Volume 125 Issue 91
THE UNIVERSITY DAIRY & KANSAN
kansan.com
Tuesday, March 26, 2013
Listen to this week's Fieldhouse Forum
COMMENTARY
Ye olde ode to March Madness
http://bit.ly/UWYgIh
Beware the Ides of March For that's when the craving sets in And the fan develops a parch. Just thirsting for their team to win.
The journey has been wild,
Filled with victory and sorrow.
Leaving the fan base riled,
And anticipating tomorrow.
But as hopes begin soar
And fans start to believe,
They should not ignore
And start to be naive.
But as the tournament unfurls
And hopes begin to rise,
Fans' lust for pearls
Will soon be their demise.
KANSAS 75. SOUTH CAROLINA 69
As Western Kentucky dropped And North Carolina was nixed, It's impossible to stop The fan-wide hope for title six.
Oh yes, there is a chance,
For this team to play in April.
And continue to dance,
Making quite the thrill.
Yes, Lawrence could swoon In an incredible rush And it would be so soon From 2012's slush.
But it's not that simple, As Kansas fans know, The tournament can quickly turn a dimple Into a low.
Beware the Ides of March
This season may or may not be
the one
Like Bill has said, enjoy the ride
And just have some fun.
Edited by Jordan Wisdom
THE SWEET LIFE
Women's basketball welcomes a victory, advancing to the Sweet 16
NATHAN FORDYCE
nfordvce@kansan.com
For just the second time in the NCAA women's bracket history, a 12th-seeded team reaches the Sweet 16.
The Kansas Jayhawks once again surprised the basketball world when they knocked off the No. 4 seeded South Carolina Gamecocks 75-69.
Kansas joined the 1996 San Francisco Lady Dons as the only No. 12 seeds to be among the final 16 teams in the country. No. 12 seeds are now 2-15 in the second round, thanks to the Jayhawks' victory. Even as the Jayhawks went down in the history books, Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson said she had no idea what exactly the victory meant.
"We're just excited to win and have the chance to play again," Henrickson said. "As a coach, one of the most special things is just sit back and watch them – just pure joy in the locker room. Not that it doesn't mean anything, but I'm more of an in-the-moment kind of person. It means more to me that they look like they do in the locker room right now."
It was pondered whether or not the Jayhawks warranted an invite to the field of 64 when they began. Now, they have knocked off a No. 5 and a No. 4 seed on their way to back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances and their fourth all-time appearance.
Kansas was fueled by senior guard Monica Engelman's career-high 27 points and an added 20 points and eight assists from senior guard Angel Goodrich to get past the rugged, defensive Gamecocks.
"She was hot," South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said of Engelman's career day. "When a player gets going like that, it's hard to stop."
Last year, the Jayhawks knocked off a No. 4. No. 3 seed on their way to first Sweet 16 appearance. Welcome deiu. va
Goodrich said playing in the Big 12 really helped the Jayhawks
elevate their game.
"It's a great league, and there are great teams—you have to come every night, ready to play," Goodrich said. "And I felt like last year, we had fun, and we enjoyed the experience, and I think this year, that helped us be more hungry. We wanted that experience again."
Kansas is now not only supporting the flag of the underdog, but wearing it on its chest.
Many expected the Jayhawks to falter against the "home" team in Colorado in round one, and once they defeated the Buffalooes, many expected the Jayhawks to falter against the Gamecocks.
But the will to win and to prove people wrong propelled the Jayhaws to one of the biggest upsets in NCAA history, at least tournament wise.
Helped by the senior guards, the Jayhawks were just the fifth team to post more than 60 points against the Gamecocks. What do those teams have in common? They all won, but none are bigger than the Jayhawks' victory to send them to Norfolk, Va.
"We wanted to catch them offbalance, catch them where they weren't ready and let them set up, because when they are set up they are really good." Goodrich said of beating the defensive-minded Gamecocks. "We just wanted to catch them off guard, get easy buckets and finish at the rim."
