THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL|9A
Kansas seniors leave in defeat
The Jayhawks' Senior Day didn't go as planned as they lost tothe Wildcats, 56-51.
MONDAY, MARCH 7. 2011
WWW.KANSAN.COM
PAGE 12A
CREAM OF THE CROP
Jayhawks take top honors
BY MIKE LAVIERI
mlavieri@kansan.com
A day after Kansas won the Big 12 regular season conference title outright on Saturday with a 70-64 victory against Missouri, the Jayhawks brought some more hardware of the individual variety to Lawrence.
On Sunday, junior forward Marcus Morris and coach Bill Self were recognized as being the best at their respective positions. Morris was named Big 12 Player of the Year along with being named to the All-Big 12 First Team, while Self was named Big 12 Coach of the Year. They weren't the only two to receive recognition. Morris' twin Markeiff was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team. Seniors Tyrel Reed and Brady Morningstar received All-Big 12 Honorable Mentions and Morningstar was selected to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team.
"I am very proud any time our players get named to a postseason award," Self said in a news release. "I am especially proud of Marcus for being consistent this year and being the premier performer in our league. It certainly is a compliment to him but also to his teammates to allow him to do what he does. Markieff, Brady and Tyrel also very deserve their recognition as well."
Morris is the first Jayhawk to win Big 12 Player of the Year since the 2004-2005 season. He joins four other Jayhawks who were named Big 12 Player of the Year: Raef LaFrentz (1996, 1997), Drew Gooden (2002), Nick Collison
(2003) , Simien (2005)
Marcus said in a news release that he was happy to receive the award, but he gives all the credit to his teammates.
"Without them there is no way I would have been selected." Marcus said. "We've had a great season so far but we still have a lot of work to do heading into the Big 12 tournament and the NCAAs."
During the season, Marcus averaged 17.3 points per game (fifth in the Big 12) and seven rebounds per game (11th in the Big 12). His 59.7 shooting percentage is 10th in the nation and second in the Big 12 behind Markieff's 59.8 percent. Markieff led the Big 12 with 8.3 rebounds per game and scored 13.5 points per game.
per game.
In conference play, Marcus scored 18.8 points per game and grabbed 7.6 assists. His shooting percentage was also 60.6 percent. Marcus' All-Big 12 First Team selection is the 20th time a Jayhawk has earned the distinction. Kansas has also had a First Team selection in 13 of the 15 seasons the Big 12 has existed.
For Self, this is his third time being named Coach of the Year. He also earned the honor in 2005 and 2009.
"There are a lot of coaches that have done a great job in our league this season," Self said. "The primary reason for any postseason award is because you have good players who have performed at a high level."
— Edited by Emily Soetaert
Sophomore forward Thomas Robinson slams down a two-handed dunk during the second half. Robinson finished with 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the 70-66 victory at Mizzou Arena Saturday afternoon.
Jerry Wang/KANSAN
LAST SEVEN BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIPS
2011- Overall: 29-2, Conference: 14-2, Big 12 Tournament: TBD,
NCAA Tournament: TBD
2010-Overall: 33-3, Conference: 15-1, Big 12 Tournament: Champions, NCAA Tournament: Lost in second round to Northern Iowa 2009-Overall: 27-8, Conference: 14-2, Big 12 Tournament: Lost in quarterfinals to Baylor, NCAA Tournament: Lost in Sweet 16 to Michigan State
2008-Overall: 37-3, Conference: 13-3, Big 12 Tournament:
Champions NCAA Tournament: Champions
2007- Overall: 33-5, Conference: 14-2, Big 12 Tournament:
Champions, NCAA Tournament: Lost in Elite Eight to UCLA
2006- Overall: 25-8, Conference: 13-3, Big 12 Tournament:
Champions, NCAA Tournament: Lost in first round to Bradley
2005- Overall: 23-7, Conference: 12-4, Big 12 Tournament: Lost in
semis to Oklahoma State, NCAA Tournament: Lost in first round
to Bucknell
Mc. Morris
Player of the Year, All-Big 12 First Team
Mk. Morris
All-Big 12 Second Team
Morningstar
Big 12 All-
Defensive
Team, All-Big
12 Honorable
Mention
Reed
Academic All- America First Team, Big-12 Honorable Mention
Self
Coach of the Year
Jayhawks come out of tough weekend, 3-2
SOFTBALL
Sophomore second baseman Mariah Montgomery launches the ball toward first base. The Jayhawks finished the Las Vegas tournament, 3-2.
