Monday night’s final score would seem to indicate that all is well again with the Kansas University men’s basketball program, and while that’s true in many ways, this group remains a work in progress.
KU coach Bill Self trotted out his fifth different starting lineup of the young season — two exhibition games and three regular seasons games — and, as was the case in each of the games before Monday, got mixed returns on the decisions.
Freshman wing player Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk was fabulous and has the look of a guy who could hold down a starting job the rest of the season. Forward Landen Lucas was the other new starter and, although he had a few good moments, he also still has limitations.
As a whole, KU seemed determined to bounce back from the embarrassing loss to Kentucky six nights earlier and did just that with an 87-60 victory over overmatched Rider.
Things don’t get any easier from here, though, as the Jayhawks will play three games in four days against tough competition in Orlando and will return home for a match-up with Florida on Dec. 5.
With a team this young, though, it’s baby steps and a consistent forward movement that are important and Monday certainly was a good step in that direction.
Quick takeaway
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Two things stood out to me in this one and they both had to do with KU’s starting lineup: Both Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk and Cliff Alexander are ready to start and both should be in the starting lineup for this team to be playing at its peak. I know that it’s not always who starts that matters the most, but these guys are ready and they give KU its best chance in a lot of areas. More important than that, though, is the fact that Self said after the game that there’s a right and a wrong way of doing things — on and off the floor — and he’s not going to budge on those no matter how talented a guy is. That’s a good thing for the overall development of this team and the sooner these guys understand, accept and embrace that, the sooner this team can really start making strides. Mykhailiuk started and had a great game so we can assume he gets it. Alexander started the second half but only played four of the final 20 minutes, which is a clear indicator that he still has some work to do to win Self over in areas other than the basketball floor on game nights.
Three reasons to smile
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**1 – Had Landen Lucas been able to tally one more point, the Jayhawks would’ve finished with five guys in double figures,** just one game after scoring 40 points total in the loss to Kentucky. As it was, all nine players who scored reached five points or more and Ellis and Brannen Greene went big with 17 points apiece, while Mykhailiuk and Alexander put up their 10 points each in spurts that helped the Jayhawks bury the Broncs. It’s that kind of balanced attack that Self’s teams have been known for and that will be the recipe to success for this squad, as well.
**2 – Perry Ellis came to play** and seemed to be making a conscious effort to address those who question his toughness. Ellis’ dunk in first half was as aggressive a move as we’ve seen him make in a KU uniform and he attempted a similar flush early in the second half, as well. He was fouled on that play and went to the free throw line, where he connected on 7 of 10 foul shots during a 17-point night. Self still seemed concerned about Ellis’ rebounding — he had just three boards in 26 minutes — but it definitely was good to see the aggression from a guy who can score in such a wide variety of ways and will need to for this team to be as good as it can be.
**3 – Rider forward Xavier Lundy said effort was what separated the two teams on Monday night** and it was clear from watching every Kansas player on the floor that they were emphasizing effort from the jump. Whether it was man-to-man defense, crashing the glass for rebounds or pushing the ball in transition and screening on offense, multiple Jayhawks appeared to be going as hard as they could, particularly in the first half, and that really set the tone and left Rider without much hope. The key now is to bring that kind of effort against more talented teams who will be willing and able to match KU’s effort and athleticism.
Three reasons to sigh
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**1 – The Jayhawks were outscored by two points in the second half** — 38-36 — and if they would’ve played the second 20 minutes with the same kind of passion as they played the first, they would’ve won by 40. Self said after the game that too many guys were playing to the score instead of to win each possession and that’s both a surprise and a concern, given how much depth this team has and how easy it will be for Self to turn to someone else when one guy’s not getting it done or not giving maximum effort.
**2 – Jamari Traylor had a pretty forgettable night.** Who knows if being pulled from the starting lineup was the reason behind it, but the KU junior finished with just six points and two rebounds in 21 minutes. He did have three assists, two blocks and a steal, but too often looked upset at a mistake or bad break and out of the flow of the game.
**3 – Cliff Alexander got his chance to start in the second half** and could have used that as a springboard for holding down a starting spot the rest of the year. Instead, he played just four minutes and was a non-factor after a monster first half. The guy is young and there are going to be growing pains and good moments of growth along the way, but his offensive game is ready and it’s time for the rest of the Alexander experience — head, body, responsibility, etc. — to catch up with the young man’s ability to score.
One for the road
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KU’s 27-point pasting of Rider on Monday night:
• Made the Jayhawks 2-1 for the fourth time in Bill Self’s 12 seasons at Kansas.
• Improved Kansas to 62-8 in games following a loss under Self, including 38 rebound wins at Allen Fieldhouse.
• Pushed Kansas to 3-0 all-time against Rider and moved the Jayhawks to 14-1 all-time against current members of the MAAC.
• Improved the program to 716-109 all-time at Allen Fieldhouse, including 177-9 under Self.
• Improved Self to 327-70 at Kansas and 534-175 overall.
• Made KU’s all-time record 2,128-823.
Next up
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The Jayhawks travel to Orlando, Florida, to play three games in four days this weekend, starting with Thursday’s 1:30 p.m. tip-off against Rhode Island in the opening round of the holiday tournament in Florida.
