Jayhawks Hold On to Win 87-79
by Warden11 on Nov 28, 2010 7:50 AM CST
in Kansas Jayhawk Basketball 2010-11
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PrintKansas was tested on both ends of the floor last night and showed some strengths and faults during the process. In the first ten minutes of the game, it looked like KU was going to turn the game into a laugher. A 31-15 lead after 9 minutes of play had me thinking this team had no faults. In the next two and a half minutes, Kyle Fogg hit a couple of 3 pointers and the Jayhawks hadn't scored allowing the lead to be cut to 7. So in the first 9:13 of the game, KU scored 33 points. In the remaining 10:47, they scored 11 points due to a combination of poor shooting and a lot of standing around on offense.
In the 2nd half, the game was tight with Arizona leading until around the 8 minute mark. At this point, something clicked for Kansas. They became much more active on the offensive end after switching from their high/low offense to a 3 guard weave. This was out of necessity with Marcus and Markieff Morris on the bench with foul trouble and Arizona playing very good defense inside. The next 10 points came from layups and a monstrous dunk by Thomas Robinson on a fast break alley oop from Tyshawn Taylor. Overall, it was a solid offensive game and a shaky defensive game that led to a good win over a team that looks like they will definitely be in the discussion in the Pac-10 this year.
Random thoughts about the game after the jump.
Before getting to players, a few things about the team as a whole.
- Even a game where I wasn't overly impressed with the offense outside of the first 10 minutes, we still had a 58.8 eFG% which is very good. That's even more impressive when you realize the team was 5 for 14 on 3 pointers. That's not a terrible percentage but it's also not a good one.
- The offense scored 1.19 points per possession last night. That's just below what they scored against Texas A&M CC and this was against much better competition. And somehow, I still wasn't overly impressed on the offensive end. Am I being too hard on this team?
- Arizona's offensive rebound percentage is way higher than we'd like to see. However, Arizona has a guy named Derrick Williams. He's good and had almost half of those rebounds. He attacked the basket and got both Marcus and Markieff in foul trouble.
- Before the last two minutes, Arizona was shooting 40% behind the arc. So much for that low defensive 3 pt% meaning a lot, huh?
Players
- Tyshawn Taylor- 4 for 6 from the field and all four were layups. Also had 7 assists to 4 turnovers, not great but it is acceptable.
- Thomas Robinson- Had the only two dunks for the Jayhawks last night. Offensive game is looking much better than I expected to see this year.
- Travis Releford- Hit two threes and had a layup in the first half. Matched up with Derrick Williams in the 2nd half and did a pretty good job of keeping him from going to the basket. Also had a few nice plays while attacking the basket. Most impressive game from him this year.
- Marcus and Markieff finished with 16 and 15 points respectively. Can't complain about that at all but foul trouble for both was a big cloud on their night. For Markieff, this is a red flag right now.
- Tyrel Reed- Looked lost on his 3 point attempts last night but saved his night with a few drives to the basket and solid free throw shooting at the end of the game.
Below is a shot chart that I marked during the game. See anything good or bad here? Blacks are made baskets and reds are misses.
1st Half
2nd Half
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Shot charts are really interesting
Those shot charts are really interesting. How many of those misses in the paint were followed by a make? While you can see that there were about seven shots in each half that we had no business missing, how many of those 14 shots were followed by a make?
I thought that last night a guard that is willing to create his own shot would have helped a ot in the middle 20 minutes.
The biggest thing I'm seeing in those charts...
Is that we’re heavily right-handed. By the end of the year, we need to have more balance in terms of where on the court we’re scoring the basketball.
If I was coaching against this team, I would have my defense heavily force KU to its left to make them prove they can score that way.
by KennyGregoryRockThaCradle on Nov 28, 2010 10:55 AM CST up reply actions
First half was really heavy on the right side.
2nd half, not as bad. Think Arizona had that in their gameplan and failed to execute it in the first ten minutes?
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball...Rock Chalk Talk
re-watched the game this morning with my 6-year old son
let me tell you btw, it’s fun when your kid starts to “get it” and really start liking sports…he asked me to record the game so he could watch it when he woke up.
anyway, we were doing pretty well up until marcus got his 4th foul, and that seemed to be when arizona made their big push…it seemed to me that after a few minutes of trying to find ourselves, we had guys get comfortable and the offense started to flow a little bit again.
also noticed that we went to the weave with about 6-7 minutes to go and just killed arizona with it…that seems to be coach self’s go-to play when we need buckets.
the 3-pt shooting is still a big concern for me, if we can’t hit more consistently we’re going to have trouble.
one thing i noticed and pointed out to my son: on robinson’s dunk, the ball only hit the floor once…taylor took one dribble and passed to robinson…beautiful play and a good example of fundamental basketball.
BOOM YOSTED!
by Home Run Tony Cogan on Nov 28, 2010 9:34 AM CST reply actions
As for being too hard on the team
Yes the average stats were good, but we played so out of our minds in that 1st nine minutes that even playing god awful for the next ten we ended up with decent averages. It did however show that our offense can bog down like it did last year. Lets hope Selby is the lube the offense needs.
