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KANSAN.COM
SPORTS
14
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basketball gameday
Friday, Nov. 18 | 7 p.m.| Allen Fieldhouse
SKYLAR ROLSTAD
@SkyRolSports
AT A GLANCE
The Jayhawks faced some adversity in the Champions Classic win against Duke and looked a lot stronger in the second half than they did in Hawaii in a loss to Indiana. Kansas will be ready to dominate against teams like Siena as it moves into the regular nonconference schedule. Now that the tough tests are over, the team has the chance to work together more as a unit and gain experience.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Udoka Azubuike freshman center
The 7-footer is a player Self has high hopes for this season. He has come into the Kansas lineup a little better than expected, having recorded 12 rebounds against Duke. Self said Azubuike could be playing way more minutes in the next few games.
QUESTION MARK
Will Kansas satisfy Self in its rebounding?
The scoring threat for Kansas is so palpable that there's no way Siena can match it. However, Kansas lost the rebounding battle to Division II Washburn in an exhibition game earlier this month. Rebounding is something Kansas needs to get better at, whether Self deploys a small or traditional lineup.
BY THE NUMBERS
34
34 - The backcourt duo of Frank Mason III and Devonte' Graham combined for 34 points Tuesday, almost half of Kansas' points in the game.
7 — Kansas comes into the game ranked No. 7 in the nation. That is sure to go up next Monday as Kansas knocked off No.1 Duke on Tuesday.
7
25. 5 Frank Mason III currently averages 25.5 points per game.
STARTING FIVE
Frank Mason III, senior, guard
Mason has recorded over 20 points in both of Kansas' games so far this season. He's surely one of the best point guards in the nation and proved it with a clutch performance and 21 points Tuesday against Duke. Now that the schedule is going to get a lot easier for Kansas, Mason has the opportunity to build on outstanding performances against top teams in the country. With the easier schedule, Kansas also gets a chance to work on its ball movement, so Mason might be a bigger passing presence than scoring one in this game.
Devonte' Graham, junior, guard
Mason's sidekick had a good game Tuesday in the win over Duke with 13 points, his first real standout game of the season, with the exhibition games included. Graham doesn't complement Mason's game as much as complete it, because Graham is such a good scorer when other players aren't having success. Look for Graham to connect with Josh Jackson and the forwards in this game because Siena will have trouble guarding the one-two punch of Mason and Graham.
Josh Jackson,freshman,guard
Bill Self has been saying it ever since Jackson stepped on campus: He's as good as advertised. With 15 points in the win on Tuesday, Jackson made a great impression on the national stage. His second-half surge lifted Kansas to defend a lead for most of the first half and it was the first time Jackson played that well. Jackson is a big part in working out the kinks in the Kansas offense. Against some weaker opposition he will make fewer mistakes and gel a lot better with his teammates.
Carlton Bragg Jr., sophomore, forward The biggest thing for Kansas forwards to improve on is foul trouble. In every game so far, Kansas bigs have fouled out much earlier than they should, causing Kansas to play small ball too often. Bragg has shown flashes of being a great scorer this season, but needs to rebound better. Bragg only hauled in five rebounds on Tuesday while being hampered by committing unnecessary fouls.
Landen Lucas, senior, center
Lucas struggled against Duke bigs on Tuesday. When he was taken out after getting into four trouble early, Udoka Azubuike took his place and finished with six points and 12 rebounds. Self may start Azubuike in Lucas' position, but as for now the rocky start for Lucas might only be a bump in the road on the way to a productive 2016-17 season. Expect Lucas and Azubuike to split minutes against Siena.
STARTING FIVE
Marquis Wright, senior, guard
Marquis Wright, senior, guard
Wright is the clear star of the Saints. He played 38 minutes against 2016 NIT Champion George Washington and scored 21 points in a game where Siena almost pulled off the upset. In both games this season, Wright has shot over 50 percent on his three-point attempts. Wright doesn't have a great height advantage over any Kansas guards at 6-foot-1, so it'll be a challenge if and when he's matched up against the taller Kansas guards.
Khalil Richard, freshman, guard
Richard was the best recruiting pickup for Siena, giving them the 76th-ranked point guard in the class according to ESPN. He wasn't able to accomplish much against an inferior Cornell team and then against George Washington, Richard was held to just two points. Richard has only taken nine shots through his first two college games so unless he starts taking more shots, it's hard to see him punishing Kansas offensively.
Nico Clareth, sophomore, guard
Clareth gives some much needed guard size to the lineup, but the second-year Baltimore native has struggled shooting with a 31.3 shooting percentage this season. He's had some foul trouble in his first two games, but that should subside as he only averaged 2.5 fouls per game as a freshman with solid playing time. Clareth is a great athlete, but aside from his 21-point game against Duke his freshman year, there's no real evidence he can score at a high level against elite opponents.
★★☆☆
Brett Bisping, senior, forward
Bisping's last two seasons at Siena have been a vast improvement over the previous two. Last season Bisping had five games with 18 rebounds and finished with double-digit rebounds 15 times. Against Cornell, Bisping dropped 23 points but only managed five against George Washington. At 6-foot-8, it might be a long night guarding players like Landen Lucas and Udoka Azubuike.
Javion Ogunyemi, senior, center
Like Bisping, Ogunyemi is a threat to foul out, but he's also a threat to block anything that comes inside. Last season against Quinnipiac, Ogunyemi finished with eight blocks to help boost his 2.1 blocks per game average on the season. He looks to be at a similar pace, having already blocked five shots through two games. He's made half the shots he he's attempted this season and he's not afraid to shoot, which could make him the leading scorer against Kansas.
BRIAN MINI @brianminimum
AT A GLANCE
PLAYER TO WATCH
After soundly beating Cornell, Siena barely lost to George Washington on Tuesday night. Siena's main source of offense this season has been Marquis Wright, which probably isn't enough to beat teams like Kansas. Siena's youngest players will decide how far this team can go, but if the first couple games are any indication, it might be a long night on Friday.
Khalil Richard freshman guard
With Wright getting most of the attention, can Richard finally step up and deliver? Coach Jimmy Patsos seems determined to get the freshman playing time, which hasn't worked out, even against a team like Cornell. There's not a lot of scoring options on this year's Siena team so Richard will have to develop into one sooner than later.
QUESTION MARK
How will Siena's youngest players react to the challenge?
Aside from Clareth, Siena's freshmen and sophomores have had a tough season. Richard hasn't done anything of note thus far this season and Richmond transfer Khadeem Smithen has been given time, but hasn't produced. There's no question that players like Frank Mason III and Devonte' Graham would give underclassmen trouble, but how will Siena's younger players react to even going against freshmen like Josh Jackson and Udoka Azubuike?
BY THE NUMBERS
6 - Siena is averaging six blocks per game, mostly due to Ogunyemi's 2.5 average so far.
0
0 Marquis Wright has yet to turn the ball over this year, a tough task considering he's averaging 38 minutes per game.
1.043
1043 - The number of points Wright has scored in his Siena career. Wright should crack Siena's top 30 career scorers in just a few games.
Beat Writer Predictions
Skylar: Kansas 101, Indiana 69
Christian: Kansas 94, Indiana 72
Brian: Kansas 90, Indiana 66
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