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Volume 126 Issue 86
kansan.com
Monday, March 3, 2014
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COMMENTARY
Kansas can still get No.1 seed
Moving into a No. 1 seed position in the NCAA
By Matt Corte sports@kansan.com
tournament was tossed away Saturday night, just like so many of the basketballs that found their way into the hands of a Jayhawk.
Kansas committed 22 turnovers against the Cowboys, but remarkably still had a shot at winning after freshman guard Andrew Wiggins' 3-point play tied it with just over two minutes left in the game. The numerous turnovers, however, were too much to overcome.
As the great coach Bobby Knight once said, "Dumb loses more games than smart wins," which was certainly the case as Oklahoma State won 72-65.
Oklahoma State work 1-2 co.
If there's any solace in this loss, it's knowing that the Jayhawks don't have to share the Big 12 title, as both Iowa State and Texas lost on Saturday to lock it in for the Jayhawks. Coach Bill Self felt no empathy for his players as he opted to keep the Big 12 championship gear on the bus, "To me, we missed our opportunity to celebrate," he said.
The Jayhawks may have the opportunity to celebrate a Big 12 title after a win against Texas Tech this Wednesday, but the opportunity to put a lock on a No. 1 seed was all but lost against Oklahoma State.
There's no question that the layhawks can still claim a top seed in the tournament, but they'll have to win the rest of their conference games, plus the Big 12 tournament in order to do so. Losses from other top tier programs, like Syracuse or Arizona, in the next two weeks could also help Kansas earn a top seed.
The importance of receiving a No.1 seed over a No.2 seed may seem petty to some, but when looking at the recent performances of No.2 seed in the NCAA tournament, it's actually pivotal.
In 2004, Connecticut was the last No. 2 seed to win a NCAA title and in the nine tournaments since then, every No. 2 seed to make a championship has lost. In that same span, seven No.1 seeds have won the championship, so grabbing a No.1 seed seems to increase a team's title odds by a large margin.
History tells us that no No. 1 seed has ever lost in the opening round of the tournament, but that three No. 2 seeds have lost their opening game in the last two tournaments alone. The last team to accomplish that feat was Florida Gulf Coast against Georgetown in the 2013 tournament, showing there's some parity in the field of 64 teams and that any team can lose on any given day.
You're probably thinking that these stats are from past years and they don't mean anything to our team this year, but why mess with history?
Like all Jayawk fans, I don't want that day to come for the Jayhawks in the 2014 NCAA tournament. If Kansas players can perform at a high level during the conclusion of this regular season and earn a No. 1 seed over a No. 2 seed, maybe it never will.
Edited by Chelsea Mies
KANSAS 65 - OKLAHOMA STATE 72
Jayhawks miss their 'opportunity to celebrate'
Sophomore forward Perry Ellis floats the ball into the basket in the first half of the game in Stillwater, Okla. Ellis scored 11 points in Kansas' loss at Oklahoma State.
BRENT BURFORD/KANSAN
BLAKE SCHUSTER sports@kansan.com
STILLWATER, Okla. - Coach Bill Self is waiting for the right moment and even he doesn't know when it'll come.
At any point in the last week he could've allowed his Jayhawks a second to reflect on a season in which a team that returned zero starters from the previous year clinched a 10th straight Big 12 title. Aside from a Jerrison Howard dance, that didn't happen.
Really, it was because Kansas still had plenty of work left. After Monday night the Jayhawks only bought themselves a piece of the conference championship, so Self only partially cherished it.
The real celebration was to take place in Stillwater, after the Jayhawks finished off an Oklahoma State University team picked to share the title with them.
That, of course, couldn't happen. The Cowboys sat in eighth place entering Saturday's matchup with No. 5 Kansas.
The celebration wouldn't happen either, save for a few thousand OSU fans who stormed the court after the Jayhawks fell 72-65.
With Texas and Iowa State both losing earlier in the day, Kansas won the league title outright no matter what happened against the Cowboys.
Still, Self kept the trophy and the fun that goes with it away from the locker room.
