KU’s McDonald’s All-America guard duo of Dotson, Grimes earned opening night start

Bill Self told a group of reporters at Wednesday’s Big 12 media day he’d decided on three starters — forwards Dedric Lawson and Udoka Azubuike and guard Lagerald Vick — for Kansas’ exhibition basketball opener against Emporia State on Thursday at Allen Fieldhouse.

Not sure about the other two guard slots, Self, KU’s 16th-year coach, ultimately chose freshman McDonald’s All-Americans Quentin Grimes and Devon Dotson. They combined for 18 points, six rebounds, five assists, three steals and two turnovers in the Jayhawks’ 93-55 victory over the Hornets.

“I would say they’ve been as good as anybody playing back there,” Self said of Dotson and Grimes. “I think you could make a case for Marcus (Garrett, sophomore, nine rebounds, five points, two assists, no turnovers) to be out there as well. Those two and Marcus have separated themselves a little bit.

“Charlie can make shots,” Self added of sophomore Charlie Moore, who cashed three three-pointers and scored nine points with three assists and three turnovers in 17 minutes. “He has to get better on the defensive end and taking care of the ball. I see him being an offensive guy off the bench.”

Grimes (10 points, two assists, two rebounds, 20 minutes), Dotson (eight points, four boards, three asssists 23 minutes) and California transfer Moore all had something in common Thursday.

They had butterflies for their KU debuts.

“First time being back on the court in a year … yeah I was a little nervous,” 5-foot-11 Chicago native Moore said. “I think we had some first-game jitters. We all talked about it. You know, it’s hard. Playing in front of the Kansas fans, you want to give them 110 percent every game. We were nervous.”

The Jayhawks did hit 50.8 percent of their shots including 12 of 30 from three to ESU’s 27.8 percent and 9 of 34 from beyond the arc.

“I guess 12 is pretty good if people thought we were going to do less than that,” Moore said. “We’ve got some pretty good shooters on the team. I think we can make more than 12 a game.”

Grimes, 6-5 from College Park High in The Woodlands, Texas, said the environment was just as he expected at a school that draws 16,300 fans every game.

“It’s the most packed game I’ve ever played in front of. I’m expecting a lot more throughout the season,” Grimes said.

Of making his first start, he indicated: “It matters but doesn’t matter. Anybody on the team can start, really. We are deep at the guard position as well as bigs. You have the mindset not that you want to start but that you’ve got to contribute any way you can.”

Moore said he thought Dotson, a 6-2 native of Charlotte, N.C., was effective.

“He was playing smart,” Moore said. “For a freshman point guard he played pretty well. Just enjoy the process,” he added of advice he’s given Dotson. “I try to tell him all the time to have fun with it.”

Dotson ran the fast break effectively against the Hornets.

“That’s all he preaches, get downhill, play fast,” Dotson said of Self. “Play with pace. It’s my job as point guard, get the ball up and down, pressure on defense, make plays for others and myself.”

Self has said he could go with a different starting five for the second and final exhibition game — against Washburn at 7 p.m. Thursday in Allen Fieldhouse.

The Jayhawks open the 2018-19 season against Michigan State in the Champions Classic at 6 p.m. Nov. 6 in Indianapolis.

Gary Bedore

Gary Bedore covers University of Kansas athletics for The Star.