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Volume 126 Issue 66
kansan.com
Monday, January 27, 2014
COMMENTARY Kansas players fight for game time
"When you've got two fouls with 17 minutes left in the first half most every game, it's hard to get in a flow," Self said.
When senior forward Tarik Black lost his starting spot to freshman center Joel Embid it would've been really easy for the Memphis transfer to pack it in.
Black sat, likely disappointed and certainly motivated. With less time on the floor the senior would have to make everything count to salvage what was left of his final season.
A year at Kansas was supposed to give Black an opportunity to prove himself ready to play at the next level, along with the possibility of winning a national championship. Yet with Embid's quick emergence and Black's inability to stay out of foul trouble, what choice did coach Bill Self have but to bench him?
Nothing personal, just basketball.
While Black was looking for a way back on the court, sophomore forward Jamari Traylor was looking to steal whatever minutes he could.
With the season still relatively young, the Jayhawks hadn't quite figured out what their nine-man rotation would look like. Then came Georgetown, and suddenly, things become a lot clearer.
Traylor and Black combined for 25 points, 13 rebounds and four blocks, displaying the sort of graceful tenacity that has defined big men under Self.
The rotation may not be set, but the Jayhawks are closing in quick.
"I like what he's given us off the bench," Self said. "Energy and toughness and rebounding."
"From a big-man rotation standpoint, we don't want to foul," Self said. "But it's not the end of the earth if we do get a couple of fouls by guys early. I think that's important that you have that."
Since then, Black and Traylor have become a mainstay off the bench. The fouls are still an issue, but now they seem timelier and more explosive. When on the court together, their physicality is their biggest strength.
— Edited by Chelsaa Mies
Maybe for other Kansas teams this might have been a major problem. Not for the team that uses a senior and sophomore off the bench.
And yet, as good of an option as Black and Trayler provide, with sophomore forward Perry Ellis and Emiid dominating in the starting lineup, they'll still be fighting for minutes. Unless, of course, fouls become an issue.
Had Black not hurt his ankle against Baylor earlier in the week, it could have been a big game for him, as well.
Or at least it was. Against TCU, Traylor looked more nimble than tough. He was sidestepping defenders, knocking down tough layups and hanging on rims. Traylor finished with eight points on 3-4 shooting in 14 minutes. It was the best he's looked in a Kansas jersey.
KANSAS 91 --- TCU 69
FROGS FLOP
Jayhawks hold on to Big 12 winning streak for 6-0 record
BRIAN HILLIX
sports@kansan.com
After attempting a combined 12 field goals in his previous two games, talks have been swirling all week about freshman forward Andrew Wiggins and his lack of aggression.
The Ontario, Canada, native seemed to be listening as he erupted for a career-high 27 points to lead No. 8 Kansas (15-4, 6-0) over the Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frogs (9-10, 0-7). Kansas won 91-69 at the Daniel-Meyer Coliseum in Fort Worth, Texas, on Saturday night. Wiggins went 8-13 from the field for his best shooting performance since shooting 64 percent against Colorado on Dec. 7.
"I think from an offensive point of view, it was probably my best game." Wiggins said.
He showcased his shooting ability early as he hit a mid-range jumper and a 3-pointer in the opening minutes of the game. With a combination of jumpers, free throws and an alley-oop dunk, he would finish the first period with 19 points, the most he's scored in a half all season.
"He was a little more thirsty to score in the first half, which is what we want," coach Bill Self said.
Self has said all along that the hype surrounding Wiggins has been unfair. People have come to expect a 27-point game from him each time out.
"Anything less than 30 [points] and 10 [rebounds] is not gonna live up to the hype." Self said.
But Self will be the first to admit that Wiggins needs to be more aggressive for his team to reach its full potential.
To Self, that doesn't mean topping the 30-point mark every game, but rather, making his presence known and taking charge when given the
chance. What Wiggins displayed on Saturday is a good example of that.
He was able to put his handprint all over the possessions and create opportunities for himself and others," Self said. "I just thought he played the way he should play every game"
In what would normally be considered a trap game with a top ten team facing a squad that is winless in conference play, Kansas wasn't going to be caught off guard this time around. The Horned Frogs shocked the Jayhawks last season in Fort Worth under the same circumstances as TCU pulled out an unlikely 62-55 victory. Kansas scored 13 points in the first period and never recovered.
