Assessing the season outlook after watching it play in an exhibition game against Pittsburgh State without its best players - junior forward Thomas Robinson, guards senior Tyshawn Taylor and junior Elijah Johnson — is a difficult task, but the youth and inexperience in the players was evident throughout the game.
The exhibition game against Pittsburgh State was like the final 5 minutes of a Kansas blowout, but instead, it was 40 minutes, and it certainly wasn't the prettiest basketball game.
The Jayhawks' inability to create their own shots against a mediocre Gorilla defense, rebound dominantly, and their sloppy performance on offense are major concerns for a team who will play against top-notch competition this season. The Jayhawks shot a woeful 51 percent from the free throw line, allowed the Gorillas to grab 21 offensive rebounds and committed 23 turnovers, all of which need to be addressed early in the season.
It is incredibly easy to be optimistic about Kansas because of the continual championship-caliber success, but the depth on this year's team is thin, probably the thinnest it has been in recent history, and a Big 12 championship is certainly not a formality, unlike previous seasons.
expectations for the Kansas men's basketball team have and always will remain lofty, but the expectations need to be subdued for the 2011-12 squad.
COMMENTARY Team has room to improve
"It was ugly," coach Bill Self said. "The first half was hard to watch, but I thought we tried hard. Our on-the-ball defense on the perimeter from our big guys was just horrific."
Even though the Gorillas shot 25 percent from the field, the Jayhawks' defense wasn't anything special.
Withey proved that he can be a force to be reckoned with defensively, but his offensive game is a major work-in-progress. The tallest player on Pittsburgh State's roster is JaVon McGee, who is 6-foot-6, and Withey struggled to position himself in the paint. Withey's triple-double – 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks – might have been one of the ugliest triple-doubles.
Teahan provided a nice lift on the offensive side, shooting 63 percent from the 3-point line and making some nice drives to the basket, but this will be the first time in his career that he'll be expected to contribute regularly.
Several of the most influential players in the game will be key contributors this season. It is going to take time for players such as junior center Jeff Withey, senior guard Conner Teahan, junior guard Travis Releford and freshman guard Naadir Tharpe to play at the levels that fans want them to play, which is fairly high, and gel as a cohesive unit.
It's essential that Robinson, Taylor and Johnson pick up what the Morris twins, Tyrel Reed and Brady Morningstar left. This team lacks the playing experience necessary to win championships and it was apparent against Pittsburg State.
These players showed flashes of excellence, but showing these flashes on a consistent basis will be a big question for Kansas. The Jayhawks were stagnant throughout the first half and the majority of the second half, but finally resuscitated late in the second half.
— Edited by Mandy Matney
84-55. KANSAS
Senior guard Conner Teahan shoots a three pointer during the first half of the game Tuesday evening at Allen Fieldhouse. Teahan was 5-8 on three pointers in the 84-55 victory over Pittsburg State.
JESSICA JANASZ/KANSAN
SIXTH MAN SHOWCASE
MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
A former walk-on, backup quarterback and bench regular, senior guard Conner Teahan isn't used to games such as Tuesday night's exhibition, but he will be soon.
"Conner's our sixth man," Self said. "There's no ifs, ands or buts about that."
Teahan sunk three consecutive 3-point shots in the opening minutes of the game, an 84-55 victory against Pittsburg State at Allen Fieldhouse, and cemented
his role as he first guy off the bench in Self's already thin rotation.
"If I want to get in the game, it's got to be on," Teahan said of his jump shot.
His hot start masked what was a sluggish beginning for Kansas in the exhibition. Kansas scored just four points yet surrendered eight turnovers in the seven minutes that followed Teahan's threes.
Careless passes led to turnovers, which ushered the game into a frenzied, sloppy pace in the first half. Although perhaps
the frantic play should have been expected.
Junior forward Thomas Robinson, who hyperextended his knee on Thursday, sat on the sideline in street clothes. Senior guard Tyshawn Taylor and junior guard Elijah Johnson joined him there as they serve a suspension for violating team rules. Without these three, the Jayhawks initially failed to match their energy with any composure.
"I was a little anty," freshman guard Naadir Tharpe said.
However the team settled down and pulled away from its
in-state opponent as the exhibition progressed.
In the second half, junior center Jeff Withey, who finished with a triple-double of 18 points, 12 rebounds and 10 blocks, was able to drive from the perimeter and convert hook shots with his back to the defense. Earlier in the game, he struggled to catch the ball as defenders collapsed on him in the paint. As a defender, Withey blocked or altered nearly every shot he faced.
"I told him not to get too excited," Self said. "They're 6-foot-4. You should block shots if
you're 7-foot. Still, though, he's got great timing"
An exhibition game should not be viewed as a literal translation of what fans will see throughout the season. Three of Self's best players didn't suit up. However, early signs indicate that Teahan, a slow guard who can heat up from the perimeter in a hurry, will be more than a bench mainstay.
"I just wanted to get us off to the right start," Teahan said.
Edited by Rachel Schultz
Gill wants to move past tough month
MIKE VERNON
FOOTBALL
mvernon@kansan.com
With the fall foliage nearing its completion and the temperatures beginning to dip further toward freezing, the Jayhawks know they have reached their final set of opportunities for this 2011 season.
The hope for Kansas is that the cool, crisp air that sweeps in from the north will breathe a wave of fresh air into its stale season. In Tuesday's weekly Kansas football press conference, Turner Gill frequently harped on moving past October and starting anew with November.
"We are looking forward to the month of November because it is about how you finish," Gill said. "I am determined to really change what we have done so far this football season."
Coaches Vic Shealy and Turner Gill survey the field as the Jayhawks warm up before the start of last Saturday night's game against Texas. Kansas entered the game 0-4 in the Big 12 hoped to win their first conference game. However, a 43-0 shutout lowered the Jayhawk's record 2-6 and 0-5 in Big 12 play.
CHRIS BRONSON/KANSAN
While Gill said there will be slight changes with personnel and the team's scheme, the more important change will be in the team's practice structure. He made sure to emphasize that there will not be drastic changes with the team, just small adjustments and modifications to the way it does things.
And with his team's poor performance in the month of October, it is not surprising that Gill and his staff will have to try to change something. In its first October game, Kansas jumped out to a 20-1 lead over Texas Tech, before finally losing 34-45. Following that 20-0 lead, Kansas was outscored 264-80 in the rest of October.
"We're taking a lot of blows right now," said senior center Jeremiah Hatch. "I think you can move on. Not forget about it, but move on. It's November. Teams tend to catch a lot of people's eyes. Those are the teams who bounce back, stay together and play hard."
Defensive coordinator Vic Shealy said it's easy for teams to get into a routine this far into the season, even if that team is undefeated or if they have not won a game. So as coaches, Shealy said they have to create a little bit of chaos to get the players out of a mundane routine.
Trying to get the most out of his players for the month ahead, Shealy told his defense after the Texas game that he will coach them harder for these final four games, which he said were critical.
"It's what this team will ultimately have a chance to be remembered by," Shealy said. "As coaches, we have to stomp the gas
pedal down."
And when looking at the Jayhawks' upcoming schedule, it's not hard to find where the coaching staff gets their inspiration to try to push the team harder in its final month.
"That's what keeps me going,"
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After playing a series of games against Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Kansas State and Texas, the Jayhawks will face a tough, but less daunting group in Iowa State, Baylor, Texas A&M and Missouri.
Gill said. "I know that we've got hope and opportunities to make some things happen in these next four ball games."
Edited by Jason Bennet