Former KU guard Vick hits five 3s, including game-winner, in Mass Street’s TBT win
Lagerald Vick stood patiently in the far corner of Koch Arena, waiting for a pass from Sam Cunliffe, who after driving the lane and reaching the basket fired a lefthanded offering to the former Kansas Jayhawks shooting guard.
Vick, a 6-foot-5, 190-pound, 27-year-old sharpshooter from Memphis who played at KU from 2015-19, head-faked a Florida TBT player, dribbled once, took a step back and launched a 3-pointer that swished.
That 3, Vick’s fifth of the game, gave KU’s “Mass Street” squad a 9-0 advantage during an Elam Ending at The Basketball Tournament (TBT). And it proceeded to help put the finishing touches on the Jayhawk alumni team’s 76-59 victory in the Round of 32 on Monday night.
The Florida squad was buried by a late barrage of late 3s. Vick, who was thrown to the floor by Billy Preston and mobbed by his teammates after cashing that final shot from long distance, finished with 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting. He was 5-of-11 from 3-point range.
With the win, the Jayhawks’ Mass Street team claimed a spot in Wednesday’s Sweet 16 game against Team Colorado. Tipoff is 8 p.m. at Koch Arena.
“I told him (Vick) that’s what we need him to do,” Mass Street coach and former KU point guard Sherron Collins said after KU’s team reached the Round of 16 for a second straight season. The Morris twins, Marcus and Markieff, coached that 2023 TBT team, which fell in its third game.
“That’s what he’s going to have to do for us the rest of the way out,” Collins added of Vick. “This is a team that is talented. We don’t rely on one person just to score. It could be anybody any night, but Lagerald had it going. He was big for us. That was good to watch him get going.”
Forward Dedric Lawson scored 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting. He grabbed 11 rebounds and dished five assists. Forward Preston scored 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting. Like Lawson, Preston hit two 3s.
Point guard Frank Mason III, who scored 20 points in a first-round win over Colorado State’s alumni team on Saturday, finished with nine points on 3-of-12 shooting. He had seven assists.
Forward Jamari Traylor scored eight points on 4-of-4 shooting. He had six points in the fourth quarter.
Cunliffe, a teammate of Vick’s during the 2017-18 season at KU, had eight points on 3-of-4 shooting (2-of-3 from 3-point range). Vick drained two 3s and Cunliffe one during the Elam Ending. Backup point guard Travis Washington scored one point and Chandler Lawson did not play.
“We were more locked in,” Collins said of the Jayhawks’ second game of the TBT.
KU beat Ram Up 81-68 on Saturday.
“We didn’t go braindead a ton on defense,” Collins continued. “A couple times … No. 21 (Michael Forrest, 3-of-9 from 3-point range for 11 points) checks in and gets two open 3s. That’s unacceptable. If coach Self (Bill, KU) sees this, he probably threw something at the TV. But yes we were more locked in, listened to detail. We were more disciplined. When we needed stops we dug in and got the stops.
“Teams, I don’t know why, but they think we’re little. We’re going to do it (rebound) as a team and do it every time, every game. The biggest thing for us is rebounding and limiting teams’ second chances. Once we do that and keep playing togther we’ll be OK.”
Florida TNT, which trailed 36-30 at halftime, rallied to tie the score at 40-40. But Preston responded by hitting a 3 and a 15-footer. Mason then went coast-to-coast for a layup and the Jayhawks grabbed a 47-40 lead with 3:36 left in the third quarter.
KU led by 10, 54-44, off a Vick 3 with 2:08 left in the third. Florida TNT responded to make it 55-51 after three quarters.
Up 60-57, KU went on a 7-0 run to open a 67-57 lead with 4:31 left in the fourth quarter. Lawson hit two free throws, Traylor dunked off a lob pass from Lawson and Lawson followed with a 3.
KU led 67-59 when the Elam Ending began at the 4:17 mark. The first team to 75 points would win the game. KU hit its three 3s and moved on to the Round of 16.
For the game, Mass Street hit 13 of 31 three-pointers for 41.9% Florida TNT, which reached the semifinals of the 64-team, $1 million winner-take-all tourney in 2021, hit 8 of 30 3-point attempts for 26.7%. Overall, KU hit 46.7% of its shots to TNT’s 34.3%.
Mass Street forward Young said the Jayhawks are truly playing team basketball.
“The lob (from Lawson) to Jamari showed how well we play together and know each others’ games,” he said.
“Jamari has probably not had a dunk in a while,” he noted of the 32-year-old forward. “Dedric threw a nice pass, trusted Jamari would be there. It shows how together we are.”
Young, who is 34, said the Jayhawks fans at the Wichita arena sparked the team.
“To be able to play in front of fans again is special. They come out and support us all time,” Young said. “Whether it’s kids asking for autographs or shaking our hands, we appreciate that because sometimes we miss that. Being able to wear this uniform again and having a lot of pride doing it is rewarding.”
The winner of the Wichita Regional will play the winner of the Houston Regional in the quarterfinals on July 29 or 30 (official game date, time, and location to be determined). The semifinals and $1 million winner-take-all championship game will be Aug. 2 and Aug. 4 in Philadelphia at the Daskalakis Athletic Center.
