Volume 124 Issue 116
kansan.com
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Was it an act of disappointment, trying to play it cool or straight confidence? It was probably a combination of the three to be honest, but beyond the calm demeanor, the nation saw a team ready to do some serious damage in the NCAA Tournament.
their bracket seeds were announced Every team busted into celebration in light of the national television face-time, except for one. When CBS showed Kansas following the announcement of the No. 2 seed in the Midwest Region, the Jayhawks barely applauded or acknowledged the airtime.
During the CBS Tournament Selection Show, dozens of teams were recorded live as
For Kansas fans, March can be the best time of the year, but it often ends on a sour note. Like it or not, the Jayhawks will have to deal with the constant mentions of Bucknell, Bradley, Northern Iowa and Virginia Commonwealth whenever a mid-major team takes on Kansas in March.
Though CBS' Seth Davis and Greg Anthony made light of Kansas' lukewarm reaction to the camera time, that is the exact reaction I'd expect to see from a national title contender. There is a larger task at hand, and Kansas is ready to face the challenge.
COMMENTARY
Is it a distraction or a curse?
That's up to the team to decide.
While I understand that the Morris twins were as confident a pair as it gets, they could not back up the talk with substance on the court. For the most part, this season, Kansas has avoided the bulletin board material and played a disciplined brand of basketball. Yes, the Jayhawks are naturally a confident basketball team, but they don't flirt with arrogance like we've seen in the past.
Edited by Anna Allen
Keeping composure during mania
Last season, the coaching staff put a Sports Illustrated cover featuring Northern Iowa's stunning upset in the lockers of each player. It was an interesting strategy to remind the players of the disappointment, but I guarantee no Jayhawk had forgotten the harsh taste of 2010's second-round upset. Why bring the mid-major struggles up internally?
I'm sure Kansas plans to approach the NCAA Tournament differently this season as Bill Self's team needs to play every game like it's the national title game. The games will come down to which team wants it more, and it's really not a cliché. There were problems with the previous two teams that I don't see this season. There are no scuffles in pregame tunnels or trash talking to the media and opposition.
According to Yahoo! Sports, the Morris twins specifically told VCU's Joey Rodriguez before the game: "Yall had a good little run, but now it's time to go home."
The decision to give the team a tangible reminder of a March let-down backfired in the Elite Eight when Shaka Smart and VCU went from the First Four to the Final Four.
PARTY IN THE NCAA
KANSAS SURPRISED BY BID
KATHLEEN GIER
keier@kansan.com
The 10 Jayhawks lined two rows of chairs in front of the television joined by their coaching staff and athletic directors on the perimeter. As soon as the Selection Show started, those two rows went silent.
Stanford went to Fresno, Texas and Oklahoma fell into their region. Connecticut took Bridgeport with Kansas State and Iowa State. Then Notre Dame nabbed Raleigh with Texas A&M.
It came down to the final region. The Jayhawks faced forward with their unwavering attention on the show.
The team adjusted in their chairs. Baylor, as expected, was the top seed in the Des Moines region. It went down to the third match up, and Kansas was announced as the 11 seed in Little Rock against Nebraska. Kansas will play at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday.
Aishah Sutherland and Bunny Williams flew out of their seats, coach Bonnie Hendrickson fist pumped and screams filled the room.
"I didn't even know who we were gonna play, I just saw Kansas and I got up and just sprinted toward my teammates happy and jumped on them," Sutherland said.
For the first time since 2000, the Kansas women's basketball team is going to the NCAA Tournament. Junior guard Angel Goodrich red-shirted her first season so she has been through this the last four years. "I am speechless right now, it feels so good to get into the tournament finally and looking at my teammates we have been wanting to do this all year so this feels awesome," Goodrich said.
the screen, but sighed and broke into laughter after Kansas State was announced. They went back to waiting. By the final regional hope was fading.
The Jayhawks ran a short practice this morning and discussed their chances and before dinner the players were calculating the odds again. The team saw Kansas flash across
"Everyone started closing their eyes and not watching, but as soon as our name popped up everyone started jumping," Goodrich said.
The Jayhawks have been waiting for a decision on their post-season fate since a loss in the conference semi-finals to Texas A&M last Thursday.
Coach Bonnie Henrickson is celebrating her first tournament experience at Kansas, but she said she is most excited for the players and fans.
"Just listening and watching them was priceless," Henrickson said.
"It was worth the wait actually, it really was," Goodrich said.
The team walked out together yelling and planning what to do tonight.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
"We can celebrate tonight, but tomorrow once practice starts we have to get down to business," Goodrich said.
Freshman forward Natalie Knight gets emotional after hearing that Kansas made the NCAA tournament at a watch party Monday night. Kansas is the 11th seed in the NCAA tournament and will play Nebraska in Little Rock, Ark. on Sunday.
Once the initial shock wore off, the players pulled out their phones and serrolled through congratulatory texts and tweets.
Sutherland, the team's lone senior,
could barely put her phone down.
Earlier in the season she made it clear that she would not be happy with her career at Kansas until they played in the tournament. Now that they've made it, she said she can graduate satisfied.
"I am ready to go to the dance and play my heart out," Sutherland said.
Edited by Jeff Karr
X
Where Big 12 teams might place
MEN'S BASKETBALL
KORY CARPENTER
kcarpenter@kansan.com
KANSAS (27-6,
16-2)
NO. 2 SEED, MID-
WEST REGION
Overview: The loss to Baylor in the Big 12 tournament all but solidified a No. 2 seed for Kansas, but the Jayhawks will stay close to home with their first two games in Omaha, Neb. They meet up with Detroit-Mercy on Friday night, winners of the Horizon League tournament. The Titans feature a high school All-American in Ray McCallum, who Bill Self actually recruited, and a center who isn't afraid of a little confrontation. Eli Holman, a 6-foot-10 former Indiana Hooiser, was asked about facing junior forward Thomas Robinson.
