sports
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KANSAN.COM/SPORTS | MONDAY, MARCH 7, 2016
Ellis' Senior Day performance encapsulates KU career
Caroline Fiss/KANSAN
Senior forward Perry Ellis points to the fans as the crowd cheers during Senior Day at the game against Iowa State.
SCOTT CHASEN @SChasenKU
As Perry Ellis walked out on the court to deliver his Senior Day speech, it was already an emotional night. Right before him, Jamari Traylor and delivered a speech that brought tears to the eyes of many watching, including Kansas coach Bill Self.
Typically a quiet individual, Ellis walked out and took the microphone from Bob Davis, a Kansas broadcaster who was also in his final game in Allen Fieldhouse. Davis spent more than three decades at the University as the quote-um
quote voice of the Kansas Javhawks.
The crowd became hushed as Ellis spoke his first words. Many expected him to have a short, simple speech, given how reserved he had previously acted in the spotlight.
In fact, a column titled "Perry Ellis likely preparing a soft-spoken senior speech in Allen Fieldhouse" was published online in the Wichita Eagle just two days earlier. It centered on the idea that Ellis would likely be reserved during his speech, even as one of the all-time Kansas greats.
"Those who know Ellis best say he is funny, wit
ty and outgoing — as long as he's inside his comfort zone," the column read. "Put him in front of a microphone and you're going to get the bare essentials, not much else."
However, Ellis had a different plan in mind. He came out and surprised everyone by starting his speech off in a different way.
"I got the chance to play with Wilt Chamberlain, Danny Manning," Ellis joked in regards to his time at Kansas. "If I supposedly have unlimited eligibility, why don't I just come back next year?"
Ellis said the ioke came
"I can barely remember. It was so long ago," Ellis said.
A player known for his consistency, Ellis mixed it up on Senior Day. Like he did in his four years at Kansas, he showed maturity in his comfort level with the crowd, even if it wasn't the easiest thing he'd ever done, at least according to one teammate.
"He was a little bit ner
vous going into his speech," Travlor said of Ellis.
Sitting on the bench just a few feet away, Self had a big smile on his face as Ellis spoke. That smile didn't leave his face for the rest of the speech, and it reappeared in the postgame press conference when he started to talk about the senior.
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["When] he got here, you couldn't get him to do a presentation or a speech in a class because there's 15 other people in it," Self said. "And now to have him have total command of a situation [...] just shows you how much he's matured. It's pretty amazing."
The speech showcased Ellis' development over four years. The game itself showcased the type of player Ellis had become.
When Kansas was ready to finish off the game, Ellis threw down a two-handed dunk, scoring his 21st and 22nd points of the night.
When the team needed a basket to extend the lead, he executed his signature spin-move to perfection, scoring high off the glass over the outstretched arms of Iowa State's Georges Niang.
When the team needed a spark, he dove on the floor after a loose ball, finding a way to get it to Wayne Selden Jr. at the top of the key. Selden made a one-handed bounce pass to Devonte' Graham for a layup, as Kansas went up by three, all because of the play Ellis made.
"He's just a winner. The last play, you can tell because he put it all out there," Traylor said. "It was a defining moment for the game. It just shows how much you want to win when you do stuff like that."
For Ellis, there wasn't a lot of thought that went into the play. He saw a loose ball and made the right play.
"I just wanted to do whatever I could to try to
get over that hump," Ellis said. "I can't even remember [the play] honestly. I was just trying to get the ball."
Down the stretch, it was that type of play from Ellis that won Kansas the game. However, there was one sequence in which that attitude of playing for the moment, as Ellis described it, got him into a bit of trouble. In a tight game in the second half, Ellis picked up a flagrant foul attempting to box out Iowa State's Deonte Burton.
There was nothing malicious about the play, which Ellis said was the first flagrant foul of his career. However, he admitted it was the right call, given what had transpired specifically, contact to the head.
"It was something that was kind of unfortunate. I definitely didn't try to do that," Ellis said. "I was just in the moment, trying to box out. But I boxed out too high and hit him."
The foul became a forgettable single blemish on what was a complete game for Ellis. He finished with 22 points and seven rebounds in 30 minutes, as Kansas won 85-78.
The Jayhawks capped off a perfect season at home for the second consecutive year, pushing their winning streak in Allen Fieldhouse to 40 games,the longest home wining streak in the nation.
Through those 40 games and two more years Ellis couldn't come up with just one memory that stood out. Instead, he got an assist from a teammate, who put it all in perspective.
"You can't even describe it. He's from Kansas. He grew up around here," Graham said. "To be able to play here and make history here and be a record-holder here — it means so much to him."
A storybook ending for Jamari Traylor on Senior Day
SHANE JACKSON
@jacksonshane3
Kansas coach Bill Self had seen enough. He was not happy with the way his team was practicing leading up to the NCAA Tournament in the 2011-12 season. So like many coaches, Self stopped practice and started to lay into his team.
