+
Volume 126 Issue 78
kansan.com
Monday, February 17, 2014
+
COMMENTARY Ellis' skill leads Kansas to victory
They chanted Perry Eis's name twice on Saturday. The first came after he knocked down a 3-pointer from the corner late in the second half. Oddly enough, it was the sort of shot that Ellis rarely takes. Against Texas Christian University, it was the sort of shot that Ellis wouldn't miss.
Even the stoic sophomore took a second to relish the moment, nearly cracking a smile while hugging his teammates and taking a glance around the building.
The fans started chanting again two free throws later, as Ellis walked off the floor with 32 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Kansas coach Bill Self pulled his regulars with two and a half minutes remaining, not that it made things easier for the Horned Frogs.
The chorus struck up shortly before the ball had fallen completely through the net, yet it had sunk far enough to celebrate two things. Ellis scoring a career-high 30 points, and no chance for a TCU comeback.
No. 7 Kansas defeated TCU 95-65. In large part, because Ellis' demeanor never changed.
"We knew we weren't playing how we should be playing; Wayne Selden Jr. said of the first half.
Quite the surprising statement given the final score, but this was also a game in which Kansas trailed for seven minutes during first half.
Of course, Ellis was playing how he should've been. That much rarely changes.
He had only missed two field goals in the first frame, so when Selden says the Jayhawks needed to step up it, Ellis took that upon himself, too.
He didn't miss a shot the rest of the way.
"Nobody had a game like Perry." Self said.
Even as his teammates gloated over his performance, Ellis just sat there, almost uncomfortable as the jayhawks recounted his flawless plays. All Ellis could muster was a
All Ellis could muster half smile and an explanation.
"I wasn't taking rushed shots," Ellis said. "I was taking most shots in rhythm."
With respect to Ellis, it takes a little more than that.
It takes the type of positioning and hustle that allowed Ellis to take advantage of TCU's zone. And it takes a type of vision, precision and patience to operate inside of it.
When Ellis had an open look in the second half, he tossed up a lap to Andrew Wiggins instead. Trading a high percentage shot for a higher one.
"I would do the same for him," Wiggins said.
Maybe so, but it wouldn't have seemed as effortless as the way Ellis played.
Without taking more than three trips to the free throw line to inflate his numbers, Ellis quietly put away every pass that was fed to him and every rebound he could grab.
No chest pounding, loud roars or even signals for the crowd to get louder.
Pass. Post up. Score.
The crowd did the celebrating for Ellis. Any other way just wouldn't be his style.
"He's still our most consistent scorer," Self said. "He's going to get his in some way, shape or form."
Edited by Callan Reilly
KANSAS 95 — TCU 65
Ellis proves talent against Horned Frogs
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN Perry Ellis and Andrew Wiggins fight for a rebound against TCU. Ellis scored career-high 32 points and led the Jayhawks to a 95-65 victory.
BRIAN HILLIX
sports@kansan.com
The 32 points are the most scored by a Kansas player this season and the most since Ben McLemore scored 36 points against West Virginia last March.
"This is probably the best offensive game that Perry has had, as far as most complete," coach Bill Self said. "He did a lot of different things."
Showcasing his full offensive arsenal, Ellis made two 3-pointers and a series of midrange shots along with his usual dunks and lay-ins as he took advantage of gaps in the Horned Frogs' zone defense
"He put the ball in the hoop whenever we gave it to him," freshman guard Wayne Selden Jr. said of Ellis, who also recorded team-highs of eight rebounds and five assists. "He really produced for us today."
Ellis led an efficient Kansas offense that shot a season-high 61.5 percent from the floor. The offense was able to mask a sluggish defensive first half for the Jayhawks as the worst offensive team in the Big 12 was able to blitz Kansas for 56.5 percent shooting in the period. Led by 21 points from junior guard Kyan Anderson, TCU scored 40 points and made almost twice as many trips to the free throw line as Kansas in the first half. Trailing 22-16 with 12 minutes remaining in the first half, Kansas ended the half on a 31-18 run to regain control and take a seven-point lead into halftime.
