SMALL-BALL, A FOUR GUARD OFFENSE.
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This article has Self talking about using a line up that features his quickest, fastest team. Ball handling skill will have a new priority in what determines playing time for each of these players.
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I like it! Where does Perry fit?
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I like the thought of small ball. If you do go small like that, you have to play your best rebounder with that group. The best rebounder will likely be Alexander, so I think he would get most of the minutes in a 4 guard lineup, followed by Mickelson or Lucas. A small ball lineup isn’t going to be a group that looks to get the ball into the post, so there is a possibility that they would even go super small and play a lineup like Mason-Selden-Oubre-Svi-Traylor and take advantage of speed and quickness with pressing and trapping all over the floor, or potentially a lineup of Selden-Greene-Oubre-Svi-Traylor, where everybody is virtually the same size, so you could almost literally switch everything.
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@justanotherfan I like those groups!
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Try Mason, Selden, Oubre, Greene, and Traylor … “greasy speed” as Mickey told Rocky. The thoughts noted by @justanotherfan make perfect sense. Speed, trap, pressure, fast break, play fast.
But we’ve been here before. Self has speculated on all sorts of things. The key to his speculation on a small lineup … “… I just don’t know if we could guard anybody.”
That’s the rub. That’s the doubt in his mind. That’s why he’ll never commit to small lineups as a staple. He can’t stomach it. He’s gone small for short bursts here and there. But that’s it . He wants bigs. He plays through bigs. Heck, he even mentioned that he could post up guards more. Begging the question of why you can’t post up guards with bigs on the floor … but anyway.
Heck, he goes small mostly as a reaction to other teams, and our inability to guard their small lineups.
I don’t want to be a negator, but I won’t hold my breath. Self talks a big game, and speculates. After AW3 lit up Belmont as a stretch four, lots of talk. Never saw it again. We’ve been here before. Self never changes.
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I hope we see plenty of small ball utilizing speed and an open court game. I hope for that, but I’m not counting on it. I’m with HEM on this one… I’ll believe it when I see it. Self has spoken these words before.
And just because we are relatively small on our front line doesn’t mean we can’t lead the Big 12 in rebounds. First thing I would do with Cliff is show him footage of Charles Barkley in the league… dominating the glass at 6’6".
I was taught something interesting back in my day. Never consider length alone. You measure a guy’s size by adding length and girth. Inches wide are every bit as valuable as inches long (obviously within a certain extent).
Our front line guys have meat on their bones (maybe Perry being the leanest). They should be able to hold their own on rebounds and defense… offense, too. Cliff will definitely become a factor on the Self hi/lo.
If these guys believe in themselves they can match up just fine with teams like Kentucky. They just have to take advantage of their pluses… speed, agility, brains… hustle!
Who knows… this may even be the first year we see a Jayhawk use a ball fake on a shot and draw a foul! I’m willing to bet a dollar to a doughnut that Svi already knows how to use fakes… ball, head and shoulders…
I hope this is the team that plays with brains. Lets starting counting on brains to win games more than natural ability and size.
We’ve got all the right bodies to win a National Championship. Let’s use our minds this time to get one! Let’s push the ball on the defender who already has 3 fouls… Let’s use off-ball screens and create size mismatches… Let’s all take personal responsibilities for our defensive assignments, then let’s also help out and play good team defense… Let’s hustle hustle hustle! There are few games we will and can lose if we just focus and hustle for 40 minutes!
This isn’t rocket science, but let’s pretend it is and use rocket science minds to attack and conquer!
