PAGE 10
MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2014
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
24-33 57
STANFORD 22-3860
Kansas 57
KANSAS STAT LEADERS
Black
Tharpe
KANSAS
Ellis
PLAYER PTS FG-FGA REBS A TO'S
Tarik Black 18 6-8 6 0 0
Conner Frankamp 12 4-8 2 0 0
Perry Ellis 9 3-10 8 0 3
Naadir Tharpe 5 2-8 2 2 2
Andrew Wiggins 4 1-6 4 1 4
Jamari Traylor 3 1-8 5 0 3
Wayne Selden Jr 2 1-5 1 2 1
Frank Mason 2 0-4 2 2 1
Other Players 2 1-1 5 0 0
TOTAL 57 19-58 35 7 14
STANFORD
PLAYER PTS FG-FGA REBS A TO' s
Dwight Powell 15 5-10 7 1 5
Chasson Randle 13 6-12 4 1 7
Sefan Nastic 10 4-5 4 0 1
Anthony Brown 10 2-5 5 1 2
Josh Huestis 6 2-8 8 2 1
John Gage 4 1-6 3 1 0
Grant Verhoeven 2 1-1 0 0 0
Robbie Lemons 0 0-0 1 0 0
Other Players 0 0-0 5 0 0
TOTAL 60 21-47 37 6 16
BASKETBALL
Wiggins leaves mark on Kansas in one season
BRIAN HILLIX sports@kansan.com
Andrew Wiggins sat in the locker room with a blood stain on his jersey, leaning back with his arms behind his head, deflecting questions about his future.
In what would be Kansas' last game of the season, the freshman guard scored four points on 1-6 shooting in a 60-57 loss to the Stanford Cardinal in the Round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament. Although he refused to confirm it himself, Wiggins likely played his last game in a Kansas uniform on Sunday, ending his career in a way contrary to his high-octane play throughout the season.
"The kid's had a remarkable season," coach Bill Self said. "I don't think today should offset what he's done for 34 games, 34 other games in which he has been terrific."
And he played those 35 games with a backpack stuffed full with expectations on his shoulders.
Before the season, a Sports Illustrated cover compared him to Wilt Chamberlain and Danny Manning, two of the best players in Kansas basketball's storied history. Many dubbed him the next LeBron James. Others named him a lock for
But despite these otherworldly distractions, Wiggins stayed grounded, never letting the outside world affect his ego or attitude.
"He's a great kid, a humble kid," sophomore forward Perry Ellis said of Wiggins. "Even though he doesn't show emotion, he really cares and we all
He shifted into an even higher gear near the end of the season, averaging 28 points in his last four games before Sunday.
But against Stanford, Wiggins never looked at ease against a zone defense that was designed to shut him down. The Cardinal planted eyes on him every second he was on the floor, making sure the ball was never in his hands.
"The kid's had a remarkable season. I don't think today should offset what he's done for 34 games, 34 other games in which he has been terrific."
COACH BILL SELF
know that."
the number one pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Averaging 17.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game for the Big 12 regular season champions, Wiggins played at such a high level all season, one where he received many accolades. He earned the Big 12 Freshman of the Year honor, was named the Big 12 newcomer of the week three times and broke the Kansas freshman record for points in a season (597), passing the mark set by Ben McLemore last year. Two weeks ago, he was named to the All-America Second Team by the United States Basketball Writers Association.
"We always had an awareness of him because he is a great player and he has the ability to get hot quick," Stanford forward Dwight Powell said. "We stayed locked in."
It could have been the defense that never allowed him to get hot.
Or maybe it was just one of those days. Wiggins said there were a lot of things he would take back if he could. He missed shots he usually makes, made decisions he wished he hadn't.
"He put himself in position to make some plays and didn't make them like he normally
made them the majority of the year," Self said.
After the game, Wiggins shouldered a lot of the weight of Kansas' second Round of 32 loss in the last four years.
"My team played well and fought to the end," Wiggins said. "I just wasn't there for them when they needed me."
In reality, the team played one of its worst offensive games of the season. Other than senior forward Tarik Black, the rest of the Jayhawk starters scored just 20 points, making seven of 29 field goals.
In the four games Wiggins failed to reach double figures in scoring this season (the team went 3-1), his teammates were usually there to pick up the slack. Just not on Sunday.
Barring a major surprise, Wiggins is headed to the NBA, where he will continue to work on his already polished game against the world's elite.
"I learned a lot," Wiggins said when asked to reflect on the season. "I got a lot better. But today I just laid an egg."
Edited by Callan Reilly
MICHAEL STRICKLAND/KANSAN
Frank Mason and Jamari Traylor quietly sit in the locker room after their 60-57 loss to Stanford on Sunday in the 3rd round of the NCAA Tournament.
SPRING SIGN UP FOR THE BIG EVENT ON APRIL 12,2014
SIGN UP AT BIGEVENTKU.COM
@ bigeventku.com
FUNDED BY STUDENT SENATE
H
GAME TO REMEMBER
Being the only starting senior, Black will remember this game for the rest of his life because it might be his last. Black came out and played like it was his last game, shooting 6-8 from the field and 6-8 from the free-throw line to score a team-high 18 points. Black fouled out with five minutes left and Kansas' offense truly missed his presence.
Black
GAME TO FORGET
Andrew Wiggins, guard
This loss to Stanford will likely be Wiggins' last in a Kansas uniform and he failed to produce on the offensive end. The 1-3-1 zone Stanford play caused problems for Wiggins the whole game. He committed four turnovers and scored four points on 1-6 from the field. For Wiggins' last game, he left a sour taste in Kansas fans' mouths.
Wiggins
UNSUNG HERO
Conner Frankamp, guard
The Jeyhawk nation saw a glimpse of what Frankamp can bring to Kansas' offense next season. He hit four 3-pointers, one coming in the final seconds of the first half to give Kansas a halftime lead and two in the final minute to bring Kansas within a possession. Frankamp finished the game 4-7 from beyond the arc for 12 points.
Frankamp
+