Column: Wiggins, Jayhawks not likely to repeat UT dud

By Tom Keegan     Feb 4, 2014

? The poor Baylor Bears. They have caught the Kansas University basketball team at the absolute worst time.

Coming off a road loss to Texas and sick and tired of hearing about the shellacking they took in Waco last March, the Jayhawks shouldn’t have any trouble summoning the energy necessary to play at their best and shift into blowout mode.

The circumstances dictate the same KU team that was not ready to play at 3 p.m. Saturday vs. Texas will come with its best shot today at 6 p.m.

Baylor is coming off an impressive victory in Stillwater, Okla., 76-70, against an Oklahoma State team getting subpar performances from Marcus Smart of late. That came at the right time for Kansas as well, making it easy for the Jayhawks to convince themselves the Bears’ 2-6 record in Big 12 play is irrelevant.

Andrew Wiggins won’t shoot 2-for-12 as he did against Texas because he won’t settle for jumpers as he did in Austin.

“He usually does,” Self said of Wiggins bouncing back from a seven-point game. “He’s had other rough games. I expect him to respond in a favorable way. Young kids, especially freshmen … I don’t know of very many who don’t have off days now and then. He was coming off a two-game stint in which he was superb.”

When his shot’s not falling, Wiggins can find easier points crashing the offensive boards. As quick and long as he is, he can find even more easy points via that path.

“Defensive schemes can make you have off days too,” Self said. “He’ll bounce back. All good players do, and he’s certainly a good player.”

Wiggins leads Kansas in scoring (16.0 points a game), ranks second in free-throw percentage (.782) and third in rebounding (6.0 a game) and three-point shooting (.375).

“I’m concerned about our team,” Self said. “I’m not concerned about individuals bouncing back. They are good players. You don’t go from being a good player to not a good player because you don’t make baskets.”

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43948Column: Wiggins, Jayhawks not likely to repeat UT dud