SPECIAL SECTION

Bracket Bash
How will Kansas
stack up come
March Madness?

Arts & Culture 5

University professor to
release a sci-fi novel

News 1-2
Students celebrate the
creation of a new multicultural student government
THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016 | VOLUME 130 ISSUE 15

THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN

THE STUDENT VOICE SINCE 1904

Photo Illustration by Caroline Fiss/KANSAN

The Black Dot Campaign was meant to help domestic violence victims, but has garnered criticism.

University officials talk domestic violence awareness

LARA KORTE
@lara_korte

few months ago, a

new trend in domestic violence intervention took the internet
by storm. The Black Dot
Campaign was originally
touted as a way for victims
of domestic violence to
send out a silent plea for
help by drawing a black dot
in the center of their palm.
Its gained a huge
amount of support.
Posted by The Mirror
on Saturday, September 19,
2015
The internet sensation
quickly died out after receiving widespread criticism. While it may have
seemed like a creative way
for victims of domestic violence to speak out, Jen
Brockman, sexual assault
prevention and education
coordinator for the University, said the viral nature
of the campaign essentially
made its purpose a moot
point.
The downside and the
backlash of that campaign
was that it also created a
vulnerability, because victims of domestic violence

arent the only ones that are

on social media; offenders
are too, Brockman said.
So as much as a victim
can identify, Oh, if I put a
dot on my hand, then my
primary care provider will
know, the abuser has also
seen that, and if they recognize or see that call for help,
that victim becomes very
vulnerable for violence and
abuse escalation.
While the primary purpose of the campaign may
have backfired, Brockman
said it raised a necessary
question.
The best outcome of
that is someone had to ask,
Why do we have to have
this dot in the first place?
Then we can have that
conversation surrounding
domestic and partner violence, Brockman said.
The signs of domestic
violence might not be as
visible as a black dot, but
Lindsey Johnston, SAFE
program coordinator for
the Willow Domestic Violence Center, said there
are behaviors a bystander
can identify that indicate if
someone is in an abusive
relationship.
Johnston said abuse
isnt always a visible bruise

or scrape on a persons
body; it can be physical,
emotional, sexual or online
abuse.
There could be intimidation or hitting or pinching or physical, as well as
name calling, shaming or
bullying with emotional, as
well as with sexual. It will
be anything when a sex act
takes place, and that person
cannot consent or does not
want to consent, Johnston
said.

Continue to be
that structure
for them of no
matter what, you
know I am going
to be here for
you.
Jen Brockman
sexual assault prevention
and education coordinator

Johnston said another

key indicator to look for is
isolation. Often, abusers
will coerce survivors into
spending less time with
family and friends, she said,
but speaking to them and

acting as support can help

the situation.
Isolation can also involve finances, Brockman
said. An abuser might restrict a persons access to
funds, and therefore, independence. Brockman said
financial isolation is just
one form of controlling and
manipulative
behaviors
that may indicate abuse.
Other forms of manipulation can cross over into
controlling clothing choices
or hairstyles, she said.
While bystander intervention is important,
Brockman said its crucial
to be mindful of a survivors
situation when approaching them to help. Typically,
Brockman said bystanders
will either invalidate the
abuse, or go into what she
called hyper-fixer mode
by trying to contact police
or confront the abuser. Neither of these are helpful,
Brockman said.
The first step in approaching a friend about
his or her unhealthy relationship is to find a place
thats private, open and
confidential. At that point,
Brockman said a friend
can start asking soft questions.

The idea of soft questioning is to make sure the

survivor doesnt feel attacked, or like they have to
defend or rationalize the
behavior of their partner.
Instead of asking, Are you
in an abusive relationship?
Brockman
recommends
starting off by pointing out
small indicators like the
way a person might act nervous or uneasy around their
significant other.
Instead of telling them,
Your relationship is bad,
you say, Here are some
things Ive noticed that
dont seem familiar to me,
Brockman said. Because if
you create this, us against
them mentality, the victim feels like they have to
protect the other or theyve
got to side with them, then
theyre going to wall up on
you.
After the initial conversation, Brockman said its
all about support.
We always talk about
that domestic violence and
intimate partner violence
are the experts in their own
lives, and so really its having to evaluate what is safe
for them, Brockman said.
Johnston said a friend
can help a survivor contact

resources or get help evaluating their situation.

Maybe they just want to
feel safe for a while, maybe
they decide they do want to
go back and that is the safe
choice right now, sometimes that can be safer, in
more adult relationships if
you have kids and stuff like
that, it might be safer at the
time to go back, and then
plan safely around things
like that, Johnston said.
Johnston said a large
majority of college-age people dont know how to help
someone who is a victim
of dating abuse. Brockman
said the important thing is
that friends remain a constant place of support for
survivors.
Continue to be that
structure for them of no
matter what, you know I am
going to be here for you,
Brockman said, Because
eventually, theyre going to
be able to get away, emotionally and physically, and
theyre going to need people
to rally around them.

Edited by Sarah
Kruger

Senate to fund first-ever Multicultural Student Government

Alex Robinson/KANSAN
Student activist Kat Rainey addresses Full Senate March 9 to urge them to fund the Multicultural Student
Government. Representatives from #ConcernedStudent1950, the University of Missouri student activist group,
were present for the meeting.

LARA KORTE
@lara_korte

The fee review bill passed

Full Senate Wednesday
night by a vote of 51-9-6,
and will move to Vice Provost of Student Affairs Tammara Durham for approval.
The fee review bill approves
funding for many University
organizations and services,
including a new Multicultural Student Government,
the first of its kind in the
nation.
The creation of the MSG
was part of an amendment
to the fiscal budget for 20162017 to increase funding for
the Office of Multicultural
Affairs.
Members of the student
group Rock Chalk Invisible
Hawk spoke in favor of passing the bill. Student activists
Kat Rainey and Jameelah
Jones introduced the pro-

posed government as a necessary entity that would focus its efforts on meeting the
needs of minority students.
This is a solution to multicultural students being excluded and underrepresented in central, governmental
and policies and procedures, Jones said.
Rainey and Jones reiterated the ideas presented last
week when the amendment
was in Finance Committee.
Rainey said the government
intends to work with Student Senate, and although
the two entities would be
separate, they would not be
isolated. Rainey and Jones
said the Multicultural Student Government would
not be about segregation,
but equity, giving additional resources to demographics that have been denied
equality in the past.
This would be the first

and only Multicultural Student Government the nation

has ever seen, Rainey said.
Many senators asked
questions regarding specifics of the the organization
and how it would operate.
Finance Committee Chairman Tyler Childress criticized senators for excessive
questioning, saying no other
organization is ever asked
to give detailed information
about their constitution or
bylaws.
The senators questions
were criticized heavily by
guest speakers from the University of Missouri student
movement #ConcernedStudent1950. The movement
gained national attention
last semester and brought to
light issues of racial prejudice at the university.
SEE SENATE PAGE 2

news
Kansan
staff

Council seeks LGBQT+ inclusive measures

LARA KORTE
@lara_korte

NEWS MANAGEMENT

Editor-in-chief
Vicky Diaz-Camacho
Managing editor
Kate Miller
Brand & creativity
manager
Hallie Wilson
Digital operations editor
Anissa Fritz
Print production manager
Candice Tarver
ADVERTISING
MANAGEMENT

Business manager
Gage Brock
Sales manager
Katie Bell
SECTION EDITORS

News editor
Kelly Cordingley
Associate news editor
Cassidy Ritter
Sports editor
Scott Chasen
Associate sports editor
Shane Jackson
Arts & culture editor
Ryan Wright
Associate
arts & culture editor
Christian Hardy

KANSAN.COM/NEWS | THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016

tudents on campus
have heard a lot about
retention over the past
few months. From forums,
to town hall meetings to
informal conversations, retaining minority students
is an issue that has been
brought up in many spaces.
However, even though the
University tracks its minority populations, it does not
collect data on the LGBTQ+
community.
The Office of Institutional Resource and planning
has readily available statistics on demographic populations and graduation rates
each year. Last December,
the Office of the Provost
released a Diversity, Equity
and Inclusion update that
gave an overview of progress
and goals for retaining marginalized races.
Being able to track decreasing
or
increasing
trends in population is a way
the University can see the
needs of minority students.
However, when it comes to
information on the status
of the LGBTQ+ community,
there are no statistics, simply because the University
does not track them.
Omar Rana, a senior
from Tulsa, Okla., and director of Diversity and Inclusion for Student Senate, said
after being put in charge of
the status of minority reports, he discovered the
University does not track
retention rates of LGBTQ+
students, and as a result, the
University has difficulty seeing their needs.

Opinion editor
Maddy Mikinski

I think its really important given the fact that we are

from Kansas, Rana said.
I personally know a lot of
LGBT+ students who have
left KU. Its my fourth year,
and Ive known so many
LGBT+ students who arent
retained, and its a shame,
and I think its something
that our University should
be proactive in trying to address.

There are a lot

of students with
teachers, when
theyre calling
roll, they will call
their birth name
but not their
preferred name,
Omar Rana
Director of Diversity and
Inclusion for Student
Senate

The Sexuality and Gender Diversity Consortium, a

faculty and staff council, is
looking at adding LGBTQ+
options to the admissions
application, said Vanessa
Delgado, director of the Sexuality and Gender Diversity
Center. However, there are
many concerns regarding
this measure on how secure
the information would be
and who would have access
to it.
Matt Melvin, vice provost
of Enrollment Management,
said in an email an internal
workgroup has been established to determine how to

collect data on LGBTQ+ students. The group includes

representatives from the
Graduate School, Student
Information Systems, Information Technology, Undergraduate Admissions, International Admissions, Office
of Multicultural Affairs, Student Housing and the Office
of Diversity and Equity.
Based on our discussions to date, we do not
believe the application for
undergraduate admissions
is the best, or appropriate
place, to collect this information for a host of reasons, Melvin said in an
email.
Instead, Melvin said the
group is looking at adding
a self-reporting option for
students that could possibly be housed in the student
portal. Melvin said students
would be able to update or
change information as they
wish, after admission is
granted.
Rana said another problem with the current application process is that it only
allows an applicant to select
male or female. For students
who do not identify on the
binary, Rana said this poses
a major problem.
You can only select male
or female, thats the only way
you can select it, and that
goes to housing, then if you
dont identify on the gender
binary, like if you were born
sex-male, but you identify as
a female, youre not going to
be put in the proper housing
that you would like to be in
and thats really problematic, Rana said.
Rana said theres also
the issue of preferred names
versus primary names. For

students who use a name

and pronouns that differ
from the ones assigned at
birth, being misnamed or
misgendered in class is a
problem.
There are a lot of students with teachers, when
theyre calling roll, they will
call their birth name but not
their preferred name, Rana
said.
Right now, the Enroll and Pay portal on the
Universitys website allows
students to change their
preferred name but not pronouns or primary name. In
an email, Melvin said despite the preferred name
option, most of the Universitys systems will pull from
the primary name option,
which means for class rosters or campus-wide emails,
students are being addressed by a name or gender
they might not identify with.
Although Melvin said
conversations are taking
place and concerns are being raised, there is no set
timeline for when measures

might be implemented.
Rana said he hopes that
the conversations pick up
soon and that the administration starts investing in
the needs of LGBTQ+ students.
I think its something
the administration definitely needs to take a closer look
at, because theyre the ones,
being as this is their job, to
try and create solutions for
this issue. And clearly its
an issue if someone who
doesnt identify as a male,
even though their sex assigned at birth is male, its
clearly an issue if theyre
put into a male dorm, or if
someone is not asked their
preferred name at roll call
of the class, Rana said. I
think its something our
administration should definitely take a more proactive
stance on.
Edited by Samantha
Harms