Baxter Schanze/KANSAN Senior forward Jamari Traylor hugs Kansas coach Bill Self before the game against Iowa State on Senior Day. Kansas won the game 85-78.
But rather than scream or holler, Self chose a different tactic.
He pointed at then red-shirt freshman forward Jamari Traylor, who was just a mere body in practice. He told his team to look at what Traylord had been through. Self used Traylor's background story as motivation for his team. Traylor was a living example of what it truly meant to never give up.
Five years later, Self sat on the bench and listened to Traylor's speech. The emotions got the best of him again as Self was seen
Self began to get emotional and tears filled his eyes. It was a moment that Traylor admits changed his life forever.
"From that point I knew I didn't want to play for anybody else," Traylor said, tears running down his face during his Senior Day speech following a Kansas 85-78 win over Iowa State. "When I was going out on that court I was going to do whatever I had to do to make sure we got the win because I wanted to play hard for you because you cared for me."
wiping away tears during Traylor's speech, the first time Self has shown that kind of emotion during a senior's speech in his time at Kansas.
He added: "Being where I'm from, the life I lived, it's different. I hadn't ever seen that from anybody. So I just wanted to say I love you."
"I'm not the most emotional guy. I don't think you have to be buddy-buddy with guys. [I] never have," Self said. "But I do think there is something about believing in kids and having them respond the way they do. I felt that for five years with Jamari. He'll go down as one of my all-time favorites."
Although Self is not known for buddying up with any of his players, the bond these two have is unlike any other between a coach and a player. A large part of that has to do with Traylor's background and how his story is one that is so easy to root for.
The 6-foot-8 forward grew up on the streets of Chicago, where he often stayed in abandoned buildings. With his father in prison, Traylor's meals came from the school. It was a life no one should have to deal with, let alone a young high school boy.
house the last four seasons.
Traylor never quit. Eventually, he came to one of the blue blood programs on a basketball scholarship. A program he has called home for five years now, and a family that has brought him in.
"Seeing the deck that was stacked against him and how he responded. I have nothing but admiration and respect for him," Self said.
His family extends not to just his teammates but to the 16,300 family members who have come to watch him play in Allen Field-
"I just want guys to feel like they can do anything," Traylor said. "Never get too down on yourself, there is always opportunity to get better."
Since Traylor arrived, Kansas has adopted its "never give up" mentality and has had a bond unlike any other teams at the collegiate level. The Jayhawks have won five Big 12 titles in Traylor's time in Lawrence and have made an appearance in the National Championship game.
He displayed that in his final hoorah in Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday. As a senior, Traylor got the start, just his eighth of the season and 27th of his career. To top it off, it was the first time this year his biggest fan came to see him.
Although Trayler has never been the go-to guy on the offensive end or the lockdown defender on the defensive end, his impact has been felt on the floor. He's often described as a hustle guy that fights for rebounds and loose balls.
The four seniors, Evan Manning, Hunter Mickelson, Perry Ellis, and Traylor, along with junior guard Frank Mason III, trotted out for tipoff. The starting five had only two regular starters. Traylor was the next most experienced.
"This was the first game my mom has been to this year, it was just good to have her in the stands," Traylor said.
But the five held their own and led 11-10 through the first five minutes. During that stretch, Traylor was all over the floor making plays as he has done countless times in his
Traylor's afternoon was not done there. He wound up logging 18 minutes, his most since Jan. 30 against Kentucky. He scored eight points on 4-of-6 shooting, recorded three steals and hauled in a pair of rebounds. His eight points tied a season high.
career, which included a rebound that led to a jump shot.
"Mari was the best guy we had guarding Georges there for a stretch," Self said.
Arguably his biggest attribute on Saturday was his ability to defend Iowa State's Georges Niang, a first-team All-Big 12 forward.
It was storybook ending for a guy who has meant more to the program than numbers suggest.
His speech after Saturday's game was the longest of the four seniors,but was easily the one that needed to be heard the most.
"I was about to tear up," sophomore guard Devonte' Graham said. "It was just emotional, looking at where he has come from and what he's been through in his life. I'm just proud of him."
The 16,300 fans in attendance and those watching at home would echo Graham's sentiment as Taylor's words cut deep into all who listened; especially Self.
"His journey, I can't do anything but respect that," Self said. "To know how frustrating he has been to me. To know how many times I've called him in and said 'one more screw up', all those things. To me, he's been so much fun to be around."
This time Self was on the receiving end of the tearjerker, but it was eerily similar to the one he gave just five years ago in a lackluster practice. Then, he was just hoping to find some way to motivate his team.
That team wound up going all the way to the National Championship and lost to Kentucky.
This time around, Kansas hopes to be the one to cut down the nets, a perfect end of a career for a player like Traylor. A player who has already accomplished so much, but strives for more.
"I just want to be remembered as a winner," Traylor said. "This year can define us. I just want to go out on top."
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Edited by Cele Fryer
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