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All in the Wrist

'Hawks finally felt the pressure

By Chris Wristen
March 18, 2006 | 8 comments

The Baby Jayhawks finally felt the pressure.

That, in a nutshell, sums up Friday night’s miserable performance in a 77-73 loss to Bradley in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at The Palace in Auburn Hills, Mich.

For the first time since December, Kansas University’s men’s basketball team played timid. The Jayhawks looked lost. They resembled the fresh batch of rookies that played in the Maui Invitational. They looked like they forgot everything they’d learned during the past two months.

KU’s sudden collapse was somewhat surprising and somewhat expected. It makes sense that the Jayhawks finally might feel the pressure of being a title contender after winning the Big 12 Tournament title last year. Plus, the NCAA Tournament is a monster in itself. It’s something most players have dreamed of since they were kids. When a team’s top seven players are freshmen and sophomores, there isn’t anybody to step up and settle everybody down.

Not that KU coach Bill Self didn’t try to calm the troops. He went to the bench early and brought in senior Jeff Hawkins. The television announcers said the move was to bring some maturity to the floor, but it’s tough to find any maturity in a senior grad student who just got caught in a hit-and-run accident while cutting in the drive-thru line at McDonald’s. Then Self went to senior Stephen Vinson, and KU rallied to tie the game before things fell apart again.

The final two minutes of the first half were the most critical of the game for Bradley when it pushed its lead back to 10 points, but the most critical for Kansas were the first five. That’s when the Jayhawks could have shocked the Braves with their trademark swarming defensive pressure. That’s how the Jayhawks have deflated opponents since January. But they didn’t do that Friday night.

“I just don’t feel like we guarded them,” Self said after the game. “We let them get comfortable.”

That was Kansas’ No. 1 problem against Bradley. It wasn’t Mario Chalmers’ poor passing. It wasn’t Sasha Kaun’s refusal to make a strong move to the basket. It wasn’t Brandon Rush’s continued fear of taking over a game. It wasn’t C.J. Giles turning in his C.J. Special by fouling out in just 14 minutes. No, the problem was that the Jayhawks were too timid to bring their best effort on defense. That’s what gave the Braves the confidence to sink 11 of 21 three-pointers despite being a mediocre team from beyond the arc all season. That’s why the Jayhawks never mustered any sort of a dangerous run. That’s why it was clear early that they were doomed.

KU didn't pick up its perimeter pressure until less than six minutes remained in the game. It was mind-boggling to watch the first 34 minutes of the game and not see KU's guards up in the face of Bradley's guards. The Jayhawks simply let the Braves swing the ball at will, set up their offense and get comfortable. By not applying pressure, it prevented the Jayhawks from developing any sort of poise. Once they started pressuring the guards, it was too late.

The Jayhawks did not quit Friday night, but they did play arguably their worst game of the season in their final game of the year. It was simply a case of their inexperience finally showing through.

Kansas fans will be frustrated with a second straight first-round exit from the tournament, and that’s understandable. But fans should not let that overshadow everything the Jayhawks accomplished. They started 3-4 before going on a major tear. They earned a share of the regular-season Big 12 title, were the Big 12 Tournament champions and posted a 25-8 record. All in all, that’s not too shabby for a team that will return its entire starting lineup and all of its top players.

This loss also will teach the Baby Jayhawks how to handle pressure in the future. Pressure was something they simply didn’t understand, so it overwhelmed them. They’d better get used to it, though, because there will be plenty of pressure next year.

Comments

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Posted by rcaltrider (anonymous) on March 18, 2006 at 9:47 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I'm not so sure it's a good thing that this team returns all of its top players because I didn't see anything that leads me to believe these kids have what it takes to go deep into the tournament. That is a go to player who takes over a game. The only one on this team that has the ability to do that, Rush, doesn't seem to have the willingness (guts) to do that. Unless Collins is the type of player that can do that then this team will be in the same boat next year as they were this year. They'll probably have a better regular season because they probably won't start out 3-4 but when it comes to the NCAA Tourney they once again will go home early because they don't have a go to player that will pull them through the tough moments that inevitably occur in the tournament. They also don't have a coach who has a very good record of taking teams as far as they should or could go into the tournament. In three years at KU he has had 3 teams with the talent (and seeding) to make a run to the Final 4 (if not further) and he has won a total of 3 games and those were all in the first year. I just don't see "IT" in this coach or these players. Hopefully one day they'll prove me wrong.

Posted by cwrist (Chris Wristen) on March 18, 2006 at 12:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I understand your skepticism, but I don't think it will play out that way. My impression of this is that this is the exact situation that Brandon Rush needed to have happen for him to finally understand why Bill Self has wanted him to be more aggressive on offense all year. This was a wake-up call of sorts for Brandon Rush. For him, there always has been a "tomorrow" on the basketball court. If you don't rise up during a regular-season game, there's always another game. The finality of the NCAA Tournament will hammer home the reality to him that he has to be aggressive at all times. He proved this year that he has a strong desire to improve and work hard -- especially on the defensive end -- and I think this will motivate him even more in the summer.
As for Bill Self's big-game coaching, I don't think it is realistic to judge his NCAA Tournament coaching ability much based on these first three years. Here's why. The first year -- when KU went to the Elite Eight -- it wasn't his players. That was pretty much the same thing last year, except that it was clear that Keith Langford was basically working to undermine what Self was teaching. As for this year, it was his first season with basically all of his own guys, but it was a team with no veteran leadership. During football, everybody looked at year No. 4 as the year Mark Mangino had to really produce some results. I think that's the same case for Bill Self. Now it will totally be all of "his guys" and they will return with regular-season and postseason experience.
I'm not usually a "wait 'till next year" kind of guy, but I think it's a little different this time because of the particular circumstances surrounding this team.