Illustration by Sam Billman

Visuals editor & design

chief
Roxy Townsend
Chief photographer
Caroline Fiss
Investigations editor
Miranda Davis
ADVISER

THIS WEEKEND

Sales and marketing

adviser
Jon Schlitt
The University Daily Kansan is the
student newspaper of the University of
Kansas. The first copy is paid through
the student activity fee. Additional
copies of The Kansan are 50 cents.
Subscriptions can be purchased at the
Kansan business office, 2051A Dole
Human Development Center, 1000
Sunnyside Avenue, Lawrence, KS.,
66045.
The University Daily Kansan (ISSN
0746-4967) is published on
Mondays and Thursdays during
the academic year except fall
break, spring break and exams. It is
published weekly during the summer
session excluding holidays. Annual
subscriptions by mail are $250 plus
tax. Send address changes to The
University Daily Kansan, 2051A Dole
Human Development Center, 1000
Sunnyside Avenue.

KANSAN MEDIA PARTNERS

Check out KUJH-TV on Wow! of
Kansas Channel 31 in Lawrence
for more on what youve read in
todays Kansan and other news.
Also see KUJHs website at tv.ku.
edu.
KJHK is the student voice in
radio. Whether its rock n roll
or reggae, sports or special
events, KJHK 90.7 is for you.
2000 Dole Human
Development Center 1000
Sunnyside Avenue
Lawrence, Kan., 66045
editor@kansan.com
www.kansan.com
Newsroom: (785) 864-4552
Advertising: (785) 864-4358

ENGAGE WITH US

@KANSANNEWS
/THEKANSAN
KANSAN.NEWS
@UNIVERSITY
DAILYKANSAN

MARCH 10

TITUS ANDRONICUS
CRAIG FINN
MARCH 11

CORY HENRY PRESENTS

THE REVIVAL
MARCH 12

Alex Robinson/KANSAN
Student activists Jameelah Jones and Kat Rainey embrace after Student Senate passes the fee review bill to fund a Multicultural Student Government.

SENATE FROM PAGE 1

Rainey and Jones also
brought up previous statements from Senate leadership, when senators committed to doubling the
funding of the Office of Multicultural Affairs.
After about an hour of
discussion and questions
from senators, Logan Sutton, Holdover Senator,
made a motion to separate
the creation of a Multicultural Student Government
from the larger budget bill.
This would have allowed
Senate to vote on the bill
separate from the rest of the
fee review bill.
The motion to separate
the MSG amendment from
the fee review bill ultimately failed. Before voting on
the bill, Chief of Staff Adam
Moon addressed Senate,
and said he felt uneasy about
funding a group that was so
new, and without knowing
more detail. Furthermore,
Moon said he fears that a
separate Multicultural Student Government would divide the student body 15 or
20 years down the road.
I think that there are
still concerns that are still
valid going forward, Moon
said.
Several senators lined up
at the podium giving positive and negative speeches.
After one speech by Senator
Omar Rana, Harrison Baker, Junior/Senior College

of Liberal Arts and Science

Senator, yielded his time
to Vice Provost of Diversity
and Equity, Nate Thomas.
Thomas said by voting
on a Multicultural Student
Government, the University has an opportunity to be
an example for institutions
across the nation. Thomas
spoke about the history of
the OMA and why its important for black students
to feel loved and supported
on campus. Thomas encouraged senators to be on the
right side of history.
This is your chance to be
bold and aspire to greatness,
thats all, Thomas said.
After a verbal by-theroster vote, in which every
senator was asked individually to announce their vote,
the fee review bill passed
by a vote of 51-9-6, and the
creation of a Multicultural
Student Government was
approved.
There were cheers, hugs
and plenty of tears in the
lobby of the Union after the
vote. Thomas said he thinks
this shows promise for the
University.
I think its that we decided to look at students being valued, and to figure out,
how do we work together so
our students can work together, Thomas said. Because its really about them.
Edited by Brendan
Dzwierzynski

PERT NEAR SANDSTONE

CABINET
MARCH 13

THE BIG PINK

THE HEIRS

UPCOMING
SHOWS

KU

MARCH 14

OPEN MIC

VS.

KSU/OSU

MARCH 10TH

Level 4, Kansas Union

MARCH 16

SAMANTHA FISH
KATY GUILLEN AND THE GIRLS
MARCH 18

KROOKED DRIVERS
DREAMERS DELIGHT
MARCH 19

CHURCH BOOTY

TIP-OFF AT 1:30 PM

THE SWEET LILLIES

132 SCREEN

SMACKDOWN TRIVIA

FREE SNACKS,
PRIZES
&

AT THE KANSAS UNION

MARCH 20
MARCH 21

OPEN MIC
APRIL 2

SPLIT LIP RAYFIELD

APRIL 3

THE WOOD BROTHERS

APRIL 5

PIGEONS PLAYING PING PONG

THE MAGIC BEANS

AQUEOUS

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
&

THEBOTTLENECKLIVE.COM

NEWS

KANSAN.COM

Tender Asparagus

98

Strawberries, Blueberries
or Blackberries

24
$

for

lb.

Wymans of Maine
Frozen Fruit

Lifeway Kefir

Boneless Pork Loin

Roast or Chops

Select varieties, 15 oz.

Select varieties, 32 oz.

Farm-fresh, premium pork

at an outstanding value!

26
for

$ 99

of equal or lesser value

Save up to $3.99

lb.

Prices valid through 3/16 in our Lawrence location.

KU DISCOUNT

Simply show your valid student or faculty

KU ID to your cashier, and enjoy

15% OFF*

your purchase every Thursday now

through the end of the spring semester.

4740 Bauer Farm Dr.

6th St. & Wakarusa Dr.
Lawrence, KS 66049

*Discount not valid on beer, wine or gi cards. Discount cannot be combined with any other promotional activity or case savings.
8244

opinion
FREE-FOR-ALL
WE HEAR
FROM YOU

KANSAN.COM | THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016

Text your #FFA

submissions to
785-289-UDK1
(8351)
In my hand I hold
two things: a memory
card and a square of
chocolate. Guess which
one I put in my mouth.

My history of feminism
professor just asked
a room full of Tumblr
feminists what Tumblr
was. SHE WASNT
READY.

KU sent out a rave alert

but they didnt give an
address.

Is it Friday yet?

Having a midterm,
speech, and a 10 page
research project due in
the same week should
be illegal
thanks to WOW-sosucky internet, my test
answers werent saved
and I have to do the
whole exam over again
Tried to jump back in
bed after getting up for
food. Missed the actual
bed. Fell on computer
and sharp end of side
table.

Illustration by Jake Kaufmann/KANSAN

Clough: Spotlight on water crisis in Flint,

Michigan comes off as insincere pandering

My kitchen is one bottle

of wine away from
yelling at Jeremy to get
his cleats on so we can
get to soccer practice
before my PTA meeting.

All I can think about is

Spring Break!

Editors Note: Chill.

You look desperate.

Am I the only optimist

on campus?

Wish this cute guy

would just say hi or
something instead of us
awkwardly glancing at
each other.

Ted Cruz would

be much worse at
being president than
McSnuffles would.

MATTHEW CLOUGH
@mcloughsofly

Democratic presidential
hopefuls Bernie Sanders
and Hillary Clinton met
in Flint, Mich., Sunday for
their seventh debate this
election season. Among the
topics they discussed was
the current state of Flint
itself, as the citys residents remain subjected to
lead-tainted water. Yet the
candidates appearance in
Flint reignited an import-

Overheard in Murphy:
Everybody Gets Drunk
At Easter. They do?
Its the order of the
guitar strings.

READ MORE AT
KANSAN.COM
@KANSANNEWS

ence in the city has been the

source of countless news
stories, a call for the Michigan governors resignation and even a nationwide
Snapchat story entitled
Flint Water Crisis.
But the sudden attention
feels strangely manipulative of the situation, especially given the Michigan
primaries were held just
two days after the debate.
And, although, surely both
Clinton and Sanders truly
do care about the well-being of Flints citizens, the
timing makes it feel as
if theyre pandering for
last-minute votes.
This is a sentiment shared
by Flint residents themselves, some of which
believe the candidates
wouldnt be working as hard
on the issues if it werent
an election year. One video

from the Flint Water Crisis

snap story shows a group
of residents chanting, You
want our vote; Come get
our vote, showing how
aware they are of the politics behind the scenes.
So whos really benefiting
from the increased media
attention in Flint? The residents themselves, or just
the candidates political
campaigns? Perhaps both,
depending on how officials
and other parties choose to
act (or dont) in the coming
weeks.
The renewed focus on the
crisis in Flint is, in theory, a
good thing. But its also an
exposure of the unfortunate
state of American politics
politicians must do what
they can to garner votes no
matter the implications.
And while its certainly
possible Sanders, Clinton,

and other politicians will

continue to advocate and
press for reform in Flint,
the fact remains that theyll
continue to travel around
the country to campaign for
more votes once the Michigan primary is over.
The bottom line is that
Flint needs action and a
strong sense of advocacy
now. The citys residents
have suffered for two years,
and change needs to become an expedited process,
regardless of the presidential election. Hopefully politicians can use the crisis in
Flint to prove that politics is
actually for the good of the
general public.
Matthew
Clough
is
a junior from Wichita
studying
English
and
journalism.
Edited by Madi Schulz

Befort: We need to stop talking about Trump

A beer a day helps wash

the worries away

Dream job postgraduation: stock photo

model. Or at least
a background actor
in a pharmaceutical
commercial.

