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Wednesday. January 21. 2015
Volume 128 Issue 64
kansan.com
COMMENTARY
Kansas needs to get in transition against Texas
Kansas will have a tall task this Saturday, literally.
Texas freshman forward Myles Turner stands a staggering 6-foot-11 and 240 pounds. He is joined down low by junior Cameron Ridley, a 6-foot-9 center.
In addition, the Longhorns have five more players on their roster listed 6-foot-8 or taller.
Meanwhile, Kansas has just two players on this year's roster who are 6-foot-10, with sophomore Landen Lucas and junior Hunter Mickelson. Both have limited minutes off the bench.
The answer might just be avoid the battle of size altogether.
So how can the Jayhawks bang down low with the much bigger Longhorns in Austin, Texas, this Saturday?
Kansas suffered its first conference loss of the season down in Ames at the hands of Iowa State. Following the loss, many were pointing to transition buckets being the key factor in the loss.
Despite having a significant size advantage over the Cyclones, the Jayhawks fell 81-86. Kansas matched Iowa State pound for pound in every aspect in the game, other than transition. The Cyclones outscored the Jayhawks 21-10 in transition.
Even in its 85-78 win over Oklahoma in Allen Fieldhouse on Monday night, Kansas managed just nine fast break points. The long ball aided the jayhawks offense as they shot 53 percent from beyond the arc.
Unfortunately for the Jayhawks, the likelihood of making their first 8 three-pointers on the road in Austin is very slim.
The likelihood of Kansas overpowering Texas inside is even smaller. The Jayhawks managed just 34 points in the paint against Cyclones, who had 40.
It's unorthodox to adjust the rotation or try something new in mid-January as the race for the Big 12 crown tightens, but keep in mind this isn't that uncommon.
Just last week, Kansas found itself in foul trouble and had to play "small-ball" as they slid freshman guard Kelly Oubre Jr. into the four spot, junior forward Perry Ellis' position.
Oubre said afterwards it's actually something Kansas practices in the case of early foul trouble.
One guarantee is that Kansas certainly has the athletes to push the ball in transition. Rather than try to match up down low, Kansas could utilize its speed and take advantage of a much slower Texas team.
Even then there is no guarantee the combination of the three big guys could match up with Texas' size.
On one hand Kansas could supersize its rotation and slide Ellis to small forward and have freshman Cliff Alexander and junior Jamari Traylor down low.
Edited by Jordan Fox
JUST KEEP DRIBBLING
Kansas looks for first conference win against Texas Tech
SCOTT CHASEN
@SChasenKU
"I have really high expectations for our team this year, [and] I definitely think we have the capability to win the Big 12."
That was the statement made by Natalie Knight prior to the Jayhawks' first game of the season.
The senior guard from Olathe certainly had high hopes for her team, which the Jayhawks haven't really lived up to yet.
After starting the season 9-4, the Jayhawks have dropped their last five games, although two of them came against opponents ranked in the top five. While the Jayhawks are certainly not done for at this point, the margin for error has shrunk considerably, as the team will look for its first win in Big 12 play this Wednesday against the Texas Tech Red Raiders.
Kansas has lost each of its five contests away from Allen Fieldhouse, but as of late the team has fared no better at home, scoring 63 or fewer points in five of its last six home games, after averaging 72.3 points per game in the
Kansas women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson calls out a play to the Jayhawk players Sunday against Fort Hays State. It was the first exhibition game to start the 2014-15 season.
ANDY LARKIN/KANSAN
team's first seven home games. However, Kansas coach Bonnie Hendrickson said she thought there was a reason for the team's lack of strong home play as of late.
"It has kind of felt like [even when we're home] we're on the road, because we're not in class," said Henrickson in the press conference following the team's game against Baylor. "When they're in school and class and all that, it's really busy, once we get [back to that], it'll feel more [like home]."
Kansas senior Chelsea Gardner echoed the sentiment, adding that she noticed a difference in the team's play as of late, at least before the team's near upset of the No. 3 Baylor Bears.
"Lately we've been down energy,but I feel like tonight we had a lot of it,"Gardner said. "I was very impressed with my teammates."
Regardless, the team has to move on now, as there is a tall task at hand. Not only is Kansas winless in Big 12 play, the team has yet to win a game away from Allen Fieldhouse this season.
Texas Tech, on the other hand, is 2-3 in Big 12 play.
and is 11-1 in the United Supermarkets Arena on the year.
Like the Jayhawks, the Red Raiders are coming off of a near-upset victory over a top five team, as they lost by 11 to the No. 4 Texas Longhorns on Saturday. Texas Tech managed to stay in the game despite shooting just 27.3 percent from the field and 26.3 percent from three-point range in that game, although Texas was far from perfect on the evening, making just 53 percent of its free throws.
Both teams will be looking to grab a much needed win, considering that both team's have NCAA tournament aspirations, despite playing in a loaded Big 12. Five of the ten teams in the conference received votes in the most recent AP Poll. However, the Jayhawks will certainly give it their best go, and in talking to the team, it's easy to see that the players have not quit at this point in any way.
"We think [we're playing] a lot better overall," said Knight. "If we continue to carry that over into the other games, it'll be really good for us."
Edited by Jordan Fox
Kansas to compete in Jayhawk Classic meet
LGJ MELIA
@gimelia
After a third-place finish in the Kansas State triangular Saturday, Kansas track and field will look to continue their success in the remaining meets of their indoor season.
The men's and women's teams return three All-Americans in senior hurdler Michael Stigler, senior Lindsay Vollmer and junior long jumper Sydney Conley. Stigler has won the Big 12
Vollmer was the 2013 NCAA Heptathlon National Champion, in addition to being a three-time Big 12 Champion. Conley has been named a First Time AllAmerican twice in her career.
Championship in the 400 meter hurdles the past three years, and has also named a First Team All-American the past three years. He was also named to the Bowerman Award watch list, which is awarded to the best male and female track and field athletes in the country.
The majority of the men's team is made up underclassmen, with 21 true freshmen on the roster.
Unlike the men's team, the women return over half of the members who
After the Husker Invitational, the teams will have two meets before the Big 12 Tournament in Ames, Iowa, on Feb. 27-28. They will then have two weeks until the NCAA Indoor Championships on March 13-14 in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
participated in the 2014 Big 12 Tournament third place finish.
The outdoor season will begin in Austin, Texas with the Texas Relays on March 25-28.
Through the first three meets, the Jayhawks are ranked in the top 16 of the NCAA rankings in 11 separate events, most notably Vollmer in the 60 meter hurdles.
The Jayhawks will have the upcoming week off before their next meet, the Jayhawk Classic in Anschutz Sports Pavilion on Jan. 30. It will be their last home meet of the indoor season.
Edited by Jordan Fox
Following the Jayhawk Classic, Kansas will travel up to Lincoln, Neb., to compete in the Husker Invitational Feb. 6-7.
FILE PHOTO
Jayhawk runners Natalie Becker, Maddy Rich, and Kathleen Thompson break from the starting line during the women's 1 mile run at the Bob Timmons Challenge on Dec. 2, 2011.
FILE PHOTO
Senior Lindsay Vollmer jumps a hurdle at the Jayhawk Classic on Jan. 24, 2013. Vollmer is an All-American, as well as the 2013 NCAA Heptathlon National Champion and three-time Big 12 Champion.
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