KU Jayhawks had an accidental epiphany vs. St. Joseph’s. Why Self shouldn’t ignore it
Kansas coach Bill Self watched at practice as Kevin Young did something he wasn’t supposed to.
This was eight years ago — the Jayhawks were preparing to play Baylor’s zone defense — when Young stuck his butt into a defender, just to see what would happen.
He found out soon enough: It worked. The lane opened for the cutting Thomas Robinson, who caught a pass from the perimeter and dunked it.
Self was intrigued. He pulled Young over, telling him to try that again as a normal screen, with the play working just as well the next time. The next day, KU ran it as its first play against Baylor ... with Robinson putting through an emphatic slam.
Six years later, the set was a key play for KU in an overtime victory over Duke in the Elite Eight. A month ago, the Los Angeles Lakers stole it for the NBA Finals, attempting KU’s trick while trying to steal an easy basket.
It’s all a long backdrop to get to this: Self has never been hesitant to take advantage of good fortune, even from unlikely sources.
And following KU’s 94-72 victory over Saint Joseph’s on Friday, KU’s coach appears to have another chance at accidental epiphany after watching his team’s second-half dominance.
“I didn’t come down here with any idea that we would play five guards (together),” Self said, “and have our best chance to win.”
That’s exactly what happened, though, so effective that KU’s small-ball clinic on Friday should neither be shrugged off as gimmicky nor brushed aside as an idea too crazy to work.
The Jayhawks were their best selves in the second half with undersized Jalen Wilson or Tristan Enaruna at the 5, stealing and sprinting and shooting their way to a brand of basketball that was tough to stop.
And this was without any fancy tricks. Self admitted afterward that KU has almost no playbook in place for its five-guard lineup, simply because the team wasn’t expecting to play it so much at this juncture ... or perhaps ever.
“Considering how much we practiced it, I thought it was pretty good,” Self said of his team’s five-out setup. “I thought the ball moved pretty well. I thought that we shared it for the most part, and we had some lanes to drive it.”
This is where Self throws up some caution. Saint Joseph’s didn’t have rim protection like Gonzaga does. Big 12 teams are more likely to have some big man camping near the lane that could make driving layups more difficult.
Still, it was hard to ignore all the positives KU experienced from this stylistic switch, which multiplied many times over in the second half.
One benefit: Wilson was on the floor more. The 6-foot-8 wing has shown toughness on the boards while also a willingness to communicate well with teammates defensively.
If he can simply not get bowled over as a post defender — that was the case Friday — his complete skill-set allows KU to open up a different dimension offensively.
One aspect of that is in transition, where Wilson was great at grabbing rebounds and starting fastbreaks immediately, pushing the ball in a way the Jayhawks can’t when their typical 5-man gets it.
Saint Joseph’s coach Billy Lange also spoke specifically after the game about how KU’s five-guard lineup put extra pressure on his team’s off-ball defenders. You need to help, but not too much. And when you recover, you have to do so soundly, knowing there might not be a teammate to bail you out in the lane if you’re blown by off the dribble.
This was another facet where Wilson thrived. Often, KU’s perimeter spacing made it so there were no help defenders in the paint, meaning Wilson would only need a quick burst or small crease to get himself all the way to the rim for a layup attempt.
Shifting toward a primary five-out look might seem like a drastic move, but remember, this wouldn’t be the first time Self has pivoted when happenstance put a viable solution in front of him.
Remember, KU’s four-guard offense came about because of a chance meeting between Self and Fred Hoiberg, who was coaching the Chicago Bulls a few years back and was in Lawrence while visiting his daughter at KU. Hoiberg suggested to Self that a four-guard look might have potential with his particular pieces.
Two years later, the Jayhawks played only that way during a postseason run all the way to the Final Four.
Self has shown himself to be flexible. And adjustable. And also open to new ideas.
This is one he shouldn’t ignore either.
KU’s offense was too smooth, its defense too switchable, its transition game too effective for the coach to dismiss Friday’s result as a fluke.
The Jayhawks have benefited many times over in the past from Self being smart enough to take advantage of the good luck thrown his way.
This season, it appears, is providing another opportunity.
And it’ll be out of character if Self doesn’t make the most of it.
This story was originally published November 27, 2020 at 7:46 PM.
