KU Sports -- Stories on KU vs Fort Hays State.
-
####Keegan: Like so many before him, KU point guard Mason impresses early#### It happens nearly every year. A freshman plays a terrific game against a Div. II team in an exhibition and I raise my expectations to the moon, conveniently forgetting that the overmatched opponent might have had something to do with it.
The best way to look at the performance …
No knockout here: Fort Hays State coach pleased with team’s fight Every time he comes to Allen Fieldhouse, Fort Hays State coach Mark Johnson has the same fear in the back of his mind.
It goes something like this…
-
I have a quick question. Is Tyler Self on the team this year? I haven’t seen him on the bench or in the Fort Hays game…
-
@hayshawk Yes, Tyler is on the team and is in fact Wiggin’s roommate. Tyler is injured and will be out a while.
-
I know I may be repeating some other observations -
-
Traylor/Black/Embiid: Really, I thought Traylor looked better than Tarik Black. Traylor was a quicker leaper and more active. Black seemed very inactive on the boards, meaning he really wasn’t challenging for a lot of balls. I paid a lot of attention to him and just wasn’t that impressed. Traylor was just better than he was last night. And so was Embiid in my opinion. But it’s just one game - so I’m not “down” on Black. Memphis fans have said that while Black looks the part, that he’ll disappoint. And don’t forget those rebound per minute ratios that were well below Kevin Young. But we’ll see. If I had a worry coming out of the game, it is with our post play. And that could be an issue next Tuesday.
-
Mason: I was thoroughly impressed. Opponent, of course, could have something to do with it. But it’s not like Ellis or TRob scoring down low over inferior guys, or smaller players. Mason had command of the floor, handled the ball well, plainly was able to see open players and deliver the ball. He made contested first passes without problem, made a couple nice post feeds into small openings. Obviously not a dead-eye shooter. And, of course, Tharpe looked great. We’re well taken care of at the PG spot, it appears.
-
Greene vs. White vs. Frankamp: White has looked impressive, but something tells me Greene is and will be right on his tail. I see from Self that there may not be a redshirt. But it does make sense for Frankamp. I go back to Frankamp’s value now vs. his 5th year, and that although Self may say he could help us win a game, the likelihood that Self really plays him much (assuming he stays where he is in the pecking order) is slim. As some have noted, Greene brings the same thing, but at 6’7". Self said Frankamp would be our back-up PG Friday … that’s not a reason to play him there. If we can’t be La-Monroe with another player as the backup PG, we should pack it in. Back to Greene – personally, he’s the 2nd most impressive player to me so far, and based on presumed role and expectations (Mason is 1st). He may not be where Self wants him to be all around, but we have a pretty complete looking player there.
-
-
I just thought Wiggins lost his confidence a bit. He wasn’t shooting well, and so he backed down, hoping others would pick up the slack.
He needs to learn to shoot through mini slumps. Maybe he feels like if he isn’t hitting shots, he shouldn’t be shooting and everyone will think he’s being a gunner.
He’s just feeling things out at this level. In HS, he knew he was the man regardless of the situation and had to keep shooting. Last night was him thinking he was polite. It exposed his good nature to be unselfish.
But he’s an alpha dog and Self won’t have a problem flipping his switch like he did sometimes with BMac.
-
Saw some good things, saw some bad things.
Again Perry is the rock of this team!
So impressed by Mason, this guy is going to be soo good in the next few years.
White and Greene look ready to contribute big numbers from the bench.
Good to see Selden but the ball in the hoop and drive. His confidence should continue to sky rocket with good performances.
I cannot wait until Embiid can settle down a bit on defense, and is game ready. This guy can score with the right, the left, with a turn around jumper. Damn that is nice to watch.
I have to agree with everyone, Looks like Traylor is stepping up to challenge Black.