Self's halftime message was a simple one: "Maybe this half we can try a little harder."
With a defensive focus, the Jayhawks held TCU to 33 percent shooting and forced nine turnovers in the second half.
Kansas made a slight adjustment on Anderson as the Jayhawks held the Horned Frogs' leading scorer to only four points and one field goal after halftime.
"We knew we weren't playing how we should have been playing." Selden said.
Feeding off of its revived defense, the laj Hawk's offense got off to a blazing start and went on a 23-5 run to open the second half. The spurt included a span of three Kansas alley-oops in three minutes as Kansas gained a 25 point advantage with 12 minutes remaining.
The Horned Frogs' offense couldn't keep up and only made one field goal during the stretch. In fact, Ellis' 10 points doubled the five points TCU earned as a team during the Kansas run.
After lighting up the Horned Frogs for a then-career high of 27 points in Fort Worth, Texas, freshman guard Andrew Wiggins ended with 17 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Despite scoring a season-low two points against Kansas State on Monday, Selden responded for 15 points and three steals.
"We've got to pick our poison when dealing with them," TCU coach Trent Johnson said. "For us, Ellis is a bad match-up."
Labeled by Self as the team's most consistent scorer, Ellis is in the midst of his best play all season after averaging 25.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in two games this week. Ellis and the Jayhawks head down to Lubbock, Texas, on Tuesday to face an improved Texas Tech squad.
"I'm just trying to go out there and play my best," Ellis said. "That's all I can do."
SEE MORE AT KANSAN.COM
— Edited by Chelsea Mies
Senior Tucker Tharp connected with a walk-off RBI single in the second game of a doubleheader against BYU Saturday, capping off an impressive 4-9, three-RBI day. The Jayhawks are currently 3-0.
Read more about Ellis' career-high 32 point game online
Jayhawks push past Cougars in weekend series
BASEBALL
One out, tie game, bottom of the tent, runners in scoring position. Every baseball player grew up dreaming of this. These are the situations that separate the clutch players from the good players, and senior outfielder Tucker Tharp is clutch.
BEN FELDERSTEIN
sports@kansan.com
Tharp connected with a walk-off RBI single in the second game of a doubleheader against Brigham Young University Saturday, capping off an impressive 4-9, three-RBI day.
"The whole game was crazy," Tharp said. "It was the typical back-and-forth college game. I tried to stay in and put a good swing on the ball and hit it hard somewhere. It felt really great to get the game-winner. It was a lot of fun for the team early in the season."
FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
Kansas went into the 10th inning trailing to the Cougars by one run. After a drag-bunt single from junior third baseman Tommy Mirabelli, the Jayhawks proceeded to load the bases. Junior infielder
The Jayhawks had an amazing offensive game in the nightcap, recording 17 hits and scoring 10 out of 11 runs with two outs.
Aaron Hernandez drove Mirabelli in to tie the game with a sacrifice fly. Tharp was the next batter up, driving home the winning run.
"I was most impressed with our offense," coach Ritch Price said. "All nine guys got a base hit, and 10 two-out runs is almost unheard of in the game of baseball."
Tucker Tharp was not the only jayhawk to have an impressive day at the dish. Hernandez and junior outfitter Michael Suiter recorded three RBI's while Mirabelli and junior first baseman Blair Beck scored two runs. Beck also posted a 4-5 game with 14 putouts at first.
ters while only allowing five hits and two walks. Kahana was dueling BYU's Kolton Mahoney the whole way.
Kansas won another close game in the opening game of the doubleheader. Junior pitcher Robert Kahana kept Kansas in the game with a very strong pitching performance. Kahana went seven strong, striking out four bat-
"The weather felt great on my arm," Kahana said. "I was
Mahoney took a no-hitter into the seventh inning, until
very happy with my performance. It was my first Saturday start of the season and it lived up to the hype."
the Jayhawks were finally able to break through. Hernandez scorched a bases-loaded single up the middle to drive
SEE THARP PAGE 13