Kansas Tames Wildcats

It wasn’t the start No. 6/7 Kansas wanted against in-state rival Kansas State on Wednesday, but the end result was good enough for a win and another step in the right direction in an effort to salvage a Big 12 title for the Jayhawks.

Unfortunately for Bill Self, the chinks in the armor continue to show themselves.

After falling behind 16-7 in the first half, Bill Self inserted sophomore Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk into the game–a talented player that can’t find the floor–to spark his team and produce quality minutes, which he quickly did, bringing the Jayhawks right back into the game against KSU.

It had been three games in a row since Mykhailiuk actually played any significant minutes for Kansas after starting the year as one of the first two players off the bench for Self. Wednesday, however, proved to be a shining moment for a player expected to eventually become a first-round draft pick.

Defensively, Svi was in the right place and executed the game plan as instructed by Self–something Kansas has struggled with. Offensively, Svi showed his ability to move the ball around the perimeter, drove to the basket, and knocked down an outside shot. Without question, his performance was one of the main reasons for KU’s eventual dominating win over the Wildcats.

The negative coming out of Wednesday game is the simple fact that Kansas is still struggling as a team.

At times, the Jayhawks had a hard time running offense, unable to get the ball into the low post and settling for outside shots, and guard Frank Mason III continued to have trouble with his control after driving into traffic with no real purpose, resulting in turnovers, and inconsistent shooting. The one thing you can say for Mason, though, is his effort level never sways and he is determined to work himself out of his current slump.

In the second half, Kansas’ talent level took over and K-State didn’t have the horses to keep up. Had it been another team, such as an Oklahoma or West Virginia, the Jayhawks may have lost another conference game.

The main storyline came at the end of the game when the frequently embattled Brannen Greene decided to throw down a dunk with 2 seconds left in the game and both teams already well into their end-of-game hand shake line.

Self, immediately aware of his players’ dunk and even more aware of KSU players taking offense to the unsportsmanlike play, let the media know about his anger over Greene’s lack of class in the postgame radio interview, apologizing to Kansas State, using an expletive, and calling his players’ decision a classless act. Self also spoke of he and his staff having dealt with Greene and his poor decision making prior to Wednesday, promising it would never happen again, and if it did, Greene would never again see the floor at the end of a game.

Greene has a resume of on and off-court troubles which have led to him frequently finding himself in the doghouse with Self. It’s a troubling situation for not only a player which possesses plenty of talent, but for a team which seems to be missing something in terms of its makeup and personality. Whether it’s a chemistry issue or simply a slump they are having a hard time getting out of, the Kansas Jayhawks have some soul-searching to do if they have any intention of making a run at not only a Big 12 title, but a Final Four appearance.

KU will have an opportunity to progress forward and stay in the conference race when they travel to Fort Worth, Texas to take on TCU.

The Jayhawks have lost 3-straight road games and TCU isn’t quite the pushover they once were. Saturday’s game has all of a sudden become a must-win, which means the pressure is squarely on the shoulders of Kansas.

The next home game for the Jayhawks will be Tuesday, February 9 for a 6 pm tip against No. 14 West Virginia. The Mountaineers muscled the Jayhawks around in Morgantown in a win earlier this year and will look to use their press to do the same in Lawrence. Tickets are available now for the next home game, as well as all remaining home games this season. Tickets For Less has many seating options, as well as parking passes available for each and every home game. With zero hidden service fees, what you see is what you get with every purchase. Don’t miss your chance to see the Jayhawks take the court in Allen Fieldhouse. Get your tickets today and Rock Chalk!

KU Falls to ISU

Many Kansas fans predicted the struggling Jayhawks would likely fall to the Iowa State Cyclones, Monday night, which is why the first half was a pleasant surprise as Bill Self’s squad controlled the play in the opening minutes.

The second half was an entirely different story, however.

Right on cue, the Cyclones came out with a different level of intensity that Kansas appeared unable to match.

