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KANSAN.COM/SPORTS | MONDAY, FEB. 6, 2017
Turnovers doom Kansas in OT loss to Iowa State
Missy Minear/KANSAN
Junior guard Devonte' Graham fumbles the ball in the first half against Iowa State. Kansas lost 92-89.
▶ WESLEY DOTSON
@WesDotsonUDK
W with 11:39 left in regulation of Saturday's 92-
89 overtime loss against Iowa State, No. 3 Kansas had a seven-point lead, and junior guard Devonte' Graham was trying to extend it.
Graham attempted a lob pass to freshman guard Josh Jackson at the rim. Instead of a potential alley-oop finish by Jackson, the pass sailed out of bounds and turned into one of the Jayhawks' season-high 21 turnovers that afternoon.
Iowa State (14-8, 6-4 Big 12) guard Monte Morris then drained a three-point shot on the team's next possession to cut the Kansas lead to four.
After the play, Kansas (20-3, 8-2 Big 12) coach Bill Self was visibly upset and called a timeout. He said Graham's turnover was one that stuck out more than others.
"We throw it almost over the backboard and
they make a three on the other end, that's a five-point swing right there," Self said.
Despite taking a 52-38 lead into halftime, Kansas had trouble controlling the
ball for much of the game. The team had nine of its 21 turnovers in the first half.
Self said he warned his team about Iowa State coming out and playing loose. The Cyclones have
lost close games to three top-25 teams in Gonzaga, Baylor and West Virginia.
"They played with house money today," Self said. I'm sure [Iowa State coach] Steve Prohm would say the
The Cyclones erased a 14-point deficit in the second half and forced 12 turnovers.
same thing. They played with a free mind."
When asked if fatigue
was a factor down the stretch, Kansas senior center Landen Lucas said it was more of a mental fatigue than physical.
"If anything, you can get a little mentally fatigued throughout the season," Lucas said. "Especially in the Big 12, but we've just got to make sure we don't let that happen and not let one game become two."
Self echoed Lucas' comments.
"I thought we looked a little fatigued in the second half," Self said. "But that's more mental than physical."
Kansas has played its last three games in a span of 10 days, and will travel to Manhattan to play instate rival Kansas State on Monday, Feb. 6 at 8 p.m.
"When you're playing six guys, I think short turnarounds are hard," Self said. "I can't say that it's good [to play again on Tuesday], but I'm not going to say it's bad either. We'll see how we react, which I'm sure will be a good atmosphere."
Caelynn Manning-Allen keeps Kansas close in loss to TCU
Miranda Clark-Ulrich/KANSAN
▶ SEAN COLLINS
@seanzie_UDK
Miranda Clark-Urlich/KANSAN Senior forward Caelynn Manning-Alles make a move in the post against TCU on Feb. 5. The Jayhawks fell to the moved Frogs 80-68.
Playing from behind has been an uncomfortable and common occurrence for the Jayhawks at halftime for most of their games this season.
On Sunday, the Jayhawks found themselves down early after an 8-2 run to start the game. Mental errors hurt coach Brandon Schneider's team, but a strong game from senior forward Caelynn ManningAllen kept the Jayhawks in the game until the fourth quarter in their 80-68 loss to TCU.
"I felt like to start the game off we were a lot more locked in than we were down the stretch which bit us in the butt in the long run," Manning-Allen said. "[The tide of the game changed] especially in the third when we kept sending them to the free-throw line."
Manning-Allen brought defensive intensity to the floor, and this led to easier buckets and extra possessions. In the first half alone, the Jayhawks forced 13 turnovers.
Mental mistakes plagued the Jayhawks, especially late in the game. While the defense was tight in the first half, the Jayhawks couldn't buy a rebound.
"I was very disappointed with how we competed on the glass," Schneider said. "I thought Caelynn offensively provided a bright spot for us."
Manning-Allen hasn't been a huge part of the offense this season, but she benefited from the drive-and-kick ball movement offense Schneider ran. Scoring 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting, Manning-Allen had one of the most impactful games of her career.
The deficit was a manageable one all game. Going into the final quarter, the Jayhawks were only down six. Having one of their most efficient shooting games of the season at 45 percent, the game was far from over.
