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2008 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Keegan

Keegan: Chalmers doesn’t get his due

By Tom Keegan

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Jayhawks arrive in Omaha

The Kansas men's basketball team took the first step in the quest for a championship by making it to Omaha, where they'll face Portland State on Thursday morning.

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KU heads to Omaha

2008 NCAA Tournament

Omaha, Neb. — Junior guard Mario Chalmers' improved athleticism since he arrived at Kansas University inspires a lot of talk when he soars so high, so quickly to block the shot of an opposing center, and when he elevates to throw down a one-handed dunk.

It's rare for a player to get so much more athletic, especially considering Chalmers was no plodder when he left Anchorage, Alaska, for Lawrence. His explosive plays understandably inspire a lot of chatter and tend to overshadow another area of improvement from him. An accurate long-range shooter as a freshman (.375 from three-point country), and a better one as a sophomore (.404), he has developed into a dead-eye as a junior (.480).

Chalmers played 33 games as a freshman and has played 33 this season, going into Thursday's opening-round rout of Portland State in the Qwest Center. As a freshman, he attempted 144 two-point field goals and made 73 for a .507 percentage. This season, he has made 74 two-point field goals and attempted 132 (.561).

His assists-to-turnover ratio was 1.37 as a freshman and is 2.32 this season. Quietly, except for his 30-point outburst in the Big 12 Conference tournament title game, Chalmers has developed into a remarkably efficient guard. He shoots more frequently and scores more often, creates more opportunities for others, and makes better decisions on the break than at any time in his career.

Chalmers needed just a season-high 15 field-goal attempts to score 30 points. On many teams, he would average close to 15 shots a game. For balanced Kansas, Chalmers has reached double figures in shot attempts just eight times.

Chalmers seldom takes a bad shot, and the same can be said for the entire Kansas team. Think about it: When is shot selection ever an issue with this team? For every field goal attempted, Kansas has generated 1.13 points, excluding free throws on three-point plays. Chalmers, scoring 1.276 points per shot, leads the team in that category. Darnell Jackson (1.275) ranks second.

That sort of team shooting efficiency isn't possible without players being put in position to get good shots and without players having the wisdom to avoid pulling the trigger on low-percentage ones. Both qualities speak to discipline, and ultimately, coaching.

Bill Self's teams play a disciplined brand of basketball, but he tends not to get as much credit as other coaches for that because his teams play at a fast pace. For some reason, discipline tends to be equated with walking the ball up the floor, milking the shot clock, and winning low-scoring games.

At times during the Big 12 regular season, the Jayhawks sometimes became undisciplined defensively, going for too many steals, and reaching for too many fouls. Offensively, though, the Jayhawks (31-3) remained efficient.

Chalmers doesn't get enough credit for playing with discipline, for taking smart shots, for sharing the ball. Who knows why? Maybe it's because he doesn't have a crew-cut and doesn't answer to the overused "overachiever" label. Whatever the reasons, Kansas is fortunate to have him on its side.

Comments

SacJayhawk (anonymous) says...

"As a freshman, he attempted 73 two-point field goals and made 144."

Wow, I don't care who you are, that's pretty freaking good. By my estimate, that's right at 197%. How in the world did he not make POY?

March 19, 2008 at 3:07 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

cure4cf (anonymous) says...

lmao...i noticed that too...thats an incredible percantage from the field

March 19, 2008 at 3:18 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Strikewso (anonymous) says...

Too many people are picking KU to win it all, it's making me nervous. Those of us who have watched this team all year know they can be a little flakey. Which team is going to show up? I hope our shooters don't get cold at the wrong time. That always happened to those supposedly good mid-90s teams that Roy coached. I hope our defense plays as tough as it did last year, that may be our only hope when RR starts clanging them.

March 19, 2008 at 3:41 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Strikewso (anonymous) says...

We lost some games his Freshman year so his 197% was a little under the radar. And even with that high percentage, he didn't score a ton of points in the grand scheme of things. Still, it was an impressive feat.

March 19, 2008 at 3:46 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

chuckberry32 (anonymous) says...

Man, you guys are tough critics! I think it's pretty clear what he meant in the article.

