Self, Jayhawks upbeat after winning two in a row: ‘We’ve been better at everything’
A wild victory celebration in the visitors locker room Monday night at TCU set the stage for enthusiastic Kansas basketball practices and film sessions the rest of the week.
“In the last week we’ve been better at everything,” KU coach Bill Self said Thursday at his weekly news conference in Allen Fieldhouse. “I thought it was the best (locker room of season following 82-77 OT victory over Horned Frogs). None of those locker rooms (in nonconference season when KU went 11-2) were as good as what it was the other day.
“It’s also a bunch of young kids out there having fun, too, and everyone contributed, so that probably added to it as well,” Self added.
Self has started four freshmen to go with junior Dedric Lawson and awarded 11 or more minutes to all eight available scholarship players the past two games — last Saturday’s home victory over Oklahoma State and Monday’s win at TCU.
The Jayhawks, who are 3-1 in the last four games without the injured Marcus Garrett and 2-0 without Lagerald Vick (indefinite leave of absence), will continue on without those two guards (as well as ineligible Silvio De Sousa and injured Udoka Azubuike) Saturday against West Virginia. Tipoff is 3 p.m., at Allen Fieldhouse.
“I kind of like where we are. I think the last week or so has been a lot of fun to be honest with you — tinkering and seeing guys develop right before your eyes,” Self said.
Self said “no reports on that at all,” when asked if there’s anything new regarding the status of senior shooting guard Vick. Garrett, meanwhile, still has a sore left ankle, which figures to keep him out until the KU-Texas Tech game a week from Saturday in Lubbock, Texas.
“Yesterday he felt a lot better, but (he’s) still doubtful. He’s not going to go Saturday,” Self said of 6-foot-5 combo guard Garrett who suffered a high ankle sprain before the Texas Tech game on Feb. 2. “If we say he’s going to go, it’d be, ‘Can he try to go in practice?’ rather than, ‘Can he play Saturday?’”
Obviously the tinkering will continue once defensive stopper Garrett returns.
“I don’t think it’ll be a disadvantage with Marcus because I believe Marcus can fit in anywhere,” Self said. “I believe Marcus doesn’t have to be a starter. I believe he just wants to win. (He can) rest Devon (Dotson, point guard) a few minutes here and there. A lot of things will be positive by adding him because he is kind of a utility guy as well. I’m excited about getting him back. He is one guy we lost that (absence) hasn’t been good for us at all, but it’s also given some other guys some opportunities. Their opportunities that make them better will make us that much stronger when we get him back. Marcus should blend in better than ever now because he should have more help around him,” Self added.
Freshman forward David McCormack has started the last two games, joining freshmen Ochai Agbaji, Quentin Grimes and Devon Dotson as well as junior Lawson in the starting lineup.
“Great energy, great chemistry. We just have high intensity,” McCormack said of the mood of the team since the postgame celebration at TCU. “We’re listening to coach more, taking heed of his word, coming together,” McCormack added.
Grimes noted: “We’re just going out there playing, not thinking. Energy finds itself, finds guys. We’re going out, having fun winning games.”
As much fun as the Jayhawks have had the last week or so … their position in the league race has not improved at all.
Kansas State (9-2), which won its last two games (at Baylor and Texas), leads KU (8-4) by two games in the loss column. KU has six games left to play, KSU seven.
“We are not in a very favorable position at all,” Self said. “Even though we just need to win games, us winning at home and us winning one on the road, that’s good for us. That’s the best we could do over that two-game stretch but if you look at the league race, Kansas State enhanced its position even more with their two wins because they’re both away from home.
“I still believe they are in as good a driver’s seat as maybe we’ve been in the past with six games left. They put themselves in a very favorable position and their schedule really tilts to their favor in many ways (four home, three road). People can say the schedule tilts to our favor too with us (three home, three road). You’ve seen us enough. There’s nothing that tilts to our favor it seems like. Every game will be a one, two possession game for the most part.”
Self reiterated, “K-State is in the driver’s seat; Baylor (7-4) and us and Iowa State (7-4) and Texas Tech (8-4) still control their own fate, but K-State has put themselves in a great position.”
K-State will play Iowa State, Oklahoma State, Baylor and Oklahoma at home and travel to West Virginia, Kansas and TCU. KU, which has won 14 straight league titles, will play home games against West Virginia, K-State and Baylor and travel to Texas Tech, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.