I was very disappointed with how we competed on the glass, I thought Caelynn offensively provided a bright spot for us."
Brandon Schneider Womens basketball coach
Or at least it should have been.
Schneider was disappointed in how many free throw attempts the Horned Frogs received. Scoring 21 points from the
free-throw line, Kansas allowed TCU to control the game where defense can't be played.
"We didn't play with the kind of urgency to get back and let our defense set," Schneider said. "Then they were coming downhill on us."
"We didn't play nearly as assignment correct as what we have," Schneider said. "We made a lot of mental errors and you can't do that in a Big 12 game."
Transition defense got sloppy for the Jayhawks in the final quarter, and this led to a couple of easy transition buckets.
It was the mental mistakes that put away the Jayhawks more so than TCU taking control of the game. It will take another complete game to repeat a conference victory such as the Texas Tech game.
Edited by Frank Weirich
Andrew Rosenthal/KANSAN Redshirt-freshman quarterback Carter Stanley drops back to pass in the second half against Texas on Nov. 19, 2016.The Jayhawks beat the Longhorns 24-21 in overtime.
Andrew Rosenthal/KANSAN
Dzwierzynski: A new era for KU
It's been eight seasons since Kansas' last bowl appearance. In that time, the Jayhawks are 19-77 and finished in last place in the Big 12 every year except for 2014. Kansas finished second-to-last that year. The program's poor performance is well-known nationwide at this point.
▶ BRENDAN
DZWIERZYNSKI
@BrendanDzw
This particularly miserable era of Jayhawks football is waning, however. On the heels of a strong National Signing Day and the best single day of commitments in program history, Kansas is turning the tide.
Whatever shortcomings coach David Beaty may have in terms of in-game coaching is made up for by his great recruiting. Considered one of the best recruiters in the SEC during his time at Texas A&M, Beaty's reputation sticks to this day, and it's the main reason why Kansas' future looks so bright. Pulling in 27 commitments on National Signing Day signals a huge influx of talent for the program.
While the Kansas coaching staff pulled in a good amount of talent for the 2017 recruiting class, their 2018 class is currently in a league of it its own. Three four-star and three three-star recruits
As of Feb. 5, Kansas' 2018 class ranks above Alabama's. That's not an alternative fact, that's the honest truth.
committed to Kansas on Feb. 4, the best recruiting day in program history. For reference, Kansas signed three 247Sports four-star recruits total from 2002-2016 (2002 is the first year star-rating data is available).
A huge reason for the major recruiting success is running backs coach Tony Hull, whose prowess in Louisiana is creating one of the strangest but most impactful recruiting pipelines in the country, simultaneously making him one of the best recruiters in the nation. The start of this effective-yet-odd pipeline was freshman safety Mike Lee's commitment in 2016. Lee's debut season with the Jayhawks was nothing short of fantastic, earning Big 12 All-Freshman team honors while establishing a presence as an athletic big hitter prowling in the defensive backfield.
You also can't ignore the building blocks already in place on the roster.
If the 2018 crop of prospects play as well in their first season as Lee did in his, Kansas will have one of the best talent pools in the Big 12 in short order.
The defensive line is in a great position going forward, with sophomore defensive
linemen Daniel Wise and Dorance Armstrong Jr. (an All-Big 12 first-team honoree in 2016) returning next year.
Offensively, the pieces are in place to make incoming offensive coordinator Doug Meacham's offense run efficiently and effectively. With two cornerstone receivers in junior LaQuvionte Gonzalez and sophomore Steven Sims Jr. helping out redshirt-freshman quarterback Carter Stanley, the offense is in good hands going forward.
With all these blissful developments for the Jayhawks in mind, it's important to remember nothing ever works out exactly as you hope when it comes to college sports. As incredible as the 2018 recruiting class is right now, it seems unlikely that all six will go wire to wire with their commitments. After all, it's a long time until next year's signing day.
While this is a valid concern, the program is already in better shape than it's been in years.
To even be considered strongly by four-star recruits is a huge boon for Kansas going forward. We'll never forget that Kansas topped Texas in 2016, nor will the internet, but the time is coming when meme-worthy wins will be less commonplace for the Jayhawks, with and wins with postseason implications will take their place.
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