Nick KrugHONOLULU ? No. 3 Kansas Jayhawks (0-0) vs. No. 11 Indiana (0-0)
Time: 8:30 p.m. | Location: Stan Sheriff Center, Honolulu, Hawaii
TV: ESPN | Radio: IMG Jayhawk Radio Network
Log on to KUsports.com for our live game blog coverage and follow the @KUsports.com staff on Twitter: @mctait & @nickkrug will be live in Hawaii, while @TomKeeganLJW @bentonasmith & @nightengalejr will be following the action back home
1. Lights, camera, action!
It’s human nature for players to have a tough time getting up for exhibition games against teams facing a significant talent mismatch. But facing another top-ranked team in one of college basketball’s showcase events on ESPN to open the season should be an entirely different story. This is where we’ll see which Jayhawks are gamers, guys who show up when the lights shine brightest and prefer the pressure of a big time match-up compared to the inevitability of the exhibition outcomes. Devonte’ Graham, Frank Mason III and even freshman phenom Josh Jackson all fit the billing of what ESPN’s Dick Vitale describes as PTPers (Prime time players). Will they show up ready for this one and will anyone else join them?
2. Turnovers key
ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas in sizing up the match-up between Indiana and Kansas uttered one key phrase that stood out above all others when talking about the anticipated fast pace of this game from a pair of teams who feature strong backcourts and talented guards. “I don’t think that Indiana can afford to turn it over against Kansas,” Bilas said. The reason? The Jayhawks have proven — both last season and already in two exhibitions — that they are deadly in transition and if the Hoosiers cough it up in a manner that leads to easy buckets for KU, it likely will lead to Indiana playing from behind for most of the game.
3. Defend the three
In their two exhibition game victories last week, the Hoosiers averaged more than 25 three-point attempts per game and hit 33 percent of those shots, including a 12-for-26 clip of 46 percent in their opener. “They play fast and they shoot a ton of threes,” KU coach Bill Self said of IU. “In their exhibitions they cranked out a ton of ’em and last year they led the country in attempts. They’re gonna let it fly, so we’re gonna have to do a really good job of getting to their shooters and keeping the ball in front of us.”
KU’s Landen Lucas and Udoka Azubuike vs. IU’s Thomas Bryant
Shortly after arriving on the islands, Kansas coach Bill Self said that freshman forward Udoka Azubuike would “need to be ready” to go against Indiana big man Thomas Bryant because senior starter Landen Lucas is not going to be able to play 40 minutes. That was before Lucas showed up to the Jayhawks’ Wednesday outing to Pearl Harbor wearing a walking boot on his right foot as a preventative measure. It does not sound like Lucas is dealing with anything serious or anything that will negatively impact his play, but the mere fact that it exists only adds to the importance of having Azubuike ready. The freshman big man certainly performed well offensively in KU’s two exhibitions, but holding his own against a future first-round pick — on either end — will be a much more difficult task. “That’ll be a real interesting match-up,” Self said.
All offseason, we heard Kansas players and coaches talk about how hard it was to handle the sting of getting so close to a Final Four last season and how the disappointment and pain from that experience would fuel them during the 2016-17 season.
Well, that season has arrived and the Jayhawks open against a team that certainly could take them down if Kansas does not bring its “A” game. The Hoosiers, though still young in some ways, are big at most positions and fast at all of them.
The Jayhawks looked less than sharp in both exhibition games but have had much more time to practice and work out some of the kinks while preparing for Indiana.
This game has the vibe of one of those exciting, early-season match-ups that feels more like a game played in March and features a bunch of big buckets, emotional swings and memorable moments. The Jayhawks likely will lean on their veterans to lead them through it, but also figure to get a lift from freshman wing Josh Jackson, who will be playing the first true college game of his career.
No. 3 Kansas
G – Frank Mason III, 5-11, 190, Sr.
G – Devonte’ Graham, 6-2, 185, Jr.
G – Josh Jackson, 6-8, 207, Fr.
F – Carlton Bragg Jr., 6-10, 240, Soph.
F – Landen Lucas, 6-10, 250, Sr.
No. 11 Indiana
G – Robert Johnson, 6-3, 195, Jr.
G – Josh Newkirk, 6-1, 195, Jr.
G – James Blackmon, Jr., 6-4, 200, Jr.
F – OG Anunoby, 6-8, 235, Soph.
C – Thomas Bryant, 6-10, 255, Soph.
