Kansas vs. Towson Defensive Scoresheet

Quick programming note before I get to the scoresheet: with this weekend's games being on NBC Sports (and whatever weird channel Thursday's is on) I don't know if I will be able to do the scoresheet as I'm not sure whether NBC Sports archives the games like ESPN does on ESPN3. So if anyone knows how to access an archive feel free to let me know in the comments, tweet me at @rctfetch or @rockchalktalk or send an email to fetch9 at gmail. OK onto the scoresheet.

First, I only got a chance to rewatch this game once, so it's possible I could have missed something in there that I would have caught on a second viewing. Whether it's because I only watched once or that's just the way the game went, there were more team forced misses than I usually have. Generally if a guy was left more open than not I gave the team the "forced" miss, as that's not really much of a forced miss.

Wiggins was a monster in this one. It wasn't just in the second half when he switched onto Jerrelle Benimon for a couple possessions and snuffed out any threat he had of scoring. He challenged shots, he helped defensively, and the scoresheet doesn't even cover the times he cut off drivers and forced them to pass the ball to awkward spots.

Speaking of better than the sheet shows defensively, I don't think it's a coincidence that the defense looked really good on the first night Tarik Black didn't struggle with foul trouble. He had a couple shots and even though he had a couple shots made on him, one was a pretty tough look. He also, like Wiggins, frequently cut off drivers driving to the hoop, forcing them to reverse the ball out.

Joel Embiid: rim protector. It's obviously impossible to tell yet if this interior defense from him sticks around, but his improvement in that regard has been amazing. There's a reason I said (only half jokingly) that if Self told Embiid to learn how to play point guard he'd be starting next week.

Last note, on Perry Ellis: He forced his man (usually Benimon) into a lot of tough shots and this chart is unfair to the tough shots he forced his opponent to make.