Volume 125 Issue 81
Thursday, February 28, 2013
kansan.com
COMMENTARY
Kansas seniors silence critics
Time after time this year, Bill Self has relied on his star freshman to carry the Jayhawks to a victory. But when Ben McLemore appeared to take a more passive role on Monday night, four senior players stepped up.
TOO STRONG
Edited by Megan Hinman
What makes Self's program a joy to follow is that, while a one-and-done comes along once in a while, fans get the privilege of watching players develop over the course of four (sometimes five) years.
Now, they are the backbone of a program seeking its ninth straight Big 12 title.
Combined in their first years at Kansas, these four seniors averaged 10.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Years later as seniors, they countered Hilton Magic with a combination of 84 points, 27 rebounds, and a myriad of heart and hustle.
In a close game against Iowa State, each senior provided invaluable leadership and impressive statistics. Elijah Johnson obviously had the most impressive game with 39 points and a litany of clutch shots. But Jeff Withey, Kevin Young, and Travis Releford also all made key contributions without which victory would have been improbable.
Elijah Johnson was rumored to be looking to transfer after his sophomore year. Even this year, people continually questioned his ability to lead a team. Even Self publically stated the lajhawks had no point guard. This kind of incisive criticism is enough to make a lesser man never want to get off the bench. Nevertheless, Johnson faced the critics and responded with an exceptional performance when the lights were brightest.
Kansas fans have rarely doubted McLemore. These same fans, however, have doubted all four seniors at many points during their storied Kansas careers. Each player has managed to overcome the odds and silence the critics in their own idiosyncratic way.
Jeff Withey came in as a transfer from Arizona. When he first stepped onto a Kansas court, he looked as out of place as Zach Galifianakis at a spelling bee. As a sophomore, Withey averaged 2.3 points per game. He averaged a foul every six minutes. Now, Withey averages 13.5 points per game and a foul every seventeen minutes.
Johnson's counterpart in the backcourt, Travis Releford, averaged less than three points per game his freshman year. Like Withey, he fouled too often and had trouble sticking with quicker defenders. Now, Releford is one of the top perimeter defenders in the Big 12 and has an increasingly reliable jump shot.
Kevin Young was simply expected to keep the seat warm for Perry Ellis this year, as he was a relatively fringe contributor last year. Fans questioned whether Kansas could be a threat with the Loyola Marymount transfer in the starting lineup. Instead, Young has been the Mento to Kansas' Diet Coke. When things seem a little flat, Young completes a hustle play or takes a charge and reinvigorates his teammates.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
Senior guard Elijah Johnson is welcomed back to the bench by his teammates senior center Jeff Withey and freshman guard Ben McLemore during a 74-48 victory over Texas Christian University on Saturday, Feb.23 in Allen Fieldhouse. Johnson played for 29 minutes.
FINALLY FOCUSED
Johnson is mentally prepared for the final stretch of the season
GEOFFREY CALVERT
gcalvert@kansan.com
One of the most iconic pieces of music associated with Kansas basketball is the theme music for the film "Requiem for a Dream," which plays during Kansas basketball's pregame video.
Senior point guard Elijah Johnson heard a different sort of music Monday night against Iowa State at Hilton Coliseum. He heard a chorus of boos from the Iowa State fans, a prolonged symphony from an orchestra disgusted by Johnson's 39-point performance that helped Kansas steal
another win from the Cyclones this season.
In the final three minutes of regulation and five minutes of overtime, Johnson scored 23 of Kansas' final 31 points.
For earning a beautiful string of boos Monday night, Johnson probably will find some of his highlights from Monday night in the pregame video for Kansas' next home game. Saturday at 1 p.m., against West Virginia.
"That'll go down as one of the better games that any guard's ever played at Kansas," coach Bill Self said.
"I felt like I haven't shot the ball
as good as I can shoot, period." Johnson said. "It felt good to see it going in."
Johnson also said he believes two men helped get him right physically and mentally, so that he would be able to put himself in a position to see the ball going in the basket.
The first guy isn't surprising. It's Self, who had what both coach and player called a "locker room kind of conversation" early in Monday night's game when Self didn't like how Johnson responded to some early plays. Johnson said the conversation began because he wanted to move on from the plays, but
Self wanted to discuss them.
"I felt like that kind of sent some fire through my body," Johnson said. "My teammates saw me responding and it felt good for Trav and jeff to walk up to me and tell me no matter what, they riding with me and they playing with me whether I'm playing as bad as I can or if I'm playing like I played tonight."
The second person that helped straighten Johnson out is Bill Cowgill, Kansas' trainer. Johnson, who had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in April 2012, spends time with Cowgill every day.
But Johnson said he appreciates
Cowgill not because of the physical work he did for Johnson's knee, but the work he did for Johnson's mental state.
"He's been treating me and getting me right, making me feel better, giving me confidence and letting me know that 'you had an injury; you don't have one now'" Johnson said. "He's been doing it ever since I've had my surgery. I think right now it's paying off because most people cater to you and baby you through that, and right now, he's just telling me, 'man up. You don't have too many games left."
Edited by Kyle Crane
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
No magic in the Hilton for the Jayhawks
NATE FORDYCE
nfordyce@kansan.com
The Kansas Jayhawks came into the game Wednesday desperately needing to get grab a tough road victory in Ames, Iowa.
But even with a near triple-double from senior guard Angel Goodrich and a fourth straight game of 15 or more points for senior guard Monica Engelman and tying a season-high in 3-point buckets, it wasn't enough to overcome the No. 23 Iowa State Cyclones as they fell 83-68.
"We were good in stretches, but the bad stretches lasted too long," Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson said. "Both (Angel and Monica)
The Goodrich-Engelman duo combined for 41 points on 15-of-34 shooting. Goodrich led the way with 22 and also added nine assists and seven rebounds.
played confidently, but we just didn't have enough around them tonight."
There were issues on both sides of the court for the Jayhawks, as they couldn't hit open shots in various stretches, and they couldn't slow down the powerful offensive attack by the Cyclones.
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Only three Jayhawks were able to get 10 or more shots up, and only Goodrich and Engelman managed to score in double-figures.
Goodrich went 7-of-19
for 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds to lead the way. Alongside her, Engelman put together a 20-point night but neither one's effort was enough.
Throughout the season, the Jayhawks have had trouble slowing teams down right out of the gate. But that wasn't the case for the Jayhawks as they started out 8-of-10 from the field.
"We really shot it and had good rhythm, and I thought we were a lot better, but we had too many stretches with not much (offense) inside and defensive lapses," Henrickson said.
But as hot as the offense was for the Jayhawks, it was equally as hot for the home team. The
Cyclones came out firing but continued to stay hot throughout most of the game as they ended up shooting over 48 percent from the field.
Coming into the game, Christofferson had been averaging nearly 16 points per game and shooting 55 percent from the field. Christofferson was able to exploit the open areas of the floor and contribute two for 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting.
Kansas senior forward Carolyn Davis said before practice on Monday that the key was to cut off the head of the monster of the Cyclones. That head, in her opinion, started with junior forward Hallie Christofferson.
Davis had her own problems throughout the game. Coming into the game, she was averaging 15.8 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. But the Cyclones held Davis to a season low of two points and no rebounds.
Unlike the duo of Engelman and Goodrich. Christofferson had a lot of help surrounding her on a more consistent basis. Four Cyclones scored in double-figures with senior forward Chelsea Poppens leading the way with 22 points.
—Edited by Hayley Jozwiak