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Volume 128 Issue 42
kansan.com
Wednesday, November 5, 2014
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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COMMENTARY
Washburn savors chance to play Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse
In the beginning of every college season, whether it be football or basketball, the powerhouses around the nation start their season off with weaker opponents. Whether those opponents are Division II or Division I-AA, the result is usually the same — the home team wins in a blowout.
This was the case Monday night when Kansas faced Washburn for the first exhibition game of the season. As expected, Kansas won in a blowout, 85-53. Washburn played hard and put up a good fight but Kansas' size and superior talent ended up being too much for the Ichabods.
After a 32-point loss, it is normal to assume a team is feeling deflated and down on themselves. But that's not the case for coach Bob Chipman and the rest of the team.
"It was a great opportunity for us," Chipman said. "We were able to give guys an opportunity out there and try to come together as a group."
This isn't the only opportunity like this Washburn will get. The rest of its preseason schedule consists of Oklahoma and Kansas State.
"Washburn has the toughest preseason schedule in the nation." Self said jokingly. "If there was a preseason Division II RPI, they'd be number one."
During Washburn's press conference, Chipman told the media that Self went and spoke to Washburn for 15 minutes the night before the game. Self talked to the players while they were shooting just about basketball and getting better.
"It didn't look like it today," Chipman said. "But I guarantee you it's going to be worth five victories for us, coach Self coming out and talking to our group."
For Washburn, it's not about winning, it's about learning and enjoying the moment. It's not every day that Division II basketball players get to play in the greatest college basketball venue in the world and go up against the fifth ranked team in the country.
There is no better place to play a game of basketball than Allen Fieldhouse. For a team like Washburn it should be more about the experience than the game itself.
"I'd definitely say it's the atmosphere," said Washburn guard Korey Fisher, who was asked what he'll remember the most. "As a native Kansan, you always watch KU on TV, but you don't really grasp what it's like until you get on the court."
- Edited by Ashley Peralta
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
The Kansas women's soccer team celebrates after scoring a goal against University of Texas at San Antonio.
READY FOR A REMATCH
Kansas to face Oklahoma in first round of Big 12 tournament after Friday's loss
BEN CARROLL
@BCarroll91
On Halloween night, No. 14 Kansas soccer lost its final game of the regular season in Norman, Okla., to the Oklahoma Sooners in a game. A draw or a win would have secured the No. 2 seed for Jayhawks in the Big 12 tournament, which begins Wednesday afternoon in Kansas City, Mo. Now penciled in as the No. 3 seed, the Jayhawks are slated for a rematch against the sixth-seeded Sooners at Swope Park Village in Kansas City, Mo., at 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Even though the Jayhawks are coming off a bit of a rough stretch losing three of their last four matches to close out the regular season, coach Mark Francis said he believes they have the competitive edge over the Sooners after dropping Friday's game.
"I think it's hard to beat somebody twice," Francis said. "I think the advantage for us is that we lost. Our guys are pissed off. They're going into the game with a chip on their shoulder because we're playing the same team that we just lost to five days ago."
As if having the opportunity to watch Oklahoma on film and adjust the things they were unable to accomplish Friday wasn't already enough, the Jayhawks have yet another advantage on their side. Because the tournament is only about 45 miles east of Lawrence, Kansas gets the privilege of practicing at Rock Chalk
Park. They also get to sleep in their own beds in Lawrence, as the rest of the conference resides at hotels and practices on Astroturf, which is not the surface the games will be played on.
"I think the traveling takes a toll on your body, so not traveling is going to be nice," junior forward Ashley Williams said. "We're going to have the most fans because [the game] is in Missouri, but it's really close to where we're at. So those two things will be huge pluses for us this week."
The Jayhawks began the season on an eight-game winning streak, then lost a match at Marquette, and went on to win six more in a row. They have the second-leading scorer in the Big 12 on their side in junior midfielder Liana Salazar, who scored a third of the team's goals this season. They are also poised on the defensive side of things, as Kansas has only given up 12 goals all season, a mark that leads the conference.
The biggest advantage of all for Kansas seems to be its senior goalkeeper Kaitlin Stroud, whose 0.61 goals against average leads the Big 12 and only 18 other goalies in the nation sit above that mark. Her 13 career shutouts rank third all-time at Kansas.