And the guy everyone is talking about Wiggins. First half was abysmal, second half was decent. His on ball defense continues to impress, but he seems to get lost a bit with off ball defense (although his athleticism allows him to recover). If i had to guess he is really struggling with how to prepare for these games. Game 1 he is obviously nervous, Game 2 he is obviously apathetic. I think he was trying to relax and chill out for this one, let it come to him. But in the end he was too chill and seemed lackadaisical.
As far as the redshirt, if anyone will it will be Frankamp. But remember a redshirt can be taken away at any point in the season.
-
No redshirts this year.
Fresh bodies will wear down virtually any team we play this year.
We may be young, but we are deep, talented, and ATHLETIC.
I feel the same about Black after this game as I did the first game. He’s just blah. But he means well.
Mason played great - he’s a gamer. Not much dropout when Tharpe comes out.
Seldon played a bit better. Man, he is a big two guard.
Embiid…ha! Again, I feel bad for anyone who has to play against him. Lookout opposing teams, lookout.
Greene can ball. Maybe I’ve confused his mouthiness. Maybe it’s just swagger, not immaturity / obnoxiousness. If that’s the case I welcome it.
Jamari is huge - his arms are ridiculous. His motor paid off last night as im sure it will in the future.
-
On the redshirt issue, I agree that Frankamp makes sense to redshirt and will contribute more in his 4th and 5th year than if he’s only here for 4 years total. That said, I don’t think he should redshirt this year. I think he should redshirt next year. This year, while Mason is still a freshman, there’s going to be times that we’ll want a back up to the back up. There are, for sure, going to be games where Mason isn’t up to the task for one reason or another. I know we could always slot in Selden as the back up in those instances, but I think you and I agree that that’s not what Self wants to do and that it would be more natural to have Frankamp in that position. Given that it’s a virtual certainty that Tharpe will be back for a senior season, that Frankamp is very unlikely to transfer, and that in a year, Mason could consistently look as good against D-1 opponents as he did against Fort Hays last, I think we’ll have less demand for Frankamp’s skill set. And though I know you’re not hot on the idea, it will be doubly true if Tyus Jones winds up in a Jayhawk uniform, and I bet that’s something Self is giving serious consideration cause everything I’m hearing says Okafor is a strong KU lean and that he might very well be able to drag Jones along.
-
I just thought Wiggins lost his confidence a bit. He wasn’t shooting well, and so he backed down, hoping others would pick up the slack.
He needs to learn to shoot through mini slumps. Maybe he feels like if he isn’t hitting shots, he shouldn’t be shooting and everyone will think he’s being a gunner.
He’s just feeling things out at this level. In HS, he knew he was the man regardless of the situation and had to keep shooting. Last night was him thinking he was polite. It exposed his good nature to be unselfish.
But he’s an alpha dog and Self won’t have a problem flipping his switch like he did sometimes with BMac.
@drgonslayr
I don’t think Wigs is slumping. I think he’s just taking bad shots. His first 3 shots last night were rushed and defended, so it’s no surprise that he didn’t hit them. But that isn’t altogether unexpected, either. If you’ve read up on Wigs, the common criticism of his game is that his decision making hasn’t matured yet (largely because, with his athleticism he can make questionable plays and finish anyway), and that he hasn’t developed much in the way of moves to get his shot off (head fakes, hesitations, etc, again, largely because he hasn’t needed them). His success this season is going to depend on how quickly he adds those dimensions to his game. The only thing about his performance last night that actually concerned me is that he finished without any assists despite drawing double teams and help defenders on a lot of his plays. I hope that goes away as the guys get used to playing together, but I don’t know right now if it was because the off-ball guys weren’t getting to the right spots or Wigs wasn’t looking. I couldn’t record this game because of the stupid JayhawkTV deal, and it irks me to no end.
-
We have to remember that from here on out there will not be as many substitutions. The players on the court will have more time to get into the flow of the game.
-
@konkeyDong I really like your analysis of Black’s performance and what’s allowed by a defender. Black looked tentative in the game. And it was almost comical at times when he raised his arm trying to defend the quicker opponents, he looked like saying, please don’t hurt me. If it’s not for the new rules, he might spread out his arms straight and firm, and make anybody think twice before trying to drive against the solid wall.