No one saw the Jyhawks advancing through the tournament, especially since they lost seven of their last 11 games of the regular season. But now, they come out of the Boulder region to move on to Norfolk to face either No. 1 Notre Dame or No. 9 Iowa next Sunday.
"These tournaments are all about 'surveive and advance', and these three seniors and the rest of the team, we were hungry, and we wanted to do everything possible, individually and collectively, to advance." Engelman said.
—Edited by Taylor Lewis
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Kansas guard Monica Engelman (13) puts up a shot as South Carolina forward Ashley Bruner (21) and South Carolina guard Sancheon White (20) defend during the second half of a second-round game in the women's NCAA college basketball tournament in Boulder, Colo.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Offense picks up second half
GEOFFREY CALVERT
gcalvert@kansan.com
The shine returned to the Kansas offense during the second half of Sunday's game against North Carolina.
Transition dunks, 3-pointers on the secondary break and dominant post-play from their big men helped the Lyhawks outscore the Tor Heels 49-28 in the deciding half, including a 33-10 run during the half's first 11 minutes.
Senior guard Travis Releford paced Kansas with 22 points on 9-13 shooting, three steals and eight re-bounds.
Releford
Sophomore guard Naadir
Tharpe made three of his four 3-point attempts, including a stepback 3-pointer as the shot clock wound down with a little more than five minutes remaining in the game.
Despite hitting only a single
3-pointer and missing his other five attempts, senior guard Elijah Johnson delivered four assists and a steal against only one turnover.
He opened the second half against the Tar Heels with a chance to flush an alley-oop. But it looked like his chemistry with Johnson was slightly askew on the pass, and he had to lay the ball in instead of slam it through the net.
But one big name did very little against the Tar Heels — freshman guard Ben McLemore.
"He had a rough weekend," coach Bill Self said. "He's got to see the ball go in the hole. The thing about it is with kids and a freshman that's never experienced any of it, there's different pressures."
McLemore had opportunities to score against the North Carolina, but he just couldn't convert.
"He had some pretty good looks today, but it wasn't his day," Self said. "When we run the lob play for his the second half, uncontested, miss-times it or fumbles it. It wasn't his day. He knows that."
Except the shot missed
McLemore continued to seek
"My confidence is there," McLemore said. "As far as shooting these last couple games really haven't been my shooting night. I've just got to get back in the gym and shoot more."
McLemore also struggled against Western Kentucky on Friday night, but that wasn't as concerning as his offensive woes Sunday. Most of the Jayhawks' guards looked lethargic against the Hiltoppers.
his shot, getting nine attempts against North Carolina, including six 3-point attempts. However, he missed every single shot he took. He only played six minutes in the second half because his offense was struggling, and Tharpe found his groove offensively on his way to 12 points.
"I think it's exciting for our team to know that you can win a game like this and have your leading scorer not make a basket," Self said. "I don't think that will happen again."
McLemore, Johnson and Tharpe combined to shoot 3-14 Friday night, and Kansas failed to convert any of its six 3-point attempts. The Jayhawks' guards combined to score 14 points from the field.
McLemore said he is focusing on defense and believes his shot will start to fall soon. He said he isn't focused on trying to be the top scorer on the court, but instead wants to do the best job he can to help his team win.
Edited by Jordan Wisdom
While the Jayhawks will likely need McLemore to find his shot when Kansas faces Michigan on Friday at 6:37 p.m. with a spot in the Elite Eight on the line, Self said it's reassuring to know that his team can win a pressure-filled game when McLemore is invisible offensively.
TRAVIS YOUNG/KANSAN
Only Relefond, who finished with 11 points on 4-6 shooting, could create any sort of offensive efficiency. From the entire weekend, only
one play stood out for McLemore. On an inbounds play against the Hiltoppers underneath Kansas' basket, Johnson found McLemore for the alley-oop, giving Kansas a brief 14-12 lead.
Freshman guard Ben McLemore passes the ball to senior center Jeff Withey during the second half of the match against No. 8 North Carolina Tar Heels Sunday night, March 24, at the Sprint Center.
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