Why Kansas Jayhawks basketball’s best moment came after its worst play in win vs. WVU
Bill Self hurled the white piece of paper under his chair, coming close to his record for longest stat-sheet toss in his 19 seasons at Kansas.
The KU coach was furious. Big man David McCormack had cleared himself for an easy two at the start of the second half, taking a gather dribble before going up to dunk it. The rim rejected that attempt, though, clanging it back toward half-court as West Virginia gained control.
This was a critical moment in KU’s eventual 71-58 road victory over West Virginia. Though Self has recently discussed his admiration for Villanova coach Jay Wright’s ability to remain stoic on the sideline ... that’s not Self’s personality. So after West Virginia followed with a three, Self flung both hands in the direction of McCormack, appearing about ready to look to his bench for a change.
This, honestly, is the type of juncture where McCormack often has struggled to regroup. When things go bad personally, he’s tended to get in his own head and feel that pressure, becoming so hard on himself that it’s difficult for him to move on to the next play.
McCormack was likely another mistake away from a long trip to the bench — a direction that potentially could’ve submarined KU’s chances at a win.
Something important happened then, though, and it had nothing to do with Self or McCormack. On KU’s ensuing possession, Ochai Agbaji freed himself for a three, putting it through to push KU’s lead back to six.
Before getting back to half-court, he turned his whole body toward McCormack. He clapped violently, then swung his pointer finger in a circular motion twice.
The message was clear to KU’s big man: “Come on. Let’s get going.”
“Just getting on him,” Agbaji said after the game. “We have that respect between us where I can do that; he can do that to me. So it’s all fair.”
It’s probably not something Agbaji would’ve done in any of his three previous seasons at KU — or in the first half of this season, either. But he’s grown into a team leader, and as a result, has become more comfortable with his voice.
McCormack responded. West Virginia’s Isaiah Cottrell went after him in the post immediately after, with KU’s big man holding his ground to force a missed shot and empty possession.
It’s one thing to tell a guy you believe in them, though. Christian Braun might’ve come through with the biggest play next time down by showing McCormack the team trusted him.
McCormack did a great job sealing his man on a set play, leaving a passing angle over the top. Braun still might’ve been hesitant to let loose earlier in the year, though; often, these aim-at-the-bottom-corner-of-the-backboard throws, if not caught, are turnovers that go on Braun’s stat ledger instead of McCormack’s.
Braun didn’t hesitate, though. He threw it up for McCormack. KU’s forward caught it with two hands, then drew a foul on his layup attempt.
Self, standing at KU’s bench, pointed Braun’s way, acknowledging that he’d made not only an accurate pass but also a noteworthy teammate play.
The gestures from Agbaji and Braun seemed to help KU get its Super Dave back.
McCormack had 13 of his 19 points after halftime, making all four of his field-goal attempts after the flubbed dunk. Another overlooked part of his offensive contribution: His strong posting inside drew lots of early second-half fouls on West Virginia, which put KU in the bonus before the 12-minute mark.
The Jayhawks were shooting two free throws on every Mountaineers’ whistle down the stretch, and that meant McCormack was a direct part of allowing his team a much easier path while closing in a challenging road environment.
When asked what McCormack gave KU against West Virginia, Agbaji replied, “Everything.” Self also characterized McCormack as “great” while saying he was especially pleased with the senior’s scoring and rebounding.
Quietly, McCormack’s offensive numbers in Big 12 play have surpassed last season when he was named the conference’s most improved player. He’s bettered his two-point percentage from 53% to 55% this year while also getting to the line more with significantly higher rebounding rates than he had a season ago.
The biggest issue for him has been consistency. McCormack’s lows can be deep valleys, and when the first few minutes don’t go well, he has often labored to get himself out of that funk.
There was good news for him against West Virginia. When McCormack got to the edge of that place, he didn’t find himself alone.
Agbaji encouraged him. Braun showed faith in him.
And McCormack did the rest, ensuring his worst play Saturday would not define the rest of his night.
This story was originally published February 20, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
