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PAGE 8
KANSAS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 25, 2014
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
42-4183
OKLAHOMA 33-4275
KANSAS STAT LEADERS
Tharpe
Tharpe
KANSAS
Embiid
PLAYER PTS FG-FGA REBS A TO's
Naadir Tharpe 19 6-7 0 5 1
Andrew Wiggins 15 5-14 5 0 1
Wayne Selden, Jr. 15 4-9 3 2 1
Joel Embiid 12 3-5 13 3 4
Perry Ellis 11 3-8 4 2 0
Jamari Traylor 4 2-2 4 0 2
Tarik Black 3 1-1 5 0 1
Frank Mason 3 1-6 1 0 1
Other Players 1 0-4 2 2 0
TOTAL 83 25-56 40 14 11
OKLAHOMA
PLAYER PTS FG-FGA REBS A TO's
Cameron Clark 18 6-15 4 0 0
Buddy Hield 16 6-13 2 1 1
Jordan Woodard 10 4-7 1 6 1
Ryan Spangler 9 3-6 9 0 1
Isaiah Cousins 8 4-9 4 4 2
D.J. Bennett 6 2-3 3 0 1
Je'lon Hornbeak 4 1-5 2 5 1
Tyler Neal 3 1-2 1 1 2
Other Players 1 0-1 3 0 3
TOTAL 75 27-61 29 17 11
GAME TO REMEMBER
Naadir Tharpe, guard
Naadir Tharpe didn't play well in the first half, but the Jayhawks rode his leadership and experience to the end of the game. Tharpe scored 12 points in the last six minutes of the game and Bill Self said that Tharpe played the best final 10 minutes of the game he has ever seen from the guard.
the guard.
Tharpe
Kansas 83 — Oklahoma 75
GAME TO FORGET
Frank Mason, guard
After scoring 14 points against Texas, a three point game from Frank Mason was pretty disappointing. He shot four 3-pointers, only capitalized on one of them and missed open shots. Mason played a lot in the first half for Tharpe, but didn't play much in the second half due to his lack of contribution on offense.
Mason
UNSUNG HERO
Joel Embiid, center
This could have easily been another turn in the spotlight for Joel Embid if not for Tharpe's final three minutes. The freshman center played one of his best games all season by scoring 12 points, grabbing 13 rebounds and blocking three shots.
Embiid
BASKETBALL REWIND
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
and Embiid walks onto the court with teammates during the Oklahoma game Monday. Embiid earned a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
BRIAN HILLIX sports@kansan.com
For the first time in the conference season, these weapons all left a mark on the same game.
For a team that seems to be peaking as the Big 12 and NCAA Tournaments near, one question has come up throughout the season: How good can Kansas be if every player is on top of his game?
"You're playing against one of the best teams in the country," Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger said. "They have a lot of weapons."
As No. 5 Kansas (22-6,13-2) clinched at least a share of the Big 12 regular season title with an 83-75 win over visiting Oklahoma (20-8,9-6) last night, fans may have gotten their best glimpse of a complete performance from the Kansas starters. Each starter reached double-digits and each made key contributions throughout the back-and-forth contest that featured eight ties and six lead changes.
Even in the Jayhawks' most impressive games this season.
"Naadir closed the game the way point guards are supposed to close games," Kansas coach Bill Self said.
Junior guard Naadir Tharpe scored a game-high 19 points including a series of key buckets down the stretch that iced the game for Kansas. Despite being in a recent slump, Tharpe asserted himself when his team needed it most.
Freshman center Joel Embidid, freshman guard Andrew Wiggins and sophomore forward Perry Ellis combined for 38 points.
Wayne Selden scored 15 points and went for three-for-five from long-range. The freshman guard continued his dominance over Oklahoma and has averaged 19.5 points in two games against the Sooners this season.
several key players would have off-nights. Every starter has disappeared in stretches throughout the season, sometimes for multiple games in a row.
In the Jayhawks' two Big 12 losses, Wiggins went sixfor-24 from the field.
Since scoring a career-high 32 points against Texas Christian University on Feb.15. Ellis has averaged 7.7 points in his last three games.
Embiid had a tough Texas road trip to begin February as he battled foul trouble and totaled 13 points on four-for-15 shooting in games against Texas and Baylor.
After back-to-back 20-point games in mid-january, Tharpe followed by scoring a total of six points in his next two games.
Perhaps the most inconsistent starter this season has been freshman guard Wayne Selden. Jr. Since the start of February, Selden hasn't scored
double-digits in back-to-back games.
Of course, each starter doesn't need to have a superb performance for Kansas to win games. In a league filled with ups and downs, rough stretches are common.
The fact that Kansas has had so much success without consistent performances from its starters is a scary thought for other teams heading into March. Last night's game was a good stepping stone, but this team can get even better. Self confirmed that his team hasn't yet reached its ceiling.
"I don't think we're close to it," Self said. "I think that we can get better in some different areas."
If each starter summoned his best at the same time, Kansas would reach an entirely new level. One that can earn the Jayhawks another national championship.
Edited by Emily Hines
KEY STATS
86. 7
26
Kansas free throw percentage
Points in the paint for each team
5
Starters who scored double figures
PRIME PLAYS
Second Half
3:08 - Perry Ellis grabs a loose ball in the paint and tosses it ahead to Naadir Tharpe who gets a few lucky bounces on a contested layup before the shot falls. Kansas leads 71-66, 3:08 remaining in the game.
0:33 - Naadir Tharpe sinks two free throws with half a minute remaining to seal a 10th straight Big 12 title for the Jayhawks. Kansas 80, Oklahoma 72 with 33 seconds remaining in regulation.
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7:00 - Andrew Wiggins gets a pass on the wing from Brannen Greene in transition, splits the defense and hits the layup while getting fouled. He would make the free throw. Kansas leads 65-61 with seven minutes remaining in regulation.
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