KCMB Kansas City News

Friday, March 22, 2013

Missouri Loses In First Round of NCAA Tournament, Kansas And Kansas State Play Today

The 2013 NCAA tournament is officially underway, and all three local Kansas City schools found themselves in the field of 68. One team is already out however, as Missouri lost to Colorado State yesterday. Kansas and Kansas State will play today.

(8)Colorado State 84 (9)Missouri 72

Colorado State jumped out to an early lead and held Missouri at arm’s length the rest of the way. Kansas native Dorian Green scored 26 points for the Rams, who won their first NCAA tournament game since 1988. The Tigers were led by Phil Pressey’s 20 points, while Alex Oriakhi added 16 points and Jabari Brown contributed 14.

It has been a frustrating last two years for Tiger fans. After a strong regular season last year, Missouri lost as a two seed in the first round of the 2012 NCAA Tournament in one of the biggest tournament upsets of all time. This year, the team played well below expectations. Head coach Frank Haith showed early promise, but Tiger fans have to be disappointed in the team’s consecutive first-round tournament exits and poor 2013 regular season.

(1)Kansas (16)Western Kentucky – 8:50 p.m.

NCAA tournament fans will recognize the Hilltopers, who have been a regular in the field over the past several years and have sprung a few upsets. WKU won four games in four days to win the Sun Belt tournament title and earn an automatic bid into the tournament.

A one seed has never lost to a 16 seed, and the Jayhawks should take care of business if they focus and avoid looking ahead to a possible second round matchup with Roy Williams and North Carolina. KU won the Big 12tournament with ease, and could be primed for another deep tournament run.

(4)Kansas State (13)La Salle – 2:10 p.m.

The Kansas State Wildcats have avoided being upset all season, and they hope to continue that trend this afternoon. La Salle is a dangerous team, capable of hitting threes or getting to the rim. This is a game K-State should win, but don’t be surprised if the Explorers give the Wildcats all they can handle.

If KSU advances, they will play the winner of (5)Wisconsin vs. (12) Ole Miss with a rematch against top seeded Gonzaga possibly waiting for them in the Sweet 16.

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Thursday, March 21, 2013

Kansas City To Receive Snow Today, This Weekend

The Kansas City metro has already been rocked by two major snowstorms this year, and it appears that the area will be receiving one final snow fall before spring. The KC metro is expected to receive up to three inches of snow today, with more snow coming this weekend.

Today’s snowfall is expected to start mid-morning and end by the late afternoon. Most snow will fall south of a line from Maryville to Sedalia, with little accumulation north and east of that area. The Kansas City area is expected to receive between one to two inches, while cities to the south such as Gardner, Paola, Pleasanton and Clinton will receive two to three inches. There is also a chance that a bit more snow and freezing rain could hit the metro this evening.

The biggest concern is this weekend, when the KC metro may receive upwards of six inches of snow. Meteorologists are expecting freezing rain mixed with snow to start falling from morning to early afternoon on Saturday, with heavier snowfall hitting Saturday night.

After some mild winters over the past couple of years, Kansas City has been hit hard with snow over the past couple of months. While this weekend’s storm won’t be as severe as the previous two, there will likely still be several accidents and closed roads. Kansas City will be hosting several NCAA tournament games this weekend, and the downtown is expected to be very crowded. The hazardous weather conditions and large crowds could make transportation around the metro very difficult this weekend. Kansas City residents heading downtown for the NCAA tournament games need to prepare for difficulty navigating around the metro.

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Chiefs Sign More Players, Awarded Compensatory Draft Picks

The Kansas City Chiefs have already had an extremely busy offseason, making bold moves to upgrade its front office, coaching staff and roster. The team hasn’t slowed down yet, making more free agent signings and receiving good news regarding its compensatory draft picks.

The special teams unit has been a priority for the new coaching staff, as the Chiefs added coordinator Dave Toub and made punter Dustin Colquitt the highest paid punter in football. Kansas City decided to resign the man who has been snapping Colquitt the ball, inking Thomas Gafford to a new contract. Gafford has been with the team since 2008, snapping on punts, field goals and extra points.

The team also received good news regarding left tackle Branden Albert. Albert has told the team he plans on signing the Chiefs one-year offer worth $9.83 million. Albert was not happy about having the franchise tag placed on him, and has been vocal about both receiving a long-term deal and staying at left tackle. It is unclear if the team plans to keep Albert, given that the team has been linked to drafting an offensive lineman with its top overall pick in the 2013 NFL draft. For now, Albert is in Kansas City’s immediate plans.

The team will enter the draft with two extra picks as well, earning a third and sixth round selection when the NFL announced its compensatory picks yesterday. The extra third-round pick is especially good news considering Kansas City lost a second round pick in its trade to acquire quarterback Alex Smith. The Chiefs now have a total of eight draft picks in the upcoming draft.

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.

Friday, March 15, 2013

Big 12 Tournament Update

The Big 12 tournament is officially underway at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. The quarterfinal round took place yesterday, featuring some close finishes and plenty of controversy.

Kansas 91 Texas Tech 63

The biggest blowout of the day came from the biggest mismatch of the day. Kansas shot a Big 12 record 66 percent from the field, torching Tech for 57 second half points. Ben McLemore scored 24 points for the Jayhawks, while Dejan Kravic led the Red Raiders with 20 points. This will be the final game of the season for Texas Tech, which will need to make a decision this offseason on whether or not to retain interim coach Chris Walker, who replaced Billy Gillispie when he resigned due to health reasons.

Iowa State 73 Oklahoma 66

This game had plenty of intrigue as both Oklahoma and Iowa State are fighting for an NCAA tournament berth. The Sooners built an eight point halftime lead and led for most of the game, only to watch the Cyclones go on a 12-point run in the second half to come back. Iowa State got a monster game from Melvin Ejim, who had 23 points and 12 rebounds. Both OU and ISU should make the NCAA tournament, as the Cyclones picked up another impressive win and the Sooners have a strong body-of-work from both their non-conference schedule and fourth place finish in the league.

Kansas State 66 Texas 49

Kansas State star Rodney McGruder had a huge game for the Wildcats, scoring 24 points and adding seven rebounds. The Wildcats held the Longhorns at arm’s length throughout the game and limited Myck Kabongo to only two points. Texas, which finished the year with a 16-17 record, will miss the NCAA tournament for the first time in 15 years.

Oklahoma State 74 Baylor 72

This was the game of the day. The Cowboys took control early and held a 42-24 halftime lead, only to watch Baylor mount a furious rally in the second half. Baylor’s Gary Franklin was able to convert a four-point play late to tie the game up. On the next possession, OSU’s Phil Forte got the ball in lane and was fouled by BU’s Deuce Bello on what appeared to be a clean block. Forte made both free throws, but Baylor still had a final shot. Pierre Jackson – who had 31 points – got a decent look from three, but his attempt hit the back iron. The loss puts Baylor’s NCAA tournament chances in serious jeopardy.

The semi-finals of the tournament will take place today. Kansas faces Iowa State at 6:30 p.m. and Kansas State faces Oklahoma State at 9:00 p.m.