The Kansas Jayhawks had a plan for Cameron Boozer. Could they return to it later?
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Self praised Kansas’ disciplined double teams and post traps that limited Boozer.
- Boozer produced 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists but posted inefficient shooting.
- Kansas strategy signals wider trend: trap stars, force off spots and contest every shot.
The Kansas men’s basketball team didn’t make things easy for Duke freshman star Cameron Boozer on Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden.
No. 5 Duke won the game, but every single point that Boozer scored was an absolute slog. It mirrored the strong effort by a shorthanded Jayhawks squad on the night.
The No. 24 Jayhawks didn’t let Boozer get to his spots in the post. Forwards Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller did an admirable job of staying upright and not letting Boozer bully his way inside.
The result was a number of erratic shots that Boozer hadn’t been forced to take all season. And a rare inefficient night for a potential top-5 NBA Draft pick next year.
“I actually thought we guarded pretty well,” KU basketball coach Bill Self said.
What did that coverage look like?
Whenever Boozer had the upper hand on Tiller, another freshman, the Jayhawks would trap the post, forcing Boozer to either pick the ball up or pass it out to a teammate.
He ended up with 18 points, about half of his production from the game before, but it wasn’t an efficient night. He shot 7-for-17 and committed two turnovers.
He rounded out his stat line with 10 rebounds and five assists.
“I think these guys (Tre White and Bidunga) would probably agree with me,” Self continued. “When we screwed up, it seems like he made us pay. ... You miss a block out, he will make you pay on a block out. If we screwed up, which we did a few times — if we screwed up trapping the post or whatever, he will make you pay out of that.”
Overall, though, Self said he thought the Jayhawks did “OK” defending Boozer.
It could be a blueprint for what’s to come.
When the Jayhawks face star players, particularly those with size and elite athleticism, they could employ a similar strategy.
The Jayhawks tried to be aggressive before the catch. They pushed Boozer out of his spots and sent a mix of timely double teams. They tried to contest shots without fouling.
It led to Boozer looking the most uncomfortable he’s been so far this year. And it kept the Jayhawks in the game despite playing shorthanded and dealing with foul trouble.
“He’s a good player,” Self said of Boozer. “I think the thing that he does really well — well, he does a lot of things well — but he’s a really good passer. I felt pretty good about how our guys defended him even in one-on-one type situations.”
