Volume 126 Issue 60
kansan.com
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY GANSAN
COMMENTARY Long road trip hurts confidence
On a mid-December night in Gainesville, Fla., Kansas basketball played true to its current identity: A team of freshmen longing for home.
After all, it's only normal for freshmen to get homesick in their first semester. It's no different for the Jayhawks, who haven't played a game in Allen Fieldhouse since Nov. 21.
That's 19 days. The team covered thousands of miles, from the Bahamas to Boulder, Colo., and then on to Gainesville. Oh yeah, Lawrence was somewhere in there, too.
Losses are the result — three out of the last four games, to be exact. The latest: a 67-61 "L" to Florida that looked much worse on screen than in the scorebook.
The frightening aspect of Tuesday's game isn't that the Jayhawks lost a December, non-conference game to the No. 19 team in their building. What's disturbing is the lack of confidence displayed in the first half. The four fast break points. The 24 turnovers.
And it isn't over. Not even close, in fact.
Kansas doesn't play again in Allen Fieldhouse until Dec. 22. After that, the Jayhawks — a team that started four freshmen Tuesday night — won't play a game in their prized arena for another 31 days.
"We're the only school in America that doesn't play at home for a month in a BCS conference," coach Bill Self said. "And that's my fault ... I think a lot of it is confidence as much as anything else."
In years past, the Jayhawks have played a few underwhelming games in November and December, leaving opponents fleeing Allen Fieldhouse as if they were the building's prey. Sure, those games aren't usually great competition for the Jayhawks, but they build chemistry and confidence.
The lack of unity has clearly affected Naadir Tharpe and Perry Ellis, who combined for six points and seven turnovers in the losing effort to the Gators.
Last season, Kansas played Chattanooga, San Jose St., Colorado, Belmont, Richmond and Temple at home in November and December. The 2012 national runner up team played Florida Atlantic, South Florida and Long Beach State between Nov. 30 and Dec. 6 alone.
This year, there is no break for the Jayhawks. Sure, there's a Dec. 30 game against Toledo, but the following game is against a San Diego State team that's currently ranked No. 25.
And this may be the team that needs a break most. Immense hype surrounded this group even before the trash cans lined the court for boot camp. Now, they've been beat down and confidence is a problem.
Florida coach Billy Donovan has watched his own players go through similar struggles.
"Guys like [Scottie] Wilbekin, [Casey] Prather — those guys have been hardened," Donovan said. "They've been scarred a little bit. How much adversity has Wiggins ever faced on the court? Those guys are going to have to learn different things and there's a process [they] have to go to
"There's nothing embarrassing or awful about losing to a good team on the road in a good atmosphere," Self said after Colorado. "But were used to winning these types of games. When your best team out there is basically four freshmen and a sophomore... That's a lot to learn." It's a lot to learn and a lot of confidence to build.
Still, this game was December basketball against a good Florida team. Kansas will improve. Self's system is all about winning Big 12 play—a tough non-conference schedule will prepare the Jayhawks for January and make them battle-ready by March.
- Edited by Kayla Overbey
CHOMPED
FLORIDA FALLOUT
BLAKE SCHUSTER
bschuster@kansan.com
GAINESVILLE, FLA. — Pick any three turnovers. Really, it shouldn't be that hard. There were a lot to choose from, 24 in all.
Any three of them could have been the difference. Maybe it was one in the first half, maybe it was late in the game. Didn't matter, they all happened. All 24 of them. And because of it No. 13 Kansas fell to No. 19 Florida, 67-61. This was the Jayhawks' third loss in four games.
you got it.
"I think that's an NCAA record," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "We thought we played poorly against TCU the first half last year. That was worse tone, no question." Of course it took just the right amount of miscues to make it happen, like the 21-0 run Florida took with less than 16 minutes
remaining in the first half. During that span the Gators scored 13 points off of five Kansas turnovers. Maybe those were the ones that doomed the Jayhawks.
Then again,
they seemingly couldn't do anything right after the first four minutes. Florida pulled in rebounds like their hands were magnetized and played a 1-3-1 defense that had Kansas scrambling for looks at the basket, let alone being able to get clean shots off.
The Jayhawks looked dead, hanging their heads and avoiding the scoreboard after the first twenty minutes. As if everything had caught up with them — the tough schedule, the ridiculous amount of travel and, particularly, the zone defenses they were facing. Certainly the 36-21 score reflected as much.
"We thought we played poorly against TCU the first half last year. That was worse tonight, no question."
“If we could have just got a 35 second call every time and had them take the ball out of bounds we would have had a chance to maybe be in the game.” Self said.
my most Greene is referring to the 26 points and 11 rebounds Wiggins recorded. No player on either team had more in either category and no player was more important down the stretch.
