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Volume 126 Issue 85
kansan.com
Thursday, February 27, 2014
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
COMMENTARY CHAMP1ONS once again
Get ready to pause for a moment. Not now, but in a minute or so.
you'll stop to take just a second to think about how totally ridiculous this has been. How incredibly lucky you are to experience this. And how grateful you, a sports fan, should be.
This is about Bill Self. This is about Monday night. This is about winning. This is about winning consistently. This is about having a chance to win a national championship. This is about owning your competitors. This is about owning the sport. This is about being more talented. This is about having a better coach.
Most importantly, this is about having fun.
There, that's 10 reasons in itself to pause. Did that read long? Was it clunky? It had to be, because it's incredibly hard to repeat yourself 10 times in a row. It's not natural and really, it doesn't make sense.
This run that Kansas is on doesn't actually make sense. To win a conference 10 consecutive times and be better than your regional competitors every year, for 10 years, shouldn't happen.
In fact, it had never happened in a major conference until this week.
But there Self was, walking off James Naismith Court with a still-full student section wanting nothing but acknowledgment from the coach, who just etched another place in college basketball history.
So, after a head nod, a small gesture from Self, the crowd got louder and louder. And then Self held up all 10 fingers with the student section going bonkers for the bizarre accomplishment.
Sure, the students are grateful, as was the entire crowd at Allen Fieldhouse, but they won't remember that in mid-March. So now, not just yet, but soon, you should pause for a moment, while it's still fresh in your mind.
If you're a senior at the University, you've watched the Jayhawks go 131-19. The worst record of the three complete seasons? 32-7, a year in which Kansas lost in the National Championship game.
The problems for Kansas fans are silly and for this little stretch in late February, they should be forgotten. So now it's time.
Kansas fans don't have to worry about the bubble, they are forced to focus on more petty things: Did the NCAA Tournament committee screw the layhawks on seeding? Or location? Why isn't this recruit getting more national attention?
So get ready, take a big ol' deep breath and think about how damn lucky you are to be a Kansas basketball fan in this current era.
Edited by Brook Barnes
KANSAS 68 - KANSAS STATE 76
WILDCATS DOMINATE
Kansas fails to outplay K-State after early deficit
IKYLE PAPPAS
sports@kansan.com
The Kansas women's basketball team let Kansas State guard Leticia Romero do everything they knew they couldn't during their 76-68 loss Wednesday night in Allen Fieldhouse. The talented freshman crossed up Jayhawk defenders, confidently drove the lane and pulled up from behind the arc without hesitation.
She kicked it out to her teammates for open looks and was active on the boards all night. Basically, she was everything the Jayhawks (12-16, 5-11 Big 12) knew she could be.
Things got off to about as bad a start as imaginable for Henrickson's squad. The team allowed the Wildcats (11-16, 5-11 Big 12) to sink their first eight shots while missing the first six of its own. Toss in a few unforced turnovers and mental errors and Kansas found itself down 21-0 only six minutes into the game.
could be.
"[Romoer] was just good one-on-one, too much at the rim and pulling up." Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson said. "She has good vision and just drives with it."
The Jayhawks first field goal came on a Natalie Knight 3-pointer almost seven minutes into regulation. It sparked six straight points for Kansas, but the Wildcats still maintained a comfortable 15-point advantage. With junior forward Chelsea Gardner generally doubletamed in the paint, the Jayhawks' post presence all but disappeared as they notched only six points in the paint during the first half.
but Kansas began slowly chipping away at its deficit behind the strong play by Knight and junior guard Asia Boyd. Boyd scored eight straight points toward the
Senior guard CeCe Harper, who was held without a field goal in the first half, took over for the Jayhawks in the second. She scored 10 consecutive points midway through the half to bring the Jayhawks within two. A layup from freshman guard Dakota Gonzalez with 6:42 left gave Kansas its first tie of the game.
"We were disappointed in the way we started and wanted to turn things around." Knight said. "But personally, I never felt for a second like we were out of it"
end of the first half to give her team its first semblance of momentum all night. Kansas headed into the locker room down 37-24.
We were excited that we finally could score some points." Boyd said. "We got a couple stops, Chelsea [Gardner] had a couple blocks and we were able to get back in it, but we have to keep that."
