Volume 125 Issue 67
kansan.com
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
COMMENTARY Kansas' turnovers contribute to loss
In checking the most recent Associated Press top 25 poll, you'll find Kansas sliding to fifth. Losing to Oklahoma State on your home court is obviously a bad look to the pollsters, especially when it's the first win the Cowboys have had on the road this season.
Turnovers are the story of this eight-game stretch of putrid offense. Since the start of conference play, the Jayhawks are averaging 13.75 turnovers per contest. Compare to their opponents' 12 turnovers per game in that stretch, and the Jayhawks have a problem.
This weekend's performance should come as no surprise to those surrounding the Kansas program. The Jayhawks' play Saturday mirrored that of the rest of the conference season.
In a perfect world, that margin would be positive. But the sports world isn't perfect. Even senior point guards dribble the ball off their feet in clutch possessions.
Sure, 1.75 turnovers per game isn't a huge margin, but the number is much more telling than its surface value for a Bill Self squad predicated on creating turnovers and taking advantage of the easy offense those turnovers produce.
Unfortunately for Kansas, this imperfection has been quite prevalent among members of the Jayhawk backcourt. Kansas guards have committed 76 of the Jayhawks' 110 turnovers in conference play.
Elijah Johnson drew the anger of Kansas fans after dribbling the ball off of his foot in the Jayhawks' last offensive possession of Saturday's 85-80 loss to Oklahoma State. For Elijah, the moment encapsulated his recent play.
Including the bank shot victory against Iowa State, Johnson has committed 31 turnovers, the most of any Kansas guard. That's 3.88 turnovers per game and .12 turnovers per minute.
To understand the meaning of these numbers, compare them to the remaining members of the Kansas backcourt.
Turnovers aren't the sole cause of the Jayhawks' sluggish offense. But for the Jayhawks, it's time to clean up the act in the backcourt.
Releford has committed 12 turnovers in the conference season. In 36.5 minutes per game Releford is committing 1.5 turnovers per game and .04 turnovers per minute.
Ben McLemore has committed 21 turnovers in conference play. In an average of 33 minutes per contest, McLemore is turning over 2.63 turnovers per game and .08 turnovers per minute. McLemore isn't typically bringing the ball down the floor, but he does spend significant time with the ball.
Johnson's backup point guard, Naadir Tharpe, has committed 12 turnovers in conference play. That's 1.5 turnovers per game and .08 turnovers per minute. Granted, the sophomore isn't playing as many minutes as Johnson, Releford and McLemore, but he is taking care of the ball relatively well according to the per-minute stats. Travis Releford is the backcourt's best ball handler by the numbers.
Edited by Madison Schultz
Jayhawks look to improve after first home-court defeat in two years
COWBOY UP
LEARNING FROM LOSS
Saturday's loss to Oklahoma State was a disappointment — but not a shock — for many Jayhawk fans, even though it was only Kansas' eighth loss at Allen Fieldhouse under coach Bill Self.
GEOFFREY CALVERT
ecalvert@kansan.com
Self and senior forward Kevin
Young
the Jayhawks were living "on borrowed time" leading up to the game. Similarly, freshman guard Andrew White III said he didn't know
when the jayhawks would lose, but he felt a loss coming.
"Just performance-wise, we had been walking on that fine line of winning and losing for a long time, so as a team, we feel we were overdue for a loss based off how we've been playing." White said.
A chance to be ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press poll following Michigan's loss to Indiana vanished as the sun set on Allen Fieldhouse Saturday evening, as did the opportunity to open up a two-game lead on Kansas State in the Big 12
standings.
But senior center Jeff Withey isn't focused on the opportunities the Jayhawks missed by losing on Saturday.
"We can spin it into a positive just like we have in the past with losses," Withey said. "We thought that we were a lot better than what we were, obviously."
Seniors Travis Releford and Elijah Johnson scramble for the ball during last Saturday's game against Oklahoma State at Allen Fieldhouse, where the Jayhawks were defeated 85-80. This was the first time in 16 games that Releford didn't score double figures.
EMILY WITTLER/KANSAN
The last time the layhawks lost at the Fieldhouse was against Texas on Jan. 22, 2011, the day after thensophomore forward Thomas Robinson's mother died. Following that loss, Kansas won its next six games and 17 of its final 19 games.
Recent history suggests Kansas will learn from the loss as Withey suggested.
Oral Roberts University upset the Jayhawks in Lawrence in the second game of the season. Kansas won 15 of its next 16 games before falling to Texas Tech in Lubbock, Texas. Two weeks later, Texas A&M knocked off Kansas in the Fieldhouse. But then, the Jayhawks strung 14 consecutive wins together before falling to UCLA in the Elite Eight.
As Self noted, that year's team featured players like Julian Wright, Brandon Rush, Mario Chalmers, Sherron Collins, Russell Robinson and Darrrell Arthur. Although this year's team isn't devoid of talent, Self said the team must play to its potential to be successful.
"We have less margin of error for this team than any team I've had since I've been here." Self said. "I think as much as anything it's a mental approach as it is anything else."
The only glitches were a Valentine's Day loss at Kansas State and the Elite Eight disappointment against Virginia Commonwealth.
However, Self said there is a difference between that team and this year's team, and it's something that the Jayhawks can accommodate for, but can't completely fix.
Before the 2011 Texas loss, the previous Fieldhouse defeat was Feb. 3, 2007 against Texas A&M. Kansas actually had to respond to a home loss twice that season, and the results were promising both times.
