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Volume 126 Issue 116
kansan.com
Wednesday, April 30, 2014
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAS
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COMMENTARY Kansas stacked with or without Turner
For the second straight season, Kansas will have a very crowded frontcourt. Even with Joel Embiid and Tarik Black departing, Kansas coach Bill Self will be forced to keep talented big men on the bench, something he had to do last season with forwards Landen Lucas and Justin Wesley.
Keep队 in Marden If Turner commits to Kansas, it will bolster an impressive frontcourt. If Turner commits to Texas, Kansas will still have enough muscle in the paint to face him come conference season.
Myles Turner, the No.9 recruit in the country according to Rivals.com, is set to announce his college plans today at 3 p.m.Many speculate that it is a two-horse race between Kansas and the University of Texas, with schools like Southern Methodist University and Duke University also in consideration.
Should Turner play at Kansas next season, Perry Ellis may not even be in the starting lineup—a crazy proposition for many. That would leave Jamari Traylor, Hunter Mickleson and Lucas to compete for a backup position, while the other two will become insurance in case of injury or foul trouble.
That said, even with a Turner-less roster, the Jayhawks will have depth down low with five big men who can contribute.
Edited by Jamie Koziol
After sitting out a year due to the NCAs transfer rules, Mickleson will be eligible to play next year. Known as a skilled-shot blocker and a cape shooter, Mickleson is a player many aren't talking about who will make a strong push for playing time. A solid rim protector, he set the freshman blocks record at Arkansas with 72 in the 2011-12 season.
While Kansas would certainly miss Turner and his diverse skillset if he went elsewhere, the team should be fine with Cliff Alexander and his 7-foot-3 wingspan playing center. In the 2010-11 season, Kansas made the Elite Eight and lost just three games all season without a true center in the rotation. Alexander's defensive prowess and Ellis' smooth offensive game should be more than enough to help Kansas make a deep run in March
Signing Turner would be another big recruiting splash for the Jayhawks, making an already-stacked Kansas team even more dangerous. But it also presents an interesting dilemma, one that will happen whether Turner comes to Kansas or not.
Then there is Traylor, a mega-athletic player who is one of Kansas' best post defenders. He showed his potential in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament last season with career-highs of 17 points and 14 rebounds. The redshirt sophomore has the most experience in Self's system.
With two years at Kansas under his belt, Lucas is another candidate to receive increased minutes. Lucas showed glimpses of his potential this season and is a very skilled rebounder with an arsenal of post moves.
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BASEBALL
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/WITCHITA STATE SUNFLOWER
Jimine pitches Drew Merwick pitches in the sixth and seventh innings at Wichita State. Kansas defeated the Shockers 10-3 in its fourth consecutive road win.
Kansas wins again on the road at WSU
SHANE JACKSON
Senior catcher Ka'iana Eldredge swings at bat in the game Tuesday night against Wichita State. The 10-3 victory gives Kansas a 4-1 record against in-state teams.
sports@kansan.com
Twenty-eight days had passed since the last time these two in-state rivals faced off on the diamond, but the outcome remained the same, a Kansas victory. Back on April 1, the Jayhawks hosted the Shockers in a 4-2 win. A few weeks later, they traveled to Shocker country, on Tyler Field in Eck Stadium, and oddly enough performed better, with a convincing 10-3 victory.
"Our guys rose to the occasion and took pride in this rivalry. That was one of our best games of the year," said coach Ritch Price.
Road wins seem to be a popular trend, as the Jayhawks now are on a four-game win streak, with all four victories coming on the road.
Many things have changed since that April Fools in-state showdown, but the game started exactly the same. In their first meeting Kansas jumped out to a 4-0 lead on senior pitcher, Drew Palmer, forcing a quick exit for the left
hander in the second inning.
"I told our guys we are going to play the most road games of any team in a BCS conference and we have done a real good job on the road all year," Price said.
Wichita State tried a different arm to oppose the Jayhawks, with freshman lefty Cody Tyler. Tyler like his senior mentor, was beaten up in a quick fashion, by the bats of the visiting Jayhawks. Jayhawks strung together four runs off two hits in the first, drawing a pair of walks, and one charity stroll to first on a hit by pitch.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
"They started lefties both times but we got in good counts. It's always good to take advantage of a pitcher early," said sophomore second baseman Colby Wright.
Junior designated hitter Dakota Smith ripped a double to left center, to score Wright and junior left fielder Michael Suiter. Another walk set Blair Beck up with the second hit of the inning, a two RBI double down the right field line, to give Kansas a 4-0 lead before the seats were even warm.
Like the previous meeting nearly a month ago, Wichita State attempted to make a surge after falling into an early deficit. They score one in the second and two in the seventh. Sandwiched in between was an insurance run for Kansas driven in by Wright, on a double to right center.
Coach Price tossed out his freshman on the bump, right
hander Jon Hander, who had begun settling into his new role as the midweek starter. The freshman allowed only one run off two hits, walking a pair, in five innings of work to pick up his second win (2-1).
"I just throw a lot of strikes. I was able to get my slider going and it helps having a good defense behind me," said Hander.
Offensively the Jayhawks aided Hander as they scored 10 runs off 14 hits, in their 10-3 victory. A trio of players had a multiple RBI evening; senior center fielder Tucker Tharp had a pair of RBIs, as did Beck on his lone double. Smith led the way driving in runs thrice. Wright had a pair of doubles and was perfect at the plate (4-4).
With the in-state victory the Jayhawks are now 4-1 against teams that reside in the state of Kansas after winning two of three in Manhattan against the boys in purple. The Jayhawks now boast a 27-20 record, and are riding a four game win streak, the second longest of their season.
Edited by Kate Shelton
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