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Friday, January 4, 2008

Kaun finds touch at free throw line

By Gary Bedore

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KU men headed to Boston College

Amidst all the Orange Bowl festivities, the Kansas men's basketball team has quite a large ACC test in front of them.

Six games into the season, Bill Self had seen enough.

It was time for a coach/player chat with Kansas University senior center Sasha Kaun, who bricked three of four free throws in a Nov. 28 rout of Florida Atlantic.

The three misses dropped the 6-foot-11 Kaun to 10-of-27 from the line for a Shaq-like 37 percent.

"We told him he was 0-for-0," KU coach Self said. "(Since then) he's shot it pretty well."

Kaun hit three of four free throws in the ensuing game against Southern California and in the past seven games has made 15 of 22 for 68.2 percent.

"Right before the USC game coach said, 'Your free throws start now. Step up and make the free throws,''' Kaun said.

Before missing two without a make last Saturday against Yale, the career 49.8 percent shooter had made 15 of his last 20 for 75 percent in six games.

"I think it's really mental for me," Kaun said. "In practice I shoot them really well, 75 to 80 percent. I try to relax and do what I do in practice."

Self, whose team has made 166 of 266 for 62.8 percent, believes confidence is key to making the unguarded shot.

"He's been working on it. He seems more relaxed at the line," Self said of Kaun. "I think he had lost some confidence when he didn't shoot his free throws well. It kind of affected his total game. He's more a presence now than earlier in the season."

Kaun, a former starter who has given way to Darnell Jackson and come off the bench the last eight games, said it's just a coincidence he's played well in a relief role.

"We still get the same minutes," Kaun said. "We play three or four bigs. Not starting may relieve a little more pressure, but it doesn't matter whether you start or not. It's been good for our team I think."

Self said starting versus coming off the bench "is totally irrelevant. I don't think it's any big deal. He has been more productive of late. I don't think coming off the bench has anything to do with it.

"Throughout his career, he's gone through phases where he's been very productive and phases he's had a little bit of a dry spell. Now he's certainly on an up-tick."

Self likes the fact he doesn't have to worry about ego issues on this team. Sherron Collins, who also comes off the bench, likely would be starting for any other team in the league.

"These guys don't care who starts," Self said. "Probably the best thing about our team is guys like each other so much."

Don't expect any lineup changes soon ... as long as the team stays healthy.

"This is who we are. I don't see an immediate change. Injuries or situations can change that. I like the way we're playing in our rotation now," Self said.

That's fine with Kaun.

"It's my senior year. I'm focusing on having fun," he said.

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Comments

Displayhawk (anonymous) says...

If only Kansas wasn't just a "Football School"!
LOL
I hope the B-ball guys get on a run like the football team did!

January 4, 2008 at 9:18 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Royaljayhwk (anonymous) says...

Get on a run? I think they are doing pretty well for themselves so far. Rock-Chalk baby! Who had an orange for breakfast this morning?

January 4, 2008 at 9:28 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Lebowski (anonymous) says...

What is the run the football team went on? Did great during the regular season... lost a game real late in the season that ruined the chances of a chances of a championship. They went on the same run that the basketball team does virtually every year.

The only difference here is in format. In football, you still get compensated with a bowl game. In basketball, you are done.

Don't mistake the football team winning the Orange Bowl as being MORE sucessful that the basketball team. It's great, I'm extremely happy and excited about the football program. But if basketball followed the same BCS bowl game format instead of a single-elim tourney of the top 64 teams.... there'd have all kinds of BCS trophies laying around from the last 20 years. And likewise, if football was more like basketball, KU would have been done after the Mizzou game and some of you who are so celebratory right now would be talking about how the f'ball team choked just like the b'ball team always does.

That's what I hate about the NCAA tourney. You could have 8 teams that are great, show up to play, compete their butts off and play like champs. Seven of them are going to lose, no matter how good they are... no matter how well they play.

