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Can anyone else say, "Get those hands up?" I'll admit I don't know much about coaching basketball defense, but when a team is shooting with abandon from behind the arc, you don't give them a free look at the hoop. Such was the theme Friday night at Allen Field House. North Dakota knew the only way to make the game respectable was to attempt and hit three-point shots. One out of two isn't bad. Jeff Brandt, forward, attempted 17 three point shots. Brandt is listed as a 6' 5" guard was placed predominately at the three spot and given free reign to throw up as many treys as he wanted. Fortunately for the Jayhawks, he was more off than on finishing 3-17 with only nine points. However, guard Curtis Munlin was much more on and more selective in his shots, ending up 4-5 behind the arc leading the Sioux with 18 points. Munlin showed an uncanny ability to lose Boschee or Hinrich in a crowd and become open for the easy shot. If not for the three point shot the game would not have been as close at half time when Roy Williams went to the locker room to marshal the troops holding a 44-31 lead. Eric Chenowith, Drew Gooden, and Nick Collison all had strong games in the paint, scoring 14, 16 and 16 points respectively. And each cleaned the boards very well, taking advantage of the multiple missed treys by the Fighting Sioux. Recently one of the big questions for Kansas is the lack of rotation depth. Coach Roy Williams said last year trying to get 10 guys quality time was difficult but, now, filling 40 minutes with seven guys is just as tough. Jeff Carey had no trouble stepping in for Chenowith when the senior was tagged with four fouls. Carey mixed it up inside going 2-2 in the paint, but was also fouled twice, hitting two out of three free throw attempts. Williams says he wants to get Carey more involved, and if Chenowith continues to have foul trouble it may have to happen more often. Missing from the usual Kansas offensive repertoire was the three point shot. Boschee was quiet, too quiet. Partly due to Williams putting the shackles on his shooter, wanting the ball to get inside to the big men where KU had the decisive advantage. Boschee did not seem to mind missing the chance to pour points on his home state school. He agreed with Williams' philosophy, especially when North Dakota made him the target of their perimeter defense. Kansas as a team went 50 percent from behind the arc: Kenny Gregory hitting 1-2, Gooden attempting and making one trey and Mario Kinsey missing his only three-point attempt. The highlight of the evening was Chenowith reaching 1000 career points late in the second half. Former players Nick Bradford and Terry Noooner were on hand to lend congratulations. Next up for the Hawks should be another relatively easy game Monday against Boise State at Allen Field House.

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