KU’s four freshmen starters hope to continue winning ways vs. West Virginia
Kansas’ four-freshman/one-junior starting lineup — one that appears to have helped rejuvenate a basketball team that had lost four of six games — will take a perfect 2-0 record into Saturday’s 3 p.m. home battle against West Virginia.
First-year sensation Ochai Agbaji, who had his redshirt lifted 11 games ago, and junior All-America candidate Dedric Lawson have joined 2018 McDonald’s All-Americans Devon Dotson, Quentin Grimes and David McCormack to form a group that opened an 84-72 home victory over Oklahoma State on Feb. 9 and Monday’s 82-77 overtime win at TCU.
“Other than youthfulness, we all bring energy,” KU freshman power forward McCormack said, commenting on the strengths of the four freshmen.
“Devon is speed, fast. He does what he can in leading. Ochai … Coach says he has a model-type smile. He always has great energy, great positivity. I bring as much energy as I can as far as rebounding, diving on the floor. Quentin tries to bring people together as well. I think we all connect people in our own way.”
The 6-foot-10, 265-pound McCormack has obviously been a work in progress — he’s averaged 1.9 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. In an expanded role, he produced no points, but five rebounds and a blocked shot in 14 minutes against Oklahoma State and followed with four points, three rebounds and a block in 17 minutes at TCU.
“I wouldn’t say I’ve changed my approach because my approach always is to take advantage of every opportunity,” McCormack said. “Now that I have the opportunity to start the game strong, that’s what I take advantage of. Having a strong start is what I’m able to do now and benefit those who come in after me.”
He’s had no turnovers in a combined 31 minutes the past two games. He had seven turnovers in his prior 141 minutes.
“I think it (the game) has slowed a bit. I wouldn’t say entirely. I still have sped-up moments. I feel it’ll come in time,” said McCormack, who admits he does like the idea of starting as a freshman.
“I wouldn’t say ‘surreal,’ but it is a blessing,” McCormack added of the opportunity to have his name called out as a starter. “I thought it would come later, but circumstances permitted me to start so I’m grateful for it and taking advantage of it.
“I think I’m handling it pretty well, taking on a little more responsibility. Knowing Coach is putting that much more faith and trust in me is a great feeling,” McCormack stated.
KU coach Bill Self told McCormack before last Saturday’s game against OSU that, because of the loss of Lagerald Vick to an indefinite leave of absence, KU would be starting two bigs — McCormack and Lawson — to go with three guards.
“He just told me he was going to put me in the starting lineup. He said to keep having the same energy: ‘Keep doing what you do, rebounding, attacking and staying aggressive,’” McCormack said.
Combo guard Grimes — he averages 7.8 points and 1.8 assists per game— said Self has challenged the four freshmen starters to step up.
“He told me we are not freshmen any more,” said Grimes, a 6-5 native of The Woodlands, Texas. “We’re becoming closer. The four freshmen starting brought us (first-year players) a little closer for sure.”
On Saturday, the No. 14-ranked Jayhawks (19-6, 8-4 Big 12) will try for their 30th straight season with at least 20 wins against a West Virginia team (10-14, 2-9) that has lost two straight.
The Mountaineers — without former starters Esa Ahmad and Wesley Harris, who were removed from the team recently for a violation of athletic department policies — defeated KU 65-64 on Jan. 19 in Morgantown, W.Va.
“It was a hard-fought game over there. They need to come to the fieldhouse (now),” McCormack said. “They are a tough team, a fighting team. It’ll be a big game.”
Of not having Ahmad and Harris, who combined for 13 points and eight rebounds versus KU in the first meeting, McCormack said: “I wouldn’t say it’s quite an advantage (for KU) because right now we don’t know so much what they are about. Their approach may change as well. Just coming into the fieldhouse they might have a different mindset as well. I wouldn’t say there’s an advantage on either side.”
West Virginia figures to start a pair of freshmen — 6-10 Derek Culver, who averages 11.7 points and 8.7 rebounds and 6-foot Brandon Knapper, who averages 5.4 points. Knapper scored 20 points in a 79-71 victory over Oklahoma on Feb. 2 in Morgantown. Junior forward Lamont West averages 9.8 points and 3.7 boards.
“He’ll have them ready,” Self said of West Virginia coach Bob Huggins. Self is 10-5 in head-to-head meetings versus Huggins’ Mountaineers. “I believe there has become a natural rivalry between us both that has been positive between both programs.
“We know we’re going to get a very good effort from them,” Self added. “Last game they played (75-53 loss to Texas last Saturday) they probably didn’t play the way they had hoped being at home. They were going through some stuff where there were so many changes with their program and roster. Sometimes those are hard to come back from in a short amount of time. Usually when you have some time to practice and do some things, sometimes those can become advantages for you too, make the team closer.”
Huggins conceded that WVU has, “lost the guys who really have been the leaders of the team so those other guys are going to have to step up. I don’t think we’re going to make drastic changes. We’re just going to have different people doing it, that’s all. It’s hard to make drastic changes on a couple days practice, but we’ll just have other people step up and do what those other guys did.”
KU will have several days off prior to next Saturday’s 7 p.m. contest at Texas Tech.