The only question now is do I take off Tomorrow or next week, or maybe both...

RockChalk!

March 19, 2008 at 6:56 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

BCRavenJHawkfan (anonymous) says...

SacJ
check your numbers. You have the man making more than he attempted, no doubt worthy of POY if it could be done. Mario made 73 out of 144 attempts, should be around 50%.

March 19, 2008 at 8:35 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

oldboy (anonymous) says...

SacJ and Cure4 I think that you both need to re-read the article since it says "As a freshman, he attempted 144 two-point field goals and made 73 for a .507 percentage. " and this just happens to be the opposite of what you saw. I know lots of people don't like Keegan but you might try to read what he says, not what you wanted to see for a mistake by him or the LJW.

Wouldn't it be better to give kudos to the kid and to Keegan rather than trying to show that someone made a mistake, when it was you who made the mistake?

March 19, 2008 at 8:59 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Mrs_Estherhouse (anonymous) says...

I'm guessing that since 5 different people saw it, that the LJW changed the article, oldboy.

March 19, 2008 at 9:13 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

SacJayhawk (anonymous) says...

Ah, it looks like they caught it and corrected it on us. Anyway, just having a little fun. Rock Chalk!

March 19, 2008 at 9:33 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Lebowski (anonymous) says...

Lol oldboy... listen to Mrs Estherhouse... and try not to hurt yourself. I don't think SacJ was being critical... I got a good laugh at it.

Finally, an article about KU's best player. It's funny how people downplay Mario's pro prospects. Kirk was a lottery pick, and a well-justified one. I see nothing that keeps Mario from being as good or better. He's listed as what... 3 inches shorter? That's on paper. Mario plays so much taller than what he's listed at, and I'll bet the NBA scouts feel the same way.

March 19, 2008 at 9:37 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

cklarock (anonymous) says...

Chalmers is the man. I've felt that as much as anyone else on the team, he's our competitive heart. When the games get tight, he attacks.

The nickname for him around our house is 'the dagger.'

March 19, 2008 at 9:46 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

bmcmich1 (anonymous) says...

Yes! Mrs. Esterhouse, love it!!

-Mr. Sanderson

March 19, 2008 at 11:05 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

doctorWho (anonymous) says...

"Those of us who have watched this team all year know they can be a little flakey."

There is no safety in the Big Dance. If I were a UNC fan (and thank the Lord I'm not) I'd feel a little vulnerable after watching my beloved Tardheels nearly bite it against VT, GT, Clemson (3 times), UVA, and FSU. Knowing UNC lost to Maryland, which is now playing NIT ball, surely is no comfort. (Yes they had some health issues during part of this span, but what team hasn't?)

March 19, 2008 at 1:57 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Jacobpaul81 (anonymous) says...

Keegan deserves all the chops he gets.

Mario's turned into a great player for Kansas. He's still not the point guard that he was projected as, but he's certainly become an excellent 2.

March 19, 2008 at 2:18 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

CasperCorps (anonymous) says...

I wish people wouldn't even mention Chalmers and the NBA in the same sentence. Maybe if we don't talk about it he'll stay one more year. He is by far the best player on the team and stands to make more of an impact in the league then Wright, Rush, and Arthur. Rockem Hawks!!!

March 19, 2008 at 2:24 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Uptown (anonymous) says...

I still remember Richard Scott on the edge of the court pounding the floor his junior year in the Final Four. He became a man during that tournament and roared through his senior year.

I'm thinking nothing but glory! ROCK CHALK JAYHAWK!!!

March 19, 2008 at 5:21 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Strikewso (anonymous) says...

Wasn't Richard Scott a Freshman when he did that? Since he was such an atrocious free throw shooter that's where he ended up at the end of the games. I guess he was in the Final 4 as a frosh and junior. Where is he now?

But back to Chalmers, he is the soul of this team and has been since he got here. He is by far our best shooter and certainly the most clutch. I hope he plays the tourney with a 'tude.

March 19, 2008 at 6:32 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Lebowski (anonymous) says...

Jacobpaul..

