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Coach Williams' comments
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Possession analysis
| Workmanlike. That is the word I would use to describe KU’s 77-61 win over the visiting Oklahoma State Cowboys. The Jayhawks ran the offense, played pretty good defense and took advantage of OSU’s tired legs in the second half to put the game away. There was nothing overly “special” about this win, but there were some interesting stories surrounding this game. With that in mind, let’s look at this game’s thoughts and observations:
- The news of Drew Gooden’s wrist injury dominated the thoughts and conversations of all KU fans before the game. Drew sat frustratingly on the bench decked out in all black (except, of course, for the blue cast on his wrist). Reportedly the cast will remain until February 19th. At that point, the doctors will take another look at it and determine if Drew will be cleared to play or will need to miss more action. I know I will be saying an extra prayer or two that Drew is able to get back on the court as soon as possible. I don’t think I have to explain how valuable he is to this team’s post-season success.
When I heard the news that Drew would be out at least 3 weeks, my first reaction was to do some “quick math” in my head to determine what games Drew would miss. This is when I realized that Drew would not participate in the rematch against the Iowa State Cyclones in Ames on Feb. 17th. After I got that nauseous thought out of my head, I started thinking about the implications of Drew’s absence on the game at hand. We definitely would need players to step up. And step up they did, particularly Eric Chenowith.
- I’m going to spend a little extra time on the big man today. Eric Chenowith is my “Shut up and play” Player of the Game. After a week where Eric criticized fans for their criticism of his play, “shut up and play” is definitely what Eric did today. To a degree, some of the criticism is valid, both from Eric and from the fans. But let’s not worry about that anymore because, for today, all is right in the land of Eric.
Chenowith had a great game (17pts on 6 of 11 shooting, 12 rebs, 2 assists, 2 blocks in 37 minutes). Eric was much more aggressive on the offensive end today and his efforts were highlighted by a couple of monster dunks in the paint. After one of those delicious dunks, one of my friends looked at me and said, “Why can’t he do that every time down the court?” Oh, if it were only that easy. This is exactly the type of illogical mentality many KU fans have when it comes to Eric. They think that because he is 7’ 1” he should be able to do whatever he wants whenever he wants in the low post. Let’s be realistic folks: NO ONE can do that EVERY time down the court and it’s simply unfair to expect that of Eric.
I look at Eric’s play today and it is exactly what I expected him to do, particularly with Drew being out. As I thought about it even more, I realized that it is simply not right to expect Eric to produce like this in every game. And why is that? Eric played 37 minutes today. He usually plays 20-25 minutes. Eric himself was quoted as saying, “The longer you stay under the basket, the more rebounds will bounce in your face, I guess.” With Drew out of the game, his points and rebounds were going to go to one or two other players. Today, for the most part, they went to Eric. It makes complete sense, doesn’t it? It even helps explain the “drop off” between Eric’s sophomore and junior seasons. When Eric was a sophomore, there was no Nick and Drew. When Nick and Drew came to Lawrence, they took some of Eric’s points and rebounds and his numbers fell accordingly. It’s also important to note that, with all of the criticism Eric has taken, he continues flirt with averaging a double double in points and rebounds.
The aggressive attitude Eric displayed offensively is exactly what KU fans wish he could “bottle” and bring with him every game. This is what is puzzling to many about Eric. He showed a bit of a mean streak today. He posted up strong and finished strong. He also took some of those fadeaway jump shots that have become the dominant characteristic of his offensive repertoire. It’s so difficult to figure out Eric’s passive/aggressive mentality and one never knows when the “passive” Eric is going to show up or when the “aggressive” Eric will take the stage. Eric is clearly aware of this mental dilemma, saying, “I have to take incentive and play harder. I can play so much better for us.”
WARNING: I know we all loved the Eric we saw today. I know we all would love to see him play this way offensively every game. We, as fans, need to be realistic and understand that it likely won’t happen and that’s OK. When Drew comes back, Eric’s numbers and minutes will understandably go back down. Eric shares the minutes with two other great post players and all three of them are putting up solid numbers. If Nick and Drew did not play for KU, Eric would likely be having a monster year statistically. But statistics are not all that matter and there is no way I would trade Nick and Drew for huge numbers for Eric. It’s time for all of us to take a hard look at what we expect from Eric and make sure those expectations are realistic.
I have said my peace. I will now step down from my Eric soapbox and move on………..
- Since I spent so much time on the big man, I’m going to give a quick look at just a few of the other Jayhawks:
- Kirk Hinrich: “He’s baaaaaaaack”. (20 points on 7 of 11 shooting, 3 for 4 from 3pt land, 5 rebs, 5 assists, 2 blocks in 36 minutes). Kirk clearly broke out of his “slump” today and is back on track. Not coincidentally, so are the Jayhawks. I said last week that this team feeds off of Kirk and that clearly is what happened today. Kirk came up big with three first half 3 pointers and also put in a sweet reverse lay-up that brought the crowd to its feet. Kirk was much more aggressive and in control today. “I feel more comfortable attacking the basket and I need to do it more," Hinrich said. I totally agree. Other team’s guards do it to us. We might as well return the favor.
