At KU, all five starters earn Big 12 awards: ‘Everybody gets a piece of that pie’
Prior to the start of every season, Kansas coach Bill Self reminds his Jayhawks that playing unselfish basketball figures to benefit everybody in the long run.
“He tells the guys the pie is big enough for everyone,” KU assistant coach Norm Roberts said on this week’s pre-Big 12 Tournament Hawk Talk radio show. “When you win and are successful and you are playing together as a team and care about each other, everybody gets a piece of that pie. Our guys certainly did that this year. They’ve been terrific throughout the season.”
KU (25-6, 13-5) will take on either West Virginia (18-13, 7-11) or Texas Tech (16-15, 5-13) in a Big 12 tourney quarterfinal contest at 2 p.m. Thursday at T-Mobile Center. Tech and West Virginia will tangle at 6 p.m. Wednesday in an opening night play-in game.
The Jayhawks’ success as a team so far this season (KU won the regular-season league crown by a game over Texas) indeed has resulted in all five starters earning a piece of the postseason awards pie.
Forward Jalen Wilson, the Big 12’s leading scorer and rebounder, on Tuesday was named conference player of the year by the Associated Press (media) two days after he was given the same honor from the league coaches.
Freshman guard Gradey Dick earned second-team all-league honors by the coaches and media. Transfer guard Kevin McCullar was named second-team by the media and third team by the coaches.
Point guard Dajuan Harris was named both Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and honorable mention all-league by the coaches. Forward/center KJ Adams was named Big 12 Most Improved Player, as well as honorable mention all-league by the coaches.
That’s five starters all earning some individual hardware. In addition, Dick on Tuesday was named one of five finalists for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year award (with Baylor’s Adam Flagler, Houston’s Marcus Sasser, Miami’s Isaiah Wong and UConn’s Jordan Hawkins). Also, Wilson was named first-team All-America by The Sporting News.
“We take pride in what matters the most. We understand the pie is always big enough,” Wilson said. “Coach said it, (and) I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Winning a (national) championship last year, everybody has the opportunities they want. We won’t change up for anything.”
An unselfish attitude has helped this KU team roll to a 25-6 regular-season record despite losing three starters (NBA players Ochai Agbaji and Christian Braun; overseas pro David McCormack) off last year’s NCAA title team.
“Our biggest strength,” Roberts said, “is the utilities each of our guys have. Each has a different set of skills that can dominate a game in ways others can’t see.
“I feel Juan (Harris) is a perfect example of a guy who doesn’t get the credit he deserves. People talk about his defense. His offensive skills (8.7 points per game) have been great the last two weeks. Just the confidence he has in getting to the rim, making plays. On this team it can be anybody on a given night.”
Roberts continued.
“You’ve seen in the last 10 games, it’s another guy’s game every single game,” he said. “That’s what you need in March. Last year some games it was Remy (Martin, sixth man deluxe), some (games it was) Ochai, Dave, C.B. (Braun), J-Will (Wilson). You’ve got to have guys to lean on. If it is not your day shooting the basketball, what can you do to help us? We’ve got guys who can rebound, defend. It’s what makes a championship team.”
Roberts issued a comment on each of KU’s starters.
• Of Wilson, Roberts said: “For him to come back and do the things he’s done after being on a great team last year and being a great piece to that puzzle, … to come back and say, ‘Hey I want to be the guy. You can put it on my shoulders,’ (is impressive). It’s not just what J-Will does on the court, it’s what he does off the court, in the locker room, at practice. He brings it every day.”
• Asked about Harris making honorable mention all-league instead of first or second team, Roberts said: “Let’s not be greedy. Let’s be happy. He’s defensive player of the year. I don’t think it matters to Dajuan. I do think being considered one of the best defenders in our conference — the best defender — I think means a lot to Juan. We’ve got another great defender in Kevin McCullar. When you have both guys out there they really make an impact.”
• Of former Texas Tech player McCullar (61 steals to Harris’ 60), Roberts said: “When we were looking in the (transfer) portal to get a guy, as soon as Kevin’s name came up we were like, ‘Forget everybody else. Get Kevin because he fits our culture, what we need. He’s the type of kid we want here.’ We knew he’d fit in with J-Will, Juan and Gradey, all the guys here. He was a perfect fit for us.”
• Of Adams, an undersized 6-foot-7, 225-pound sophomore big man who averaged 10.6 points and 4.5 rebounds, Roberts said: “He really has improved. Even last year, he always gave us something positive when he went in the game, something positive energy-wise every time. This year he’s had a chance to show what he can do. He is not a 5-man. He plays the 5 for us. He is so good at it. He is the second best playmaker on our team. He helps J-Will and those guys get shots. Juan is our playmaker but the next guy is KJ. When we can play him in that short roll area and he can move that ball around and plays with that energy going to the glass, he is really effective. And I believe he’s getting more confident offensively.”
• Of frosh guard Dick, who has made 71 of 175 threes (.406) while averaging 14.5 points a game, Roberts said: “He has had a great year. He had a lot on his shoulders. He has to get recharged because as a young guy, having this much put on you — the physicality he and J-Will both go through — ... people face-guard them, grab them, hold them the whole game. It gets frustrating for them and is physically taxing. He’s a tremendous player. The thing that makes Gradey so good is he is goofy, very goofy. He is goofy all the time. He lets things go off his back and always keeps going, always has a smile on his face. He’s a great teammate.”
The man who puts everything together, coach Bill Self, is said to be a leading candidate for national coach of the year after directing KU to a league title in what is considered the best league in the country. Self, however, lost the league top coaching honor (AP and coaches) to Jerome Tang of Kansas State.
“He couldn’t care less about coach of the year award. The guy is in the Hall of Fame. It doesn’t get much higher than what he has,” Roberts said. “One thing about coach, he preaches to our guys (that) faces change, expectations don’t. It doesn’t matter who leaves year to year. Expectations do not change. It’s a next-man-up mentality.
“Coach has a unique way of making guys feel they are better than maybe what they really are. Our place does that. Our school does that as well. The guys know they have to play to a really high standard. Coach keeps them to that standard every day.”
An example...
“Believe me, if a walk-on screws something up he gets it just as bad as J-Will does,” Roberts said. “I think the kids appreciate it, how they are coached every day. It can be being goofy, laughing, too, but we really are a family. Everybody has a role to do — a job to do. Being a player, assistant coach, head coach, everybody understands there are expectations here. We are reaching to that bar to try to get to it.”
Big 12 Tournament
WEDNESDAY
No. 8 West Virginia vs. No. 9 Texas Tech, 6 p.m (ESPN2/U)
No. 7 Oklahoma State vs. No. 10 Oklahoma 8:30 p.m. (ESPN2/U)
THURSDAY
No. 4 Baylor vs. No. 5 Iowa State, 11:30 a.m. (ESPN/2)
No. 1 Kansas vs. Game 1 Winner, 2 p.m. (ESPN/2)
No. 2 Texas vs. Game 2 Winner, 6 p.m. (ESPN/2)
No. 3 Kansas State vs. No. 6 TCU, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN/2)
FRIDAY
Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner, 6 p.m. (ESPN/2)
Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN/2)
SATURDAY
Game 7 Winner vs. Game 8 Winner, 5 p.m. (ESPN)
-- All games are available via the ESPN App and simulcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+
