THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
PAGE 13
KANSAS
TIPOFF
BASKETBALL GAMEDAY
BLAIR SHEADE
@RealBlairSheady
KANSAS VS. EMPORIA STATE NOV. 11, 7 P.M., ALLEN FIELDHOUSE, LAWRENCE, KANSAS
How many players will coach Bill Self play?
AT A GLANCE
Cliff Alexander
Alexander had an impressive showing against Washburn, where the freshman was Kansas' leading scorer (14) and leading rebounder (9). Before coming to Kansas, Alexander was known for his knack for rebounding and his aggressiveness in the paint. Alexander showed both of those skills while grabbing four offensive rebounds, all of which resulted in a score.
Kansas is still in exhibition mode, which means the Jayhawks aren't at their peak of competition. Coach Self said the Jayhawks can't run all the plays they want because the team isn't where they need to be. Self did mention the plays the team has practiced are the "meat and potatoes" of the offensive gameplan. The Jayhawks are 69-3 all time in exhibition games, and Kansas is coming off an 85-53 win against Washburn University.
QUESTION MARKS
Against Washburn, coach Self played all 15 players on the roster because of the lopsided score. Before the score got out of hand, Self rotated 12 players. At one time, Self had Seldon at point guard, freshman guard Swiatoslav Mykhailiuk at shooting guard and freshman guard Kelly Oubre Jr. at swing forward. Without a third point guard, Self will rely on one of those three to take control of the ball while Frank Mason or Devonte' Graham are off the court.
PLAYER TO WATCH
BY THE NUMBERS
117 This season is the 117th season of basketball at the University of Kansas.
Kansas holds Emporia State to under 50 points. Kansas held Washburn to 13 points in the first half, but allowed the Ichabods to score 40 second-half points. Baby Jay love it if Kansas can hold Emporia State to under 25 points each half.
212
If Kansas sells out tonight, Kansas will have 212 consecutive sell outs since 2012.
1,271
Among the 10 returning Kansas players 1,271 points were scored last season.
BABY JAY WILL CHEER IF
No.8 KANSAS (0-0)
STARTERS
Frank Mason, Sophomore, Guard
Frank Mason, Sophomore; guard
Kansas will feature another two point guard set against Emperor State — the same lineup the Jayhawks had against Washburn. Mason has good ball-handler skills, but he doesn't run the offense well. Coach Bill Chell the way Mason played against Washburn — scoring 13 points and a team-high seven assists.
Devonte' Graham, Freshman, Guard
Devonte' Graham, Freshman. Guard Graham had a strong premiere in Allen Fieldhouse against Washburn. Graham played 23 minutes, scored seven points and dished three assists. Graham was more of a floor general compared to Mason. Graham was looking to pass first, and his 60 percent field-goal percentage shows it.
★★★★☆
Wavne Selden Jr., Sophomore, Guard
Wayne Selden Jr., Sophomore, Guard Selden is the vocal leader of this young Kansas team. Even though Selden is one of the underclassmen, he leads similar to a senior. In the season opener, Selden scored five points in 17 minutes, but he shot three 3-pointers, which was too many, according to coach Self.
☆☆☆☆
EMPORIA STATE (0-0)
STARTERS
Jamari Traylor, Jupiter, Forward
Traylor made his first start of his career against Washburn. He played the least amount of minutes (14) for a player in the starting lineup. Trayer's game hasn't expanded since last season, but he has honed what he does well. He recorded two offensive rebounds, one of which converted into a basket, and Traoyer plays defense well shown by his two blocks.
Perry Ellis, Junior, Forward
Terrence Moore, Junior, Guard
The All-Big 12 preseason team member didn't have the best game against Washburn. Ellis scored nine points in 20 minutes, but his defense was a major problem. Ellis' defense was supposed to be improved. Ellis continued to get beat off the dribble and only grabbed one defensive rebound.
