry Jayhawks
Kansas squeaked by Texas Tech in Lubbock thanks to stellar play by freshman stars Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid. They were the only Jayhawks to score in double figures, grabbing half of the team’s rebounds and blocking the only shots of the game for Kansas.
Kansas Production in win vs. Texas Tech
Wiggins/Embiid - Rest of KU
Points 37/ 27
FG pct 66.6% 29.2%
Reb. 14 14
Blocks 3 0
Source: ESPN Stats & Information
“We’ve been unlucky and we’ve been lucky before, and they usually balance out over time.”
The freshman finished with 19 points, and Joel Embiid matched his career high with 18 in his return from injury to lead the Jayhawks (20-6, 11-2). Kansas reached 20 wins for the 25th consecutive season and 11 conference victories for the 20th straight year.
Texas Tech’s Robert Turner sank two free throws with 16 seconds left to put the Red Raiders up 63-62, but Kansas brought the ball up and got it inside to Wiggins for the win.
Jordan Tolbert scored 16 points and Dejan Kravic added 13 to lead Texas Tech (13-13, 5-8).
The Jayhawks own a two-game lead in the Big 12 after Texas fell 85-76 at Iowa State on Tuesday night.
“It’s big, it’s big, but it doesn’t mean anything unless we win Saturday,” Self said of Kansas’ home game against the Longhorns. "That’s the game that would give us some serious breathing room, although we’ve got a little bit now, and it was big tonight.
“I wasn’t banking on them losing, all I wanted to do was win two games this week, and if we were able to do that, then it would be a great week.”
The score was tied nine times and the lead changed 13 times.
“I was impressed with Tubby (Smith’s) team and how hard they played and how well they defended, how well they rebounded,” Self said. “They’re going to get better. The guy knows how to win. He’s a proven winner. Those kids played hard.”
Joel Embiid
Michael C. Johnson/USA TODAY Sports
Joel Embiid matched his career high with 18 points in his return from injury.
Kansas held an early 10-point lead but Texas Tech started hammering the ball inside to make the game tight.
“There wasn’t much to say,” Smith said of his team. “They’re down, they’re despondent because it’s a tough loss. They felt like they played well enough to get the win, but you always have to finish the game the right way.”
Tolbert made a bucket as the shot clock expired with 2:51 left to put the Red Raiders up 59-55. But Wayne Seldon Jr. hit a clutch 3-pointer to pull within 59-58. Turner answered with a basket, and Embiid sank two free throws to make it 61-60 with 1:22 remaining.
On the Red Raiders’ next possession, a scrum led to Kansas getting the ball. Embiid dunked it to put the Jayhawks up 62-61.
Turner then made his free throws, and Kansas called a timeout to draw up the play to Wiggins.
Kansas scored 22 points from the free throw line, and Texas Tech netted only nine.
Texas Tech came out after halftime and hit four of its first five shots. Kansas made only one basket in four attempts, allowing the Red Raiders to take their first lead since early in the game, 37-32.
Tolbert capped Texas Tech’s 8-2 run.
But the Red Raiders’ effective defense also created foul trouble. With more than 13 minutes remaining, Jaye Crockett, Kravic and Kader Tapsoba each had three fouls.
Texas Tech sent the Jayhawks to the line often in the second half. Five free throws – by Jamari Traylor and Wiggins – on three possessions pulled Kansas within 46-45 with about 11 minutes remaining. But the Jayhawks regained the lead for the first time in 11 minutes, 52-51, on a pair of free throws by Naadir Tharpe with 7:14 remaining.
But with Kravic back in, and after a turnover by Tharpe, the 7-foot senior tied the game at 53 on a layup with 5:34 left.
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I hope that the whole team comes out with more aggression and intensity than last night against TexasTech. They just can’t let Texas out tough and out muscle them like what they did in Austin. If they play with the proper amount of intensity and play like we know they can, then it will be their first win against an LSA team this year.
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I do my best not to yell at Tharpe, but man, he was killing me that game. There were several times late in the game where he seemed content to get the ball over halfcourt and just stall out over thirty feet from the paint. Not working the shot clock, just…dribbling and squinting over the D.
One thing I still hope to see in the post-NCAA-ring Bill Self era is a blue chip point guard.
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@ajvan me too! In the meantime I really want to see the Tharpe that won a few games for us. Our shooters will have off games, but our pt can’t take a pm off. Hopefully some one on one w/coach, film and some confidence will get him back to playing like we know he can.
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@Crimsonorblue22 Games like that make me wonder if maybe, just maybe, the door isn’t quite closed to Tharpe getting outsted from the starting 5 next year. Mason would be the likely candidate, but if Lyle ends up here…give him a 5% chance? Unlikely, but Tharpe frequently doesn’t look like a guy who has his role sewn up.
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When I watched the ESPN highlights last night they played Bob Davis’ call of the winning play on the radio and it was great! A few years back, I used to complain that I had to sign up for the on-line broadcast and couldn’t watch all of the games. Now that I subscribe to the full court package and can see all of the games. Now I realize I miss hearing Bob…
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@JayHawkFanToo That was great, thank you. I miss Bob.
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Too bad that there is not an option where we ca select whose commentary we listen along with the video broadcast. I have tried to turn the radio on and the TV volume down but there is a time differential and also the radio broadcast does not follow what is being displayed on the screen.
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There are software choices you have… that specifically deal with this. A time lag you can set to match the game. I haven’t tried it but several Jayhawk fans have told me about it. If you find something that works, please post your results on here so others can do the same.
BTW: I’m betting the software is freeware…