Also
Can we put in Releford for Morningstar and be done with it?
by bt01 on Nov 28, 2010 10:37 AM CST up reply actions 3 recs
Here's the thing re: Releford v. Morningstar
Travis is a better scorer, there’s really no question about it. One thing HCBS mentioned in his post-game interview after last night’s game, though, is that Travis still doesn’t excel at passing the ball to scorers, which Brady does very well. For instance, after we started running the weave in the 2nd half, Brady had a great feed to Kieffer under the bucket for an easy lay-in. At this point, I don’t trust Travis to make that pass. Brady did it with ease. There’s more to the game than scoring, especially when we have other scorers out on the floor. Travis has really impressed me so far this year, especially with his ability to knock down the outside shot, but he’s not the complete player HCBS needs down the stretch just yet. Give him time, and I’m sure he’ll get there, but he’s not there yet, imo.
When is Late Night?
Where are his assists then?
I get the point, but the problem is, is you look at the productivity per minutes, Brady is just a black hole. If he’s making his threes, hes tolerable. But he’s not.
that's the going description of him
but he’s a confident ball handler and accurate passer. Those don’t necessarily have a handy statistic next to them, but they’re still very valuable assets to a team. Sure, he’s a bigger asset when he’s hitting threes, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.
Starters vs. reserves or
1st team vs. 2nd team.
The thing that makes Brady starting a good idea to me is that he is then playing alongside M&M, so HIS job is not to score. Instead his job is to make sure there are efficient offensive possessions that run through your scorers. Brady is great at making the offense run.
The other thing that is great about Travis not starting – playing with the first team, is that he then IS playing with the 2nd team. There HIS job is more about scoring and less about running the O through other players (TR, ML, EJ, JW) on the second team. It reminds me a bit of ’08 when there was so much talk about Sherron deserving to start instead of RRob – that is until Sherron came out and said that he knew HIS role on the team was to come off the bench, and he was happy with it – and the results.
The team really is more than just a collection of individual players.
Are there any statistics backing up the idea that the team is more productive when Brady is in the game?
Or is it way too early to try to extrapolate any statistical trends?
IMO, the team has seemed to pick up its game after the first substitutions are made. Personally, I point to Brady as the reason for that.
by KennyGregoryRockThaCradle on Nov 28, 2010 11:50 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Hard to judge this game
Because it was our first game against a legit opponent, and in the past (even when we are really good) we ALWAYS struggle in our first game against someone relevant (see Memphis last year, USC and Arizona the year we won it all, etc).
We had foul trouble, and Arizona was scorching from three. Take out their 1 for 6 desperate heaves at the very end of the game (missed three strait on the last possession) and they shot lights out from 3. Take away a few of their long balls, and KU keeps them at bay all game.
Thomas Robinson played very very well. He is starting to look like a legit post player. A perfect third man in the big rotation. He is athletic, rebounds, he is making more free throws and plays within the offense. Even is knocking down an occasional jumper and providing a few post moves.
The story of the game was the first couple minutes, couple feeds into the low post and easy points for the Morri. If they can stay out of foul trouble (a huge if), our offense is so much better.
Releford is starting to look better. Making open shots and getting to the rim. Plus he plays solid D. If he can play smart and ease into the offense better, he will play more.
Tyshawn played very well. He won us the game at the end by running the offense, getting guys easy dunks and pressuring the ball.
Reed is playing well but man, he needs to make some threes. Loved seeing him drive to the rim and play some D, but we really need him to make some outside shots. Morningstar looked terrible on offense and defense.
Little is what he is at this point. He provides some offense off the bench but is a liability on defense. He can get us points when we need them and has a smooth shot, but his defense needs improvement. He is a step slow outside and a little short inside. He may be more effective against 4 guard lineups playing the 4 against a smaller 4 (like a Nebraskie).
All in all good to see us pull away in a nailbiter and show some heart. A lot to work on, but a lot to take away from this game. Arizona looks like they will make a run at the Pac 10, and this could end up being a huge win when the year is over with
Shit happens when you win championships
Isn't it nice to have so many pieces/tools to work with?
Hopefully, we as fans can appreciate the strengths of the screw driver and the hammer and the benefits of having both, while staying away from the comparisons.
Little
It’s interesting- his biggest strength is also his biggest weakness. He’s a matchup nightmare for opponents on offense, but he’s also a bit of a matchup nightmare for us on defense.
by KennyGregoryRockThaCradle on Nov 28, 2010 11:57 PM CST via mobile up reply actions
Exactly
Shit happens when you win championships
by Andrew Clark on Nov 29, 2010 10:59 AM CST up reply actions
FYI...
we’re #1 in the kenpom ratings in both AdjO and AdjD, for what that’s worth. It’s still early, of course, but at least statistically, we’re looking pretty good so far. Also, Arizona jumped from 12th to 8th after the loss, which is interesting. Our schedule strength also jumped about 50 positions or something, too. Our schedule is about to get significantly tougher here, and the next two games will be very telling for our guys. I expect us to play well against UCLA at the Phog, but Memphis in NYC will be a tough game.