I think you're falling into a trap that a lot of people do (not faulting you for that)... Mario I think has showed to me he can very much be a point guard, and a great one. You're only thinking of him as a 2 because he can shoot... much like Hinrich. And, Mario has another guard on the team that plays the role of the relatively non-shooting guard... although I argue that Mario has done that at times, too.

Ah screw it... I'll let numbers do the talking.

Assist per 30/min.

D.J. Augustine (the Big12 assist leader) 4.6
Russell Robinson 4.6
Mario 4.7

AST/TO ratio

Augustine 2.01
RussRob 2.20
Mario 2.32

FG Attempts (if you don't like a PG who shoots too much)

RussRob 5.5
Mario 7.9
Augustine 11.7

Also, Augustine doesn't have that other "point guard" for a teammate... he has the all-out chuck-a-thon Abrams on his team (271 3pt attempts... compared to 183 COMBINED for Collins & Robinson!!!), who averages a VERY ballhogish 1.3 asts per 30 min... which I'm sure may be DEAD LAST in the Big 12!!!

In summary, the difference in Mario and what you'd THINK a point guard is is really how their teammates play. He's still put up great "point guard" numbers despite the fact one of his backcourt mates doesn't shoot that much.

Mario has had beyond a spectacular season, imo... and I hope he keeps it up.

March 19, 2008 at 7:41 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

jaybate (anonymous) says...

Dear Stay-Close-to-Trunk Tom,

The whole team doesn't get the credit it deserves, because sports media whores would, during the regular season, rather service than report.

Not one KU player was named to the first SIX of Vitale's Solid Gold teams!

Not one national sports media whore has stood up and lauded Brandon Rush for the INCREDIBLE feat of coming back from ACL surgery in less than half a year and being one of the teams scoring leaders!!!! Andy Shatz of ESPNema nominates Unibrow Kruger for best coach in the Midwest region, because he gets a by-pass and sits on a bench, but can't quite bring himself to talk about Brandon Rush playing his butt off on the wood with totally rebuilt wheel.

But it doesn't stop with this team.

Wilt gets defecated on by the ESPNema Top 25 Players list.

Danny gets left off, while runts who never won rings are put ahead of him.

Tom we need you to stand up like a journalist with a spine and start writing about the shabby treatment KU gets from the likes of Vitale, until that brief window when it is 31-3, a one seed, and it gets a little hard to ignore them anymore.

Now, for a couple days, we get Dukies Jay Bilas and Hubert Davis sticking it to UNC by picking KU, and then minimizing KU back to the task bar.

The coverage is pitifully unprofessional in its bias and you write around this huge story like someone ignoring a 900 pound primate in an Ermengildo Zegna sport coat at a debutante ball.

Come out on the limb of this team, Tom. Its strong enough to hold you.

March 19, 2008 at 9:15 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

FlaHawk (anonymous) says...

Great teams and great players make the Top 25 of anything. While KU has won a lot of games most of them were against turkeys from the Big 6, 7 8 and XII.

You have to look at the NCAA Final Fours and rings to understand that Kentucky, UNC and Duke have got a much brighter national focus than KU.

KU is in the middle of nothing geographically and NEVER will get the attention they deserve from media. You may think KC is hot, but it is not a Top 25 for anything either!

This is a fact of life. For KU to get any respect that have to beat a legit team in a legit location when it counts.

For the last several years, this can only happen in the NCAAs and think the B words (Bucknell and Bradley).

Now you can realize why KU has such a poor image nationally! KU has done it to themselves. The are reaping what they sowed from a scheduling perspective.

This may be forgotten ONLY,if they can get into the Final 4 and beat a legit team this year!

Let make sure they do it! Go HAWKS!

March 20, 2008 at 7:01 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

actorman (anonymous) says...

"The are reaping what they sowed from a scheduling perspective."

You had a pretty good post until that ridiculous line. Please explain to me how KU was supposed to know that AT USC, AT Georgia Tech, Arizona, and AT Boston College would not amount to a tough non-conference schedule. It's not KU's fault if none of those teams turned out to be great. They had every reason to believe that that would be a tough schedule. And until recently, KU's schedule was always ranked as one of the toughest. So that statement is not accurate. I do agree with the rest of your point, though.

March 21, 2008 at 3:20 a.m. ( | suggest removal )