🏀 KuBuckets Archive

So Jaybate mentions the steep learning curve ahead for this team, and it got me to thinking - with a relative let-up in the schedule difficulty, what does Self work on or "install" next? Press break has received a lot of attention, do we think maybe there will be extra focus on that? Or will it be a continued focus on defense (we know Self would love for nothing else than to always be improving his team's defensive toughness). Let me know what you think we are, or should be working on.

Individually, these are the things I'd like to see some of the players working on within their own games:

1. Perry Ellis - finishing & rebounding with contact. In practice he is guarded 100% of the time by Tarik Black who has been told fouls are not a concern.

2. Wiggins - dribbling in crowds. Let the scout team/coach's sons run some zone against him and tell him to get to the rim.

3. Embiid - continue to get comfortable with mid-range face-up jumpers. Keep watching Olajewon tapes. Also maybe have somebody assigned to randomly cheap shot him every day in practice to build resistance against retaliation.

4. Selden - tighten up jump shot mechanics. I believe coach Townsend is the guy to see in this respect. Also, I'd love for him to see spot duty in practice at the point. Just in case Self needs to go big. We saw Smart posting up Mason a couple of times against Okie St, and it would just be a nice safe-guard/tool to have in the bag.

5. Na' - find some way, any way, to improve M2M defense. I forget which poster used to point out that physically he will always be at a disadvantage, not necessarily/strictly because of his height, but rather his shorter legs/strides (anybody...?). Surely someone has overcome this disadvantage though? Find them and study their tape. Also, him running the break could be a little better.

6. Mason - continue looking to dish off the drive. Saw it a couple times against Faylor, but also saw a couple out of control drives where he threw up a wild shot. I believe both times the shot fell, but that is "fool's gold" to rely on those shots repeatedly.

7. Jamari - tighten up ball security & passes. Turnovers are a bit high for his MPG. Also, rebounding position. Do your work early young man! (did show improvement of this in the Faylor game).

8. Black - Continued chemistry with Jamari, as his best shot at seeing the court is the two of them playing well together. Seems to have gotten his fouls under control; maintain despite directive to hack-a-Perry.

9. Greene - making the simple play. Playing within himself. This will help limit the mistakes and thus the quick hook by Self. And it's never a bad idea to develop a killer defensive game. That will keep you on Self's PT radar as well.

10. Frankamp - See Greene. We know you are both great shooters. Enhance your game to give Self a reason to play you, not a reason to take you out.

@jaybate 1.0

"People forget that Jones and another player were sophomores"

Doron Lamb was the other sophomore.

@HighEliteMajor

1. Yeah, for all the hype (Keegans, Seth Davis in the pre-game) about how he gets up for the biggest games, it was sure a poor performance. Agree on the kudos to Self for sitting him.

2. Not sure it was so much the press as much as it was OSU getting hot from 3, but yeah, some of the turnovers were maddening.

3. The prevailing thinking seems to be that he shrinks in the more physical games. And while OSU was thin up front, it was a physical contest. And I can forgive Jamari's lack of rebounding yesterday. I've been singing his praises for awhile now (on kusports.com). Where he was once described as being a marginal player on a team the caliber of the Jayhawks, he's now an asset off the bench.

4. His defense is hard to mask, but he's got the hot hand right now.

5. With Embiid dominating the second half, it was as if Self just choose Traylor over Black. No big qualms there, as Jamari played well and there are only so many post minutes to be had. Black & Traylor together is fun to watch.

6. No complaints about the quick hook yesterday. HIs passing it off with a second left on the shot clock was ridiculous.

7. I share your frustration, but if we're going to excuse all of Tharpe's shortcomings due to an excellent offensive performance, maybe the same should go for Selden due to an excellent defensive showing? My problem was that with Wiggins riding the pine, Self plugged Mason in instead of Greene. No offense to Mason, and there are definitely times I like having both Mason & Tharpe on the court at the same time, it just seems like there were second half minutes to be had by Greene.

8. Puzzling. Doghouse? Undisclosed injury? Impending transfer following the season?

9. As it was described on a recent telecast, he doesn't seem to be a "pure point guard", but more of a "third down back". I think the experiment of him starting earlier in the year proved he wasn't quite ready to lead the team. He's definitely valuable in his role, and hopefully can improve on his game to include driving with the intent to dish as his career progresses.

10. I was screaming at the TV when he got that foul hedging. That aside, wow. So special. Perhaps his destiny can also be leading us to the promised land?