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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2014
Kansas seeks revenge against Florida
REINHOLD MATEY/ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kansas guard Frank Mason drives down court against Michigan State guard Bryn Forbes during the Nov. 30 game in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Kansas defeated Michigan State 61-56.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
BEN FELDERSTEIN
@Ben Felderstein
Coming off of an Orlando classic Championship, Kansas will host Florida at Allen fieldhouse in the Big 12/SEC challenge on Friday. Florida 3-3 in the season and coming off of a poor showing in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, going 1-2.
Kansas leads Florida 3-2 in the all-time series, including three separate top-ten matchups. Florida lost their two most productive players from last season — Patric Young and SEC Player of the Year Scottie Wilbiken. The Gators only have two seniors on the roster, one being Donovan's son. Junior guard Michael Frazier II leads Florida in scoring with 15.2 points per game, adding 6.5 rebounds and shooting 42 percent from the field.
"We've been playing a lot better," coach Bill Self said. "I think that was evident in Orlando."
Last season, the Jayhawks
aveled to Gainesville and
ll to Florida, 67-61, in the
uargural SEC/Big 12 Chal-
enge. Florida was ranked No.
9, while Kansas was ranked
o 13.
Kansas heads into this matchup ranked No. 11, while Florida comes in unranked. The Jayhawks will be seeking revenge against Florida coach Billy Donovan to extend their early season record to 6-1.
Junior forward Perry Ellis is coming off of one of his hottest stretches of the season, being named Big 12 Player of the Week and Orlando Classic tournament MVP. Ellis is averaging 15.3 points and seven rebounds.
Florida is a bigger team than any that Kansas saw at the Orlando Classic, but the Jayhawks' athleticism matches up well against the Gators. Sophomore guards Wayne Selden Jr. and Frank Mason III have been playing more efficiently too.
'Our so-called 'not hard games' have been real tough this year,' Self said. 'We have as tough a seven game stretch as anyone in America.'
starts, he is 9-for-11 from the field. Freshman forward Cliff Alexander has also stepped his game up as of late, leading Kansas in blocks in the last three games.
Senior center Ion Horford leads Florida down low with two rebounds per game and a total of 10 blocks on the season, while putting up 10.3 points per game.
Mason led the Jayhawks in
assists in Orlando and shot 61.1 percent from the field while Selden had 12 points against Tennessee, his tournament high.
"We're big enough to win,"
The Jayhawks have a lot of momentum heading into their matchup against the Gators and will look to use this to take advantage of a Florida team that may be lacking it.
Self said. "It's still hard scoring over length, like they have."
Sophomore forward Landen Lucas has been efficient since being inserted into the starting lineup. While Lucas hasn't gotten big minutes in his
Edited by Andrew Collins and Kelsie Jennings
The Trojans outrank the Jayhawks in multiple categories, including hitting percentage (.283 to .247), blocks per set (3.0 to 2.54) and aces per set (1.5 to 1.11).
streak of any team in the nation.
straight years with an opening round victory, Bechard is still making sure no player takes the first match too lightly.
The Jayhawks have some advantages of its own, beating the Trojans in assists per set (12.85 to 12.4), kills per set (13.84 to 13.6) and digs per set (15.31 to 14.5).
Statistics aside, no match is a gimme in the NCAA tournament, and after two
"We know we've got an extremely talented and tough opponent in front of us," Bechard said. "And if we're fortunate enough to win that, we got Creighton or a Pac 12 opponent (Oregon State)."
The tournament matches have previously been held at Allen Fieldhouse, but the men's basketball game against Florida prevents the team from using the fieldhouse as a venue.
Edited by Logan Schlossberg
LAMIE JUST
Indoor track and field season begins
On the men's side, Kansas lost sprinter DeMario Johnson, spinner Shawn Smith, middle distance runner Brendan Soucie and pole vaulter Alex Bishop.
For the women, Kansas lost Olympic gold-medalist Diamond Dixon, Kansas 3,000-meter record holder Natalie Becker, All-American discus thrower Jessica Maroszek and Kansas pole vault record holder Natalia Bartnovskaya.
Athletes to watch:
Michael Stigler, senior;
hurdles/sprints
@Amie_Just
Last season during his indoor campaign. Stigler from Canyon, Texas, won the 600-yard run at the Big 12 Indoor Championships and set a new school record (1:08.59). He won the 400-yard dash at the Bill Eaton Classic with a time of 48.75.
Kansas only has three home meets for the indoor season and they're all stacked at the beginning of the schedule.
With winter break approaching, Kansas track and field is getting ready to start its indoor season.
ouger is coming off a successful outdoor season. He was
Kansas has the Bob Timmons Challenge on Saturday, the Bill Eason Classic on Jan. 9 and the Jayhawk Classic on Jan. 30. The last time Kansas will be at home will be during the outdoor season for the Kansas Relays.
named 2014 Midwest Track Athlete of the Year and Kansas Athletics' Male Athlete of the Year.
Kansas football is in a state of flux, but in a 34-10 victory against Iowa State, their chests, "BOWEN," gave their stamp of approval.
Lindsay Vollmer, senior combined events
"I enjoy what Bowen's been doing," Platt said. "Hearing that Weis was falling asleep in meetings — if nothing else, he should have a better chance than Weis." Crookham agrees.
He finished second in the 400-meter hurdles at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, earning All-American status in that race. He won the race at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships and many other meets throughout the year.
Last year during the indoor season, Vollmer from Hamilton, Mo., finished 13th at the Big 12 Indoor Championships in the pentathlon and won the event at the Jayhawk Classic.
In 2013, during her indoor season, Vollmer won the heptathlon at the Big 12 Indoor Championships and finished ninth at the NCAA Indoor Championships in the event, earning All-America Second-Team status.
During her outdoor campaign, she withdrew from the heptathlon at the NCAA Outdoor Championships due to injury in the long jump.
Her sophomore year was much better. Vollmer won the heptathlon at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, earning All-America First Team status. She holds the school record for that performance. She also won the event at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships.
Edited by Logan Schlossberg
FANS FROM PAGE 1B
will stay to complete post-grad work.
Whether Bowen is named head coach or not, you can expect to see a small contingent of letters in the front row in 2015. They say they'll be there to support whoever is named coach.
"I think it's [Bowens] job to lose," Crookham said. "Unless he does something wrong or a
big-name coach wants to come to KU, I think he'll do a good job as our coach."
"We're just friends having fun with it" Platt said.
Whatever compels them to come, one thing remains certain: There is nothing fair-weather about these fans.
— Edited by Alyssa Scottt