I’ve spent more than my fair share of time being critical of Wayne Selden’s game during his first couple of seasons with the Kansas University men’s basketball team.
And I stand by everything I’ve said in the past. But the good thing about the past is that it’s always behind you. The present is what matters most, and Selden’s present sure looks like a gift for the Jayhawks.
If you’ve been paying attention at all to what’s going on in Korea — whether you’ve watched the games yourself or read and viewed the fantastic coverage from our own Bobby Nightengale and Mike Yoder — you know that Selden has been tearing it up.
He’s averaging 20 points per game, has led the Jayhawks in scoring in three of the four games they’ve played — all victories — led the team in minutes per game all four times and has looked much more explosive, confident and determined than I ever remember seeing him.
His averages through four games: 1 victory, 20 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in 36 minutes.
I still question whether the Selden we’re seeing in July will be the same guy we see this winter, mostly because I can’t help but think that the competition — and, particularly, the type of athletes he’ll see in opposing uniforms — will be drastically different than what he’s facing today. But still, just like a team that benefits from playing an easy schedule, all a guy can do is attack the guys who are trying to guard him and Selden has been doing just that.
One of the biggest improvements Selden has made has been near the bucket. He’s still not making everything, but he is finishing in close a lot better than he did during last season’s colossal struggle and a big reason for that is his aggressive nature. He’s not just floating and hoping any more. He’s going all the way to the rim and either finishing or drawing the foul. For a guy that size, that’s always the right move. And it’s often easier said than done. But props to Selden for doing it over and over overseas.
Beyond that, his outside shot — his biggest weapon thus far — has continued to look smooth and put points on the board when the Jayhawks needed them most.
It’s not just the numbers that have impressed me. It’s the mindset Selden has displayed. My biggest criticism of the guy throughout his career is that he always seemed, to me, to be a more worried about how he looked out there on the court than how he produced. I haven’t seen an ounce of that in Korea.
Selden looks tough, is always in attack mode, is carrying himself like a true leader — something KU lacked big time the past two years — and has that presence about him that seems to indicate that he knows nobody can stop him.
So far, he’s been correct. And following his lead, the Jayhawks/Team USA are in a real position to challenge for a gold medal that I’m not sure anybody thought was in reach.