Led by point guard Monte Morris, ISU quickly overcame their deficit and took the lead at the under 16 timeout and seemingly never looked back.

Kansas fell back into the same sloppy mistakes and loss of poise which has plagued them in recent losses to both West Virginia and Oklahoma State.

The first half against Texas was similar, but playing at home and having the second half to correct it, KU was able to overcome and take down the Longhorns. This time, they were trying too hard to hold on to a marginal lead and the Cyclones jumped all over them.

The demise of the Jayhawks on Monday night starts with point guard Frank Mason III, who turned the ball over at an alarming rate and was the worst offender in terms of forcing the issue and not staying patient or poised during ISU’s run.

During the broadcast, it was discussed that Bill Self has told Mason he is a scorer, so go score and let Devonte’ Graham be the point guard. Mason didn’t heed those words in the second half against Iowa State, and it attributed to KU’s poor play.

Mason wasn’t the only offender, though. Wayne Selden, Jr., forced several ill-advised three point shots, and all in all, senior Perry Ellis appeared to be the only player on the floor making any positive impact on the game.

The real issue Kansas must figure out starts at the top with Bill Self. The 13-year Kansas coach has a resume which speaks for itself, and his seat will likely never be hot, or even lukewarm for that matter, but his inability to find stability in his rotation is becoming alarming and possibly bordering on not making sense.

At one point, Self had Landen Lucas, Jamari Traylor, and Brannen Greene on the floor at the same time. None of the three are ball handlers of any kind, and all struggle on the defensive end of the floor.

Lucas and Traylor were both called for illegal screens, and Greene’s play, although relatively good on Monday, is mostly limited to knocking down open three’s. Lucas and Traylor offer little to nothing on the offensive end, which means that particular rotations gave the Jayhawks 2-3 players among 5 that are able to put the ball in the basket.

Meanwhile, Carlton Bragg, Jr., and Cheick Diallo saw the floor is sparing minutes and not given much of an opportunity to make any type of impact. This is all coming off a game in which both players played well against TCU two weeks ago, and Diallo was given a starting role against Oklahoma State. Following that, over the past two games against both Texas and ISU, neither Bragg nor Diallo have played much.

Also distressing is the fact that regular rotation players like Hunter Mickelson and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk haven’t played at all.

At some point, one has to be concerned with the atmosphere inside the locker room with this Kansas team.

In sports, when a team is struggling, the only way to fix things in many cases is simply to go win. The Jayhawks have the opportunity to get that done on Saturday when they host the Kentucky Wildcats.

Kansas and Kentucky are the two winningest programs in all of college basketball and have had some memorable match-ups in recent years. With the big game on Saturday taking place in Allen Fieldhouse, don’t miss out on your chance to jump on remaining tickets to one of the biggest and most anticipated games at The Phog. Tickets For Less has tickets available for the big game, and with zero hidden service fees, what you see is what you get on all purchases. Don’t miss out on college basketball royalty facing off. Rock Chalk Jayhawk!

Kansas Hosts Montana

No. 2 Kansas (8-1) is back in Allen Fieldhouse, Saturday, December 19, for a 1:00 p.m., tip against Montana (4-5).

The Grizzlies come to Lawrence, Kan., to face one of the hottest teams in the country, having reeled off six wins in a row after dropping a heartbreaker to Michigan State in the Champions Classic.

Since that time, KU has dominated its opponents, ranking among the top 3 in scoring as well as top 3 in shooting percentage both from the floor and from behind the arc.

Wayne Selden, Jr., is playing at an All-American level, and the Jayhawks–after a hardline stance against the NCAA’s lack of cooperation–had star freshman Cheick Diallo cleared for full participation.

Kansas not how more depth than any other team in the country and can attack opposing defenses with fresh bodies and from positions on the floor.

With an 0-5 record on the road so far this season, Montana is facing an uphill battle when they take on the Jayhawks.

If there is one thing to take away from tape of KU this season, it would be playing the zone defense to slow down a potent Jayhawk offense. Lately, teams such as Harvard and Oregon State have had at least relative success using the zone to slow Kansas down.

