By Joel Flom
Arizona Daily Wildcat
December 2, 1997

Kansas still bitter about Sweet 16

Adam F. Jarrold Arizona Daily Wildcat UA senior guard Miles Simon (34) backs away from fouling the Melbourne Magic defense during a game earlier in the preseason lineup. Simon will have his hands full tonight guarding fellow All-American Paul Pierce and the revenge-minded Kansas Jayhawks.

It has been 256 days since Arizona upset then No. 1 Kansas 85-82 in last year's NCAA tournament.

And there has not been a single one of them that a player from each team has not thought about the game.

"Every night before I go to sleep I still think about how we beat Kansas and how nice it would be to beat them again, come December," said junior guard Jason Terry earlier this season.

And that is a member of the winning team. Kansas head coach Roy Williams, whose team was the tournament favorite and 34-1 at the time, has had to live with all the articles and comments of how he blew it.

"Last year's game was with last year's team," said Williams yesterday. "But, it left a bad taste in my mouth. And, it is still there."

The wait is over. The No. 4 Wildcats (4-1) and the No. 3 Jayhawks (6-0) lock horns at the Great Eight Tournament in Chicago tonight at 7:30. The game will be televised on ESPN.

For Arizona, it's the fifth game in nine days, and the third top-10 opponent that the Wildcats have played in the last week. Arizona head Lute Olson, however, does not want to put too much emphasis on this game.

"At this time of the season, you learn from your involvement in games like this," Olson said. "I think it would be a mistake for anyone to say that any December game is a big game. I think that games in November and December are there to make you better in January and February. That's what we are looking at."

Still, Kansas wouldn't mind a little revenge and Arizona has the opportunity to show that last year's win was not a fluke.

"The guys are excited, and Kansas is excited," Olson said. "I am sure that they have revenge on their mind."

The game will feature four of the five preseason All-Americans, with the Wildcats' guard tandem of Miles Simon and Mike Bibby, and Kansas' frontcourt duo of Raef LaFrentz and Paul Pierce.

"Their two all-Americans have stepped up very well for them," said Olson about LaFrentz and Pierce.

In the Jayhawks' first six games, LaFrentz, a senior, has averaged 19.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Pierce, a junior, has put up almost identical numbers, averaging 19.2 points and 10.3 rebounds a game.

As for the Wildcats' two All-Americans, Simon has averaged 17.2 points and 5.8 assists, while Bibby has 14.4 points a games to go with 7.4 assists. The key for Arizona, however, will be its ability to rebound against Kansas.

"Rebounding is critical every time that we step out," Olson said. "Some of the stats that I was pleased with from the other night was that wing players had five to six boards. That is the way it has to be in order for us to be successful. (Rebounding) will be an area of concentration for us."

Olson said he is pleased with the rebounding of junior center A.J. Bramlett, but felt that senior forward Bennett Davison needs to be more productive.

"A.J. has been consistently very good on the boards," Olson said. "We need to have that from Bennett as well. What we need to do with Bennett is get him more involved in anticipating shots and getting in position. You see him come flying through the air for balls, and that is all fine and well, but we need to get him into position to jump straight up for the ball."

The Jayhawks have to concentrate on not turning the ball over like it has in previous games this season.

"We have turned it over way too much," Williams said. "We have had too much of the unforced variety."

During its run for the school's third preseason NIT crown, Kansas turned the ball over 21 times in the overtime win over Arizona State and 19 times in the come from behind win over Florida State.

Although Kansas has shown signs of weakness, Olson knows that this will be the same type of competitive game that these two teams have had in the past.

"You have to play 40 minutes of outstanding basketball when you play them," Olson said.

No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 3 Kansas

(4-1, 0-0) (6-0, 0-0)

When: Tonight at 7:30, Tucson time

Where: United Center in Chicago

TV/Radio: The game will be televised by ESPN and broadcast on KNST (AM790).

What: Rematch of last year's Sweet Sixteen game when the Wildcats knocked off the then-top-ranked Jayhawks ... Both teams have had busy preseasons this year, Kansas has already played six games and the Wildcats are playing in their fifth in nine days ... Tonight's game includes four of the five preseason AP All-Americans.