HONOLULU ? Kansas sophomore Carlton Bragg Jr., will start Friday night’s season opener against No. 11 Indiana in the Armed Forces Classic in Hawaii, but that is not necessarily an indication that the 6-foot-10 forward who struggled during exhibition play is all the way recovered from the issues that already have plagued him this season.
Talking with reporters at the Stan Sheriff Center following Thursday’s final preseason practice, Bragg explained why he thought he was in a bit of a funk during KU’s exhibition games earlier this month.
“My mind was just somewhere else,” Bragg said. “I was worried about points and assists and things like that and not focusing on the right things, defense and rebounding, just the simple things that make the game easier.”
In addition to a few words of encouragement — among other things — from Kansas coach Bill Self, Bragg got the message loud and clear that his play was not up to expectations when he was replaced in the starting lineup in the exhibition finale vs. Emporia State. Rather than whine about it, Bragg has continued to try to focus on the things he could correct to get back on track.
“I wasn’t surprised,” he said of his temporary benching. “I seen it coming, but you just gotta step it up. It’s game time now. This is where the season begins and the coaches do whatever it takes to win. Players play, coaches coach.”
To that end, Bragg said he believed that the true beginning of the regular season — 8:30 tonight vs. Indiana on ESPN — will provide him a fresh opportunity to start anew.
What’s more, it may just have been a coincidence, but during the few free hours the team had following practice Thursday afternoon, Bragg sought out the nearest barber and scheduled an appointment to get a haircut and a fresh look.
“I think this is where the season begins, right here,” Bragg said. “This is the season opener for me, to show people what I got and just to get out of that stage I was at.”
In order to do that, Bragg plans to emphasize effort, intensity and rebounding no matter how many minutes he plays or when those minutes come.
“I just want to come out with the mindset of being aggressive, being smart and playing defense,” he said. “The key to the game is winning it on defense.”
There are, of course, more keys than that to topping the Hoosiers and Self said it was important for Bragg to clearly understand what’s expected of him in Year 2 as a Jayhawk.
“His role’s different now,” Self said. “His performance will have a big impact on whether we win or not, and last year it didn’t for most cases because he was only playing about 10 minutes. So he’s gotta grow into his role.”
Put another way, Self said Bragg would have to “grind a little bit” in order to get past the slow start that left Bragg lagging behind the huge expectations placed on him entering his second year at Kansas.
Although his sample size is still a bit limited, Bragg said his interactions with Self during the past week have been some of the toughest he’s had as a member of the Jayhawks.
Self, as you might expect, is trying to push Bragg to battle through whatever is plaguing him, with toughness and mental focus being key vehicles for change. Bragg, on the other hand, is trying to eliminate some of the noise and just lock in on one or two areas in which he can show improvement and have success.
“It’s been kind of challenging,” Bragg said. “But great players think next play and just try to get better. I think I’ll do a lot of things better but mainly I just want to focus on rebounding.”