For the most part, Bill Self’s team has done most of its damage from behind the three-point line or in transition. In half-court sets, KU has actually struggled to get into its offense, mainly because its slew of big men have been in somewhat of a funk lately–no player more than Perry Ellis, who has been called out multiple times by coach Self for not being competitive enough, and recently, saying his star senior is, “playing like he’s 18.”

Ellis has fallen into ruts throughout his career at Kansas. At times, he forgets how good he is on the offensive end and seems to forget how to use his skill set to take over a game.

While he may finish with 10-15 points, the frustration is that he could easy finish with 20-25. At this point, it’s more of a personality issue rather than actual ability. The skill is there, but the lack of demeanor from Ellis to switch into another gear and dominate a game just isn’t in his makeup as a player.

Still, he’s an all american-level talent and a player which will be significant in whether or not Kansas is able to reach and exceed its goals for the season.

Even though Montana isn’t the stiffest competition Kansas will have played this season, the Grizzlies are another chance for the Jayhawks to take the floor and get better as a team, particularly during a time where games are spread out over Christmas break. With so much time between games, practice becomes somewhat monotonous.

Having an entire week off this week between games, the Jayhawks will be ready to take the floor inside Allen Fieldhouse and put on a show for a capacity crowd.

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KU Has Big Second Half, Beats Oregon State

For whatever the reason, the Kansas Jayhawks seem to struggle inside Kansas City’s Sprint Center, more than they dominate.

While the Jayhawks typically come away with a victory, they don’t come with ease, and Saturday’s game against the Pac 12’s Oregon State was no different.

After a dreadful first half in which Kansas couldn’t seem to find any offensive rhythm against almost strictly a zone defense by the Beavers, and Oregon State knocking down three-pointers left and right, the halftime break came with Bill Self’s squad down 11.

The almost capacity crowd of more than 18,000 (18,612 to be exact) Kansas fans in attendance was more annoyed than they were shocked. It was almost as if the majority knew the Jayhawks would come out with a different energy in the second half, but why did it need to come to that?

This is a question that has been asked time after time with KU.

Obviously a much better club than their opponent, Kansas comes out looking slightly lethargic and almost disinterested in the game until the lead reaches 10-plus points and the team wakes up, usually following a colorful and poignant talking to by Bill Self.

Saturday was exactly that. the Jayhawks came out in the second half and immediately began attacking on the offensive end. In one spurt, Wayne Selden, Jr., knocked down a long three to bring KU within three points, then followed a steal by Devonte’ Graham with another three in stride, tying the game up and eventually leading to KU taking the lead for good.

Selden finished with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-12 shooting, and 5-of-8 from three-point range.

Four Jayhawks in total scored at least 1o points, Frank Mason III (18), Perry Ellis (13), and Devonte’ Graham (10).

Oddly enough, Kansas is the No. 2 three-point scoring team in the country and third overall in points scored. After hitting 43-percent from behind the arc on Saturday, the Jayhawks are just behind fellow Big 12 member Oklahoma in outside shooting at 46-percent overall for the season.

Recently, Bill Self has struggled to find consistent success from the three-point line, but offensively, it has made the different for the Jayhawks, especially the few times they have found themselves behind in a game.

Next up for Kansas is a home match up against 3-5 Montana, Saturday, December 19 in Allen Fieldhouse. The tip is scheduled for 1:00 p.m., as KU looks for a 9-1 start to the season heading into a tough matchup against San Diego State on the 22nd before heading into Christmas break. Tickets for each and every home game at Allen Fieldhouse are on sale now at Tickets For Less. With zero hidden service fees, what you see is what you get on all ticket purchases. Don’t miss out on your chance to see the Jayhawks take the court in the cathedral of college hoops. Tickets to a Kansas home game make a perfect gift for family or friends, so get yours today. Go Jayhawks!

