Volume 124 Issue 108
kansan.com
Thursday, March 1, 2012
COMMENTARY Farewell to the fan favorite
It's hard to say goodbye to your loved ones. The emotional reaction to a farewell can trigger a temporary feeling of sadness that can only heal when time elapses. You just don't know when you'll see your loved ones after you leave them for an extended period. It's difficult every time I leave home to go back to school knowing I won't see my mother and sister for a while.
The Jayhawks play their last home game of the 2011-12 season Saturday against the Texas Longhorns. As always, the last home game is senior night. This year's senior class includes Conner Teahan, Jordan Juenemann and Tyshawn Taylor.
Just about every year on senior day at Allen Fieldhouse, Jayhawk fans chant in a profound manner "one more year", hoping that players consider professional basketball will decide to return for another season at Kansas. Two years ago, it was Cole Aldrich. Last year, it was the Morris twins. This year, it will be Thomas Robinson.
Robinson hasn't officially made a decision on whether or not he'll forgo his senior season and enter the NBA Draft, but in all likelihood, because he's regarded by scouts as a lottery pick, he'll leave Lawrence at the end of the season. When Robinson steps foot on James Naismith Court on Saturday, it will be his last time.
The Jayhawk faithful consider Robinson one of their own not just because he's a Kansas basketball player, but because they were struck by the tragic loss of his mother, grandmother and grandfather.
For a player to blossom into one of college basketball's best players and be in strong consideration to win national player of the year honors after losing three of his closest family members is something to admire.
The outpouring of love and support that fans have given Robinson has been beautiful. The bond between the Kansas community and Robinson is stronger than a young Arnold Schwarzenegger. It's inseparable, which will make it emotionally difficult for fans to see Robinson go.
If you think you're going through hard times because you're struggling with class, you broke up with your partner, you're struggling with your relationships with your family and friends or undergoing financial hardship, just take a good, hard look at what Robinson has endured.
You'd be hard pressed to find a Jayhawk basketball player, in recent memory, who has been more beloved than Robinson.
Losing your mother and grandparents at 19 is something nobody should have to go through.
He has responded to his misfortune by committing himself, whether it's by taking care of his younger sister Jayla, or being the best basketball player he can possibly be. He doesn't want people to feel sorry for him. He is a symbol of hope, determination, strength and perseverance.
I know senior day is a day to honor the seniors, but Robinson should be honored as well. If you aren't planning to attend Saturday's game against Texas, I strongly urge you to go because it's probably the last time you'll see Robinson play at Allen Fieldhouse.
Edited by Jeff Karr
.
KANSAS 63, OKLAHOMA STATE 66
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
KATHLEEN GIER
kgier@kansan.com
The Jayhawks gathered at center court before taking seats on the bench. They looked blankly ahead past the yellow roses they held to honor Aishah Sutherland on Senior Night. Sutherland walked in with her parents smiling and hugged coach Bonnie Henrickson. The announcer talked about her senior season where she passed milestones in points and rebounds.
But this celebration only temporarily numbed the sting of a 66-63 loss to Oklahoma State, Kansas fell to 18-11 overall and 7-10 in conference play.
"We wanted to have tears of joy and celebration, but we don't finish," coach Bonnie Henrickson said.
There were 22 lead changes and 12 ties in the contest. Kansas went on a 10-0 run early in the second half, but Oklahoma State countered with a 12-0 run of their own.
"What hurts the most is that we had a nine-point lead," junior guard Angel Goodrich said. "You look up there and have a lead, and then next second they were up by two."
Going into the final minute the Jayhawks held a one point lead. With 53 seconds left Liz Donohoe hit a jumper to give the Cowgirls the lead. Kansas struggled to get the ball in and had to burn a timeout. Goodrich knocked down two free throws to give Kansas another lead, but seconds later Tiffany Bias hit two for Oklahoma State.
