Scouting the Opponent: The Kansas Jayhawks

The Ohio State Buckeyes will be facing the Kansas Jayhawks in the night cap of the 2012 Final Four this Saturday. The city and state are thrilled and abuzz that their Scarlet and Gray will be on College Basketball’s biggest stage. You all know about your squad, but here at WFNY, we will be able to give you a unique perspective on their opponent.

As many of you know (and to the chagrin of many of my twitter followers), I am a Kansas graduate and a big time fan of the program. People will say its sacrilege, but I will say it anyways – KU basketball is second in my heart to the Indians. Yes, they rank ahead of the Browns for me, and since I’m NBA Free, way ahead of the Cavs. I am a college basketball junkie.

With that said, to get you set for Saturday’s showdown, I thought it would be good for our readers to get to know their opponent from the inside out. KU returned just one starter from last year’s 35-3, Elite Eight squad, and lost six of their eight man rotation. This was supposed to be a down year in Lawrence, yet Bill Self pulled off perhaps the best coaching job in his career, guiding the Jayhawks to a 30-6 record, an eighth straight Big 12 title, and an appearance in the Final Four. This team isn’t deep, isn’t that talented, yet all they do is win.

Kansas and Ohio State battled back in December in Lawrence, with KU winning 78-67. Ohio State did not have Jared Sullinger in this one. This game will be completely different. So let us dig deep into what the Buckeyes are up against.

The Starters

PG Tyshawn Taylor (17.3 PPG, 4.8 APG, 1.4 SPG, 3.5 TO, 38% from three, 68% from the line) – When you see a four-year starting point guard, you would think he would be a great decision-maker with the ball and full of veteran savvy and smarts. That guy doesn’t play here. Taylor may be the most baffling player that I can remember in my years as a KU fan. He has been a turnover machine and a amazingly heady player. He’s been a deadly outside shooter and a brick layer. He’s been a team leader and a guy who has been suspended for disciplinary reasons. And this is just this season!

During his Senior season however, he has really turned himself into the player so many thought he would be when he came in four years ago. Taylor was named first team All-Big 12 and third team  AP All-American. His offensive game has been taken to a new level mostly out of necessity. In seasons past, he was never more than the fourth option. Now, he is the first option on the perimeter and always has the ball in his hands. There may be no point guard quicker at blowing by their man in the country. His three-point shot has dramatically improved, yet he is in the midst of an 0-17 slump (he has not made a three yet in the tournament). That won’t stop him from taking them.

Defensively, Taylor is swarming. He’s not on Aaron Craft’s level, but he loves to get his hands in the passing lanes and cause turnovers. The Craft/Taylor matchup could be the difference in this game.

SG/PG Elijah Johnson (9.6 PPG, 3.8 APG, 1.5 SPG, 33% from three, 69% from the line)– The Junior from Las Vegas sat for two seasons, biding his time, and learning from the likes of Taylor, Josh Selby, and Sherron Collins. He finally received his chance and he has made the most of it. EJ is a classic Bill Self combo guard who serves as the backup point guard, face-up jump shooter, and stalwart defender. In a season in where so many players have improved throughout the course of the season, nobody looks better from game one to now than Johnson.

While the Buckeyes will have to respect him as KU’s biggest shot maker from deep (the percentage isn’t great, but he has a knack for making the big ones), they need to watch out for him going to the hole. Johnson is an explosive leaper. But they can’t sleep on that three-point shot. His three with just over three minutes left from NBA range gave KU its first lead in the round of 32 game against Purdue, and in Sunday’s win over North Carolina, he hit a back-breaking three in a one-point game late which propelled KU on their 12-0 game closing run. Like Taylor, he will be on the floor 35-38 minutes unless foul trouble jumps up. He will undoubtedly be shadowing OSU’s William Buford.

