+ Volume 128 Issue 88
kansan.com
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
THE UNIVERSITY DAHY & ANSAN
COMMENTARY
College baseball starts way too early
No, not the sport itself.
I love the sport and have enjoyed covering it the last two years. What's stupid is the mysterious monster that is the NCAA.
I am currently in a Florida airport typing this column. By the time this column hits print in the Wednesday paper, I'll be in Arizona.
Why? Because college baseball is stupid.
Every year, college baseball begins in mid-February, around the time major leaguers start Spring Training. Major league teams hold spring training in warm states, such as Arizona and Florida.
College baseball is no different. During the month of February and even into early March, a majority of the games are being played in "warm-weather" states.
Even a casual fan can see the disadvantage put on the teams located in the "cold weather" states as they forced to travel a bulk of the early season.
Kansas, for instance, played the entire month of February on the road or in neutral locations. The Jayhawks will have played 13 games away from Lawrence and been on the road $^{17}$ of the last 21 days before they host Utah for the home opener this weekend.
This is nothing new for the Jayhawks, as they have started the season on the road for the last 13 years. This year, Kansas went down to No.2 LSU in front of thousands of fans and were swept in a three-game series. To top it off, even "warm-weather" states are having some early season weather struggles. This past weekend, conference foe TCU had its entire series with Cal Poly snowed out down in Fort Worth, the first time in Cal Poly's division 1 history it lost a series due to weather.
Pushing the start of college baseball to the first weekend of March could fix a majority of those problems. Cold weather states would take a step in evening the playing field, and the players would miss significantly less school
Texas Tech closed Sunday's game to the public due to weather-related public safety concerns. The ground crew cleared the field, but the stands were still covered in snow and ice.
The next hurdle would obviously be how it affects the MLB Draft. But in order for college baseball to maximize its sport, it needs to not worry about how it may affect the big league.
But hey what do I know?
I'm just a rookie radio guy.
Either way, you should come out to "The Hog" this weekend and soak in some good weather and Jayhawk baseball. They are practically in mid-season form by now.
Edited by Garrett Long
CONFERENCE KINGS
Kansas clinches Big 12 title outright behind 14 second-half points from Jamari Travlor
BEN FELDERSTEIN
@Ben_Felderstein
Fighting his way through the pressure, sophomore guard Frank Mason III heaved a near-full-court pass to sophomore guard Wayne Selden Jr. Selden caught the pass and in one motion found junior forward Jamari Traylor cutting to the basket for a tremendous slam dunk. Traylor gave Kansas a two-
On the ensuing overtime possession, sophomore forward Landen Lucas took a charge to send the ball back Kansas' way. The Jayhawks were able to carry this momentum to a 76-69 victory over West Virginia in overtime.
"We're not scared," Traylor said. "We always know there is an opportunity to get back. He [Bill Self] can get on us, but he can encourage too."
point lead in overtime.
One night removed from being crowned Big 12 champions for an 11th straight time, the Jayhawks
pulled off an 18-point comeback to clinch the Big 12 title outright.
Traylor was the spark plug Kansas needed in overtime as the jayhawks outhustled a team that had been outhustling them all game. Traylor recorded a season-
BEN LIPOWITZ/KANSÁN
high 14 points on 5-9 shooting with eight rebounds.
Junior forward Jamari Traylor celebrates after his dunk during Tuesday night's game against WVU. Traylor scored 14 points in the second half of Kansas' victory.
"I felt that we had to make plays," Traylor said. "I stepped up and we were making stop after stop."
Traylor came up huge in the absence of junior forward Perry Ellis. Late in the first, Ellis and Landen Lucas collided with one another, sending Ellis to the locker room for the rest of the half. Lucas replaced Ellis in the starting lineup as the junior remained in the locker room for the start of the second.
The Jayhawk offense has relied on Ellis for the majority of the season as he has had 20-point outings in his previous three games, earning Big 12 Player of the Week honors. With Ellis in the locker room, Kansas' offense needed a new leader, which it found in Traylor.
"Jamari was the best player in the game for us no question," Self said. "We got eight offensive rebounds and he got six of them. I thought he played great."
With ten seconds to play in regulation, freshman guard Devonte' Graham sunk two free throws that left Kansas one possession away from sending the game into overtime. A rushed three from Jevon Carter sealed the deal as the two teams went into extra time tied at 59.
Kansas' ability to get defensive stops down the stretch, combined with West Virginia's inability to make its free throws, allowed the Jayhawks right back into the game. Point guards Mason and Graham scored Kansas' final six points of regulation.
Just as Selden began finding his touch, a non-contact injury found Selden heading Ellis' way. Minutes later, Selden returned and checked right back into the game upon arrival.
Every time the Jayhawks seemed to make the game close, the Mountaineers would force a turnover or knock in an open jumper
to extend their lead. After Kansas went on a 5-0 run Daxter Miles Jr. hit a three to put the lead back to nine. But Kansas continued to chip away with sole possession of a Big 12 ring on the line.
"We wanted to finish the night and cut down the nets here," Traylor said. "We never really get a chance to do that. It was special."
With the absence of perennial Big 12 Player of the Year Juwan Staten, Miles had to step up and fill the scoring void. Miles scored 23 points on 8-15 shooting.
Early in the season, Kansas was winning games with its ability to shoot the three-ball as well as any other team in the country. Kansas has been ice cold from deep as of late as the Jayhawks failed to make one three-point basket all game.
"We found a way to piece it together," Self said. "Traylor, Landon, Hunter [Mickelson], everyone did their part late."
Sophomore Brannen Greene was one of the best shooters in the country during the first half of the Big 12 schedule. Greene has only connected on two three-pointers in his previous six games.
The Jayhawks have had to adapt all season. When the three ball wasn't working, Kansas ran their offense through Ellis. Without Ellis on the floor, the Jayhawks needed to find offense elsewhere. Traylor scored more points in last night's game than in his previous six games combined.
Next up, Kansas will travel to Norman, Okla. where they will face the Sooners in the Big 12 regular season finale. The Jayhawks defeated Oklahoma 85-78 earlier this season.
"The only game this was comparable to was the last Missouri game here," Self said. "That's the only game that would rival this one. We haven't had a win with these big of stakes here in a while."
Edited by Alex Lamb
BEN LIPOWITZ/KANSAN
Senior guard Christian Garrett exits the floor on Senior Night after making his first career start. Today marked his 34th game as a Jayhawk