Jayhawks coach Bill Self wants to make an adjustment to their sharing schedule. Seldon was the Co-Most Valuable Player of the tournament along with teammate Frank Mason III.
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“He shot a great percentage, but he didn’t just rely on jump shots”, Self said”. But we have a tendency sometimes to drive to score as opposed to drive to pass, which plays right into their hands. Until we get more bodies, we’ve got to be somewhat diligent on how we do things. I think that’s a attractive way to play. And Wayne’s fine with it.
The Red Storm weren’t very good on the defensive end of the floor though, especially in the second half. “Didn’t think we started the game well against UNLV and we didn’t start the game well tonight”, UCLA coach Steve Alford said. They gave up 83 points per game against UNLV, Kansas and Wake Forest, who were also 27-of-73 from 3-point range (37 percent).
Selden led all scorers with 25 points and chipped in seven rebounds. “We felt like we had to take away the 3-point line from them today in order to win the game, and we were not able to do that”. In the process, the Jayhawks served notice they’re yet again the team to beat in the Big 12 and a threat to make the Final Four. “We spread a lot like we did a couple of weeks ago against Michigan State”, Selden said, referring to Kansas’ only loss this season. “They pressured us but still packed it in, and we really didn’t move the ball”. That was in contrast to the Jayhawk defense holding the VU shooters to 40 percent from the field in the second half, which included a 2-of-12 clip from three.
“We’re disappointed in how we played the second half, particularly defensively”, Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said.
Vanderbilt closed to 68-63 with 16 seconds to play, and Mason and Jamari Traylor each made one free throw for the final margin.
The other half of Vanderbilt’s twin towers is 7-1 Luke Kornet. “Sometimes the shot doesn’t go in, but we have to keep shooting and just believe in ourselves and keep going like that”.
When the blowout was done, Ellis had finished with a season-high 24 points while drilling 9 of 12 from the field, and the Jayhawks clipped off another 23 three-point attempts, hitting 10 threes on the night. But two consecutive Vanderbilt threes helped the Commodores stake a four-point lead at halftime. UCLA shot 34.4 percent from the field (11 of 32) in the first half and went just 2 for 10 on 3s.
ABOUT VANDERBILT (5-0): Jeff Roberson has provided some valuable bench minutes in the tournament, totaling 11 points and 13 rebounds against St. John’s and 10 points and seven rebounds against Wake Forest.
The Maui title is the second for Kansas, which won it in 1996 behind Raef LaFrentz and Paul Pierce. Vanderbilt never trailed in its first two games of the tournament and the first half of the title game…. They had 11 of each against Kansas. The Jayhawks’ backcourt would combine for 47 points and 18 rebounds as the Jayhawks won the Maui Invitational for the first time since 1996.
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The Kansas Jayhawks and the Vanderbilt Commodores face off Wednesday in a college basketball matchup in the Championship game of the Maui Classic.