"She's a very good goal-keeper," senior defender Caroline Van Slambrouck said. "She's grown so much as a player."
For the Jayhawks, the key to a deep run in the post-season is to strike first and strike early. On only one
occasion has Kansas given up more than one goal in a game.
LOOKING AHEAD:
If Kansas wins Wednesday night, they will go on to play the winner of the Oklahoma State vs. Baylor game, which would be played Friday. Jayhawks already defeated both
the bears and the Cowgirls once this season, but both were won by just one goal. But first, Kansas will need to find a way to take revenge against Oklahoma to move onto the semifinals and potentially the Big 12 championship on Sunday.
"We're excited to play, and
I think it's going to be an advantage," Van Slambrouck said of the scheduled rematch with the Sooners. "Everyone is still fired up from the loss [on Friday], and we're ready to go out and show that we are the better team."
Edited by Kelsie Jennings
Ellis embracing different type of leadership
SHANE JACKSON
@jacksonshane
There he stood, with media members crowded around him, keying on every soft-spoken word. Perry Ellis seemed more poised on men's basketball media day than in years past. Part of that could be because this is now his third go-around, as he enters his junior campaign.
Perry Ellis pauses during Kansas' exhibition game against Washburn on Monday. As a junior, Ellis is one of the veteran Jayhawks and will look to take on a leadership role for the underclassmen.
"I remember being 17 and not talking at all, but it's got a lot better," Ellis said. "Even my interviews are out the roof better now as I do this more."
JAMES HOYT/KANSAN
It's no secret that Ellis is typically quieter than most of his teammates. On the court, Ellis is the silent assassin, consistently providing reliable production on the offensive end.
That proved to be the case in the first exhibition Monday. Ellis was one of four players to get at least 20 minutes. He finished with nine points, which was tied for the third-most on the team. He knocked down four of his five free throw attempts on a night when the team finished just 50 percent from the line.
Even though Ellis averaged the second-most points per game (13.6) last year, he often flew under the radar compared to freshmen Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embid.
Gone are Wiggins and Embiid. Replacing them are the
less prolific incumbent freshmen replacements Kelly Oubre Jr. and Cliff Alexander. That leaves Ellis as one of the older players on this young squad.
Christian Garrett is the lone senior for Kansas this year. Ellis is one of four juniors including Evan Manning, Hunter Mickelson and Jamari Tralor.
All eyes will turn to the 6-foot-8 forward out of Wichita, as the young Kansas squad is in need of some direction.
Typically leadership means being more vocal, making Ellis' sudden new role a bit of a challenge for him. Knowing his team needs him to play a bigger role, Ellis has been working on the attribute he has struggled with in the past.
Despite Ellis taking on this new role, coach Bill Self doesn't plan to change a thing about his leader.
"Coach knows I'm not a real vocal guy," Ellis said. "But there are situations that you need to be more vocal, and I'm working on that."
"In the past I felt like I had forced some guys out of their comfort zone," Self said. "I'm not going to do that with Perry."
Ellis may not have to be outspoken this year. In fact, Kansas may have a few other players who the newcomers can look to.
"I'm going to have a bigger
role on this team," Traylor said. "I'm one of the older guys, so I'm looking forward to taking a leadership role and helping out some of these younger guys. Not too long ago was me asking the questions."
Perhaps the most talented player on the team is Wayne Selden Jr. He was one of two Jayhawks to start in all 35 games a year ago. But like Ellis, he was often overshadowed by the likes of Embiid and Wiggins.
Like Ellis, Selden may be
An example of that was Selden taking the microphone after the scrimmage at Late Night and thanking the thousands of fans for coming out.
"We have a lot of young guys that are looking up at me even as a sophomore," Selden said. "It's just about being vocal and being supportive."
asked to take a bigger role this year, not just on the court, but off as well.
regardless of who is more vocal, it looks like this trio of Jayhawks will lead the pack this season. Self must feel the
same way since he brought Ellis, Selden and Traylor to address the media at Big 12 Media Day.
Especially for a team with a streak of 10 consecutive conference championships on the line, a group of experienced players leading the way is a good thing.
"We don't want to be the ones to end the streak," Ellis said.
Well said by the man of few words.
Edited by Alyssa Scott
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