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Volume 128 Issue 65
kansan.com
Thursday. January 22, 2015
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY & ANSAN
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COMMENTARY
Wiggins proving to not be overrated after all
It was supposed to take him a couple of years to blossom into a superstar. He was seen as too passive before the 2014 NBA Draft. Critics called his freshman season at Kansas overrated and said it was highly unlikely he would become the next LeBron James or Kevin Durant, as he was hyped up to be throughout his life.
Just 40 games into his rookie season in the NBA, Andrew Wiggins has effectively proven those doubters wrong. He averages 15.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game on a respectable 43 percent field goal percentage. He is also making almost 40 percent of his three-pointers. He has been stellar this month, averaging 21 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.4 steals, according to his ESPN game log. Simply put, Wiggins is living up to the hype.
Since being drafted No. 1 overall last year by the Cleveland Cavaliers and being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves, Wiggins has started to become more and more comfortable in the NBA. Recently, he seems to have developed a comfort with being one of the top offensive playmakers on the Timberwolves. Over his past 10 games, Wiggins has made an approximate average of about 21 points per game. On film, he has shown aggressiveness that he was criticized for lacking at Kansas.
On Dec. 30 of last year, a few days after that blog post was written, Wiggins kicked off a streak of six consecutive 20+ point games. On Jan. 17, he posted a stat-line of 31 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists against the Denver Nuggets. Only two other rookies in NBA history posted a similar stat-line: LeBron James and Kevin Durant. Maybe Wiggins isn't overrated after all.
Edited by Laura Kubicki
Just last month, Neil Paine, a writer for the FiveThirtyEight blog, tried to use advanced statistics to try to show that Wiggins was one of the worst players in the NBA. Paine referenced Wiggins' low player efficiency rating and low statistical plus/minus rating at the time the article was written as proof he was overrated.
With a season-ending ACL injury, sidelining Milwaukee Bucks rookie and No. 2 overall 2014 NBA Draft pick Jabari Parker, Wiggins should now be the almost overwhelming favorite to be named NBA Rookie of the Year. Wiggins currently leads all rookies in point-per-game with 15.1. One of the only factors that Wiggins has working against him is the fact that his production does not equate to wins. The Timberwolves are one of the worst teams in the NBA with a 7-33 record.
The Jayhawks high five each other after defeating California 62-39 Sunday in Allen Fieldhouse on Dec. 7, 2014. Kansas broke its five-game losing streak with a 68-66 win against Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas. Wednesday night.
MISSY MINEAR/KANSAN
BUZZER BEATER
Kansas overcomes 17-point deficit to defeat Texas Tech with last-minute layup
DYLAN SHERWOOD
@dmantheman2011
Senior guard Asia Boyd scored a game-winning layup with 0.6 seconds left to give Kansas its first Big 12 win of the season. 68-66 against Texas Tech (12-6, 2-4). Kansas (10-9, 1-5) only led briefly in the first half and when it counted at the end of the contest. Kansas trailed by as many as 17 points in the second half to comeback for the win.
Kansas trailed 8-0 within in the first two minutes of the game. This has been the same situation Kansas has been in the previous two Big 12 games against TCU and No. 3 Baylor trailing by 7 or more opening the contest.
Senior forward Chelsea Gardner scored the first Kansas field goal with 16:12 left in the 1st half. A technical foul was called on freshman guard Chayla Cheadle as she was checking into the game, but came in before the whistle was blown for her to enter. After the technical free throws, Kansas made a 13-2 run to go up 23-21.
Tech had a 17-point lead to cut the deficit to eight with 13:25 remaining. Boyd had another layup with an and-one opportunity with 7:25 left to get Kansas within three.
In the second half, Kansas had a 7-0 run after Texas
The lead was brief for Kansas as Texas Tech would go on a 19-4 run the rest of the half to lead 43-28 at half. During the run, Kansas saw itself in a five-minute scoring drought as freshman guard Lauren Aldridge hit a 3-pointer to end it.
Aldridge hit another
3-pointer to give Kansas a 63-11 lead before Texas Tech came back and tied it
Kansas shot 56 percent on 27 of 48 from the field, five of 17 from beyond the arch for 29 percent and 9 of 13 for 69 percent at the free-
throw line.
Gardner led the way for Kansas with 20 points and eight rebounds. Senior guard Natalie Knight added 14 points and eight rebounds. Freshman Terriell Bradley had 13
points off the bench for Kansas.
Kansas will host West Virginia on Saturday in Allen Fieldhouse at 1 p.m.
Edited by Casey Hutchins
Kansas prepares for showdown against Texas
BEN FELDERSTEIN
@Ben_Felderstein
Oklahoma player Jordan Woodard attempts a basket but is blocked by freshman forward Cliff Alexander on Monday. Kansas plays Texas on Saturday.
After escaping Allen Fieldhouse with a win against the Oklahoma Sooners on Monday night, No. 11 ranked Kansas will travel to Austin, Texas, on Saturday to face No. 17 ranked Texas at 1 p.m.
Texas comes into this match up with a 14-4 record and a 3-2 conference record. After dropping two straight against Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, the Longhorns defeated TCU and WVU to remain ranked. The Big 12 is becoming stronger as its teams continue to bring the heat and make defeats.
ANNA WENNER/KANSAN
Coming into the season, the Longhorns seemed to be the biggest threat to Kansas and the 11th straight Big 12 regular season title. Since its recent losses, Texas has fallen a little behind in the Big 12 hunt.
Texas freshman Myles Turner started the off season strong, making it look like Kansas missed out on replacing him for former Jayhawk Joel Embiid. Currently, the freshman leads Texas in scoring with 11.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Turner has been a force on the defensive end, recording already 48 blocks in the season.
Kansas freshman Cliff Alexander will be an enticing matchup for Turner as he is coming off one of his best games as a Jayhawk. Alexander put up 13 points with 13 rebounds, including seven offensive boards during Monday's defeat of the Oklahoma Sooners. The freshman leads Kansas in blocks with a total of 25 this season.
One thing Alexander has on Turner is shooting percentage. At nearly 58 percent, he leads Turner by more than 10
percentage points. Alexander is averaging 8.3 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.
Fellow Kansas freshman Kelly Oubre Jr. has been on an absolute tear as of late after a relatively slow start to his campaign. Oubre has recorded double-digit scoring performances in seven out of his past eight games, including a season-high 23 against Lafayette.
Kansas has defeated the Longhorns five out of the six previous matchups and will look to make it six of the past seven Saturday afternoon. Kansas is currently tied atop the Big 12 with Iowa State with identical 4-1 records.
Texas is a full game behind
at 3-2, meaning another Jayhawk victory would put it an additional game ahead of the Longhorns, which would be huge heading down the stretch. Kansas will continue its Texas trip after Saturday's game when it faces TCU next Wednesday.
Edited by Laura Kubick
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