A pretty good guess on what went into KU guard Marcus Garrett’s best steal vs. WVU
Marcus Garrett knew West Virginia’s play.
I don’t know this for sure, and I didn’t get a chance to ask him following Kansas’ 58-49 road victory over West Virginia on Wednesday night.
But rewatching this over and over ... there’s just no other explanation here.
This was the finale of the best defensive stretch of Garrett’s career. Over a crucial seven-possession segment against West Virginia, Garrett picked up four steals, all of which coming against players that weren’t his original man.
This final one, though? There’s only one logical way it happened.
And that’s with Garrett knowing the movements of every player ... on the opposing team.
Just take a look. Garrett quickly passes off his original matchup with Jermaine Haley to teammate Isaiah Moss. That’s because Haley is going to the corner, and Garrett seems to know that right away.
Now Garrett is guarding Chase Harler, who comes to set a cross screen in the lane. Garrett beats West Virginia post player Derek Culver to the block, though, because ... well, it had to be because Garrett knew Culver was going there.
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Sign upSo what happens next? Garrett takes off immediately for the top of the key, much like a ball-hawking football cornerback who has recognized a familiar route pattern.
Harler is headed there for the pass, and Garrett seems to be conscious of this.
It all pays off a second later when Garrett knocks the ball away for his fourth steal in less than three minutes.
“Who guards better than him?” KU coach Bill Self said with amazement afterward.
Garrett’s defensive takeover in the second half Wednesday is remarkable partly because it’s so difficult to do.
It’s so much easier to impact a game as a rim-protecting big man, like Udoka Azubuike is for the Jayhawks. The reason is simple: There’s simply opportunity to do more. Centers like Azubuike, because of the position they play, are often in line to do immensely valuable things like block shots and rebound.
For Garrett, it takes greater dominance as a guard to have that kind of defensive impact show through.
Yet that’s exactly what happened as KU turned a deficit into a lead late in the second half.
Garrett’s first two steals — on consecutive possessions starting at the 6:56 mark — came because of aggressiveness. He says he likes getting late into games without foul trouble, so in crunch time, he’s able to do more gambling.
Watch the clips closely, and you’ll see something impressive: On those two instances, West Virginia players attempt a total of two crossover dribbles against Garrett.
Both of them are poked away for steals.
“I don’t really know if we really forced mistakes,” Self said, “as much as Marcus Garrett forced mistakes.”
The third steal, a minute later, is helped by some basketball IQ. Garrett leaves his man Gabe Osabuohien —not much of a threat offensively — to double-team Oscar Tshiebwe, who has been turnover-prone at times this season. Garrett is able to deflect an attempted pass out before jumping up to gather the loose ball.
What Garrett did Wednesday was nearly unprecedented in recent KU history. It’s only the 10th time a Jayhawk has recorded five steals in a game since 2010, and only one person has had six swipes in a contest over that time: Garrett, who did that in Morgantown against West Virginia last season.
“He’s unbelievable defensively,” Self said. “I really thought he controlled the game on that end.”
The last steal, though, was probably his best.
It takes quick hands to anticipate a crossover, and also great timing to pocket-pick an unsuspecting big man.
It takes some dedication, though, to do what Garrett did with the final one:
Prepare so well that at game point, you’re able to outwit two opponents — simply because you know their play as well as they do.
This story was originally published February 13, 2020 at 5:00 AM.
