Jayhalves Scale Fishtecs, Jake Beastings, KU's Big Hydra, Hangs 18/21
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To death, taxes and day following night, add Joe Beastings (aka C5) getting a double double. Add 4 blocks and 4 steals from The Big Hydra, plus a hot shooting KU first half, and you’ve got the key autopsy results on how SDSU wound up toe-tagged in Bill Self’s basketball morgue.
So far, there are only two things this KU Jayhalf team cannot do: beat IZZO and look good two consecutive halves. KU looked beautiful in half the first, but then homely in half the second. Defending leads is ugly business in Self’s Multiple Offense 2.0, same as it always has.
The Fishman’s Fishtecs thought they came out the second half swimming like Sharks, but they were shortly smelt in Self’s slowdown machine–grunyon running nowhere in particular–one splashy dunk and then increasingly caught up in an ever thickening fluid dynamic of KU lead-defending.
Self’s Mighty Jayhalves played the second half in calculated High-Low passing offense mode. Each possession was stretched, so that the Fishtecs had fewer possessions to come back with. As usual it worked but was about as pretty as watching herring be kippered and squeezed into tins.
By the end the Fishtecs were confused, scaled and cut up like so much chum on the bloody decks of a Blackman Billfisher coming back from a charter trip to the islands off Mexico.
And the Jayhalves?
They beat a decent team without a single Jayhalfer other than Joe Beastings hanging a thoroughly satisfactory line score.
Perry who looked like a designer suit the first half, shot well, but overall rebounded poorly, drove softly and resorted to his girlie man spins. He also seemed to tire easily.
Wayne Selden continued to master disappearing for extended periods, and reappearing for displays of impressive but inconsistent prowess.
Svi and Greene proved their sharpness against cupcakes is dullness against decent layer cakes.
Frank had another so-so game, but he remains good when needed.
Devonte? His game continues to be sound but not a full Monte. He just isn’t smooth and offensively efficient still. Self recognizes the problem and ups his minutes in the driver’s seat, so far efficiency against athletic guards eludes him.
Top takeaways:
KU looked better than it actually played the first half, because it made most every sexy shot it took.
Next, KU played better than it looked the second half, because it never looks good defending a lead.
Penultimately, KU can now win by sizable margin playing less than its best against a decent team.
Ultimately, KU can go on the road and keep its composure.
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@jaybate-1.0 Instead of “next” you could have said “antepenultimately”! How many chances does one get in a lifetime?
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