- Brett Ballard was the another big story in this game (6 point on 2 of 3 three points attempts, 3 rebs, 2 assists, and 2 steals in 11 minutes). Make no mistake about it, the walk-on gave this team (and the fans) a spark when they needed it. Brett came in and hit his shots when Boschee went to the bench with foul trouble. You just have to root for this kid (and all of the walk-ons for that matter). He came in and busted his butt and played a great game. Ok, ok, I know he botched the alley-oop attempt to Kenny, but I just had to laugh at what was undoubtedly one of the ugliest alley-oop attempts in Kansas basketball history. I feel much more comfortable with Brett behind the 3-point line than I do with Luke at this point and I hope Coach Williams does to. Brett can be a solid contributor if he gets the chance to play. He’s got the confidence and skills and the other Jayhawk players have confidence in him as well.
- Was it me or was Nick Collison mysteriously quiet again today? (10 pts on 4 of 10 shooting, 5 rebs, 3 steals in 28 minutes). Don’t get me wrong, I love Nick as a player and he continues to be a solid contributor in the low post. Remember when Nick was hitting nearly 70% of his shots earlier in the season? I wish I would have appreciated that more at the time because he has clearly come back to more normal, human-like percentages. Some of those shots down low just aren’t falling for Nick and it appears to be frustrating for him at times. Keep plugging away, Nick. Those shots will start falling again.
- Jeff Carey finally got more than 3 minutes in a game, thanks to Drew’s wrist injury. (2 points, 2 assists, 5 rebs, in 16 minutes). Jeff played as I thought he would. He never really hurts this team and usually does more good than bad. I think Jeff has much more ability than what we have seen. Unfortunately, he hasn’t gotten enough playing time this year to really be comfortable on the floor, particularly on the offensive end. It was good to see Jeff in the game and I hope he and Ballard start to get a few more minutes in an effort to strengthen this team’s depth. Hang in there, Jeff, and keep working hard. Good things come to those who wait.
OTHER THOUGHTS:
- There have been numerous occasions in the last few games where Jayhawk players are trapping on defense. While I understand trapping is good to cause some confusion/turnovers for the opponent and to pick up the pace, lately it seems the trapping is causing more confusion for the Jayhawks and leading to easy baskets for the opponent.
The following scenario has played out way too many times in the last few games. This scenario applies not only to trapping but also to situations where the opponent’s guards penetrate into the lane:
- 1. Opponent dribbles near the baseline or sideline (or penetrates in the lane).
- 2. Two Jayhawk players decide to trap. (or help defend penetration in the lane).
- 3. Other Jayhawk players do not rotate in time and are caught out of position.
- 4. --Opponent passes to teammate resulting in an easy bucket down low;
- --Opponent passes to open teammate, resulting in an open, uncontested jump shot;
- --Opponent passes to open teammate, who takes the jumpshot and misses. Opponent gets offensive rebound, takes the ball back up and is fouled;
- --Opponent passes to open teammate, who takes the jumpshot and misses. Opponent gets offensive rebound, takes the ball back up and scores;
- --Opponent passes to open teammate, who takes the jumpshot and misses. Opponent gets offensive rebound, scores and is fouled.
Something must be done to diminish the frequency of this scenario. I’m not sure what the answer is (other than better execution by the players) and I have to hope that Coach Williams and his staff are looking for answers. Allowing these “open looks” may be worth it when you play a team that isn’t hitting their shots or is winded (OSU), but it will also cost you when you run into a team that is hitting their shots and has depth (ISU, MU).
- Not to take anything away from the Jayhawks, but a big reason for the final margin was due to the tired legs of OSU. These guys have been through so much mentally, physically and emotionally in the last couple of weeks. It clearly caught up with them in the second half. The Cowboys did not score a field goal during the final 7:22. They were 1 of 10 from 3 pt range in the second half. Their last 10 points of the game came on free throws. Coach Williams spoke to this point after the game, saying, "With Oklahoma State having to play three games in six days... I think their legs were a little gone at the end. They were just a little worn out."
- Scot Pollard and Danny Manning were in the crowd today, visiting Lawrence during a break for the NBA All-Star game. It was good to see both of them, representatives of past Jayhawk glory, supporting their alma mater. And how about those sideburns on Pollard? Elvis lives.
- Coach Williams took off his jacket again, but this time he folded it and handed it to someone on the bench. He was unhappy with yet another questionable call from the officials. (This officiating thing is annoying. Did you see the play where an OSU player drove the lane, lost balance, and fell down? Foul on Hinrich. What’s up with that?) Anyway, Coach Williams explained the situation, saying, "I thought I'd have a little fun. If I can't have a little fun … I'm too serious over there most of the time anyway. I just tried to have a little fun."
- Coach Williams had this to say about Eric Chenowith after the game: “He pretended he was Eric Chenowith and talked without using his brain first this week, so I'm glad he had a great
game. This week I think I'll put a muzzle on him and just tell him to play basketball and respectfully decline any interviews.”
- Coach Williams, I think I can speak for all KU fans when I say, “That’s your best coaching move of the season.”
- The Jayhawks take on the Baylor Bears Monday (8pm central) as part of ESPN’s big Monday package. The game will be shown on ESPN2 due to “The ESPY’s” award show on ESPN. The Jayhawks will need to have their act together as the Baylor players and fans are going to be pumped up for their first-ever Big Monday game. Baylor is coming off a 69-58 win against Nebraska, are 12-2 at home, and are 14-0 when the lead at the half. Needless to say, KU cannot look past this team in anticipation for their rematch with Iowa State. If Coach Williams gets the players focused going into the game, it should be a 10-15 point win. If not……..well, I don’t even want to think about that.
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