On Saturday, the Jayhawks more than quadrupled that total as they took a 53-32 advantage into halftime.
"I think we were probably more ready to play because of what happened last year," Self said.
Making his first appearance in a Big 12 game, freshman forward Landen Lucas made good use of a career-high 13 minutes and ended with seven points and five rebounds. With freshman forward Tarik Black sidelined because of a sore ankle, Lucas led a Kansas bench that outscored the Horned Frogs 30-13. Lucas has played well in limited minutes this season.
"I always stay prepared," Lucas said. "I know what I'm capable of."
Freshman center Joel Embiid notched 14 points and three blocks, and freshman guard Wayne Selden contributed 12 points and four assists for Kansas, who never trailed the entire game.
look for Wiggins' aggression to continue on Jan. 29, as the Jayhawks take on No.16 Iowa State.
Edited by Chelsea Mies
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
Freshman guard Andrew Wiggins (22) shoots over sophomore forward Perry Ellis' head. Wiggins scored 27 points and had five rebounds during Saturday's game against TCU. Kansas won 91-69.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Kansas earns victory in Sunflower Showdown
KYLE PAPPAS
sports@kansan.com
Kansas State coach Deb Patterson might've said it best when speaking of Kansas junior forward Chelsea Gardner;
Gardner registered 17 points and collected eight rebounds in the first half of the Jayhawks' (10-10, 3-5 Big 12) 71-64 Sunflower Showdown victory over Kansas State (8-11, 2-6 Big 12) on Saturday. She finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds for her third double-double in as many gains.
"She identifies the weaknesses in her defenders and exploits them," she said. "She's just a veteran and takes advantage of her opportunities."
Kansas couldn't buy a three, picking up where it left off in Wednesday's game against Oklahoma State. The Jayhawks
"We've just been trying to focus in on getting everyone involved," junior guard Asia Boyd said. "Chelsea's been in foul trouble a bit and we've been practicing for that."
"As we knew going in, [Gardner] was a big threat and played a great role in the first half," Patterson said. "Credit her and her teammates for just finding ways to get her the ball."
the Jayhawks were unable to get much going on offense in the first.
performance.
"[Gardner] identifies the weaknesses in her defenders and exploits them. She's just a veteran and takes advantage of her opportunities."
Though, aside from Gardner,
DEB PATTERSON Kansas State coach
went 0-5 from behind the arc and only shot 33 percent in the first, but still managed to walk into the locker room with a 32-26 halftime lead.
Kansas came out more efficient from the field after halftime, shooting 64.7 percent and receiving help from players not named Gardner. Senior guard CeCe Harper recorded 14 points and dished out three assists during her second-half
Kansas State was unable to stop the Jayhawks in the paint, usually allowing a basket or committing a foul when Kansas drove to the basket. The Jayhawks were 17-25 on freethrow attempts in the second, helping maintain their double-digit lead for much of the game's final 20 minutes.
The Wildcats made things interesting late, pulling within five, but was incapable of getting any closer than that. Kansas shot 8-8 from the charity stripe over the game's final 35 seconds to secure the win.
"I thought we made good decisions to drive it and be aggressive," coach Bonnie Hendrickson said. "We were aggressive, but we made better decisions [than against Oklahoma State] from a discipline standpoint."
The Jayhawks will look to ride their win against the Wildcats into Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday where they'll face a tough Texas squad that upset No. 18 West Virginia the last time they took the court.
The Longhorns aren't particularly dominant scorers or defenders; they're simply a solid team with few weaknesses. A win against Texas will push Kansas to the middle of the Big 12 pack, whereas a loss will likely cement their place among the league's bottom four.
expected to do much of anything in 2013 after losing three 1,000-point scorers, but the team has seemed to have recently found new life.
Though the Jayhawks weren't
After beginning Big 12 competition 0-3, the layhawks have vastly improved over the past two weeks. Following their dismal start in conference, Kansas has won three of its last five games, averaging 65.6 points per game over this stretch. Previously, they had averaged 53.3 points in conference.
With nearly half of the Big 12 season in the books, the Jayhawks have started to put things together at the right time. This is a team that could make some noise over the season's final stretch and, if they continue to improve, could possibly be looking at an outside shot at a tournament berth by season's end.
Edited by Kaitlyn Klein
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