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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2014
PAGE 3B
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MEN'S BASKETBALL
Jayhawks finally celebrate streak
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
Senior Tarik Black lays the ball over Dejan Kravic for two points. Black scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds. After the game, Self said. "That's the most aggressive he's been all year."
BLAKE SCHUSTER
bschuster@kansan.com
One game after winning the Big 12 title outright, and two after locking up at least a share, the Kansas Jayhawks can finally celebrate.
This was the moment Kansas coach Bill Self was waiting for. A packed house of 16,300 fans screaming their heads off for a streak that's hard to comprehend.
The shirts came out from under the damn bus. The trophies came, too. All 10 of them lined up at center court with the newest addition perched up on its own table.
That No. 8 Kansas defeated Texas Tech 82-57 quickly became an afterthought. That the Jayhawks left Stillwater without enjoying the fact they stood alone atop the Big 12 was washed away.
"That's like celebrating your birthday after you got fired from your job," Self said. "Who wants to do that?"
So there were the Jayhawks, sitting in awe beneath enough hardware to require an addition to the Booth Hall of Fame, waiting for their eldest teammates to speak.
Self made them wait a little longer.
First he yelled at Andrew Wiggins to stand up, then Joel Embid and then Perry Ellis. The two freshmen aren't expected to return to Lawrence. Depending on what happens in the next few weeks, Ellis may not either.
If all holds true, the last basket Embiid will have scored at Allen Fieldhouse will have been a free throw with 46 seconds remaining against Oklahoma to lock up a share of the conference title.
Wiggins (9 points) went out much quieter, hitting only three of seven field goals.
"I enjoyed my time here," Wiggins said. "I can't ask for anything more."
The game reflected the reality: This team had nothing to lose but the athletes around it.
"To want anything more out of tonight would be ungrateful," Tarik Black said. "We won by almost 30. I played well. It was emotional."
In fact Black had the most efficient night of basketball in his career, going 9 for 9 from the field with 19 points, six rebounds and two blocks. He tied the Kansas record for made field goals without a miss.
He denied touches to open teammates and fought past double teams. At the beginning of the year, Black said he transferred to Kansas because he was impressed with Bill Self's system. Now he's taking full advantage of it.
Playing like a man who knew the end was near, Black made sure every time he touched the
ball he found a way to score.
"Things just started working," Black said. "Things just started functioning."
In the absence of Joel Embiid
In the absence of Joel Embidd — who sat out to rest an ailing back — Black calmed the nerves of coaches and fans, proving that he belonged in the starting lineup spot he was given at the start of the year.
What began with a recruiting text from Self that read, "Hey, Stud," now ends with the certainty that Black and his teammates will lock up a top seed in the NCAA tournament.
That is the thought each player tried to focus on after the game, worrying that if they allowed themselves a moment to reflect they might miss out on what's ahead.
"There's only one way," Naadir Tharpe (16 points, 5 assists) said of the season ending. "National Championship. That's why I came to this school."
So they listened to their seniors speak and waited to get the night over with.
For as long as Self held off on the celebration he made sure it was over in a hurry, justifying himself to the fans who wouldn't see their Jayhawks at home until next year.
"We've got a lot of work left to do." Self told the crowd. "It's time to get serious"
Edited by Katie Gilbaugh
COMMENTARY
Despite senior night momentum lies in underclassmen
By Blair Sheade sports@kansan.com
With the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments right
around the corner, the one element Kansas needs on its side is momentum.
"We have one more month left, then the season is done," said senior forward Tarik Black.
On Wednesday, an 82-57 blowout against Texas Tech might have given the Jayhawks the boost they wanted to push through the postseason.
Junior guard Naadir Tharpe, who has recently struggled holding onto the ball, overcame his turnover woes and didn't commit one turnover against Texas Tech, setting the tempo Kansas needs.
Tharpe scored eight of his 16 points with three assists in the first half. He scored six points in 15 seconds with back-to-back 3-point plays.
Tharpe didn't force any passes, he looked in control of the game and he played with confidence. All signs that Tharpe could play some of the best basketball we've seen all season and Wednesday night could just be the start.
Tharpe's momentum toward the next part of the season ignited in the second half.
He went 2-2 from beyond the arc and 2-2 from the free-throw line, which means Tharpe had a perfect second half, and he did it all without
turning the ball over. Tharpe scored all 16 points in only 18 minutes.
On senior night, one senior, Tarik Black, shined and could end up giving the Jayhawks a momentum swing for the rest of the season. With freshmen center Joel Embiid on the bench, Black provided solid minutes and a scoring threat.
"I thought it was the most aggressive he's been all year," Self said. "As far as looking to score and making post moves, he played very, very well."
Black finished the game nine for nine from the field and a season-high 19 points. Black hasn't taken nine shots all season, but he made every one count.
"He went out with a bang." Tharpe said about Black's performance.
Sophomore forward Perry Ellis played near perfect as well.
Ellis only played 18 minutes; senior forward Justin Wesley played the majority of Ellis' second half minutes. On a limited role, Ellis shot 4-4 from the field with 13 points, and grabbed five rebounds.
Ellis' stat line didn't tell how effective he actually was. All four shots that Ellis took were mid-range and long-range jump-shots. Ellis made one 3-pointer and it was the only three he shot, which gives him a 50 percent 3-point percentage on the season.
When the Jayhawks can win big without freshmen guard Andrew Wiggins scoring double-digits, it's a big step for Kansas. Three key players hitting stride at the right time could help give the Jayhawks the momentum they need to get the team through March.
When Tharpe was asked about how the Jayhawks envision the rest of the season, he said there's only one way and it's to win a national championship.
"That's why I came to this school is to get to that point."
Edited by Alec Weaver
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