UMass @ Kansas

UMass has been struggling all season trying to adjust to Derek Kellogg and the dribble-drive motion offense. They were 2-6 coming into their match-up with the Jayhawks, and four of those losses were by less than seven points, more than likely a result of the Minutemen being unable to execute down the stretch.

Against Kansas, UMass completely abandoned their offense. Instead, they put the ball into Chris Lowe's hands, let him dribble out the shot clock, and then either cleared out and let him go 1-on-1 or ran a high pick-and-roll. Lowe's stat line (12 points on 5-11 shooting, 3 assists, 4 turnovers) really does not give a good representation of how well he played. He made a lot of big shots and big plays when UMass really needed it down the stretch.

What I am not quite sure of is why UMass took the air out of the ball like they did. Their offense was not all that effective in the first half, and it seemed like UMass was trying to run their stuff but just kept ending up in an end of the shot clock situation (when it is normal to clear out for the point guard). But the fact that UMass had built a 14 point lead also had a big influence. When you are an underdog and you build a big lead, you want to reduce the number of possessions that they other team is able to get; especially when your defense is playing as well as UMass' was (more on that in a second). The best way to reduce the number of possessions is by taking a lot of time offensively, which in turn shortens the game and makes it more difficult for the better team to come back.

The way UMass built the 14 point lead was through transition baskets, many of which were the result of some great play by Ricky Harris. Harris sparked a 24-6 run that turned a 14-10 deficit into a 34-20 lead with 12 points and an assists. The reason they were able to get so many transition baskets is that they were playing some phenomenal defense (Kansas shot 34% for the game and 5-23 from deep). They frustrated Kansas by making them to take tough, contested shots every time down the floor, and eventually Kansas started forcing the issue. Tyshawn Taylor and Sherron Collins took a lot of quick, ill-advised shots which often came before a pass was even made on the possession. This was especially true for Collins, who played one of his worst games. He finished with 19 points, but it was on 6-21 shooting. Collins is not a true point guard. He is a leader, he is a tough guy, and he can score, but his mentality is score first, create second. As much as I love Collins, his poor decision-making and shot selection probably cost Kansas this win.

That frustration didn't just come from the defense that UMass played, but from the fact that they slowed the game down. UMass destroyed the rhythm and flow of the game with the way that they played offensively, and it took Kansas out of their game. I love Tony Gaffney's game. This is the second time I have seen him play, and he brings so much energy. He is always hustling for rebounds, changing and blocking shot, and he really sets the tone for UMass defensively (the same way Joey Dorsey did for Memphis last year). He finished the game with 13 boards and 6 blocks.

The bottom-line is UMass was the better team this night and they hung on to get a much deserved victory.