Showing posts with label 2013 Big 12 tournament. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2013 Big 12 tournament. Show all posts

Monday, March 18, 2013

Kansas Wins Big 12 Tournament, Earns One Seed In NCAA Tournament

The Kansas Jayhawks made it clear who the best team in the Big 12 was this season, hammering Kansas State in the finals of the Big 12 tournament 70-54. KU was rewarded for its dominating Big 12 tournament with a one seed in the South region of the NCAA Tournament.

The third meeting this season between the two rivals got off to a slow start, as both teams struggled offensively in the first half. KU was able to build a 24-16 halftime lead, however K-State cut the lead to three early in the second half. The Jayhawks answered with a 12-3 run, essentially putting the game away midway through the second half.

Jeff Withey led Kansas with 17 points and 9 rebounds, and the Jayhawks continued to get strong play from freshman Perry Ellis, who chipped in 12 points. Kansas State star Rodney McGruder scored 18 points, however much of that came when KU had built its insurmountable lead in the second half.

Kansas’ dominance over Kansas State and the Big 12 has been shocking. The Jayhawks have defeated the Wildcats 47 times in the teams’ last 50 meetings, including 11 straight times in the Big 12 tournament. Kansas also improved to 9-1 in Big 12 Tournament Title games and won its sixth Big 12 Tournament title under Bill Self.

After winning the Big 12 tournament in dominating fashion, Kansas was rewarded with the second overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Jayhawks will face Western Kentucky Friday night in the Sprint Center in Kansas City. If Kansas advances, it will play the winner of North Carolina and Villanova on Sunday. The Jayhawks were given a tough bracket, as Georgetown, Florida and Michigan are also in the South region.

KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

Monday, March 11, 2013

Kansas Falls To Baylor, Still Wins Ninth Consecutive Big 12 Championship

The Kansas Jayhawks’ regular season ended in disastrous fashion, as the team was blown out by Baylor 81-58. Despite suffering its worst loss in seven years, Kansas was able to win a ninth consecutive Big 12 championship due to Kansas State’s loss to Oklahoma State earlier in the day.

Baylor easily played its best game of the season against Kansas, and was carried by two insane performances from Pierre Jackson and Cory Jefferson. Jackson scored 28 points with 10 assists, while Jefferson added 25 points. Jefferson, who had never hit a three pointer in his career, went three-for-three from behind the arc on Saturday, which puts the Bears’ performance into perspective.

Kansas not only struggled defensively, but the Jayhawks never got anything going on offense. Ben McLemore had a strong game, but Elijah Johnson struggled, shooting 3 of 13 from the field and adding only two assists next to three turnovers. Apart from McLemore, the lone bright spot for the Jayhawks was freshman Perry Ellis, who added 12 points.

Before Saturday, the Jayhawks had looked like the best team in college basketball recently. Kansas had won seven in a row, including a home blowout of K-State and two tough road wins against Oklahoma State and Iowa State. The Jayhawks still have the talent to go deep in the NCAA tournament, but they will have to get better play from Johnson. When the senior point guard plays well, Kansas is nearly unbeatable. Johnson played very well in last year’s NCAA tournament, which was a big reason why the Jayhawks advanced all the way to the national title game.

Up next for Kansas is the Big 12 tournament, where the Jayhawks will once again have the top seed. Kansas will face the West Virginia-Texas Tech winner on Thursday. If the Jayhawks defeat the Mountaineers or Red Raiders, they will face either Oklahoma or Iowa State.

KCMB Kansas City News, official kc news site with breaking stories on The Kansas City Royals, Chiefs, charity events, the 2012 MLB All Star Game, weather, sports, MU, KU, ufo sightings, dui checkpoints, Kansas City neighborhoods, nightlife, concerts, the Sprint Center, the Power and Light District and current Kansas City news articles.

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