photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Tyshawn Taylor protests a charge called against him after sending Missouri guard Michael Dixon to the floor with less than 10 seconds left on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 at Mizzou Arena.

Jesse Newell: Welcome back to the GameDay Cram Session, as Kansas is taking on Missouri on Saturday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse.

Tom, if Kansas finds itself in a similar position as in Columbia, with a late lead, do you keep the ball in Tyshawn Taylor’s hands or do you put it in someone else’s?

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Tyshawn Taylor protests a charge called against him after sending Missouri guard Michael Dixon to the floor with less than 10 seconds left on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 at Mizzou Arena.

Tom Keegan: Keep it in Taylor’s hands.

He’s the team’s primary ballhandler, with Elijah Johnson having it next most, and to suddenly change that just because of what happened in Columbia would be silly. For one thing, it would be telling Taylor, the team’s best player in Big 12 play, that you don’t believe in him. For another, there’s a reason Taylor has the ball in his hands more than anybody on the team. He’s the guy who makes the offense go. He makes his team’s fans sweat more than a lot of point guards, but he makes the defense sweat more than any guard in the country.

JN: I was surprised quite a bit when I heard the Sporting News’ Mike DeCourcy on the radio a few weeks ago saying that, because of Taylor’s free throw woes late, that KU should take him out of any game where an opponent was in an obvious fouling situation.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Tyshawn Taylor puts up a three over Missouri guard Phil Pressey during the first half on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 at Mizzou Arena.

We’ve known from the beginning of the year that this KU’s team’s success would most likely be tied to how well Taylor and Thomas Robinson play. In my mind, there’s no way you take two guys out of the game in that situation, no matter how many free throws they might miss in previous games.

As you stated above, that would also have a huge psychological effect on a player that does care quite a bit about what his coach thinks.

Even in obvious fouling situations, a team is still going to pressure, so you still need ball-handlers on the floor. Taylor should (and will) be out there during crunch time in every game for KU the rest of the season, provided he doesn’t foul out.

Tom, in your mind, who deserves to be coach of the year in the Big 12 if Kansas wins this game?

TK: Bill Self.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas head coach Bill Self and assistant coach Danny Manning celebrate a call going the Jayhawks way during the first half on Monday, Feb. 13, 2012 at Bramlage Coliseum.

Coming into the season, Taylor had played more minutes for Kansas than the rest of the roster combined. Think about that statistic. That shows you that although the starting five is a veteran one, with four juniors and a senior, it’s not one that had a lot of game experience until this season.

Self obviously is very good at getting his players to do what he wants them to do at both ends and knows how to motivate them to play hard. To be able to do that without having the carrot of playing time to dangle in front of the starting five — he can’t threaten them with benching them because there are no serious options in reserve — in many ways makes this Self’s most remarkable coaching job. Missouri’s Frank Haith and Iowa State’s Fred Hoiberg also have done terrific jobs with their teams.

JN: I think Bill Self is the best coach in the Big 12. But I still think Frank Haith will win the award.

photo by: Kevin Anderson

Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self, right, shakes hands with new Missouri coach Frank Haith at the fourth annual Coaches vs. Cancer Season Tip-Off Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011 at College Basketball Experience.

Here’s the difference between the two: KU was picked to tie for the conference title, while MU was picked fifth. And those votes were tallied before MU announced that forward Laurence Bowers would miss the year with a torn ACL.

The way Haith transformed the Tigers’ offense has been remarkable. MU’s guards have turned in shots off the dribble for mostly catch-and-shoot opportunities, and that change has helped MU become the top offensive team (efficiency-wise) in the nation.

Just look at all the players who have taken dramatic leaps forward this year: Kim English, Ricardo Ratliffe, Phil Pressey and Steve Moore, to name a few.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Travis Releford watches as Missouri guard Kim English comes down with a missed free throw from KU guard Tyshawn Taylor (10) during the second half on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 at Mizzou Arena.

MU’s defense isn’t close to KU’s, and Haith’s recruiting probably won’t match up to Self’s, either. But for this season, Haith’s gotten just as much improvement out of his players as Self has gotten out of his Jayhawks.

I think Haith’s lower expectations coming in will sway those voters who might be trying to decide between the two.

OK, Tom, what’s your prediction for this game?

TK: Kansas by 12.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Tyshawn Taylor collides with Missouri guard Matt Pressey as he turns the ball over late in the second half on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 at Mizzou Arena. At right is KU guard Elijah Johnson and MU guard Phil Pressey.

Missouri outscored Kansas, 22-2, in roughly the final four minutes of the first half and the last two minutes of the game. Other than that, Kansas did what it wanted offensively, with Taylor getting to the hoop for buckets and with Thomas Robinson getting fed regularly. Missouri doesn’t have the post defense to win this game and its best chance lies in forcing turnovers.