ant question: is politics for

the sake of the people, or is
politics just for the sake of
politics?
Flints water crisis hasnt
been major news for a
while, despite the fact that
residents of the city still arent able to trust their water
supply or their government
after the events that transpired two years ago. Officials in Flint switched the
towns water supply from
the Great Lakes to the Flint
River without treating the
water, which caused lead
pipes to corrode into the
supply.
The water supply has since
been switched back, but
residents still arent able to
safely use tap water, so its
important that national attention has once again been
focused on Flint. The presidential candidates pres-

BRIDGETTE BEFORT
@BridgetteBefort

When I wake up, I go

straight for the remote. I
need my daily dose of current events, courtesy of the
morning news. For almost
a year, the national story
has remained the same: the
upcoming presidential elections. This coverage is typically about the candidates.
More specifically, about
"the" candidate: Donald
Trump.
Media coverage of Trump
is inescapable; headlines

surround us, denouncing

Trumps latest exploits
in seemingly every news
source online, print, television and radio. The press
quacks about The Donald
so often, I am surprised
people are not completely
sick of him.
But, ironically, instead
of increasing the publics
contempt, news coverage is
having the opposite effect.
Donald Trump is ahead
in delegates and is edging
closer to the Republican
nomination with every caucus and primary. In an interview aired Sunday morning on "Face the Nation,"
Republican candidate Sen.
Ted Cruz proclaimed, The
media has given Donald
Trump hundreds of millions of dollars of free advertising[]that has helped
create this phenomenon.
Very astute, Senator.
Cruz isnt necessarily

wrong, though. Trump gets

a huge amount of coverage.
In the first eleven months of
2015, Trump received 234
minutes of network evening
news coverage. In second
place was Ben Carson with
54 minutes and Cruz finished dead last with 7 minutes. And that coverage was
before caucuses and primaries even began.
It does not appear, however, that the media plans
to help Trump. In fact, the
media loves to hate Trump
and much of his media coverage is negative ranging
from condemnation of his
hesitant disavowal of the
KKK to outright indignation at his reference to the
size of certain parts of his
anatomy. Negative coverage is enabling Trump to
swagger his way to a possible nomination and presidency. For Trump, any
publicity is good publicity.

Trump is in the news a

disproportionate amount
(Im giving Trump added
attention by writing this
article "mea culpa"), and
although the attention is
negative, it does not seem
to be having the desired
effect. The more Trump is
bashed and people are told
he should not get their vote,
the closer he comes to winning the Republican nomination and the presidency.
The media should not
completely refrain from discussing Trump, because he
is the GOP frontrunner, and
thus, should be newsworthy. But instead of spending
air time relishing the ratings bonanza from Trumps
latest offensive statement
or action, the media should
spend time discussing relevant issues of importance to
Americans during election
time candidates stances on domestic and foreign

policy and their plans to uphold American values come

to mind.
Leaving Trump alone may
result in granting the wish
of the media and many
Americans. A decline in
Trump coverage could spur
a decline in the chance he
is elected the leader of the
free world. Most of the
campaign coverage has become exhausting and, quite
frankly, embarrassing to repeat in good company. Political brawls and drama are
better left to the tabloids,
not respected news sources.
And nobody is interested in
Trumps anatomy anyway.
Bridgette Befort is a sophomore from Topeka studying chemical engineering.
Edited by Madi Schulz

/THEKANSAN
KANSAN.NEWS
@UNIVERSITY
DAILYKANSAN

HOW TO SUBMIT A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

LETTER GUIDELINES: Send
letters to editor@kansan.com. Write
LETTER TO THE EDITOR in the
email subject line.
Length: 300 words

The submission should include the

authors name, year, major and
hometown. Find our full letter to the
editor policy online at
kansan.com/letters.

CONTACT US
Vicky Diaz-Camacho
Editor-in-chief
vickydc@kansan.com

Gage Brock
Business Manager
gbrock@kansan.com

THE KANSAN
EDITORIAL BOARD
Members of the Kansan
Editorial Board are Vicky
Diaz-Camacho, Kate Miller,
Gage Brock and Maddy
Mikinski

arts & culture

HOROSCOPES
WHATS YOUR
SIGN?

Aries ( March 21-April

19)
Self-discipline makes a
difference today. Take charge
to realize a personal vision.
Slow to avoid accidents.
A surprising development
charges your team. Research
options. Put one toe in the
water before you jump in.

KANSAN.COM | THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016

Cathy Joritz turns doodles into animated

short film through Hall Center fellowship
ANISSA FRITZ
@anissafritzz

t wasn't until Cathy

Joritz, an assistant professor at the University,
started doodling a Santa

character while in a faculty

meeting that she found the
starting point for her newest animated short film,
Film Feast.
That same doodle is
what also led her to receive

Taurus ( April 20-May

20)
Shopping could get expensive. Dont waste money on
stuff you dont need. Pursue
creative avenues. Wait until
conditions improve. Emotions
guide your decisions. Navigate chaos patiently. Keep
your long-term vision in mind.
Restrain your fantasies.
Gemini ( May 21-June
20)
A careful, work-related
investment may be necessary.
Upgrade your communications
infrastructure, maybe. Send
long-distance messages. Use
your powers of persuasion.
Talk your way out of a complicated situation. Write down
and share the vision.

Missy Minear/KANSAN
Cathy Joritz, an assistant professor at the University, demonstrates how a
silhouette animation is made.

the Creative Work Fellowship from The Hall Center

for the Humanities.
Anywhere
between
three and eight people
apply for the fellowship,
with projects ranging from
writing a novel to jewelry
creations, said Victor Bailey, director of the Hall
Center for Humanities.
The fellowship frees Joritz of teaching responsibilities for one semester
and allows her to focus
on making her film. It
also awards her $1,000 to
spend on the production
and supplies.
Joritzs original Santa doodle evolved into a
woman with over-exag-

Cancer ( June 21-July 22)

Verify a rumor before acting.
Dont depend on fantasy.
Theres more to the picture
than meets the eye. Costs
may be higher than expected.
Check numbers meticulously.
Make plans and backup
plans.
Leo ( July 23-Aug. 22)
Practice a passion with
discipline and watch your
skills improve. Get physical.
Play sports and games, and
push for a challenge. Provide
leadership. Make sure you
understand the rules intimately. Connect with someone
interesting.
Virgo ( Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
A professional challenge
requires your attention.
Something doesnt work as
planned. Learn a new trick
from old friends. Change
could seem abrupt. Dont let it
ruffle your domestic tranquility.
Get creative to sidestep an
obstacle.
Libra ( Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Update your partner as work
rolls in. Make corrections as
needed. Unplanned distractions and disruptions abound.
Keep complaints to yourself.
Take a time out. Discover a
brilliant but unusual solution.
Get clever ideas onto paper.
Scorpio ( Oct. 23-Nov.
21)
Consider a family investment.
Research practical options.
Change directions intuitively toward more profitable
ventures. Pool resources and
share tasks with siblings and
friends. Plan for contingencies.
Talk about dreams and visions
for the future.
Sagittarius ( Nov. 22Dec. 21)
Take a pause in your journey.
Plan your itinerary farther
forward. Find a quiet spot to
consider changes in circumstances. Listen to what others
want. Clean up messes. Find
treasure hidden among the
garbage.
Capricorn ( Dec. 22-Jan.
19)
Stick to basics, with shifting circumstances. Handle
details at work or suffer the
consequences. Listen for the
hidden elements. Slow down
to get it done right the first
time. Postpone travel for better
conditions.
Aquarius ( Jan. 20-Feb.
18)
Friends share a valuable connection. Show up well dressed
and on time. Keep your pitch
brief and compelling. Conditions are changing in your
favor. Track your cash flow.
Practice compassion. Speak
your gratitudes out loud.
Pisces ( Feb. 19-March
20)
In the eye of the storm, let
yourself be led. When confusion reigns, act responsibly.
Dont fix what isnt broken.
Say the magic words for
a surprising development.
Connect emotionally. Love is
your lifeline.

Missy Minear/KANSAN
Cathy Joritz teaches animation and effects production courses at the University.

gerated fat rolls and was

later given the name Frau
Dunkt. Drawing on her
life experiences, "Film
Feast" addresses several
issues, but the focus is the
exploding obsession with
computers and phones,
said Joritz.
After I drew Frau
Dunkt I started to think
about how much time I sit
at a computer and how it
has affected my life, and
how much I miss going out
into nature and miss going out and seeing real life
things, Joritz said.
Joritzs office door is
covered with postcards of
blue sheep or skeleton Jayhawks that she designed.
Inside is a wall of shelves
covered with books and
famous animated characters such as Spongebob
Squarepants that portray
the child-like enthusiasm
Joritz has for drawing.
My first memories of
drawing were when I was
6 years old, Joritz said.
Thats when I can remember little kids standing in
line at my desk waiting for
me to draw a picture of a
horse. They would tell me
what kind of horse they
wanted, and I would draw
it.
Years later, Joritz went
from drawing horses to
an Oscar nomination for
her 1991 Give AIDS the
Freeze.Another animation, 1985's Negative
Man, was exhibited in

the prestigious Museum of

Fine Arts Bern in Switzerland.
Being able to draw
is like being born with a
magic wand, Joritz said.
Joritz sees a problem with cell phone use
throughout society: people driving while on their
phones, being bored and
on their phones at airports
and even being on their
phones when gathering
with other people. Joritz
plans to address this problem in a creative and animated way.
Cell phone towers
have this sort of tree-like
form, she said. So where
you first see pine trees in
Frau Dunkts background
youll see cellphone towers
springing and popping up
around her.
Joritz said she hopes
her film will not only address the problem of cell
phone and Internet overuse but also the dangers to
human health and the ill
effects on wildlife caused
by electromagnetic radiation and frequencies.
The end of the film
hasnt been worked out
yet, but Joritz said shes
excited to commit real
time to drawing instead
of drawing during stolen moments, like she did
during that faculty meeting.
Edited
Schulz

by

Madi

Assistant professor Kij Johnson approaches

science fiction from a female perspective
MINSEON KIM
@adropofsunny

As a child in Harlan,
Iowa, Kij Johnson was always excited about reading
things that couldn't happen, which inspired her to
become a science fiction
writer. Years later, with
dozens of published material under her belt, Johnson
has recently begun writing
her new book "The DreamQuest of Vellitt Boe," which
is set to release in August.
Despite always having
an interest in science fiction, Johnson, an assistant
professor in the department
of English, didn't start writing her first story until she
was 25. As she started to
write simple stories, she
said she became a better
writer and started to ask
deeper questions like "what
else could happen?"
It has capabilities that
what you might call mainstream fiction doesnt,

