THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2014
PAGE 7
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NCAA BASKETBALL
BIG 12 NOTEBOOK
lowa State has widespread impact on conference play
BLAIR SHEADE
sports@kansan.com
TRAVIS FORD - OKLAHOMA STATE
Loss to Iowa State hurts Oklahoma State the most
The Cowboys were up three points in Ames, Iowa, with five seconds left when Iowa State hit a 3-pointer to force the game into overtime. When Travis Ford was asked about fouling at the end of the game to prevent the Cyclones from making a three, he said his team knew to foul.
"It's been a feel for how the game is going," Ford said.
"Make no mistake, we wanted to foul on Saturday."
Ford said that his game was similar to last year's game against Kansas where, with the Jayhawks down three in the final seconds, Ford told his team to not foul.
"Let's get this game over with," Ford said about why he didn't foul in Kansas. "We kind of knew what we were going to run and decided not to foul."
The loss to Iowa State could hold the Cowboys out of the NCAA tournament. Oklahoma State is eighth in the Big 12 Conference with a 8-10 record, but three of those losses were without sophomore point
"From my understanding they are supposed to take into account the three games Marcus (Smart) did not play," Ford said.
guard Marcus Smart. Ford said that the Cowboys record in the conference does justice for how dominant the league was.
Melvin Ejim wins conference Player of the Year
From 2006 to 2013, Iowa State only had two All-Big 12 first-stream players. This season alone, the Cyclones have two players on the All-Big 12 first team: junior guard DeAndre
FRED HOIBERG - IOWA STATE
Kane and senior forward Melvin Ejim.
Ejim was honored with the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year as well, Coach Fred Holberg said what Ejim has done off the court is more impressive.
"He's majoring in history, he decided to do that after our trip to Italy, and a minor in business. He's got a 4.0 GPA," Holberg said about Ejim's off-court success. "The things he's done in the community as well in his four years here, he has done so many things."
The senior has improved his game a lot since coming to Iowa State. Elij averaged
10 points per game in his first three seasons, but jumped to 18 points per game this season.
"This shows when someone puts a lot of work into their game it will pay off," Hoiberg said about Ejim's improvement.
BRUCE WEBER - KANSAS STATE
Rubber match with Iowa State
The Wildcats are fifth in the Big 12 Conference and will play Iowa State in the first round of the conference tournament. The two teams are tied in the season series, but if Kansas State has an early exit from the conference tournament, it will
affect its NCAA tournament seed.
"I hope our guys come to play at a high level," Weber said. "The first two matchups were good games."
The first two matchups were decided by a total of 13 points and each was won by the home team.
Kansas State is coming off a 2-point loss at home to Baylor and Weber said it should affect how they play in the conference tournament.
"I think because it was senior night, the guys were tight down the stretch." Weber said.
Edited by Austin Fisher
SOFTBALL
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
Sophomore infieldar Chaley Brickey dives for home plate during the softball game against the UMKC Rons last year. Kansas has its home opener tonight against North Dakota State.
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Kansas' home opener rescheduled for today
AMIE JUST sports@kansan.com
Today is the last time the Kansas Jayhawks will have their home opener at Arrocha Ballpark. Seasons after this will take place at Rock Chalk Park, due to open later this year.
Kansas (15-7) has a doubleheader against South Dakota State (5-12) today, with first pitches scheduled for 1
p. m. and 3 p.m.
The South Dakota State Jackrabbits are coming off of a two-day invitational tournament in Evansville, Ind., with games against Evansville and Murray State.
Last week, coach Megan Smith scheduled the doubleheader against the Jackrabbits to offset two games earlier in the season that were canceled due to weather.
Fans attending the games today will receive a 2014 team poster and a schedule magnet.
Following today's contests, next up for Kansas is the Jayhawk Invitational, March 14-16. First pitch is Friday at 3:30 p.m. against Northern Illinois. The game was originally scheduled as Kansas' home opener.
— Edited by Nick Chadbourne
TRACK AND FIELD
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President Obama recognizes Jayhawks
BEN BURCH sports@kansan.com
The Kansas women's track team traveled to Washington D.C. yesterday to visit the White House. The 12 Jayhawk athletes who made the trip, all members of last season's NCAA Outdoor title-winning team, were among representatives from 18 other 2013-2014 Division I championship-winning
teams who were recognized by President Barack Obama.
Yesterday's festivities began with a tour of the White House, followed by a ceremony last night held on the south lawn of the White House in which President Obama recognized the 19 teams. The championship win that the Jayhawks were recognized for, which came last June in Eugene, Ore., was the first NCAA title for the
Among the 12 athletes who attended the ceremony were sophomore Sydney Conley, senior Natalia Bartnovskaya and senior Diamond Dixon, all three of whom will be competing in the NCAA Indoor Championships, which begin this Friday, March 14 in Albuquerque, N.M.
Kansas track program.
Edited by Emily Hines
ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Barack Obama hosts the 2012-2013 NCAA Division I men and women champions on the South Lawn of the White House on March 10. 2014, in Washington D.C.
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