JN: I’ll take KU by nine.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas center Jeff Withey blocks a shot by Missouri forward Ricardo Ratliffe during the first half on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 at Mizzou Arena.

Last KU-MU game was decided by a charge (or five of them), and MU’s flopping defense shouldn’t work as well Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.

Plus, I can’t see the Tigers shooting as well as they did in the first matchup against the Jayhawks. MU’s 1.1 points per possession were the most scored against KU this season, and I just don’t see the Tigers replicating that kind of offensive effort.

All right, Tom, who’s your Hawk to Rock?

TK: Robinson.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas forward Thomas Robinson lets out a yell of frustration after a missed bucket and an offensive foul by the Jayhawks during the first half against Missouri on Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012 at Mizzou Arena.

The Tigers can’t guard him.

JN: I’ll take Travis Releford.

photo by: Nick Krug

Kansas guard Travis Releford pumps his fist after forcing Ohio State guard William Buford to turn it over in the first half Saturday, Dec. 10, 2011 at Allen Fieldhouse.

After watching Marcus Denmon break out of a slump for 29 points in the first matchup, you can bet that KU will have some sort of gameplan for defending the senior guard.

Releford is KU’s best bet to stick with him. The junior has had great home defensive performances against Ohio State (William Buford) and Kansas State (Rodney McGruder), and I think we’ll see another good effort from him Saturday to help shut down MU’s quick-trigger guard.

Predictions tally (through 28 games)
Tom: 22-6 record, 262 points off (9.4 points off/game)
Jesse: 25-3 record, 228 points off (8.1 points off/game)

Hawk to Rock

Tom Keegan
Towson: Tyshawn Taylor (4th in Keegan ratings)
Kentucky: Tyshawn Taylor (1st in Keegan ratings)
Georgetown: Elijah Johnson (4th in Keegan ratings)
UCLA: Tyshawn Taylor (2nd in Keegan ratings)
Duke: Elijah Johnson (4th in Keegan ratings)
FAU: Jeff Withey (4th in Keegan ratings)
South Florida: Tyshawn Taylor (1st in Keegan ratings)
Long Beach State: Elijah Johnson (7th in Keegan ratings)
Ohio State: Thomas Robinson (2nd in Keegan ratings)
Davidson: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
USC: Jeff Withey (4th in Keegan ratings)
Howard: Kevin Young (4th in Keegan ratings)
North Dakota: Elijah Johnson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Kansas State: Tyshawn Taylor (5th in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma: Tyshawn Taylor (4th in Keegan ratings)
Texas Tech: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Iowa State: Elijah Johnson (4th in Keegan ratings)
Baylor: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Texas: Thomas Robinson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Texas A&M: Thomas Robinson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Iowa State: Tyshawn Taylor (1st in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Missouri: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Baylor: Thomas Robinson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma State: Thomas Robinson (2nd in Keegan ratings)
Kansas State: Tyshawn Taylor (2nd in Keegan ratings)
Texas Tech: Thomas Robinson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Texas A&M: Tyshawn Taylor (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Average: 2.8th in Keegan ratings

Jesse Newell
Towson: Conner Teahan (6th in Keegan ratings)
Kentucky: Elijah Johnson (4th in Keegan ratings)
Georgetown: Kevin Young (9th in Keegan ratings)
UCLA: Elijah Johnson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Duke: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
FAU: Tyshawn Taylor (7th in Keegan ratings)
South Florida: Elijah Johnson (6th in Keegan ratings)
Long Beach State: Thomas Robinson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Ohio State: Travis Releford (5th in Keegan ratings)
Davidson: Jeff Withey (5th in Keegan ratings)
USC: Elijah Johnson (1st in Keegan ratings)
Howard: Tyshawn Taylor (1st in Keegan ratings)
North Dakota: Conner Teahan (5th in Keegan ratings)
Kansas State: Travis Releford (1st in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma: Elijah Johnson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Texas Tech: Travis Releford (2nd in Keegan ratings
Iowa State: Thomas Robinson (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Baylor: Kevin Young (9th in Keegan ratings)
Texas: Travis Releford (5th in Keegan ratings)
Texas A&M: Tyshawn Taylor (1st in Keegan ratings)
Iowa State: Jeff Withey (3rd in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma: Conner Teahan (6th in Keegan ratings)
Missouri: Kevin Young (8th in Keegan ratings)
Baylor: Jeff Withey (1st in Keegan ratings)
Oklahoma State: Tyshawn Taylor (4th in Keegan ratings)
Kansas State: Travis Releford (4th in Keegan ratings)
Texas Tech: Kevin Young (4th in Keegan ratings)
Texas A&M: Jeff Withey (2nd in Keegan ratings)
Average: 3.9th in Keegan ratings