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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015
PAGE 7
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THE DAILY DEBATE
Who will win the Big 12 Tournament?
Sean Collins
@Seanzie 3
OKLAHOMA
As far as March Madness goes, it's next to impossible to select who is going to be champion in April, but the biggest factor to look at is momentum. The Oklahoma Sooners will be going into the tournament fresh off a win against the top-ranked Jayhawks in the Big 12 so confidence will be at a high.
The Sooners have won four of their last five, dropping a game against the Iowa State Cyclones 77-70. However, the Sooners beat the Cyclones in Norman back in February 94-83, showing they are capable of handling any of the top teams in the conference.
With previous national champions, it's obvious that having momentum going into a tournament is huge. The best example in recent years is the 2011 Connecticut Huskies team. Led by their star guard Kemba Walker, the Huskies won five games in a row to take the Big East Championship. This streak gave them the momentum to win six more games straight and win the national title. If Oklahoma can build more momentum in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament, they have the firepower to
make it all the way through the tournament.
Not only will the Sooners will be carrying momentum after their win against the Jayhawks, but they will also have a first-round matchup against Oklahoma State, who they swept during conference play. Other teams will have a much tougher first-round game with the exception of Kansas (who will either play TCU or Kansas State).
Iowa State could end up playing the Texas Longhorns in the second round. While the Longhorns are the No. 7 seed, they are not to be messed with. With big men Jonathan Holmes, Myles Turner and Cameron Ridley, they pose a great threat in the post to any team in the Big 12. The Longhorns are my dark horse for the champion if they catch fire.
If Kansas had a full and healthy roster, the Jayhawks would by my favorite for the championship, but injuries and suspension could hold them back. After the first round the Jayhawks would either be matched up with Baylor or West Virginia (both have beaten the Jayhawks). If junior forward Perry Ellis isn't healthy by that time, they may have some trouble, especially with the absence of freshman forward Cliff Alexander.
playmaker who can score in the late minutes of the game. Oklahoma player Buddy Hield may be the best Big 12 junior guard. Hield recently won Big 12 Player of the Year.
"IF KANSAS HAD A FULL AND HEALTHY ROSTER, THE JAYHAWKSWOULD BY MY FAVORITE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP, BUT INJURIES AND SUSPENSION COULD HOLD THEM BACK."
Another big factor that comes into tournament play is having a big-time
honors, averaging 17.4 points. 5.5 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game. Hield comes up big time in games against strong opponents. In the Sooners' last game against the Jayhawks, Hield had 18 points, and in the previous game dropped 26 points against the Cyclones. If Hield catches fire during the tournament, the Sooners will be tough to stop.
Derek Skillett
@derek skillett
BAYLOR
After enduring the grind of one of the best conference seasons in recent memory, the Big 12 teams will head to Kansas City, Mo., this week to compete in the Big 12 Tournament, or as it is known in Lawrence, a glorified warmup to the NCAA Tournament.
What makes this year's Big 12 Tournament so special is the presence of five teams equally capable of winning the tournament. Baylor, West Virginia, Iowa State, Oklahoma and Kansas all have legitimate reasons to believe that they can win in Kansas City.
"KANSAS FANS MIGHT NOT WANT TO HEAR IT, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE. BAYLOR HAS A SOLID CHANCE TO WIN THE BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP IN 2015."
However, the Big 12 Tournament is all about which team can get hot and go on a three- or four-game winning streak. In the 2015 Big 12 Tournament, that team will be the Baylor Bears (23-8, 11-7 Big 12).
Baylor finished the conference season strong, winning five of their last six games. Their only loss during that run was on the road at Texas, where they lost 61-59 in overtime. The Bears also swept West Virginia and Iowa State during the conference season, a feat the Jayhawks were unable to accomplish.
Baylor also boasts one of the best players in the entire country. Junior forward Rico Gathers, who was named to the All-Big 12 First Team by both the conference coaches and the Associated Press, is an absolute animal. He averages 11.6 points and 11.7 rebounds per game. Gathers is also one of the best offensive rebounders in the conference, covering offensive boards with an intense 19 percent offensive rebounding percentage. He has gathered 83 total offensive rebounds in conference play.
In addition to Gathers, Baylor has two other star players in its starting lineup. Senior point guard Kenny Chery and junior forward Taurean Prince were both named to the All-Big 12 Second Team by the conference coaches. Chery
averages 11 points, three rebounds and four assists-per-game for the Bears, while Prince averages 14 points and 5.5 rebounds-per game playing next to Gathers.
Now we come to everyone's favorite Big 12 coach, Scott Drew. Despite being (sometimes fairly) ridiculed for poorly managing end-of-game situations, and seemingly unable to hold leads, Drew had a very good season. After being projected to finish in sixth place in the conference last October, Drew guided the Bears to a fourth-place finish in the conference while winning 11 Big 12 games. In one of the toughest conferences in college basketball, that is impressive.
Baylor is perfect for winning a tournament like this. Last year, the Bears even made it to the Big 12 Championship game before losing to Iowa State. Drew has also had some postseason success, leading Baylor into two Elite Eights and an NIT Championship during his career.
Baylor will have to go through West Virginia, and likely Kansas, in order to earn a spot in the Big 12 Championship game. Kansas fans might not want to hear it, but it is possible. Baylor has a solid chance to win the Big 12 Championship in 2015.
Edited by Garrett Long
Royals fall 6-2 in first loss of spring training
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Micah Johnson went 4 for 4, scored two runs and drove in one as the White Sox handed the Royals their first loss this spring after six wins.
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Jeremy Guthrie, the starting and losing pitcher in Game 7 of the World Series, got off to rough spring debut Tuesday and the Kansas City Royals lost to the Chicago White Sox 6-2.
Guthrie yielded three runs on four hits and a hit batter in the first inning, but retired the last four batters he faced.
"This one was a little more relaxed," Guthrie said than his final World Series start. "The crowd wasn't too scary here, not too much pressure."
Guthrie had a modest goal for his debut.
"I wanted to throw a fastball harder than 91 (mph)," he said.
"That's what I was hoping for. You disappear for five months and come back and hope the arm goes as fast as before. I had the arm strength up and located pitches."
"It was challenging, the World Series runner-ups, my first start in spring training. I like the competition."
TYLER DANISH
White Sox pitcher
Guthrie said he reached his goal.
Guthrie noted he lit up radar guns with speeds of 147 to 149 in November, while touring Japan with a major league All-Star team.
"I did. I peeked up at the board." he said.
"That's kilometers," he said and smiled.
Johnson has six straight hits, including a tying, ninthinning homer Monday against Arizona, to raise his average to 500.
Jose Abreu, the 2014 AL Rookie of the Year, contributed two hits, drove in a run and scored a run.
Jarrod Dyson led off the Royals first with a homer against Tyler Danish, a highly touted White Sox prospect. Danish, 20, permitted two runs on three hits in 21-3 innings.
"That was definitely big for me to see what I saw live today," Danish said. "It was challenging, the World Series runner-ups, my first start in spring training. I like the competition. I'm glad I got to do it against them."
CHARLIE RIEDEL/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kansas City Royals' Jarrod Dyson signs autographs before a spring training baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds March 7 in Surprise, Aniz. The Royals lost to the White Sox 6-2 Tuesday.
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