Here are some key takeaways from Kansas’ 62-52 semifinal win over Baylor in another game marked by shaky offense but highlighted by the return of Perry Ellis and a breakout effort from Wayne Selden.

Kansas Comfortably Moved On to the Championship Game Tonight (USA Today Images)

1. Perry Ellis showed his rust but found ways to be productive: Sporting a surplus of padding that would make Barry Bonds nod in great approval, Ellis showed some lingering signs of the knee sprain he suffered two weeks ago but he was still effective in contributing 11 points and six rebounds. It wasn’t the most efficient outing for the junior, but by hitting a three-pointer shortly after the opening tip, his return appeared to set the tone for the night. Ellis was confident in his shot, but as Baylor struggled to put points on the board, he could stay in the flow of the offense without taking many risks. In the second half, the Jayhawks maintained a big enough lead to allow head coach Bill Self to be cautious with his all-conference player, sitting him for the last 7:50 of action.
2. Baylor’s three-point shooting failed them. The Bears have been a very good three-point shooting team all year, helping their offense stay above water in spite of making two-point shots look like a trip to the dentist. It seemed as though Kansas transmitted their three-point struggles to the Bears on Friday night, as they made just one of 10 tries from deep in the first half and finished the game an ugly 4-of-22 from distance. While head coach Scott Drew has had a fantastic year on the sideline, his fanilure to coax a positive adjustment from his team against a vulnerable Kansas frontcourt may have cost the Bears this game and and an appearance in the Big 12 Tournament final for the third time in the last four years.
3. Wayne Selden broke out with a huge second half. When Wayne Selden arrived in Lawrence a year and a half ago, he was seen by many as a one-and-done type of talent. Between injuries and significant struggles on the court, however, the sophomore has had a tough time consistently producing. Tonight was a different story, as he stepped up with 16 second half points on his way to 20 overall to go along with a team-high eight rebounds against Baylor’s physical front line. The Massachusetts native was active all night, which couldn’t always be said for his career to this point. Effectiveness from Kansas’ backcourt can be difficult to find this year, so if Selden can continue produce, only good things can come of it.

Quotable.

• Bill Self: “Well, you know Perry [Ellis]… he just exudes so much enthusiasm that I really didn’t know how eager he was. He is stoned‑faced all the time. You could tell he was excited, he was in the zone, way excited to be out there. I didn’t know if we would play him that many minutes and I could have put him back in, but we had the game.” Ellis has been a durable player throughout his career at Kansas, and knee sprains can be a little tricky to recover from, but Self’s comment that he could have stuck with him had the game been closer should result in a big sigh of relief for Kansas fans.
• Scott Drew: “If you’re looking top to bottom, the Big 12 has been the best. I think people advancing and getting to the Final Four, National Championship, helps with nationwide recognition, but if you’re judging a conference on top‑to‑bottom, and that’s what how they do the RPI, and you get your conference ranked ‑‑ and I think we’ve [the Big 12] been the best the last couple of years according to the computer.” Drew is correct in that the Big 12 has produced the best conference from top to bottom, but as long as the league fails to propel multiple teams into the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament and beyond, it will continue to fight the national perception on its overall merit.

What’s Next.

• Kansas: The Jayhawks will play the winner of tonight’s nightcap on Saturday evening in the Sprint Center. They split their regular season matchups with both Oklahoma and Iowa State, so either potential battle for the Big 12 Tournament crown, which would be Kansas’ fourth in the last six seasons, will be a legitimate challenge.
• Baylor: The Bears will await their fate on Selection Sunday. They’ll likely be shipped to the South region, which would give them a chance to play in a second consecutive Sweet Sixteen in nearby Houston if they can survive the first weekend.

Brian Goodman (987 Posts)

Brian Goodman a Big 12 microsite writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BSGoodman.

This entry was posted on Friday, March 13th, 2015 at 9:08 pm by Brian Goodman and is filed under 2015 conference tournaments, big 12, microsites. Tagged: baylor, bill self, kansas, perry ellis, scott drew, Wayne Selden. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.