"I've said all along we're never going to be a physically tough team," Self said. "We can be a mentally tough team and play more physical. When you're 180 at the 4 and 220 at the 5, that's not exactly a
lot of beef. That ain't Thomas or the twins out there"
Edited by Taylor Lewis
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Home defeat humbles 'Hawks
BLAKE SCHUSTER
bschuster@kansan.com
Kansas coach Bill Self is not a man who likes to lose. Since arriving in Lawrence, it has only happened on 54 occasions, more than enough for him to become familiar with the sour taste.
With that in mind, the man nearing 500 victories knew
"I think for our team and our mindset, it was good for us to lose at home." Self said on Monday. "If I was going to pick to lose on the road or at home, I would pick home. It's more of a humbling experience."
Considering the Allen Field-house crowd hit 109 decibels at tipoff and went silent three hours later, there's no question a loss in Lawrence is quite the shock to the system. And since there have only been two losses in the last 103 games at home, it's not surprising to see an occasional lackadaisical effort bolstered by zero sense of urgency.
these Jayhawks were due to get knocked around, and if Kansas was going down, he preferred it to be in front of the very people they represent.
Perhaps the notion of invincibility gave Johnson the confidence to attempt an ill-advised joke resulting in a turnover on the final possession of the game.
"We thought we couldn't be touched here," senior guard Elijah Johnson said. "We thought at the end of the game, no matter what, we'd have more points. Oklahoma State showed us different."
Or maybe it was freshman guard Ben McLemore's miracle bank shot a few weeks back against Iowa State that made Johnson believe he could
To be fair, Self pointed out Johnson's numbers aren't far off from where they were last year when he averaged more playing time. The problem, Self says, is that Johnson is focusing too much on being a shooter instead of a player — he went 3-12 from the field in Saturday's loss.
"I'm not pleased with how he's played," Self said. "He's not pleased with how he's played. He hasn't played as good as he's capable of playing. But I think in our situation, we should judge our point guard more by their record than their stats."
play hero.
"I definitely needed one yesterday, and coach gave me it to me," Johnson said of his pep talk with Self. "I didn't realize it until I went home that's what I got. I'm just trying to grow up right now."
Either way, the loss gave way to a much-needed conversation between Self and Johnson.
The result of the chat?
Johnson's role as the starter wasn't in danger, and there was only one stat Self looked at to reach that conclusion: wins and losses.
Johnson's agrees and knows he'll pull himself out of his slump. He also knows how to do it.
Nineteen against two says Johnson is the starter for the foreseeable future.
"I don't think I'm doing a good job in practice," Johnson said. "I'm kind of pacing myself, and it's coming back to haunt me. I blame that loss on me 100 percent."
Just don't worry about the pace of those practices staying the same. When Self was asked if he would emphasize toughness going forward, he flashed a devilish smile and acknowledged it was a word he planned on using.
After all, this is a man who does not like to lose.
Edited by Taylor Lewis
GEORGE MULLINIX/KANSAN
Captain and senior outfielder Maggie Hull speaks with reporters on Friday afternoon about Kansas Softball's upcoming season.
SOFTBALL
Team mixes old, new
JOE DAUGHERTY
jdaugherty@kansan.com
The Jayhawks have recorded back-to-back 30 victory seasons and spent the majority of last season in the top 50 in RPI. The Jayhawks also had victories against two nationally ranked teams: Texas Tech and Baylor. They made school history by having a 20-game winning streak.
The KU softball team is looking to use senior leadership and a talented freshman class to make it to the NCAA tournament.
The Jayhawks have seven players on the 2013 roster that started 30 or more games last season, including three that started all 51 games; senior Maggie Hull, senior Mariah Montgomery and junior Ashley Newman. The Jayhawks will team experience with talented freshmen. Freshmen Chaley Brickman and Kelsey Kessler both earned recognition from ESPN. Brickman was the 22nd ranked prospect in the ESPN 2012 recruiting class while Kessler was added to the ESPN Rise's "Nine to Watch" list. Local freshman Alex Hugo comes in as the reigning Sunflower League Player of The Year.
Coach Megan Smith said at
the softball media day that the freshmen are prepared for their first game and that the upperclassman have really stepped up and challenged them to do so. Smith said one of the things they lacked in the past was consistent senior leadership.
"They want to make their senior year the best year they have ever had, and we want them to do that, too," Smith said. "They have taken the responsibility of keeping everyone on track and helping the younger players feel comfortable, and they are really pushing each other, which is good to see."
The Jayhawks are coming off of a season where they return 80 percent of their run production and 73 percent of their home runs from a team that hit .288 as a team, which was second best in school history. The team also returns all three of its Big 12 honores: Hull, First Team; Chanin Naudin and Maddie Stein, Second Team. Hull returns after having a monster year last season. She led the Big 12 in batting average at .409 and hits with 67. Hull said that the energy around the team is really positive and are focused on the first game against NC State.
"We're very ready to do what it takes to win and do what it takes to get to Regions, which is our goal," Hull said.
The team also returns redshirt junior outfielder/pitcher Alex Jones, who missed last season because of a torn ACL. Jones had started in all 106 of her previous games before the injury. Jones said that the injury completely changed her as a softball player.
"Just sitting by the coaches and keeping stats for the pitchers, so much more goes into than you think," Jones said. "That was a complete learning experience, and I am taking so much more than just the skill of coming back stronger, but it's the mentality of the game overall that has really improved."
The Jayhawks were picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll. The team finished 31-20 last season and are building toward making it to the NCAA tournament this year. With senior leadership and the infusion of talented freshmen, their goal is to make it to the NCAA regional and beyond.
— Edited by Jordan Wisdom
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