Purdue is good.
KU is going to get another dose of B10 Bang Ball in the Sweet 16 vs. Purdue in the first game of the 2 in 3 format.
Bang Ball will be a drain KU for the Elite Eight game, if KU makes it.
Thus, Self faces some choices related to the two in three format.
Self tends to long bench, slow tempo, and no-amp the lesser of the 2 opponents in 3 days.
Other coaches have copied Self increasingly.
The idea is to match your better effort to the better team, and try to find a way to squeak by the lesser team.
The choice is usually clear, but not for the faint hearted to make.
As I said, Purdue is good. As experienced as we are. NOT a good match up. Big, strong scorers and boarders inside that challenge our size and questionable depth inside. Shooters as good as ours outside. They like physical half court play. We like our athleticism weaving and chopping in half court and squirting in transition.
If ever their were a game we needed to transition, guard hard, shoot well and amp up, this seems like one.
But....
There is a better team coming two days later.
Thus no amp for Purdue.
Thus only a few squirts of transition.
Thus shorten the game the first 30 and lengthen the bench inside especially the first half and some the second half.
KU could definitely lose to Purdue playing this way.
But if KU doesnt, KU's shooting legs will give out the second game even to an opponent less good than Purdue.
The gamble is Painter will let us do the above and do the same thing, since his team will desperately need its shooting legs the second game to and Purdue favors a slower pace.
But Painter may go balls to walls because KU will be the better of the two teams Purdue would face.
And so Self and KU may have to prepare for both. KU may start out trying to shorten the first 30, to save the energy budget for game 2. But if Painter let's it all hang out, KU may have to shift in all out mode: short bench, up tempo, and Self becoming explosive in the huddle and sidelines for an in game amp.
I haven't studied the likely second game opponents, but Self and his JSOC team are going to need all their wiles and nerve to get through this weekend.
And then some.