Johnson said. With science fiction, you can push

the envelope and ask different and harder questions.
While Johnson said it
is hard to get an exact description of situations as a
science fiction writer, she
takes real life experiences
and applies the relevant
parts to her writing.
While Ive never been
on a rocket ship, I know
exactly what its like to live
in a very small space with
a bunch of people for an
extended period, Johnson
said.
"The Dream-Quest of
Vellitt Boe" is based on a
novella The Dream-Quest
of Unknown Kadath written by H.P. Lovecraft. The
original book has no women; Johnson flips the script
and inserts a woman into
the world Lovecraft created.
Thats the kind of thing
I do a lot, Johnson said. I
say, So given this world,

whatever world I am making, whats different if I am

a woman? What has to be
different if I am a woman?
What doesnt have to be different and why do I make
the decisions I do about
what a woman can or cant
do in this world?'
While Johnson writes
different kinds of stories,
she has topics that she
comes back to again and
again, including cultural
assumptions of what is expected of women. Other
topics including gender,
fitting into an environment
and love are in her interests
as well.
Johnson's books are often printed overseas but she
said she gets excited every
time it happens. Her work
is printed in Turkey, Japan,
Poland and other countries.
Johnson said it is a tremendous honor to know that
her work is good enough to
be read by people with dif-

ferent traditions of science

fiction in each country.
I feel strongly about the
international nature of science fiction and also its really gratifying to see world
science fiction, Johnson
said. And now I am part of
world science fiction.
Johnson is also the associate director at the Gunn
Center for the Study of Science Fiction and teaches
various seminars including
a summer science fiction
novel workshop for beginning novel writers.
Chris McKitterick, the
director of the Gunn Center, who has worked with
Johnson for 22 years, said
he has a huge respect for
her writing.
She has an uncanny
ability to evoke powerful
emotions in the reader,
which I find astounding in
that she can use the same
words most of us write, but
under her direction, they

take on hidden depths,

McKitterick said.
James Gunn, the founding director of the Gunn
Center, said Johnson has
a confident grasp of craft,
language and character.
She has that indispensable quality in a writer of
seeing the world in her own
unique fashion, said Gunn.
Johnson described herself as a nontraditional professor because she didnt
start graduate school until
she was 50. She said she
hopes to teach her students
how to enjoy writing.
We feel like you cant
write for fun, you can only
write to be a professional,"
Johnson said. "And part of
what I want is to be able
to show as many people as
I can, how to have a good
time writing.
Edited by G.J. Melia
and Deanna Ambrose

I say, So given this

world, whatever world I
am making, whats different if I am a woman?
What has to be different
if I am a woman? What
doesnt have to be different and why do I make the
decisions I do about what
a woman can or cant do
in this world?
-Kij Johnson

Baxter Schanze/KANSAN
Kij Johnson is an assistant professor in the department of English. She focuses on science fiction writing and one of her books is currently being recognized internationally.

ARTS & CULTURE

PUZZLES
!"#$"%!&'(&$
)(&*+,*-.!)

KANSAN.COM

CRYPTOQUIP

SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

340 Fraser | 864-4121

www.psychCLINICKUEDU
COUNSELING SERVICES
FOR LAWRENCE & KU

FIND THE ANSWERS

AND OTHER GREAT
CONTENT AT

KANSAN.COM

Students and
Non-Students
Welcome
Confidential

ARTS & CULTURE

KANSAN.COM

lowkey
listens

CHRISTIAN HARDY
@ByHardy

Duke Jordans debut, a Jon Waltz single and an A$AP Rocky freestyle
Okay, so I got caught up in mainstream music in February. Kanye West dropped an album. Yung Lean (a
favorite of mine) dropped an album. Bon Iver hooked me for a portion of the month. A$AP Rockys album from
last year has continued to grow on me. I had to give Macklemore and Ryan Lewis album a listen.

Lontalius Its Not Love

Just like Waltz, Lontalius is someone who I think
could have a big year, as he already has a co-sign
from Lorde and hes set to drop an album on March
25. Though nearly half of the album has been released in the form of singles, the deceptively-deep
Lontalius has hit on nearly all of them. And you can
add the simple Its Not Love to that list. Now, listen, its no Glow, but for what it is (a hook and a
repetitive verse) its beautiful. Its nearly impossible
for Lontalius to catch on like Lorde did his tracks
arent nearly as pop-infused or quite as catchy, but it
could be possible for him to have an album that can
grow his fan base significantly. With Ill Forget 17,
I think that could be what happens.

That left me searching for Lowkey Listens.

But I found them, and it turned out to be a solid
month. And this month will bring the new Lontalius LP, as well as the Brockhampton collective
album both of which have been featured in
Lowkey Listens (and, spoiler alert, are again this
month).
Lets jump into some of my favorite tracks from
the last month.

Duke Jordan Natalie

This piano-driven track produced by Bow was released by Rosemount as Duke Jordans debut track.
The 54-second ballad for Natalie, for whom the song
is titled, slips by quickly but leaves an impact. In
fact, this track feels like a snippet, but the melody
throughout is nearly impeccable. The short, sweet
serenade has me wanting plenty more, and thats exactly Jordans goal.

Best line: It sinks it to your head / Hell, it hurts

but its not love.

Kyle Ennui mplvn. (ft. Kevin Abstract and

Ashley Koett)
What starts off as a light, acoustic-type Beach House
track on the front half turns a bit sinister both in lyric
and tone on the back half on this Kyle Ennui track.
The track features a raspy verse from Brockhampton
front man Kevin Abstract on the back half before
Ashley Koett jumps with a spacey chorus which
carries the song. The two, back-to-back, steal the
spotlight on Ennui track, though Ennui does come
through strong over the guitar on the front half.
Best line: Dont let me be alone / Im afraid Ill die
alone / So Im just hoping that you / know that Ive
been thinking bout you / bout 100 times a day

Best line: You say youre over this / You say

youre over us / But Ive been thinking bout you

A$AP Rocky Phantogram Freestyle

Look, nothing A$AP Rocky releases is really that
low-key, but this freestyle just hasnt got the attention it deserves. Rocky spits some slick bars, per usual, over an edited version of Phantograms When
Im Small instrumental. Its not the cloud-rap Rocky
were used to but a boastful, confident Rocky who just
goes bar after bar on this freestyle.

JOBS

Engineering Internship
City of Lawrence
The City of Lawrence is seeking
an Engineering Intern to assist
staff with civil engineering tasks related to stormwater infrastructure,
roadway design & project inspection, including office & field work.
Prefer current student in CE program w/working knowledge of GIS
(ArcGIS & AutoCAD). Starting pay
is $13.00/hr. Requires drivers license. Apply by 03/25/2016 at
www.lawrenceks.org/jobs
EOE M/F/D

housing

Great American Bank is currently

accepting applications for 2 P/T
teller positions at our downtown
Lawrence location. Hours are flexible but must be available to close
until 6pm and Sat. mornings. Send
resume to HResources@greatambank.com or stop by one of our
branches to complete an application.
Help wanted for Phoenix Gallery
downtown Lawrence. Evenings,
weekends & summer hrs. needed.
Must be outgoing, friendly & have
computer exp. KS work study eligible students preferred. Call 785
8430080 for more info or bring resume to 825 Massachusetts.

Best line: I cant believe it / The way you let me

on girl

Brick Grillins Foes (Faux)

I cant put my finger on what it is about Grillins, but
he has me hooked. The Canada rapper, again, uses
his distinct voice and a hi-hat heavy, trap-infused
beat on this track caught my attention. Grillins
doesnt have a lot thats incredibly captivating in
his lyrics its him running through braggadocios
lines which can sometimes provide some comedy or
realness but his flow and voice, ultimately, seem to
captivate me every time.
Best line: I want a real skinny model / With a
pretty face / I want her tucked up in my arm there /
When we walk up in the place

Edited by Michael Portman

textbooks

announcements

SALE

SUBJECT
of
IMPOrTANCE

jobs

for sale

hawkchalk.com

JOBS

I still believe that Jon Waltz is about to have an

incredible 2016. The Memphis musician is currently
working on his follow-up to his 2014 album Alyss.
Anna was the first single he released that is set for
his next project, but this instrumental is even more
refined, smoother and catchier. Im excited for what
Waltz is going to do this year, and this is just the start
of what he has to come.

Best line: Im just glad I aint ever gotta deal dope

/ Cause the vision was this tradition and the pants

KANSAN
CLASSIFIEDS
785-864-4358

Jon Waltz Justified

JOBS

City of Lawrence
Provide highly responsible & confidential admin support in Human
Resources. P/T position works
9am1pm; must have ability to
work flex hrs if needed. Requires
at least 1yr HR clerical exp; excellent communication & Customer
Service skills; 40wpm & MS Office
(Word, Excel, Outlook). $10/hr.
Apply by 3/16/16.
Apply online at
www.lawrenceks.org/jobs
EOE M/F/D

classifieds@kansan.com

JOBS
JOBS

EVENING CLEANER
35 nights weekly, 24hrs. nightly,
$9/hr. 1020 hrs. weekly. Locally
owned since 1984. BPI Building
Services, 939 Iowa St (NAPA Auto
Parts bldg.) References required,
stable work history. 7858426264
Other shifts P/T, F/T. EOE

HOUSING

SMALL 2BR HOUSE FOR RENT

IN NORTH LAWRENCE.
$625/month. Call 7857492767.

7BR FOR RENT

Available Aug. 2016 1/2 block from
Stadium 7855508499

JOBS

ARTS & CULTURE

KANSAN.COM

Concerts coming
Lawrence Arts Center will host
benefit concert for Tibetan monks to Lawrence area
HARRISON HIPP
@harrisonhipp

March marks the beginning

of spring, but it also marks
a flock of shows set to come
to Lawrence this month.
Heres the Kansans list of
shows to see in the next
month.
THREE HEADED
THURSDAYS: Stiff
Middle Fingers, Headlight Rivals, 88er
When: March 10, 10 p.m.
Where: Replay Lounge
Price: $3 /21+
Cory Henry Presents:
The Revival w/ Sharp 9
When: March 11, 9 p.m.
Where: The Bottleneck
Price: $13
Daughter w/ WILSEN
When: March 13, 8:30 p.m.
Where: The Granada
Price: $15

File Photo/KANSAN
A Tibetan monk paints with colored sand in the Kansas Union Wednesday. The sand painting was put on by Drepung Loseling, a group that is
dedicated to the study and preservation of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

COURTNEY BIERMAN
@courtbierman

he Lawrence Arts
Center will host a
concert of classical
Indian music on March
13. This concert will benefit young monks studying
at the Chhairo Monastery
in the Mustang District of
Nepal, as well as the monastery itself. Monks, as is
traditional with Tibetan
Buddhism, enter the monastery as young as 6 years
old. Proceeds will help
fund their room and board.
University professors
Purnaprajna Bangere and
Brandon Draper, along
with esteemed Indian musician Amit Kavthekar, will
perform a combination of
jazz, blues and Indian classical music for a crowd expected to number at least
100.
Lawrence resident Subarna Bhattachan organized
the event. Bhattachan, who
owns Asian fusion restaurant Zen Zero on Massachusetts Street, came to
the United States in the
late 80s to attend school at
Bethel College in Newton.

