Missouri fails to intimidate Kansas
Published Feb. 13, 2007
At Saturday's basketball game against Kansas, MU football player Martin Rucker proudly displayed the drum commemorating his team's victory against the Jayhawks in November. This very well might have been an intimidation tactic. If so, it didn't work.
"I didn't see a drum," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "When did this happen?"
His team also must have been unfazed by Rucker's presentation, because the Jayhawks ran away with a 92-74 win.
The beginning of the game was not quite that way. When a timeout was called on the floor with 14:58 remaining in the first half, MU was ahead 12-8. MU junior center Kalen Grimes had just dunked over KU junior center Sasha Kaun and drawn a foul. Grimes made the free throw after the break and MU junior guard Stefhon Hannah followed it up with a 3-pointer to take a 16-8 lead.
By the time Grimes scored the team's next basket more than nine minutes later, the Tigers were trailing 32-20. The Jayhawks never looked back, and the deficit was never any lower than eight after that point.
Sophomore forward Julian Wright and sophomore forward Brandon Rush led the Jayhawks, scoring 33 and 21 points respectively, a problem of balance Self was happy to have.
"It doesn't bother me if two guys get 54 because that should give them confidence," he said.
Saturday's win was Self's 300th career win, but winning at Mizzou Arena was his more important achievement, something his team had failed to do in two previous attempts.
"I think winning at Missouri has significance," he said.
MU coach Mike Anderson tipped his hat to the efforts of Self and his players.
"I thought they really attacked us and did a lot of good things," he said. "I just thought Kansas was the better team today."
Anderson's main concern was his team's inability to get things done inside. KU outscored MU 58-26 in the paint.
Grimes agrees there is work to be done.
"I just feel that we've got to be consistent on the boards," he said. "I know we can do it."
Grimes repeated a point he had made earlier in the week and said the Tigers had only won games in which they had out-rebounded the opponent, except for a win at Colorado. On Saturday, the Jayhawks out-rebounded the Tigers 40-33.
Grimes has his 16 points and nine rebounds in Saturday's game as a consolation.
"I'm going to take that and run with it," he said.
Hannah said he feels if the team continues to work hard, the season can still be salvaged.
"We can't let this destroy our season," he said.
Anderson also said his team has to move on from the loss and continue to improve.
"I think, No. 1 is you've got to have short term memory," he said.
The team gets its first chance to forget the loss on Wednesday night at home against the Baylor Bears.