History says Bison can play
Posted on Thursday, March 16, 2006
Arkansas vs. Bucknell WHAT NCAA Tournament firstround game WHERE American Airlines Center, Dallas WHEN Friday, 11: 30 a.m. Central SEEDS Arkansas 8, Bucknell 9 RECORDS Arkansas 22-9, 10-6 SEC; Bucknell 26-4, 14-0 Patriot League NCAA BIDS Arkansas, at-large; Bucknell won Patriot League Tournament FAYETTEVILLE — Bucknell is the only school in the NCAA Tournament to have a 100 percent graduation rate among its basketball players the past two years, so trying to outthink the Bison may not be the best strategy.
“I think one thing that bothered us last year is we were so concerned with what they were doing that it affected us and what we were doing,” Kansas Coach Bill Self said this week when asked about No. 14 seed Bucknell’s 64-63 upset of the Jayhawks in last year’s NCAA Tournament. “Just go play.” Arkansas plays Bucknell on Friday in this year’s NCAA Tournament.
Reviewing last year’s game is relevant because Bucknell has all five starters from last season and the Razorbacks are similar to the Jayhawks in athletic ability and size.
Self said he knows Arkansas as well as Bucknell because Kansas played the Razorbacks in the Maui Invitational this season.
The Razorbacks beat the Jayhawks 65-64, which would have been the winning score for Kansas against Bucknell had Wayne Simien’s last-second jump shot gone in instead of bouncing off the front of the rim.
“Arkansas has plenty good enough players to be successful [against the Bison ], but don’t underestimate the talent level of Bucknell,” Self said. “Those guys aren’t winning just because they’re well-coached. They are well-coached, but they’ve also got some players.” Bucknell junior point guard Abe Badmus scored just two points against Kansas last season, but consistently created open shots for his teammates and had 11 assists without a turnover while outplaying Kansas counterpart Aaron Miles.
Kevin Bettencourt, a senior guard, hit 5 of 15 three-pointers against Kansas and led the Bison with 19 points.
The Bison got all-around play from senior wing Charles Lee, who had 15 points and eight rebounds, and got tough play inside from 6-11 junior center Chris McNaughton, who had 14 points, including the game-winning hook shot off the backboard with 10. 5 seconds left.
Kansas had 13 turnovers and shot 33. 3 percent from the field in the second half. It didn’t have a basket in the final 8: 40.
For the game, Kansas hit just 1 of 11 three-point attempts while Bucknell hit 8 of 31.
“We played tight,” Miles told the Kansas City Star after the game.
Self said the Bison kept Kansas from getting in a good flow with their switching defenses.
“Bucknell plays a matchup zone and sprinkles in man and they keep you off balance,” Self said. “I think they do a great job of that, as well as anybody that we’ve played, of keeping you off balance.” Kansas lost a first-round NCAA Tournament game for the first time since 1978 — when the Jayhawks fell to UCLA — while Bucknell won the first NCAA Tournament game in the 16-year history of the Patriot League.
Bison Coach Pat Flannery said Kansas’ coaches didn’t underestimate Bucknell, but that the Jayhawks might have been caught overlooking his team.
“I guarantee you the [Kansas ] coaches were prepared and knew everything about us,” Flannery said. “I think sometimes with kids, though, you go in and have a certain stigma — ‘We’re playing the little academic school in Pennsylvania.’ “ Then you get into that game and you think you’re going to turn something on, but you realize, ‘Boy, these kids can run a little bit, they can shoot. They have good size and they’re tough kids.’” Flannery said the Bison beat Kansas by doing what they believe in and playing the way they had all season.
“I don’t think there’s anything secret at this time of the year with the way you play,” he said. “You make some shots, you get some rebounds and you be a fundamental team.
“ I think a lot of that stuff starts back in October. No matter how smart some of these broadcasters say coaches are and coaches say how smart they are, the fact is, all the basis is done in October.
“ Then you play the game and you get confidence as the year goes along.” Arkansas Coach Stan Heath watched a tape of Bucknell’s victory over Kansas as well as game tapes of the Bison from this season.
“At first I wasn’t going to watch it, then I did, and I’m glad I did, because I learned a lot from that game,” Heath said. “I think sometimes when you see teams going up against guys in their league that maybe don’t have their size and speed and quickness, you think one thing.
“ But when you see how they can execute and compete against Kansas... you know these guys can play.” Heath said while Kansas had a chance to win on its final possession, Bucknell “clearly outplayed” the Jayhawks.
Self recalled that Kansas senior guard Keith Lankford was slowed by an ankle injury.
“With Keith being hurt, we couldn’t outathletic Bucknell,” Self said. “We played like a tired team.
“ I don’t think that will be the case with Arkansas.” The Bison are getting weary of reliving that game.
“We’re all proud of it,” Bettencourt said, “but it will be nice to play Arkansas. Kansas is a long, long time ago.” But the result is still timely for Friday’s Arkansas-Bucknell game.
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