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VANSAN.COM/SPORTS | MONDAY, MARCH 6, 2017
Kansas basketball cleans house in Big 12 awards
@brianminimum
Senior guard Frank Mason III motions to the crowd during the first half against TCU on Feb. 22. Kansas won, 87-68. Mason was awarded with the Player of the Year award by the Big 12 coaches. Missy Minear/KANSAN
he same day senior guard Frank Mason III won Big 12 Player of the Week, he was named Big 12 Player of the Year.
He wasn't the only Jayhawk to go home with an award on Sunday. Coach Bill Self won his fifth Big 12 Coach of the Year award and freshman guard Josh Jackson won Big 12 Freshman of the Year, as well as being unanimously named to the Big 12 All-Newcomer team.
This was the second time in Big 12 history that one school has won Player, Freshman and Coach of the Year in the same season, according to the Big 12's Twitter account.
honorable mention.
In addition, Mason and Jackson were named All-Big 12 first-team. Mason was a unanimous selection to the first-team squad. Junior guard Devonte' Graham was named All-Big 12 second-team. Senior center Landen Lucas took home an
The Big 12 Conference announced the winners of its yearly awards on Sunday via Twitter, with Mason headlinning with the Player of the Year accolade.
Mason averaged 20.5 points,4.2 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game this year. He also played over 36 minutes per game.
His points per game three-point percentage and minutes played all lead the league.
Last year's Big 12 Player of the Year went to Oklahoma's Buddy Hield, and the last Kansas player to win this award was forward Thomas Robinson in 2012.
Last week, Mason and Jackson were also named semifinalists for the Naismith Player of the Year award.
Jackson's numbers jump out across the league as well.
The freshman is seventh in the league in scoring, averaging 16.4 points per game, and sixth in rebounding, averaging 7.2 rebounds
per game. He's also shooting 51.1 percent from the floor, good for seventh in the conference.
Kansas gets its postseason play underway on Thursday, March 9 at 1:30 p.m. Kansas will play the
winner of the TCU vs. Oklahoma game. That game tips off at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, March 8. All games are
played at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Missouri.
Edited by Lara Korte
Miranda Anaya/KANSAN
Miranda Anaya/KANSAN Sophomore outfielder Devin Foyle swings at a pitch. Kansas defeated Northwestern State 8-2 on March 3.
Price reaches KU wins record
▶ WESLEY DOTSON
@WesDotsonUDK
After a strikeout by Kansas senior closer Stephen Villines to end Saturday's game, Kansas coach Ritch Price was overcome with emotion. He hugged his assistant coaches, fought back tears and garnished a smile.
An 11-7 victory over Northwestern State at Hoglund Ballpark secured Price's status as the distinguished Kansas baseball leader in wins.
When Price made his way to the field to join his players, a video played on the videoboard featuring former players congratulating who many Kansas baseball players call "Skip."
Price now sits alone atop the all-time wins list in Kansas baseball history
A Gatorade shower fell over Price when it ended.
With the victory, Price now has 439 career wins at Kansas, surpassing former Kansas coach Floyd Temple (438).
Price said passing Temple, who he considered to be a friend, was a special feeling. Temple passed away in 2012, and Price named 2016's Kansas baseball alumni game after him.
"It's pretty humbling, there's no doubt about that," Price said after the
game. "I'd just like to first off congratulate Floyd Temple on an unbelievable career. Him and I had a great relationship. Nobody knows how hard this job is more than I do. The best sport played in the Big 12 Conference is baseball, and to be here long enough to accomplish that ... it's a pretty special day."
"I just want to thank the players that have played for me and the assistant coaches who have been with me. It's been truly an honor to be the head coach here."
Missy Minear/KANSAN Senior center Landen Lucas dunks the ball in the second half against Kentucky on Jan. 28. Lucas had 13 points and five rebounds in Kansas' 79-73 victory in Rupp Arena.
Ritch Price Kansas coach
has been truly an honor to be the head coach here."
t's been truly
A rough outing by junior left-handed starter Jeider Rincon actually put the Jayhawks in an early hole.
