Seems how 7pm is an eternity. Checking out the highs and lows of this team.
Since "the talk" between Coach and Newman (4 game sample):
16.7 pts, 6 boards, and his effort for the most part has been terrific. I have been mighty critical of his fit on this team but whatever was bothering him seems to have passed. For that I was wrong about Malik recently and I'm glad to see him impacting the game for us. Several board members have posted that Malik living up to his rep was just as important as getting another big man eligible. If that 3 ball creeps up to 40% we have a "new man" the rest of the season right?
Paging Lagerald Vick? Where are you:
I've been stunned by this development. Since the opening Big-12 game against Texas, Vick has been a ghost in terms of his impact on the game. Last 6 games- 7 pts a game, first 13- 17.3 pts pg. Is it competition, is it pressure? This is more then a slump, Self has even tried bringing him off the bench. Almost every statistic is down for Vick in conference play. We need him to shake out of this. Or is this just a correction to what he really is? Was his hot start meant to cool down. Whatever the case it would be nice to see Vick snap out of this.
The Freshman:
Marcus has struggled to shoot the ball. Saying he's struggling is being nice. However despite his FT and 3pt issues he's making 57% of 2's on the season. He rarely turns it over and rarely gets yelled at for his defense (something he's ahead of the curve at). Still I'm not sure its a good thing he's averaging more rebounds then points per game. He needs a game where he makes 3-4 shots, give him some confidence. Sometimes you wonder if that's in him this year though.
Silvio- 13 minutes, 2 pts, 3 boards, 4 fouls. Have to be patient here. Hopefully he puts the last game behind him and just continues to grind away. I'm optimistic in February we start to see what he could be to this team.
Udoka's remarkable consistency:
If you had told me at the beginning of the year Udoka would average 14 & 7 I would have said no way, not after missing most of last season. He's improved leaps and bounds in areas and has become a legitimate post presence for KU. His FT shooting remains a great concern as 41% doesn't fix itself easily. Self hire a guru to help this guy out. Doke is also averaging almost 3 blocks a game in the last 4 and showing better court awareness finding open teammates when they look to double him in the post. I'm impressed with him.
Svi for 3:
Making 47% of his 3's, almost 60% at home is crazy good. Maybe the biggest addition to his game could be his mental maturity. He can miss 5-6 shots in a row and yet still can come through with clutch shot after clutch shot. We always wonder who's the guy we want taking a shot with the game on the line, in my opinion Svi is without question our best option. He's quietly been racking up assists as well averaging over 3 a game in conference play.
Mitch's minutes:
Since Mitch's great game vs TCU he really hasn't seen an uptick in minutes- just 8 per in the last 4. Some of its been due to the flow of the game, some of it is Doke staying out of foul trouble. And then we have Silvio joining the rotation so Mitch is in a situation where his stats are always going to fluctuate. The TCU game has in my opinion made him more confident out there at least to the eye. We know what we are getting from him, hustle, effort, some often spectacular blocks and the occasional perimeter shot. Keep it up young fella
Devonte's FTs
Has anyone else noticed his FT's numbers going up in conference play. Averaging 8 per game in far and a team best 86% from the line. He's done an admirable job running the team for the most part. 2.6/1 assist t/o ratio is solid, making 43% of 3's, what else we want from him?
Have it at folks!