Maybe it would have slowed the game down, maybe Florida would have only scored 22 points off of free possessions instead of 28 and maybe Kansas makes it to overtime.
As the lajwahks kept grinding away, Wiggins kept knocking down shots. Three after three after three. Making it look as simple as possible.
The way that Andrew Wiggins led the lajahwaks in the second half, it wasn't impossible to believe.
"We're not going to back down," Wiggins said. "We're fighting until the end."
"He was the best player," Kansas freshman guard Brannen Greene said. "He showed the most."
Kansas has come back from more than a 15-point deficit before and Self has a reputation for making valuable halftime adjustments. Kansas just couldn't get out of its own way.
"It was kind of like the Kentucky National Championship game," Self said. "We get down 18 in the first half and just grind and compete where one or two plays have put some pressure on
them, but no
ously we didn't
do that."
BILL SELF
Kansas coach
them, but obvi-
One of those plays could've included two J a y h a w k s fighting for a loose ball and knocking it out of bounds. Or maybe it was just a mistake.
like when Greene lost the handle with Kansas finally within single digits. It could have been when Wiggins appeared to draw a foul and let the ball go off the floor.
But Self couldn't fault his team for trying to make a play. "I can't be upset about those." Self said. "The ones about just being so cautious and nervous and not attacking is very bother-some."
No, those were the hustle plays, or 50-50 balls as Self likes to call them that kept the team alive.
It was the other turnovers that put Kansas in a deep hole, the ones that came from poor passing and panic. The ones that showed that if the Jayhawks played like they did in the second half for 40 minutes, three turnovers wouldn't have been the difference.
Edited by Chas Strobel
hight have made it "It's easy when you throw it out of bounds in practice and it doesn't count and that kind of stuff, but there is some serious slippage on how you attack certain things", Self said. "It's sad that you have to get down like that before you come out and play with reckless abandon."
Because the way Kansas finished an opportunity in overtime might have mattered even more.
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
Andrew Wiggins, freshman guard, attempts a layup during Tuesday night's game against the Florida Gators. Wiggins had a total of 26 points, but it wasn't enough for a Jayhawk win. The Jayhawks fell to the Gators 67-61.
BASEBALL
Kansas signs 10 recruits in offseason
BEN FELDERSTEIN
hfelderstein@kansan.com
The Kansas baseball team made a huge splash in the offseason on Tuesday, signing 10 players to be future Jayhawks. Eight of these players were high school seniors, while two have transferred from junior colleges. This is a very talented recruiting class, which includes six pitchers and the two best catchers in the state of Kansas.
According to a press release, coach Ritch Price said that this may be the most talented recruiting class that he has ever had. "If we survive the professional draft in June," Price said, "we have a chance for these guys to put us in the top 25."
Tanner Gragg and TJ Martin are the top two senior catching recruits from the state of Kansas. Gragg is a 6-foot-1 right-hander from Blue Valley West whose best skill is his arm strength behind the dish. His fur
are battery mate is TJ Martin, a 6-foot right-hander from Blue Valley Southwest who is one of the best-hitting catchers in the state of Kansas. These two will bring stability to one of the most important positions on the field.
Gragg
The two highly recruited back-stops will help a great deal with the six new pitching commits who also signed today. Ryan Ralston is the No. 2 rated pitching recruit
coming out of the state of Kansas and will provide depth to an already deep Kansas pitching staff. Ralston attends Blue Valley West as well. Kansas signed three players out of Nevada. Tyler Condie will be
transferring from the College of Southern Nevada. CSNCoyotes.com has Condie's career ERA list.
ed as 3.54. He has struck out 18 batters in 20.1 innings and will likely serve as a relief pitcher in the Kansas bullpen. Another transfer pitcher is Ben Krauth. Krauth is transferring from Diablo Valley College. He put
up an impressive 2.49 ERA in 13 appearances while striking out 71 batters in 90.1 innings, according to the California Community College Athletic Association. Krauth will likely be a middle-of-the-road starting pitcher if the Jayhawks lose players to the pro draft.
Condie
Matt McLaughlin and Owen Taylor were signed by the Jayhawks to add infield depth. McLaughlin is from San Jose, Calif., and Taylor
resides in Grand Junction, Colo. McLaughlin has always been a high on base guy. He's not going to hit a lot of home runs, but he'll get on base at an efficient clip. Taylor has very similar on base and average
statistics, but will hit a few more home runs. These two infielders will make great top-of-the-order hitters for Kansas.
Kansas is coming off of an impressive 34-25 record last season. The Jayhawks played great at Hoglund Park, going 24-8. It was the road where Kansas struggled to find victories. A 10-17 record on the road will not be winning Kansas any Big 12 championships. If a trip to Omaha is on the minds of the Kansas baseball players this season, they're going to have to be more successful on the road.
Edited by Emma McElhaney
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