KU returns to action vs. Eastern Michigan on Saturday: ‘We are still all together’
Kansas’ basketball players have had a week to reflect on their first loss of the season — last Saturday’s 80-76 decision at Arizona State.
“I mean we are still all together. We’ve still got the same confidence we did when we were undefeated,” KU sophomore guard Marcus Garrett said Friday.
The Jayhawks (10-1), who dropped from No. 1 to No. 5 in the AP poll after their loss to the No. 17-rated Sun Devils, will see how they react to their initial glitch Saturday afternoon against Eastern Michigan (6-6). Tipoff is 1 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse.
“We make such a big deal out of it. I guess that’s rightfully so, but it’s not a big deal this early in the season. It’s not a huge deal. I think that we’ll bounce back fine,” KU coach Bill Self said before Friday’s practice, the team’s fourth since a three-day Christmas vacation.
“We’re obviously going to lose again (this season). People I think on the outside think it’s a bad thing when it happens. People on the inside know it’s part of the business. You never want to do it (lose), but the reality of it is it happens, especially when you play away from home against quality opponents. I think they (players) are disappointed, but I don’t sense a panic deal at all. If it’s three in a row maybe. I don’t sense it.”
KU last lost consecutive games last season — to Washington at the Sprint Center and Arizona State at Allen Fieldhouse. Prior to that, one had to go back to the 2013-14 season to locate consecutive KU losses (at Colorado and Florida).
“I do think losses sometimes can get their attention,” Self said, “whereas what you are emphasizing may be more prevalent during the following practice sessions. Sometimes you are much harder on them after a win than a loss. A loss you are already beat up from losing, so why pile on? I would rather teach through winning but I think having to go through some crap … that’s what every coach wants with his team. You just don’t want to go through too much.”
KU could receive a boost Saturday from the return of junior center Udoka Azubuike, who has missed the last four games because of a severely sprained right ankle suffered early in a Dec. 4 win over Wofford.
Self said the 7-footer from Nigeria has progressed to the point that, barring any setbacks prior to the game, he figures to play.
“I think there’s a good chance he could get some minutes tomorrow,” Self said Friday. “I thought yesterday was a positive sign. We went long yesterday. He was able to get through everything and hang in there, even though he wasn’t near as explosive. I don’t think he trusts it like he needs to trust it. I’m optimistic he’ll get there in the next few days.”
Self said “I think it is,” when asked if it’s important to provide Azubuike some minutes prior to Wednesday’s Big 12 opener against Oklahoma (8 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse).
“We’ve got to win tomorrow, obviously,” Self said, “and his presence would help us do that I believe. You don’t want to put him out there if he’d be a detriment to the team. The doctors have said whatever he can do, he’ll do. I do think from a rhythm standpoint and everything it’ll take him a while. He’s been out for 25 days. I think it’ll take him a little time to get that back.”
Eastern Michigan starts 6-10 James Thompson IV, 6-9 Elijah Minnie and 6-7 Ty Groce as part of a tall frontline.
“Eastern Michigan is one of the few teams we’ll play that is going to play two bigs,” Self said of the team picked to win the West Division of the Mid-American Conference in the league’s preseason poll. “The look of four guards tomorrow won’t be as prevalent. We’ve been playing Marcus (Garrett) too many minutes. We’re playing four perimeter guys too many minutes in large part because he (Garrett, 27.4 minutes a game) has been playing so many at the 4. I think we can cut back some minutes on the perimeter and give some of those bigs some minutes.”
Eastern Michigan’s Thompson, a senior from Baton Rouge, La., averages 9.8 points and 9.4 rebounds a game. He is the NCAA’s active career rebound leader with 1,216. Thompson needs 210 boards to pass school record holder Kennedy McIntosh. Thompson also leads the NCAA in active career double-doubles with 62 and trails McIntosh in double-doubles by 16.
“He’s big, long, blocks shots, scores,” Self said, noting Eastern Michigan is an athletic team that plays a stingy 2-3 zone.
“You play zone … with us you worry about shots,” Self said of hitting from the outside.
After this game, the focus will be on the Big 12 Conference race, though KU will have one remaining nonconference game Jan 26 at Kentucky.
“I think we’re ready for the Big 12,” Self said. “I think we’ve played the best schedule in the country. I think we played a schedule to prepare us for that.”
He said the he’d like to see Azubuike, who averages 12.9 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, show he’s ready to play significant minutes and Quentin Grimes to have a big game prior to the start of a pursuit of a 15th straight league crown.
“He had a really good day yesterday, a really good day,” Self said of freshman guard Grimes, who averages 7.4 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists a game. “He doesn’t have his rhythm yet, which he’ll get. Certainly we need him to be effective to give us the best chance.”
