It was, sadly enough, a fitting way for the game to end.With three seconds left in Monday’s double-overtime kick to the nether regions, Red Raider Darryl Dora swished a three over the outstretched hands of freshman Sasha Kaun.On one play, Kaun’s effort summed up the season of the entire freshman class. No matter how hard they try, or how long they stretch, it just hasn’t been good enough. ![][1]Now, as February prepares to roll into March, the Jayhawks need more.It won’t matter how many shots Keith Langford makes next month, or how many rim-rattling dunks come from the able hands of Wayne Simien. The Jayhawks fate over the next six weeks will fall directly on the shoulders of the five-man freshman class.By this point, KU fans know what they’ll get out of the starters.Simien will score 18 points and haul down 11 rebounds. Langford will chip in 16 points per game. J.R. Giddens will continue to have up-and-down shooting nights, and Aaron Miles will continue steady play at point guard.But what this team doesn’t have right now is a wild card, somebody you can throw in when the starters struggle.”We need,” coach Bill Self said, “another body or two.”And that brings us to Kaun, C.J. Giles, Darnell Jackson, Alex Galindo, and Russell Robinson. For one reason or another, the five freshmen have rarely been on the same page all season.Robinson lost his spot in the rotation to former walk-on Jeff Hawkins, while Galindo and Giles have been injured for much of the last month.It’s hard to believe that it was just six weeks ago when Galindo was draining big three pointers against Texas A&M, and Robinson carried the Jayhawks to victory over South Carolina. Two disasters, averted because of the youngest members of the team.There will be a point over the next month when one of them will need to step up again. Sometime in the postseason, KU will run into a team that plays a zone defense, and Galindo will need to drain shots from the outside. Likewise, a team might go big up front, and Self will need Giles and Kaun to take pressure off Simien. Also, Robinson will need to return to his reliable self, and forget about the turnover machine he [became after New Year’s Day.][2]”That just wasn’t me out there,” Robinson said.So far, the Jayhawks have done well without major contributions from the freshmen, but the level of competition is far from what they’ll see in the rough and tumble NCAA Tournament.It’s one thing to beat Colorado. It’s another to beat Duke.If Giles and Kaun can combine for 12 rebounds a game, and Galindo or Robinson can become valuable bench contributors, the Jayhawks will evolve from dangerous to unbeatable.The freshmen need to grow up in a hurry if KU wants to make its third Final Four since 2002.**Hockey Stays Lockeyed**I’ll admit it.I was one of the 24 hockey fans left in the United States. I’ve seen the NHL overexpand, and gouge its best customers.But even I was surprised by today’s announcement that the NHL is canceling [the rest of the season.][3]Even more surprising was my reaction. I didn’t care. I’m through with hockey.Someday, when all the players return from Russia, and the Colorado Avalanche is aiming for another Stanley Cup, I might pay attention to hockey again.But after the latest round of greed if the NHL never plays another game, that’s okay with me.And that’s the NHL’s main problem it cancels the season, and most of the country doesn’t even care. [1]: http://etc.lawrence.com/galleries/images/KUvsBaylor01/thumb/kaunfouled.jpg [2]: http://www.kusports.com/news/archive/story/113007 [3]: http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=1992793