January 4, 2008 at 11:31 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

JNgohawks (anonymous) says...

I feel your pain Lebowski, I don't like it that the best team doesn't always win. But that is what makes the NC so special in college basketball

January 4, 2008 at 1:08 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

March Madness is short hand for "The National Collegiate Athletic Association Hot Trifecta Shooting Championship."

You have to have a lot of talent that has played well against a respectable (not exceptional) schedule to get a high seed in the tourney.

After that, winning a ring all comes down to whether you can defend the heck out of opponents for 5 or 6 games, rebound at least evenly with opponents, and never run into an opponent way hotter from trifectaville than you.

And NO defense, or rebounding, can overcome a really hot shooting team that fires 20-25 treys and makes 45-50 percent.

For these reasons, I like KUs chances. They've got some bombers. But I am worried that Self is not getting them untracked yet. He really doesn't like to shoot more than 15 and that means KU will be out of its comfort zone when it comes up against a hot shooting trey team that requires KU to shoot 20-25 to win.

KU tries to shoot fewer treys and rely on strips to offset trey shooting of opponents. This tactic works great against weaker teams, but doesn't cut it against top ten teams with good guards who can manage the ball.

Still, ol'Bill seems to have studied the stats and thinks this is the way for this team to win. Its going to be interesting come March.

January 4, 2008 at 2:44 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Lebowski (anonymous) says...

"You have to have a lot of talent that has played well against a respectable (not exceptional) schedule to get a high seed in the tourney.

After that, winning a ring all comes down to whether you can defend the heck out of opponents for 5 or 6 games, rebound at least evenly with opponents, and never run into an opponent way hotter from trifectaville than you."

You really said it all right there jay. I agree entirely. Out of 6 opponents, most teams are going to run into a team like team like that before they get to the end of them. Can a team get lucky enough to avoid that or at least weather the storm?

I also agree with your view on steals. Later in the season, you're always going to run into teams that you cannot get to turn the ball over as much. So steals record or not, that's probably not going to be something KU can rely on in the tourney.

Our big men still have to get better in the post offensively before I'm convinced we have a chance to go the distance in the tourney.

My main points about the difference in formats between b'ball and f'ball is this.... Measuring opposing sports' team performances on their last game of the season is not practical or fair. Only ONE b'ball team gets to end on a win while HALF of f'ball teams do.

And from the views of most I've seen so far, most people are out of touch with that. KU's team two years ago that came out of nowhere to win the big 12 was every bit as successful as this year's football team, imo. Just want to see our b'ball team get the love they deserve even when they don't win it all.

January 4, 2008 at 3:08 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

Lebowski,
I completely agree with you on all points: bigs, fball vs. bball and ALSO about how much credit our hoopsters deserve. I would add that Self has been doing one of his masterful jobs, maybe his most masterful jobs, at hiding weaknesses again this year. I was in awe of how he coached around our injuries and flaws last year. But to start with NO Rush and then lose Sherron and Reed for extended stretches, and have Kaun go in the tank for a month or so, and still be undefeated at mid season; well, its just amazing coaching, frankly.

No coach is the best at everything. Self may not yet have found the Wooden magic for winning in the tourney, but he is as good or better than any coach I can ever recall at coaching around weaknesses and injuries. He avoids a good 3-5 losses a season just because of this remarkable ability of his.

January 4, 2008 at 7:35 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

dbenton6 (anonymous) says...

I spent a lot of time today listening to Mizzou fans saying how they should have been there. My point to them was, KU did not do this to Mizzou. Mizzou did this to Mizzou. How can they possibly think they should have been there ahead of KU. 11-1 is a bit better than 11-2 no matter where you are. At least Mizzou can't say "just wait for basketball" because they know we are already "waiting" on them.

January 4, 2008 at 7:46 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jross1972 (Joe Ross) says...

Kansas women are 13-2, lets give it up for our women of roundball one time!

January 4, 2008 at 9:05 p.m. ( | suggest removal )