But it almost didn't happen Saturday.
Kansas trailed 5-4 before heading into the sixth inning, which was an offensive outburst for the Jayhawks.
Rincon allowed three hits, four earned runs and walked two batters in 1.1 innings of work.
The team scored seven runs in the bottom frame.
including a bases-clearing double from redshirt-senior first baseman Marcus Wheeler, an RBI double from sophomore outfielder Devin Foyle and a game-deciding three-run home run from sophomore outfielder Rudy Karre.
"Those three guys are pretty darn good hitting in the middle of the lineup," Price said.
Karre's homer helped preserve the lead the rest of the way for the Jayhawks.
"He has tremendous bat speed, he's a tremendous offensive player," Price said. "It was really good to see him perform because obviously he makes our offense so much better when he's going good."
Karre said the thought of producing an effective outing for Price to secure his record-setting win wasn't necessarily in his mind during the afternoon, but that the moment was still special.
“It’s pretty special knowing it’s his special day and I got to do that, but skip's an amazing guy,” Karre said. “He deserves every moment, and he's a legend, that's all you can say about [him].”
Dzwierzynski: Lucas awards snub shows underappreciation
In 15 seasons at Kansas, Price now has a record of 439-408-3.
It's hard imagining anyone was surprised that Kansas brought home a hefty number of end-of-the-year Big 12 honors on Sunday. For all the accolades Kansas received, however, senior center Landen Lucas only being named an All-Big 12 honorable mention is arguably the biggest snub.
Senior guard Frank Mason III winning Big 12 Player of the Year was no contest. Freshman guard Josh Jackson winning Big 12 Freshman of the Year was an easy choice. Those two being named first-team All-Big 12 was almost a given. While you can make an argument for Oklahoma State coach Brad Underwood, Kansas coach Bill Self winning Big 12 Coach of the Year was a good choice.
▶ BRENDAN DZWIERZYNSKI
@BrendanDzw
All of these selections seem to be obvious, or at least easy, choices. But, it feels somewhat absurd that the conference's second-leading rebound couldn't even crack the All-Big 12 third team.
Maybe it wasn't enough that Lucas was one of two Big 12 players to average 10 or more rebounds in conference games this season. Maybe it wasn't enough
that Lucas dominated while effectively being the only regular big man for Kansas during Big 12 play. Maybe it wasn't enough that the conference's best coach heaped praise on his fifth-year center this season.
You can use whichever excuse you like, but the fact of the matter is that Lucas was snubbed.
Kansas would not be the best team in the country this season without Lucas' performance."
Sure, he wasn't the best big man in the Big 12 this season. That honor deservedly belongs to Baylor's Johnathan Motley, who was named first-team AllBig 12 on Sunday. Even so, Kansas would not be the best team in the country this season without Lucas' performance.
After freshman center Udoka Azubuike went down with an injury early in the season, Lucas became the go-to guy down low for the guard-heavy Jayhawks. It's just like how he became the rock underneath for last year's team alongside Perry Ellis. With inconsistent play
from sophomore forward Carlton Bragg Jr. all season, and minimal playing time for junior forward Dwight Coleby and freshman forward Mitch Lightfoot, the task of controlling the paint fell on Lucas' shoulders, and he has thrived in that role all season.
On Senior Night, Selt lauded Lucas' toughness and intelligence, while also making note of the big man's importance when he said, "I wouldn't have thought when we recruited him, to think, 'Oh my God, if Landen gets two fouls in the first half, what are we going to do?' Because he's become that important to us."
Apparently, Self's praise isn't enough for Lucas to make any of the three All-Big 12 teams, or the All-Big 12 Defensive Team.
Mason is a frontrunner for National Player of the Year awards, Jackson is arguably the best freshman in the country and Self is still one of the best coaches in the nation. But, without Lucas, Kansas is not the No. 1 team in the country like it stands today.
One day, Lucas' impact for the Jayhawks will be appreciated by everyone. It's unfortunate that today isn't that day.