On Thursday afternoon, Bill Self conducted his weekly press conference to preview the Kentucky game and more. He spent close to 20 minutes talking to the media and here are a few thoughts following today’s media session.
-- First off, I think we all know or at least can see that this is a tired team. I mean, all five starters are playing a majority of the minutes and, at this stage of the season, Kansas isn’t getting much from its bench at all. I asked Coach Self if he’s given the guys any extra rest this week or if any changes have been made to the schedule?
“Well, we took off Tuesday obviously, and then we did practice yesterday, but it was short,” said Self on Thursday afternoon. “It was short. We got a couple guys nicked up a little bit so those guys may get some more rest today, but we'll practice today and tomorrow.”
-- Speaking of the lack of production from the bench, Self specifically mentioned Joe Yesufu as one guy that has the potential to have an impact, especially on the offensive side of the court, during Hawk Talk earlier in the week. Self, when asked about the bench again on Thursday, mentioned Yesufu first.
“Well Joe to me is the best example to get hot,” said Self. “He's the best one. We see it in practice all the time. MJ has scored in practice. He's not as consistent shooting ball from beyond the yard, but he's a scorer. And Bobby's more of a facilitator like Juan. I would say the biggest way that they can help us is if they play to their strengths and all three are capable defenders, if we're locked in and certainly are capable of being good offensive players but with different skill sets, maybe, then what you would think an instant offense guy off the bench would give you. We need those guys to come through. Our bench obviously hasn't played as much, and when the bench has been in there our production hasn't been what it needs to be. And that's something that we're all aware of and everything and so hopefully that'll improve.
“I still think that we'll play our best ball is still ahead of us, without question when you talk about the bench guys,” he added. “The starters have been played at a pretty high level for the most part for a long time. We haven't played at as high a level the last 10 days, but for the most part, can those starters have executed and played pretty well. We need to get those guys back to doing what they were doing two weeks ago. But on the flip side, we got to have production off the bench in a way that adds value. And we're capable of doing that. We just haven't done it yet, but we're capable.”
-- Really, here’s the bottom line, at least from my point-of-view, and I mentioned this on the Slant Podcast last night. The starters are playing way too many minutes and the bench, at least right now, isn’t doing enough to help the guys on a nightly basis. On the surface, it looks like Dajuan Harris is struggling, and he probably is, but he’s playing a ton of minutes, busting his ass on defense, and, let’s not forget, he took a big fall against Kansas State in Manhattan not long ago. Obviously, he’s not the biggest guy on the team and his body is taking a pounding.
Not sure when or if it will happen, but some of these guys need rest and Self really needs a couple of guys to start making an impact off the bench.
-- There are 11 regular season games left and I’m not sure if Cam Martin and Kyle Cuffe, Jr., will ever have the opportunity to help this team this season. Both have been sidelined with injuries and, after listening to Self today, it doesn’t sound like Martin or Cuffe, Jr., is close to returning to the court this season.
I might be the only one and I might not be the only one, but I thought Cam would have a chance to help Kansas on the court this season. He redshirted last year and, heading into the season, there were some expectations that he might be able to play a role. Not sure that’s the case now.
“Kyle's doing pretty well,” said Self. “He's not back yet, but he's doing pretty well. He's actually practicing in limited capacity. Cam actually practiced in some limited capacity yesterday, but he's not full speed, nor do we anticipate him being full go for a while. And MJ, I've seen nothing, at least yesterday, that would lead you to believe that he can't participate, because he was full go yesterday.”
-- During Self’s tenure at Kansas, the Jayhawks have never lost four-straight games. After losing at Kansas State, at home to TCU, and then at Baylor, the Jayhawks head to Lexington this weekend to face the Kentucky Wildcats. One thing is clear: One streak is going to come to an end on Saturday night. Kansas will either snap its three-game losing streak or Kentucky will see its winning streak end at four games.
Self, on Thursday, was asked specifically about Kentucky.
“Well, a guy that's averaging 15 rebounds a game probably jumps out first,” said Self. “But this is a different Kentucky team that was playing than that was playing a month ago because they can all shoot. They're surrounded and when you have those guys in there that can all stroke... They're going to have three guys in there that can make threes at all times, and sometimes four. And then you're playing around a big guy that's probably the best big man in the country. At least I believe he's that, and certainly the best Jalan in the country. It creates situations the way we play because our standing height and girth isn't great, that how are we going to offset some of those things?
“I've always thought this with Cal's teams,” he added. “I've always thought they made you beat them when you played them. I never thought they helped you at all. At all. And they're not going to help this year. They're going to play the way they play and they'll take good shots. And if they make those shots they take and stretches the defense and make it even hard to guard Oscar... But they're going to be very sound and we're going to have to go play because we're not going to get a lot of, a ton of easy opportunities, just like I hope they don't. You're going to have to earn what you get when you play Kentucky.”
