THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 2014
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PAGE 8
THE DAILY DEBATE
Who will take over for Conner Frankamp?
By Skylar Rolstad
@SkyRolSports
“FRANK MASON”
Kansas' point guard this season should be Frank Mason.
be Frank Mason. Since the team is already expected to start freshmen Cliff Alexander and Kelly Oubre Jr. at forward, Kansas could use a little experience at point guard. Mason, a sophomore, challenged Naadir Tharpe for the starting point guard spot last season.
Conner Frankamp's decision to transfer from Kansas leaves the jayhawks going into the 2014-15 season with less experience, which may force the team's freshmen to step up their shooting.
Tharpe's decision to transfer from Kansas (he later declared for the NBA D-league instead of college) at the end of last year enabled coach Belf Self to recruit a new point guard, freshman Devonte' Graham. Graham has a chance to prove himself
this season. When Kansas begins its regular season at Allen Fieldhouse against UC-Santa Barbara, Mason should be given the reins to the team.
Frankamp's departure won't change the Jayhawks completely, but it will force the team to find a new player who can hit critical shots in close games. Kansas' Ukrainian shooting guard Sviatoslav Mykhailiu may prove a perfect replacement for Frankamp, who only played an average of 8.3 minutes per game last season.
Turnovers were a consistent theme for Kansas at the guard positions last season. With Oubre taking over for Andrew Wiggins, turnovers may still be an issue for the young team. Mason averaged 1.1 turnovers per game last season compared to Tharpe's 2.1 and Wiggins' 2.3. Mason at point guard may solve Kansas' issues with turnovers.
Mason averaged only 5.5 points per game during
the 2013-14 season in 16.2 minutes. His average points compare well to Tharpe, who scored 8.5 points per game in 29.2 minutes, nearly twice the time of Mason but a smaller time-point margin.
though Mason's scoring contribution compares well, the most valuable attribute for Kansas' point guard this season will be leadership on the court. The Jayhawks will have a lot of shooting ability in their starting lineup, and Mason's ability to pass the ball will be critical.
There isn't a definitive answer for who will replace Frankamp. Kansas valued him in certain situations, but did not consider giving him substantial minutes. Frankamp could have played at shooting guard, but wouldn't have much of a chance at extended playing time with Wayne Selden, Brannen Greene and Mykhailiuk at that spot.
Edited by Rob Pyatt
"DEVONTE' GRAHAM"
Joey Anguiano
@joey anguiano
With the recent surprising transfer of
sophomore point guard Conner Frankamp, many wonder who will fill his role in the Jayhawks' backcourt. While Frankamp didn't contribute much on the stat sheet last year — averaging 8.3 minutes per game and 2.5 points per game — he will be remembered by quite a few fans for his late game heroics in the NCAA Tournament loss to Stanford last season. The man that will get the majority of Frankamp's minutes, and ultimately step into the role he would have held this season, is freshman point guard Devonte' Graham.
Graham steps onto the court with a Jayhawk roster that now, after the Frankamp transfer, only has two true point guards: himself and
sophomore Frank Mason.It's been perceived all offseason that Mason will be the starting point guard and will need to rest at times, which means that Graham will most likely be bringing the ball up the court.
Additionally, coming into last year, many perceived Frankamp as a sharpshooter from behind the arc, yet he ended the year shooting 31 percent from 3-point range. In his last season at Brewster Academy, Graham was shooting 40 percent from downtown. While he might not be noted for his 3-point shot, look for Graham to contribute if he's open behind the arc.
Graham can also wow his way into the rotation with his ball-handling skills and his ability to distribute the ball. In his last year at Brewster Academy, Graham averaged five assists per game. This noted ability to distribute the ball is the type of play that can get a young player like Graham noticed
and into the rotation. Look for coach Bill Self to put in Graham when the ball needs to be moved smoothly.
This distribution is exactly what the Jayhawks need in the upcoming season. Between losing junior point guard Naadir Tharpe, the main point guard from last season, due to transfer, and losing the ability to stretch out opposing defenses with two superstar talents like Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid, ball movement seems to be one area of concern for the 2014-15 Jayhawks. Now it seems that Graham will help to ease those growing pains this season.
As with any freshman player, the expectations need to be kept within reason because it takes time to get adjusted to the college game, but by the time conference play begins on Jan. 7 against Baylor, Graham will be a great option for the Jayhawks.
Edited by Ben Carroll
DAILY DEBATE RESULTS: OCT. 30,2014 Who is going to win the NBA rookie of the year award?
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