KU cruises past Holy Cross

After a so-so performance in a win over Harvard last weekend, No. 2 Kansas took the court Wednesday night against Holy Cross in Allen Fieldhouse.

Led by Wayne Selden, Jr., and his 15 points, the Jayhawks easily handled Holy Cross, 92-59.

Six players scored in double figures for KU, including sharp-shooter Brannen Greene–back from a 5-game suspension–who poured in 14 points for the Jayhawks.

Greene has had his troubles while in Lawrence, having been suspended multiple times for behavioral issues causing concern that his time as a Jayhawk would end much sooner than expected, but the junior swingman and head coach Bill Self appear to have a unique relationship in that from the outside it looks like Self isn’t Greene’s biggest fan, but after each altercation, Self is always the single biggest influence on him improving his attitude and off-court decision making.

Perry Ellis (12), Frank Mason III (13), Devonte’ Graham (10), and Cheick Diallo (12) were the other Jayhawks to record double-digit point totals on the night.

Self, before Wednesday’s game, said he needed to do a better job of using his bench and finding out exactly what he has with this team. With the perimeter essentially set, the rotation of big men has become the biggest question mark.

With the availability and emergence of Diallo, the rotation of big men has become somewhat jumbled with Perry Ellis as the only for sure starter. Jamari Traylor had been the starter at the other post spot until Self opted to try out Hunter Mickelson against Holy Cross.

In 15 minutes, Mickelson took just one shot and finished with 0 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

Self has always maintained it’s about who finishes and not which players start, but for the sake of getting into a rhythm to start games, figuring out that fifth starter does carry some importance moving forward.

Most feel as though Cheick Diallo should be that player, but until Self fully trusts his freshman to play both ends of the floor and stay out of foul trouble, he will use him from the bench.

Up next for the Jayhawks is a trip to the downtown Sprint Center in nearby Kansas City, Missouri.

The annually scheduled game in KC is a chance for the Jayhawks to play in front of a crowd at the high-tech arena which houses the Big 12 postseason tournament and gives fans otherwise not able to get to Lawrence, a chance to see their team take the court. Looking for tickets to see No. 2 Kansas take the floor in KC? Visit Tickets For Less and choose from a variety of seats located throughout the beautiful Sprint Center. With zero hidden service fees, the great prices you see is what you’ll get on all purchases. With Power & Light right across the street, it’s sure to be a great night for basketball. Go Jayhawks!

Kansas Defeats Harvard

No. 4/6 Kansas took on the Harvard Crimson, Saturday, and came away with a much more difficult 75-69 win that one would have guessed prior to the game.

After leading by 15 multiple times in the first half, the Jayhawks struggled on the offensive end allowed Harvard to dictate the pace of the game, which was much slower that what KU would have liked, often times taking the ball well into the 30 second shot clock before hoisting a shot.

The slower pace and zone defense employed by head coach Tommy Amaker kept KU off balance, particularly in the second half and at one point helped the Crimson tie Kansas, 56-56, before Frank Mason III helped his team make a run and spread the game back open for good.

Mason ended the game with 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting, and was by far and away the catalyst for Kansas.

For the second straight game, forward Perry Ellis seemed to be out of it, mentally. Following the win, head coach Bill Self talked about the lack of toughness and competitiveness a player who gets out of the way and lets an opponent dunk on his head on his home court. While he didn’t exactly name Ellis, it was indeed his senior forward which allowed a thunderous first-half dunk, on his head and on his home court.

In the second half, Ellis was better offensively, but otherwise struggled to really impact the game as he normally does.

Luckily for the Self, his depth in the low post can make up for one or two players which may be struggling.

In his second game as a Jayhawk, Cheick Diallo was again extremely active for Kansas. His offensive output wasn’t as impressive, but Harvard did a good job of collapsing on the freshman whenever he had the ball, and nothing easy was given up inside.

Diallo’s first basket came on a smooth elbow jumper, showing his mid-range face up game which will add to his rating in the minds of NBA scouts.