Kansas was never able to take the lead; it simply couldn't stop K-State's hot hand from the field. The Wildcats shot 68.2 percent in the second half as Romero led the way with 10 points. The Jayhawks made it easy for the freshman, allowing her several untested layups.
All night, K-State made hard shots look easy and Kansas made easy ones look hard. Even when the Jayhawks pulled even, they were never a serious threat; they were outplayed in all facets of the game. It was a disappointing outcome for what could've been a rebound game for Kansas before March.
"We don't show up with any pop and just let them spank us around" Henrickson said. "It's disappointing."
All hope of a Kansas comeback faded when Wildcats' freshman guard Kindred Wesemann drained a three with 1:31 remaining to increase their lead to eight.
- Edited by Brook Barnes
ANDY LARKIN/KANSAN Kansas junior forward Chelsea Gardner drives the ball in the second half against Kansas State defender Ashlynn Knoll on Wednesday night. The Jayhawks lost the game, 76-68.
ANDY LARKIN/KANSAN
BASEBALL
Series moved to Texas due to weather
SHANE JACKSON
sports@kansan.com
This weekend was supposed to be the home opener for the undefeated Jayhawks, who are off to an 8-0 start. Due to forecasted weather, the series has been moved to Grand Prairie, Texas, in QuikTrip Park, home of the Grand Prairie Airhogs.
"It's devastating, I think our entire team was looking forward to playing in Hoglund Ballpark this weekend," said coach Ritch Price.
Before the location change, the Jayhawks were slated to start the weekend with a single game on Friday against North Dakota. Then taking on Houston Baptist in a two-game series on Saturday and Sunday. Now the Jayhawks will head down and only take on Houston Baptist (6-2) in a four game series.
"They are a good mid-
Game one will start at noon on Friday, when Wes Benjamin will take the mound for the Jayhawks. The junior lefty tossed six and one-third innings against Northwestern on Feb. 21, before leaving the game with a 7-2 lead.
major program, we are going into their home state, and they are off to a good start," said Price "It's going to be a good test for us before we go play a national powerhouse like Stanford."
Games two and three will be a double header on Saturday. In game two, Robert Kahana will be on the mound for the Jayhawks. The junior righty was tossed around by UW-Milwaukee, going five and one-third innings, allowing
For the Huskies on Friday, they will throw senior righthander Ryan Lower on the mound. He has a 1-0 record in two starts with a 1.64 ERA, and nine strikeouts.
Taylor Wright is slated to start game two for the Huskies. He has posted a 2-0
10 hits and seven runs.
RITCH PRICE Kansas coach
"They are a good mid-major program, we are going into their home state, and they are off to a good start."
record on this season, with a 4.50 ERA and 10 strikeouts.
In game three, Frank Duncan will get the nod. Duncan responded from his disappointing first start, with a career-high 14 strikeout performance against Mississippi Valley State on Sunday. The senior righty allowed only four hits, throwing 71 strikes of his 92 pitches to earn Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week honors.
Going up against Duncan for Houston Baptist in the night cap, is junior right-handed pitcher Curtis Jones. In two starts, Jones has tallied the most innings of the starters with 15, with a 1.76 ERA and nine strikeouts.
"This weekend I was just able to fill up the zone," Duncan said. "The ball was rolling more my way, I got into more two-strike counts, and was able to put people away."
On Sunday, Price will give the nod to Drew Morovick, who is the only starter with a 2-0 record. The junior righty struck out a career-high 10 batters in five innings, aiding the Jayhawks to a 9-4 win over St. Bonaventure, to sweep the Snowbird Classic.
"He has had two unbelievable starts, he's pitched as well as anyone we have, and when you have someone like that to pitch at the end of the weekend, it
puts you in good position to make a run at the postseason," said Duncan.
The Huskies Sunday starter will be junior Ross Kennell, who has struggled in his first two starts. He has tallied an 8.10 ERA, with a 0-1 record, and just four strikeouts.
Offensively the Jayhawks will continue to ride their hot hats, to keep their undefeated hopes alive. Senior catcher Kaiana Eldredge is bating .429 in 21 at bats, with six runs batted in. Junior outfielder Blair Beck leads the team in terms of average, hitting .500 in 14 at bats.
"We are tougher outs one through nine, we have had power in the past, but this year we are all tough outs, and able to play small ball, we just have to continue to get better every week," said senior outfielder Tucker Tharp.
Edited by Blair Sheade
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