-- First off, I think we all know or at least can see that this is a tired team. I mean, all five starters are playing a majority of the minutes and, at this stage of the season, Kansas isn’t getting much from its bench at all. I asked Coach Self if he’s given the guys any extra rest this week or if any changes have been made to the schedule?
“Well, we took off Tuesday obviously, and then we did practice yesterday, but it was short,” said Self on Thursday afternoon. “It was short. We got a couple guys nicked up a little bit so those guys may get some more rest today, but we'll practice today and tomorrow.”
-- Speaking of the lack of production from the bench, Self specifically mentioned Joe Yesufu as one guy that has the potential to have an impact, especially on the offensive side of the court, during Hawk Talk earlier in the week. Self, when asked about the bench again on Thursday, mentioned Yesufu first.
“Well Joe to me is the best example to get hot,” said Self. “He's the best one. We see it in practice all the time. MJ has scored in practice. He's not as consistent shooting ball from beyond the yard, but he's a scorer. And Bobby's more of a facilitator like Juan. I would say the biggest way that they can help us is if they play to their strengths and all three are capable defenders, if we're locked in and certainly are capable of being good offensive players but with different skill sets, maybe, then what you would think an instant offense guy off the bench would give you. We need those guys to come through. Our bench obviously hasn't played as much, and when the bench has been in there our production hasn't been what it needs to be. And that's something that we're all aware of and everything and so hopefully that'll improve.
“I still think that we'll play our best ball is still ahead of us, without question when you talk about the bench guys,” he added. “The starters have been played at a pretty high level for the most part for a long time. We haven't played at as high a level the last 10 days, but for the most part, can those starters have executed and played pretty well. We need to get those guys back to doing what they were doing two weeks ago. But on the flip side, we got to have production off the bench in a way that adds value. And we're capable of doing that. We just haven't done it yet, but we're capable.”
-- Really, here’s the bottom line, at least from my point-of-view, and I mentioned this on the Slant Podcast last night. The starters are playing way too many minutes and the bench, at least right now, isn’t doing enough to help the guys on a nightly basis. On the surface, it looks like Dajuan Harris is struggling, and he probably is, but he’s playing a ton of minutes, busting his ass on defense, and, let’s not forget, he took a big fall against Kansas State in Manhattan not long ago. Obviously, he’s not the biggest guy on the team and his body is taking a pounding.
Not sure when or if it will happen, but some of these guys need rest and Self really needs a couple of guys to start making an impact off the bench.
-- There are 11 regular season games left and I’m not sure if Cam Martin and Kyle Cuffe, Jr., will ever have the opportunity to help this team this season. Both have been sidelined with injuries and, after listening to Self today, it doesn’t sound like Martin or Cuffe, Jr., is close to returning to the court this season.
I might be the only one and I might not be the only one, but I thought Cam would have a chance to help Kansas on the court this season. He redshirted last year and, heading into the season, there were some expectations that he might be able to play a role. Not sure that’s the case now.
“Kyle's doing pretty well,” said Self. “He's not back yet, but he's doing pretty well. He's actually practicing in limited capacity. Cam actually practiced in some limited capacity yesterday, but he's not full speed, nor do we anticipate him being full go for a while. And MJ, I've seen nothing, at least yesterday, that would lead you to believe that he can't participate, because he was full go yesterday.”
-- During Self’s tenure at Kansas, the Jayhawks have never lost four-straight games. After losing at Kansas State, at home to TCU, and then at Baylor, the Jayhawks head to Lexington this weekend to face the Kentucky Wildcats. One thing is clear: One streak is going to come to an end on Saturday night. Kansas will either snap its three-game losing streak or Kentucky will see its winning streak end at four games.
Self, on Thursday, was asked specifically about Kentucky.
“Well, a guy that's averaging 15 rebounds a game probably jumps out first,” said Self. “But this is a different Kentucky team that was playing than that was playing a month ago because they can all shoot. They're surrounded and when you have those guys in there that can all stroke... They're going to have three guys in there that can make threes at all times, and sometimes four. And then you're playing around a big guy that's probably the best big man in the country. At least I believe he's that, and certainly the best Jalan in the country. It creates situations the way we play because our standing height and girth isn't great, that how are we going to offset some of those things?
“I've always thought this with Cal's teams,” he added. “I've always thought they made you beat them when you played them. I never thought they helped you at all. At all. And they're not going to help this year. They're going to play the way they play and they'll take good shots. And if they make those shots they take and stretches the defense and make it even hard to guard Oscar... But they're going to be very sound and we're going to have to go play because we're not going to get a lot of, a ton of easy opportunities, just like I hope they don't. You're going to have to earn what you get when you play Kentucky.”