★★★☆☆
Terrence Moore, Junior, guard
One of only two returning starters, Moore appears primed to lead this young Hornets squad in their 2014-15 season. Last year, the junior was an honorable mention AII-MIAA selection, averaging 17.6 points and four rebounds per game. He's also stellar on defense, garnering MIAA All-Defensive honors while leading the conference with 76 steals last season.
Jamari Traylor, Junior, Forward
Tyler Jordan, Sophomore, Guard
Swank is the other Hornet who saw significant minutes as a starter last season. As a sophomore, he contributed an average of three points to an Emporia State team that finished ninth in the conference in points per game. His biggest strength lies behind the arc, where he shot a respectable 33 percent last year.
★★★☆☆
Micah Swank, Junior, Guard
Tyler Jordan, Sophomore
Though not a starter, Jordan appeared in all 31 of Emporia State's games in 2013-14. In 16.8 minutes of action, he averaged 3.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game. He struggled shooting the ball at times, finishing last among all Hornets with a lackluster 32 percent field-goal percentage.
Josh Pedersen, Sophomore, Forward
Josh Pedersen, Sophomore, forward
The 6-foot-7 sophomore averaged 12.9 minutes and 3.4 points per game in 28 contests last season. His best game came in mid-December against Newman University, in which he recorded 12 points and three rebounds. He is Emporia State's most capable shooter from the free-throw line, hitting 37-of-41 attempts (.902) from the charity stripe in 2013-14.
★ ☆ ☆ ☆
McWisdom Badejo, Junior, Center
Badejo is the Hornets tallest player on the roster at 6 feet 10 inches and will be their best chance at establishing any type of presence in the paint. The junior was a role player with Emporia State last season, appearing in 25 contests while averaging just over eight minutes per game. He contributed 2.6 points and 1.7 rebounds per contest while leading all Hornets with a .683 field-goal percentage.
EMPORIA ST.
TIPOFF
KYLE PAPPAS
@KylePap
AT A GLANCE
After a 2013-14 campaign that saw it finish the year at 18-13, the MIAA presseason coaches poll has Emporia State pegged to finish eighth out of 14 teams in the conference this season. The Hornets' strong suit lies on the defense where they gave up only 74.1 points per game last season — good enough for fifth-best in the conference. In its first game of the 2014-15 season, Emporia State will attempt to find a new identity after losing three starters to graduation, including last year's MIAA Defensive Player of the Year, Paul Bunch. Last time the Hornets entered Allen Fieldhouse in November 2012, they were crushed by Kansas, 54-88.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Terrence Moore
With three seniors departed from last year's bunch, Moore will be looked to for leadership on the Hornets' underclassman-heavy squad. He was the team's second-leading scorer last season and began to come into his own late in the year, averaging 22.3 points over Emporia State's final nine games. He's the lone returning All-MIAA performer from 2013-14, and serves as the Hornets most skilled player on both offense and defense. If Emporia State wants to avoid the expected blowout, it'll need a huge game from Moore.
QUESTION MARKS
Can the Hornets keep it close?
Of Emporia State's 13 regular-season losses last season, only five were by 10 or more points. That was a stark contrast to its two games against major Division I competition, though. The Hornets lost by 36 points to Oklahoma State and then by 42 points to Wichita State eight days later. With three new faces set to enter the rotation this year, it'll be difficult for the Hornets to get much going in their first game of the season — in Allen Fieldhouse, nonetheless. With an inexperienced, newcomer-laden squad, it'll be a surprise if Emporia State isn't well out of reach by halftime.
Prediction: Kansas 85, Emporia St.47
BY THE NUMBERS
38.1
Points per game lost to last year's senior class.
.430
Opponent field-goal percentage, second-best in the MIAA last season.
The number of times that the Hornets scored 85-plus points in a game last season.
BABY JAY WILL CRY IF
The Hornets have an unbelievable game from behind the arc. With the Jawhacks' big-bodied post players guarding the paint, Emporia State is likely to turn to its 3-point and perimeter shooting to get its offense going. Shooting from deep wasn't a strength of the Hornets last season — their .737 shooting percentage was second-worst in their conference. *Edited by Ben Carroll*
IT'S GAME TIME!
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