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10B
BASKETBALL PREVIEW
KANSAN.COM
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FILE PHOTO/KANSAN
Perry Ellis averaged 14 points and seven rebounds per game last season.
JAMES HOYT/KANSAN
Junior Frank Mason led the team in minutes played per game with 33.
Daily Debate: Who will be KU men's basketball's best player this year?
MIKE MAICKE
@MJ_Maicke
Perry Ellis
November is here, and a new college basketball season is on the horizon. Since the final buzzer in last season's loss to in-state opponent Wichita State, the Kansas faithful has been anxiously awaiting a return to the hardwood.
The Jayhawks are once again a fully loaded team with impressive depth and a slew of upperclassmen to lead the way. There will, without a doubt, be important contributions from multiple players in this deep Jayhawk roster, but a familiar face will once again be the Jayhawks' key to success this season.
Senior forward Perry Ellis has become the face of this Jayhawks team after making a significant impact in the last three years. Last season, Ellis was the most reliable scoring option for the Jayhawks, averaging nearly 14 points and seven rebounds per game.
But Ellis does so much more for this team than simply stuff
a stat sheet.
Ellis has become a nation-ally recognized low-post scoring presence and is someone who opposing teams heavily scout and plan around before playing the Jayhawks.
Given his dynamic and vast arsenal of low-post scoring moves, Ellis consistently draws double teams when he has the ball, which opens up both of the other Kansas forwards on the floor, and, even more so, the guards on the perimeter.
While it may be a concern that from Ellis's sophomore year to his junior year, he improved his points per game total by 0.3 points and his rebounding by only 0.2, the senior forward from Wichita has shown that he has at least been more aggressive every year.
aggressive with the ball in his hands.
It may not be impressive at first glance, but Ellis increased both his field goal and free throw attempts, which shows that, while he isn't necessarily scoring many more points from year to year, he is taking more attempts and being more
An even more offensively aggressive Perry Ellis is exactly what the Jayhawks will need again to increase their impressive Big 12 conference title streak to 12 this year.
Despite being a bit undersized for a forward at 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds, Ellis has always been an underrated defender.
Ellis has quick enough feet to be a good high post defender and still retains the physicality to battle with big men down low. But what is perhaps most impressive about Ellis on the defensive end is his ability to be so impactful without tracking up fouls.
Throughout the entire 2014-15 season, Ellis fouled out of two contests — an impressive statistic for a big man who earns significant minutes in a physical Big 12 conference.
BRIAN MINI
@daftpunkpop
There are many important pieces on this loaded Jayhawk team, but Perry Ellis is still the man that they need the most.
Frank Mason ill
It's hard to believe that the 5-foot-11 guard has had the best college career of anyone in the 2013 recruiting class, but here we are. Last year, his 33 minutes per game led the team, and it's easy to see that Bill Self recognizes that the offense completely runs through Frank Mason III.
After his 12.6 points per game and team-leading 3.9 assists per game, Mason was placed on the Bob Cousy Award Watch List this offseason, which is the award given to the top college point guard in the country.
The key to Mason's success last year was consistency. He might not have had 30-point
His playing time doubled last season, and so did his points per game and free-throw attempts. Given that his only competition right now at the point guard spot are underclassmen, Mason should continue to improve running the Kansas offense.
games like some other Jayhawks, but his 19 points against West Virginia or his 10 rebounds against Michigan State show that, despite not being the typical scoring point guard, he can definitely give his team a much-needed boost that leads to big wins against talented teams like those.
If you gave the stats that Mason has to a forward, that would be great, but the fact that Mason is producing at the point guard spot is the best sign for Kansas. If, say, Perry Ellis or Jamari Trayler has an off game, the best fix for this would be excellent guard play, specifically from the one handling the ball. Mason's ability to give the team a spark when it's struggling is what gives him an edge over other players.
What makes Mason most impressive is his ability to score in so many different ways. He can hit threes, his jumper is respectable, and he can drive and score. It's great that Perry Ellis has above-average range for a forward, but Mason has the slight edge
in ability to score from anywhere on the floor. And that's just what we know through two seasons.
His offensive ability is great — I haven't even mentioned his game management and passing skills — but the feisty defense and leadership is what sets him apart. His quickness allows him to pressure opposing guards, and he's only getting better.
Mason's aggressiveness is similar to former Texas Longhorn guard Avery Bradley. Bradley only played one year in college, but Mason's stats given Bradley's minutes per game are pretty similar. Bradley was subsequently drafted in the first round of the NBA Draft.
Comparing Mason with other players is somewhat unfair to Kansas' junior guard. Where other players have height and reach on their side, Mason is putting up impressive numbers for being about six feet tall. Given his past two years, he looks ready to play at an elite level this season.
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