College Hoops: Josh Selby Last-Minute Slip-Up, Syracuse Victory Over Villanova

It was not such a shock to hear that the Kansas Jayhawks were dealing with a few more off-court issues.

Point guard Tyshawn Taylor was already having a few issues coping with playing the position until he was taken off the court completely by an indefinite suspension.

Josh Selby would have been the one to step up, or attempt to, in his place, but he had a slight slip of thinking himself. He left the orthotic device he wears in his left shoe at home, keeping him out of the game against Oklahoma State.

So who would Kansas turn to next?

Elijah Johnson has not been as highly touted as Selby or Taylor, but proved to his team and the dedicated Jayhawks fans that he could be utilized just as frequently and come out just as productive, if not more, than his aforementioned teammates. The most exciting piece of his performance was the 100 percent three-point field-goal shooting he shocked the crowd with.

He most definitely managed to stir up some confidence in coach Bill Self, because he hinted around in more ways than one that Johnson would be the newest addition to the starting lineup. As minor as it may have been, Selby’s slip-up may have cost him a lot more than major minutes in one game.

Elsewhere, in another Top 25 roundup, No. 20 Syracuse and No. 14 Villanova battled it out at Villanova’s home court. With an 11-point loss to contend with from January 22, the Syracuse team seemed less willing to allow this game to turn into a repeat.

They did not even need Kris Joseph to perform at his peak strengths to put them over the Wildcats, but free throws from Dion Waiters and Rick Jackson are ultimately what allowed the Orange team to take over and force a young James Bell to shoot for a three-pointer in vain.

What does this mean for Syracuse? It means a lot for the team that has struggled in Big East against ranked opponents.

However, if they have any hopes of going deep into the tournament, they will need Kris Joseph to be at his best, as 2-of-7 shooting is not going to cut it.