He arrived in Lawrence
several years later to be
with his wife while she was
studying at the University.
This is not Bhattachans
first experience with humanitarian work. He and
his family, in partnership
with California-based nonprofit Restoration Works
International, have supported the upper region
of Mustang for years. In
2011, Bhattachan coordinated a medical mission
to the Mustang District
on the northern border of

What we are
doing is a cultural
preservation, and
that is why I feel
[the concert] is
going to help.
Subarna Bhattachan
Event organizer

Nepal, during which 42

volunteers spent four days
providing medical care to
poor farming communities
in the region.

Since monks depend

upon alms as part of Buddhist tradition, Bhattachan
says his charity work is
part of an obligation he has
to his home country and its
culture.
What we are doing is
a cultural preservation,
and that is why I feel [the
concert] is going to help,
Bhattachan said. Its also
my way of giving back to
my community, where I
came from, and our village.
And mostly its for cultural
preservation.
The concert will be
presented in two halves.
Bangere, a violinist, will
perform the first half with
Kavthekar, who plays a
South Asian drum called a
tabla. They will play a set
of classical Indian music,
including a few of Bangeres original compositions.
The second half will feature Bangere, Kavthekar
and jazz percussionist
Draper. Their set will have
elements of both Eastern
and Western classical music, but Bangere said fusion is the wrong word for
it.
Its essentially a new
music which will sound

s
n
o
p
u
o
c
n
a
s
kan
Clip and Save!

Indian, it will sound blues,

it will sound whatever people identify with but its
essentially new, both aesthetically as well as mathematically, Bangere said.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased
online at the Lawrence Arts
Centers website. Tickets
can also be purchased at
Zen Zero, La Parilla and
Genovese.
Edited by Samantha
Harms

Samantha Fish w/ Katy

Guillen and the Girls
When: March 16, 9 p.m.
Where: The Bottleneck
Price: $13
Manateees w/ Wendy
Moira
When: March 20
Where: Replay Lounge
Price: $3
Chad Valley & Blackbird Blackbird w/
Shallou
When: March 21, 8 p.m.
Where: The Riot Room
Price: $12 / 21+
Into It. Over It. and
The World Is A Beautiful Place And I Am No
Longer Afraid To Die
w/ The Sidekicks and

Pinegrove
When: March 24, 7:30 p.m.
Where: The Granada
Price: $14
Intelligent Sound
Invades Niche: Tom
Richman, LION, Alccalh,
Tione, GEESACE and Peter
Anthony
When: March 26, 9 p.m.
Where: Niche KC 3611
Broadway St.
Price: $5 / 21+
Tinashe Joyride World
Tour
When: March 28, 8 p.m.
Where: The Granada
Price: $22.50
Iration w/ HIRIE, The
Expanders and Amp
Live
When: March 30, 7 p.m.
Where: The Granada
Price: $20
Gary Clark Jr.
When: March 31, 8 p.m.
Where: The Uptown Theater
Price: $29.50
Murder By Death w/ Tim
Barry
When: March 31, 9 p.m.
Where: The Granada
Price: $15
Hospital Ships Past Is
Not A Flood Release
Show w/ Jeff Stolz and
No Magic
When: March 22, 7 p.m.
Where: Love Garden
Sounds
Price: FREE
Edited by Brendan
Dzwierzynski

sports
KANSAN.COM/SPORTS | THURSDAY, MARCH 10, 2016

File Photo/KANSAN

Senior quarterback Montell Cozart drops back to pass in a game in 2015.

Football notebook: Spring Break plans,

focusing on 1-0 and Cozart progressing
CHRISTIAN HARDY
@ByHardy

hen winter break

started, senior
quarterback
Montell Cozart went back
to his home in Kansas City,
Kan., and started studying.
It was the fifth offense hed
be learning in three and a
half seasons as a Jayhawk.
When he returned to
campus in January, he ran
through plays in 7-on-7
and in meeting rooms; he
learned new signals and offensive line assignments.
Under David Beatys new,
more traditional style of the
Air Raid offense, the quarterbacks role has not only
changed, it has expanded,
putting more weight on
Cozarts shoulders in spring
practice.
The quarterback has a

little bit more responsibility, and that was probably

the most difficult part,
Cozart said of the otherwise
smooth transition. Just
studying with coach Beaty,
were starting to get the
grasp of it.
When a media member
joked that he was the most
educated quarterback in the
nation, having been through
a pro-style offense and a
more typically-college offense, Cozart chuckled.
I feel like I am, Cozart
said with a smile. If I started up on the grease board,
Id do a great job. [] Im
just taking advantage of it.
Ive learned so much.
The transition this time
may be a bit easier for
Cozart, not only because it
lets the quarterback roam
something Cozart, a dual-threat guy, does well
but because the guy who

formulated it is now his position coach. In both practices open to the media so
far, Beaty has stuck around
the quarterbacks, who hes
expected to work almost exclusively with this season.
We meet with him all
the time, and were starting
to get the feel of him as our
position coach, not just our
head coach, Cozart said.
Me as a quarterback, personally, I feel great about it,
and Im learning on the fly
all the time Its been fun.
1-0
One might imagine a
winless season would weigh
heavily on the Jayhawks
through the offseason. And,
to some extent it did; for junior linebacker Joe Dineen
Jr., it was embarrassing;
senior safety Fish Smithson
said it was hard to let that

go; Cozart said he thinks

about it every day.
And they didnt stop
hearing about it, all offseason long almost four
months to date.
At the end of the day,
everybody that writes about
us, they talk about us, thats
what theyre going to say,
Smithson said. As players,
were trying not to think
about it as much. Were trying to look forward, but in
the back of our minds we
know were going to use that
as motivation.
So in the meeting rooms,
Cozart studies a little harder
or spends a little more time
to forget about the seemingly endless, silent flights
home after losses. In the
weight room, Dineen might
get in a few extra reps to discard the feeling of those two
numbers: 0-12.
Coming into work, you

start to get that feeling, your

body starts to break down,
you start to get tired, but
you automatically, you mentally get that photographic
memory of what it felt like
after every game, Cozart
said. We dont want to go
back there.
But now, the focus is
on two different numbers:
1-0. Since winter break, the
teams mantra has been all
about individual wins, not
just in games but in practices. Thats where the focus is
geared.
Our coaches mentioned
[1-0], and it just clicked with
us, Smithson said. We talk
about it a lot, just being 1-0.
We want to just win.
Spring Break
After Thursdays practice, Kansas will be off for 12
days straight, until March

22, for spring break. Dineen

said he has big plans for the
break: staying right in Lawrence.
Going to a really exciting place: Lawrence, Kansas, Dineen laughed. Really excited about that. Just
kind of staying in shape.
Springs pretty tough on
your body, so youve got to
be smart about what you do
over spring break.
Cozart, though, has plans
to get away for a bit before
spring practice is ramped
up.
Im just going back
home, going to K.C. for a little bit, Cozart said. Then I
might go to D.C. and might
vacation with a couple of
friends. I have a couple family members up there.
Edited by Brendan
Dzwierzynski

USA Today names Bill Self as Coach of the Year

SCOTT CHASEN
@SChasenKU

Kansas coach Bill Self

was named college basketball Coach of the Year
by USA Today Sports early Tuesday morning. The
award comes just one day
after he was named Big 12
Coach of the Year by the AP.
Self's Jayhawks finished
the regular season 27-4, going 15-3 in Big 12 play. The
team took first in the Big 12,
winning the title outright
and earning at least a share
of the title for the 12th-consecutive year.
The Big 12 currently has

three teams rated in the

RPI top 10. Seven of the 10
Big 12 schools are ranked
27 or higher. Self said Monday he expects those seven
teams all to make the NCAA
tournament.
Right now, Kansas is
ranked No. 1 in both the AP
Poll and Coaches Poll. The
Jayhawks are ranked No. 1
in RPI and No. 2 according
to kenpom.com. On the site,
the Jayhawks are one of just
two teams to be ranked in
the top 10 of both offensive
and defensive efficiency.
Kansas currently sits
at seventh in the nation in
field goal percentage and

third in the nation in threepoint percentage. The team

leads the Big 12 with 81.8
points per game, while sitting in 25th in the nation in
defensive field goal percentage.
The Jayhawks will next
be in action this Thursday.
Having secured a bye in
the first round of the Big 12
Tournament, the team will
take on Kansas State. Tip
is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
from Sprint Center.

Caroline Fiss/KANSAN
Kansas coach Bill Self smirks after KU wins their 12th Big 12 regular season title in a row.

Kansas baseball to host the

Millard Management Classic
EMMA GREEN

@emmalee_green

Missy Minear/KANSAN
Junior outfielder Joven Afenir rounds second base in the second game of
the series against BYU. The Jayhawks lost 8-2.

Coming off a three-game

sweep by BYU and a rainedout game against Creighton,
the Kansas baseball team (37) will face off against North
Dakota, St. Louis and Purdue
over the weekend.
In the middle of a ninegame Kansas home stand,
the games are part of the
Millard Management Classic a jamboree-style tournament that Kansas last
hosted in 2014.
Purdue and St. Louis will
start the Classic at 11 a.m.
Friday, followed by a 3 p.m.
start for Kansas and North
Dakota. North Dakota and
Purdue will face off at 11 a.m.
Saturday, with Kansas and

St. Louis following at 3 p.m.

North Dakota and St. Louis
will play at 11 a.m. Sunday,
while Purdue and Kansas
will wrap up the Classic at 3
p.m.
Playing its first game in
nearly a week, Kansas will
square off against North Dakota (2-4) on Friday. While
the teams havent played
since 2012, Kansas holds the
all-time advantage at 4-1.
Despite its lackluster record, North Dakota managed to notch two victories
against 12th-ranked Southern California during its first
games of the season. However, things havent gone so
well for the Fighting Hawks
since, as they are currently
on a four-game skid.

