They couldn’t make their free throws and layups. They responded to a scoring drought by resorting to the playground, which — surprise, surprise — extended the drought. And their fans filed into the cold night talking about exactly when it was they last saw such an ugly game.
So how is it that Kansas University’s mostly young players committed all those sins and still won by 20 points Monday night?
It happened in large part because the Jayhawks have a pair of what so many college teams would settle for having one of, namely big men who can block shots and run the floor so well the team doesn’t get burned by fast-break three-pointers and layups.
On a night he took so many dumb shots and missed them that he only played 18 minutes, C.J. Giles still managed 10 rebounds and blocked three shots in a 63-43, pull-away-at-the-end victory over Pepperdine in Allen Fieldhouse.
On a night he missed bunny after bunny, Sasha Kaun still contributed 18 points, 12 rebounds and three blocked shots.
That’s six blocked shots (and just three personal fouls) in a combined 51 minutes. Overall, the Jayhawks blocked 10 shots and outrebounded a bad Pepperdine team, 56-30.
With Christian Moody contributing eight points and eight rebounds in 22 minutes off the bench, the Jayhawks had too many big bodies for the overmatched Waves to handle. Darnell Jackson joins the rotation Thursday, so life won’t get any easier for opposing teams trying to win the battles that take place in the trenches.
If it’s frustrating knowing the offensive potential is there in Brandon Rush, Micah Downs and Mario Chalmers and not yet ready for prime time in the eyes of the man who controls the playing time, coach Bill Self, then it should be comforting knowing KU’s going to make other teams look ugly because they aren’t going to get many easy shots close to the basket.
Especially considering how prone to turnovers they can be, it’s impressive how seldom the Jayhawks allow fast-break baskets. For example, Pepperdine scored two fast-break points on a night KU turned it over 18 times.
Teams with lumbering big men tend to allow a lot of points in transition. The guards get back and have to protect the basket, which leaves the sharpshooters alone beyond the three-point line. That’s not a problem for KU.
That doesn’t mean the Jayhawks don’t need to improve vastly at putting the ball in the basket.
“We can’t play like this against any league team, even at home, or we’ll lose,” Self said.
The failure to score points, and on some nights shaky perimeter defense, will be to blame. The ability to prevent buckets inside is the team’s most consistent strength.
“For most teams, defense has to be good to win,” Kaun said. “If you don’t get stops, then you are really in big trouble. When offense and defense is good, then teams become really good. We try to emphasize our defense getting stops and limiting possessions, and that wins games.”
It wins them with substance over style, and certainly on this night it was a case of winning ugly. That’s the thing about victories though, they never look ugly in the standings.