When is Late Night?
Our schedule strength may also improve in the next month
as our first opponents, the “toughest game yet” teams, start having the tourney team caliber results that are expected vs. being blown out by a top team.
So far as being hard on the offense
I think its easy and justified to be hard on the offense, precisely because when we actually run an offense we make it look so simple and score at such a high rate. This is why whenever go through a couple minutes of looking brain dead it stands out – because the alternative is known and proven.
A couple other things:
I don’t remember where I read it, but an analysis of Kenpom’s rankings and overall season success has shown that 3-point % defense is a very unreliable indicator – because of the many things that go into how the three point line is defended, and because of how streaky shooting can burn anyone’s 3-point % defense. Same for 3-point % offense. For that reason, 2-point % defense is a much better barometer of your overall team D, and 2-point % offense is a much better barometer of your offensive capability than your 3-point shooting.
by 2.1 seconds left on Nov 28, 2010 11:37 AM CST reply actions
Yeah, 3 pt% is generally fluky on defense.
There’s an occasional team that for whatever reason shows they can do it for a full year but they’re rare. Kansas has not been one of those teams. I’d imagine a lot of the early season success has been playing less athletic, smaller teams. Slower shots and harder to get a good look, so they struggled a ton. It definitely isn’t an area that I’m worried about right now or that I would carry this team forward.
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball...Rock Chalk Talk
oh hi I'm Warden and I make shot charts
way to show me up, asshole
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by fetch9 on Nov 28, 2010 4:40 PM CST reply actions 1 recs
Well, I guess disagree w/ Arizona's SB Nation blog on the game:
This wasn’t a game of a weaker team improving their game and falling just short of defeating a much better team. No, it was clear that Arizona had the ability to win this game.
That’s exactly what I saw.
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball...Rock Chalk Talk
*and I don't mean to talk trash with that, just thought the other side's take was interesting.
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball...Rock Chalk Talk
We played average at best, and they played out of their minds, especially shooting outside
And we still won by 9…all you need to know
Shit happens when you win championships
by Andrew Clark on Nov 28, 2010 9:27 PM CST up reply actions
They shot well from outside, 40% before the last two minutes.
Fogg was 4-8 and Williams was 2-3. But nobody else for them was hitting consistently.
Semantics probably but when I read “out of their minds”, I think back to Okie State last year.
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball...Rock Chalk Talk
KU did look pretty inconsistent.
Fans are going to see an inconsistent team as inherently very good with some bad moments. Fans of other teams are probably not going to see it that way.
I didn’t see an Arizona team that had a lot to learn. They looked more fully formed than Kansas. I think (I HOPE) that Kansas is going to play much better and will be out of Arizona’s league. Our 90% game was absolutely obliterating them. Their 90% game was merely hanging in their with our 60% game.
I think last night proves we need Selby
There were times, especially in the second half, where our offense really stalled and we got nothing from the 2 and 3 spots (with Reed, Morningstar, etc in). Johnson can hit from the outside but he lacks the ability to create without turnovers. Really Taylor is our only creator right now, and when he hits the bench it hurts our O.
Selby will be a big boost to the guard rotation. ::stating the obvious ftw::
Shit happens when you win championships
Last night was the first time where I thought it was clear that Selby will be needed.
Glad I came, just wish I hadn't stayed so long.
People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball...Rock Chalk Talk
Last night showed our greater depth.
They had no one behind Williams, especially when he was gone. We weren’t as good without Marcus (& Markieff), but much Robinson, Withey, and Little are much better than the 2nds for other teams. I’d say the same goes for Releford and Johnson. Selby is the last piece to make us elite.
My thoughts.
I am starting to believe in Releford, T2, and TRob.
Reed showed some of the ice his veins and didn’t quit, and I liked that. But Reed still has the problem of being a shooting guard who isn’t shooting 3s very well; 0-4 this game, 8-28 on the season. KU doesn’t need another guard who struggles to get the ball into the basket.
Marcus started great but Arizona adjusted and neutralized him. This is what we were waiting to see, and even though we wound up with a win, I think we failed this test. The Morri disappeared and we didn’t adjust very well, we didn’t have other good options ready.
So yeah, after that blistering start, Arizona fought back tough and knocked KU back on its heels. They played as tough and aggressive in that stretch as we’re gonna see I think. The string of bad calls against KU while they were struggling didn’t help, either. Stuff like that’s gonna happen, but man we really teetered at the brink there. A zone, the weave… phew, it looked bleak.
Yet the team recovered and pulled through for a win. That’s huge, but I wish it hadn’t taken so long to get their act back together. Our guys can do better than that, and they need to do better than that, nevermind Selby. I just hope this season’s team can learn from a “bad win” better than Sherron & Co.
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