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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
PAGE 8
MONDAY, MARCH 2, 2015
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"He's playing as well as anybody in the country, I would think, right now."
Vahe Gregoriah Kansas City Star
Perry Ellis has scored in double figures every game since Jan. 31 against Kansas State.
FACT OF THE DAY
ESPN
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
Q: How many consecutive games has Perry Ellis scored in double figures?
THE MORNING BREW
ESPN
Perry Ellis is making a push for Big 12 Player of the Year
After a slow start to begin conference play, junior forward Perry Ellis is playing
Forward Perry Ellis is playing better than anybody in the conference. Ellis is not a flashy player by any means. He goes about his business every night, but his numbers are loud. His late-season surge all of the sudden has made him the frontrunner for Big 12 Player of the Year.
In conference play, Ellis is averaging 16 points and eight rebounds per game, and has been the Jayhawks' only consistent post player. Coach Bill Self is of the mindset that Ellis is the best player in the league.
"We're playing with the best player in the league right now." Self told the Lawrence Journal-World. "Right now, Perry Ellis is the best player in the league."
Ellis certainly has a lot of that. Since Valentine's Day, Ellis is averaging 22 points and eight rebounds. Wisconsin's Frank Kaminsky, who may win the Big Ten Player of the Year, is averaging 20 points and eight rebounds.
league. Momentum always plays a crucial role in who wins this award, and
His momentum has skyrocketed since he missed a potential game-winning layup at West Virginia, and the criticism of Ellis reached
an all-time high. In the three games since, he has averaged 25 points and 10 rebounds per game. The lajayhaws do not have another legitimate scoring option in the post, so Ellis has been a necessity, not a luxury.
With the depth of the Big 12, there are other players who deserve consideration.
Iowa State's Georges Niang is averaging 14 points per game in conference play. West Virginia's Juwan Staten is averaging 11 points and four assists per game. Oklahoma guard Buddy Hield is averaging 18 points and seven rebounds per game.
seven rebounders per game Oklahoma State's LeBryan Nash and Phil Forte III are averaging 16 and 17 points per game, respectively. But, Oklahoma State is just 7-9 in conference play, and that is not good enough for a player to win player of the year, unless he is by far the best player
in the conference, like Michael Beasley was for Kansas State in 2008.
Ellis has proven in the last month that he is more deserving than any of these players.
During the Jayhawks' streak of 10 straight conference titles, they have only had three guys win the award: Wayne Simien in 2005, Marcus Morris in 2011 and Thomas Robinson in 2012.
The Jayhawks have been the most balanced scoring team in the Big 12 during that streak, and it is baffling that the best player on the best team has not won it more than three times.
As the season wanes, every game has become more important for the Jayhawks. Ellis has answered the bell and is willing them to the finish line of an 11th-consecutive league title. If that doesn't warrant player of the year, I'm not sure what does.
Edited by Lane Cofas
Rainy weather shortens Kansas softball's 3-0 weekend in Florida
IDEREK SKILLETT
@derek_skillett
After contending with schedule changes and weather delays, the No. 25 Jayhawks emerged from the UNF Home Tournament in Jacksonville, Fla., unscathed. Kansas won all three games it was able to play, giving it a 17-1 record on the year. Kansas' two scheduled games against South Dakota were rained out.
The Jayhawks began the weekend by defeating the Stony Brook Seawolves by a score of 5-4 in 10 innings Friday. Freshman Jessie Roane won the game for Kansas by hitting an RBI single that scored senior Chanin Naudin to win the game.
Kansas coach Megan Smith said the team was hitting well
but wasn't able to finish and score.
"I thought we had good at-bats." Smith said. "We just didn't execute with runners in scoring-position early in the game."
Kansas struggled offensively in the second game Friday with a 1-0 win against tournament host, North Florida. Thankfully, senior ace pitcher Alicia Pille saved the game with a one-hit shutout, her second of the season.
"That was very stressful." Smith said. "Offensively we came out hot that first inning and I thought, 'OK, here we go,' and then we just absolutely went to sleep and relied on Pille."
Pille was able to secure the win for Kansas, but Smith knows the senior won't always be able to do so on her own.
"She had a great game — the best I've seen her throw all year," Smith said. "You can't put it all on her shoulders, but we did that [Friday] and can't do that again."
Saturday morning the majority of Kansas' game against Siena was played in the fourth inning. In that inning alone both teams combined to hit eight of the game's 16 hits, scored 13 of the game's 16 total runs and saw 20 plate appearances.
Kansas used four different pitchers to stop a big stretch from Siena, which scored six runs. Kansas followed up and scored seven runs in that inning to finally rally past Siena to win 9-7. It was the team's 17th win of the season.
After the team struggled defensively in the top of the fourth inning, Smith said the
team was determined to come back on offense.
"We got a big punch in the gut from Siena," Smith said. "They had a great inning. Then our offense came out more focused and stuck to the game plan that inning."
Rainy weather in Jacksonville on Sunday prevented the Jayhawks from playing their final two games against South Dakota.
The Jayhawks will spend the week preparing for the Stetson Tournament in Deland, Fla., where they will face off against La Salle, Chattanooga and Stetson starting Friday. This will be the last weekend away before the Jayhawks return to Lawrence to play on the new Arrocha Ballpark in the Rock Chalk Park complex.
- Edited by Samantha Darling
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