Overall , the Jayhawks made enough plays to win against a feisty and well-coached Harvard team, but certainly didn’t play their best basketball.

Self’s team will have another opportunity to take the court and improve on their play Wednesday, December 9, when they host Holy Cross in Allen Fieldhouse. Tickets are on sale now for all Kansas home games. Visit Tickets For Less and choose from a variety of seating options inside Allen Fieldhouse. With zero hidden service fees, what you see is what you get on all ticket purchases. Don’t miss out on your chance to see all the action. Go Jayhawks!

Diallo Soars For KU

It was the night everyone had been waiting for.

Cheick Diallo was finally going to take the court for No. 4 Kansas, and it was as exciting and entertaining as one could have hoped.

In Kansas’ 84-61 win over Loyola (MD), Diallo overcame some early struggles (obviously nerves) to score 13 points, haul in 6 rebounds, and record three blocks.

KU played a lackluster first half, leading 40-36 at the half, but in the second half, Jamari Traylor came out with energy and helped set the tone for a 27-9 run to start the half and open the game up. During that stretch, Diallo put on a display of an array offensive moves, an extremely high motor, and the enthusiasm of a stud freshman who is quite simply a playmaker.

His first bucket came from a nice behind the back assist from Wayne Selden, Jr., leading to a two-handed flush.

Diallo would later show a smooth baseline jumper from short range, a drop step and baby hook, an ally-oop throw down from a pass by fellow frosh LeGerald Vick, and the highlight of the night, a thunderous breakaway slam on a fast break, with some added flair and eventually earning the No. 3 highlight on ESPN Sportscenter’s Top 10.

All in all, it was a good night for the Jayhawks, who played their first game since returning from a championship at the Maui Invitational, as well as Thanksgiving break.

Self certainly wasn’t pleased with his teams’ effort in the first half, and had particularly harsh words for the play from Perry Ellis, who appeared to have a very off night for KU, but the second half play made Self feel slightly better about his team being able to reign things in when they weren’t playing as well and turn the game into a blowout.

More importantly, Kansas showed just how much depth it has with the addition of Diallo.

To put that into perspective, Landen Lucas wasn’t able to play, and Brannen Greene is still serving a six-game suspension.

Self played 9 players for relatively significant minutes–Vick getting the least of the bench minutes among rotation players–and he still had two players considered important pieces to the roster, sitting.

It’s doubtful Self will go 11 deep unless the game is out of hand or a he feels like he can get more production from his bench on a  given night, but the fact that he has as many talented players at his disposal gives the Jayhawks an edge most teams simply don’t have.

Down the road, it will be difficult for a player like Brannen Greene to work himself back into the rotation. His shooting stroke will always serve as a weapon for KU, but defensively, Greene is often a liability.

It should be expected that Diallo will continue to see his minutes increase as the season progresses, which means Lucas and Hunter Mickelson will see fewer and fewer minutes on the floor.

Next up for Kansas is a home game on Saturday, Dec. 5 against Harvard. Tickets for Saturday’s game are available now at Tickets For Less. Don’t miss out on your chance to see Cheick Diallo and No. 4 Kansas take the court inside Allen Fieldhouse. Choose from a variety of great seating options and cheer on your Jayhawks!

KU Falters Against Michigan State

After controlling the first 30 minutes of the game against Michigan State, Tuesday, No. 4 Kansas faltered down the stretch on both ends of the court, surrendering an 11 point lead and the game to the Spartans at the United Center in Chicago, Ill., in the night cap of the 2015 Champions Classic.

KU now falls to 1-4 all-time in the tournament, which consists of Kansas, Duke, Kentucky, and Michigan State.

The Jayhawks, which on paper appear to the be the better team, and throughout the majority of the game proved to be the better team, couldn’t make shots down the stretch, while also failing to stop MSU from scoring, particularly Denzel Valentine, who ended the night with a triple double.

The loss itself isn’t a big deal for the Jayhawks, as it’s only the second regular season game of the season, but the way in which KU gave the game away is an unfortunate trend which has been on-going for the last 3-4 seasons.

