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Volume 128 Issue 94
Monday, March 23, 2015
kansan.com
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
The student voice since 1904
The Kansas bench watches as the final seconds tick away the Kansas game against Wichita State game Sunday. The Shockers defeated the Jayhawks 78-65 in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.
ANNA WENNER/KANSAN
Senior band member Shaina Goodson frowns as KU enters the final minutes of the game still more than 10 points behind the Wichita State Shockers.
Freshman guard Kelly Oubre Jr. attempts a basket and is blocked mid-jump during the first half against Wichita State.
ANNA WENNER/KANSAN
Kansas turns in poor second half, ends season with 78-65 loss to Wichita State in the Round of 32
SCOTT CHASEN
@SCHasenKU
"Superior."
That was the word used by coach Bill Self to describe the Wichita State Shockers after the Jayhawks fell in the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year. The Jayhawks lost 78-65.
In a tense game played in front of a raucous crowd, the Shockers showed up on both sides of the ball, whereas the Kansas defense faded down the stretch. The Shockers seemed to have an answer for everything the layhayws threw at them, which led to what Wichita State guard Ron Baker described as one of the biggest games of his career.
"To me, this is probably one of the biggest wins I've been involved with being a Shocker," Baker said after the game. "[I'm] really, really proud of what we have accomplished and thankful that I'm a part of this wonderful group."
Early on, it was the Frank Mason III show in Omaha, Neb., as he scored six of the first eight points for Kansas. The sophomore
guard was getting into the paint at will, and it seemed like the Shockers were going to have trouble with him all game long. However, Self pulled Mason at the 15:31 mark in the first half to give him a quick breather, which changed the dynamic of the game.
Right away, Baker came down the floor and buried a two-point jumper, and on the next Kansas possession, the Jayhawks turned it over. Feeling momentum starting to shift, Self took a timeout to reinsert Mason into the lineup, but the damage had already been done.
The rhythm of the Kansas offense was completely thrown out of whack, as the Jayhawks would score just four points in the next four minutes. The Shockers tied the game up at 12, and the energy in the building grew.
The Kansas offense would eventually get going again, but with 5:45 left in the first half, things would stall. Junior Perry Ellis, tried to jump in front of Fred VanVleet to take a charge, and the resulting collision would lead to VanVleet's elbow smashing right into Ellis' face, although
the contact was certainly inadvertent.
The Shockers would outscore the Jayhawks 13-4 after Ellis left the game, taking a three-point lead into the half, but the problems for the Jayhawks were starting to become clearer.
The Jayhawks needed to find a way to deter the Shockers from getting to the rim, which was one of the problems they've experienced since the loss of freshman Cliff Alexander. Three of the Shockers' last six baskets in the first half were layups, which was a problem that wouldn't go away anytime soon.
Mason got the second half started with another basket that would pull the team within one. But that would be as close as it would get for Kansas. The Jayhawks would see their last lead come at the 1:27 mark in the first half, and starting at the 19-minute mark in the second half, the game would never be closer than four points.
Tekele Cotton started to take over, going on a personal 5-0 run to further extend the Wichita State
lead. Cotton was relatively quiet in the first half, but later came to life over the last 20 minutes when he led all scorers with 14 points. After the game, Cotton was positive about his overall performance, and he even joked about his game with the media.
BILL SELF
Kansas basketball coach
"They're a very well-coached, solid, talented basketball team. [They] certainly deserve to be moving on."
"I think I probably surprised them a little bit," Cotton said of the jayhawks.
However, it wasn't a one-man show for the Shockers, who had five players score in double figures. But one in particular seemed to be the most unlikely of the bunch in terms of scoring.
OPINION 5
A&F 6
Wichita State's Evan Wessel came into the showdown averaging just 4.1 points per game and was scoreless in the team's last outing against
While typically soft-spoken, Wessel was more than happy with his performance, although he was also quick to give credit to his teammates. Wessel said it was how they attacked as a whole that led to him getting open shots, and it was "definitely up there" as one of the best games of his career.
PUZZLES 7
SPORTS 12
When Wessel started to get going, Kansas freshman guard Devonte' Graham helped keep the Jayhawks close, scoring most of his points in the second half. But when it came down to it, the Jayhawks couldn't get any stops, which was the reason they never got the deficit down to less than nine points over the last 16 minutes of the game.
the Indiana Hoosiers. However, he certainly rose to the occasion knocking down four three-point shots, much to the chagrin of Self.
"Wessel is as tough as any 6-foot-7 or 6-foot-8 forward out there," Self said after the game.
"They were getting anywhere they wanted to go off ball screens in the second half," Self said after the game. "They were able
Too many things went wrong for the Jayhawks to defeat a good Wichita State team, and when the buzzer sounded, it was all over for Kansas.
In fact, outside of the point guards, Graham and Mason, the Jayhawks shot 0-of-8 from three point range while Wichita State lit up the scoreboard at a blistering 10-of-20 from behind the arc.
When it was all said and done, the Jayhawks lost by 13 points in a game where little went right. The tandem of Wayne Selden Jr. and Kelly Oubre Jr. really struggled to do much of anything, combining to shoot just 3-of-14 from the field and 0-of-4 from the three, with four turnovers to just one assist.
to drive the ball downhill and got the ball in tight and forced help."
"They're a very well-coached, solid, talented basketball team," Self said. "[They] certainly deserve to be moving on."
Edited by Lane Cofas
CLASSIFIEDS 11
All contents, unless stated otherwise, © 2015 The University Daily Kansan
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