KU basketball still figuring out center rotation with Southern Utah game up next
Kansas freshman and reserve big man Ernest Udeh missed his only shot attempt and grabbed just one rebound while playing 13 minutes in Kansas’ 69-64 Champions Classic victory over Duke Tuesday night in Indianapolis.
The 6-foot-11, 250-pound Orlando, Florida-native put his stamp on the game in another way: blocking four shots.
Those rejections were pivotal in helping a smaller Kansas team — featuring 6-7 starting 5-man KJ Adams and 6-9 reserve Zuby Ejiofor — slow the production of Duke 7-footers Kyle Filipowski (17 points, 6-of-18 shooting, 14 rebounds) and Dereck Lively (four points, five rebounds), plus 6-10 Ryan Young (six points, three rebounds).
“I was able to alter a lot of shots in the paint,” Udeh said Thursday at a news conference held in advance of Friday’s game between KU (3-0) and Southern Utah (3-1).
Tipoff will be 7 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse with a broadcast on ESPN+.
“I didn’t score,” Udeh added, “but I’m not worried about that at all. I’m happy we got the win. Those last few minutes were really fun to watch and be part of. It was great.”
Udeh played 13 minutes and Ejiofor (two points, five rebounds, two blocks) logged 10 minutes. Jalen Wilson, 6-8, helped out as well in the frontcourt. He had 11 rebounds to go with 25 points and five assists while playing the 4.
Adams, KU’s hard-working, undersized big started and played 19 minutes He was 4-of-4 from the field, though he missed a late free-throw attempt. He also had two assists, a steal, two blocks and three turnovers in 20 minutes.
“It’s a hard task being undersized. I think me and ‘J-Will’ (Wilson) do a good job,” Adams said. “J-Will is an amazing rebounder on both sides. It helps a lot when he’s out there with me.”
For the year, Adams has averaged 5.3 points a game while hitting 8 of 12 shots. He’s 0-for-5 from the free-throw line with seven total assists, four turnovers and three blocks.
Acting coach Norm Roberts on Thursday was asked if Adams would be locked into the starting 5-spot all season. Adams has started the season’s first three games.
“My last head coaching gig is tomorrow night. That’ll be a question for coach (Bill) Self,” Roberts said with a smile. “I think KJ has done a really good job for us. We’ve gotten off to pretty good starts. Who knows what happens later in the year?
“I can tell you this: KJ Adams is going to play a lot of minutes. That’s what’s going to happen.”
Certainly KU needed that on Tuesday with two big men — Cam Martin (shoulder) and Zach Clemence (sustained hit to the face last week) — sidelined for the Champions Classic. Guards Kyle Cuffe (knee) and MJ Rice (illness) also missed the game
“Even if we came in the game with five guys, we still wouldn’t lay down. We would have finished that game until the end,” Udeh said. “It doesn’t matter if we have five guys, 10 guys, 12 guys, we are going to play the way we play all the time.”
The Jayhawks did win on Tuesday in part because of their defensive effort. The Jayhawks have held opponents to 62.3 points per game on 36.8% shooting so far this season. Duke shot 35.8% for the game.
“Defense brings offense for us,” Udeh said. “With the group of guys we have we can really move. We really get after it. I feel if we continue to put emphasis on defense — perfect our defense so to speak — it’ll open things up for us down the line.”
Injury update on Zach Clemence; MJ Rice’s availability
Zach Clemence, a sophomore big man from San Antonio, did not make the trip to Indy. Roberts had no update on whether there was a chance he’d play Friday.
“We thought it better for him to stay home, rest and get better,” Roberts said. Clemence took a hard shot to the face in the second half of KU’s recent home win over North Dakota State.
Roberts said the 6-5 Rice (illness) would be back at practice Thursday. Cuffe and Martin are out for extended periods of time.
“We’re excited getting him (Rice) back out there. Energy, ability to score, he can be a presence defensively guarding 1 through 4. He can do a lot of different things for us.”
Previewing SUU, KU basketball’s upcoming opponent
Southern Utah (3-1) of the Western Athletic Conference lost its opener at New Mexico, 89-81, on Nov. 7 and then defeated La Verne, 117-55, Saint Katherine, 91-48, and Bethesda College, 126-67, all at home.
“They are a versatile veteran team,” Roberts said. “They average 32 threes a game (47 of 128 for 36.7%). We know they can shoot it. They’ve got 12 guys playing double-figure minutes. They try to wear you down. They will throw a lot at us.”
Tevian Jones, a 6-7 senior from Chandler, Arizona, leads the team with an 18.0 scoring average. Five players are averaging 10 or more points.
“The thing I would say is for us not to get complacent, for us not to feel like, ‘All right, we just beat Duke so now we can relax,’” Udeh said. “As easily the way we won it, we could have also lost it. Regardless, we have to go look at it as a teaching lesson, see what we can learn from the game, certain shots we shouldn’t have taken, certain defensive assignments we may have missed. ... It’s a win, OK, how can we get better from that specific game?”
