Here is the Cliff’s Notes version of Kansas men’s basketball coach Bill Self’s comments at his press conference today.
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Full audio has been posted.
• **Josh Selby is going to practice Thursday.** The coaches will see if they have to limit him. He did a light workout Wednesday, and he was doing pretty well then.
• **Since the Texas game, Self thought Selby had been more aggressive and had been driving the ball to force help.**
• **With Selby and Tyrel Reed’s injuries, you pretty much just have to wait for them to get better.**
• **Iowa State has been unlucky.** The Cyclones have lost some tough close games. ISU is really close to being .500 in the league or better. Coach Fred Hoiberg has given those guys freedom offensively. They’re improved in that area.
• **Brady Morningstar has played great.** The twins are playing well. KU has four guys that it can throw it to in the post (including Mario Little) that make good things happen when they get the ball.
• **Self doesn’t have a problem with Taylor’s shots.** When he attacks, he forces help. He forces the big men to come up, which gives KU an advantage on the boards.
• **Self says Taylor has been OK lately.** He thinks Taylor has been better offensively than defensively as of late.
• **Elijah Johnson is the one guy that Self feels like can give the team more off the bench from an aggressive standpoint.**
• **Taylor’s biggest problem defensively has been focus.**
• **Self talked to his team during a meeting Wednesday about trying to put together four or five stops in a row in games, which will be needed at some point.** KU needs to play defense like it’s not making shots. As a defensive team, KU has to assume it’s going to shut other teams out and not assume that its offense will bail it out. Great defense will beat great offense most of the time.
• **Mario Little had an extra boost defensively against Missouri when his shot was falling.** Statistically, KU is doing fine defensively, but Self knows the Jayhawks could be much better. Making shots tends to get guys comfortable.
• **The four fast-break points against MU are a bit misleading.** KU didn’t make all its points in half-court, as some come off free throws. But both teams were making open shots on Monday.
• **Self has addressed technical fouls consistently all year.** Markieff’s foul on Monday was the right call, because it was above the shoulders, but it wasn’t a malicious hit. The Morris twins know that because of past actions, officials are watching them. They also have something else going against them: They are labeled together by officials. Self doesn’t believe KU will have any more issues with that the rest of the season.
• **The Morris twins would have more hockey assists than assists, as oftentimes their passes lead to assists by others.** They are starting to understand how to play well by being aggressive and patient at the same time.
• **Self told Brady Morningstar during his slump that he needed to stay aggressive.** Morningstar might be floating a little bit less on his shot, but a lot of it is just confidence.
• **Self understands what other coaches like Kansas State coach Frank Martin is going through.** But he joked that he has his own problems on his team. He doesn’t spend time up at night feeling bad for Martin and his team’s problems.
