Omaha notes: Zach Brown gives Wichita State another spark

OMAHA – Zach Brown, like most freshmen, endures bouts of inconsistency. But his productive stretches are becoming memorable.

Brown had his second strong NCAA Tournament game on Sunday, scoring seven points and scoring two baskets that kept WSU’s momentum rolling as the Shockers built a double-digit lead on Kansas.

Brown, a 6-foot-6 swing forward, muscled past Kelly Oubre for a loose ball near midcourt in the second half, turning it into a breakaway dunk that put WSU ahead 56-45 with 9:33 to go.

About two minutes later, with Kansas within 10 points and operating a zone defense, Brown found himself open in the corner, and he swished a three-pointer that stretched the advantage to 58-45.

“We know the spots that are going to be wide open, and the corner was one of them,” Brown said. “One of the things coach (Gregg Marshall) tells us is when you have open shots, knock them down with confidence.”

Against Indiana in the second round on Friday, Brown set season-highs with 11 points, eight rebounds and 23 minutes.

“I’d say my confidence is starting to grow, especially (compared to) the beginning of the year,” Brown said. “I’m just happy that coach is starting to see the hard work I’m putting forth and having more faith in me to take and knock down shots.”

Huddle up – Wichita State led 69-57 after a Tekele Cotton basket with 4:40 to play. It was far from over, at least according to point guard Fred VanVleet.

After the basket, Kansas called a timeout. Instead of immediately heading to the bench, the Shockers followed VanVleet to midcourt, where VanVleet urged his teammates to remain focused.

“Fred really was just trying to make us stay poised,” Cotton said. “Tell us to stay level-headed and just stay in the game, keep the pressure on.… He didn’t say too much, he just kept us poised, like a leader.”

Turning pro? — Freshman Kansas guard Kelly Oubre has a decision to make about his future. The former blue-chip recruit is projected to be a first-round pick in the NBA Draft if he turns pro this offseason.

But he could also return to college and star for Kansas as a sophomore.

He averaged close to nine points and five rebounds this season.

He is not sure what he will do.

“I am just trying to wrap my head around this loss last game of the season I have no thoughts on my future I just want to be with my brothers right now.”

Forbes on the move? – WSU assistant coach Steve Forbes is the leading candidate for the head coaching job at East Tennessee State, according to the Johnson City (Tenn.) Press.

Forbes, according to the newspaper, met with East Tennessee State athletic director Richard Sander recently. Forbes spent five seasons as an assistant coach Tennessee. He was head coach for two seasons at Northwest Florida State College.

“I can’t comment on who those guys are,” Sander told the Press. “I don’t want to distract them from their current situation, so we kind of have to take that into consideration and deal with it accordingly.”

Should Forbes leave, he would join the ranks of former Marshall assistants to move up. Last year, Chris Jans went to Bowling Green. The list also includes Zach Spiker (Army), Earl Grant (College of Charleston), Dana Ford (Tennessee State) and Barclay Radebaugh (Charleston Southern).

Forbes declined to comment on the report.

Good or bad defense? — Wichita State scored 49 points in the second half, so most would describe Kansas’ defensive effort as sub-par.

Not Oubre.

“When they started making their huge run at the end, when (Evan) Wessel hit those threes we looked at it like, ‘Woah, he is not supposed to make that,’” Oubre said. “But he did. It was tough for us to wrap our heads around that. They kind of took their momentum and ran with it.

“It was tough to see some of the shots they took go in, because we were playing good defense.”

Rating KU’s season — Kansas has lost in the third round of the NCAA Tournament in back-to-back seasons, so that made it hard for players to reflect on the year that was Sunday.

The only thing the Jayhawks could agree on: They should have done more.

“We won 11 straight (Big 12 championships). No one can take that away from us,” Jamari Traylor said. “It is just tough to put into words right now, because I am disappointed for how out it went. I had high hopes for this postseason run.”

Added Perry Ellis: “I would say it was a good season. It is not great. You know we want to advance in this tournament.”

KU players said this loss will motivate them next year.

“We have just got to regroup,” Landen Lucas said. “It can’t be talk anymore. We have to come out and do something. We can’t keep going out this early.”

This story was originally published March 22, 2015 at 10:21 PM with the headline "Omaha notes: Zach Brown gives Wichita State another spark."