Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Kansas’ Vick is 1 of a few possible impact players
RALEIGH, N.C. » Kansas’ Lagerald Vick started the year with a series of strong performances — and then abruptly faded for most of Big 12 play.
The 6-foot-5 junior is back to playing reliably productive minutes again, and that’s a big reason why the Jayhawks are back in the Final Four for the first time in six years.
Beyond each team’s top scorers and best talents, Vick is part of a group that could play critical roles in determining whether Kansas, Villanova, Michigan or LoyolaChicago ends up hoisting the trophy Monday night in San Antonio. Others include Wildcats guard Phil Booth, Wolverines point guard Zavier Simpson and Ramblers regional hero Ben Richardson.
“I just feel like I do all the little things that people don’t always see or can comment or congratulate me on,” Vick said Tuesday. “I just feel like I bring the energy, person that can bring a lot of energy, and just do a lot of different things for the team and help us be successful.”
Vick is averaging 12.2 points for Kansas (31-7), the No. 1 seed that emerged from a stacked Midwest Region to return to the site of its previous national championship in 2008. But Vick’s year has been almost three separate seasons: the strong opening 13 games, a slide into the background during league play — and a resurgence.
Vick averaged 17.4 points on 56 percent shooting to go with 6.4 rebounds, offering enough hops and athleticism to be the team’s best dunker and a capable rebounder from the perimeter. That included a career-high 28 points in a loss to Washington, 25 more in a loss to Arizona State and 21 to open Big 12 play against Texas, leaving Vick — not Associated Press first-team All-American Devonte’ Graham — as Kansas’ top scorer as the calendar turned to 2018.
But things changed. Vick’s numbers slid even as he continued to start and log 30-plus minutes. He averaged just 8.4 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting 40 percent over the final 18 regular-season games, prompting coach Bill Self to frequently push him for more.
But Vick has been in double figures in seven straight games going to the start of the Big 12 Tournament. And he had 14 points in the overtime win against Duke in the Elite Eight, including some solid high-post plays to attack the vulnerable middle of the Blue Devils’ zone.
Vick points to being more aggressive and “taking more responsibility” for his boost.
“His activity level has been similar to what it was a couple of months ago,” Self said recently. “I don’t think his activity level during league play was quite as good as it was before, and I think there’s reasons for that, but I think he’s on a serious uptick right now.”
NO. 11 GEORGE MASON (2006) First Round: beat No. 6 Michigan State 75-65; Second Round: beat No. 3 North Carolina 65-60; Regional Semifinal: beat No. 7 Wichita State 63-55; Regional Championship: beat No. 1 Connecticut 86-84, OT NO. 11 VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH (2011) First Round: beat No. 11 Southern Cal 59-46; Second Round: beat No. 6 Georgetown 74-56; Third Round: beat No. 3 Purdue 94-76; Regional Semifinal: beat No. 10 Florida State 72-71, OT; Regional Championship: beat No. 1 Kansas 71-61 NO. 9 WICHITA STATE (2013) Second Round: beat No. 8 Pittsburgh 73-55; Third Round: beat No. 1 Gonzaga 76-70; Regional Semifinals: beat No. 12 La Salle 72-58; Regional Championship: beat No. 2 Ohio State 70-66 NO. 10 SYRACUSE (2016) First Round: beat No. 7 Dayton 70-51; Second Round: beat No. 15 Middle Tennessee 75-50; Regional Semifinal: beat No. 11 Gonzaga 63-60; Regional Championship: beat No. 1 Virginia 68-62 NO. 11 LOYOLA-CHICAGO (2018) First Round: beat No. 6 Miami 64-62; Second Round: beat No. 3 Tennessee 63-62; Regional Semifinal: beat No. 7 Nevada 69-68; Regional Championship: beat No. 9 Kansas State 78-62