sports
+
Maicke: Let Diallo learn through time and mistakes
KANSAN.COM/SPORTS | THURSDAY, JAN. 21, 2016
▶ MIKE MAICKE
@MJ Maicke
After a 70-63 victory over TCU, it seemed as though the Kansas Jayhawks were back to their winning ways. The game was more one-sided than the final margin would show, but there were bright spots throughout the contest.
There really isn't a set rotation, even at this point in the season. After the game, Kansas coach Bill Self acknowledged the issue. He talked about playing his freshmen more, saying they earned extra minutes.
Kansas had another impressive performance from the front court personnel, outscoring TCU 30 to 16 in the paint, showcasing the variety of skilled interior players the team has at its disposal. However, that impressive outing also highlighted a problem — and it's been a problem all year.
The problem is, and has been, the list of big men on the team.
This year, returning Kansas forwards and centers Perry Ellis, Hunter Mickelson, Jamari Traylor and Landen Lucas are now joined by talented freshmen Carlton Bragg Jr. and Cheick Diallo.
Simply put, that's a long list. That's too long a list.
While it's considered by many to be a "good problem to have," it is still a problem. The Jayhawks have too many players receiving minutes, and that's something that needs to be worked out sooner rather than later.
After all, lineups need continuity. Players need time to build strong chemistry between established lineups and rotations. This can be difficult to do when the talented freshman rim protector Cheick Diallo goes from playing a combined 18 minutes in the first four Big 12 games to 21 minutes against TCU.
And that lack of chemistry carried over into the next game.
In his first start against Oklahoma State Diallo found himself out of position on multiple plays. On a few more occasions, he screwed up one of Kansas' most common plays until finally he was pulled from the game and would not return, at least until the game was basically over.
However, you have to take the bad with the good. Self needs to keep Diallo in the starting lineup, and he needs to keep Diallo's minutes in the double-digits, even if he's not getting 21 minutes every night. Really, the latter part of that is more important than anything else: he needs to learn on the court.
The potential downside exists, and it would be foolish to ignore it. The Big 12 is tough. The result of this might — keyword, might — be an extra loss or two, but that shouldn't matter in the end. The Big 12 winner will likely end up with four or five losses, which is something Kansas could still absolutely outperform, even with an unexperienced Diallo in the mix.
Still, I understand the arguments to the contrary.
Yes, there are situations where a player has a lot of momentum or when a certain big man matches up against a certain defense or player better than another one — like Lucas against a large post-threat or Traylor
against a quicker and smaller team — but consistency is still key. And Self needs to start finding a lot more of it with his frontcourt rotations.
At this point in the season, it's time to go all in. The starting lineup needs to have Cheick Diallo in it, and that can't change.
Before the TCU game, Self had elected to utilize, for the most part, Hunter Mickelson, Landen Lucas and Jamari Taylor as the primary centers, even though as a defensive big man, they each didn't really match up.
What's more is Diallo has recorded more blocks in league play than the three previously-mentioned frontcourt players, despite seeing substantially less court time.
To simplify it: Yes, Diallo's game is raw, but it just takes one look at his athleticism and length to know what he could be. His ceiling is by far the highest among all the KU big men, even when the flaws show on the court.
And even while he learns, it's not like Diallo is going to be a complete liability. In addition to the defense he can provide, Diallo runs the floor well, and his jumper — though ill-advised on occasion — can be enough to keep his defender honest, which can create space for Ellis and the guards when they drive in the paint.
Right now, there have been flashes — flashes of solid, potentially lethal, low post moves from Diallo, but those flashes need to turn into consistent play. What it will take for that to happen is time on the court.
And with more and more time, those flaws should be further and fewer between.
Stay with it. The flashes are there, and soon, they'll be more than just flashes.
But no matter the argument you make, it all comes back to one thing. Diallo needs to be putting the finishing touches on his game by March for the Jayhawks to succeed in the postseason. That won't happen by averaging eight or nine minutes in Big 12 play.
Self is on the right track. He recognized Diallo needs more minutes, and now he's trying to change that. However, against Oklahoma State, he fell back into old habits.
Keep Diallo on the court
Edited by Madi Schulz
Junior forward Perry Ellis throws the ball down during the first half of the Jayhawk's game against Texas. Ellis scored a game high 28 points and had 13 rebounds to complete the double-double Sauridy in Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas rallied from down six to win 69-64.
File Photo/Kansan
Kansas tries to get back on track against Texas
- EVAN RIGGS
@EvanRiggsUDK
After a 13-game winning streak spanning from November to January, the Kansas Jayhawks have lost two of their last three games and are limping into a matchup with the Texas Longhorns this weekend.
"I don't think we're playing with near as much energy as we did a week ago," head coach Bill Self said after Kansas defeated TCU 70-63 last Saturday.
In Tuesday's loss to Oklahoma State, Self opted to start freshman forward Cheick Diallo, although it was fellow freshman Carlton Bragg Jr. who had the better game, making the starting center position for Saturday's contest murky.
But the Jayhawks' other four starters are set in stone, and they have been one of the most balanced starting units in the country. Senior forward Perry Ellis, junior guards Wayne Selden Jr. and Frank Mason III, along with sophomore Devonte' Graham are all averaging double figures this
season.
Although the year-long starters have each had good moments over the last four games, none of those guys have played consistently well on offense, and the rest of the team has followed suit.
