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A shorter shot clock could help the Jayhawks
EVAN RIGGS
@EvanRiggsUDK
After a few years of discussion, the NCAA finally changed the shot clock from 35 to 30 seconds before the 2015-16 season. It was the first reduction in the shot clock since before the 1993-94 season, when the NCAA shortened the shot clock from 45 to 35 seconds.
The World University Games in South Korea this summer, which was played with a 24-second shot clock, gave the layhawks a head start in getting used to playing with a shorter shot clock.
"Playing with a short clock, you can't run a different offense against every defense," Self told the Kansas City Star. "You can't have a 'slow press' offense
whenever people decide to softpress you. You got to get it and go. It's been good for me, to basically re-evaluate how we do things, to make our guys play with more pace."
The Jayhawks' biggest advantage in South Korea was their superior athleticism, and with the quicker pace, they were able to take full advantage of that.
It's no coincidence that in a much quicker game, Frank Mason III looked "as good as he's ever been at Kansas," Self said. Then there's Wayne Selden Jr., who showed that he's at his best playing at a quick pace.
"That's one thing we've done an awful job of the last two years — play to [Selden's] athletic ability and his strength," Self said. "I'm excited to see him attacking the basket this
year."
Kansas, which is ranked 53rd out of 351 teams in adjusted tempo, which measures the amount of possessions per 40 minutes, on kenpom.com, shouldn't be affected much by the rule change because they already play a quick tempo.
"I don't think there's a lot of difference," Self said at Big 12 Media Day. "I think if we'd have taken 30 seconds to get a shot off, the last several years, I think all our fans would say we're playing ridiculously slow. I think that 35 to 30 is going to be a real factor in the last five minutes of the game."
But for other teams who like to play slower, it will make things a bit more difficult.
Usually when teams pull off an upset of the Jayhawks or
give them a scare, they do so by taking all of the air out of the ball and limiting possessions. A 30-second shot clock will make that more difficult to accomplish because the Jayhawks will have more possessions to feature their talent.
"Our game needs more possessions," Self told The Kansas City Star in June. "There are a lot of things like that. Hopefully we can convince our guys — we can be patient and get the ball to the second and third side before you look to scare, but you just need to do it quickly."
More possessions will put more pressure on the less talented teams to be able to execute more often and allow the more talented teams more opportunities for that talent to win out. This year when they
take the court, Kansas will almost always be the more talented team.
- Edited by Jackson Vickery
Jackson: Selden is key for Kansas' title chances
JAMES HOYT/KANSAN
Wavne Selden looks up before a free throw attempt during an exhibition game in Kansas City on June 23
SHANE JACKSON
@jacksonshane3
There seems to be even more hype around Kansas basketball than in years past. Many are calling this the deepest team in terms in talent since the 2008 team that won the national championship.
Because of that, Kansas is a huge favorite to win its 12th straight Big 12 regular season title. But many people in the basketball world also view the Jayhawks as contenders for the college basketball national championship.
Perhaps the biggest key for the Jayhawks to cut down the nets in Houston this year falls on one man's shoulders. That player is junior guard Wayne selden Jr.
Selden has vastly underperformed in his last two years, which is why some fans may have forgotten about the 6-foot-5 guard out of Roxbury, Mass. Through the first two years, Selden has averaged 9.4 points in 29.5 minutes per game.
But this summer, Selden displayed his potential that everyone had raved about since he arrived on campus. He was named to the five-member World University Games First Team as he averaged 19.3 points per game in a eight-game tournament.
Selden led the USA team in scoring in four contests through the tournament, including the game to win the gold medal — 22 points in the double-overtime win against Germany.
The biggest key to Selden's success was his team-best 18 three-pointers. He made just 30 in 21 games in his sophomore campaign. By adding the long ball to his arsenal in addition to his superior athleticism, Selden was one of the more difficult players to defend.
If Selden can be the same player this year that he was overseas this summer, the Jayhawks are going to be one of the most dangerous teams in the country.
Kansas already has arguably two of the top 20 players in the
country in senior forward Perry Ellis and junior guard Frank Mason. Those two players are talented enough to carry the Jayhawks to their 12th straight conference title and potentially a No.1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
But if a third player could emerge, like Wayne Selden, then Kansas could easily avoid getting bounced in the first weekend of the tournament for the third consecutive season.
If Selden is closer to the player he was this summer rather than the one jayhawk fans have seen the last two years, then fans should expect this team be a championship contender.
Now is the time for Selden — the No. 12 ranked recruit in 2013, according to Rivals.com — to meet his expectations. This is the year Kansas fans need that version of Selden. If he is, then Kansas could very likely be cutting down nets in Houston come April.
— Edited by Derek Skillett
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