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+ Volume 128 Issue 87
kansan.com
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Tuesday, March 3, 2015
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COMMENTARY Greene crucial to postseason success
From mid-January to the first week of February, the Kansas Jayhawks were playing their best basketball of the season. One of the biggest reasons was sophomore Brannen Greene playing the best basketball of his collegiate career.
From Jan. 19 to Feb. 10, it seemed like every time Greene lined up a jumper it would go in.
In those seven games, he shot a scorching 71 percent from three and averaged 11 points per game. In that stretch, the Jayhawks were 6-1, with their only loss occurring at Oklahoma State, a place where they traditionally struggle under Bill Self.
In the last three weeks, Kansas has lost three games and it is not a coincidence that Greene's play has slipped. If the Jayhawks are going to have a successful NCAA Tournament, it is crucial for Greene to find his shooting stroke once again.
MISSY MINEAR/KANSAN
It is no secret that Greene is a very up-and-down player, like most three-point marksmen often are. He has had nine games where he has scored in double figures. The Jayhawks are 8-1 in those games. But Greene has had seven games where he scored zero points. The Jayhawks have been able to overcome that on occasion, but are just 4-3 in such games.
Last year, when Kansas lost to Stanford in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, many fans quickly pointed to Andrew Wiggins as the reason why. He may have only had four points, but he had no room to work. Every time he caught the ball, Stanford packed into the paint to take away all driving lanes.
In the last five games, Greene has made just two of his last 14 three-point attempts (14 percent), and averaged four points per game. In that stretch, the Jayhawks have sputtered to a 3-2 record.
If the jayhawks are going to make a deep NCAA Tournament run, Mason, Oubre and Ellis need to play well. They will be the ones under the microscope, and if Greene can hit shots and stretch the floor, that will make life much easier for the Jayhawks in the tournament.
Greene can prevent teams from doing that with his shooting ability. If he is making shots, that creates room for guys like Frank Mason III, Perry Ellis and Kelly Oubre Jr. to operate. It doesn't take a basketball purist to figure out that if they have more room to work, it will make it easier for them get to the basket and either make a basket, get fouled or create a shot for somebody else.
Senior forward Chelsea Gardner works toward the basket Monday night against Iowa State. Kansas won 68-84 against the Cyclones.
Edited by Kelsi Kirwin
MISSY MINEAR/KANSAN
Sophomore forward Jada Brown waits for the ball Monday night against Iowa State. Brown scored six points and played 22 minutes in the game.
Jayhawks pick up win on Senior Night
I DYLAN SHERWOOD
@dmantheman2011
On Senior Night, Kansas needed to make free throws down the stretch as senior forward Chelsea Gardner and senior guard Natalie Knight made seven-of-eight from the free-throw line in the last 30 seconds of the game to give Kansas a 68-64 win.
For the first time since 2006, the Jayhawks swept the Cyclones during the regular season.
"It was great for the seniors to end it for us at the line down the stretch," coach Bonnie Henrickson said.
Kansas got off to a quick start as the seniors would start to contribute early in their final game in Allen Fieldhouse. Three of the four Kansas seniors got the start as forward Bunny Williams, Gardner and Knight made their final starts at Allen Fieldhouse. Williams played the first four minutes of the game, recorded a bucket and blocked a shot. Rebounding was the key in the game as the Jayhawks got things started.
"Offensive rebounding was hurting us in losses this season and we got better at that in the last two games," Gardner said.
Kansas outrebounded Iowa State 43-34, and 17-12 on the offensive glass.
Kansas led 9-5 early, but Iowa State came back to tie the game 9-9 and 11-11. Kansas then sparked on a 10-2 run and led 21-13 with 7:49 remaining. The Jayhawks led throughout and had just one turnover in the first 20 minutes of the game, committing their first turnover with 40 seconds remaining in the first half. Freshman guard Lauren
Aldridge continued her effort with seven points and five assists in the first half.
"You can't stop Lauren (Aldridge), she is doing a great job for us right now," Henrickson said.