-
Good points. I also wonder how other “physical” teams are doing right about now…(MichSt, Duke, VCU) or teams that are trying to build a “defensive identity” (TX, OU). It will be enlightening, to say the least to watch MichSt, Duke, KY, and KU on Tuesday night–just to judge how the ‘other’ top3 coaches in Div1 have instructed their teams…I was VERY concerned the new hand-check rule would screw with our Selfian-D mojo, but it will also affect Duke & MichState’s mojo too… Heck, that could be yer ‘handicapped’ Final4 right there! Wish they would allow a champ game on Thursday night…Ya–> lets play a royalty Final4 with 2 hands tied behind our backs defensively…(sarcasm).
-
Thanks for the post. I’m a DTV customer who is tired of spending $35.00 at Buffalo Wild Wings to see an non-HD version. These highlights, which do not show the miserable first 15 minutes of the game give me more hope for the Freshmen. I left at half to listen to the game at home on the radio like I used to back in the 80’s. I do like Gurley’s comments about sitting Wiggins for not putting out effort in those first 15 minutes. Apparently, Coach put him in again and saw him standing around and yanked him. Gurley said that Wigs seemed a bit upset and when Coach again put him back in he stole the ball and went down quickly for a dunk and stayed involved for the rest of the game. He needs to learn to play every second he’s on the court.
-
I missed the game as I have been out of the country and am pretty shocked to read about Wiggins not getting after it 100% the entire game. He has so much hype that I will probably need to get used to being a bit underwhelmed with him even when he has 10 points and multiple huge dunks.
I am actually excited to read that we are not red-shirting anyone this year (or so Self says). My reason is simple…this is the year. We have more talent this year than we have had potentially ever and like it or not at least 2-5 of these guys are gone next year. I know we are going to be really solid next year no matter who stays but I say we put all of our effort into this year and if a shooter like CF can bail us out of a game in March even after playing sparingly all year, then I am all for it. A lot of people on KU Sports have complained for years about how we don’t win titles with great teams. This has the potential to be a great team even though it is young. We have the #2 class in the country including #1 recruit in the country and incredible athletes from last years squad to round out the lineup. I really do think this is our time. I for one can’t wait to see these kids in Chicago next Tuesday. I will be there cheering as loud as I possibly can and will hopefully be able to rub it in some Duke fans faces on my way out of the United Center.
-
This post is deleted!
-
Did anyone notice Lucas only got mop up minutes? I was so pleasantly surprised on his play last week, thought he would see more time.
-
@Crimsonorblue22 I did notice that, although I wasn’t surprised. Against Pitt St he had a few minutes with the starters and had 2 bad turnovers and a pretty bad foul, before being pulled.
-
Konkey… you are right… missing a few shots doesn’t warrant calling it a slump or mini-slump. I think I used that term because of the expectation level of fans (and perhaps Wiggins himself). It could get as bad as saying he’s in a mini-slump for missing one shot!
I haven’t seen anything in these two exhibitions, or the Saturday practice, or Late Night that sticks out negatively about Wiggins. He’s already doing some things other players will never be able to do, even as seniors.
I’d also like to give a thumbs up to Mason! Granted, it was against lesser competition, but still, he had to perform in front of 16k+ right out of the gates as a Jayhawk, and he did it well! There is a lot to know running point, and he maintained his composure throughout.
The offense looked much better than a week ago. The defense still looks horrible. Pretty much everyone (last night) got blown by with ease, including most of our veteran players. It will be a while before someone like Embiid learns to be a real shot blocker like Withey. Heck, I remember Withey in the beginning… he was also like Embiid, and 6’ guards would shoot right over him by getting the ball to the rim before Withey could react. Also, Embiid leaves his feet off of simple head fakes… that’s a sure way to find foul trouble. Black makes too many defensive mistakes, too… and he’s a veteran. I can easily see us land in some foul trouble against Duke. Coach K knows how to take advantage of rules; he was the master of “flop basketball” and now he’ll become the master at drawing hand checks and body fouls on the d, because games will be called tight and it will be like picking $100 bills off a Christmas tree this year. Just check out Duke’s stats in another month, and the # of FT attempts they will have. Wouldn’t surprise me if they lead the nation.