Self: We're not running our stuff to score right now. We're just running stuff to run stuff.
Jayhawk-Talk.com (@ jayhawkTalk) January 20, 2016
On Saturday, the Jayhawks will have the luxury of returning to Allen Fieldhouse, where they're currently riding a 33-game winning streak, and an 11-1 series edge over the Longhorns. The Jayhawks are 15-3 (4-2) while the Longhorns are 12-6 (4-2).
However, Texas has shown the ability to knock off some of the nations top teams, with wins over No.1 North Carolina in December and No.17 Iowa State earlier this month. That carried over against the No.6 West Virginia Mountaineers, as the Longhorns pulled off the upset in Morgantown, West.Va.
The Longhorns will still be without senior center Cameron Ridley, who they lost in December to a broken foot. The Longhorns are just 4-3 without their center who averaged 12.7 points and a team-high 10 rebounds per game before his injury.
But the Longhorns will still feature a few familiar faces on Saturday afternoon. They are led by junior point guard Isaiah Taylor, who is averaging 17.2 points per game and 4.8 assists per game this season, both of which lead the Longhorns.
Last year, Taylor had success against the Jayhawks, averaging 20 points per game in the teams' two meetings. Senior guard Javan Felix is averaging 10.8 points per game, and together the Longhorns backcourt should provide a stiff test for Mason and Graham.
Saturday will also be Texas head coach Shaka Smart's first trip to Allen Fieldhouse. Last time Smart coached against Kansas, he led Virginia Commonwealth to an improbable 71-61 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks in the Elite Eight of the 2011 NCAA Tournament.
That VCU team employed a full court press and played at a very quick pace. This year, Smart has Texas playing a similar style, and made it perfectly clear last April he was not worried about how it would translate to the Big 12.
Shaka asked how his style fits the Big 12. "It translated pretty well a few years ago in San Antonio" Ouch. First shot across Kansas' bow.
- Brian Davis (@BDavisAAS) April 3, 2015
But despite the Smart against Kansas narrative, this matchup is more about Kansas finding its groove again.
In addition to the lack of energy, the Jayhawks also haven't shot well over the last three games. During that stretch, they have shot just 31 percent from beyond the arc, which is 13 percent below their season average.
Fortunately for the Jayhawks, who haven't lost a home game after a road loss since February 2004, if there's one place that can cure struggles, it's Allen Fieldhouse.
- Edited by Mackenzie Walker
Schneider looks for positives and the right fit for Kansas women's basketball
▶ SKYLAR ROLSTAD
@SkyRolSports
After each Kansas women's basketball game this season, coach Brandon Schneider has always been the first one to find the positives in his team's
Missy Minear/Kansas Junior forward Caelynn Manning-Allen drives the baseline against Kansas State.
Missy Minear/Kansan
"I think you have to," Schneider said. "The biggest positive I can tell you is I really think if you walked into our practice, you wouldn't have any idea if we were 0-7 or 7-0 and that's the biggest compliment that I can give our players is they show up every day they continue to work extremely hard and make improvements."
performance.
Kansas is now 0-7 in Big 12 play after a 59-46 loss to Kansas State Wednesday night at Allen Fieldhouse. However, he strives to focus on ways to grow even when results aren't going his team's way.
Lately finding the positives is getting more difficult as his team hasn't won a game in five weeks, since a 61-54 home win over Navy in overtime on Dec. 13.
"We're trying to win," Timeka O'Neal, a junior guard for Kansas, said after the loss to Kansas State. "That's the main goal right now. Our record is unacceptable and we know we're better than that."
Schneider claims no moral victories or says his team deserves more than it gets. That, however, doesn't make losing any easier.
After the game, Schneider denied Kansas' performance
"I don't know that we've played a best game, [there have] been quarters where I've been happy with how we've played," Schneider said. "If you've played a best game, you'd have a win. I think for us you can find our best quarters, but I'm not going to say we've had a best game when we haven't won a game in the league."
against Kansas State was the best it has had so far this season in conference play. The 13-point margin was the smallest Kansas has been defeated by so far in conference play.
"Timeka [O'Neal] has been somebody that we've inserted and were just looking for a little bit more offense out of her and fewer turnovers from that position," Schneider said. "That's why she's there. Caelynn [Manning-Allen] and Tyler [Johnson at forward] have kind of been
In recent games, the Jayhawks have lacked offense. While Schneider was happy with the team's defensive effort, he said lackluster offense "puts pressure on every other part of our game."
The substandard productivity on offense has caused Schneider to shake up his starting lineup. In each of the team's last three games, a different starting five has taken the floor.
"Unless you're really playing well as a team there's going to be some inconsistencies in the starting lineup," Schneider said.
Another silver lining that Schneider could take in after the game was the attendance. The team drew 2,529 to the Fieldhouse for the in-state rivalry. Schneider admitted he appreciated the fact that the fans had not given up on the team after nine losses in a row.
Manning-Allen currently leads Kansas in rebounding with 6.3 per game, but Tyler Johnson leads the team in field goal percentage in less minutes played. Johnson averages 15 minutes per game while Manning-Allen averages 24.4.
"I can't compliment our fan base and our community enough because I understand that it would be very easy for them to not come and support us just based on our record," Schneider said. "I do think our players, hopefully, play in a manner that deserves their support."
back and forth."
4
Edited by Brendan Dzwier-
zvnski
+