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It Was A Sad, Sad Day For Kansas Basketball

In Scottrade Arena in St. Louis, Mo., the two teams from Kansas got a case of the blues. Both teams lost Sunday in the third round of the NCAA men's basketball tournament. 

The second-seeded Kansas Jayhawks played their second game without injured starting center Joel Embiid. Then his replacement in the starting lineup, Tarik Black who scored a game-high of 18 points, missed the last five minutes of the game when he committed his fifth foul. Black played only one season for KU after transferring from Memphis.

Sophomore teammate Perry Ellis dreaded Black’s early exit, and the Jayhawks’ season-ending loss against Stanford, 60-57.

“I feel for him (Black),” said Ellis. “It’s his last go-round. It’s just tough.”

It may have been the last game for KU freshman Andrew Wiggins, too, if he decides to declare himself eligible for the NBA draft. If the loss ends up being the last game for Wiggins, it’ll be one he’d rather forget. Wiggins scored only four points with only one assist and four turnovers.

“I was missing a lot of shots. I missed a wide-open layup, so I wasn’t there when my team needed me,” said Wiggins.

In the second game of the day, Wichita State fell to Kentucky, 78-76. This is the first time since 2005 that the NCAA tournament’s Sweet 16 does not include a team from Kansas.

Missouri also saw its season come to an end. The Tigers lost to Southern Mississippi, 71-62, in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT).

Sports have an economic and social impact on our community and, as a sports reporter, I go beyond the scores and statistics. I also bring the human element to the sports figures who have a hand in shaping the future of not only their respective teams but our town. Reach me at gregechlin@aol.com.
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