Posted by actorman (anonymous) on March 18, 2006 at 3:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Apparently rcaltrider has never heard that the biggest improvement for a college player comes between his freshman and sophomore years. Apparently he thinks that every player in college basketball stays exactly the same between his freshman and senior years -- that no one ever grows, matures or improves.

As much as it sounds like a cliche, this was a learning experience. Everyone will come back stronger next year. And I think they DO have a go-to guy. I think Chalmers can be that guy, and showed it on many occasions in the last half of the year. Add that to another stellar recruiting class and the fact that Self has a PROVEN track record of doing well in the post-season (see Tulsa and Illinois), and the future is extremely bright for this team. The only people who don't think it's bright are the same fair-weather fans who come out of the woodwork after every big loss (like, for example, UCLA, UTEP, Rhode Island, etc.), only to magically appear when the 'Hawks do well and say, "I knew it all along." Rcaltrider, why don't you and your ilk disappear and let the real KU fans stand behind the team and appreciate what we have?

Posted by rcaltrider (anonymous) on March 18, 2006 at 4:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Why is it that when somebody questions or has some criticisms of something going on with the program then they are labeled fair-weathered? I have a suggestion for you actorman, if you disagree with somebody just mention what it is you disagree with them on and state your reasons for your disagreement. It is not neccessary to attack that person and attack their loyalty to their team. Now, I disagree that Self has a PROVEN track record of doing well in the post-season at Illinois because he lost to a lower-seed in 2 of his 3 tournament appearances at Illinois if I am not mistaken and never reached the Final 4. I will give you the one year that he had the great run to the Elite 8 at Tulsa. However, one year does not constitute as a PROVEN track record.

Now Wristen on the other hand disagreed with me without attacking my loyalty to KU and without telling me to disappear because I'm not a "real" KU fan. I respect that and you made some very valid points Wristen. I guess that's why you are the professional writer. I'm still skeptical of Self and this team but your follow up to my comments made me feel better and I see your point. Actorman should take not of the way you approached your follow up and maybe learn from that.

Posted by Roadkill_Rob (anonymous) on March 19, 2006 at 1:17 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Good analysis, Wrist. I agree, I think once these guys gain a little more maturity, they'll be tough to beat. Go J-Hawks!

Posted by myopinion (anonymous) on March 20, 2006 at 1:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)

I would have to say that expecting a team of three freshmen and two sophomores to already have a "go to man" is very unrealistic. I think it is too early to see who that will be, although Rush, Chalmers, and Wright all have the potential. That is what this team is all about, potential. I think all of them will improve into next year, and we will be very pleasantly surprised. GO HAWKS!!

Posted by cwrist (Chris Wristen) on March 20, 2006 at 1:18 p.m. (Suggest removal)

myopinion, well said.
I suspect that the tournament loss was the wake-up call Rush needed to finally understand why he needs to be as aggressive on offense as Self demands. As for the other guys, Julian Wright reminds me of a young Drew Gooden (loaded with talent, but still very raw with a good work ethic and major upside) and Chalmers isn't afraid to try to be great (he'll be more comfortable with the ball next year as far as passing goes). All of them look much better when glue-guy Russell Robinson is on the floor. He simply makes the guys around him better, and that's the mark of a great leader.
I'm still uncertain about what to expect from Sasha Kaun and C.J. Giles. Those two seemed to regress at times throughout the year. Darnell Jackson may be the most polished of the three big men, and I like his work ethic.

Posted by mwoodard (Matt Woodard) on March 21, 2006 at 5:01 p.m. (Suggest removal)

Every JHawk fan was disappointed, frustrated, upset, etc. following Fridays game. My thought at the beginning of the game was that we were back on the Big Island playing the Wildcats of Arizona. The only bright spot in the first half was Russell Robinson because he seemed to be the only one aggressively taking the ball inside and attacking the defense. All our other guards seemed too comfortable dribbling the ball on the perimeter.

You are very correct in saying our defensive pressure was lacking. The only time our D seemed to cause them trouble was in the 2nd half when we switched to a 3-2 zone. Clearly, the young guys came out with the deer in the headlights look and could not shake it until late. I mentioned to some co-workers -last week- that that team was no pushover and could give us a scare (I thought we would handle it and win, though). Of course, they accused me of trying to scare them. Again, I didn't think we would lose, but I was nervous.

I had seen a little of Bradley against Wichita St. (FoxNet) Sommerville and OBryant both had double-doubles points and rebounds that game. Add to that having 4 or 5 guys averaging double figures (good balance, something we did not have with a young team). They are just getting hot at the right time. A win over Pittsburgh has to show that they are for real. We had a very bad night at the worst possible time.

I do believe this will help this team avoid such lows in the future. This will be a talented and deep team this coming season. No need to panic.