The Jayhawks wouldn't don any hats. There would be no t-shirts.
"I told them to put them under the damn bus," Self said. "We missed our opportunity to celebrate."
They didn't so much miss it as they did throw it away.
Kansas turned the ball over 22 times - leading to 21 OSU points - and never seemed in control on offense.
Freshman guard Andrew Wiggins and junior guard Naadir Tharpe combined for more than half of the miscues. Wiggins was able to make up for some of the damage with 15 points. Tharpe struggled to reach six.
Really, that wouldn't have mattered as long as Kansas continued to shut down the Cowboys on defense.
Tharpe's scoreless first half was matched with an equally poor showing from Oklahoma State's sophomore guard Marcus Smart.
Smart resiliently fought his way back into the game in the second half, bullying his way into the paint and finishing with 21 points. Tharpe, who suffered a dislocated thumb, but is not expected to miss any time, couldn't get into any
SEE KANSAS PAGE 7
BASEBALL
Kansas looks to keep momentum after first loss
Senior pitcher Frank Duncan led the Jayhawks' weekend in Grand Prairie, Texas. Duncan tossed more than nine innings, gave up no runs and struck out 10 batters while walking none.
BEN FELDERSTEIN
sports@kansan.com
A complete game shutout by senior pitcher Frank Duncan highlighted the Jayhawks weekend in Grand Prairie, Texas. Duncan tossed nine innings, gave up no runs and struck out ten batters while walking none.
FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
"I've been filling up the zone, throwing a lot of strikes," Duncan said. "You know, obviously the confidence is picking up. Not just for me, but for the whole team."
This is Duncan's second stellar start and win of the season. Duncan has struck out 27 in his three starts and retired the final 18 batters that he faced on Saturday. Duncan faced only one batter over the minimum in his nine innings of work.
"We feel like we can beat anyone." Duncan said.
Freshman catcher Michael Tinsley led the Jayhawks offense with two RBIs. Junior outfielder Connor McKay and junior infielder Aaron Hernandez stayed hot, each driving in a run as well. Kansas won by a score of 5-0.
"I'm seeing fastballs well," Tinsley said. "Having faced these pitchers in previous attbats, I'm starting to see what's coming."
Kansas went 3-1 against Houston Baptist this weekend, suffering their first loss of the season in the first leg of their doubleheader Saturday. Junior Robert Kahana got the start for Kansas. He battled through seven strong innings, allowing three runs on six hits while striking out five.
Junior pitcher Wes Benjamin got his second win of the season. Benjamin struggled through six, allowing five runs on 11 hits. Sophomore Taylor Rappaport and freshman Stephen Villines were able to stop the bleeding and shutout Houston Baptist the rest of the way.
The lajyhawks couldn't convert in clutch situations. They stranded eight runners on bases and failed to score on a bases loaded opportunity in the fifth inning of the contest. Kansas couldn't fight back and score in the final four innings of the game and fell 4-2.
Junior outfielders Connor Mckay and Michael Suiter kept the Kansas offense afloat, combining for five hits.
Connor McKay and senior outfielder Tucker Tharp both had the long ball working. The two outfielders hit two run home runs in the second and fourth innings.
Kansas had another strong offensive outing on Friday, defeating the Huskies 11-5.
Villines kept his strong to the season alive. Villines has thrown six innings and allowed zero runs. He has walked only two and given up no extra base hits thus far. The side-arming right-hander will prove a strong bridge to senior closer Jordan Piche' going forward.
The Jayhawk's offense was able to tally 14 hits on the day, lead by senior designated hitter Dakota Smith with three. Four other players tallied multiple hit games as well.
The Jayhawks finished the weekend strong on Sunday, defeating the Huskies 14-1 in a rain-shortened seven-inning game. Junior pitcher Drew Morovick got the start and the win for Kansas. Morovick went five strong, allowing no runs, striking out four. Piche' and junior Colin Toalson finished out the day on the hill.
Kansas got on the board ear.
SEE TOURNEY PAGE 7
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