**Jesse Newell:** Welcome back to the GameDay Cram Session, as Kansas is taking on Georgetown in the first round of the Maui Invitational.
Tom, which Jayhawk do you think is in most need of a better performance following KU’s 75-65 loss to Kentucky?
**Tom Keegan:** I think it’s time for Travis Releford to contribute by playing disruptive defense and hitting the boards hard.
He’s not rebounding at all and since he’s not a particularly gifted passer or shooter, he, more than anybody, has to do all the things a glue guy does to stay on the court.
As for the Kentucky game, Bill Self addressed that Sunday.
“You can’t get hung up on one game,” he said. “I’ve had teams start 3-4, 10-6, whatever, and turned out to be OK. We’re not where we need to be, but I do think that was a great teaching tape for us and we learned some valuable things from it. Now it still remains to be seen if we’re able to not revert back under pressure.”
Self called Saturday’s practice in Maui, “about as poor as I’ve ever seen. I’m being serious. I thought it was awful. I talked to all the other coaches and they said their practices were the worst they ever had. I’m not sure that’s all that uncommon, first day coming over here and maybe not being as focused as they should be. I think (Sunday) should be a lot better. We kind of got their attention (Saturday).”
**JN:** I would think it would be easy to get distracted here. And I think we all know what “kind of got their attention” means. Self must have yelled his lungs out. And probably ran everyone else’s lungs out.
Looking at Georgetown, the Hoyas are known for getting easy baskets out of their Princeton-type offense. Which KU defender do you believe is most vital to KU’s success against the Hoyas?
**TK:** I think it’s difficult to single out anybody. Self said today that he’s been asking in recent practices, “OK, which one’s going to be the first one to give up a back-cut layup? Because someone will do it.”
http://www2.kusports.com/videos/2011/nov/20/35203/
**JN:** Georgetown has ranked in the top five in two-point field-goal percentage the last two years, partly because it takes close shots, and partly because it doesn’t force a lot of mid-range jumpers.
Perhaps the bigger key for the Hoyas, though, has been their three-point shooting. Here’s an interesting stat I read in the 2011-12 College Basketball Prospectus: Georgetown was 4-10 last year when it shot worse than 31 percent from three-point range. When they shot better than 31 percent from three, the Hoyas were 19-1 — and that only loss came to eventual national champion UConn on its home floor.
In other words, KU’s perimeter defenders need to be focused throughout. And, to me, Releford becomes KU’s most important defensive player, as he will be asked to shut down 6-foot-7 Hollis Thompson — Georgetown’s best scorer and top three-point shooter (He’s made 7 of 9 threes in two games this year).
OK, Tom, what’s your prediction?
**TK:** Kansas by eight.
Players should be motivated to have a good showing after a disappointing second half against Kentucky.
**JN:** This game will be decided by turnovers. Georgetown is usually a team that gets good shots and makes a lot of them, but it’s also a team that gives the ball away far too often.
KU’s defense has forced turnovers on a high number of its defensive possessions this season (29 percent), and I think the quick Jayhawk defenders will create problems for the Hoyas.
Give me KU by five. And, just because I feel like I have to pick an exact score (just in case), I’ll say it ends up 77-72.
All right, Tom, who’s your Hawk to Rock?
**TK:** Elijah Johnson. Junior is due for a big game.
**JN:** I’ll go out on a limb and say Kevin Young.
This is actually a great matchup for him, as Georgetown’s big men are turnover-prone, and Young has the quickness to poke the ball away, as he showed against Towson.
I could see the 6-foot-8 forward giving Georgetown plenty of problems defensively while also having the quickness to keep up with them on cuts to the rim.
Tracking the picks
——————
**Predictions tally (through two games)**
Tom: 1-1 record, 29 points off (14.5 points off/game)
Jesse: 2-0 record, 20 points off (10 points off/game)
Hawk to Rock
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**Tom Keegan**
Towson: Tyshawn Taylor (4th in Keegan ratings)
Kentucky: Tyshawn Taylor (1st in Keegan ratings)
**Average: 2.5th in Keegan ratings**
**Jesse Newell**
Towson: Conner Teahan (6th in Keegan ratings)
Kentucky: Elijah Johnson (4th in Keegan ratings)
**Average: 5th in Keegan ratings**