Any Kansas fan which has watched the group of players knows what that means; A lack of toughness down the stretch, the inability to close teams out, and losing games in which they were in full control of for nearly the entire 40 minutes.

Another concerning aspect to the loss is the continued frustration of Self seemingly struggling to find a consistent rotation with this group, as well as taking advantage of the depth everyone claims Kansas has, but when you look at the box score, only 7, maybe 8 players are seeing significant playing time.

The biggest beef fans have had following the loss is the lack of playing time for Kansas’ two best outside shooters–Brannen Greene and Svi Mykhailiuk–when the Jayhawks’ offense slumped and shots weren’t falling. On top of that, freshman power forward Cartlon Bragg, Jr., who has made an instant impact for Kansas, as well as Hunter Mickelson, a player which Self has said has been the most improved since the end of the last season, sat on the bench behind the likes of Landen Lucas.

The best way to describe the decision to sit those players in favor of a mediocre Lucas, and Wayne Selden, Jr., (who is overall one of KU’s better players, but an average to below average jump-shooter) is at best, perplexing.

Self obviously knows his team better than any fan or media member, but with the talk of so much depth, and a guy like Greene, who is coming off an 18-point performance against Northern Colorado in which he went 5-for-5 from three point range, sitting on the bench down the stretch when KU needs points simply doesn’t make sense.

It’s almost as if Self has his favorites, but if one thing has been proven, his favorites aren’t always the players which can go win you a game, and ultimately that’s the goal each time KU takes the court.

Prior to the game against Michigan State, Self said his team is probably a month ahead of where they normally would be, thanks to their trip to South Korea for the World University Games, but if that’s the case, a loss like Tuesday’s should have never happened.

Still, it’s the second game of the season, which means there is plenty of time to improve upon things, but if you are a KU fan watching this group which, for the most part has been together for three seasons, continue to slip up in big games that they have no business losing, you have to be somewhat concerned.

Next up for the Jayhawks is a chance to get back on track against Chaminade, the host team of the 2015 Maui Jim Maui Invitational, located at the Lahaina Civic Center.

KU has played in the Maui multiple times, its last coming in 2012 when it lost to Duke in the championship game. Kansas would eventually go on to make a National Championship game appearance in which it lost to Anthony Davis and the Kentucky Wildcats. The game is scheduled for an 8:00 tip on ESPNU.

Kansas handles N. Colorado

The regular season has finally started and No. 4 Kansas opened things up by dominating Northern Colorado in Allen Fieldhouse, 109-72.

Off the bench, Brannen Greene led all Kansas scorers with 18 points, hitting all 5 of his three-point attempts.

As a team, the Jayhawks hit 15 three’s and put on an offensive display not seen in quite some time. While Northern Colorado wasn’t the best competition the Jayhawks will face this season, to come out game 1 and put up 109 on 55% shooting is a major plus for a team expecting to reach the Final Four.

Four of the five starters for Kansas reached double-digits in scoring (Jamari Traylor had 8 points), and Frank Mason III was one assist shy of a double-double, scoring 11 points and recording 9 assists to just 2 turnovers.

As Bill Self said after the game, this may potentially be the deepest team he’s had at Kansas, and because of the World University Games over the summer, his Jayhawks are probably a month ahead of where his teams usually are to start the season.

Winning the gold and going undefeated in South Korea was rewarding, but having freshman learn plays and grasp Self’s system early on to gain readiness for the 2015-16 season may have been the ultimate reward.

In most cases, Self’s teams usually begin to clock following Christmas break when they’ve played a dozen games and have unlimited practice time over the holidays.

Now, the Jayhawks have the benefit of being prepared for the season at the outset, much like Kentucky was last season after playing in Puerto Rico over the summer.

For Greene, a streaky player that has had an up and down career at Kansas, exploding for 18 points off the bench and post-hip surgery which kept him from playing following the end of last season is a bonus for Kansas in terms of its offense.