Contributed photo by Justin Mackey/KU ATLENTICS
BY HANNAH WISE hwise@kansan.com
The Jayhawks faced tough competition in Las Vegas for the Eller Media Stadium Classic and ended the weekend 3-2 and are now 17-3 on the season. Friday the team split the day recording a 10-7 loss to Bradley and a 3-1 victory against San Jose State. Saturday was split again with a 10-1 loss to UNLV and a 7-6 win against Troy. Sunday the Jayhawks shut out San Diego, 7-0.
"We just didn't come out as the same team that we have been playing all year. We came out really dry, just not focused, not locked into what we were doing," sophomore Maggie Hull said.
Saturday was the team's toughest day. It was not the same team that had started 13-0.
"We did the same things we did the other weekends but Saturday we just were not as intense as the other teams," coach Megan Smith said. "We didn't pick up that intensity level until the sixth inning against Troy. That was the key for us this weekend, we just didn't
have any intensity."
The lack of intensity was apparent against UNLV. The Runnin' Rebels put up two runs on four hits in the bottom of the first inning and then pulled away with six more runs in the third. They took advantage of three walks and two hit by pitches.
Kansas' sole run was a single by sophomore Mariah Montgomery to plate senior Brittany Hile. During the bottom of the fourth she made a strong defensive play catching a runner stealing. The Jayhawks also benefited from a force out at third. However, it was not enough to end the inning. The Rebels responded to the two outs by loading the bases and scoring two more runs to end the contest 10-1 in five innings.
The evening game against Troy showed Kansas' ability to fight back. The team had one hit in the first five innings but then scored two runs on three hits in the top of the sixth. After the first six innings, lay trailed 5-2 then Hile hit a grand slam, her second career
SEESOFTBALL ON PAGE 8A
COMMENTARY
Anderson has Mizzou as a likable program
BY MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
The Border Showdown didn't use to be like this. On Jan. 28, 2002,
Drew Gooden poured in 26 points,
Kirk Hinrich had 23, and the No. 2
Jayhawks spanked the No. 2 Tigers
103-75 at Allen Fieldhouse.
On Saturday, the same schools with the same rankings from January 2002 met again. But there were no spankings to be seen. Just an unsavory 70-66 Kansas victory at Mizzou Arena.
Kansas still usually walks away as winners of the war, but it's no longer done with unquestionable dominance.
Under coach Mike Anderson, the culture of Missouri basketball has changed. The Tigers take pride in playing what they call "the fastest 40 minutes in basketball." They chew on turnovers like you chew on your fingernails while watching them run.
But molasses and basketball are two different kinds of sweet. I'm not saying you have to like Missouri. You don't have to respect them, either. Just be aware: this program sits far away from the slums of the conference. As difficult a concept to grasp as it may be, it's not all about wins and losses. Basketball isn't black and white. Missouri is climbing an uphill path. And no matter how gradual it may be, it's a positive direction, stemming from Anderson's leadership.
"Never heard of nice things from Missouri coming west," she said.
"We played with super energy tonight," said junior forward Laurence Bowers, Missouri who scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds off the bench.
Now Jayhawk fans, hear me out. I commit no treason, nor scribble sinful thoughts. I'm with the old woman from The Outlaw Josey Wales, too. I'll do without molasses from Missouri.
In the Anderson era, Missouri is only 1-10 against Kansas. But going into this season, he was the winningest coach in school history, recording an 88-46 record in his first four seasons at the helm in Columbia, Mo. He led the Tigers to a Big 12 Conference postseason championship and an Elite Eight appearance in 2009 and sent three players from that team, guard J.T. Tiller and forwards DeMarre Carroll and Leo Lyons, to the NBA.
Working against the Tigers' speed, the lajwahks surrendered 24 turnovers and committed 26 personal fouls. Missouri's full-court press disoriented a normally clean and mechanical Kansas offense. At one point, junior guard Tyshawn Taylor passed left, then looked, and the ball soared out of bounds and at Anderson's bench. It was a case of Taylor thinking too much instead of just playing. It was the kind of mental lapse that makes Anderson's Tigers who they are — a team with disruptive identity.
He didn't have much of a game on Saturday, but freshman Phil Pressey will be a cornerstone at the point guard position. Junior guard Marcus Denmon, who averages 16.8 points per game, might be the most improved player in the Big 12. We're still waiting to hear from Ben McLemore, St. Louis, Mo. prospect, who is No. 49 on the ESPNU 100 rankings and is deciding between Missouri and Kansas.
Not too long ago, that one wouldn't be much of a debate.
- Edited by Brittany Nelson