Productive preseason not perfect, KU’s Self maintains: ‘Coaches are always nervous’
The Kansas basketball team was able to accomplish a lot, but not as much as coach Bill Self wanted, during the month-long, two-game exhibition season.
“We’re OK as far as getting the meat and potatoes stuff in. We’re not OK if a team is going to play a junk defense against us yet. (With) stuff like that, hopefully what we do will still work, but we’ve not specifically worked on things like that,” Self said in his pre-game radio interview before Thursday’s 79-52 victory over Washburn, a game that followed a 93-55 rout of Emporia State on Oct. 25, both at Allen Fieldhouse.
“Coaches are always nervous early in the season. They feel they’ve not prepared the team enough,” added 16th-year KU coach Self, acknowledging he’s never totally satisfied going into the regular season.
“There’s four or five more actions we need to practice guarding (and) obviously a couple sets we need to get in, a couple out of bounds plays,” Self stated. “For the most part if we can get a couple things in a day, we’ll be able to play. It doesn’t mean you’re going to play well, but certainly we should be able to play Tuesday,” Self, coach of the country’s No. 1 team said of a 6 p.m. opener against No. 10 Michigan State in Indianapolis.
The Jayhawk players, who gathered for their first official practice on Sept. 29 after being allowed to work with coaches four hours a week since the start of first semester classes in August, have started to separate themselves a bit.
“We know who three starters are for sure. We know that Doke (Azubuike), Dedric (Lawson) and Lagerald (Vick) have separated themselves consistently into that role. To be honest, the other four (guards) … there’s not been much separation between Quentin (Grimes), Devon (Dotson), Charlie (Moore) and Marcus (Garrett). It just depends on which day,” Self said.
He started the freshman duo of Dotson and Grimes against Emporia State and the sophomore tandem of Moore and Garrett versus Washburn.
“I really believe Devon and Quentin eventually can be those two guys that start, “ Self said. “It’s not a knock to the other two just because I know the reason they (Dotson, Grimes) are not playing to their capability right now is strictly because of comfort level. That’s where Charlie and Marcus have a little bit of an advantage. We need to get everybody playing their best. I think those two (Dotson, Grimes) have as much to give in that area when they just get comfortable.”
Moore scored four points on 1-of-4 shooting with four assists, two steals and one turnover in 21 minutes, while Garrett did not score (0 for 2 from field) with five assists, one steal and a turnover in 21 minutes against Washburn.
Grimes had seven points on 3-of-11 shooting with eight rebounds, four assists and four turnovers in 20 minutes and Dotson six points on 3-of-4 shooting with five rebounds, three assists and three turnovers in 17 minutes versus the Ichabods.
“I thought the starters played pretty well,” Self said. Lawson had 18 points, Azubuike 17 and Vick 16. “We’ve got to have Devon and Quentin be impact players for us. We’ve got to have good play off the bench. K.J. (Lawson, zero points 0-for-6 shooting, all threes, 14 minutes) missed some wide open looks that are good shots. They just didn’t go in. Mitch (Lightfoot, two points, three boards, two blocks, 14 minutes) has to be able to knock free throws down (0 for 2) and do some things to kind of stem the tide when reserves are in the game. Mitch’s activity level was good. He did some good things. David (McCormack, two points, seven boards, 14 minutes) has to be able to defend and rebound. I thought he rebounded well, defended well and just labored scoring (1 of 3 from field).”
On Thursday, Self awarded 11 or more minutes to 11 players.
“It starts for real now. It won’t be equal opportunity any more where everybody plays,,” Self said. We’ll stick with guys who are playing well. I think we’ve got six or seven out there I think we can put out there and play well. If we can get the bench to kind of fit in, give us energy and a boost off it, I think we have a chance to play pretty well.”
Freshman Ochai Agbaji, a 6-5 guard out of Oak Park High School, who is a strong redshirt candidate, had a productive pair of games against the Division II opponents, while Silvio De Sousa did not play because of a joint review between KU and the NCAA regarding his eligibility.
Agbaji scored six points with three rebounds in 11 minutes against Washburn after scoring eight points with four boards in 12 minutes against Emporia State. Agbaji combined to hit five shots in five attempts in the preseason. He hit his only three-point attempt against Washburn after going 2 of 2 from three against Emporia State.
“Shooting them in practice and shooting them in the game, I’m not thinking too much, I’m just letting them fly,” Agbaji said of threes.
Agbaji said he would redshirt if Self felt that was the right path for him to take in his college career.
“Whatever is best for me. If I play or if I redshirt, I just go into it positively,” Agbaji said.
Gary Bedore
Gary Bedore covers University of Kansas athletics for The Star.
