KU's opponents have outshot their current season 3-pt percentage in nine of 20 game this season. KU is 6-3 in those games, with a median final margin of four. For all the talk of the bench, how KU should change things up offensively, etc., etc., this team performed well enough offensively to win each of the last two road games. But it gave up an average of 85 points in both.
In KU's four conference victories, teams are shooting a combined 48% from two and 29% from three against the Jayhawks. In its three conference losses, teams are shooting a combined 47% from two and 46% from three.
Twos and easy layups are NOT beating this team.
Coach Self has built a reputation on coaching sterling defense. But at a certain point, his defensive philosophy -- an insistence on not giving up easy buckets and layups -- represents a 1980s approach to a 21st-century game. KU's wings usually sag weak-side into the lower lane, leaving them vulnerable to cross-court passes to three-point shooters. KU consistently double-teams in the post and clogs the lane defensively, but it recovers poorly on kickouts.
This approach certainly may prevent KU from giving up easy "bunnies." But it encourages teams, instead, to attempt more wide-open threes. And a wide-open three for most college basketball players IS a somewhat "easy bucket." Moreover, especially on the road, three-point success feeds on itself, and the crowd feeds off it, as well.
Tre King torched Hunter on the perimeter today. Hunter cannot guard almost anyone out there. We also struggle at times on fighting through perimeter screens and or switching on them, and we look indecisive at times on how to approach that.
Perhaps playing a match-up zone with 7-2 Hunter in the middle and four guys on the perimeter forcing drives for either pull-up jumpers and Hunter defending the basket from easy layups -- at least on a few possessions -- might help change things up when teams get hot from three.
But continuing to take the same approach without adjusting whatsover is the definition of insanity. And teams that don't normally fire away from three will continue doing so if nothing changes. At some point, when every opponent you play seems to have a career day from three, it's not an anomaly.
In KU's four conference victories, teams are shooting a combined 48% from two and 29% from three against the Jayhawks. In its three conference losses, teams are shooting a combined 47% from two and 46% from three.
Twos and easy layups are NOT beating this team.
Coach Self has built a reputation on coaching sterling defense. But at a certain point, his defensive philosophy -- an insistence on not giving up easy buckets and layups -- represents a 1980s approach to a 21st-century game. KU's wings usually sag weak-side into the lower lane, leaving them vulnerable to cross-court passes to three-point shooters. KU consistently double-teams in the post and clogs the lane defensively, but it recovers poorly on kickouts.
This approach certainly may prevent KU from giving up easy "bunnies." But it encourages teams, instead, to attempt more wide-open threes. And a wide-open three for most college basketball players IS a somewhat "easy bucket." Moreover, especially on the road, three-point success feeds on itself, and the crowd feeds off it, as well.
Tre King torched Hunter on the perimeter today. Hunter cannot guard almost anyone out there. We also struggle at times on fighting through perimeter screens and or switching on them, and we look indecisive at times on how to approach that.
Perhaps playing a match-up zone with 7-2 Hunter in the middle and four guys on the perimeter forcing drives for either pull-up jumpers and Hunter defending the basket from easy layups -- at least on a few possessions -- might help change things up when teams get hot from three.
But continuing to take the same approach without adjusting whatsover is the definition of insanity. And teams that don't normally fire away from three will continue doing so if nothing changes. At some point, when every opponent you play seems to have a career day from three, it's not an anomaly.