On the second day of the

Classic, Kansas will play St.
Louis (5-8) with an all-time
record of 4-2 against the
Billikens. Prior to a double-header that St. Louis
won in 2010, the two teams
hadnt played in more than
100 years, with the last game
being in 1911.
Losing their first eight
games, the Billikens started
off slow but are currently on
a five-game winning streak.
Four of those losses came
from BYU, a team that also
swept Kansas.
To conclude the Classic,
Kansas will face Purdue (28) on Sunday.
While its record may be
dismal, four of Purdues eight
losses have come against

ranked opponents including 21st-ranked Georgia

Tech and 10th-ranked California and therefore they
shouldnt be counted out.
Although every team
participating in the Classic
is sub-.500, they all have
experience against quality
teams and could prove to
be difficult competition for
the Jayhawks, particularly
the hot-streaking Billikens.
North Dakota could also be
problematic for Kansas, as
it is the only team with a win
against a ranked opponent.
All games will be played
at Hoglund Ballpark, and
games against Kansas will be
broadcasted on ESPN3.
Edited by Madi Schulz

photos via AP PHOTO

BRACKET BASH

BRACKET BASH

2B

KANSAN.COM

basketball gameday
KANSAS JAYHAWKS 27-4 (15-3)
EVAN RIGGS

vs.

KANSAS

@EvanRiggsUDK

KANSAS STATE WILDCATS 17-15 (5-13)

SCOTT CHASEN

KANSAS STATE

AT A GLANCE

AT A GLANCE
Nobody in college basketball is playing better than
Kansas right now, who is
currently riding an 11-game
winning streak. With a win
on Thursday, Kansas would
be in very good position to
be the number one overall
seed in the NCAA tournament. The Jayhawks havent lost in the quarterfinals
of the Big 12 Tournament
since 2009, and with the
way they have played as of
late, that doesnt seem very
likely to change this season.

PLAYER TO WATCH

PROJECTED STARTERS

Frank Mason III, junior, guard

In the Jayhawks last eight games, Mason was extremely efficient, shooting 57 percent from the field
and 52 percent from three with 33 assists to nine
turnovers. Mason wasnt great offensively on Saturday with just nine points, but his defense on Iowa
States Monte Morris stood out. One day later, he was
selected to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team.

Jamari Traylor
senior, forward
The fifth-year senior is playing his best basketball of the
season at the right time for
Kansas. Hes scored eight
points in back-to-back
games, and according to
Self, hes been one of the
biggest emotional leaders for the Jayhawks down
the stretch. The Jayhawks
will be expected to win on
Thursday, and the only way
they wont is if they dont
play with energy. If Traylor
brings the same energy he
has been for a month that
should trickle down to the
rest of the team.

PROJECTED STARTERS

Barry Brown, freshman, guard

Outside of games against Kansas, Brown hasnt
been that effective unless hes playing the
bottom-feeders in the Big 12. Hes scored more
than five points just once in his last four games.
Brown can knock down shots from the outside,
leading the team with a three-point field goal
percentage of 34.4.

Usually, there are a few top

seeds in conference tournaments that lose after a firstround bye because their
opponent already experienced the intensity of the
postseason. As long as the
Jayhawks arent caught offguard by the intensity that
Kansas State, the winner of
Wednesdays matchup, is
bound to bring, they should
be just fine.

BY THE NUMBERS

2002 - The last time Kansas

entered the postseason with
at least a 10-game winning
streak. That team won 14
consecutive games, compared to 11 this year for the
Jayhawks.

Devonte Graham, sophomore, guard

After shooting poorly for a few games, Grahams
stroke has returned in the Jayhawks last two games.
He hit another big shot in Kansas win over Iowa
State on Saturday, and he continues to prove he is the
teams best clutch shooter. Like Mason, Graham was
also named to the Big 12 All Defensive Team.

BIG JAY WILL CHEER IF...

The Jayhawks win. Its pretty much a done deal that

they will be a number one
seed in the NCAA tournament, and probably even
the number one overall
seed with a win on Thursday. Style points arent
important for Kansas like
other teams who are trying
to solidify their seed in the
tournament. At this point
in the season, the Jayhawks
will take a win any way they
can get it.

PLAYER TO WATCH

Edwards leads the team in scoring and rebounds,

and hes actually one of the better shooters on
the team too, despite shooting exactly 30 percent
from the three-point range. After a bit of a lull between December and January, Edwards has been
playing better, scoring in double-figures in eight
of his last nine games.

Stephen Hurt
senior, forward
Hurt showed out in the last
game against Kansas, posting
13 points in the near comeback win. Hurt has the ability
to step out and hit a shot, but
hes not quite the three-point
shooter that some others on
the team are, shooting just
over 31 percent on this season. Really, his best impact
comes as a physical body in
the paint, where hes a solid
defensive rebounder among
other things.
QUESTION MARK

Wayne Selden Jr., junior, guard

On Saturday, Selden looked like the guy who
torched every team he faced in the Jayhawks
non-conference slate. He had 16 points, and
shot 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. He really
struggled with his shot for five weeks, but it
looks like he may be back on track just in time
for the Big 12 Tournament, where he averaged
17.3 points last year.

Perry Ellis, senior, forward

Ellis will enter the game having scored 20 points
in back-to-back games, and even though they
were a lot different, both were equally impressive. Against Texas, he was extremely efficient,
and against Iowa State, it was probably the most
aggressive game hes played all season.

0 - No team has ever lost its

first conference tournament
game and gone on to win
the national championship.
41 - Kansas is holding its
opponents to 41 percent
shooting in Big 12 play,
which is best in the conference.

Kansas State is not going

to make the NCAA tournament, so this game is all
about solidifying the teams
standing going into the
postseason. Right now, the
team projects as a middle
of the pack NIT school, and
a win over Kansas could
definitely solidify its standing in that tournament.

Justin Edwards, senior, guard

QUESTION MARK

Will a first round bye

actually come back to
bite Kansas?

@SChasenKU

Wesley Iwundu, junior, forward

Iwundu is an incredibly versatile player and defender. He came into the game against Oklahoma State having scored in double-figures in four
straight games, although he failed to make much
of an impact in the last game against Kansas.
Iwundu was named to the All-Big 12 Third Team
and Big 12 All-Defensive team by the league this
week, and looks to capitalize on that moving forward.

Dean Wade, freshman, forward

Wade, along with Brown, was named to the Big
12 All-Newcomer Team earlier this week, and has
continued to be a bright spot for the Wildcats in a
losing season. Hes starting to expand his range,
but needs to be much more efficient before hes
taken seriously as a three-point threat.

BY THE NUMBERS

338 - Kansas State ranks 338

in the nation in three-points
shooting. For reference, Kansas ranks third.
14 - Kansas States leading
scorer, Justin Edwards, ranks
14th in the Big 12 in points
per game. Four different
Big 12 schools have at least
two players averaging more
points per game than Edwards.
1 - Of all qualified players,
D.J. Johnson ranks first in
the Big 12 in field goal percentage (61.7 percent).

Landen Lucas, junior, forward

Like the rest of the Kansas front line, Lucas
struggled to handle Iowa States Jameel McKay,
especially in the first half on Saturday. But just
like hes done all year, Lucas pulled down all of
the key rebounds down the stretch. At this time
last year, he was just a fill-in for Cliff Alexander,
who was under NCAA investigation. This year,
Lucas is playing his best basketball in a Kansas
uniform, and he has clearly gained the trust of
the coaching staff and his teammates.

Can Kansas State hit

shots?
The Wildcats are not a good
shooting team. Theres really no way to sugarcoat that.
The teams best three-point
shooter is making less than
35 percent of his shots. For
reference, Kansas has nine
different players shooting
better than 35 percent from
three on the year; three of
them are shooting better than
45 percent from three. Kansas State is a good defensive
team but will need offensive
production to spring the upset.

D.J. Johnson, junior, forward

Johnson is the most efficient inside scorer on
the team. He leads Kansas state in percentage
of shots attempted at the rim and is second in
field goal percentage on those shots, with a minimum 15 attempts. He leads the team in overall
field goal percentage by nearly 15 percent, and he
comes into this game playing well, with 20 points
in two of his last three outings.

Beat writer predictions:

Scott Chasen | @SChasenKU: Kansas, 73-64
Shane Jackson | @jacksonshane3: Kansas, 75-60
Evan Riggs | @EvanRiggsUDK: Kansas, 77-65

BIG JAY WILL CRY IF...

Kansas comes out flat knowing that a one seed is pretty

much already guaranteed. The
Wildcats will be hungry for a
win and will be looking for another win over a top-tier team
to build off of, having already
defeated Oklahoma earlier
this season.

3B

BRACKET BASH

KANSAN.COM

Projecting the field: An NCAA Tournament breakdown

With the NCAA Tournament approaching, our beat writers took a look at the most recent edition of Joe Lunardis Bracketology on ESPN.com and
gave their picks for each region.
The regions are also divided up into the following categories: The favorite, the Cinderella, the early upset and the dark horse. Our writers made
their pick for each with a sentence explanation as to why.

Midwest
Per Lunardi: Kansas, Xavier, Indiana, Duke, Iowa,
Texas, Dayton, South Carolina, Colorado, USC, Gonzaga, Arkansas-Little Rock, Stephen F. Austin, UAB,
Green Bay, Fairleigh Dickinson/Austin Peay.

The Favorite:

The Cinderella:

The Early Upset:

The Dark Horse:

Scott Chasen | @SChasenKU:

Kansas Kansas is the deepest
team in the nation and the
likely No. 1 overall seed.
However, the top three teams
in this region are better than
in any other, so it wont be a
cakewalk

Chasen: Gonzaga The Zags

space the floor well and can
beat anyone when theyre on.

Chasen: Iowa Iowa has lost

five of its last seven. This is the
easy pick.

Jackson: USC USC has a potential second-round matchup

against Xavier, a familiar opponent from earlier this year.

Jackson: Iowa The Hawkeyes

are just 6-6 in their last 12
games despite being ranked in
the top 20.

Chasen: Indiana It doesnt

feel right calling Indiana a
dark horse. This is one of the
best teams in the nation and a
scary, scary three seed.

Shane Jackson | @jacksonshane3:

Kansas The Jayhawks have
won 11-straight games and
look to be the best team in the
nation.

Riggs: Stephen F. Austin The

team shoots the ball well from
distance, making it an instant
upset threat.

Riggs: Duke Duke struggles

to play defense, and if Brandon
Ingram or Grayson Allen
struggle on offense, an early
exit could be in the cards.

The Favorite:

The Cinderella:

The Early Upset:

The Dark Horse:

Chasen: North Carolina The

Tar Heels only have one loss
outside the top 40 and havent
lost a game by more than six.
Plus, you have to love a team
led by a senior.

Chasen: St. Bonaventure The

Bonnies have a trio of scorers
that can rival just about any
tournament team and are
more than capable of heating
up from deep.

Chasen: Oregon Oregon

struggles from behind the arc
and is led by a pair of players
who absolutely disappeared in
the game they were eliminated
in during last years NCAA
Tournament.

Jackson: North Carolina

Roys Boys are a favorite
after winning 14 games in a
competitive ACC.

Jackson: Yale In their first

NCAA Tournament appearance since 1962, this team has
the feel of a magical March
story.

