With acknowledgements to @jaybate-1.0 and @lincase and apologies to both and the English language, we've graduated from Bad Ball to Badder Ball. A truly remarkable game and season in so many respects, esp. when compared and contrasted to other teams during the Self era.
Listening to the audio of Self's post-game comments was truly enlightening - I thought the joy, relief and pride in his voice was palpable - both for the guys and frankly for himself. Even though he doesn't really need the validation, I expect he took great satisfaction (with a side smirk to all the board rats here, me included) that we could 0-15 on 3 pointers (putting aside causation for that performance) and still pull out a win. Classic Self win ugly.
And, boy was it fantastically gloriously ugly. Down 18 at home to a good, but not great team missing 2 starters and its best player on senior night. Getting killed on the boards. Getting beat to every loose ball. Hitting nothing from outside. Turning it over with alarming frequency. And, yet, come away with a win.
As Self noted in his comments, nothing was working on the offensive end, so he just told the boys to attack the rim. Translation - we couldn't run our stuff. In fact, we can't run our stuff with this group against teams that know us - and probably not against good teams that don't. And, the guys know it, so they just go through motions. So, second half let's forget about running our stuff and just attack the rim. Doesn't really matter that we can't finish there - we'll get to the foul line, wear 'em down and win a war of attrition.
Indeed, that's been the recipe the past two games. We got 45 friggin' percent of our points from the FT line last night - and 38% the game before. Remarkable - is it sustainable? Apart from the frequency of shots, I certainly don't recall a prior KU team hitting FTs at an 80% clip over 4 games like this - typically FTs have been a problem for us.
And, the forget about running our stuff tack seems to get the guys in attack mode on the defensive end, as well. 40 points in the 1st half, just 19 the second. "Fun" to watch, but the fun part was after they had pulled it out - really wasn't particularly enjoyable during the moment and I'm still struggling to understand how it happened - and, to be honest, I didn't believe it was going to happen until it did. Full props to the guys for continuing to grind.
I would posit that given what we now know and understand to be the very real limitations of this team at least in terms of fundamental skills and capabilities, both individually and collectively, and that the inability to execute Hi-lo or 4 out-1 in or much of anything else consistently, that this may actually be Self's best coaching job to date (although I might argue that it is also the worst "coaching-up" job on the part of the entire staff given continued fundamental lapses.
Consider:
Mason is tough as nails and our most consistent player over the course of the year, but isn't really a true PG - although better than last year, he doesn't have PG instincts and doesn't distribute the ball well - esp. when penetrating or on fast breaks. There have been countless times on breaks when he should have laid if off to a trailer.
Perry has really stepped it up recently and is our best pure scorer, but is really only effective when the paint is opened up and he can maneuver against one defender (and who can't be equally athletic and longer) by driving from the outside or spinning inside.
Oubre is the most skilled two way player (by far IMO), but is still a bit raw and learning the game - he will only get better - unfortunately, probably not in a Jayhawk uniform.
Selden is a solid citizen and solid on the ball defender, but doesn't use his size effectively, can't finish at the rim, and simply is incapable of dribbling or passing in traffic or against pressure (to think that there was some discussion, including by HCBS at the beginning of the year about him getting minutes at the 1).
Traylor has made some spectacular "energy" plays, is the emotional guy (for better and worse) and he was a difference maker yesterday, but he is undersized, turns the ball over too much, and can disappear for parts of all of a game - or multiple games.
Alexander is a big body and is our best rebounder, but doesn't have a back to the basket game, gets lost on offense, and gets easily beat by mobile big men.
Greene is the best pure shooter and clutch on FTs, but can't create his own shot, and, while improved, is still a liability on defense.
Graham is a solid back-up at PG now and can be very effective at the 2 along with Mason, and will only get better, but is still inexperience and inconsistent - growth hampered somewhat by injury.
Lucas is the best big fundamentally, but has no verticality and has perhaps the weakest hands of any big ever at Kansas (well, along with Withey early on).
Svi - who really knows since we've not seen much of him since early - clearly great ball IQ and skills, just physically overpowered now.
Mickleson is mostly an unknown, although he was our best player in the 1st half yesterday (admittedly not a high bar) and showed some skills - would like to see more, actually.
Collectively, the team doesn't box out well, doesn't space well, doesn't pass well and doesn't rotate well on defense.
Notwithstanding, we're 24-6 against a very challenging schedule, the deepest the B12 has ever been, just clinched #11 and are a near lock to be a 2 seed in the Big Dance. Remarkable stuff. Still not quite sure how we've gotten here and less sure how far we can advance in the tourney, but this team seems to be taking on some of the character of the '11-'12 team - they won't out finesse anyone, but maybe, just maybe, they can Bad/Badder ball their way to another FF....
