Michigan State defeated Kansas 75-62 on Jan. 10 in East Lansing, Mich., after the young Jayhawks fell behind 37-18 at halftime. Kansas center Cole Aldrich said things should be different now.
“We’ve matured a lot,” he said. “It was our second road game, so we didn’t quite understand everything about being on the road. We’ve learned so many different things from Coach (Bill Self) and really understood the game.”
Defending national champion Kansas did just about everything wrong in that loss. It shot just 40 percent, got outrebounded 42-31 and got little production aside from Sherron Collins’ 25 points.
But Kansas bounced back to win 13 of its next 14 games, and eventually the Jayhawks won the Big 12 Conference regular-season title. Self doesn’t plan to make any major changes in his approach for the rematch.
“We may do ball screenings differently, guard the post a little bit differently, but it will all be in the scheme of what we’re trying to do,” he said. “What we need to do is execute better, and certainly we’ve got to rebound.”
Michigan State coach Tom Izzo is impressed with Kansas, and particularly with Aldrich and Collins.
Collins, a junior guard, averages 18.9 points. Aldrich, a sophomore center, averages 14.8 points and 11 rebounds and had 13 points, 20 rebounds and 10 blocked shots in the second round against Dayton. Izzo said the 6-11 Aldrich’s long arms make him an exceptional talent.
“There’s 7-footers that seem 7 feet, and there’s 7-footers that seem 9 feet,” Izzo said. “He’s one of those that seems 9 feet.”
While Kansas features two players prominently, Michigan State is balanced. Five players average at least eight points per game, but none averages 15.
“I think it’s a fun system because you never know who’s going to step up,” said Travis Walton, the Big Ten defensive player of the year.
Kalin Lucas, the Big Ten player of the year, averages 14.6 points.
Arizona coach focuses on basketball, not job, entering duel with top seed Louisville
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Arizona interim coach Russ Pennell is savoring every moment, fully understanding tonight’s game against top-seeded Louisville could be his only chance to lead a team into a regional final.
“Just the opportunity to walk through this journey this year is incredible. It’s stretched me. It’s very unconventional what we’ve gone through,” he said. “If this is the only opportunity, so be it. Life goes on.”
The tumultuous season began in October with the retirement of Hall of Fame coach Lute Olson, a move that suddenly put career assistant Pennell in charge of a program with 24 straight tournament appearances.
No. 12 seed Arizona (21-13) opened the Pac-10 season 2-5, and many thought the longest NCAA streak in the nation would end after the Wildcats lost five of their last six games heading into Selection Sunday.
Instead, they were one of the final teams chosen for the field and then beat Utah and Cleveland State. That got them to Indy, where the Wildcats upset Louisville coach Pitino’s heavily favored Kentucky squad to win the 1997 national title.
Now Pennell faces Pitino’s Cardinals (30-5), a team that looks a lot like Arizona.
“It’s the closest I’ve ever seen two teams in the type of pressure they apply,” Pitino said.
The Cardinals are expected to be in Detroit for the Final Four after winning the Big East regular-season and tournament titles and claiming the top overall seed in the tourney. That means anything less than a national title won’t suffice.