Chasen: Kentucky Jamal

Murray has been absolutely
on fire as of late. Tyler Ulis
is a stud, and the team is at
another level when Derek
Willis is healthy. The four and
five seeds in this region are the
best of any.

Jackson: West Virginia The

Mountaineers press can cause
chaos, but will they be able to
score enough to hang around?

Evan Riggs | @EvanRiggsUDK:

Kansas The Jayhawks may
not be the most talented team
in the country, but with balance
and veteran leadership theyve
looked the part.

West
Per Lunardi: North Carolina, Oregon, West Virginia,
Kentucky, Maryland, Wisconsin, Seton Hall, Butler,
VCU, Pittsburgh, St. Bonaventure/Monmouth, Yale,
Stony Brook, Iona, Weber State.

East
Per Lunardi: Villanova, Michigan State, Miami, Texas
A&M, California, Arizona, Texas Tech, Wichita State,
Cincinnati, Syracuse/Saint Marys, Temple, South
Dakota State, Chattanooga, UNC Wilmington, UNCA
Asheville, Florida Gulf Coast/Hampton.

South
Per Lunardi: Virginia, Oklahoma, Utah, Purdue,
Iowa State, Baylor, Notre Dame, Providence,
Vanderbilt, Saint Josephs, San Diego State, Akron,
Northern Iowa, Hawaii, New Mexico State, Texas
Southern.

Riggs: North Carolina Even

though the Tar Heels dont
have many great wins this
year, they may have the most
talented roster in the country.

Jackson: Texas Texas could

be at full strength and could
be scary with Shaka Smart
leading the way.
Riggs: Indiana With an
elite point guard, a skilled big
and the fifth best three-point
percentage in the nation, the
Hoosiers have all the tools to
make a run.

Jackson: Kentucky The

Wildcats are always littered
with talent and should never
be taken lightly.

Riggs: St. Bonaventure The

Bonnies have three guys averaging more than 16 points per
game, making them an atypical
matchup for a higher seed.

Riggs: Oregon The Ducks

arent a particularly good
shooting team, so if somebody is able to pack it in and
keep them out of the paint,
they may not see the second
weekend.

Riggs: Maryland Maryland

was a top five team preseason
but hasnt lived up to those
expectations. If Melo Trimble
plays well, Maryland can beat
anybody.

The Favorite:

The Cinderella:

The Early Upset:

The Dark Horse:

Chasen: Michigan State

There is no one in the nation
who can take over a game
like Denzel Valentine. Matt
Costello has been dynamic.
Izzo is Izzo.

Chasen: Wichita State With

two senior guards playing at a
high level, you have to imagine
theyll be a tough out from the
tourney. Rough resume, better
team.

Chasen: Villanova Villanova

has one win against a top 30
RPI team. They lost to that
same team later in the year.

Chasen: Arizona Arizona has

lost seven games this year, five
of which have been by four or
fewer points. All of its losses
have been to tournament-projected teams. Dont underestimate the Wildcats.

Jackson: Michigan State

Tom Izzo in March. Enough
said.

Jackson: Temple Watch out

for the Owls who are playing
their best basketball, having won nine of their last 12
contests.

Riggs: Michigan State The

Spartans will have the best
player on the court in just
about every game.

Riggs: Saint Marys Saint

Marys is shooting 41.3 percent
from beyond the arc this
season. If they get hot, they
have the firepower to win a few
games.

Jackson: Villanova Watch

out for Villanova, a team just
1-3 against the RPI Top 25.
Riggs: Villanova Villanova
hasnt advanced out of the first
weekend since 2009, so its
difficult to trust them, even as
a No. 1 seed.

Jackson: Miami Miami is 9-3

in its last 12 games and are an
impressive 8-2 against the RPI
Top 50.
Riggs: California California
has as much talent as anybody
in the country and has played
well as of late, going 8-1 in its
last nine.

The Favorite:

The Cinderella:

The Early Upset:

The Dark Horse:

Chasen: Virginia The Cavaliers play at a slow pace, which

gives the impression that
theyre not an offensive-minded team to those who just look
at per-game numbers, but
theyre lethal on both ends of
the floor, pace-adjusted, of
course.

Chasen: Northern Iowa

With a win over UNC and a
4-1 record vs. the RPI top 50,
Northern Iowa is set up to be
this years giant killer.

Chasen: Oklahoma This

team looked like it peaked in
mid-January, finishing Big 12
play at 5-4 in its last nine.

Chasen: Iowa State With

Monte Morris and Georges
Niang, its hard to pick against
the Cyclones, even as theyve
definitely underachieved this
year.

Jackson: Virginia Virginia

is one of the best teams in the
nation and for good reason.
The Cavaliers are 10-2 in their
last 12 games.
Riggs: Oklahoma Virginia is
the one seed, but Oklahoma
has the guard play to go deep
in the tournament.

Jackson: San Diego State

The Aztecs are another hot
team, winning 10 of their last
12 games and going 16-2 in
conference play.
Riggs: Northern Iowa Northern Iowa plays the seventh
slowest pace in college basketball, which is a recipe for a
tournament upset.

Jackson: Oklahoma The

Sooners are one of the hardest
teams to predict. If their three
guards are not shooting well,
they are likely getting bounced
early.
Riggs: Iowa State The
Cyclones have as good of a
one-two punch as anybody
with Monte Morris and Georges Niang, but they dont have
anything else to fall back on.

Jackson: Iowa State The

Cyclones were the best offense
in the Big 12 and will be a very
dangerous team come tournament time.

Riggs: Vanderbilt In November, the Commodores were a

trendy Final Four pick. Theyve
played well for the last month
and have the roster to make
a run.

Predictions
SPORTS STAFF

@KansanSports

Chasen

Riggs

Jackson

Elite Eight: Indiana over Kansas, North Carolina over Wisconsin, Virginia over Oklahoma,
Michigan State over Villanova

Elite Eight: Kansas over Indiana, Maryland

over Oregon, Oklahoma over Virginia, Michigan State over California

Elite Eight: Kansas over Indiana, Kentucky

over Oregon, Oklahoma over Virginia, Michigan State over Villanova

Final Four: North Carolina over Indiana,

Michigan State over Virginia

Final Four: Kansas over Maryland, Michigan

State over Oklahoma

Final Four: Kansas over Kentucky, Michigan

State over Oklahoma

National Championship: Michigan State

over North Carolina

National Championship: Kansas over Michigan State

National Championship: Michigan State

over Kansas

BRACKET BASH

4B

KANSAN.COM

Bill Self talks awards, NCAA Tournament and

Big 12 Tournament in weekly press conference
is a culmination of multiple
years I think speaks volume for those guys.

Missy Minear/KANSAN
Kansas Coach Bill Self talks to a player on the bench during a game.

SCOTT CHASEN
@SChasenKU

ansas coach Bill Self

addressed the media
Monday at his weekly press conference. Heres
a look at the various topics he discussed, ranging
from the importance of the
NCAA tournament vs. the
Big 12 Tournament to some
awards that have already
been handed out.
On winning AP Big 12

Coach of the Year...

On Monday, the AP
announced Bill Self was
named Big 12 Coach of the
Year. Self said he appreciated the award, but he
wouldve gone in a different
direction.
Its nice. Certainly I
appreciate it, Self said.
[But The AP] didnt get it
right this time either. Tubby [Smith, coach at Texas
Tech,] shouldve won it.
Self pegged West Virginia coach Bob Huggins
as his second choice for

coach of the year, saying

the award was more about
outperforming
expectations than anything else. He
reaffirmed that he thought
the media got it wrong, congratulating Smith on being
named Big 12 Coach of the
Year by the league.
Its not easy to stay
at the top; its not easy at
all. But its a lot harder to
get [to the] top, Self said.
For those guys to do what
theyve done with their programs and know that this
isnt a one-year award; this

Missy Minear/KANSAN
Junior guard Wayne Selden Jr. talks to junior guard Frank Mason III in the second half against West Virginia.

All five Kansas starters

earn All-Big 12 honors
SCOTT CHASEN
@SChasenKU

On Sunday, the Big 12

Conference announced its
award recipients. Five different Kansas players received honors; three made
either the All-Big 12 First
Team or Big 12 All-Defensive Team.
Senior forward
Perry Ellis
Ellis was named to the
All-Big 12 First Team for the
second consecutive year. He
was one of three unanimous
selections for the first team,
along with Oklahoma guard
Buddy Hield and Iowa State
forward Georges Niang.
Despite coaches praising
Ellis for his improved defense, he did not make the
All-Defensive team. Kansas
did have two representatives there, including junior
guard Frank Mason III and
sophomore guard Devonte
Graham.
Junior guard
Frank Mason III
Mason was named to
the All-Big 12 Second Team
for the second-consecutive
year. The junior finished
the regular season averag-

ing 13.4 points, 4.6 assists

and 4.4 rebounds per game,
shooting better than 40
percent from three for the
second consecutive year.
Mason was also named
to the Big 12 All-Defensive
Team. Ahead of the second
game against Oklahoma,
senior guard Buddy Hield
said Mason was the best defender that guarded him all
season.
Junior guard
Wayne Selden Jr.
After a blazing start to
the year, Selden slowed
down a bit in conference
play, averaging just 11.3
points and 2.2 assists per
game. Still, that was good
enough to earn a spot on
the All-Big 12 Second Team.
Selden received a lot of
buzz coming into the season, landing a spot on the
Sporting News Preseason
All-American Second Team.
Sophomore guard
Devonte Graham
Graham received votes
for the All-Big 12 teams,
eventually ending up as an
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. Graham is one of four
Kansas players averaging
double-digits in scoring.

Hes second on the team in

assists with 3.5 per game.
Additionally, like Mason, Graham was also
named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team. Back on Feb.
14, he held Hield to just
5-of-15 shooting as Kansas
pulled off the upset on the
road. In the first half, Hield
shot 0-of-6 from the floor;
it was the only time this
year he failed to record a
made shot in a half.
Junior forward
Landen Lucas
The most surprising AllBig 12 Honorable Mention
selection, Lucas, has averaged 5.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game since the
start of conference play.
Those numbers balloon
to 11.4 points and 14.7 rebounds when projected out
to per 40 averages.
Throughout the season,
Kansas has started four
different players at center:
seniors Hunter Mickelson
and Jamari Traylor, Lucas
and freshman forward Cheick Diallo. However, since
Lucas took over the starting
spot, hes run away with the
job, evident by the postseason honor.
Edited by Sam Davis

On what he likes about

KU...
Asked what hes proud
about with the team, Self
said there are a couple of
things that he really enjoys,
one of which is the teams
propensity to win close
games.
I think theyre pretty
tough in crucial situations,
Self said. They usually
not always, usually rise
to the level of what needs
to be done at that particular
moment.
Kansas is 13-1 in games
decided by 10 or fewer
points this season.
As for the other thing
that makes Self proud, he
says its about the bond the
team shares.
They like each other,
Self said. They seem to
be very unselfish and care
more about their teammates than they appear to
care about themselves.
On the importance
of the Big 12 Tournament...
Kansas will be the oneseed in the Big 12 Tournament and would seem to be
the odds-on favorite in the
event. However, Self downplayed the importance of
the tournament, saying
that losing in the semifinals could actually be better
than making the finals.
If you get to the finals,

then youve got to win, Self

said. If you dont get to the
finals and win, youre almost better off not getting
to the finals. You get an extra day of rest.
This time last year, Perry Ellis was at about 50
percent, Self said. He said
with Joel Embiids injury two years ago, the team
hasnt been healthy going
into March for a while now,
which means he wont be
pushing any players harder
than he needs to.