SG/SF Travis Releford (8.5 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 31% from three, 64% from the line) – Another veteran who finally got his shot to be a regular this season, Releford has become KU’s glue guy and best perimeter defender. No matter who the opposing team’s best guy is, Releford will be the guy chasing him around. His stats don’t wow you, he doesn’t shoot in particularly well, but he does all the little thing his team needs. The redshirt Junior does his best work with loose ball garbage baskets and runs the floor well. OSU may choose to sag off of him when he is at the three-point line, but he isn’t afraid to let them fly if he has to. Releford has been this team’s unsung hero this season.

PF Thomas Robinson (17.9 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 51% from the field, 68% from the line) – You’ve all heard his story by now. He has gone from a 12 minute a game backup who was best known as the kid who lost his grandparents and mom in the span of five weeks last season, to a unanimous first team All-American and a top three NBA Draft pick. Robinson can do it all. Like Jared Sullinger, his jump shot range has really lengthened this season and must be respected no matter where he is standing. Where he differs from his fellow All-American big man is the explosiveness. T Rob has a motor unlike any other power player in the college game. His first step to the hole is incredible. He has a bevy of offensive moves that are tough to stop and he likes to use both hands around the rim.

As a rebounder, there may not be a better one in the country. His strength is superior and he just loves to go after ball with intensity. Defensively he is quick but at times can be lazy if he gets an early first foul. I’ve seen many occasions where he would get that first foul and essentially play “ole” defense when the ball was thrown at his man in the post. But when engaged, he is tough to get past in the post because he is so strong. It was a real shame that we didn’t get to see Robinson and Sullinger play each other in the first matchup back in December, but we won’t be robbed of that this weekend.

C Jeff Withey (9.3 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 3.5 BPG, 54% from the field, 79% from the line) – If there was a national most improved player award in college basketball, Withey would probably win the award. Last season, Self literally couldn’t use the 7-foot transfer from Arizona. He’d try at times, but Withey just wasn’t ready for action. This season he came back and transformed himself into one of the best shot-blockers in the country and a guy who’s offensive game has made big time leaps forward. With Robinson being subjected to so many double teams, Withey has become the benefit of a ton of easy baskets. He went through a stretch in February where he was dominant (Baylor – 25 pts, Oklahoma State – 18 pts, 20 rebounds, 7 blocks Kansas State – 18 pts, 11 rebounds, 9 blocks)

The KU offense flows through the bigs and they pass as well as any set you will want to see.  Withey has terrific hands and is actually the team’s best free throw shooter (80%). It shouldn’t shock Buckeye fans when they see Withey as the guy guarding Sullinger in the post. His length is very tough to deal with for smaller, back to the basket big men. This will be a really interesting matchup to watch.

The Bench

F Kevin Young (3.6 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 67% from the line), G Conner Teahan (5.9 PPG, 34% from three), F Justin Wesley (1.3 PPG, 1.8 RPG) – Like Thad Matta, Self doesn’t use his bench very often. In years past, KU has been so loaded with talent, that they would go nine deep with ease. But this year’s team is Self’s least talented in his nine years in Lawrence and to make matters worse, three of their top four recruits were ruled ineligible before the season, leaving him extremely short handed. He has had to turn to some unlikely candidates who in years past would have never sniffed the floor.

Young, a late-add transfer from Loyola Marymount, you may remember from the first matchup. He had the game of his life, exploding for a career high 14 points and giving the team a great energy with Withey in foul trouble. He isn’t a true big man, but he is Self’s best option off the bench. With Deshaun Thomas a tough cover as a stretch four man on the perimeter, you could see more of Young than we usually do.

Teahan is a former walk-on who is in his fifth year in the program. Again, in any other year, Teahan is never a rotation guy. But in 2012 he’s the only guard Self trusts off the bench. He is a completely one dimensional player. He camps out at the three-point line and hopes to get open looks. I’m sure its not lost on Matta. When Teahan is on the floor he has to be accounted for, but he has trouble getting his shot off against longer and more athletic players. Wesley, a 6-9 former walk-on transfer from Lamar will only play in case of foul trouble. He’s a wiry athletic frame who is a fouling machine. If he has to play long stretches, it usually not a good sign.