‘Tired’ Jayhawks claim 74-68 victory over Tennessee in Big 12/SEC Challenge
Kansas basketball coach Bill Self spent 20 minutes Friday speaking to local media members about the brawl in Tuesday’s KU-Kansas State game that led to suspensions of Jayhawk players Silvio De Sousa and David McCormack.
Bright and early Saturday, he was on ESPN, again recounting his feelings about the fight and his program to the GameDay crew and fans who packed the lower-level west bleachers of Allen Fieldhouse.
Finally, at 3 p.m. Saturday, Self’s squad took the court against Tennessee in the Big 12/SEC Challenge. The Jayhawks saw a 13-point second-half lead dip to three points in a hard-earned 74-68 victory.
“I’m tired. I’m tired ... at least right now,” Self said emphatically in his postgame media session. “I will be fine tomorrow. The thing is, if I’m tired they are probably too,” he added of his players. “Getting out of here with a ‘W’ is probably what we needed.”
Sophomore point guard Devon Dotson scored 22 points and dished seven assists in 39 minutes for KU. Udoka Azubuike scored 18 points with 11 rebounds in 27 foul-plagued minutes. Ochai Agbaji had 16 points in 38 minutes and Marcus Garrett eight points with seven rebounds, four steals and three assists in 39 minutes as the No. 3-ranked Jayhawks improved to 16-3 heading into the resumption of Big 12 play on Monday night at Oklahoma State.
It was a victory that at least temporarily put a smile on the face of a coach, who it turns out, was in need of support from his players at practice Friday.
One of Self’s players at University of Illinois, Robert Archibald, died on Thursday at his home in a Chicago suburb at the age of 39.
“My team really picked me up yesterday. If was a very difficult day. Robert was a favorite, one of the toughest players I ever coached,” Self told ESPN’s Holly Rowe.
KU junior guard Garrett explained how the Jayhawks supported their coach on Friday in a time of grief.
“We saw coach’s eyes and how he felt about the situation,” Garrett said. “That was the big thing for us. Someone like Silvio picked him up,” Garrett added of suspended junior forward De Sousa, who must sit 11 additional games before returning March 7 versus Texas Tech. Soph forward McCormack has one game remaining on his suspension, which was handed out Wednesday by the Big 12.
“Silvio picked him up and let him know we are thinking about him,” Garrett added.
Sophomore wing Agbaji, who went 3 of 7 from three on Saturday, his teammates 1 of 10, said the players supported Self as best they could.
“Coach mentioned him before practice started. He kind of got emotional. Having him in his life and this as a tragedy is sad, knowing the type of man he was and player he was. We brought energy to practice (for Self) letting him know we had his back,” Agbaji said.
Self, who used seven players (Tristan Enaruna scored one point with one rebound in five minutes as KU’s back-up big man), said he initially was surprised at his squad’s overall lack of energy.
“I thought today would have been the easiest games of the year to get up for with the week we had but also the environment with GameDay. I thought we had good intentions. I don’t think we played with enthusiasm, high-energy level like we could have.
“Dot’s leg (hip injury) was a little sore. He couldn’t get out there and pressure. If you don’t do that with the guy guarding the ball out top you usually don’t do it much on the wings. I thought it was a pretty blah performance when I thought we’d be really turned up.”
KU led the Vols by 13 points with 14 minutes, 11 seconds to play. However, Azubuike left the game with his fourth foul at 8:25, KU up by eight. He returned at 4:27 with the Jayhawks nursing a 66-63 lead.
At that point, Tennessee coach Rick Barnes went to the “Hack-A-Doke” strategy. Azubuike, who was fouled purposely by a Tennessee reserve Uros Plavsic, hit two free throws and KU led 68-63 at 4:16.
“Very subtly that may have been the biggest play of the game because it gave him confidence after making those two to knock a couple more down,” Self said of Azubuike, who hit 1 of 2 free throws at 3:34 to give KU a 69-63 lead. He then made 1 of 2 at 1:51 and KU led 70-66.
Azubuike made 4 of 6 right after returning to the game and finished the game 6 of 11 from the stripe.
