While the reason behind starting Devon Dotson and Quentin Grimes had something to do with the steady play of the two highly touted guards, another factor was the way the rotation shook out behind them. Specifically at the point guard position, where Dotson earned the start over Cal transfer Charlie Moore.

“Charlie can make shots,” Self said of the 5-foot-11 Chicago native who finished 3-of-8 from the floor, 3-of-5 from 3-point range. “But Charlie’s got to get better on the defensive end and taking care of the basketball.”

Dotson was terrific in both of those areas in his KU debut.

A true freshman from Charlotte with a blazing speed and a relentless desire to push the pace and get to the paint, Dotson logged 23 minutes as KU’s primary ball handler and showed throughout the game that he’s happiest when he’s attacking the rim.

Nick Krug

He constantly harassed Emporia State’s guards to the point where ESU coach Craig Doty lamented after the game, “We couldn’t run any offense because we couldn’t get a catch, and I can’t emulate that in practice.”

And Dotson finished with three assists and zero turnovers. Dotson also added eight points, four rebounds, two steals and hit all four of his free-throw attempts.

Moore, meanwhile, as Self suggested, was KU’s best weapon from 3-point range in the game, finishing 3-of-5 from behind the arc, but had three turnovers to go along with his three assists in 17 minutes.

“He can be very effective for us,” Self said of Moore. “Because I see him being kind of an offensive guy off the bench.”

Self has said throughout the preseason that Dotson and Moore could play together plenty this season. And the two were on the floor at the same time for a minute or two midway through the second half on Thursday. But Self’s comments, combined with the fact that their minutes-played numbers added up to 40 exactly, make it easy to see that what went down with the point guard position last Thursday could be KU’s plan for the foreseeable future.

If that’s the case, Moore seems fine with settling into that type of role.

“Yeah, I’d be comfortable with it,” Moore said after the 93-55 victory. “Whatever helps the team, you know, I’m there for.”

Moore also has been there for Dotson.

Although he has just one year of playing experience on the dynamic freshman — Moore was Cal’s second leading scorer and started all 34 games as a true freshman two seasons ago — Moore has been around college basketball and the Kansas program enough to earn veteran status. And he has tried to impart some of that wisdom on Dotson in the early going.

“Just enjoy the process, man. I try to tell him all the time, ‘Just have fun with it,'” the man teammates call C-Mo said. “I thought he played great. He was playing smart. For a freshman point guard, he was playing pretty well.”

Moore did not grade his own performance after the win over Emporia State, but did admit that it took a little while to feel comfortable out there again.

After all, his last real college game came a whopping 590 days earlier, on March 14, 2017, when he finished scoreless in 18 minutes in an NIT loss by Cal to Cal-State Bakersfield.

“Yeah, I was a little nervous,” admitted Moore, before adding that he and Memphis transfers Dedric and K.J. Lawson were in the same boat. “First time being back on the court in a year. We all were nervous. We all talked about it. First time being back on the court in a year, you know, it’s hard. And playing in front of the Kansas fans, you want to give them 110 percent every game.”

KU’s next chance to do just that comes at 7 p.m. Thursday when Washburn comes to Allen Fieldhouse for the final exhibition tuneup of the 2018-19 season.

The Jayhawks open the regular season Nov. 6 against Michigan State at the Champions Classic in Indianapolis.