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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 2015
PAGE 5B
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THE DAILY DEBATE
Who has the best chance at beating Kentucky in the Midwest region?
WICHITA STATE
As much as Shocker fans want to see Wichita State
Wichita State shock the world again, they may only have to wait until this weekend for their next potential victory in Midwest Regional tournament in Cleveland, Ohio. Wichita State has already proved itself against quality teams in the NCAA Tournament, winning against Indiana and Kansas last weekend in Omaha, Neb.
Remembering back to last year when Connecticut was a No. 7 seed and made it all the way to the national championship game, and ended up beating Kentucky by six. That was the last time Kentucky lost a game.
Wichita State, a No.7 seed this year, is looking for
another Cinderella run just like in 201 $ \frac{3} {4} $ when they made it to the Final Four, but then lost the national champion Louisville.
Last season, the Shockers were the No.1 seed in the Midwest regional and were defeated by Kentucky 78-75. That wasn't too long ago, and it proves Wichita State can play at this level. It also shows the Shockers want revenge.
The Shockers are led by redshirt junior guard Ron Baker, who averages 15 points per game, and junior guard Fred VanVleet, who averages 13 points per game. VanVleet went for 27 points, which tied a career-high on Friday against Indiana. VanVleet scored 17 points against the Jayhawks on Sunday. Also, let's not forget about senior forward Darius Carter, who averages 11 points per game, or that Kentucky has most of the same players from last year as well.
With Wichita State having NCAA Tournament experience and the Final Four run in 2013, this could be the second consecutive season where a No.7 seed could make it to the Final Four.
The Shockers have Baker,
"WICHITA STATE HAS ALREADY PROVED ITSELF AGAINST QUALITY TEAMS IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT..."
VanVleet and senior forward Tekele Cotton who have all reached the 1,000-point mark in their careers at Wichita State. These players also have experience playing Kentucky, which gives Wichita State another edge.
Wichita State may be an underdog in the upcoming tournament, but the could very well have another shot at Kentucky this year. And looking at how its season has been this year, if the Pursuit of Perfection ends by the hands of Wichita State, they'll shock the world again.
Edited by Lane Cofas
NOTRE DAME
Although I don't think any of the three remaining
teams left in the Midwest regional bracket of the NCAA Tournament have a strong opportunity beating Kentucky, Notre Dame seems to have the best shot. Notre Dame has one of the best offenses in the country, but it's going to take a lot of offensive firepower to beat John Calipari's squad.
Kentucky can't be defeated in a defensive battle, as it's arguably the best defensive team in the country. Its interior defense isn't to be reckoned with. Sophomore forward Willie Cauley- Stein and freshman forward Karl-Anthony Towns hold down the paint and have put Kentucky at second in the
nation in blocks per game. Kentucky is also third in the country in points allowed per game, so in order to beat the Wildcats, you are going to have to beat them in an offensive battle.
Even after their big win
Notre Dame is twelfth in the league in points per game and second in the league in field goal percentage, shooting 51 percent per game. The Irish and their top-ranked offense is led by senior star Jerian Grant in the backcourt. Grant averages 16.8 points per game and nearly seven assists. Kentucky's defense has proven too much for its opponents so far, but Notre Dame's offense could give them a shot at winning the game if Kentucky struggles on the offensive end. The Irish shoot a remarkable 38.9 percent from behind the arc and this would be a great weapon to give the Wildcats trouble, especially late in the game. The three pointers are the most important factor in upsetting a team in the tournament and Notre Dame does it as well as any team in the nation.
against the Jayhawks 78-65, the Wichita State Shockers would be heavily outmatched against the Wildcats because of their size and length.
The tallest player that makes the Wichita State rotation is 6-foot-7, 6-foot-11 Karl-Anthony Towns would have a huge game, and the Wildcats would almost certainly exploit this weakness. Towns and Cauley-Stein would hold down the paint and be too much for the Shockers in a potential match-up.
Kentucky plays West Virginia next, and the Mountainees are a poor defensive team in the half court. If their press isn't effective on the Harrison twins, West Virginia won't have much of a chance. The Mountainers rank 282nd in the nation in field goal percentage, which would give Kentucky a huge advantage on the defensive end.
Even though I don't think Kentucky will go down, Notre Dame would have the best chance at taking down the undefeated Wildcats.
Edited by Lane Cofas
DeAndre Jordan goes 7 for 7, Clippers beat Knicks 111-80
Associated Press
BRIAN MAHONEY
NEW YORK — DeAndre Jordan raised the NBAs best shooting percentage above 71 percent by making all seven shots and scoring 14 points, and the Los Angeles Clippers pounded the New York Knicks 111-80 on Wednesday night.
Shooting all night from either right at or above the rim — and once right on top of Jason Smith — Jordan hiked his
season average to .713, which would be second only to Wilt Chamberlain's .727 in 1972-73.
Chris Paul added 11 points and 16 assists for the Clippers, who won their fifth straight and improved the fourth-best record in the Western Conference to 47-25. Austin Rivers scored 21 points in 19 minutes off the bench.
The only negative for Jordan was grabbing 10 rebounds to end his streak of games with at least 14 rebounds at 19.
straight game
The Knicks are 14-58, just two seasons after winning 54 games and reaching the second round of the playoffs under Mike Woodson. Woodson was fired after last season by Phil Jackson after going 109-79 with two playoff berths in $2\%$ seasons and is now an assistant to Clippers coach Doc Rivers
Rookie Cleanthony Early had a season-high 18 points for the Knicks, who lost their fifth straight game.
MARY ALTAFFER/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Los Angeles Clippers guard Chris Paul (3) drives to the basket against New York Knicks guard Shane Larkin (0) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
MARY ALTAFFER/ASSOCIATED PRESS
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