With 11 seconds left freshman guard Natalie Knight drove the ball into the lane, couldn't find an outlet and was called for a travel. That led sophomore guard CeCe
Harper to two quick fouls which gave Bias two more free throws. With nine seconds and the ball, Kansas came down in search of a three. In a poetic twist the ball went to Sutherland who was not able to convert at the top of the key.
Sutherland led the layhawks valiantly in the second half and scored the first six points after the break for her team. She finished the night with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
Sutherland scored the first basket of the game and ended with her eighth double-double on the season. Versatility and consistency were apparent with Sutherland this season with jumpers from the elbow, layups, a free throw and a tipped in a rebound.
"I thought she carried us for a while," Henrickson said.
"We were going down and we needed some shots up, and I knew I had to be more aggressive to the rim," Sutherland said.
Goodrich also finished with a double-double but in a less predictable way. Goodrich, a 5-foot-3 point guard, had 13 points and added a career-high 11 rebounds. Freshman forward Chelsea Gardner added on to career-highs with 10 points and nine rebounds. Harper rounded out the double-digit scoring with 10 points.
Kansas shot 38.7 percent from the field and Oklahoma State scored 17 points off 12 turnovers. Kansas won the rebounding battle 40-32 and scored 19 second chance points.
Kansas will face Oklahoma on Sunday in the last regular season contest.
Edited by Bre Roach
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
Senior forward Aishah Sutherland holds up her jersey for senior night during the postgame against OSU.
SPRING SPORTS
Baseball team looks for clutch hits
MAX LUSH
Coming into the season, the Kansas baseball team knew it would be facing the best pitchers of each team it plays. That's the price that comes with being a member of the Big 12 conference.
mlush@kansan.com
The layhawks will play in their third preseason tournament, The University of Texas San Antonio tournament, this weekend in San Antonio, Texas. In each of the three tournaments, Kansas has been one of the marquee teams.
Coach Ritch Price said that a tournament format allows for teams to choose who they want to throw their best arms against. In a normal three-game series format, the teams match up their number one, two and three pitchers.
"I told our team in a short team meeting that the advantage of playing at the University of Kansas is going to a tournament and getting everybody's best guys," Price said. "Those are the guys we're going to see in
our league."
While the Jayhawks have been able to get players on base often, the clutch hit has proved elusive. Kansas has left 63 runners on base already to nine teams, which averages to nine runners left on base a game. Senior catcher James Stanfield said the team needs to lay off sliders down in the strike zone, and look for fastballs.
This season, the team has focused heavily on being patient against opposing pitchers. In seven games so far, no starting pitcher for the opposing team has made it past the fifth inning against the Jayhawks. Senior infielder Zac Elgie knows that getting starting pitchers out of the game early will lead to success.
"That's one of the big things when we start playing conference series," Elgie said. "If we can use the bullpen the first couple days, that leaves them kind of shorthanded for the weekend. The more you can do that the more you can wear them out and they can't use their best pitchers later on."
Stanfield said the team has to make sure they stay patient later in the game because that's when the at-bats are the most important.
Price said the team would need to be confident and relaxed at the plate to be successful.
"We just need to put the ball in play and not try to do too much," Stanfield said. "A lot of the times in the those situations you just need a ground ball to the right side or a fly ball to the outfield."
"The hardest part about baseball is that it beats you up mentally, at any level." Price said.
The Jayhawks will look to build off of their 14-1 victory over Mississippi Valley State last Sunday in San Antonio.
"Anytime you're successful offensively, you're successful one-through-nine in the lineup." Price said. "The first couple of weekends we've had two or three of our key guys who are off to a slow start, but all it takes is one good weekend to turn it all around."
- Edited by Katie James
BY THE NUMBERS
5. 0 The most innings an opposing starting pitcher has lasted against Kansas.
The number of runners Kansas has left on base in seven games.
10 The number of runs Kansas scored in the first inning Sunday against Mississippi Valley State.
39 The number of runs Kansas has scored in seven games.
4
11 The number of runs Kansas has allowed in seven games.
1
X