If you get to
the finals, then
youve got to win
[...] If you dont
get to the finals
and win, youre
almost better off
not getting to the
finals. You get
an extra day of
rest.
Bill Self
Kansas Coach

It is important [] I will
not take away the importance of it to our team, Self
said. But deep down in my
core, I know its not as important as being prepared

to play the next week.

On the NCAA Tournament...

Right now, the Big 12 is
projected to have seven of
its 10 teams in the NCAA
tournament. Self said he
agrees with that projection,
specifically with regard to
the seventh team: Texas
Tech.
I think Tech is in regardless, Self said about
the Big 12 Tournament
having implications on the
NCAA Tournament. And I
certainly think the other six
are safe.
Talking about Kansas,
Self said he felt the team is
in about as good a position
as theyve ever been in going into the tournament.
I feel confident about
that, Self said about Kansas chances of getting a
one-seed. I sense that
weve put ourselves in a
pretty good position.
However, to Self, the difference between a one-seed
and a two-seed isnt all that
much. Instead, he said its
crucial for the team to get
the right matchups on the
path to the Final Four.
Its really not [that important]. Its more important to match up, Self said.
Being a one seed comes
with extra attention, extra
scrutiny [and] extra pressure than sometimes not
being a one seed, but I dont
really think it makes that
much of a difference.

KANSAN.COM

9B

BRACKET BASH

Big 12 postseason breakdown: A look

at the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments
Kansas 27-4 (15-3)

Texas 20-11 (11-7)

SCOTT CHASEN

SHANE JACKSON

@SChasenKU

@jacksonshane3

Season recap
Kansas ended the regular season as the
No. 1 team in the nation and clinched its
12th-straight conference championship.
The Jayhawks hit a rough patch in the
middle of January, losing three games
during a five-game stretch.
But rather than getting buried in the
conference race, Kansas won 11 straight
games to end the season, winning the
toughest conference by two games. Now
all eyes turn to the postseason, where the
Jayhawks will look to avoid a first weekend exit for the third consecutive year.
Tournament outlook
The Jayhawks are looking at a potential No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament this March. Regardless of what

happens this weekend in Kansas City,

Kan. will not be bumped off the 1-seed
line, and it seems unlikely that it gets
bumped off the top seed overall.
What they can accomplish in
March
Given how the team finished the year,
the Jayhawks are without a doubt the
best team in the Big 12 Tournament and
will likely have the feel of a home crowd
support. Because of these factors, a first
round exit in the Sprint Center would
be inexcusable and anything less than a
championship appearance would be a disappointment.

West Virginia 24-7 (13-5)

@EvanRiggsUDK

Tournament outlook
Currently, Joe Lunardi is projecting
West Virginia as a No. 3 seed in ESPN
Bracketology. If the Mountaineers are
able to win a few games in the Big 12
Tournament, there is very good chance
they could move up to a two seed.
This season, The Mountaineers have
been consistently ranked in the top 10 for
almost two months, and it seems they are

Tournament outlook
The Longhorns have managed to hang
around in the top 25 week after week, despite not really having any one stretch where
theyve dominated, like some of the other
teams in the Big 12. However, with wins
over North Carolina, West Virginia (twice),

Baylor, Iowa State and Oklahoma, theres

almost no way the Longhorns end up with
something worse than a six or seven seed.

What they can accomplish in March

Considering Texas three potential Big
12 Tournament opponents are all likely to
be ranked, the team could probably help
itself seed-wise with some wins. However,
a second-game showdown against Kansas
doesnt exactly bode well for the team. To
be successful in the Big 12 Tournament, the
team needs Isaiah Taylor to be a constant
force.
Since Taylor shot 0-of-8 from the field
against West Virginia, hes only had a couple of games that were all that strong. In
that stretch, hes become rather inefficient
from the field and has shot just 4-of-24 from
three. The team has lost five games in that
time.

Iowa State 21-10 (10-8)

EVAN RIGGS

Season recap
West Virginia finished the season
with an impressive 24-7 record and was
second in the Big 12 standings behind
Kansas with a 13-5 conference record.
The Mountaineers went through a February lull when they lost three out of four
games, but since then they have won four
in a row.
They boast impressive wins over Kansas, Baylor and Iowa State, and outside of
Florida, who is a bubble team, every team
West Virginia has lost to will be in the
NCAA Tournament.

Season recap
When the Longhorns are on, theyre one
of the scarier teams in the Big 12. Isaiah Taylor ended up on the All-Big 12 First Team,
while Prince Ibeh was the lone unanimous
selection to the All-Big 12 Defensive Team.
However, the team can also look really bad, especially at home. The Longhorns
were decimated by the Jayhawks and the
Baylor Bears down the stretch of Big 12 play
and can certainly lose to almost any NCAA
tournament-quality team if they arent playing well.

SHANE JACKSON
one of the more likely Big 12 teams that
could make a Sweet 16 or Elite Eight run.
What they can accomplish in
March
In order to be successful in the Big 12
Tournament, West Virginia will have to
do what it has done all year: cause turnovers with its pressure. However, West
Virginia may run into some problems
against Oklahoma in the semifinals of the
Big 12 Tournament because Oklahomas
guards are too good to be rattled by the
pressure.
The Mountaineers are probably the
least likely team in the Big 12 to lose early
in the NCAA Tournament because their
depth and pressure will be too much for
inferior foes in the first weekend. But with
that said, West Virginia wont get past
the Elite Eight because at that point, the
guard play of other teams will be too good
and offset their pressure defense.

@jacksonshane3

Season recap
Iowa State took a step back this season.
Many people expected the Cyclones to
compete with the top-tier teams for a Big
12 title, but they fell well behind the pack
at seasons end. Iowa State finished sixth
in the conference after a 10-win campaign,
despite being loaded with veterans, including senior forward Georges Niang, who
finished on the All-Big 12 First Team once
again this year.
Tournament outlook
In Joe Lunardis latest Bracketology,
he has Iowa State listed as a five seed in
the south region with Virginia being the
one seed in that particular quadrant. It is
very unlikely that the Cyclones move higher than a four seed, meaning a Sweet 16

matchup against a one seed is likely.

But thats not exactly a bad thing as the
Cyclones pose a huge threat in March as
the best offense in the Big 12 this season.

What they can accomplish in

March
The Cyclones have cut down the nets in
the Sprint Center in the last two years, and
it would shock no one if they did it a third
consecutive time. Outside of Kansas, Iowa
State will likely have the best fan support
in Kansas City.
In addition, the Cyclones avoid a meeting with the Jayhawks until potentially the
championship game on Saturday. Regardless of what happens this weekend it seems
unlikely Iowa State will move off that four
or five seed line.

Baylor 21-10 (10-8)

EVAN RIGGS

@EvanRiggsUDK

Oklahoma 24-6 (12-6)

SCOTT CHASEN
@SChasenKU

Season recap
For Oklahoma, everything was going
well, until it wasnt. The team was ranked
No. 1 in the country midway through conference play and had looked to be the class
of the Big 12, with just one loss coming at
the hands of Kansas in a triple overtime
contest.
The team would get to 7-2 in Big 12
play, before losing four out of nine down
the stretch. Fortunately for Oklahoma,
just about every other team in the top 10
had its struggles, as the team has all but
locked up a two-seed heading into March
Madness.
Tournament outlook
Right now, ESPNs Joe Lunardi projects Oklahoma as a two seed in the South
region. The team will likely play its first
round games in Oklahoma City, which
should provide a big boost.
For Oklahoma, there really isnt much
that can change. A one seed is probably

just out of the teams reach, while a three

seed would require a pretty big loss, given the teams first game will be against a
ranked Iowa State Cyclones squad in Kansas City.
What they can accomplish in
March
Perhaps it is possible for Oklahoma to
grab a one seed, but that would probably
take at least two wins and probably a Big
12 Tournament victory. However, thats
not as important as the team getting back
on track.
At its best, Oklahoma can beat anybody, but that wont happen if Isaiah
Cousins continues to struggle from the
field and Jordan Woodard continues to be
wildly inconsistent, as hes been since the
early stages of conference play.

Season recap
Good, but not great is a very accurate
description of the Baylor Bears season so
far. They finished the year 21-10 and in the
middle of the pack in the Big 12 at 10-8.
The Bears were just 4-10 against the RPI
top 25, but they are also the only team in
college basketball without a loss outside of
the RPI top 25.
Baylor beat everybody it was supposed
to beat, and even had some good wins over
Iowa State and Texas but it was also a combined 1-6 against Oklahoma, West Virginia
and Texas.
Tournament Outlook
Currently, Joe Lunardi is projecting
Baylor as a No. 6 seed in ESPN Bracketology. The Bears have a big opportunity to
improve their seeding in the Big 12 Tournament. If they can beat the Longhorns
and then follow it up with an upset over
the Jayhawks, the Bears could vault themselves clear up to a number four seed.
Under Scott Drew, Baylor has been
the second most consistent Big 12 team
in the NCAA Tournament behind Kansas
because its zone is difficult to play against
for teams that havent seen it before. It cer-

tainly isnt out of the question that Baylor

could make a run to the second weekend.

What they can accomplish in

March
In order for Baylor to be successful in
the Big 12 Tournament, it will need senior
Rico Gathers to return to his early season
form. He has been bothered for much of
Big 12 play with an illness, which has led
to sophomore Johnathan Motley replacing
him in the starting lineup.
Baylor should win its first game against
Texas on Wednesday, but in order to move
on any further, it would have to beat the
No. 1 team in the nation, which isnt likely to happen. It also seems unlikely Baylor
will lose in the first round of the NCAA
tournament two years in a row, but with
the way the team is playing, it doesnt seem
like itll be hanging around for more than a
weekend.

- read the rest at -

KANSAN.COM/SPORTS