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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2015
PAGE 7
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THE DAILY DEBATE
Which Kansas basketball player will get on the All-Big 12 First Team?
Dylan Sherwood
@dmantheman2011
PERRY ELLIS
Kansas fans were expecting junior forward Perry Ellis to make an immediate impact two-and-a-half years ago when he was just a freshman. Ellis was a minor contributor on that team, which included current NBA players Ben McLemore and Jeff Withey. Now, Ellis has been in a starting role over the past season and a half, and his time to shine is now.
Even playing beside NBA players Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embid last year, Ellis had an all right season. But now, since both players are gone, Ellis has to take control.
The junior from Wichita is currently having his best season as a Kansas basketball player. Ellis accomplishments this season have included: Orlando Tournament Most Valuable Player, Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week (twice), CBSports.com National Player of the Week, and he was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team.
1,000-point mark on Feb. 14. becoming the 56th Jayhawk to score 1,000 points in his career at Kansas.
Ellis also surpassed the
Ellis was named to the All-Big 12 Third Team last season as a sophomore, averaging 13.5 points and 7.1 rebounds
and also adding seven rebounds.
Ellis has scored 10 or more points in the last seven games and has been a player that can score, even if Mason or another player has an off game. Ellis, being consistent
"EVEN PLAYING BESIDE NBA PLAYERS ANDREW WIGGINS AND JOEL EMBIID LAST YEAR, ELLIS HAD AN ALL RIGHT SEASON."
per game. Currently, Ellis is averaging 13.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game through 27 games this season.
Kansas coach Bill Self mentioned last week in his weekly press conference that he could see Ellis or sophomore guard Frank Mason on the All-Big 12 First Team.
Even though Mason has led the charge scoring in double figures in 23 of the last 24 games, Ellis still puts up numbers that fans like to see.
Ellis had one of his best games of the season against TCU on Saturday, scoring 23 points on 9-of-10 shooting
lately with three games remaining against Texas, West Virginia and Oklahoma, could see his stock rise if he continues his scoring role to end out conference play.
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Remember, Ellis has had good games in the Big 12 tournament, being named to the All-Big 12 Tournament Team his freshman year after his breakout game against Iowa State. If Ellis continues playing his best that fans expect, he will be a part of the All-Big 12 First Team when the postseason honors come out in two weeks.
GJ Melia
@gjmelia
FRANK MASON
Through 14 games in the Big 12 season, the Kansas basketball team sits atop the standings with an 11-4 record and a one-game lead over Iowa State with three games remaining. During Kansas' run, sophomore point guard Frank Mason has been instrumental in the Jayhawks' success.
to get the ball to sophomore guards Wayne Selden Jr. and Brannen Greene as well as freshman guard Kelly Oubre Jr.
The Kansas offense has
Mason has also been able to shoot effectively from the perimeter, shooting 43.4 percent from long distance.
On defense, Mason has faced off with some of the best guards in the country with Baylor's Kenny Cherry, West Virginia's Juwan Staten and Oklahoma State's Phil Forte.
Mason has been able to hold his own against the steep Big 12 competition, and has been
been potent during the Big 12 stretch, averaging 72.1 points per game and shooting 44.9 percent from the field.In addition, Kansas has shot 40.4 percent from the three-pointrange.
"AS THE SEASON CONTINUES, MASON'S PERFORMANCE WILL DEBATABLY BE THE MOST IMPORTANT PLAYERS AS KANSAS MOVES INTO MARCH."
rrank Mason has done it all for Kansas, averaging 12.4 points a game and 4.4 assists. As a facilitator, Mason is able
one of the most vital pieces on this No. 8 ranked Kansas squad.
As the season continues, Mason's performance will debatably be the most important players as Kansas moves into March.
Edited by Valerie Haag
Linebacker Ben Heeney impresses at NFL Combine
This weekend at the NFL Scouting Combine, three former Jayhawks looked to improve their draft statuses in front of all 32 NFL teams. One produced some of the best results at his position, another was mostly sidelined due to injury, and one more came step closer to getting his chance with an NFL team.
CHRISTIAN HARDY
@HardyNFL
LINEBACKER BEN HEENEY
When former Kansas linebacker Ben Heeney traveled to the NFL Scouting Combine last weekend, whether he would be drafted in two months was still up in the air. While he proved how valuable his motor is on the field as a Jayhawk, how his athleticism fits into the NFL landscape was a huge question mark.
When he went through drills on Saturday, Heeney showed the NFL why he deserves to hear his name called during the NFL Draft.
Heeney showed out in the 20-yard and 60-year shuttles, where he ran in 4.00 and 11.06 seconds, respectively — each of which were highs among linebackers. His 60-yard shuttle time was the fastest of any linebacker at the combine this year, and also in at least the last nine years. His three-cone drill time of 6.68 seconds was also a linebacker high.
He eclipsed 4.6 seconds by one millisecond in the 40-yard dash, as he officially logged a 4.59, which came in at second among inside linebackers. With those numbers in the agility drills, Heeney drew comparisons to Panthers linebacker Luke Kuechly — the 2012 defensive player of the year — and Steelers starting linebacker Ryan Shazier.
While all of those numbers were top-notch and turned some heads, Heeney still has some questions to answer. First and foremost: his height. Heeney stands at only 6-foot. To put that in perspective, no Chiefs linebacker comes in under 6-foot-1. Only four linebackers at or under 6-foot were drafted last season.
While he has a great motor,
some scouts still doubt him.
One NFC scout, "according to NFL.com, says "he guesses way too much," and he's "missing too many tackles to play in our league." That can be seen in stats, as he missed the most tackles in college football in 2014.
Of course, every prospect has his flaws, and Heeney is no exception. But when a team decides to pick him, it will have to know what it's getting: an agile but undersized linebacker who relies heavily on instincts, but will ultimately be one of the hardest-working players on the football field.
With impressive agility scores, expect Heeney to go somewhere in the middle rounds of the NFL Draft, likely in the fourth or fifth.
CORNERBACK JACOREY SHEPHERD
JUNNERBACK JACOREY SHEPHERD
Unfortunately, JaCorey
Shepherd missed the majority
of defensive back drills on
Monday with a hamstring
injury. It's the second time he's
missed a chance to show out in
front of a large group of scouts, as he also missed most of the Senior Bowl week with the same injury, and wasn't able to practice or play in the game.
He did log 14 bench press reps, which came in 16th out of 22, but that doesn't do him justice. No one will get to see Shepherd's full complement of skills until Kansas' official pro day. Luckily for Shepherd, numbers at pro days tend to be a bit more generous than those at the combine.
PUNTER TREVOR PARDULA
The Big 12 first-team punter came in at 6-foot-4, 227-pounds in the first group of weigh-ins; only one punter was taller. Of course, most is quiet on the punter's front, as they can be a bit unpredictable. In all likelihood, Pardula won't be drafted, but will be given a post-draft workout with a team or two, where he'll have a chance to make a roster.
Edited by Miranda Davis
FRANK WEIRICH/KANSAN
Former interim Kansas coach Clint Bowen hugs senior Ben Heeney during the Nov. 15, 2014 game against TCU. Heeney, cornerback JaCorey Shepherd and punter Trevor Pardula tried to improve their draft statuses at the NFL Combine this weekend.
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