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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014
PAGE 7
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MEN'S BASKETBALL
MCCLATCHY TRIBUNE
Wichita State Cleanthony Early goes up for a shot in the second half against Missouri State Gavin Thurman and Christian Kirk at Koch Arena in Wichita on March 1. The host Shockers won 68-45.
Both Kansas and Wichita State can make a case as a top seed
MCCLATCHY TRIBUNE
the first week of March brings the final regular-season games in some conferences, the beginning of tournaments in others.
It also ramps up speculation on NCAA Tournament seeding, and two of the more intriguing conversations when the selection committee meets starting next week could involve Kansas schools.
Where to place the Jayhawks and Shockers?
Kansas and Wichita State have top-seed credentials, but their resumes will cover different discussion points.
The Jayhawks fell to 22-7 after Saturday's loss at Oklahoma State. With two games remaining, Kansas has matched the most regular-season losses in the Bill Self era. His 2004 and 2006 teams also lost seven, and both of those teams were No. 4 seeds in the tournament.
Seven losses, a four seed, sounds about right. Last year's No. 4 seeds, including Kansas State, averaged 7.25 losses. Two of those teams reached the Final Four, Syracuse and Michigan, and the teams combined for 15 losses headed into the tournament.
But Kansas, if the field was selected today, wouldn't be on that line. The Jayhawks could be a No.1, and no worse than a No.2.
In selecting and seeding teams, the selection committee has made a point of recognizing scheduling risks. It serves as an influence this way: Play
a tough schedule and you'll be rewarded.
Turns out, Kansas has played perhaps the toughest schedule in its history. The Jayhawks knew they were jumping into the fire against the likes of Florida, Duke, San Diego State and New Mexico, along with the Bahamas tournament that featured Villanova.
But many other Big 12 teams performed at a high level in November and December, enough to be make the Big 12 the highest-rated conference.
We'll see what that means once the NCAA Tournament begins, but for Kansas, it's meant playing 19 of 29 games so far against teams in the RPI top 50. KU is 12-7 in those games. The next closest in victories is Arizona, 10-2, and second on the list of games played is Texas with 15.
Wichita State is 3-0 against the RPI top 50. That's the fewest number of games played against teams on that list among the nation's top 35 teams.
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But the Shockers, who wrapped up their regular-season at 31-0 with Saturday's victory over Missouri State, can accomplish something that hasn't happened since 1991.
If Wichita State can win the Missouri Valley tournament, which begins Thursday in St. Louis, the Shockers will become the first team to enter the NCAA undefeated since UNLV in 1991. It would have occurred for the 18th time in the tournament's 76 years. The last team to accomplish the
feat before Jerry Tarkanian's Runnin Rebels was Indiana State with Larry Bird in 1979.
Just as the committee makes a statement about scheduling, it also does with monumental achievement.
The best example came a decade ago. The 2004 St. Joseph's team roared to a 27-0 regular-season finish with five victories against the RPI top 50.
Fraud, they were called by critics, none more higher profile than CBS commentator Billy Packer, who claimed St. Joseph's was undeserving of its top seed, prompting Hawks coach Phil Martelli to fire back.
St. Joe's lost its Atlantic-10 tournament opener to a solid Xavier team, but the swirl around the committee that weekend involved the Hawks.
The Shockers as a top seed has the support of those who project brackets on national websites and perhaps those daily reminders have softened potential criticism of the possibility.
At this point, Florida and Arizona are solid top seeds, and on my projection the Shockers are right behind them. The fourth No. 1? Despite Saturday's loss to Virginia, Syracuse would get a close call over Kansas. Wisconsin, Villanova and hard-charging Virginia also are in the mix.
But if the Jayhawks win out, the runaway winner of the nation's top-ranked conference will go to the top, no matter what else happens. It might be there already.
KANSAS FROM PAGE 12
rhythm, let alone the paint
"We stopped getting stops," sophomore forward Perry Ellis said. "We weren't playing defense. That was the key."
Self said the miscues on offense led to the lethargic play on the other end.
Early in the second half, Oklahoma State had connected on just nine of its 31 field goal attempts and trailed the Jayhawks by eight. That didn't matter in the final 10 minutes when Smart put himself in the middle of every play and disoriented Kansas' freshman center Joel Embiid.
"Embidid is an unbelievable shot blocker," Smart said. "But I was always taught you've got to attack a shot blocker."
And once it was gone Kansas scrambled to hang on, getting lost in its own offense. The Cowboys kept adding pressure and the Jayhawks couldn't find a way around it, except to watch the ball go the other way empty possession after empty possession.
After the game Self said the 7-foot freshman "tweaked" his already fragile back - Embiid sat out against TCU in Lawrence with similar issues. But it wasn't just Embiid who fell apart in the final minutes.
The pressure on Embiid may have been more costly than just a tally in the loss column.
"Our defense totally broke down." Self said.
In the locker room afterwards, Self and the team only addressed the accomplishment. No nets were cut, no t-shirts were passed out.
A more dejected team left Gallagher-Iba Arena on Saturday, heads held low after an OSU team picked to share the Big 12 title with the Jayhawks saved its season by beating them.
Last year at Baylor, Kansas ran into the same issues. Clinching the Big 12 title before the game even started, the Jayhawks played with no urgency en route to an 81-58 loss.
No second to celebrate. No chance to reflect.
Protocio is off to an incredibly hot start for Kansas in the lead off spot. He is currently on a 10-game hitting streak and is batting .364. Protocio has eight RBIs and four of
"We may do something Wednesday," Self said. "If we're successful against Tech."
They Jayhawks never let off the gas as they proceeded to put up 13 more runs on the day. Protocio lead Kansas with four hits and three RBIs on the day, tallying his second triple of the year.
TOURNEY FROM PAGE 12
ly, when sophomore infielder Tommy Mirabelli drove in junior infielder Justin Protacio with an RBI groundout.
"I feel great," Protacio said. "I've been trying to get on base for the bigger guys to drive me home. I know my role on this team. I'm the scrapper, I have to get on base whether it's a walk, a hit-by-pitch or a hit."
Michael Tinsley started the game at designated hitter and drove in three runs as well, also recording his second triple of the year. The Jayhawks were able to put up 18 hits on the day and scored a run in all seven innings.
— Edited by Amber Kasselman
his twenty hits this far have gone for extra bases.
"It feels amazing to contribute," Tinsley said. "Being a freshman, and having an impact on this team, I couldn't have asked for more."
The Jayhawks may have lost their first game of the year this weekend, but they are still 11-1. This is exactly what they could've hoped for, heading into their home opener on Tuesday against Division One powerhouse, Creighton.
"Any time we can play at home, it's huge," Tinsley said. "You can only travel for so long."
Edited by Brook Barnes
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