photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas forward Mario Little puts up a three-pointer over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi forward Chris Mast during the second half, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010 at Allen Fieldhouse.

Jesse Newell: Welcome back to the GameDay Cram Session. Tom, what are you looking for in this game, KU against Ohio?
Tom Keegan: It’s good for Kansas to get away from home for one game before taking on Arizona, the toughest competition to date, the next night. It seems as if teams that play away from home for the first time sometimes have shaky shooting nights. If that’s the case for Kansas, no big deal. It will be good to get used to the shooting background for a night before taking on Arizona.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas forward Mario Little puts up a three-pointer over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi forward Chris Mast during the second half, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010 at Allen Fieldhouse.

JN: Though KU is an 18.5-point favorite (that number is hard to miss when you are in Vegas), the Jayhawks still should be wary of the Bobcats. Ohio has almost the exact same roster as last year’s squad that dominated third-seeded Georgetown, 97-83, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Tennessee in the Round of 32.

http://www2.kusports.com/videos/2010/nov/23/33523/

One player to watch out for will be 6-foot-8 forward Reggie Keely (No. 30). Though he’s barely played more than half of the Bobcats’ minutes this year, he’s been aggressive on the boards, averaging almost four offensive rebounds per game. His 10.8 point-per-game average also is impressive considering his limited minutes.

All right, Tom, what’s your prediction for this game?

TK: Kansas 80, Ohio 62. KU’s size and quickness inside will wear down the Bobcats, who likely will have a tough time keeping their deficit in single digits throughout the second half.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Elijah Johnson gets down on defense as he watches Texas A&M-Corpus Christi guard Garland Judkins during the first half, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010 at Allen Fieldhouse.

JN: I’ll go KU by 12. Ohio should be the best team that KU has faced, and frankly, the Jayhawks have played so well through the first four games that I feel like a letdown game almost should be expected. Playing in a new arena with a more marquee game slated for the next day could be the recipe for a slow start. Still, I expect the Jayhawks to pull away late in the second half.

Who’s your Hawk to Rock?

TK: Markieff Morris.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas forward Markieff Morris puts up a three-pointer over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi forward Jawan Nelson during the second half, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010 at Allen Fieldhouse.

Offensive rebounds can be had by the Kansas big men in this one, and look for Markieff to get more than his share of those and turn them into points.

JN: I’ll say Tyshawn Taylor.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Tyshawn Taylor is fouled by Texas A&M-Corpus Christi guard Jaamon Echols as he looks to pass during the second half, Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2010 at Allen Fieldhouse.

The guard has performed unbelievably well so far by playing within himself, but I’d look for his point total to go up a bit tonight. Through four games, Ohio has shown a tendency to be foul-prone, and with his quickness, Taylor is one of the Jayhawks’ best bets to get to the free-throw line. Give me at least eight free-throw attempts for Taylor (he has 12 through four games this year) along with at least 15 points.

Tracking the picks

Predictions tally (through four games)
Tom: 3-1 record, 73 points off (14.6 points off/game)
Jesse: 4-0 record, 57 points off (11.4 points off/game)

Hawk to Rock

Tom Keegan
Longwood: Tyrel Reed (6th in Keegan ratings)
Valparaiso: Marcus Morris (1st in Keegan ratings)
North Texas: Tyrel Reed (6th in Keegan ratings)
Texas A&M-CC: Marcus Morris (5th in Keegan ratings)
Average Hawk to Rock: 4.5th in Keegan ratings

Jesse Newell
Longwood: Markieff Morris (1st in Keegan ratings)
Valparaiso: Brady Morningstar (8th in Keegan ratings)
North Texas: Tyrel Reed (6th in Keegan ratings)
Texas A&M-CC: Thomas Robinson (2nd in Keegan ratings)
Average Hawk to Rock: 4.25th in Keegan ratings