It should make for an interesting story line heading into Friday night's matchup, a game that numerous experts have circled as a potential, albeit unlikely, first round upset.
"Robinson? I can handle Robinson," Holman told the Detroit News. "He has to handle me."
Where They Could Slip Up. Georgetown in the Sweet 16. Beating a team twice in one season is tough, especially a team as good as Georgetown. Of course, the Hoyas will have to get by No. 14 seed Belmont in the opening round, and that won't be easy.
Where They Eventually Bow Out: North
(14-4)
Where They Eventually Bow Out: Michigan State, Elite Eight: Tom Izzo's Spartans will be too physical for the Tigers and control the interior on their way to another Final Four.
Where They Could Slip Up: Florida in the Second Room. The Gators can match Missouri's guard play with Kenny Boynton, Erving Walker, and Bradley Beal.
Overview: Many people thought that the Tigers deserved a No. 1 seed. Their nonconference schedule that featured just two NCAA at-large teams, No. 7seed Notre Dame and No. 12 seed California, did Missouri no favors when the brackets were announced. They do get the weakest No. 1 seed in Michigan State, though, and if they can survive Florida in the second round, the first final four in school history isn't out of reach.
MISSOURI (30-4.
NO.2 SEED, WEST REGION
Overview. The Bears have the talent of a No. 1seed but have underachieved this season, finishing fourth in the Big 12. They have some head scratching losses on their resume, such as 18- and 15-point losses to Kansas and Missouri and a home loss to Kansas State. But when coach Scott Drew dumps his patented zone for a man-to-man defense, Baylor is able to use its incredible size to its advantage. Some have picked the Bears to be upset by No. 14 seed South
BAYLOR (27-7,
12-6)
NO. 3 SEED,
SOUTH REGION
Dakota State, but it's not likely.
Where They Eventually Slip Up: Duke, Sweet 16: I want to pick Baylor to take out Duke, and they definitely have the talent to do just that. But coach Mike Kryzewski against Drew is the definition of a mismatch. Drew doesn't stand a chance.
IOWA STATE (22-10, 12-6)
NO. 8 SEED, SOUTH
REGION
Owatonna, Sioux County
Where They Could Slip Up: UNLV, Second Round.
Overview: Cyclones coach Fred Heiberg did a monvolue
job this season in Ames, leading Iowa State to a third-place finish in the Big 12 and an NCAA tournament birth. He was rewarded by playing Connecticut, with hall-of-fame coach Jim Calhoun and a group of about three futures pros. If the Cyclones can survive, they get No. 1 overall seed Kentucky in the second round. A No. 10 seed would have been better.
Where They Could Slip Up: Connecticut, First Round.
Where They Eventually Fall: Connecticut, First Round: The Huskies have the coaching advantage and are too talented for the Cyclones.
KANSAS STATE (21-10, 10-8)
Overview: The Wildcats worked themselves off the
STATE (21-10, 10-8)
NO. 8 SEED, EAST
REGION
bubble during the second half of the season but earned a dreaded eight seed
and a possible matchup with a one seed in the second round. Unlike Iowa State, however, Kansas State should handle Southern Miss in its first game. And while it's unlikely, the Wildcats could play with top-seeded Syracuse in the second round. Their toughness and rebounding ability could give the Orange fits all game.
Where They Could Slip Up: Southern Miss, First Round: The Wildcats should win, but it's still an 8/9 matchup and relative toss-up.
Where They Eventually Fall: Syracuse,
Second Round: While an upset wouldn't
completely shock me, it would still be a
tall order.
TEXAS (20-13,
9-9)
NO. 11 SEED, EAST
REGION
Overview: The Longhorns just barely snuck into the tournament as the final Big 12 team to receive a bid by the tournament committee. They face a tough Cincinnati team in the first round, but they have something a lot of teams don't have: a lethal scorer. Senior guard J'Covan Brown averages 20.1 points per game and could single-handedly win a game or two for Texas. There always seems to be one double-digit seed to make the Sweet 16 and Texas isn't a bad choice for that honor this year.
Where They Slip Up: Cincinnati, First Round
Where They Eventually Fall: Ohio State, Sweet 16.
—Edited by Max Rothman
FOOTBALL Offensive lineman commits to University
On Monday, Kansas Athletics announced the signing of its 23rd commitment to the 2012 football class, adding offensive lineman Aslam Sterling to coach Charlie Weis' first group of recruits.
Sterling, who won All-Northeast Conference honors his freshman and sophomore years at Nassau Community College, will join the Jayhawks in June as the team prepares for its 2012 season.
He picked the Jayhawks after receiving interest from West Virginia, Syracuse, Rutgers and Buffalo.
Sterling did not miss one game at Nassau Community College, or NCC, while going 19-2 in his two seasons with the Lions. In 2010, NCC went 11-0 and was ranked No. 3 in the nation for Division II
Sterling played both center and right guard at Bayside High School in Queens, NY., and was awarded All-Borough and All-City honors during his career.
When he was in high school, a New York area high school football website, empirechallenge.com, said Sterling could block and pass equally well, and that he was from multiple Division I-AA schools, now known as the Football Championship Subdivision, or FCS.
"Bayside didn't have the wins to show for his dominance," empirechallenge.com said. "But there were few in the borough better than his 6-foot-5, 320-pound behemoth."
Mika Vernon
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