Greene has proven to be Kansas’ best three-point marksman, but disciplinary issues and frequent visits to Self’s doghouse have kept him from fully blossoming in Lawrence.

Defensively, Kansas held the Bears to 39% shooting from the floor, and just 33% from behind the arc.

With new rules in place, making it tougher for players on the defensive side of the ball to be physical with on-ball defense, coaches have been worried about foul trouble, particularly early on in the season while everyone adjusts.

KU recorded just 24 personal fouls for the game, and with its depth, only saw one player–Landen Lucas–have more than 3 fouls on the night.

On the flip side, the Bears ended up with 35 personal fouls and had three players foul out of the game, including two starters.

Next up is a date with Michigan State as apart of the Champions Classic, this time in Chicago. The tournament, which enters its fourth year, features Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, and Michigan State. This year is a reboot from the first edition, with Kentucky taking on Duke in the first sessions, followed by the night capper between the Jayhawks and Spartans.

Kansas’ next home game at Allen Fieldhouse will be December 1 against Loyola (MD).

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No. 4 Kansas Wins Exhibition Opener

Wednesday night marked the beginning of a new season of Kansas Basketball, as the No. 4 Jayhawks opened their 2-game exhibition play against Pittsburg State with an 89-66 win.

Bill Self, for the first time in many years, has a team loaded with experienced players. Perry Ellis, Wayne Selden, Jr., Jamari Traylor, Frank Mason III, and Landen Lucas, have all been in the program for multiple seasons.

When speaking to the media earlier this week, Self spoke about his team potentially practicing poorly of late due to boredom and needing to face someone other than themselves on the hardwood.

Whether it was starting off a little too amped and fired up, or just the rust of having not played in an actual game, the Jayhawks struggled in the early going against a Gorillas team which always comes to Allen Fieldhouse with a nothing-to-lose mentality.

Shooting, in particular, was atrocious for both team throughout the first half. Despite the poor shooting, however, Kansas’ defense wasn’t where it needed to be in terms of intensity, and with 8 minutes to go before the break, KU was clinging to a meager 19-16 lead.

Self, after calling several timeouts and letting his players know about their lackluster play, watched his team go on a spurt over the course of the final three minutes, turning a once close game into a laugher.

Perry Ellis led Kansas with 22 points, and looked to be in great form with his play. While it was a good sign to see KU’s top player performing at a high level, the surprise of the night went to freshman forward Carlton Bragg, who scored 14 points to go along with 6 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks in 21 minutes of action.

Bragg played so well that Self gave him the nod to start the second half in place of Landen Lucas.

Arkansas transfer Hunter Mickelson also displayed his improvement over the summer by providing Kansas with great energy on both ends of the floor and showing that he knows how to get himself around the ball.

Mickelson, who Self said would likely be considered the obvious most improved player in the eyes of the fans, put in a highlight-reel dunk after a Bragg miss, jumping over the top of a defender and flushing the ball home with one hand.

If one thing is certain, it’s that Bill Self has plenty of depth at his disposal. Prior to halftime, Self had played 11 players in total. While he would like to see his rotation stay around 8-9, knowing you have additional depth beyond that will create plenty of competitiveness in practice and will keep players hungry to earn playing time, particularly on the perimeter where Mason, Devonte Graham, and Wayne Selden, Jr., are likely to the majority of the minutes.

Two players Kansas needs to see major improvement from in order to have the type of success expected this season, are Brannen Greene and Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk.

Greene is a deadly outside shooter and can change the course of a game quickly with his ability to knock down shots, and Mykhailiuk, also a sharp-shooter, is projected to eventually be a top 10 draft pick.

If Self can get production out of those two, both of which posses plenty of size and athleticism on the perimeter, Kansas will remain one of the title favorites throughout the year.

Next up for Kansas is a Nov. 10 (Tuesday) exhibition game against Fort Hays State before opening up the regular season versus Northern Colorado on Friday, Nov. 13.

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