The Cyclones got within one point with 1.02 remaining, but clutch free-throw shooting by the Jayhawks sealed the deal for their second straight win to end out the regular season.
Kansas led 31-25 at halftime. The Jayhawks were a perfect five-for-five from the line in the first half. Against Oklahoma on Saturday, Kansas was 17-of-18 from the line.
Gardner recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 25 points and 13 rebounds.
"It was awesome with the emotions of senior night," Gardner said.
Knight and Aldridge each added ten points.
Gardner is the fourth player to record 1,400 points and 850 rebounds in her career as a Jayhawk.
Kansas shot 22-of-59 from the field for 37 percent, seven-of 20 from beyond the arc for 35 percent, and 17-of-21 from the line for 81 percent.
Kansas (15-16) will find out its seed in the Big 12 Tournament after tonight's games in the conference. Kansas will play either at 6:00 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. on Friday in Dallas, Texas.
"It's win or go home time," Knight said.
Edited by Valerie Haag
Kansas looks to grab 11th straight Big 12 title
Sophomore forward Landen Lucas swings around Texas freshman Myles Turner after dunking during the Jayhawks' Saturday matchup against the Longhorns. Lucas put in 25 minutes in the absence of freshman Cliff Alexander. Kansas put together a win, coming back from six points behind to win 69-64. ARKUN BRADEN/KEANISH
AARON GROENE/KANSAN
BEN FELDERSTEIN
@Ben_Felderstein
With at least a share of the Big 12 regular season title already in hand, No.9 Kansas (23-6,12-4) will play its final home game of the season against No.20 West Virginia (22-7,10-6) on Tuesday night.
An Iowa State win against second-place Oklahoma on Monday night gave the Jayhawks a one-and-a-half game lead with two games remaining, giving Kansas at least a share of its 11th straight Big 12 title. Kansas can clinch the conference outright with a win over West Virginia.
The game will also be the last in Allen Fieldhouse for the senior Christian Garrett, who has been at Kansas since 2011. The 6-3 guard from Los Angeles has appeared in 33 games as a Jayhawk.
The Mountaineers defeated the jayhawks in Morgantown at the buzzer earlier this season, 62-61. West Virginia has won three of its past four games and have surged back into the Big 12 contention, tied for third with a 10-6 record against Baylor and Iowa State.
Senior Juwan Staten leads the Mountaineers in scoring this season with 14.5 points per game on 42.3 percent shooting from the field. Staten hit the go-ahead spinning layup in the lane against the Jayhawks to give the Mountaineers the win in their previous matchup. Staten posted 20 points with four assists
and zero turnovers.
Sophomore Devin Williams nearly averages a double-double with 10.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per contest. Against Kansas, Williams recorded eight points on 4-7 shooting.
Junior forward Perry Ellis has been on an absolute tear as of late, averaging 22.4 points over his past five games. Ellis recorded a season-high 28 points in Kansas' last win against Texas.
Ellis has put his name in
Freshman guard Kelly Oubre Jr. recorded 15 points and nine rebounds against the Longhorns, providing help for Ellis when needed. Oubre was 4-9 from the field and 7-9 from the free throw line. The freshman put up 14 points and seven rebounds the last time Kansas played West Virginia.
Kansas enters play-winners of four of its previous six games. The Jayhawks will need to deal with the full court pressure of the Mountaineers once again in Tuesday's matchup.
contention for Big 12 Player of the Year along with Staten. Both stars lead their teams with an average of 14.5 points per contest.
West Virginia coach Bob Huggins knows his defensive scheme is one of the strongest to combat Kansas' offense and will continue to run it most of the game. It took the Jayhawks a while to adjust earlier in the season, but having faced it already, they should
have a better time juggling Tuesday's final home game is senior night for the layhawks who have only one senior, walk-on Christian Garrett. Garrett was just named to the Academic All-Big 12 Team for the first time in his four years at Kansas.
have a better time adjusting.
On Saturday, Kansas will travel to Norman, Okla. for the Big 12 finale. The Jayhawks defeated the Sooners, 85-78 earlier this season in Allen Housefield.
Editcd by Valerie Haag
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