KU coach Self praises freshman Furphy: ‘I feel like we’ve found our fifth starter.’
Johnny Furphy has responded favorably to his new role as a starter for the No. 3-ranked Kansas Jayhawks the last two games.
The 6-foot-9 freshman guard from Melbourne, Australia has averaged 11.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in Big 12 Conference men’s basketball victories over Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. He’s 4-for-8 from 3 while logging 17.3 minutes in those two contests.
Former starter Elmarko Jackson has scored four points with three rebounds, one assist and two turnovers total in averaging 15.5 minutes off the bench in the two contests.
“I feel like we’ve found our fifth starter,” KU coach Bill Self said at a Thursday news conference held in advance of Saturday’s game between KU (15-2, 3-1) and West Virginia (6-11, 1-3). Tip is 3 p.m. Central time in Morgantown, West Virginia,
“That’s not a knock to Elmarko, but Elmarko’s role I think will be better off the bench than what it was as a starter and I think Johnny’s role will be better as a starter than what it was off the bench.
“I’m excited about him,” Self added of Furphy. “It’s not that he’s going to do anything spectacular although he can especially in transition and offensive rebounding. It’s the other guys feel comfortable playing with him. I think they play better with him in the game.”
Self explained that “it makes Kevin (McCullar) probably more of a primary handler than what he was before (which was) more of a secondary handler. I’ve said many times he (Furphy) is very, very bright (and) picks stuff up quick. He scored 15 points the other day (in 90-66 win over OSU), all off of easy basketball plays.
“If you are open you shoot it. If you are not you pass it. Then he gets the ball in the corner and hadn’t scored the entire second half. He feeds the post perfectly and gives ‘Hunt’ (Hunter Dickinson) a layup. He can do some things that come natural to him,” Self stated.
Furphy for the year averages 6.3 points on 50% shooting. He’s 19-of-50 from 3 for 38.0% and also pulls down 2.9 rebounds in 14.9 minutes per contest. Jackson, a 6-foot-3 freshman, averages 5.0 points a game on 36.0% shooting. He’s made 8 of 29 3s for 27.6% while playing 22.3 minutes a game.
“I don’t know that he’s 6-9. I never thought he was, but gosh he looks tall out there,” Self said of Furphy. “He can see over the defense, has got long arms and can make some plays you can’t coach.
“That defensive rebound he got in the first half (at OSU) where he kind of kept tipping it to himself, that was impressive. And the offensive rebound he got where he made his first 3 in the corner, those are impressive plays where those are 40-60 balls and you come up with them. Giving us some extra possessions like that is important for a team that has labored some offensively obviously,” Self added.
Self also has high hopes for reserve guard Nick Timberlake, a Towson transfer who had two points, two rebounds, two steals and a highlight-reel breakaway dunk at OSU in nine minutes.
“He didn’t come here not to play and he hasn’t played much (11.2 minutes a game),” Self said. “He’s played a lot by first-year player’s standards but not by fifth-year graduate transfer standards.
“He’s just a great kid. He’s got a great attitude. He did really well the other day (at OSU). As you saw he’s an athlete. He jumps far better off his right (foot) than his left. That (dunk) was a big-time play the other day but he’s got to stay ready. By the end of the day a team goes zone, we’re going to need somebody to stretch the defense and be a threat. He’ll stay ready because he is a fabulous young man, but it’s not the role he envisioned nor is it the role I envisioned. It just hasn’t quite gone smoothly for him yet. If he keeps a good attitude which he will and when his number is called he will deliver. You see that all the time in sports. So much of it is preparation for that moment. He’ll prepare and be ready all the way through til the end,” Self added.