“I feel now he could be a 60, 70 percent free-throw shooter after watching that today,” Self said of Azubuike, who has made 42.4 percent on the season.
Azubuike said making the free throws did not constitute a big deal.
“Like I told you I’m not worried about my free throws. It’s all about my routine. It’s no pressure on me making free throws. I know it’s a big topic for you, media and stuff, not a big topic for me. If it goes in it goes in, if not there’s the next play,” the 7-footer said.
Tennessee coach Barnes admitted to using Hack-A-Doke on just one foul — the one with KU up three.
“I don’t particularly want to do that. We will if we have to. Those are big free throws. Maybe we made him get better today,” Barnes said, adding, “I don’t know if I’d call it Hack-a-Shaq. I call it playing the percentages. He’s not going to miss those (dunk shots, but may miss free throws).”
Azubuike also had two of his four blocks the final minute. After the final block he performed the ‘finger wag’ made famous by Dikembe Mutombo. Azubuike waved his right index finger back and forth to the crowd as if to say, “not in my house.”
Azbuike said: “It was fun. We needed a stop. I was glad to get that stop. I wanted to pump the team up.”
Self wasn’t thrilled to see the wag on Saturday.
“I told him … I am being such a jerk in some ways. I want to see personality but I don’t want to see the wag. I think the wag is fine. I don’t think the wag was as good after Tuesday (brawl),” Self said.
“It’s kind of a fine line. You want the guys to show personality,” Self added. “They need to do that. As long as it’s not directed at anybody it’s fine. I want guys to play with bounce, energy, smile, that kind of stuff. I felt we were a little bit of a stressed team today.”
He did want to stress Azubuike has become a force defensively. He has 47 blocks in 19 games.
“I can’t imagine there’s anyone out there that’s defensively what Doke is,” Self said referring to bigs. “Doke to me is as good a defender as there is.”
KU (16-3, 5-1) will travel to Oklahoma State on Monday for an 8 p.m. clash with the Cowboys (10-9, 0-5). Tennessee (12-7, 4-2), which was led by Yves Pons (24 points) and Jordan Bowden (19 points), will meet Texas A&M on Tuesday in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Game Notes
KU leads the all-time series against Tennessee, 4-1. … KU on Saturday recorded its 300th consecutive sellout. Former Tennessee quarterback/future NFL Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning attended the game. ... “How can you not be a fan?” said Self who visited with Manning before the game. “Just from his personality. He is a guy who can make fun of himself and still yet he is the coolest dude around. I find that such an admirable trait. It was great to meet him,” Self added, calling it a “thrill.” ... KU is 15-5 when featured on ESPN GameDay and has won its last seven GameDay contests. … Kansas is 8-1 in Allen Fieldhouse this season and 796-114 all-time. KU is 258-14 in Allen during the Self era. … Self is 489-109 while at Kansas, 696-214 for his career. … Kansas is 2,291-862 all-time. … The Vols are 4-4 against teams ranked in The Associated Press top five during the five-year Rick Barnes era and 28-78 against top five teams all time. That includes a 3-17 mark against teams ranked No. 3. … The Vols under Barnes are 4-4 against AP top five opponents.
Harmon postpones visit
Zion Harmon, a 5-foot-11 junior point guard from Marshall County High School in Kentucky, who is considering switching from the recruiting class of 2021 to 2020, is not visiting Kansas as originally planned this weekend.
Instead, he will visit KU on Feb. 2-3, his dad tells Zagsblog.com.
KU will play host to Texas on Monday the 3rd of February.
Harmon, the No. 30-rated player in the recruiting class of 2021 according to Rivals.com, has made recruiting trips to Maryland, Louisville, Seton Hall and Western Kentucky.
A decision on possible reclassification is set for Harmon’s 18th birthday on March 12, his dad tells Zagsblog.com.
“I think by March 12, whatever he decides to do, it will be clear whether he’s going to do 2020 or stay 2021,” Mike Harmon told Zagsblog.com. “I think everything will be clear.”
This story was originally published January 25, 2020 at 5:26 PM.
