Monday, February 11, 2013
Volume 125 Issue 70
kansan.com
KANSAS 66, OKLAHOMA 72
NO MORE 'EASY' GAMES
Jayhawks' loss to Sooners sets them back heading into Sunflower Showdown
Senior guard Elijah Johnson passes the ball to a teammate before stepping out of bounds during Saturday's game against Oklahoma at Lloyd Nobel Center in Norman, Okla., where Kansas was defeated 72-66. Johnson had three turnovers.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
BLAKE SCHUSTER bschuster@kansan.com
Kansas' schedule didn't have to be this exhausting.
In theory, playing at TCU last Wednesday should have been a tune-up for a tough three-day stretch. Losses at home against Oklahoma State, on the road to the Horned Frogs and a third straight at Oklahoma changed that notion and has shaken the perception of an "easy game" — which is to say there are none in the Big 12 this year.
Instead a mentally and physically fatigued group of Jayhawks will take the floor against a similarly worn down Kansas State team Monday night in Allen Fieldhouse, likely to the displeasure of both teams, but especially for Kansas coach Bill Self.
"I wish we had a couple of days to prepare," Self said. "But they probably wish they had a couple days to prepare also."
The difference is that Kansas State comes to Lawrence after defeating Iowa State 79-70, and in control of its own destiny with a one game lead in the conference race.
Whatever energetic advantage that provides KSU, Self is hoping the crowd at Allen Fieldhouse will match it for the Jayhawks. Needless to say, they could surely use it.
"I think the crowd will do a great job of getting us jacked up," Self said. "Playing a rival always helps. I think we'll play with great energy Monday."
In reality, the Jayhawks don't have any other choice.
A loss to K-State would set Kansas two games back in the quest for a ninth straight Big 12 title, and as much as Self doesn't want to focus on the big picture right now, it's hard to escape the standard he's built for himself.
Consider Self a slave to his own success.
"We've been behind a game in the league race going into the last seven or eight games of the season before," Self said. "If they were to defeat us they'd put us really behind the eight ball."
Meaning Monday's affair is as close to a must-win as the Jayhawks will face before the NCAA tournament. It also means whatever problems are plaguing the Jayhawks need to be corrected in the little time before tipoff.
But if you forget the outings at TCU and against Oklahoma State, the loss to the Sooners isn't as troubling as the two previous defeats.
Kansas shot 46 percent from the field against Oklahoma, Elijah Johnson had three turnovers on four assists and Ben McLemore still got his 15 points. The biggest concern was the Jayhawks perimeter defense, which was essentially non-existent in Norman.
"I think we could defend better," Self admitted. "I would think we need to keep doing things that we've been taught to do and execute what we've been taught to do. I still don't think we're a very good loose ball team."
One thing on which Self doesn't blames the losses is poor shooting, although he does believe the Jayhawks have a better chance of getting buckets with Naadir Tharpe on the floor.
"Anything can happen," Self said.
"But we're going to have to play our best ball by far of the conference season to have a chance to win it."
Whether it's going with a smaller lineup, switching from man-to-man coverage or doing a better job working the ball inside, the window to solve Kansas' crisis is rapidly closing. It may very well be gone by Tuesday morning.
Edited by Brian Sisk
TRACK & FIELD
Kansas succeeds in Ark., Wash., and Iowa
CALVIN WHITNEY
cwhitney@kansan.com
The layhawks men's and women's track and field teams traveled to three different meets this weekend.
They were successful in traveling to the Tyson Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark, the Husky Classic in Seattle, Wash, and the Iowa State Classic in Ames, Iowa.
It started Friday when junior vaulter Natalia Bartnovskaya destroyed her own school record by 5 inches at the Tyson Invitational. This is her fifth consecutive pole vault win and she has the No. 2 pole vault mark in the nation. Bartnovskaya had a clearance of 4.43 meters (14-6.25 feet).
Senior Sarah Hedberg who was joined with sophomore Jamie House and junior Abby Row in the college division pole vault. Row grabbed a new career best height of 3.70 meters (12-1.5 feet). Hedberg reached over 3.95 meter (12-11.5 feet) to win the event. This is Hedberg's best indoor mark and is her first overall victory as a Jiahawk.
Senior Kyle Clemons ran his first 400 meters of the year and ran his fastest race in nearly two
seasons. Clemons finished his two lap race in 46.85 to win his heat by almost one second, and also win the overall victory. Michael Stigler also ran the race with a time of 48.19 and finishing 14th overall.
Saturday in Fayetteville, Arkansas, senior Andrea Geubelle made it to the top 10 all-time NCAA triple jump performance list. She also claimed a new school record, breaking the old record by 10 inches. This is a week after setting a school record for the long jump in New York at the Armory Collegiate Invite. She has the No. 1 mark in the nation for the long jump, as a result. Her 13.91 meter (45-8 feet) jump on Saturday gave her the 11th farthest jump in the world in 2013.
The Kansas men's and women's 4x400 meter relay teams finished the weekend in Fayetteville with some success. The men's team, made of Michael Stigler, Mike Hester, Kyle Clemons and Kenneth McCuin were running together for the first time since the Big 12 Championship last May. Stigler, Hester and Clemons, who ran a 46.14 split, put the Jayhawks in great position for McCuin to anchor the team to the finish line
In Ames, Iowa, February 7th through 9th, several Jayhawks earned season best performances. On Friday, junior Alex Hermes recorded a career best in two events, the 60 meter dash and the 200 meter dash. In the 60 meter, he finished in 7.15, 34th among the competition. In the 200 meter dash, his time was 22.46 for 26th place. This is .3 seconds faster than his last career best.
in 3:09.98. This is the 11th fastest NCAA time in the 4x400 relay this year. The women's of 4x400 relay team, which is made of Diamond Dixon, Denesha Morris, Taylor Washington and Rhavean King finished with a time of 3:40.97.
Freshman Nick Ucherek and junior Teddy Oteba finished their 600 yard race neck and neck on Friday, Ucherek finishing right before Oteba. Ucherek beat his previous career best with a time of 1:13.84 and finishing 3rd place. Oteba finished 4th place with a time of 1:13.85. On Saturday, junior Dominique Manley ran a season best time of 1:12.98 in the 600 yard race. Manley finished 10th overall. As for the women 600 yard runners, junior Timmie Morris had a season best of 1:27.40.
In Seattle, Washington this past Friday and Saturday, Kansas had three athletes competing in the Husky Classic. Junior Josh Munsch finished with a career best. He finished fifth overall and completed the mile in 4:03.18. This ranks Munsch ninth in the Big 12 this season and it's also the second time in a week that Munsch has set a career-best. Sophomore Reid Buchanan finished his heat in 4:10.76, improving his last personal best by two seconds. To finish out the Friday evening, sophomore Evan Landes competed in the 5,000 meter for the first time in his collegiate career. He finished with 14:22.41 and grabbed the 24th spot. This is the third fastest time by a Big 12 athlete this season.
The Kansas men and women now have two weeks to prepare for the Big 12 Indoor Championship in Ames, Iowa, Feburary 22nd through the 23rd. The women finished 3rd place in last year's league meet while the men finished 10th place.
— Edited by Julie Etzler
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Junior Andrea Geubelle sprints down the lane before her final jump in the in the triple jump during last year's Jayhawk Classic at Anschutz Pavilion. Geubelle broke her previous record with her jump moving her into ninth place top-10 of the all-time NCAA list in triple jump, at 13.91 meters at the Tyson Invite in Fayetteville, Ark. this weekend.