Once these guys learn to play d we are in for a real treat! It would be great to see some defense by the time we play Duke… but I’m not counting on it! I think we are more likely to see lots of foul calls against us against Duke.
I’m asking our team (as a personal favor to me) to please thrash Duke! I have Duke members in my family and I don’t want to have to live it down all year.
-
I was at the game last night, did see Wiggins standing around some, but when he did move – it looks like he’s floating. A treat to see in person.
Brannen Green looked great in the first half. Was really excited to see him playing well. Andrew White III looked great, but wasn’t surprised given CS’s comments. Embiid is going to be amazing when it all clicks. He moves well is an understatement, for sure. Was thrilled that Jamari played so well. I follow him on twitter (funny and prolific tweeter (sp?)) and can’t help but root for him to succeed,
Very nervous for the Duke game next week. Seems like a lot needs to come together in a quick amount of time, but know part of that is the nature of an exhibition game with lots of substitutions.
Rock Chalk!
-
Oakville and Icthawkfan have been spotted posting on KUSports today on the Wiggins Wakes Up piece.
Do we have a recruit team that can go after targets? I’d like to put these two on our list. Would like to see them posting over here.
Perhaps the pay is the same, but the perk set over here is better!
-
@drgnslayr I think there is more sunshine here. That got to be enough.
-
On Embiid, he needs to do what all shorter players hate … what Withey did. Just stand there. Don’t buy the fake. Just stand there. Then react to the shot, and swat.
Pretty good point by kD on perhaps redshirting CF next season. Selden stay, or we get Jones, CF’s situation doesn’t change. But he’s there as a safety net for Mason.
I sent ict a direct message from the kusports site and will do the same with Oak.
-
As to the comment earlier about what other team plays the same style…I would say definitely Michigan State. Izzo and Self both preach tough hard-nosed D and toughness in general. Given the new foul interpretation, I have been looking to see who is making free throws…could be important early in the season. We should be in decent shape there…I don’t recall what Wayne did in the PSU game, but hopefully he will be a good foul shooter. Leads me to a concern I have had. Does anyone think that the change in the calling of fouls will hurt us more than other teams given Self’s style of play? Yes, I think he is a great coach and capable of adjusting…but will it reduce the effectiveness of his style of play?
-
Coach Self said that the new rule was designed to compensate for bad offense at the expense of good defense, or words to that effect. Obviously the rule is going to disproportionally and negatively affect teams like KU that play solid defense. I wonder what teams like Arkansas and VCU are going to do. Unless the rule is tweaked, I can see a the end of games becoming either a parade to the foul line or a game played with little defense. I can understand why Coach Self is considering no red shirts; our depth might well end up being the ultimate advantage, when other teams are down to playing walk-ons, KU can still bring in quality players.
-
The hand check enforcement will be a huge blow to Anrio Adams’ career, assuming they call it as closely in Junior College. (Too harsh? Yeah, probably!)
Last night, Perry Ellis looked like the only Jayhawk comfortable playing 1950s-style foot-movement defense, so hopefully the rest of the team will figure it out… comical to see guys practically slapping their own hands away a couple of times.
I can see coaches with a struggling offense change strategy entirely to take advantage of this (e.g., Tyshawn shooting 15-17 FTs against KY in 2011 without the rule change) I won’t be surprised to see some teams to shoot over 50 free throws a game. Ought to be interesting. And ugly, if you like hard-nosed D.
-
@DanR Or you may substitute Adams with Frank Mason. He collected a couple of those phantom hand check fouls. Wonder how much Coach Self anticipated Mason’s defensive tendencies and decided he needed Conner Frankamp as the backup, just in case Mason gets a couple quick ones and has to sit.
