KU basketball’s defense is elite, but coach Bill Self believes it can be better
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- KU defense ranks top-10 in metrics, yet Self says it’s not championship-ready.
- Defense carried KU during Peterson’s absence, often holding foes below 70 points.
- Turnover and steal rates sit near the bottom, forcing KU to improve transition defense.
It’s no secret that the strength of this Kansas men’s basketball team is defense.
Just ask KU guard Melvin Council Jr.
“(Coach Bill Self) was preaching it in the summertime of how his best teams were defensive teams and they went so far,” Council said. “We don’t (have) a lot of offense. ... If we get stops, our offense will be great. Defense wins championships.”
The best way to describe KU’s defense is tenacious. Unlike previous seasons, there’s no weak link in KU’s starting lineup.
The big man combo of Bryson Tiller and Flory Bidunga can not only defend the rim, but also guard the perimeter when forced to switch.
On top of that, KU’s athleticism and length is leaps above previous Jayhawks squads.
Despite facing a number of ranked teams already, KU ranks top-10 nationally in a number of defensive metrics, including KenPom’s adjusted defensive efficiency (No. 8), block percentage (No. 3) and opponent 3-point percentage (No. 4).
| Defense metrics | Stats | Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Adjusted defensive efficiency | 93 | No. 8 |
| Opponent effective FG% | 43% | No. 9 |
| Opponent 3-point percentage | 24.9% | No. 4 |
| Block percentage | 18.8 | No. 3 |
Defense is why KU went 5-2 when freshman Darryn Peterson (hamstring strain) missed games. During his absence, Kansas allowed only one team to break 70 points (Tennessee).
Council is KU’s best defender. He’s also often the one directing players where to go, while guarding the opposing team’s best offensive player.
For him, it starts with his mentality.
“I like to pick up 94 feet. I don’t have to do it. That’s just something that I need to do for the next level,” he said. “Just play a role. If I can do it, my teammates will piggyback off me, and then we will get stops.”
For how good the Jayhawks have looked on defense, Self believes his squad can be even better.
“I think it’s been better, (but) I don’t think it’s near where it was on championship-type teams in February,” Self said. “But can we get there? I certainly think we have the potential to get there, so I’m fairly encouraged this early to have the numbers that we have defensively, playing a good schedule.”
KU’s biggest weakness on defense is generating turnovers. The Jayhawks rank No. 355 in opponent turnover percentage and No. 331 in steal percentage. That will need to improve a bit as the season goes along.
KU’s inability to create turnovers is a part of why the offense is so inconsistent. If Kansas can generate more steals, it allows more transition opportunities, — where the Jayhawks have thrived. For how athletic this squad is, KU is tied for No. 195 in fast-break points per game (10.8).
As for what Self believes still needs to improve?
“I think our inability to build a wall in transition — you saw that against Missouri,” Self said. “I think we’ve got to build a wall better. I also think — we saw it against UConn in the second half, and we saw it against Missouri in the first half — those are two big teams that are both good rebounding teams without question. But we didn’t play physical on the glass.
“Steals are important. Deflections are important. Blocked shots are important. When you add them all up, they all have great value, but if you’re not elite at stealing, deflections, stuff like that, then become elite at finishing possessions because it accomplishes similar things. Steals allow you to get out and run and do some things, but blocked shots do the same thing. There’s a lot of things we can do defensively that allow us to play faster, but it’s hard to play fast if you don’t control the glass.”
